Hard work for a Sunday

Rick Devereux

There must be some connection between the number 1,500 and work.

One thousand five hundred. That’s how many people the National

Security Agency plans to hire by September.

One thousand five hundred. That’s how many people were “let go” by

Gateway in April.

One thousand five hundred. That’s how many people will participate

in today’s seventh annual Pacific Coast Triathlon at Crystal Cove.

While 1,500 will find work with the NSA, 1,500 are now looking for

work after jobs with Gateway. But the hardest working 1,500 will

definitely be the ones in today’s triathlon.

According to race chairman Bob Cuyler, 1,500 is the maximum number

of athletes the course will hold without congestion. The athletes

start in waves of 100 to 120 people in each age group. Three waves

are spaced three minutes apart followed by a 15-minute break before

the next set of wave swells the race course.

The race will begin with a half-mile swim in El Moro Cove, then

transition to a 12-mile bike ride on Pacific Coast Highway to Laguna

Beach and back, and finish with a three-mile run that includes a 1/2

mile of running on the beach. Cuyler said the most difficult portions

of the course are an 11 percent inclined ramp near the beginning and

end of the race

“Right after they get out of the water, they have to climb a

lifeguard jeep ramp,” he said. “It gains 75 feet in elevation in

about 400 feet, so it’s pretty steep. There’s another killer ramp at

the end of the 3-mile run. The athletes call them ‘death ramps.’ ”

The route is half the length of an Olympic-size course and

utilizes different rules than what will be enforced in Athens.

Olympic triathlons have .932-mile swims, 24.85-mile cycles, and

6.213-mile runs and allow drafting. The Pacific Coast Triathlon

traditionally does not allow drafting

“You must have three bike lengths separation,” Cuyler said.

“Europeans changed the rules so they can use more team work, like

they use in the Tour de France.”

There aren’t many triathlons in the United States that allow

drafting, so in order to familiarize future Olympians with the

technique, the Pacific Coast Triathlon will have a special Junior

Elite wave at 6:45 a.m. before the age groups start 20 minutes later

that will be able to draft on the bicycle leg of the course.

“We offered the USA Triathlon national organization that we would

put on an extra race to give these kids the experience in a

draft-legal race,” Cuyler said. “We wanted to help future Olympians

who wanted to see this race format more.”

Cuyler said the Junior Elite race is the only change this year.

“The course has been exactly the same for seven years,” he said.

“This race has always been a sprint race, which is the shortest

possible race.”

Don’t mistake short with easy.

“This race has many challenges for being such a short race,”

Cuyler said. “This is the third largest triathlon in California

behind Wildflower and Los Angeles. And the Pacific Coast race has the

most beautiful course out of any of them.”