Sony Pictures Completes the Nautica Malibu Triathlon

On the 13th September, the Sony Pictures Triathlon Team braved the dark hours of the early morning and took part in the Malibu Triathlon for the first time, swimming a 1/2 mile in the ocean followed by an 18 mile bike and a 4 mile run. Amazingly, we put forward 73 competitors, and for many it was their first ever triathlon.

All our members did outstanding with many top 10 finishes within their age groups. Two of our athletes managed to podium with Dan Sheerin placing 4th in his age group, placing 14th overall and Jamie Specht placing 3rd in his age group and finishing 25th overall. With nearly 2000 competitors these finishes exceeded both athlete expectations and will hopefully hint at more successes in the future.

To top this off, the team managed to raise a very impressive $31,699.86 for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles where it will help pediatric cancer research. As a first year team, this is over 50% higher than any other entertainment companies first year competing as a team. This is quite an accomplishment and highlights the AWESOME spirit that we at Sony Pictures have as a company.

Notable fundraisers were Felicity Bath, John Carlson, Steven Hafran, Courtney Schaberg and Greg Yip, who each raised over $1000.

One of our team members, Steven Hafran, had a particular connection to pediatric cancer. Steven’s son Nathaniel was diagnosed with stage 3 neuroblastoma in February this year, when he was only 15 months old. His lower half became paralyzed over the days leading up to his diagnosis and he required emergency surgery in order to prevent permanent paralysis. During this time he also started chemotherapy. This was a difficult time for Steven and his wife. Although Steven felt powerless, he found out that the Malibu Triathlon was again supporting the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and especially pediatric cancer research and that Sony Pictures were entering a team for the first time. Not only could he directly help Nathaniel but also the other kids that are fighting the disease. Steven has raised a staggering $5,268.01.

The good news is that Nathaniel is doing great and the remaining part of the tumor that had to be left has shrunk so that it is now undetectable and he is now running around again like a true toddler. The Sony Pictures Triathlon Team wishes Nathaniel a continued and speedy recover.

Thanks to all those that came out to support us, including our fantastic sponsors: SONY DADC, DTS, Digital Authoring Center, Rush Street, Tri-Labs, SportEve, The Athletic Club, XTERRA Wetsuits and Imageworks. We all had a great day and we hope to make the team bigger and better for next year and raise even more money for this great cause.

The Sony Pictures Triathlon Team

Should I wear a wetsuit for the triathlon swim and can I use the same one I use for Surfing?

The first thing to find out is whether wetsuits are permitted in the race you are entering. Some events do not allow the use of a wetsuit. Others actually force you to wear a wetsuit. In general, there will normally be advice for each event on whether they encourage the use of a wetsuit or not.
Malibu Triathlon encourages the use of a wetsuit in it's event but it is not enforced.

So would I encourage the use of a wetsuit? My answer is always Yes. Unless a race is in a pool or the distance is short, I would always encourage the use of a wetsuit.

The reason for this is the time advantage that it gives you. Okay, so the waters off Malibu for the last couple of years have been at 61°F so having a wetsuit for the warmth factor alone is a good enough reason, but a wetsuit gives you buoyancy. Buoyancy during a swim is your friend. It allows your body to lay flat in the water and reduces drag. During a 20 minute race, you will probably save about 3-4 minutes due to wearing a wetsuit. You will need to take this suit off before getting on your bike but this time is nothing compared to the time you have already made up during the swim.

So can I use my wetsuit I use for surfing? My answer to that is No. Technically you could, but wetsuits designed for swimming are specifically designed to have thick rubber where warmth is needed but the rubber thins considerable where articulation is needed such as the under arm areas. This means that you are not restricted during the swim but still get the benefits of a full wetsuit.

I would also encourage the use of body lubrication such as Body Glide. This can be applied in the areas of most articulation such as the under arms, neck and importantly the lower legs, as the last one will help you remove the wetsuit easier.

If you need to get a wetsuit you can either rent one for the race if you don't want to commit right now or XTERRA is the official sponsor for this years race and will be offering a 50% discount on their Vortex3 wetsuit. Use the following code to get our team discount: C-SONY

As always, it is not recommended to try something new on race day so make sure you get access to your wetsuit before hand and practice swimming in the ocean in it as well as getting out of it when it is wet. You don't want to be getting this wrong in the race.