2024-25


UCLA IronBruin 2024

Early morning start to the day as the alarm went off at 5:30am. Drove over to Bonelli Park to meet up with the rest of the team to get to packet pick up. Parking was slightly hectic and transition a tad far but in the end everyone from the team was able to sign in and get their packet with race essentials: Bib, Timing Chip, Helmet, Sticker, and Bike Sticker. Set up my transition in the wave 1 transition area with the majority of the team and rest of the collegiate athletes. Said hello to some friends from opposing schools and caught up on summer activities and training. Then headed down to the lake shore to stretch and get a warm up in. The start was delayed due to an early earthquake and the nearby dam integrity needed to be evaluated as well as the fog causing unclear vision on the bike course. The delayed start made me feel like I was cooking in the wetsuit waiting but at least it wasn’t cold anymore.


Once the race began the adrenaline started rushing and I may have started out on the swim a tad too fast but too late to change the strategy so I just kept going. Once in transition 1, and on the bike it took some time to get into the cycling rhythm. Once in the rhythm I enjoyed the scenery. However the roads could have used some maintenance because I kept getting kicked off the saddle just from the bumps. Once done with the bike it was time for the run. Literally holding on for dear life, heart rate may have skipped a few beats or was soaring through the roof who knows. But like all things it was still fun to run it with many people supporting you along the route. Once done with the race I was satisfied that I finished despite being sick previously that week and still semi-recovering. A good strong point was the start of the year race ended with everyone that attended finishing.


Post race it was snack and water time. Also talked to my teammates, took pictures, and thanked my family that came out to support. Then once everyone from the team finished and gear was collected it was time to go home to get food and take a nap before having to finish assignments that were postponed due to the race. 


-Raul

UCSB Kendra's Race 2024

My experience during Kendra’s Race this year was a bit surprising for me. I came into it expecting huge PRs on the swim and bike but a really slow run, but I ended up going pretty even for all three legs. The race started with an ocean swim, which in hindsight I should’ve practiced more for. I wanted to try a two-beat kick like I’ve been practicing in the pool but I felt so slow in the water and my wetsuit I just ended up kicking without thinking about the rhythm, which is an old bad habit. But despite that, I still finished the swim faster than my last time on the course by 10 seconds per 100yd. After the brutal walk/run up the stairs to transition, I got my legs out of my wetsuit first-try standing up, which is really rare for me. This might’ve been my best T1 of any race so far.  Going into the bike leg of the race, I had to deal with the series of tight turns through the campus and getting stuck behind people. In anticipation of the slow section I had opted to leave my TT bars off my bike, which I regretted as soon as I got to the open road part. I haven’t trained enough in the aero hoods position so my arms were getting sore fast and I had to go into the drops a lot during the ride. Despite this, I still beat my pace from last time, which I’m happy about.


Getting off the bike, I did a satisfying flying dismount and had a pretty fast T2. I started the run pretty slow but accelerated, hitting a 7 minute split for the first mile. Then disaster struck around the halfway point: a side cramp! I tried to endure it for a minute then slowed down to a jog again.  I was expecting to be done and just jog the rest, but after a few minutes the cramp just went away! Normally I don’t cramp, or it’s so bad I have to slow down for the rest of the run. But after that second wind, I sped back up again, trying to make up for lost time. My heart and lungs were recovered from having run slowly while cramping, so I was flying for the last mile. About 200 meters from the finish I saw my teammate Azure and went all-out to try and catch him. Once he realized I was passing he also sped up into a full sprint and held me off. Normally in triathlons we’re so spread out so it’s rare to have fun sprint finishes like this, so I was glad I got one this time. Overall I’m pleased with how the race went, and as always it’s just fun to travel with the team. Depending on where I go for grad school this might not be my last Kendra’s Race, so I’ll use the lessons I learned if I ever come back.


-Eric Pedley

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This was my first time visiting the UCSB campus and it was also a much-needed weekend away from a busy school schedule. After arriving, I set up my transition area, donned my wetsuit and got in a light warm-up jog. Between the sunny Santa Barbara sky and the barefoot walk down to the beach, the excitement in the crisp November air was palpable.


Once the race kicked off, the moderate surf, a noticeable onshore current, and cold water took some getting used to. Finally managed to get into a good rhythm in the last 400m, but the biggest mental challenge for this race was just powering through the first few minutes of the swim. I rounded the last buoy, made it up the stairs, and found myself at transition. This is where I encountered the most physically challenging part of the race-removing my wetsuit. Once that battle was won, I jumped on the bike and quickly settled into a good cadence. The bike course begins by winding its’ way through the campus before looping around the airport and ending in an uphill climb back to campus. We do this twice before making our way back to transition. Turns were well-marked and volunteers were super helpful. There were also great vibes with cheer squads and course guides at various places! Overall, the bike felt amazing and may have been my favorite leg of the race. On to a very quick T2!


I thankfully got rid of my post-bike jelly-legs within the first half-mile of the run. The course was a beautiful trail run through some classic California chaparral with several small hills thrown in for good measure. A conveniently placed water station just before and after the half-way point was appreciated, and I immediately felt a second wind. As I got closer to the finish line, the reality that I was about to complete this sprint triathlon started to set in. This meditation inspired me to use that remaining gas in the tank to sprint the final 0.3/0.25 miles. I was met with a crowd that was absolutely stoked for every last finisher!

Some closing thoughts, with a focus on easy improvements. We are lucky enough to have conditions that allow for us to compete in a triathlon with an open-ocean swim in the middle of November. That said, I won’t be skipping the swim warm-up next time, as I think the water acclimatization alone is worth a short swim. Relatedly, I need to practice removing the wetsuit quickly after the swim. Lastly, I might start adding something highly visible/distinctive to my transition area. I definitely ran past it with my bike during T2. Overall, great race, great vibes, and I’ll be back for the next one! 

-Luis Solano

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This year’s Kendra’s was such a blast! I really enjoyed myself with my friends and teammates and this course is definitely one of my favorites because of both the difficulty and location.


The race course itself was really fun. The swim felt pretty long and had a lot of seaweed, but overall I really enjoyed it and I really improved from last year. I think this is because I got more race experience, more experience in a wetsuit, and more practice strictly swimming. The stairs at the end were pretty annoying and difficult, but after I got through the stairs I felt a lot better. I struggled a lot at transition for some reason, but it was fun seeing Coach Greg and Ema at the transition. Biking through the campus was a little bit sketchy, but it was pretty fun because I got to take sharp turns fast. Biking around the airport was also pretty fun because I got into aero and got to pass people, although my bike time was still not the best. The run was a lot of fun, I really like the course even though it's pretty hilly and usually I really don’t like hills. I got to see a lot of my friends on the run, too, and try to catch them. I also got to cheer on my friend who was behind me since he did the open division race. Overall, I improved a lot from last year, and my mental state was also much improved, I actually enjoyed the race this time around. On race conditions, I think this course rocks, the only improvements I can think of are better markings in the school and less sharp turns, but other than that this course is pretty cool.


I really enjoyed Kendra’s Race this year, and I can’t wait to go back in the upcoming years! 


-Ben