Back-to-Back Race Weekend Report - Lake Minnetonka Sprint and Manitou Sprint Triathlons (100th Individual Multi-Sport Race Completed)

I did my first back-to-back weekend.  On Saturday I did the Lake Minnetonka Sprint Triathlon and on Sunday I did the Manitou Sprint Triathlon.  My first time doing two triathlons in one weekend.  The weather was nearly perfect on both days, and, for the most part, I don't think it could have gone much better.

I was amazed at how well I raced back to back.  It went very well.

The completion of Manitou on Sunday was the completion of my 100th individual multi-sport race since 2006.  29 duathlons and 71 triathlons.  Next stop, 100 triathlons.

Concentration.  Again, both days, I concentrated on what I was doing during the swim, bike, and run.  I did not let my mind drift.  On the swim, concentrated on my stroke.  On the bike, concentrated on my position and my pedaling.  Made sure that I was not getting sloppy in the saddle and that my legs were not going wide.  On the run, concentrated on my stride, and my body positioning.  On both days, I had my PRs and some of my fastest races in general.  Concentrate and have fun!

Pictures, results, and my comments for each race are below.

Devon Palmer (pro-triathlete, owner of cute dog, general lay-about) got off his butt and biked to Lake Minnetonka to cheer us all on.  Here are a couple flattering pictures he took of me.  I am not puking in the top picture.

Lake Minnetonka Sprint Triathlon (Sat 6/21)

I did the usual breakfast (yogurt, fruit, granola, and banana), and then the usual coffee and donut on the way.  The weather all day was perfect.  In the morning, at the race site, got to watch the sunrise.  It was a little humid, but not hot.  Again, you probably could not have asked for better conditions.
There was a lot of people I know doing this race, so it was chance to chat with people before and after.  That makes it even more enjoyable.
I have taken to not warming up before the race, no run or bike, but swim a bit before the race start.  I don't think it is hurting me at all.  Though I should do an equipment check before the race (I should know better), see Manitou comments.
Water was perfect and the swim went without issue.  The swim is interesting, because you swim around a point, so, if a spectator wanted, they could follow you from start to finish by walking along the shore.  Not a typical swim venue.  The water is high this year, we had swim right up to the finish before getting out of the water. This was my fastest time on this course by about 20 seconds.
I got a little stuck in my wetsuit, hence the slower time.
This course is out and back, with some hills of varying difficulty.  The worst hill you go down, the turnaround is at the bottom, so you slow way down, and then you have to go back up the steep hill again.
Two things happened out on the bike course.  One was a guy, who I think, was drafting.  I passed him, and then he was hanging on my back, then he passed me going up the steep turnaround hill.  I then watched him ride really close on a guy for a long time.  He was also chatting, could not understand him, each time we passed each other.  Anyway, he pushed me to go faster, and I eventually passed him, even though he was drafting, with about 2 miles left to go.  The other thing was a pick-up truck that was on the road.  He wasn't allowing much on the right side, I got behind him, then caught up to him.  I had trouble getting around, and eventually had to lock my brakes at a stop sign.  A biker passed him on the left, which I did not want to do. Still, ended up with my fastest bike split on this course.  Hooray!
I got lost in transition coming in from the bike.  Went down the wrong row, had to turn around and go around another rack.  Kind of killed my transition.
The run is out and back and nearly totally flat.  Only up and down is the first part in and out of transition, uphill out, and downhill in.  I heard people cheering for me going out on the run and coming into the finish, that is always nice.  The run went very well, fastest time on this course.  I actually passed people on the run.  It felt pretty good.  The whole race felt pretty good.
This was the perfect day for triathlon and I had a mostly perfect race, at least good enough to PR by over a minute.
Pictures, this year's results, and previous results below.


2014 Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Results Swim (880 yards) - 12:44 (1:27/100 yards)
T1 - 2:27
Bike (14.5mi) - 39:36 (22MPH) - Fastest bike split on this course
T2 - 1:34
Run (3mi) - 22:32 (7:31/mile) - Fastest run split on this course
Total - 1:18:51
Overall - 62/476
AG - 13/45
Pace - 4:23 min/mi
2012 Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Results Swim (880 yards) - 13:04 (1:29/100 yards)
T1 - 2:02
Bike (14.5mi) - 41:13 (21.1MPH)
T2 - 0:59 (Two weeks, to T2s under a minute, almost 30 seconds faster than 2010 T2)
Run (3mi) - 22:49 (7:37/mile)
Total - 1:20:06
Overall - 72/466
AG - 7/44
Pace - 4:27 min/mi

2010 Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) - 13:27 (1:32/100 yards)
T1 - 1:51
Bike (14.5mi) - 41:58 (20.7MPH)
T2 - 1:28
Run (3mi) - 23:20 (7:47/mile)
Total - 1:22:01
Overall - 85/452
AG - 13/42
Pace - 4:27 min/mi

Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Sun 6/21)

Last year the weather was horrible. As you can see from the results below they turned it into a duathlon last year.  This year was a different story.  Rain was predicted for the day, but did not come in the morning.  It was cooler and windier than Saturday, but not bad.  I felt pretty good, better than I thought I would, waking up and heading out there.  I was a little tired, and my legs, upper hamstrings, were a little tight.
Getting up and heading to the race was a repeat of Saturday morning.
Transition area is small, tight quarters.  Part of the reason for my faster transition, that and I was right by the run out.
I got to chat with some people before the race start, didn't know was many as at Lake Minnetonka, but still a few, and that was nice.
The water level in White Bear Lake is still low, so you start far away from transition, in water about thigh high.   You have a long run up in muck, not too bad.  Hard to compare the swim from previous years because they have changed it so much.  It was my fastest time, but hard to say if it is equivalent.  Definitely not equivalent to 2010, when it was a two loop swim and you had to get out and run a short distance.
My transition went much faster and smoother this day.  The problem started when I got out on the bike.  I could not get my left cleat in the pedal.  Not good.  I tried to balance it on the pedal as best as I could.  About a third of the way into the bike I decided, wrongly, I was going to try and jam my foot in.  When I tried, my foot skipped off my pedal, and into the front wheel.  Luckily, I did not get my foot stuck in the wheel and fork, unluckily I busted a spoke and set the wheel out of true.  So, for the rest of the race I had a broke spoke and a wobbly wheel.   Fortunately, they repaved much of the road, especially the worst part, and there are no steep climbs.  With a broke spoke and a wobbly wheel, I had a great bike.  I can only imagine how good it could have been....
Anyway, second transition went fast.  This run is mostly uphill, kind of steep at times, out, and then mostly downhill on the way back.  I had a fast run.  Again, I actually passed people on the run.  Amazing. 
Another great day, another great race.

2014 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) ResultsSwim (880yards) = 12:49 (1;28/100yards)
T1 = 1:38
Bike (14mi) = 38:34 (21.8MPH)
T2 = 0:34
Run (3mi) = 22:23 (7:28/mi)
Total = 1:15;57
Overall = 31/167
AG = 6/14
Pace = 4:19/mi
2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) Results
Run 1 (2mi) = 15:03 (7:31/mi)
T1 = 1:01
Bike (14mi) = 41:02 (20.9MPH)
T2 = 0:50
Run (3mi) = 23:36 (7:52/mi)
Total = 1:21:30
Overall = 18/76
AG = 5/9
Pace = 4:24/mi

2012 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:26 (1:46/100yds)
T1 = 3:14
Bike (13.5mi) = 38:34 (21MPH)
T2 = 0:54
Run (3.1mi) = 23:37 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:21:43
Overall = 76/308
AG = 5/27
Pace = 4:47/mi

2010 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:22 (1:45/100yds)
T1 = 2:18
Bike (13.5mi) = 37:49 (21.4MPH)
T2 = 1:34
Run (3.1mi) = 23:40 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:20:41
Overall = 100/345
AG = 13/38
Pace = 4:43/mi

2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) Race Report

I woke up and it was raining and windy.  I ate my usual breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and granola, with a banana, along with OJ.  I debated switching from my Sub-9 Disc to my 808 on the rear.  Decide to stay with the disc.  Loaded the car and headed off to White Bear Lake.  As usual, I stopped to get a donut, a coffee, a couple bottles of water, and small Gatorade.
As I drove to White Bear Lake it was raining and windy.  When I got to the race site, it was windy and raining.
Typically, a portion of the parking lot is the transition area.  When I got there, there was nothing but empty parking lot and some cars.  For a moment I thought they weren't even setup.  I sat in the car for a bit and then went out in the rain.  The temp was about 55 and the wind was blowing, and it was raining pretty steady.  This was the story of the day, except for after the race, when it stopped raining.
The transition area was setup in the grass on the other side of the beach house, between the beach and the beach house.  Interesting. I got my number and chip, hung-out outside for a bit, and then went back to the car to organize and stay warm.  Rumor had it, the swim would be cancelled.  There were white caps on the lake.  The concern was the wind, not as much the rain, or the temp.
After I sat in the car for awhile, I put my bike in transition.  I hung it by the seat on the rack.  After seeing it bang around on the rack for awhile I decide to rack it in on the bars.  This was much more stable.  I should have checked the wheels before I went out on the course.  More on this later.
At about 7:30 the official call was made to cancel the swim and turn the race into a duathlon.  The wind was too bad and there was concern for safety on the swim, and that the swim markers would not stay in place.  The wind was bad, I may have mentioned that already.
The run would be 2 miles.
There were only 3 waves.  It was a small race, 75 individuals, and then some relay teams.  The previous two times I have done this race, 2010 and 2012, there were over 300 individuals competing.
Before starting, I put on a thin long-sleeve shirt on underneath my one piece tri-suit.  I also put on my 2XU calve compression sleeves.  I debated leaving on the CEP compression socks.  I am glad I did not leave the socks on, the sleeves were soaked through, and if I had left the socks on they would have been soaked through and 2-3 times as heavy.
We started, the run out is mostly uphill, and I think I split the first mile at a little over 7 minutes.  I came into transition at 15:03.  I was pretty happy with the time.  I had spent the previous 10 days in Hawaii, on vacation, and I had not done much training.  The Tuesday before, I had done the Tuesday Night Time Trial and I had one of my slowest time in years.  I was not sure how I would fair on this day.
The bike was one of the most uncomfortable and miserable rides I had ever done.  It was really windy, raining, and the road was pretty rough.  Additionally, I decided to wear my sunglasses for protection.  I thought they would help, but they did not.  I spent time making sure they were low on my nose so I could see over the top.  Also, I was getting some rear wheel rub.  Probably from the bike being bounced around on the rack before the race.  I did not stop to adjust.  I didn't think it was worth it, so I just lived with it. I was a little nervous with the weather and road conditions.  Typically, I am not that nervous on the bike.
My bike split was pretty low.  One of my slowest splits in a duathlon since 2008, this was also probably the worst conditions I have ridden in.
When I got off the bike, is started running and pushing the bike by the seat towards transition, but a gust of wind came and almost sent the bike out of my hands and flying off. The disc was acting like a sail.  I had to carry the bike with two hands into the transition area or it would have gotten away from me.
Once I got the bike in transition and my shoes on, I started to haul myself uphill.  The first half-mile to mile was rough, but I actually felt pretty good after that.  My time was not that bad.  Considering everything else that day.
I would have preferred to swim, but doing it as a duathlon is better than canceling the entire event.
After the race I hung-out and had a couple of hotdogs, every race that is sponsored by Gear West, and when the owner Kevin O'Connor is at the race, he grills hot dogs for everyone, and I stayed for all the awards.
I was supposed to do Lake Minnetonka Sprint next weekend, but I am going out-of-town for a wedding, so the next race will not be until Graniteman on June 23.  This will be the latest in the season that I have done a triathlon in MN.
Below are some pictures and my results for this year compared with results from the previous two time I had done the race.  I figured I would compare the du to the tris, since the times are so close. There is some difference in the distance for the bike and the run.  The run is true, this year they cut a little bit out, so I believe it is 3 this year, and 3.1 the previous years.  The bike is reported as 14 miles, but it 13.5 miles according to my GPS, and that is what was reported in previous years.  I adjusted my speed to correct for this, the distance used to calculate the speed in the results is 14.  So my speed is a little slower than I would have liked, but, again, it is what is it and it was a crappy day.

2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon (Duathlon) Results
Run 1 (2mi) = 15:03 (7:31/mi)
T1 = 1:01
Bike (13.5mi) = 41:02 (19.7MPH)
T2 = 0:50
Run (3mi) = 23:36 (7:52/mi)
Total = 1:21:30
Overall = 18/76
AG = 5/9
Pace = 4:24/mi

2012 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:26 (1:46/100yds)
T1 = 3:14
Bike (13.5mi) = 38:34 (21MPH)
T2 = 0:54
Run (3.1mi) = 23:37 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:21:43
Overall = 76/308
AG = 5/27
Pace = 4:47/mi

2010 Manitou Sprint Triathlon Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:22 (1:45/100yds)
T1 = 2:18
Bike (13.5mi) = 37:49 (21.4MPH)
T2 = 1:34
Run (3.1mi) = 23:40 (7:38/mi)
Total = 1:20:41
Overall = 100/345
AG = 13/38
Pace = 4:43/mi