St. Anthony's Triathlon 2015 Race Report

Going into this race, I had less training than last year.  So, I was a little worried about how I would do.  I shouldn't be worried, not like I am an elite or pro.  Given the conditions and my training, I think I did ok (At the bottom is an update about my results.  A surprising update!). 

Again, I used Tribike Transport, instead of shipping the bike, assembling at my mom's, taking to the race, bringing back from the race, disassembling, packing, and shipping before I leave.  TriBike Transport sets up right outside transition, so all you have to do is pick up the bike and walk it into transition and then drop off after the race.  Very easy and very nice.  I highly recommend using it, if it is available for a race you and you need to get your bike to the race.  It is cheaper than renting a bike box and flying, and slightly more expensive than shipping.  As long as I do this race, I will probably use it from now on.

As always, packet pickup at this race is so fast and easy.  In and out.  They do a really good job.

Below are the usual transition pictures and a picture of the water the day before.  Below are my race results from the previous years. 

The weather this year was not nearly as nice as last year, there was more wind, with more heat and humidity.

I had my usual breakfast of oj, coffee, water, apple fritter, yogurt, and banana.  Had some Gatorade here and there before the start.  Transition setup was pretty easy.  Morning was uneventful and went well.  It was nice to have Jackie, second year in a row, to walk with me to the swim start.  I usually don't have someone out there before the start. 

There was no time for a short swim before the start, no real warm up except for the walk to the start and jumping around a bit.  It is an in water start, so I did swim out to the start when the time came.  The announced water temperature was 81 (!), so no wetsuits.  I was warm, not sure 80 warm, but it was warm. The portion of the swim that was parallel to the shore went pretty decent, once you turned and headed for open water it got pretty tough.  It is a left turn out, and people were getting jammed up on the turn buoy heading out. There were some people struggling out there.  I could see people doing backstroke or breaststroke, or just bobbing.  When I was swimming into the waves, at times it felt like my body was popping almost entirely out of the water.  It was almost as bad going back in, where the water was coming over the top.  Last year the conditions were rough, not this rough, and we had wetsuits last year.

Once out of the water transition went pretty well, especially for it being the first time of the year. I am always a little nervous for this race, since it is usually the first time outside on the tri bike.  Like last year, this year it was the first time outside on any bike.  The bike was pretty uneventful.  I felt like I was really hammering it, see run comments below.  As expected, I started getting uncomfortable about mile 20, that has to do with a lack of time in the aero position and I expected it.  I spent less time on the bike this year than last year, and last year was my fastest split, and the weather was better, but I was only a minute off my split from last year.  That was pretty surprising.  

Second transition went fast.  Going out on the run I felt like lead.   I think I hammered it to hard on the bike.  About 2 miles in I started to go through the mental work of telling myself to run to the next water stop, that no matter how slow I run, I wasn't going to walk, etc.  It was hot and humid and my legs were not doing it that morning.  I have a co-worker who does this race each year, this year he did the sprint instead of the Olympic due to a medical condition.  By co-incidence he caught up with me on the run with about half a mile left and he ran in with me.  It was really helpful to have someone with me in the last stretch.  This was my second worst run on this course.  It was a little disappointing, but I got through it without walking.
The run is through a residential neighborhood.  It seems that every year the people along the course get more into it.  Like last year, this year there was a guy at the end of his driveway with a Tiki bar setup, and cases of Corona around it.  He was handing out beers if anyone would take them.  It is pretty cool to see people along the course out cheering and celebrating.

What can I attribute me poor performance this year compare to previous years and last year, especially?  Weather conditions, no wetsuit, less training?  Hard to say.  I feel I am in good swim shape, but the swim conditions were tough, and I think everyone was slower. My bike was surprisingly good, all things considered.  My run was disappointing, but that could have been due to the swim and bike.  I felt I trained pretty good for the run this year.

As always, this is great race to do.  Great course, well executed.

Last year, when I did this race, I had my fastest time, and I qualified for USAT AG Nationals.  After this year's race, I figured I was not going to qualify.  You have to be in the top 33% of your AG to qualify.  Well, surprise, surprise, I qualified.  I must have barely, just barely qualified.  So, this year I will be back at AG Nationals.  Hooray!

2015 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 33:08 (2:02/100 yards, no wetsuit)
T1 - 2:12
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:28 (21.1 MPH)
T2 - 1:52
Run (6.2 miles) - 56:24 (9:06/mi)
Total - 2:44:02
Overall - 348/1474
AG - 45/139
Overall Pace - 5:08/mi
 
2014 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 29:00 (1:47/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 2:50
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:09:36 (21.4 MPH, fastest bike)
T2 - 1:43
Run (6.2 miles) - 51:34 (8:19/mi, fastest run)
Total - 2:34:41
Overall - 344/1687
AG - 48/182
Overall Pace - 4:52/mi 

2013Results
Swim (820 yards, shortened for weather) - 14:05 (1:43/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 6:27 (shorter swim course, loooonnnggg run to T1)
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:11:35 (20.8 MPH)
T2 - 2:29
Run (6.2 miles) - 52:43 (8:31/mile)
Total - 2:27:18
Overall -  752/2404
AG - 91/201
Overall Pace - 4:41/mile

2012 Results
Swim (1640 yards, new course) - 29:03 (1:47/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 2:18
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:12:54 (20.4MPH)
T2 - 2:42 (sprayed some sunblock on myself, put on socks, and forgot my race belt and had to turn around and get it)
Run (6.2 miles) - 55:04 (8:53/mile)
Total - 2:41:51
Overall - 977/2689
AG - 124/236
Overall Pace - 5:04/mile

2011 Results
Swim (820 yards, shortened for weather) - 17:56 (2:11/100 yards, no wetsuit)
T1 - 5:49 (shorter swim course, loooonnnggg run to T1)
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:44 (21.1 MPH)
T2 - 2:45
Run (6.2 miles) - 55:04 (8:53/mile)
Total - 2:32:18
Overall - 980/3125
AG - 110/239
Overall Pace - 4:49/mile

2010 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 29:36 (1:49/100 yards, this was wetsuit)
T1 - 3:12
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:15:10 (19.8 MPH)
T2 - 2:27
Run (6.2 miles) - 58:33 (9:22/mile, coming off stress fracture)
Total - 2:48:56
Overall - 1264/3192
AG - 156/287
Overall Pace - 5:18/mile

2009 Results
No swim due to weather, then dropped out after bike due to stress fracture
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:43 (21.1MPH)

2008 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 30:58 (1:53/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 3:38
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:11:48 (20.8MPH)
T2 - 3:42
Run (6.2 miles) - 52:54 (8:31/mile)
Total - 2:42:57
Overall - 1258/3350
AG - 121/231
Overall Pace - 5:11/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. 
 

St. Anthony's Triathlon 2014 Race Report

I am posting this later than I normally would, which turns out to kind of fortunate.  Yesterday, I got an email from USAT that my time was fast enough, and I finished high enough in my AG, to qualify for Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee this August.  This was a huge, pleasant, surprise.  I have already registered and will going down there.  Hooray!  On to the race report.


This year was different than previous years.  This year, Jackie and I went to Sanibel Island for a little vacation.  Picture of sunset and beach below.  We were there for about 5 nights before going to my mom and stepdad's house and then to the race.  The vacation before the race, meant no training like normal.  So, it was a week off of swimming, some recreational biking, and a couple easy runs and one hard run, all about half an hour long.  Maybe the week of rest before contributed to my best time, so far, at St. Anthony's.

This year I used Tribike Transport, instead of shipping the bike, assembling at my mom's, taking to the race, bringing back from the race, disassembling, packing, and shipping before I leave.  TriBike Transport sets up right outside transition, so all you have to do is pick up the bike and walk it into transition and then drop off after the race.  Very easy and very nice.  I highly recommend using it, if it is available for a race you are travelling to go to.  It costs as much as me shipping it, and is much cheaper, and easier, than flying with it.  As long as I do this race, I will probably use it from now on.
As always, packet pickup at this race is so fast and easy.  In and out.  They do a really good job.

Not sure if it was the near week of rest before the race, or my training so far this year, or both, but I had my fastest time to date.  I had my fastest run and bike.  I was over 7 minutes faster than my previous fastest time.  It was only the fourth time we were able to do the full swim course, twice it was cut short for weather, and one year the swim was cancelled for everyone but the pros.  Anyway, this was my fastest time, by far.

Below are the usual transition pictures and a picture of the water the day before.  Below are my race results from the previous years. 

The weather this year was nearly perfect, there was still some wind, but not as previous years.  I had my usual breakfast of oj, coffee, water, apple fritter, yogurt, and banana.  Had some Gatorade here and there before the start.  Transition setup was pretty easy.  Morning was uneventful and went well.  It was nice to have Jackie to walk with me to the swim start.  I usually don't have someone out there before the start.  I did short swim around before the start of the race.  I really didn't warm up much before the start.

The portion of the swim that was parallel to the shore was pretty decent, once you turned and headed for open water it got pretty tough.  There were some people struggling out there.  I could see people doing backstroke or breaststroke, or just bobbing.  When I was swimming into the waves, at times it felt like my body was popping almost entirely out of the water.  It was almost as bad going back in, where the water was coming over the top.  I would rather do the full swim in these condition, than a partial swim.  Overall the swim went well.
Once out of the water transition went pretty well, especially for it being the first time of the year.  The bike felt a little less windy than previous years, but still felt windy.  I am always a little nervous for this race, since it is usually the first time outside on the tribike.  This year it was the first time outside on any bike.  I guess the extra training I put in this winter paid off.  The bike went well.  As expected, I started getting uncomfortable about mile 20, that.  That has to do with a lack of time in the aero position and I expected it. 

Second transition went fast.  Going out on the run I felt ok.  Not great, but pretty good.  I was surprised at my time, I thought I would have been slower, but I actually had my best run on this course.  As always, it started to get hot.  Last year, I walked a little around the last mile mark, this year I told myself I was not going to do that, and I did not walk.  Looking at my splits, I kept a steady pace.  They had splits at 2.5K, sprint turnaround, and 5K.  My pace at each of those was within a second of my overall pace, so that is great.  I typically fall off the last 2 miles.  The run is through a residential neighborhood.  It seems that every year the people along the course get more into it.  This year there was a guy at the end of his driveway with a Tiki bar setup, and cases of Corona around it.  He was handing out beers if anyone would take them.  It is pretty cool to see people along the course out cheering and celebrating.

As always, this is great race to do.  Great course, well executed.  I get go down and see my mom and stepdad, and this year I got a vacation with my wife beforehand.  Hopefully, I can do this race, with a vacation beforehand, again in the future.

2014 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 29:00 (1:47/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 2:50
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:09:36 (21.4 MPH, fastest bike)
T2 - 1:43
Run (6.2 miles) - 51:34 (8:19/mi, fastest run)
Total - 2:34:41
Overall - 344/1687
AG - 48/182
Overall Pace - 4:52/mi 

2013Results
Swim (820 yards, shortened for weather) - 14:05 (1:43/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 6:27 (shorter swim course, loooonnnggg run to T1)
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:11:35 (20.8 MPH)
T2 - 2:29
Run (6.2 miles) - 52:43 (8:31/mile)
Total - 2:27:18
Overall -  752/2404
AG - 91/201
Overall Pace - 4:41/mile

2012 Results
Swim (1640 yards, new course) - 29:03 (1:47/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 2:18
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:12:54 (20.4MPH)
T2 - 2:42 (sprayed some sunblock on myself, put on socks, and forgot my race belt and had to turn around and get it)
Run (6.2 miles) - 55:04 (8:53/mile)
Total - 2:41:51
Overall - 977/2689
AG - 124/236
Overall Pace - 5:04/mile

2011 Results
Swim (820 yards, shortened for weather) - 17:56 (2:11/100 yards, no wetsuit)
T1 - 5:49 (shorter swim course, loooonnnggg run to T1)
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:44 (21.1 MPH)
T2 - 2:45
Run (6.2 miles) - 55:04 (8:53/mile)
Total - 2:32:18
Overall - 980/3125
AG - 110/239
Overall Pace - 4:49/mile

2010 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 29:36 (1:49/100 yards, this was wetsuit)
T1 - 3:12
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:15:10 (19.8 MPH)
T2 - 2:27
Run (6.2 miles) - 58:33 (9:22/mile, coming off stress fracture)
Total - 2:48:56
Overall - 1264/3192
AG - 156/287
Overall Pace - 5:18/mile

2009 Results
No swim due to weather, then dropped out after bike due to stress fracture
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:10:43 (21.1MPH)

2008 Results
Swim (1640 yards) - 30:58 (1:53/100 yards, wetsuit)
T1 - 3:38
Bike (24.8 miles) - 1:11:48 (20.8MPH)
T2 - 3:42
Run (6.2 miles) - 52:54 (8:31/mile)
Total - 2:42:57
Overall - 1258/3350
AG - 121/231
Overall Pace - 5:11/mile