This was my fifth 70.3, and it finally felt like the race I'd been chasing.

I finished in 4:34:35, good for a 21-minute PR over my previous best of 4:56 at Louisville in 2024. I also got the sub-90 run I'd been chasing with a 1:28:29, finished 17th out of 220 in M30-34, 91st out of 1,500 men, and 94th overall.

I'd had races where the swim went well, races where the bike went well, and races where the run went well. Oregon was the first time I put all three together.

Goals

Splits

Training

This was probably the best build I've had for a 70.3. The only real setback was getting sick in mid-June and losing about 10 days of quality training. Right after recovering I tested my FTP in early July and got 250W instead of the 281W I'd tested earlier in the season, and I let that get in my head more than it should have.

Going into Oregon I thought sub-4:45 was realistic if I had a good day. I definitely wasn't expecting to take 21 minutes off my PR.

Travel

Easy Saturday morning flight from ORD → PDX, even with the bike box. It clocked in at 68lbs at check-in, which was just under the second overweight threshold (included a picture of everything I managed to cram into it).

Rental car pickup was easy, and I immediately met a few other people in town for the race. Turns out a bike box is a pretty good conversation starter.

The drive to Salem took about 75 minutes. There's plenty of street parking within a short walk of packet pickup, so we parked, grabbed our packets, and rebuilt the bike right there on the sidewalk. We definitely weren't the only ones, there were a handful of other athletes doing the exact same thing.

Finished the day with pasta at Geppetto's, and I'm pretty sure the entire restaurant was just triathletes carb-loading before the race.

Race Morning

One benefit of flying in from Chicago was that coming from central time the 3:30am alarm didn't feel nearly as bad as it normally would.

Breakfast was oatmeal with peanut butter and a Maurten 320 mixed with two LMNT packets. We got dropped off right outside transition, got everything set up, and everything was pretty uneventful. Plenty of race provided bike pumps in transition, just because I'm sure those who don't travel with pumps like myself are always anxious about this!

One thing worth knowing if you're thinking about racing Oregon: the swim start isn't next to transition. Everyone queues in swim corrals near transition, and around 5:50am the organizers walk everyone together about 1.5 miles to the swim start for the 6:15am gun. It sounds like a hassle, but they were constantly making announcements and it ended up being one of the smoother race morning logistics I've experienced.

There are porta potties along the walk if you need one, although plenty of people opted for the woods instead. Morning clothes bag drop is also along the route (roughly half a mile before the swim start), so you can wear sandals or flip-flops over and ditch them there. I was surprised how many people just walked the whole thing barefoot.

Swim — 21:24

Everyone says Oregon has a fast swim, and they're right. The current absolutely rips.

There wasn't much contact, sighting was straightforward, and I mostly stayed relaxed and let the river do some of the work. I drifted off the tangent a bit, and my watch ended up showing about 2,300 yards, but when I looked at the clock afterwards it was hard to care.

21:24. By far my fastest 70.3 swim. 500 yard splits below. You know you're spoiled when you see the first half done in ~6.5 minutes and get salty near the end that you're still swimming after 20 minutes!

1. 3:23 40s / 100yd
2. 3:01 36s / 100yd
3. 4:39 55s / 100yd
4. 5:30 1:06 / 100yd
5. 4:50 1:16 / 100yd (total 2,380 yards smh)

One of my favorite pieces of race lore is that a few years back they supposedly threw a bag of Doritos into the river to see how long it'd take to reach the finish. Apparently it took about 23 minutes so happy to report I beat the Doritos.

T1 — 5:48

T1 was pretty straightforward, although it's definitely not a fast transition. There's a steep run up the boat ramp after getting out of the water followed by a decent run through transition. The wetsuit strippers made quick work of the wetsuit, and before long I was out on the bike.

Bike — 2:33:41

The bike was probably my favorite part of the course.

It's rolling without ever feeling overly difficult, with one bigger climb around mile 13. There was some wind throughout the ride and more rider traffic than I expected once people started heading back from the turnaround, but overall it was just a really fun course.

One thing to watch for if you're racing Oregon: the turnaround is a very sharp hairpin. It caught me by surprise, and my friends said they saw a few people go off the road because they carried too much speed into it.

I rode mostly by power and finished with 227W average / 238W weighted average, which ended up being my fastest 70.3 bike split.

Nutrition was about as simple as it gets. I started with three bottles of Maurten 320 (each mixed with two LMNT packets), but only drank about a bottle and a half. I also took four Maurten 100 gels (two caffeinated, two regular). At every aid station I'd grab a water bottle, take a couple drinks, then pour the rest over my myself once it started warming up.

One thing I wasn't expecting was how cool the first half of the ride stayed. I actually started worrying that I'd underfueled because I wasn't drinking as much as I'd planned, so I made a point to get a little more down before heading out on the run. Fortunately, my legs still felt good coming into T2.

T2 — 5:14

My only real mistake of the day.

Transition was still pretty empty, and I had a hard time finding where I'd racked my bike. I burned about a minute wandering around before finally finding my row.

Swapped into my trusty Alphafly 1s, threw on some sunscreen, and headed out.

Run — 1:28:29

The sub-90 run was the goal that I'd been chasing for a while.

The first mile came through in 6:36, which felt almost too easy. Once the sun started coming out I backed off just a touch. I'd rather lose a few seconds early than lose a few minutes over the last 5K.

The course is mostly shaded, but there are a handful of exposed sections you hit twice. By the second lap they were definitely warming up.

One funny moment happened on that second lap. I passed a guy who had a videographer riding alongside him on a bike. I asked what his YouTube channel was, immediately forgot the answer, and after I passed him he turned to the cameraman and said, "Don't put that in the video." which got a laugh out of me.

I carried four Maurten gels in a belt, two caffeinated and two regular, plus a couple backup LMNT packets. I skipped the on-course Precision Fuel & Hydration drink and Coke, sticking with my own nutrition and water at the aid stations.

Around mile 11 my lower abs started cramping. I dumped one of the LMNT packets into a cup of water, drank it, and thankfully it never turned into a full cramp.

Crossing the line in 4:34:35 and seeing 1:28:29 on the run was one of those moments where all the training finally felt worth it.

Equipment

For anyone curious:

• 2022 Canyon Speedmax CF SLX w/ DT Swiss 65mm wheelset
• Smith TT helmet
• Specialized Turbo tubeless tires
• Garmin Forerunner 570
• Roka sleeveless tri kit
• Roka wetsuit
• Nike Alphafly 1

Takeaways

• The river current delivered, you will PR your swim at this race.
• Oregon 70.3 absolutely lives up to the hype.
• Apparently my old Alphafly 1s still have some more juice.

If you're looking for a fast, well-run 70.3, I'd absolutely recommend Oregon. The swim is every bit as fun as people say, the bike is interesting without being overly difficult, and the volunteers were fantastic all day.

Strava

If anyone wants to dig through the data:

• Swim: https://www.strava.com/activities/19382143077
• T1: https://www.strava.com/activities/19382143073
• Bike: https://www.strava.com/activities/19382172616
• T2: https://www.strava.com/activities/19382143081
• Run: https://www.strava.com/activities/19382143108

Happy to answer any questions about training, pacing, nutrition, or equipment.

I know I can Google, but looking here for advice.

I feel like learning about bikes is like learning a foreign language. Just the pieces, repairs, maintenance , etc, it really seems like a lot to process and I feel I'm at a huge disadvantage since all I know how to do is fill my tires.

Where do I begin? Any tips or resources you recommend.?

Does anybody have any good recommendations on open year headphones that are good with sweat and are loud enough to wear on the bike? I have a pair of shokz but the audio quality goes horrible as soon as they get a little bit wet.

Hey everyone!

I’m currently preparing for a Half Ironman (70.3) and this is actually the very first time I’ve ever filmed myself swimming from a third-person perspective.

I’m completely self-taught, so seeing myself on camera for the first time was quite an eye-opener!

A few details about the video:

• Target Pace: The pace in this clip is right around 1:30 min / 100m, which is my target race pace for the 70.3 swim segment.
• Angle: Above-water, side profile (captured with a GoPro). Unfortunately, I don't have underwater footage just yet.

Things I’ve already noticed myself:

1. Right leg: Occasionally kicks too high out of the water, creating extra splash.
2. Head position: When breathing to the right, my head doesn't rest cleanly on my shoulder/arm and lifts a bit too high above the waterline.
3. Right arm entry/path: Drifts a bit too far to the right (wide entry).
4. Right arm pull (Catch): Could definitely use a higher elbow.
5. Stroke finish (Right arm): Slicing my right hand sideways at the exit phase instead of finishing with a flat palm push.
6. Rotation: Body rotation on my non-breathing side feels a bit flat and could definitely be deeper.
7. Kick cadence: My legs might be kicking slightly faster in this clip than my intended steady kick for race day.

I’d love your thoughts on whether my assessment is accurate, and more importantly, which specific drills you’d recommend to help me fix these issues. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I'm really glad I received so many useful comments and tips. I definitely didn't expect this much feedback! It will take me some time to review all of them, cross-reference the advice with my video, and write down notes for my next training session. 😄

Hi everyone,

Next year in July I'll be doing my first full-distance triathlon. My goal is simply to finish, enjoy the day, and gain the experience—not chase any specific time (which is kind of guaranteed to be a PR anyway 😄).

My current thought is to start reducing training volume and intensity about 4–5 weeks before the race. There is a local half-distance race 3 weeks before the full, and I’m considering using it as a final dress rehearsal: testing nutrition, pacing, transitions, equipment, and race-day routines.

A bit of background:

• I'm generally quite fit.
• I tend to recover well from training and races.
• I would deliberately approach the half-distance conservatively and not race it all-out.

From your experience, what does the community think?

• Bad idea and too much risk that close to the A-race?
• Totally doable if it's treated as a controlled training day?
• Actually a great confidence booster and final systems check?

Thanks!

Disclaimer: This post was translated and polished with AI assistance.

Hi :)

After doing a C25K I decided to push my body a bit more and signed up for a sprint tri (750m-20k-5k) in October.

I really thought the swim will be the hard part, after doing a few sessions on a stationary bike i felt this would be the easy part. but after buying a real road bike (BMC Roadmachine), I was humbled.

I tried going for 2 rides so far, both of them should've been "Z2 easy rides" (according to my MyProCoach plan), but I was far from it. the slightest incline would shoot up my heart rate to the 180's (I can run at 160 for my easy runs nowadays), even when going as slow as possible. (do note that I did not ride a real bike for almost 20 years at this point)

Today I have a "Fast bike session" which consists of 10 * 30s intervals and im really not sure im gonna be able to do that, especially with real road terrain.

Is this just me having to get used to the bike, or am i out of my league here? I managed to bike 8k on saturday, but it took me 35 minutes.

How should I structure my next bike sessions? I really want to skip the intervals and just do "easy bike rides" to build volume, but im not sure if its the best route forward for me.

So this question is about the pump adaptor (aka the "crack pipe") that is used for getting your pump head into the slot on a disc wheel. Mine is made by Silca. I understand how it is supposed to work, I can rotate it and it stays on the valve ok, up to about 60 psi and then it starts to leak. I can push it on there, but then I can't pump is up solo while simultaneously holding it. Any tricks or advice?

Hi all, I’m (24M) brand new to the sport I recently graduated from college where I was a Rugby player. I just did my first sprint tri and finished in 1:22.
My splits were
Swim 2:20/100m (750m)
Bike 20.1 mph (13 miles)
Run 7:22/Mile (3.1 miles)

I did about 8 weeks of training leading up to this and I am absolutely hooked. My goal is to eventually compete for age group podiums, I was wondering how possible that would be with a more training.

Hey y'all, preparing for my first tri at the moment, and looking for a tri suit has been spinning me out.

I'm a female, size UK 18, and as it's my first tri, I don't want to be spending too much - less than £100 would be ideal, and I want one with short sleeves (NOT the vest style/no sleeves). Decathlon don't seem to carry my size at this price point, there's a decent dnb one on sports direct but the largest size they do is a 16, and I'm skeptical of ones on amazon as I've not been able to find any reliable reviews (if anyone has any, that would be great!)

I've purchased this unisex one in 2xl from decathlon:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mp/trisuit-short-sleeve-triathlon-suit-florida/2502213e-8b6b-4bfc-be8f-64ae8a8ad74d/c1c94

but I've not been able to find any experiences of women wearing unisex tri suits, and as it's my first tri suit I'd like to try one made specifically for womens bodies to compare the difference - very scared of chafing on the day!

I'm also skeptical of second hand ones, as people are wearing them with no underwear and triathletes have been known to relieve themselves during races!

Have seen some posts that that are similar, but they are all from the US, so haven't been useful.

I'm definitely after a one piece suit, so kindly please don't recommend separates!
I have the upmost faith in the reddit tri community - have found SO much useful advice on here so far, so hoping someone out there can point me in the right direction!

Note: I have looked at TriGirl and Stomp the pedal - they are mostly sold out.

I’m looking at buying my first road bike and found this Specialized Roubaix on Facebook Marketplace for $900.
I’m around 5’8” with a 32” inseam, so I’m also wondering if 54cm is the right size or if I should be looking for something different.

The seller’s description:
Specialized Roubaix, 54cm
Original owner
Bought from Bike Barn
Shimano 105 groupset with newer 105 brake calipers
FSA 172.5mm cranks
Newer chain and bar tape
New tires and tubes
Specialized Power saddle (143mm)
Shorter, higher-rise stem
Cane Creek headset bearings replaced last summer
Cables and housing replaced two years ago
Never crashed and well maintained
Comes with flat pedals for a test ride

I don’t know what year the bike is. My long-term goal is to get into triathlons, but I’m a complete beginner and probably won’t be racing for a few years. I’m mainly looking for a reliable road bike that I can train on for a long time.

A few questions:
Does $900 seem like a fair price?
Does anything in the description raise any red flags?
Does the bike appear to be in good condition based on what’s listed?
Is a 54cm likely the right size for someone who’s 5’8” with a 32” inseam?
Would a Roubaix be a good bike for training and eventually doing triathlons, or would I be better off looking for something else?

Hi everyone,

I have recently dabbled with the idea of starting to do triathlons starting with a sprint in the spring of next year. I have run two half marathons and decided I wanted a different kind of challenge. With that said, I am trying to look at what kind of bike to start with. I don’t want to spend a ton right away but want something that will be good for training and race day!

I think I know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway. Yesterday (Monday), got in a bike crash where an e-bike ran through a red light and t-boned me while I was on my bike heading home. Only damage to the bike was the left brake which is being fixed now.

Bc of the way I landed, i ended up with a 2 CM laceration on the back of my head which required 6 staples.

CT scan in ER was good and my lower back is a little sore but due to the staples in the back of my head, there’s no way I can swim right?

Doctors already advised me no, but I just wanted to hear from fellow triathletes who may have experienced similar misfortune within one week of a 70.3.

Even if the staples were removed on Thursday, I don’t think it’s safe to swim in the river - outside of doing breast stroke with my head out of the water for the swim lol

Appreciate any moral support as I am quite bummed about this since this is my primary race of the year

is there anyone out there wirh chronic fatigue syndrome while training as a triathlete?

i got my formal diagnosis this week which explains why i struggle to consistently do all 6/7 (hehe 67) sessions a week. anyone else trying to manage both? how’s it going? 🥲

Got Ironman Leeds on August 16th, when doing my long rides/runs I have a can of white monster before and usually stop halfway at a shop and have another

Obviously on race day I can have one before in transition but not halfway, what do you find works best for yourselves, caffeine gels? Caffeine tablets? Trying to decide which to use so I can implement it now

Hi! I’ve signed up for my first Sprint tri, and looking for bike recs. I want something decent but also beginner friendly that won’t break the bank. Thanks! Also, where is the best place to search for used bikes?

I completed my first triathlon last weekend!

I registered for a sprint triathlon in April at the suggestion of a friend whose husband I convinced to join me in marathon training later this year. For background: I'm a 41-year-old male in reasonably good shape, and I'm an active, avid distance runner. Apart from recreationally swimming enough to learn how not to drown and riding my bike around town until I was about 12, I'm neither a swimmer nor a cyclist. I wasn't trying to win the race. I simply wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. My approach was to take my time and enjoy the experience. Here's what I learned.

Prep & Training

Swim: I attended one OWS clinic before the race and absolutely should have done more. I felt comfortable during the clinic while wearing a wetsuit. I also swam pool laps for several weeks to make sure I could comfortably cover the 500-meter distance, but nothing prepared me for race day in open water. During the swim warm-up on race morning, I completely panicked in the water and, as a result, forgot my entire plan and all of my mechanics. When I got back to shore, my friend remarked that I looked like I'd just seen a ghost. It also didn't help that I did the warm-up without a wetsuit. I had mentally prepared myself for that because the race director mentioned wetsuits might not be permitted due to the high water temperature. Fortunately, on race morning, they announced the swim would be wetsuit-optional, so I wasted no time putting mine on.

Bike: I have family who graciously offered to lend me a road bike for race day. I did plenty of stationary bike work at the gym, but for some reason I had an irrational fear of crashing on sharp turns. That meant white-knuckling the brake levers in case I needed to stop suddenly. Apart from the gym and one short outdoor ride about a month before the event, I had essentially no road experience. I also opted for flat pedals instead of clip-ins because, during my brief and feeble attempt to learn them, I teetered around so much that I think I may have seen the Lord Jesus Christ. I get why cyclists use them. For now, they're not for me.

Run: I’ve been actively marathon training for the last several months. I told myself that as long as I got my feet back on the ground after the bike, I'd be home free. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to train specifically for the triathlon.

Race Day

Swim: I was grouped with the first-timers, all of whom shared a similar anxiety about the swim. My friend gave me a pep talk. She also pointed out that the adaptive athletes started first and said, "Look, these people are blind and doing this. Be grateful you have eyes, get in there, and do it too." Frankly, it was one hell of an inspiration. The energy heading into the water was incredible. EVERYONE is supportive. EVERYONE is rooting for you. Standing on shore, I got the green light to jump in, literally said, "Fuck it," started my watch in "Triathlon" mode for the first time, and dove in.

I felt much more at ease during the race with the wetsuit, and honestly, it probably saved me from quitting. There were also far more paddleboarders on the course than I expected, and these people are the unsung heroes of the event. I grabbed onto two or three of them along the way to catch my breath, and every single one was unbelievably encouraging. Sure enough, the swim was over before I knew it, and as soon as my feet touched the sand, I knew I was home free.

Bike: My irrational fear of crashing disappeared within minutes of making my first turn, but it quickly became obvious how much I had undertrained for this part of the race. Looking back, it makes perfect sense why everyone emphasizes the bike so much. It's the longest portion of the race by both distance and time. Lesson learned. For the entire ride, my mantra became, "I'm just going on a little morning bike ride." The course was generally flat, and the race directors did a fantastic job marking potholes and hazards. As soon as I reached the dismount line, I also realized why everyone recommends brick workouts because my. legs. WOBBLED. I awkwardly trotted, if you want to even call it that, back to transition and got ready for my time to shine.

Run: I took a gel before heading out and immediately realized I probably should have drunk more water earlier that morning. My mouth was completely dry, and the moment I unclipped my helmet, sweat poured down my face more than I've ever experienced. As I started running, it finally occurred to me to check my watch. Holy moly, I’d burned far more calories than I expected, and I still had a 5K to go. The water stations were fantastic not just for drinking but also for dumping water over my head because the humidity absolutely settled onto the course by that point. Around the halfway mark, I checked my watch again and realized I was running much faster than I expected after completing the swim and bike. I told myself not to chase a 5K PR because I'd probably end up injuring myself, but I also realized that with even a little more brick training, I could probably break a 20-minute 5K after the bike.

I crossed the finish line but completely missed ringing the first-timer's bell (UGH!) I grabbed my medal, bought a finisher shirt, and went on my way.

Lessons

1. Drink more water. Seriously. Drink a LOT of water. I had three bottles before the race even started, and I still wish I'd had three more.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. This is one of the most supportive communities I've ever been part of, especially my family and friends who came to cheer me on. I can't wait to pay it forward someday.

3. I did this as a former fat kid in recovery, and if I can do it, you sure as hell can too. Believe in yourself!

4. Fuel. I shocked myself with how many calories I burned. I ate a huge lunch and dinner the day before and was genuinely worried my stomach would revolt. Instead, I burned roughly 1,400 calories in about 1 hour and 40 minutes which was far more than I expected. Eat well beforehand, and bring gels or snacks if you think you'll need something during transition or on the bike.

5. OWS experience is a must. If possible, practice both with and without a wetsuit. Had the race required a non-wetsuit swim, I'm honestly not sure how I would have fared. That said, there were plenty of safety volunteers in the water to grab onto if needed, so I probably would have managed by working my way from paddleboard to paddleboard.

6. I overthought the bike. I completely understand why safety is emphasized, especially on public roads, even when they're controlled. But about 15 minutes into the ride, "it's like riding a bike" suddenly made perfect sense. I found myself taking corners naturally and enjoying the ride like I was a kid again. That ended up being one of the most satisfying parts of the entire race.

7. I’d absolutely do it again. Next time, though, I want to give the training the respect it deserves. I'd love to tackle an Olympic-distance triathlon next year and continue working my way up. It's a significant investment of both time and money, but I've rarely experienced a stronger feeling of accomplishment than crossing that finish line.

TL;DR: First sprint triathlon. Performed better than I hoped. Overthought the bike. Survived the swim. Proud of the accomplishment. I'll absolutely do another one, and hopefully an Olympic-distance race next year.

Hi, I am F26 searching for a personalized coach to start training for my first half iron man.
I started training for my first spring triathlon months back and I really like the sport. But I only used chat gpt to give me a training plan and i think with a coach it will be more beneficial.
I prefer a female coach but if male no problem, also could be fluent in english or spanish (i am from chile living in the us/west texas).
Any recommendations on where to find coaches or coaches that you would recommend please let me know.

I have been a runner for 15 years. Not great but decent enough to qualify for Boston. Im at 9 marathons so far. Average about 70km a week. Recently I took up swimming. Completed a couple of across the lake swims. Both under 2km. Long time casual cyclist.

All my marathons I follow a different plan. I calculate my threshold from previous races and use a combination of HR, pace and power to dial in my training.

I'm considering a 70.3 in May. Looking at plans on Training Peaks has me confused. Will I need a bike computer to set up power for my bike? Or is that overkill for a 1st timer. I also have access to a treadmill and Zwift ride at home when weather is an issue in winter.

The plans look very confusing to be honest. Any suggestions?... Or for a first timer just get the miles in for bike to get the legs ready?