Early Tri Season Recap

Tri Season Kick Off

I signed up for my first ever indoor tri this year at the Essentia Health Indoor tri. This race runs with an equal time format where you spend 30 minutes at each discipline. For the swimming and running, this would be pretty basic. For the bike, the exercise bikes we would ride rewarded high rpm spinning. Not my forte, and with total distance being the goal I was pretty sure I had no chance at the overall. 

For the swim, I had a goal of 1600 meters and I ended up hitting it exactly. That was a solid start and I worked to change quickly and get to the bike as they only gave us five minutes. When the bike time started, I gave it my best shot. I held close to 125 rpm for most of the time which was very uncomfortable for me. However, the wide seats lead to some even more uncomfortable chafing. After thirty minutes of torture, it was down to the treadmill. At this point, I was .5 miles behind my buddy Ryan Dewey for our personal bet for breakfast after the race. With this in mind, I set the treadmill to 6:15 miles and off I went. 

When it was all said and done, I could not make up the last .2 miles. Although my 4.7 miles ended up being the best run effort, and my swim was third for overall distance. Not a bad start to the season. 

GW Du 

I had been doing some good run training so I was curious to put it to good use at Gear West. I had not been out cycling as much as I had wanted, but still felt I could ride hard. With this in mind I challenged tri studette Lisa Lendway to a heads up beer challenge. With her swim, I figured a duathlon would be my best chance against her. She has rocked some great times early this season, so I hoped the fact that I have raced this course would help me out. 

Mother Nature thought a good dose of rain as we setup would make for a fun race course. I chatted with buddies Nick and Mike (IM Wisconsin race mates) and we all predicted our finish times for a beer. Soon we were off on the soggy cross country run. I ran fast, but a touch reserved as I knew the second run would be tough. On the approach to the final sharp hill I saw Lisa (started a couple minutes back with the ladies wave) and made a mental note for the second run. 

On the bike, the gusty winds made for some mildly sketchy moments. First time this year with the disc cover and I need to remember to keep the power down and relax. I felt confident with my effort, but was unsure if I had ridden hard enough. When I hit T2, I moved quickly into my shoes and onto the run. I was able to get into my goal pace and roll. I saw Lisa about the same place on the second run and was not sure if that was good or bad. In the end, she got me by less than a minute!  Nice effort all day by her. 

I did manage to be within 40 seconds of my time prediction, but Mike was less than 15 seconds form his prediction for the win!  So in recap, a solid effort but two beer payouts when it is all said and done. 

Buffalo

We had a huge Duluth contingent heading to Buffalo for a season opening effort. Ryan Dewey and I cruised down together and bumped into Tiffany at packet pickup. Nick, Mike, Ryan Dewey, Skeeter, Clint, Kris, Tiffany and Michelle were all racing, so this was going to be fun. We put together teams for a beer bet and everybody put down a finish time estimate for another beer to the winner. 

Everyone was amped to get the season underway and we had perfect race weather. After swimming in Pike Lake on Tuesday, Buffalo Lake felt absolutely toasty. I got rolling and turned left into the waves after the fountain. On this stretch I took a few gulps of lake water, but had a solid draft for a good chunk of the leg. Around the farthest buoy and heading back to shore and I felt pretty good. As I stood up and started taking my wetsuit off, I looked down to see Kris swimming in. Only losing a couple minutes to her was a good sign. 

I made my way through T1 quickly and onto the bike. It turns out I should have left my shoes on the bike as the wet grass in T1 got in my cleats a bit and made clipping in a challenge. Once I got clipped in, I went to work. For the first 15 or so miles we would be going over rolling hills and into the wind. I worked hard and managed to pass Tiff early, and with her running ability I needed to bike hard to keep her behind me. As I turned onto the out and bike I passed Clint and Michelle in quick succession. I then caught Ryan Dewey and figured that was it for race buddies I would actually catch up to. When we turned for the final stretch with the wind, I actually ran out of gears. With the tail wind and flats to slight downhills I really could have used a 53 front chain ring. 

Through T2 and onto the run. The goal was to try running 7:00 pace and see what happens. Right away I was a bit slow as we were headed up a small hill. At the top a lady went by at a good clip and I figured let's see if I can match that pace. Between the down hill and my new pace setter I made good time to the short course turn. Now I started seeing the long course leaders and Mike came by looking good with Nick on his tail. After three ladies I saw another Duluth athlete Elaine Nelson. With only 2 miles to go I figured even her running ability would not be enough to win. As I approached the turn, I passed a guy in my age group and made a push to help it stick. 

On the way back, the heat was noticeable. Couple that with the hills and my pace was a bit slower but still pretty good. On the way back I saw Ryan Dewey, Michelle, Clint and Tiffany in order. Based on their pace, they would have a close finish between the four of them. I finished with a solid time and felt good for the first race of the year. I beat my prediction by a few minutes so I knew I would not win that beer, but I was cheering on the rest of my team for the group bet. Tiffany and Michelle raced well and finished strong, but our team lost by 26 seconds. So, I have now started the year with five straight losses in the side bet department...  I need to work on that. 

Liberty/Capitol City Double

One week later and my first big race of the season. I was using Liberty as a check on my prep for IM Canada and IM Wisconsin. The goal was a PR, and if things went well a sub 5:00. The race was also supposed to be a showdown with old race buddy Lou Hughes, but he pussed out and signed up for the Olympic race instead of the half. 

Race morning arrived to gray skies. The weather forecast was for clouds, but no rain and light winds with upper 60's as temps. Perfect for racing fast. Into the water and I tried to keep a nice steady pace. As I exited the lake, I felt like it was a bit slow, but focused on the trek to transition and getting the bike rolling. At this point I noticed it was raining.  Really, rain for the bike?!?  

Try to ignore the rain and got into my groove on the bike. I felt good and focused on keeping my effort level steady. The first loop went well and I was keeping a solid pace. For the second loop I was a bit slower to make sure I was ready for the run and also the last 9 miles which would be with the wind back to T2. As I turned onto the road heading back to Rockford, I made a point to pick up the effort a touch. I wanted to use the tailwind as much as possible. Once through Delano I knew I had about three miles left on the bike so I focused on getting mentally ready to run. At this point, I realized I needed to piss. This is not a normal issue for me in a half iron. Luckily, I racked next to the porta-potty in transition. Of course, wearing bib shorts and the rain made it a bit of a challenge. It is a lot harder than you think to get out of a singlet when you are wet. 

After a quick visit to the porta-potty was done, I grabbed my race number/hat/gel/mountain dew and headed out. I took the gel in the first mile and sipped the dew through the run. I checked my split at mile one and saw I was sub 7:30. Not quite sure I can hold that pace, but I felt good so I kept with it. As I ran I noticed that this run was going up or down a hill at all times. After mile one, the next two had a good chunk of down that would be a challenging finish to our run as it was an out and back. 

As I hit the turn around, I was still holding 7:30 or so every mile. With the clouds holding on, I was feeling pretty good still. I tried to stay steady and even reeled in another few runners in front of me. As I approached the final mile I started to try and pick my pace up a bit. With about a half mile to go, I saw one guy just ahead. I was catching him pretty easy, but would he pick it up as I approached/passed. At the .2 to go point I went by him. As I did, he noticed I was in his age group and he sprinted by me. I just held steady and bided my time. With about 100 yards left I picked up the pace to make my move. I was able to pass the guy again and make it stick this time. When it was all said and done, third in my age group with a half iron PR. Not bad. 

After a quick break, I packed up and cruised over to St Paul to register for the Capitol City tri. The legs were feeling good, so I figured why not. CC was a nice sprint distance and the weather was looking good. Plus I had the beer I owed Lisa from Gear West with me and she left Liberty long before I was done since I am a bit slow. With CC being a sprint I figured I could get her the beer before she had to head home this time. 

With a nice short swim, I was just focusing on smooth swimming and sighting well. It went well, and I was back to T1 soon. I was not sure how my legs would feel after the hard effort the day prior, but with a closed course and 13 miles I figured a strategy of just hammering as hard as I could would work. I caught a couple guys early, and then went back and forth with two guys the rest of the way. As I hit T2 my legs were a bit sore, but I figured it would be good to see how hard I could push the tired legs for three miles. Straight out of transition there was a nice hill that really tested me. Once on top, I tried to get to a nice pace of just under 7:00 per mile. Outside of the hills, I held that pace pretty good and brought it home to a good overall time. 

Recap

Overall, I was pleased with how he season started. Specifically I felt I had strong efforts at Buffalo and Liberty. The PR and really good run at Liberty left me feeling good for the rest of the season. Now I need to get the miles in so Canada goes well in a month. 

EMMA's

Made the trek to Gear West last night to attend the Oscars of the Minnesota Tri season. Clint had asked if I wanted to join him as Superior Man was once again up for race of the year. With Nick up for Rookie of the Year, I figured it would be fun.

The evening was fun, and Nick and Superior Man both brought home some hardware. Two years in a row as athletes choice race of the year for Superior Man. Watch out for Nick to make some waves next year on the regional race scene. No lead into T2 will be safe with his run speed, although I bet he is coming into T2 closer or even ahead of some of the fast guys next season. 

The evening was capped off by a beer chugging contest to settle the EMMA bingo winner. It was Matt Payne's only loss of the night...

2014 Tri Season Review

So I should have been blogging more, but I slacked off. So, I will wrap up the entire 2014 multistory season in one blog post...

Tinman (Morris, MN; 1100 yards pool swim, 18 mile, 6.2 mile)

Good start to the season with no hiccups. 

Blaine Triathlon (Blaine, MN; 0.25 mile, 16.7 mile, 3.5 mile)

51 degree water. Enough said. 

Gear West Duathlon (Orono, MN; 5k, 28k, 5k)

Good weather and ran the second run well for a good day. 

Grand Rapids Triathlon (Grand Rapids, MI; 1.2 mile, 56 mile, 13.1 mile)

"A" race for the year. Terrible swim, solid bike and solid run for a half iron PR in 5:04:xx. Did not earn a spot to worlds in 2015, but still happy with my race. 

Lake Waconia (Waconia, MN; 0.5 mile, 20 mile, 4 mile)

Tired legs from the Garry Bjorklund the previous weekend, but still a fun day. Lost my heads up race bet with Lou, but I will get that as soon as he gives me a rematch....

Z Tri (Grand Rapids, MN; 1/3 mile, 14 mile, 3.2 mile)

Great weather and a fun way to start the Fourth of July. Really happy with my run here as biked hard and ran sub 7:00 still.

Duluth Tri (Duluth, MN; 1.2 mile, 56 mile, 13.1 mile)

For all that went right at my last half iron, it all went bad here. Could not find a good rhythm on the back half of the bike, and the heat crushed me on the run. 

Moose Lake Tri (Moose Lake, MN; 0.4 mile, 12 mile, 5 mile)

Great weather to start. Solid swim with a decent bike to follow. Ran a little slower than I wanted but ended up with my first overall win ever. 

Brewhouse Sprint (Duluth, MN; 820 yards, 12.4 mile, 3.1 mile)

Signed up the night before for the sprint as a bunch of buddies were doing it. We split into teams for a beer bet with Nick and I taking Mike and Ryan down when Ryan crashed coming into T2. Biked well and once again kept my run pace sub 7:00 to have a solid race and set my age group record. 

Green Lake Tri (Spicer, MN; 0.75 mile, 22 mile, 6 mile)

Rolled down to Spicer with Nick and Mike for Tri road trip. Kris, Skeeter and Meirs met up with us so we put together another beer bet for the day. I had an average swim, and hammered the bike.  On the run I still ran decent for a good race overall. However, Mike, Kris and Skeeter won our bet this time. Great race road trip overall. 

Superior Man Tri (bike course director...)

Completely different outlook on race day. Tiring and busy, but had a good time. 

Burrito Union (Superior, WI; 600 yards, 12.4 mile, 3 mile)

A fun race to end the multisport season with. 

Overall ten triathlons, one Duathlon and one Tri as a course director. 

Burrito Union 2014

For this years running of BU, I thought I would try the one-and-done version. One swing though the race course and get a beer to watch all of the 5&10 hour competitors still rolling.

Race morning dawned and it looked nice, although a touch cool with the temp in the upper 40's. 

I cruised over to Pattison State Park just south of Superior Wisconsin and got my stuff setup in transition. Pretty basic setup with it being a sprint course. I then figured I should check out the start of the bike course since it has changed since two years ago. I jogged through the start and saw the grassy and gravel sections we were warned of. Nothing to bad, so it was time to get going. 

Swim

63 was the stated water temp as we watched the ten hour competitors take off. I then slipped into my batman costume, aka wetsuit and waded into the lake. 

Shorter hair, and no beard but you get the idea...

A quick countdown and off we went. Things were going fine until the second buoy. There we turned directly into the sun making the next buoy impossible to see. Swim in the general direction of the woods and hope I was not too far off. Finally into the shade of the trees and I can see I took an amazingly good line. I will call it skill, you can call it luck...  Around the final buoy and out of the water. No watch and no clock so I don't have splits, but it felt ok for time. 

Bike 

Came onto the bike right behind a couple folks, so I had to be patient through the campground as they told us it was a no pass zone. Once on the road I ramped it up. Slight tail wind on the way out, so had to keep pressing hard. By the time it was done, I managed to catch all but one person from our wave.

Run

They had changed the run course since the last time I did this race also. It was still a trail run, so it was a matter a running hard and trying not to trip and fall. There are a lot of steps and a couple times I came at them a touch fast but I managed to stay upright. I ran hard, but could not catch the one guy in our wave ahead of me. 

Recap

In the end, the guy ahead of me was a 5 Hour competitor so I took home the win. It also happened to be a course record. Since I raced the Duluth Tri and the Brewhouse Sprint in addition to the Burrito Union I got a golden growler to go with my finishers pint glass and winners bowl. 

2013 Review

I know this is a little late, but I am trying to get back to blogging so here goes. 

Running

Early season running had me knock out a PR at my pre Grandma's 10 k in Barnum. I also hit my PR at the Garry Bjorklund half. My fall running suffered though. After Tahoe I had no drive to train and went into TC Marathon weekend with no training at all. The loony challenge proved to be painful but interesting. Interesting enough that I signed up again for 2014. 

Tri

I made a big focus on long distance races in 2013. I started with a promising race at the Duluth Tri. I followed that with a PR at Boulder in tough conditions. Superior Man was equally tough, and I felt pleased with my effort. My season finale ironman at Lake Tahoe left me happy with my effort even though I did not get the time I was hoping for. Overall, a decent season. 

New Duluth Half Ironman - Superior Man Tri

This post has literally been a few months in the making.  It really started around late August when Clint Agar from Duluth Running Company first gave hints of a triathlon he was working on putting together for the Duluth area.  He gave out bits and pieces and today it was finally announced officially: Superior Man Tri.  While this is the first year of this triathlon, Clint and Duluth Running Company have been putting on running races for a few years and they also were part of the now defunct Duluth Duathlon.  I raced in the final year of the Duluth Duathlon and thought it was a very well run race so I have no problem recommending a first year race that Clint and Duluth Running Company is putting on.

This race is going to be a classic half ironman distance that is based out of the Duluth waterfront area.  Both the brand new Amsoil Arena and the wonderful Bayfront Park will be utilized for transitions and finishing areas.  The course will have some interesting twists from your average race including jumping off a boat for the start.  Speaking as someone who has participated in the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon where you jump off a boat to start, it is a very fun way to start a race.  So set your calendar for August 26, 2012.  And know that if you are one of the first to sign up, there is an early bird discount.

Swim

The swim for the Superior Man Tri will be in the Duluth harbor.  As stated, the competitors will be ferried to the start area on the Vista fleet of boats that they will then jump off of to start the half ironman journey.  I would suggest enjoying the ride and the views of the Aerial and Blatnik bridges now, as once you are in the water you will tend to be more focused on getting to shore as fast as possible.  The water in the harbor will not be as cold as the main lake, but it will most likely be anything but warm.  This will be one of those races where wetsuits will always be legal. 

From the course description, the swim will start 1.2 miles southeast of Bayfront park which should be right around 19^th Avenue if you were on Park Point, or just short of the channel to go under the Blatnik bridge in the harbor itself.  Racers will jump off of the Vista boats and then swim straight northwest towards Bayfront park.  This should be nice with the sun at your back and the dominating fixtures of the Amsoil Arena and Bayfront bandshell to sight off of.  If you go off course during this swim you should see your eye doctor before getting on your bike.

Bike

The bike course is a single loop that heads towards Two Harbors and then follows the majority of the Grandma’s marathon run course back.  The weather of late August in the Duluth area could provide the whole gamut of biking conditions, so just be ready for a very warm ride to a cold/windy/rainy ride if you plan on racing.  The averages are a low of 54 and a high of 74, so pretty good weather for a race if it is average.  Just know the records are 95 and 32.  Yup, it can get to the point that water will freeze in August in the Duluth area.  Just know that if it is cold in the morning, the water will feel great at the start of the race.

Based on Clint’s description and the website, the bike course will start out a little technical as it attempts to get out of the downtown area.  In a half ironman I think this will be fine.  Much like the Ironman race in Madison, if the first couple miles have a few turns and whatnot it only helps the average racer not start out too hard.  Once the course gets to London Road and heads northeast towards Two Harbors it should really be nice.  There are no turns and only minimal hills.  This should allow for some really good bike splits if the wind cooperates.  The return trip from Two Harbors will be on the Scenic Highway.  This is a popular bike route for area cyclists for a reason.  The road is decent with a shoulder and the views are very nice.  The beautiful view of Lake Superior should give everyone something to take their mind off of the potential grueling nature of the race on the back half of the bike.  The return into town will share the slightly technical nature as the start, but once again this can be a good opportunity for everyone to change things up and get out of the pedals to stretch before hitting the run. 

Run

I need to talk to Clint a little more to understand the details of the run course a little better (the exact turn around point and stuff).  I have a general feel and it will be a very spectator friendly course.  Three laps will make that a given, but the fact that the course loops around Canal Park will also make it easy for spectators to jog around and catch athletes at multiple spots if they are up for the walk.  For the runners, the William A. Irvin, Aerial Lift Bridge, Lake Superior, and the Boardwalk will be interesting sights as they make their way around the course.  The finish of the run is set for the Bayfront Festival Park which should provide a wonderful spot.

Overall

As I think about the overall potential for this race I believe it has a lot of things going for it.  From a pure racers standpoint, the unique swim is a draw.  The bike course will be challenging enough for the experienced racer, but not too intimidating for a relative newcomer to a half ironman distance race.  The run will allow for great spectator support in an interesting area to help keep the motivation level high. 

The Canal Park area as a general area for a triathlon has many perks.  For the out of town racers, the hotels on Canal Park are an easy walk to the transition area so getting your spectators up and driving to the race will not be needed if you choose to stay in Canal Park.  Should you be a local or choose to stay outside of the Canal Park area there will be ample parking available for racers and spectators alike at the transition area.  The Amsoil Arena is setup to handle 6,000 or so people for events, I doubt the volume of racers will have any trouble finding a close parking spot.

For spectators the Canal Park area will be very nice, as will the three loop run.  While your athletes are out biking there are multiple shops to check out and places to eat all within a short walk from transition (and on the run course…).

So, if you were looking for a half ironman distance race close to the end of the season, this one should be on your list as a potential race. 

I plan to find out all of the little details that make a race for the average racer such as what kind of items will be available at aid stations, where will the aid stations be, etc…  As I find them out, I will post that information here.  If anyone has any questions, I will be more than willing to try and find them out just put them in the comments.  Hope to see a great field in Duluth on August 26!

End of the Season Mexican Style

The hail while running yesterday was a solid reminder that winter is approaching quickly around these parts.  So the good weather last Saturday for the final triathlon of the season was that much more welcome.  For the last tri of the year I registered for the unique Burrito Union triathlon (http://www.burritounion10hrtri.com/).  This event has many different option from individual 5 hour to 3 person 10 hour versions.  I signed up for the individual 5 hour category.  We would be competing on a 600 meter swim/14 mile bike/3 mile run course and repeating until the clok hit 5 hours.  In the days leading up to this race I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get in and out of a wetsuit quickly while sweaty. 

For everyone who has raced before, think of how long it takes you to get into your wetsuit prior to the race and all of the tricks you use.  Now add a bunch of sweat, and oh yeah, try this right at the finish line of a sprint tri...  To try to make this step as easy as possible I also had to figure out how to not just take my wetsuit off quickly, but also not leave it in an inside out lump with the breakaway zipper still engaged. 

So, basically I really iced to fact that I am a slow swimmer (this would be why I was putting the wetsuit on for every swim...  that and the cold water).  I passed so many people on the bike and run throughout the first lap of the course.  The bike course was a simple out and back on pretty decent roads.  The fact that the park where we swam/transitioned was at the top of a nice hill so the bike was seven miles of downhill followed by the return trip of seven miles uphill, well that was just a fun benefit!  The run was on very well shaded trails.  A little bit of slippery mud was not a big deal until the third or fourth lap.  Overall it was a wonderful course. 

Now anytime I race for more than 2 hours, there is usually something that surprises me during the race.  For this race, I assumed that would have something to do with transitions as I would be doing that a whole lot more, and in new ways.  For this race, my "issue" to deal with would be more of a gostrointestinal issue.  When I was out on the second run, I started feeling like I needed to use the restroom and not to take a leak.  I wasn't sure if it was really a sh#t coming, but I was figuring I did not want to bet on a fart with more than 2 hours of racing still to come.  Luckily the transition area had a nice little bathhouse with real toilets.  The location was actually in between the finish line and my transition spot so I did not add extra time with my detour.  Of course, wearing my racing onesie made the effort take a little longer than normal.  Once I got on the crapper, all I had to do was fart...  So I wasted a little extra time for a fart...  Better safe than sorry.

Once I got back to racing things continued on like normal.  The third swim was quite a challenge.  Not sure why, but it was tough.  At this point it was pretty obvious the race would be four full circuits of the course.  Once onto the fourth lap, the swim went well this time.  Maybe because I knew I did not need to do it again.  It also felt nice to just peel the wetsuit like normal and get through t1 in a more normal time.  The second half of the bike was feeling a little slow, and the run...  Well, it went a little slower than I would have liked. 

All in all, I was happy with the overall effort I had.  I captured first in my age division and had a good time.  Sitting around after it was fun to watch the 10 hour individuals and teams still coming in and out of transition.  Maybe next time I will try the 10 hour version, maybe as a team too.  I would suggest this race for anybody looking for a unique event to finish your season off.  Get a few friends together and relax while racing, or go solo and see what you can do for 5 or 10 hours. 

Sprite with the handcrafted bowl for 1st in my age division.