Hansen Dam Triathlon - Bike & Swim RECON

Saturday morning at 08:00, my Neighbor Richard and I performed a recon mission and scoped out the Hansen Dam Triathlon Swim Venue and 11 mile bike course. The swim will take place in a small man made lake that appears to be used for boating or sailing lessons (not really sure?). As you can see in the picture below, the water is dead still, no current, no sand and no waves ... unless you count next weekends start waves. The race experience should feel like swimming 500 yrds in a big swimming pool with a bunch of my closest friends.

Please don't turn me into the bike police... I don't normally leave it like that.

After scoping out the swim venue, Richard and I rode the 11 mile bike course. The course is mostly flat, with a couple of rollers, a couple of fast downhill sections and a couple of small climbs. Overall, this should prove to be a very fast course.

The course is essentially one big loop and never back tracks onto itself ...(duh...hence the word loop). After leaving the swim venue, you zig zag on the Hansen Dam Park property until you reach the right hand turn at Osborne St. After a flat section on Osborne, you take a right onto foothill and descend until your reach an easy 2 mile climb that takes you to Wentworth. At Wentworth, you take a right and go down a steep section that goes under the 210 freeway then levels off. Through this section you should be able to carry a lot of speed for the next couple of miles. (note: carry tire changing equipment because the bike lane is very bumpy, pitted and could cause pinch flats. This area also has a lot of sticker bushes on the side of the road so thorns may be an issue as well. Don't be surprised if you see people changing tires along Wentworth.) After one small climb on Wentworth, you head down a 1/4 mile section to a right hand turn at the beginning of the "Dam" bike trail. Once on the bike trail, you climb to a completely flat section on top of the Dam. Once on the Dam, you should be able to carry a lot of speed until you exit the dam area and head back into the Park and T2 area.

My neighbor Richard on his smokin Red Felt Roady

Richard did a great job on the course and is sure to burn up the field on Sunday! Go Richard!!!!!!


Todays Workout: 800 yrd open water swim in Lake Castaic