SEPT. 13…..PRESQUE ISLE….4th age group (QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON)

ASHLEY….5:59:59, 4th age group, (see race review below), CARLO…6:25:03, MIKE W….6:17:44, STEVE Z…6:06:45, (see race review below)

ASHLEY…The race on Sunday did not look promising there was a threat that they were canceling the swim because the Bay had high algae and the lake was too rough. There was a lake advisory from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon. The Sprint on Saturday got completely canceled due to rain, wind, and waves. Challenge experience damaged on their equipment and their boat capsized when they were putting the markers out on the lake. Luckily, the storms and wind helped the water to clear up in the bay so we were still on for the swim!

Come race day the wind and lake were still very strong.They moved us to the bay which means it was a time trail swim start and we had a half mile run from the bay to transition. They started the full first where they swam in front of the brick wall and behind the brick wall. The water was getting so rough behind the brick wall, that they delayed the half by 10 minutes to move the markers inside the brick wall. Once they got the markers moved we were off by 8:31 am. The better swimmers made sure to get up front since it was a time trail. Basically they let two swimmers go, then they let the other two leave 2 seconds after. The swim went pretty well. I felt like it got crowded at times but all in all it wasn’t bad. Coming to the finish of the swim it got really chopping. I finished the swim in 30 minutes.

They included the long run to the transition into our transition time so I had a whopping 8:55 minute transition time. Once on the bike and in the grove I realized I should have put on arm warmers. The high was only 66 and by the time we started biking we were just under 60 degrees. The wind made it seem so much colder! I have never biked in wind like we had yesterday! I was really struggling at times and had a hard time keeping my bike from being pushed. By mile 35 I was ready to get off my bike and start the run; I was so tired from the wind. I finished the bike at 3:15 with a average pace of 17.23.

Once off the bike I felt great! First mile was 8:30 pace and I was hoping I would be able to keep close to that pace, but by mile 9 my hamstrings started to tighten up and I was doing everything possible to finish. I finished the run at 2:03.59 with an average of 9:25. Total finish time was 5:59.59 and my goal for the race was to be under 6 hours!! I placed 4th out of 8 in my age group only 4 minutes away from 3rd place. She got me the last two miles of the run. All in all I am so happy with my time and I can say I have a new addiction. I hope to do a Ironman next year!

STEVE…Completed my 1st 70.3 distance race on Sunday September 13th at Challenge Cedar Point. Conditions were very tough with winds running constant at 15-20 knots and pushing 25+ knots at times. My personal goal; outside of just finishing, was 6 hours or less (ideally 5:30). I ended up finishing with a time of 6:06:45 – 1.2 mi swim: 31:27 (this is my strong suit – *original goal was 40:00); 56 mi bike: 3:01:12 (decent considering the wind – *original goal was 2:45); 13.1 mi run: 2:23:50 (Running is not my favorite leg and it became apparent I could have used some additional brick training here. At about mile 8 getting to the finish became a pure mental game and my whole body was cramping by mile 12 – *original goal was 2:05). Although I fell short of my goal time I am still proud of my performance for the 1st time out and being able to say I made it through a long course race. After talking with several other racers who have done multiple 70.3 events in the past noting that due to the weather conditions this race was one of the most difficult they have ever experienced I am happy to have finished where I did.

Versailles Indiana Xterra, off road Triathlon – 9-5-2015

Versailles State Park in Eastern Indiana is a beautiful park, but one of my least favorite race venue’s.

The swim is one of longest on circuit, advertised at 1000 meters, but I think closer to 1100 (and the way I went off course close to 1300!!). Lake is shallow and water warm, so no wet suits allowed ( a poor swimmers salvation!), the mountain bike is a tight 13 mile trail, with virtually no places to pass ( much of the trail is cut into steep hillsides), so you often have to follow people , ask them to pull over, which can be frustrating. The run is the best part, a technical, hilly 5 mile run, with several creek/ river crossings.

The weather was brutal, Friday I pre rode mountain bike loop (3 years since I had been there- so felt I needed to be familiar with course), it was 97 degrees and humid, so being out there for 90 minutes was tough the day before a hot race.

Race morning was warm, with another 90 + day forecasts. There had been a late night thunderstorm, so trail was slippery.

My swim was not good. I got behind the main pack, and got off course several times. The only thing worse than swimming slow, is swimming an extra couple hundred meters because you don’t swim straight!!! I was 53rd out of maybe 75 racers. I hit the bike hard, most people were great about moving over (maybe it was me screaming like a ban chi once I got close), and so I passed close to 25 people. As I hit the run, the temp was close to 90, but I felt solid, and started picking off people on the run. I passed over 11 people, each mile feeling stronger and stronger.

I ended up 17th overall, 1st in my age group, and a list of items to work on for 2016!!

Ken