5150 Bela Bela. What can I expect?

[wjgrobbelaar]

Hi all,

 

I entered the 5150 event in Bela Bela and it will be my first triathlon. I have heard that a lot of first timers enter this event which makes it attractive. I will definitely do the 5150 in PE as well later in the year. 

 

I am not as fit as I should be. I had a knee and shoulder injuries in the last few weeks and are still recovering from them.

 

I am a bit stressed / excited. What can I expect?

[Craai]

Flat swim 1.5km  , hilly 40km cycle, flat 10km run

Edited July 4, 2018 by Craai

[Patchelicious]

Cold water.

[Vetplant]

The run is in the heat of the day...

[EmJayZA]

I believe the run course is very lonely, and through the caravan park, which can be confusing. The swim can get interesting as a current forms, so it will be quick. It is shallow enough to walk (but this is frowned upon). You will not get accommodation at the venue if you want to book there. 

[Craai]

Cold water.

About 1.5cm on a particularly nippy day.

[amr63]

if you have not already, search the multisport forum for 5150, there were similar threads in 2017 & 2016 with useful event-specific tips.

[IceCreamMan]

Expect to have fun and enjoying yourself pushing yourself to levels you never though possible.

 

Good luck

[shaper]

Race only starts around 12pm, so make sure you stay out of the sun in the morning and drink plenty and eat accordingly.  Even though is winter is usually hot there and have done the run in 32°C before.

 

Swim: Is in the water ski oval, it's not very deep (chest deep), you get tired you can walk... although the mud between your toes is not a nice feeling.  Not sure if you are doing it with a wetsuit or just in a tri-suit?  Most are in wetsuits, some will be in jammers or a tri-suit, water can be cold but bearable.

 

Cycle: 2 loops out and back which is very hilly on the way out and fairly fast on the way back.  As you get back into town watch out for some speed humps and crappy road surface, many loose their bottles or tool bags, so just be weary.  Eat and drink plenty on the bike as you are fueling for the bike as well as the run.

 

Run: Double lap through the campsite, totally flat and in max heat of the day, drink plenty on the bike and then on the run.  As you run through the campsite, say hello to the oupa and ouma sitting by their tent/caravan drinking their klippies and watching the shenanigans of you and others running/walking/limping along.

 

Enjoy the beer afterwards and the experience, as it is your first your aim is to finish, so don't stress about anything else... just take things as they come and do your best.

 

Enjoy the day and welcome to the journey!!  Good luck.

[ewep]

Agree with all that was said. If you’re not comfortable on your TT bike I would strongly suggest taking a roadbike. I suffered big time as I was used to my road bike’s compact crankset. The up on the out of the bike can be quite interesting on a normal crankset.

 

Please please, if you do get tired in the “dam” don’t stand up! Remember there are people behind you.

 

Walk the waterstations if you’re tired. It helps!!

 

Remember to enjoy it.

Edited July 11, 2018 by ewep

[amr63]

Hay... just realized Bella Bella 5150 was last weekend (4 August) and I haven’t seen any race reports... so what happened?

[Jewbacca]

2 italian ding-dongs?

[wjgrobbelaar]

Hi there!

 

I would say that my first triathlon went well....

 

Swim was icy and I was completely overwhelmed by everyone around me. Couldn't get into a rhythm and panicked a bit after 500m. After that I managed to calm down and do my best. In hindsight I don't think it went too bad though. 

 

Cycle was much more hilly than what I have anticipated. 10km uphill and a very fast 10km ride back to the resort. 2nd loop went well too. I have learnt that it is very important to manage your nutrition while on the bike. At dismount, I fell / slipped when getting of my bike (very embarrassing) and injured my LCL (only realized that later)

 

The run did not go as planned. I was not used to the altitude and because off the fall I was struggling the last 4k's. I was walking a lot in the last loop, but made a lot of friends while doing it  

 

This was only my first triathlon and I will be looking back to this day and learn from all the rookie mistakes. It was definitely a great experience and I will recommend it to anyone who considers triathlon. 

[IceCreamMan]

Well done, finishing a tri is always a kick of adrenaline....  Now that you have a taste of it and realise what is required it gets a lot easier, but one still has to train

 

I am coming to my 5 year anniversary of completing my first tri which was a 5150 at Germies lake. Now have done IM SA multiple times and more half distances than i can remember. ITs a great sport and a great lifestyle, but can get expensive.

[wjgrobbelaar]

What can you tell me about the Germiston race? Actually considering it..

Well done, finishing a tri is always a kick of adrenaline....  Now that you have a taste of it and realise what is required it gets a lot easier, but one still has to train

 

I am coming to my 5 year anniversary of completing my first tri which was a 5150 at Germies lake. Now have done IM SA multiple times and more half distances than i can remember. ITs a great sport and a great lifestyle, but can get expensive.

[IceCreamMan]

What can you tell me about the Germiston race? Actually considering it..

It’s a great event, the lake is normally quite placid although one year it was choppy. The cycle is out on the highway and it’s fast with around 400 meters of elevation and the run is mostly in the Germiston lake grounds. Well worth doing imho.

 

The course above is what it was when I last did it, may have changed a bit by I doubt it. Germiston lake is a great venue for a triathlon I reckon.

 

Do it.