Athlete Race Recap: Bass Lake Yosemite Triathlon, Silver Serpent Multisport Festival, & Rock Hall Triathlons

Posted On:
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Updated On:
Stream On:
Apple PodcastsSpotifyBuzzsproutiHeart RadioiHeart RadioPocketCasts

Bass Lake Triathlon

Susan beams after conquering a very challenging course!

Susan Doberneck kicked off her triathlon season on Saturday, June 1, 2024 with the Bass Lake Yosemite Triathlon in Bass Lake, California!


The Bass Lake Yosemite Triathlon accurately claims to be one of the most challenging and beautiful triathlon courses in the United States.  The race takes place in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and the 40-kilometer bike course of the Olympic Distance race (which is what Susan did) has 2,200 feet of elevation and the 10-kilometer run course has 450 feet of elevation gain.

We have been working on building Susan’s strength and confidence while riding hills this season.  She was a little wary of this course, but I encouraged her to remember all of the work she’s put in and how strong she actually is.  Susan conquered the bike course (she reported that it was even tougher than she anticipated) and then successfully deployed a run/walk strategy on the run that allowed her to cross the finish line with a smile and in first place in her age group!

While the race itself took quite a bit out of Susan, she recovered well and was back to her normal training within 48 hours of the race.  This is a great measure of fitness gains.  All too often, athletes want to measure their progress by the time on a finish line clock.  It’s important to remember that finish times are not everything and that some of the most meaningful things in endurance sports cannot be tangibly measured.  

Susan’s finish time on Saturday was not a personal best time for the Olympic distance of triathlon.  However, the fact that Susan was uninjured and was able to resume her normal training after the race is a bit of an intangible that shows us that she’s gaining fitness and strength.  This was a great kickoff to her triathlon season.

Great job, Susan!

Silver Serpent Multisport Festival

David (left) crosses the 5K finish line with his two daughters.

David Tuminaro raced at the Silver Serpent Multisport Festival in Silver Lake, New York on Saturday, June 1, 2024 and Sunday, June 2, 2024.  Yes, you read that right: He raced on two consecutive days!

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, David ran the Silver Serpent 5K with his three children.  His son ran ahead on his own and finished in a blazing fast 25:30.  David and his two daughters ran together at his youngest daughter’s pace, and the three of them finished together in 37 minutes.  All four of them had a wonderful time doing the race together and celebrated with ice cream afterwards!

On Sunday, June 2, 2024, David raced the Intermediate Triathlon as a C-Race.  His A-Race is in approximately two months and we knew that this would be a good opportunity to test out things for his A-Race, including gear, fueling, hydration, and pacing strategies.

David had a solid swim, but unfortunately made one of the classic mistakes that all of us experienced endurance athletes have made at least once in our endurance sports careers: He went out too hard too early in the race.  (Specifically, he did this on the bike, though it can happen in any leg of a triathlon.)  This cost him not only on the second half of the bike, but on the run.  Despite this, he adapted the adversity he was facing and managed to cross the finish line upright and uninjured.

While David was disappointed with his performance, this race gave him a lot of valuable insights into what he would benefit most from working on as we continue to build toward his A-Race.  Much like Susan, he recovered extremely well and was able to resume normal training the following day.  So despite the race performance not being what he wanted, we do have evidence that all of the hard work he’s been putting in in training is working and that he has increased his fitness and strength.

Well done, David!

Rock Hall Triathlons

Carolyn Classen continued her triathlon season with the Rock Hall Triathlons on Saturday, June 1, 2024 and Sunday, June 2, 2024.  Yes, like David, Carolyn raced two days in a row!  She raced the Olympic Distance Triathlon on Saturday and the Sprint Distance Triathlon on Sunday.

Saturday’s Olympic Distance race went well, and Caorlyn felt strong through the swim and the bike.  While in Transition 2, Carolyn forgot her handheld that contained her liquid fueling.  Fortunately, she came prepared and had backup nutrition in her triathlon kit that she was able to use on the run.  She was able to increase her effort over the course to finish strong and in first place in her age group!

Sunday’s Sprint Distance race was always going to be a bit of a challenge for Carolyn with the accumulated fatigue from the race the day before in play.  In addition to the accumulated fatigue, course conditions were a bit tougher on Sunday; there was a decent wind, which made water conditions very choppy.  Fortunately, Carolyn’s experience and training helped her take on these conditions and swim well while remaining on-course!  The bike course went really well, and Carolyn deployed a solid fueling and hydration plan that set her up well for the run.  Her run pace was actually faster on Sunday than it had been on Saturday!  Once again, she finished on the top of the podium in first place in her age group!

Carolyn was really happy with how she felt and performed on both days and in both races.  While she did have a good “official” result timing-wise in each race, she was most proud of how she executed each race and how strong she felt during them.  I cannot understand how valuable these intangibles are, especially for athletes as they spend longer in endurance sports.

Great job, Carolyn!  

Previous post

There is no previous post
Back to all posts

Next post

There is no next post
Back to all posts

Why Winter & Off-Season Training is Vital for Endurance Athletes - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

What to Modify in Training When Things Change or Don’t Unfold as Expected - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Why Multitasking is a Myth…Especially When it Comes to Workouts - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Why Endurance Athletes Should Strength Train Year-Round - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Rescue Me 5K

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Cold Turkey Run

Required "current" page

What Does Nothing New on Race Day Actually Mean? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Nevada Day Classic

Required "current" page

Confidence Comes From Surviving Doing The Scary Thing - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: World Triathlon Age-Group Championships Málaga, Brooktondale Easy as Pie 5K, & Topsfield Fall Foliage Classic Road Race 

Required "current" page

Is Exercise as Good as Medicine? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Army Ten-Miler & XTERRA WETSUITS Mission Bay Triathlon

Required "current" page

Why Switching Up Goals Can be a Positive Thing - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

What to Ask Instead of “Can I Accomplish This Goal?” - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Waterman’s Triathlon & The Bear Chase

Required "current" page

How Do Long Runs & Long Rides Work & Benefit Endurance Athletes? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

How Masters Endurance Athletes Show Us How We Can All Thrive in Endurance Sports and in Life - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel & IRONMAN 70.3 Washington Tri-Cities

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: USA Triathlon Olympic Distance National Championship

Required "current" page

Being Hard on Yourself?  Try This Instead. - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Littlefoot Triathlon & Erie Marathon

Required "current" page

How Doing Something New Can Help You Achieve Your Endurance Sports Goals - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Why It’s Important to Look for Lessons Even When Race Day Goes Well - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Why Disappointment on Race Day Leads to Greater Success - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

How Much Does it Cost to Train for an IRONMAN 70.3? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Coeur Outdoor Divas Sprint Triathlon & Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon

Required "current" page

How Much Does it Cost to Train for an IRONMAN? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Max Performance Sharon Triathlon

Required "current" page

How Much Does it Cost to Train for a Half Marathon? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: 174th Attack Wing Runway 5K

Required "current" page

Athelte Race Recap: IRONMAN 70.3 Maine & Donner Lake Triathlon

Required "current" page

How Much Does it Cost to Train for a Marathon? - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Tri Boulder, IRONMAN Lake Placid, & IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio

Required "current" page

Are You on Track to Reach Your Goals?  The Value of a Mid-Season Athletic Performance Review

Required "current" page

Why You Shouldn't Wear a Wetsuit in Triathlons and Open Water Swimming

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: The Best Way to Avoid Injury

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Freedom 4th Eagle Firecracker Run

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: A Longer Goal Isn't a Better Goal

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Relay for Life of Southeastern Connecticut, Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon, & Cohasset Triathlon

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Why Race Execution Matters

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: The Best Thing for Beginner Endurance Athletes to Do

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: IRONMAN 70.3 Western Massachusetts & IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: How to Train and Perform Well in the Heat

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Bass Lake Yosemite Triathlon, Silver Serpent Multisport Festival, & Rock Hall Triathlons

Required "current" page

The Three Best Things Endurance Athletes Can Do for Training and Performance - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Using All of Your Senses in Workouts

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Are Morning or Evening Workouts Better?‍

Required "current" page

How to Train for a Sprint Triathlon

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: You Don’t Always Need to Do The Hardest or The Most

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Greenland Trail Race & Upstate Orthopedics Mountain Goat Run‍

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: How to Handle The Transition From Indoor to Outdoor Training

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: XTERRA New Jersey

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: What if You Fly?

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Carson Canyons Super-K Trail Runs & Delaware Half Marathon

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: The Case for Walking

Required "current" page

How to Handle Training When You Get Sick

Required "current" page

The Dangers of Social Media for Endurance Athletes

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Coastal Delaware Running Festival 9K & Zoo Run Run

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Seek Out Awe & Enchantment

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Smithfield Sprint Triathlon & Run as One 4M

Required "current" page

Negative Splits are Positive Things - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Multisport Transitions Explained

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Alpha Win Ocala

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Don't Pull Up on Your Bicycle Pedals

Required "current" page

Pace & Effort are NOT the Same Thing - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Demystifying Foam Rolling

Required "current" page

What Stretching Actually Is - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Cycling Cadence Matters

Required "current" page

How to Properly Conduct a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Test - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Lake Effect Quarter Marathon

Required "current" page

Face the Discomfort Dragon - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Love Can Be Cold

Required "current" page

Live to Climb Another Day - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Is AI Coaching & Sports Training Software Actually Intelligent?

Required "current" page

Strength Training as a Backbone - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Town of Celebration Half Marathon

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Resolute Runner 5K

Required "current" page

My Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2023

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: How Do You Answer “What’s Next?”

Required "current" page

My Top 8 Fiction Books of 2023

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: The Next Big Thing

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: What is Preventing You from Reaching Your Goals?

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: What Does It Mean to Set a Goal?

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: It’s A Wonderful Run & Run with Rudolph

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: 2023 Thanksgiving Day Races

Required "current" page

You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: EOD Warrior Dash

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Exercise is Not a Punishment for What You Ate

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Include Buffers in Your Training

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Lights on the Lake 5K

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Pause Before Assessing

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Cold Turkey Run & The Burn Run

Required "current" page

Set Authentic Goals - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: What Can Be Measured Isn’t What is Most Important

Required "current" page

Coach Tip Tuesday: Don’t Complain About the Wind.  Embrace It.

Required "current" page

Avoid Doubling Up to Make Up

Required "current" page

What to Consider When Purchasing a New Bicycle - Coach Tip Tuesday

Required "current" page

Athlete Race Recap: Foxy’s Fall Century, Spooktacular Stroll 5K, & Eastwood 5-Mile Run

Required "current" page

About

Coach Laura Henry

Laura Henry is a Syracuse, NY-based coach who is a USA Triathlon Level II Long Course and Level II Paratriathlon Certified Coach, USA Cycling Level 2 Certified Coach, VFS Certified Bike Fitter, and has successfully completed NASM's Certified Personal Trainer course. Coach Laura is passionate about helping athletes of all ability levels reach their goals and has coached many athletes to success.

She can be reached at laura@fullcircleendurance.com.

Read Biography

Check out our other
recent Blog Posts

Start Your

Coaching Today

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Start Your

Coaching Today

Have a question or ready to get your TRAINING started?

Fill out our Contact Form to the right and we will get back to you shortly!

Check - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates

Thank you

Thanks for reaching out. We will get back to you soon.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.