2015 Lake Waconia Triathlon Race Report

Seventh year at Waconia.  Very good weather.

Usual morning. Got up, ate breakfast, packed up, and drove to Waconia.  Got there early, so it was easy to get race packet and get setup.  Had plenty of time to hang out and chat.  That was nice.  Got to see a few people I had not seen in awhile.

Typically, no matter how nice the weather, the water here is choppy.  Not today, smooth as glass. It leads me to wonder why my swim time was slow.  I think the swim course might have been long, my swim felt pretty good, pretty fast. 

Aside from my swim time, I came out feeling pretty good, and I got out on the bike without issue.  I took it kind of easy going up the hill that is the majority of the first mile.  The bike was pretty uneventful. It was the first time riding on my disk wheel this year, no issues.  There was some wind, head wind\cross wind, when we were biking along the north side of the lake.  The only real issue on the bike was that I lost my water bottle in the first three miles.  This is the second race this year I have lost a water bottle early in the race.  It sucks.  Especially when hot out.  I have to work on my bottle holding situation.  The bottle holder between the aero bars holds it tight, almost too tight.  When you hit some sharp bumps, the holder gets jarred and almost shoots the bottle straight up.  I put rubber bands on the front of the bottle, but it still doesn't help.  Need to figure something else out.  Either go back to a frame cage or a different cage between bars.

Anyway, they made some slight changes to the bike course to get around construction and it might have been a tenth of a mile, or less shorter, so my bike time is probably about the same as last year. 

I came out of T2 as fast as I could.  Again not feeling too bad.  First obstacle was getting up that hill that is most of the first mile.  This is a tough run course for a sprint, probably one of the toughest runs in the area.  That first mile is part of the reason it is such a tough run course, another reason, it is usually sunny, and warm, and there is not a lot of shade.  The run felt hard, as always, but it was one of those days where it felt especially hard. That being said, I was surprised to see that I was a hair faster this year than last year.  Not that I race to get a podium finish, it was interesting to look at the race results and see that going into the run I was in 3rd place in my AG, and I fell to seventh on the run.  That is pretty typical for me.  I typically lose more spots than I gain on the run.    

 

Aside from the swim, all things being equal, I had a good race this year. I was very happy with it.   The weather was unbelievably good.  If my swim split was as fast as last year, again, it could have been long, I would have gone faster than last year, which is surprising.

2015 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) = 15:46 (1:48/100 yards)
T1 = 1:58
Bike (20 miles) = 55:12 (21.7MPH)
T2 = 1:04
Run (4 miles) = 32:30 (8:08/mi)
Total = 1:46:28
Overall = 59/215
AG = 7/17
Pace = 4:21/mi

2014 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 14:32 (1:39/100 yards)
T1 = 2:09
Bike (20 miles) - 55:35 (21.6MPH)
T2 = 1:15
Run (4 miles) - 32:49 (8:13/mi)
Total = 1:46:17
Overall = 51/169
AG = 8/13
Pace = 4:20/mile


2013 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 16:04 (1:49/100 yards)
T1 = 2:16
Bike (20 miles) - 58:02 (20.7MPH)
T2 = 1:12
Run (4 miles) - 33:13 (8:18/mile)
Total = 1:50:45
Overall = 111/263, same place as 2012.  Strange.....
AG = 12/26
Pace = 4:31/mile

2012 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:07 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:49
Bike (20 miles) - 57:40 (20.8MPH)
T2 = 1:25
Run (4 miles) - 34:07 (8:32/mile)
Total = 1:50:06
Overall = 111/317
AG = 11/29, 6 minutes slower than 2011, same place in AG
Pace = 4:30/mile

2011 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:11 (1:44/100 yards)
T1 = 2:15
Bike (20 miles) - 54:02 (22.2MPH, fastest bike split at Waconia)
T2 = 1:07
Run (4 miles) - 31:35 (7:54/mile, fastest run split at Waconia)
Total = 1:44:09
Overall = 90/315
AG = 11/26
Pace = 4:15/mile

2010 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:04 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:43
Bike (20 miles) - 54:20 (22.1MPH)
T2 = 1:46
Run (4 miles) - 34:21 (8:36/mi)
Total = 1:47:10
Overall = 129/361
AG = 12/30
Pace = 4:22/mile

In 2009, Jackie and I volunteered on the bike course with my leg in a cast due to my stress fracture.

2008 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards, windy and choppy, miserable swim, ick) - 24:33 (2:48/100 yards)
T1 = 2:34
Bike (24 miles, bike lengthened due to construction) - 1:07:57 (21.2MPH)
T2 = 1:35
Run (4 miles) - 32:09 (8:03/mile)
Total = 2:08:45
Overall = 188/431
AG = 22/38
Pace = 4:31/mile

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. 
 

2014 Lake Waconia Triathlon

I am running a little behind on my posting.  Busy, busy, busy...

This is was my second fastest time at Lake Waconia and my fastest of the previous 2 years.  Surprisingly.  It wasn't quite as windy as some years, or as hot as some years, but there was still wind.  A few points on the bike you could really feel it. It was my third fastest bike split on this course.
The swim was pretty calm.  My swim split was the fastest I have had at this race.  I have been having a very strong swim year.  So far, my average swim pace is the fastest of any year.  I think calmer water helped this year. 
The race is under new management and there was a smaller, much smaller field, than previous years.
Even with a smaller field, the competition is still pretty good at this race.  You still get a good mix of elites and age groupers.  In my new age group, I finished 8 out of 13, so there was plenty of fast people over 40 on the course.
With less people, the transition area was arranged differently.  About the same width, not as deep.
Not as hot on the run.  It was still a sunny day, so it was warm, but the humidity was not bad, and it was not hot.  This was my third fastest run time on the course, faster than previous two years.
The new management runs the race just as well as the old.  No issues with sign-up, check-in, etc. 
The is one of the more challenging courses in the area.  If it is windy, the swim can be very choppy.  Without or without wind, the bike is challenging because of the hills.  The run is a mix of steeper hills and longer flat hills.  If it is a sunny hot day, you will feel it because of the lack of shade in many areas.  As long as this race is around, and as long as I am doing triathlons, I think I will continue to do this race because it is a great challenge.

2014 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 14:32 (1:39/100 yards)
T1 = 2:09
Bike (20 miles) - 55:35 (21.6MPH)
T2 = 1:15
Run (4 miles) - 32:49 (8:13/mi)
Total = 1:46:17
Overall = 51/169
AG = 8/13
Pace = 4:20/mile


2013 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 16:04 (1:49/100 yards)
T1 = 2:16
Bike (20 miles) - 58:02 (20.7MPH)
T2 = 1:12
Run (4 miles) - 33:13 (8:18/mile)
Total = 1:50:45
Overall = 111/263, same place as 2012.  Strange.....
AG = 12/26
Pace = 4:31/mile

2012 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:07 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:49
Bike (20 miles) - 57:40 (20.8MPH)
T2 = 1:25
Run (4 miles) - 34:07 (8:32/mile)
Total = 1:50:06
Overall = 111/317
AG = 11/29, 6 minutes slower than 2011, same place in AG
Pace = 4:30/mile

2011 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:11 (1:44/100 yards)
T1 = 2:15
Bike (20 miles) - 54:02 (22.2MPH, fastest bike split at Waconia)
T2 = 1:07
Run (4 miles) - 31:35 (7:54/mile, fastest run split at Waconia)
Total = 1:44:09
Overall = 90/315
AG = 11/26
Pace = 4:15/mile

2010 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:04 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:43
Bike (20 miles) - 54:20 (22.1MPH)
T2 = 1:46
Run (4 miles) - 34:21 (8:36/mi)
Total = 1:47:10
Overall = 129/361
AG = 12/30
Pace = 4:22/mile

In 2009, Jackie and I volunteered on the bike course with my leg in a cast due to my stress fracture.

2008 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards, windy and choppy, miserable swim, ick) - 24:33 (2:48/100 yards)
T1 = 2:34
Bike (24 miles, bike lengthened due to construction) - 1:07:57 (21.2MPH)
T2 = 1:35
Run (4 miles) - 32:09 (8:03/mile)
Total = 2:08:45
Overall = 188/431
AG = 22/38
Pace = 4:31/mile

2013 Lake Waconia Triathlon Race Report

Finally some good weather.  No rain, did not even look like it was going to rain.  Some wind

This is my 5th time at this race.  In the past, this day is usually pretty hot, and can be windy.  This day it  was kind of cool at the start, not humid, and probably wasn't 80 by the time I finished.  The weather has definitely been worse for this race.  There was some wind, so there was some chop out on the lake, and it made the ride a little more difficult than it could be.  The course is challenging, from the swim that is usually choppy, to a bike course with hills, to a run with hills, I would say it is one of the more difficult courses in the area.  

My morning was normal, had the usual breakfast, then usual donut and coffee.  Felt pretty good.

One nice thing about this race is that you see a lot of people you know, which I did, so you get a chance to do a little socializing. 

The Elites go in a group start.  The rest of us in a TT start.  Lined up in number order, which is grouped by age and sex.  Like I said before, the swim had some chop.  Not too bad, I went a little off course on the way out.  I think I let myself get pushed to the left on the way out, so the first right turn took a little longer and more work than it should have.  Otherwise, my time was about normal.

I got through transition ok.  I put my socks on, again, before the bike.  I am not going to do this anymore.  If I wear socks, I am going to wear them after the bike.  Too much of a pain to put them on before.

The ride out of town has a decent climb, so I took it kind of easy.  In the past, I tried to hammer out.  This year, I just spun up the hill, and waited to get out of town before I really started going.  Even with the wind, and taking it a little light up front, I was still pretty close to my "usual"times for this race.  2010 and 2011 were my fastest times and since then I have not gotten close to those times.
There are a couple of flat spots on this course where you could really feel the wind.  It seemed like there was not much tailwind.  It felt like the wind kept shifting.  Maybe that was a mental thing.
The run.  Oh, the run.  When I saw my time, I was surprised, I thought it was much slower and I was faster than last year.  I got off the bike and basically ran with a friend, Helen, and I think that helped.  This run has very little shade and is hilly.  Just tough.  Only once did I go under 8 min/mi, maybe one day I will do it again.
Interesting, and strange note, this year and last year I placed 111th overall.  My time this year was 39 seconds slower than last year.
When I was done I had a couple of the Gear West supplied, via Kevin O'Connor, hot dogs and talked to a few people.
Overall, it was great day to race, and I was pretty happy with my results.  As always, I would have liked to have gone faster.  Even though I did not go faster, I am still happy with my results on this particularly difficult course.

2013 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 16:04 (1:49/100 yards)
T1 = 2:16
Bike (20 miles) - 58:02 (20.7MPH)
T2 = 1:12
Run (4 miles) - 33:13 (8:18/mile)
Total = 1:50:45
Overall = 111/263, same place as 2012.  Strange.....
AG = 12/26
Pace = 4:31/mile

2012 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:07 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:49
Bike (20 miles) - 57:40 (20.8MPH)
T2 = 1:25
Run (4 miles) - 34:07 (8:32/mile)
Total = 1:50:06
Overall = 111/317
AG = 11/29, 6 minutes slower than 2011, same place in AG
Pace = 4:30/mile

2011 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:11 (1:44/100 yards)
T1 = 2:15
Bike (20 miles) - 54:02 (22.2MPH, fastest bike split at Waconia)
T2 = 1:07
Run (4 miles) - 31:35 (7:54/mile, fastest run split at Waconia)
Total = 1:44:09
Overall = 90/315
AG = 11/26
Pace = 4:15/mile

2010 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards) - 15:04 (1:43/100 yards)
T1 = 1:43
Bike (20 miles) - 54:20 (22.1MPH)
T2 = 1:46
Run (4 miles) - 34:21 (8:36/mi)
Total = 1:47:10
Overall = 129/361
AG = 12/30
Pace = 4:22/mile

In 2009, Jackie and I volunteered on the bike course with my leg in a cast due to my stress fracture.

2008 Lake Waconia Results
Swim (880 yards, windy and choppy, miserable swim, ick) - 24:33 (2:48/100 yards)
T1 = 2:34
Bike (24 miles, bike lengthened due to construction) - 1:07:57 (21.2MPH)
T2 = 1:35
Run (4 miles) - 32:09 (8:03/mile)
Total = 2:08:45
Overall = 188/431
AG = 22/38
Pace = 4:31/mile

Lake Waconia Triathlon (Good Race Day) and Minneman Preview Thoughts

It was very much different from previous years. Last year, Jackie and I volunteered, we were on the bike course, and the wind was so bad they cut the swim for the age groupers in half. I heard a lot of people quit before they started or quit during the swim.

The year before, 2008, the wind was bad and the water was rough. I had a terrible swim, one of my worst ever.

This year the air was still and the water was almost glass. Nearly perfect swim conditions. Nearly perfect triathlon conditions. The only complaint one could make was that the air was humid and too still for the humidity.

I had a slower than expected swim (fatigue?), but nothing I can really complain about.

I went through T1 without much issue.

I went out on the bike easier, partly planned, partly because getting out of T1 is all uphill and the rollers for awhile until you are out of town. It felt like a pretty good bike. My average speed was basically identical to two years ago. Two years ago the bike was 4 miles longer due to construction. I don't remember much specific from the bike, except passing a lot of traffic and feeling pretty good. It was not a flat course, nor was it incredibly hilly. There were some pretty good climbs. It was a good mix, I would prefer more flat, but it is what it is.

I got off the bike feeling some fatigue. I left transition slower than usual, basically because I had, what amounted to, a 1 mile uphill run out of transition. Then run was pretty hellish, it was humid, luckily cloudy, and the run is all hills, very little flat. I thought I would go faster, but after thinking about it, I am pretty happy with my time. There were points in the run I wanted to stop and walk, and I did not. I got through a mental hurdle during the race and I am really happy with that.

Of note, my former manager, now coworker, made this his very first triathlon. In the weeks leading up he asked me various questions (do you know where I can get a good used road bike?what should I wear? should I get slicks for my mountain bike? etc). He setup next to me and looked good, but nervous. He had a tough swim, due to lack of sufficient swim training beforehand, but made it through the bike and the run. Made it through well enough that he is going to be doing another tri in July in Chaska. Good to see, and assist, another person take a liking to triathlon.

I feel pretty good about this race. Swim was slower than I would have liked, but still good (10th in AG), bike was a pleasant surprise (9th in AG), run was good. Overall, happy.

In my last post I put my 2008 times. The bike in 2008 was 24 miles instead of 20 miles, and the swim was all heavy chop.

Swim (880 yards) - 15:04 (1:43/100yards)

T1 - 1:43

Bike (20 miles) - 54:20 (22.1 MPH)

T2 - 1:46

Run (4 miles) - 34:21 (8:36 min/mi)

Total Time - 1:47:10

Overall - 129/361

AG - 12/30 (Hooray, not 13th)

This weekend is MinneMan. In 2008 it was, and is, my only podium finish. I barely got 3rd. I already put some thought into the possibility of another podium finish. I need to put that thought I out of my mind and just think about racing my own race at this point. I need to go out there and leave it all, all, out there. It is a short, fast course, and if I race my best, it is possible. Again, more importantly, I need to think about the race, not the finish.

My times from 2008

Swim (587 yards) - 10:19 (1:58 /100 yards)

T1 - 2:27

Bike (13 miles) - 35:01 (22.3 MPH)

T2 - 1:16

Run (3 miles) - 22:32 (7:31 min/mi)

Total Time - 1:11:46

Overall - 35/350

AG - 3/30