Milken Athlete Wins Second Triathlon
Proving his win last year at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon was no fluke, Sasha Hakimi ’19 once again finished ahead of the pack, winning the 14-17-year-old division on September 15. Hakimi completed the race, held at Zuma Beach, with a time of 2:44:18. The event, which drew a field of over 5,000 athletes, benefitted Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, raising 1.4 million dollars for pediatric cancer research.
Regarded as a challenging competition, the hardest part of the race for Hakimi was the constant exertion of energy. He noted, “There are no breaks in a race like this and the best way to combat this challenge is through training.” Winning a triathlon takes a lot of preparation and Hakimi prepared for the 1.5k swim, 40k bike ride, and 10k run with a grueling training regimen. A member of the Milken Cross Country and Track teams, Hakimi began preparing for his second triathlon just a little over a month before the race, working out with his father and a few of his friends. Focusing first on one sport at a time, he increased the distance he ran, biked, and swam each week. Performing running and biking speed drills, he worked out in intervals having longer breaks in between so he could focus on speed instead of endurance. His swim training was mostly in the ocean, but on days when he swam in a pool, he focused on his form, “Because the better form you have the more efficient you are in your swim and the less energy you waste,” he explained.
With a month left before the triathlon, Hakimi incorporated two and three sports into one day. And in the week before, he trained in all of the sports at the Olympic distance but with longer breaks in between. His training not only included demanding workouts but also concentrated on nutrition too. When the race was two weeks away, he put himself on a strict diet, drinking a minimum of eight cups of water daily, increasing his carbohydrates intake, and cutting out candy. Watching YouTube videos of triathlons helped him to prepare mentally. He believes watching the athletes made him more confident in his ability to compete.
After having one triathlon already under his belt, Hakimi admitted he felt more confident and was less nervous before this year’s race. While he doesn’t have any immediate plans to compete in any races, he definitely will in the future. He encourages anyone interested in doing a triathlon to try it out, expressing, “Anyone can do triathlons, the only difference between those who actually do it and those who don't is their will and desire.” And how, you might wonder, did Hakimi celebrate his win? With an In- N-Out burger with Animal Style Fries.
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