2015 Tentative Race Schedule

Here is my tentative 2015 race schedule.  Traithlon, duathlon, TT, and running, as far as I know. 
A bit less than previous years.  More on that later......
This will be my 10th season of multi-sport.  2006 was duathlon only.
Getting this out a little later than usual...so there are comments about what I have already done, changes, etc.

4/26/2015 - St. Anthony's Triathlon (St. Petersburg, FL), it will be my 8th year in a row starting the race, if I finish, it will be my 7th year finishing.  I didn't finish in 2009 because of a stress fracture.  Done, race report coming out later this month.  Didn't go as well as I would have liked, but.......see below.

5/17/2015 - Gear West Duathlon (Orono, MN), this will be my 9th year doing this race, it would have been my 10th, except in 2009 I had to volunteer because of a stress fracture.  So, I have been at the race for 10 years in a row.  Tough Du.

6/7/2015 - Buffalo Triathlon (Buffalo, MN), this will be my second year in a row at this race, doing the Olympic distance.  I did the sprint in 2007.  Last year I had a good race here.

6/20/2015 - Lake Minnetonka (Minnetonka, MN), this is will be my 4th year at this race.  Fast race.

6/21/2015 - Manitou Sprint Triathlon (White Bear Lake, MN), may or may not do this race.  Might be last minute decision.

6/28/2015 - Lake Waconia Triathlon (Waconia, MN), this will be my 7th year at this race.  Always challenging.  Tough run course.

7/11/2015 - GraniteMan Clearwater (Clearwater, MN), I have done the Sprint.  This year there is a Sprint and Oly, my plan is to do the Oly.

8/8/2015 - USAT AG Nationals (Milwaukee, WI) or Graniteman Big Lake (Big Lake, MN),  this was an "or" for two reasons.  One, I had to qualify.  I didn't qualify at Maple Grove last year, I think I missed it by one spot.  So, I had to qualify at St. Anthony's this year.  My race was not as good as last year, tough day (more in race report), so I thought I would not make it.  Today, May 8th (my birthday), I got an email from USAT and I (surprise) qualified.  So, now I talk to Jackie and if all is cool I will probably go again, for the second year in a row.  Otherwise, Big Lake Oly.

8/16/2015 - Lake Marion Sprint (Lake Marion, MN), I have done the Sprint two years in a row, both years I have placed in my AG.  This year I might do the Oly instead.  Sprint is a tough run course, Oly is two loops of the Sprint course..

8/22/2015 - Maple Grove Triathlon (Maple Grove, MN), this will be my 6th year in a row at this always challenging race.  Last year was my fastest year at this race.  Last year was also some of the best weather.  Tough course, when hot and humid it is even tougher.

9/5/2015 - St. Croix Valley Olympic (Hudson, WI), 4 years I have done the Oly, and one year the Sprint.  Last year I missed it for the first time in 5 years.  Would like to do it again this year.  Bike course is fairly challenging.  Run is challenging, some steep runs, some long hills, can be tough in heat in humidity.  Had one of my worst times at Oly distance on this course.

I plan on doing all the Tuesday Night Time Trials, or as many as possible.  I did the first one last Tuesday on a slightly modified course in fairly windy weather.  My time was ok.  I would like to have been a bit faster.

On 3/22, I did the Irish Run St. Paul 8k.  It was my 6th year doing this race.  It is always on Summit Ave, but they have changed the course slightly over the years.  I wrote about it in my March report.  It went well.

I think I am doing a charity 5K on May 30th.  Cody's Dash for Down Syndrome.  I might walk it with my wife, might run it, see what happens.

So, that is the plan for 2015.  See how it all turns out. 
 

2013 Graniteman Big Lake Race Report

First of all, this was the 90th individual multi-sport event (63 triathlons and 27 duathlons) I have completed since I started with the Gear West Duathlon in 2006.  Next stop, 100?  I think I will hit 100 races next season, 100 triathlons will be a few years away.

This race was pretty close to one of those rare occasions when all three, I guess four if you include transitions, come together.  I had a very good swim, a great bike (second fast average speed in a triathlon or duathlon), and my fastest run of the year (a very fast run for me in general).  I think a combination of great weather, a great course, and decent night's sleep really helped things along.
The weather was about as close to perfect as you can get.  Sun was out, not humid, not hot, very little wind.  I think the weather, actually  whether it is sunny or not, makes a big difference.  At least this year.  It seems the races that were cloudy and kind of gloomy, I didn't have a great race.  When the weather was nice, I had a better race.
The swim is a rectangle.  I got to the inside and got out fast ahead of almost everyone, for once.  It was clear swimming until we caught the wave before, but it was still not very crowded at all.  I figured I was 3rd or 4th out of the water in my AG.  When I checked the results I was 4th out, not bad.  As has been the case all year, getting out of my wetsuit, getting socks on, and getting on the bike has been painfully slow, at least it feels that way and looks that way from my times.  At this race, I was a little better.
The bike course is nearly flat, no real climbs, no excuses for not going as fast as possible.  The bike went well and it felt pretty good.  I was surprised, pleasantly, to see my split.  It is the second fastest average speed I have ever had in a triathlon or duathlon.  I had my fastest T2 of the year.
The run course, along Big Lake, is not flat, it has some up and downs along it, not as bad as Waconia or Maple Grove.  It has decent shade, not entirely out in the open like Heart of the Lakes.
I would have thought I would finish better than 7th out of 28 in my AG, but it is just that competitive in my AG.  It is only going to get more competitive the older I get.  The 40-44, and 45-49 guys are really fast.
I did two of the three Graniteman races this year, Saint Cloud and Big Lake.  I missed the second race, Clearwater.  I will definitely do Big Lake again, and I would like to try Saint Cloud again.  I think I can go much faster at Saint Cloud.  These races are well run and the courses are pretty nice.
Overall, it was a great day and a great race.

2013 Graniteman Big Lake
Swim (581 yards) = 9:26 (1:41/100yards)
T1 = 2:04
Bike (14.5mi) = 37:50 (22.9MPH)
T2 = 0:41
Run (3.1mi) = 23:45 (7:40/mile)
Total = 1:13:45
Overall = 32/270
AG = 7/28
Pace = 4:07/mile