From the Lead Swim to the Late Moves: How Fog, Fitness, and a Poorly Timed Stingray Headlined the Oceanside 70.3

In this issue:

• Oceanside 70.3 Recap

• Next Webinar: “How to Avoid Common Mistakes that Ruin Races”

• Where You Can Find Us

• RTS Podcast Highlights

Oceanside 70.3 Pro Series Recap: Questionable Roads, No More Speed Limits, and a Stingray Strikes Again

Oceanside last last weekend, on March 28, felt less like a coastal triathlon and more like a proving ground for the third stop of the Ironman Pro Series. The first Pro Series race in the US featured a deep field, warmer-than-usual conditions (even the water felt suspiciously comfortable), technical roads that looked like they hadn’t been repaved since tubular tires were popular, and tactics that mattered as much as fitness.

Jackson Laundry threw down a 7th overall against one of the deepest fields of the early season, backed by the 3rd fastest bike split on a setup that looked like it came straight from a mission to the moon: full Enve disc in the rear, 100mm Enve up front.

This also permanently secures his status as the course record holder of the speed-limited version of Oceanside, a distinction he should mention more on an other (non-RTS) podcast 😉 

Getting out of the water just 1:40 behind the leaders, Jackson moved up throughout the bike to set up the run, where patience paid off as more aggressive starters came back to him. As he put it: you'll regret it later if you don’t give it your best now.

He did not regret it.

Jackson ran the fastest he had since he won Oceanside in 2022!

Marc Dubrick put together maybe the most complete RTS race of the day: 9th pro male and first out of the water, controlling the front end of the race from the start. From there it was a steady, disciplined day. Classic Marc: swim fast, race smart, say something understated afterward like “you're having a great day, let’s keep it going.”

“I am really happy with the run time vs my run training at the moment. I wanted to stick to my pacing goal, 3:20-25 [per kilometer]. I could see Jackson and Ben and at mile 10 I tried to give it everything I had. I just wasn’t enough.” -Marc

Meanwhile Nick Chase finished 35th pro male in what might quietly be the toughest performance of the group: his first race back after breaking his femur, minutes faster than he’s ever raced Oceanside.

He and Jackson also drove nearly five hours from Vegas to Oceanside, because they don’t make Nick’s secret weapon in a travel size…Nick credits part of his performance to what may be the most unexpectedly practical pro tip of the weekend:

Rain-X on the helmet visor.

Fog? Ocean air? Marine layer? Nick was having none of it. He came prepared like he was detailing the windshield before his road trip.

David Reynolds, racing his first event in the RTS kit, finished 27th pro male after deciding the best run strategy was essentially controlled chaos. Instead of his usual conservative opening mile, he just went for it and trusted he could hold on. “I was a little frustrated with how my bike went and just decided to go out hard […] the 20m draft altered the race more than I expected. I couldn’t see the [Race Ranger] light with my head down in aero and I found it hard to slow down enough when passed without putting anyone behind me in my draft and forcing them by.”

Not everyone there had a bib number. Annie and Lisa fully committed to support crew duties, with Lisa especially taking her job seriously enough that reports came in of her cheering like crazy from the top of a hill, the exact place where athletes are most vulnerable to both encouragement and existential questioning.

And finally, we have to address the incident.

Despite Nicole very clearly warning everyone about the famous Oceanside stingrays (based on personal experience) and specifically recommending the stingray shuffle, Jackson ignored this advice and got stung anyway two days before the race. Luckily, it didn’t go too deep and no barbs were left behind!

All in all, it was a very RTS kind of day: front-pack swims, smart racing, comeback stories, strong debuts, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Oh, and a little bit o’ dancing.

Oceanside 70.3 YouTube

RTS Custom Bambu Werx Store

For your feet and for your head, our friends at Bambu Werx have socks and hats for you!

“How to Avoid Common Mistakes that Ruin Races” is the Next Webinar for RTS Community Members

The next webinar for our RTS Racing Community is Thursday, April 23rd at 5pm PT / 6pm MT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET and it’s covering how to prevent common pitfalls that can derail a race.

Join RTS Racing to get the invite to our webinars - you’ll also be entered for big giveaways, insider discounts, group chat access, pod shout-outs, and merch perks!

Where You Can Find Us

The Real Triathlon Podcast

Recent episodes of the Real Triathlon Podcast:

• April 8: Motivation is a Lie - How to Train on Your Worst Days on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube Editor note: I reallllly enjoyed the honesty here - this is evergreen advice on a podcast worth saving and listening to more than once!

• April 2: Oceanside Showdown — Stingrays, Draft Zones, and a Chaotic Bike Course on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube

• March 26: Oceanside 70.3 Countdown on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube

• March 9: Ben Kanute on Power Myths, Race Chaos, and Why Pros Need to Stop Making Excuses on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube

Partner Discounts & Webinars

Join RTS Racing for all-access to the discount codes and monthly webinars!

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