2012 Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon

The picture of at the top is taken by Nick Morales at trijuice.com and the picture above is taken by Kerry Yndestad.  Both do a great job taking pics at triathlons.  The top picture makes me look faster than I actually I am going.  I think I am passing one guy and being passed by another, either that, or both are passing me.  In the bottom picture I look like a might explode.

First of all, both the Sprint and Half-IM had amazing fields.  They would have been a great races to watch.  Second, Jackie, her cousins, and her aunt and uncle were there to cheer me and others.  Which also made it a great day.  I had a good swim, my fastest bike of the year, and another run that was disappointing.

Jackie's aunt and uncle recently purchased a lake home in Chisago, about a 5 minute bike ride from the start line of the Chisago Lakes Triathlon.  So, we stayed at thier place the night before the race.  We went there early on Sat afternoon to enjoy some time on the lake and to hangout with Jackie's family.  We had a nice big pasta dinner the night before. Staying with us was Jackie's cousin's boyfriend and his buddies, who did the Half-IM distance as a relay.  More about thier race later.  I had a disorienting night of sleep, being in a strange place, in a strange bed, and I am not sure I slept that well, but I did get to sleep in, so that helped.  I was the first one up and out of the house on Sunday morning.  You can get to the race a little later, since your transition spot is by number, so I did not worry about getting a good spo

I setup up my stuff and chatted with some people.  The transition area is large, but there are a lot of people so still crowded.  The race was wetsuit legal, barely.  The temperature was right at 78, according to the measurement.  I waffled on wearing a wetsuit, much like last week, but like last week, if you have the option to wear a wetstuit and don't wear one you lose a possible advantage.  I went with the wetsuit for the very short swim.  I got a short warmup and then waited about 40 minutes for my wave to start.  I did not get too warm waiting.  I would occasionally go down to the water and fill my wetsuit.

The starting area is narrow, even more so when they cram 100 people in it per wave.  As usual, I started wide and worked my way in to the first turn bouy.  It worked well and I stayed out of the crowd.  The only issue came at the finish when the spring and half finishes merge and a lot of people are getting out of the water at once.  Midwest Sports Event races, which this is a part of, do mixed/random waves. They mix thier waves with AG and sexes, so it is kind of strange. 

Once out the water there is hill to run up and then into transition.  Jackie and her family were on the hill to cheer, which was great.  I got through transition without issue and then out on the bike.  The bike was very crowded until about the last 5 miles out or so.  A lot of dangerous riding out on the course. People riding 2-3 abreast, people riding down the middle of the lane for no reason, etc.  So, a lot of the bike is yelling, "On your left!" and trying to stay safe.  I did not feel too bad overall on the bike.  I tried to concentrate on my form and I think it payed off, I ended up with my highest average speed this year.  Two weeks in a row I have a had very good bikes.

It was nice to come into transition and get cheered by Jackie and her family and get cheered on the way out on the run course.  It is nice to have people you know cheering for you.

There is a short up and down out of the park and then a longish uphill, course goes flat for awhile, and the has a steady low slope uphill.  It is out and back, so the run back is mostly downhill.  Luckily, it was overcast most of the run, but still uncomfortably humid.  Like past races this year, my leg turnover is slow.  I just can't get them to turn fast enough.  They feel heavy.  So, I just try to concentrate on form and to keep moving.  It must be conditioning.  This was my slowest 5k in awhile.  It did not feel terrible, I just could not turnover.  Anyway, I finished and then we hungout for awhile and cheered.

My overall pace, which I calculate for each race by dividing my total time by total distance.  By pace, this was the fastest of all my previous attempts, due to the fast swim and bike, and the longer bike, which helps offset the slower run.

A little bit about Jackie's cousin's boyfriend half-IM relay team.  They won the relay.  After the bike they were down almost 15 minutes! And they came back to win.  The came back because thier runner, Jackie's cousin's boyfriend, ran them back into to it by running ~5:56 miles for a half-marathon, I think the next fastest runner was about 7+min/mi.  Just amazing.

For a race that is this large, about 1500 for the sprint, half, and relays, in a town that small, they do a very good job of putting on a race.  Course is well marked, they have enough volunteers, they had plenty of cold water, they had fruit and some small wraps, chicken and turkey that were good, at the end, and the cost of the race is reasonable.  I think that the cost is part of the reason that that so many people come out and do the half.  I will probably be back to do this race again, I would really like to redeem myself on the run.

Overall it was a very good day.  It was great to have Jackie and her family out there.
Only 4 races left this year, Brewhouse, Maple Grove, St. Croix Valley, and Dousman Du.  A long sprint, two Oly, and a Du.

2012 Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon
Swim (440 yards) - 8:30 (1:56/100yards)
T1 - 1:59
Bike (22 miles) - 57:55 (22.8MPH, fastest average speed of the year)
T2 - 1:17
Run (3.1 miles) - 26:17 (8:29/miles, slow....)
Total - 1:35:59
Overall - 89/647
AG - 15/45
Pace - 3:47/mile (fastest per mile pace at this race)

2010 Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon
Swim (440 yards) - 8:44 (1:59/100yards)
T1 - 1:59
Bike (21 miles) - 56:23 (22.3MPH)
T2 - 1:40
Run (3.1 miles) - 25:03 (8:04/mile)
Total - 1:33:49
Overall - 59/808
AG - 5/57
Pace - 3:51/mile

2008 Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon
Swim (440 yards) - 9:18 (2:19/mile)
T1 - 1:54
Bike (17 miles) - 45:39 (22.3MPH)
T2 - 1:09
Run (3.1 miles) - 24:25 (7:52/mile, fastest run at Chisago also shortest bike before)
Total - 1:22:25
Overall - 68/779
AG - 7/51
Pace - 4:03/mile

2007 Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon
Swim (440 yards) - 11:47 (2:41/mile)
T1 - 2:56
Bike (20.1 miles) - 57:16 (21.1MPH)
T2 - 1:27
Run (3.1 miles) - 25:37 (8:16/mile)
Total - 1:39:02
Overall - 142/801
AG - 17/55
Pace - 4:09/mile

2012 Heart of the Lakes Triathlon

I am not sure what is going on with my legs this year.  Is it the heat, the humidity, did I not put enough time in earlier in the year?  I am not sure, but I don't feel strong coming off the bike this year.  Basically, the only race I felt strong coming off the bike was Lake Minnetonka, which has probably been my best race of the year, up to this point.
 
I am not a fast runner, I would never claim to be, but I know how I feel when I run faster, over when I run slower.  This year my legs just feel tired coming off the bike.  I think I am well conditioned for a 10-15 mile race pace bike and then a fast, for me, 5K run.  Anything longer and my legs feel cooked off the bike.  I have never been a fast distance runner, but this year I feel more sluggish than years passed.  I would chalk it up to the fact that I spent less time in Feb - April, on both the run and the bike.  Not much I can do about it now.  Just something I had been thinking about this year.

I waffeled on two things before the race started on Sunday.  The first thing was my disc wheel and the second thing was wearing a wetsuit.  I got a flat on my disc at some point after the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon.  I noticed the flat while walking my bike back to my car.  It has taken me a few weeks to buy a tire and get around to changing it.  I finished changing the tire on Saturday night and I was a little unsure about the mounting job I did.  I was a little leary about riding on the wheel.  About an hour before HOLT started, I walked my bike back to the car and swapped the 808 for the Sub-9 Disc.  Everything worked out ok, so it was not a bad decision to make the change.
The other decision, the wetsuit, I made about 20 minutes before start time.  HOLT is not a USAT event so there are no rules about wetsuits.  An informal temperature measurement gave the temp to be 82!  I was concerned about overheating, but if I don't wear the wetsuit, when others can, I am losing a possible advantage.  I went with the wetsuit.  It was warm, but not as bad as I thought it would be.  I think I was hotter running the long run from the swim exit to my bike with the wetsuit halfway on.

I think the wave I was in, Wave 5, consisted of both male and female age group 30-34 and 35-39.  It was probably about 100 people.  I got on the outside as usual and avoided most of the traffic.  I had an uneventful swim, which is good thing, and was 5th fastest in my AG, out of 17.  More on my AG later.

The bike had more hills than I remembered.  There are some decent climbs on it.  The temperature during the ride did not seem too bad until the last half or so.  I felt pretty decent for most of the ride.  I pushed it hard and it was my fastest ride of the year.  I do believe that some people in my AG took advantage of the fact that it was a non-USAT team race.  It appeared that there was some drafting on the course.  I don't care if it is a USAT or non-USAT race, I don't like drafting.  I think it is cheating.  Unless it is an ITU race and it is in the rules and ok, it is cheating.

Now to the run, I got off the bike and I was already hot and my legs felt heavy.  The run course is around Lake Pleasant with very little shade.  It is not flat, it has longer climbs that are low grade, so they are draining.  It was a tougher run than I remember.  Luckily, and thankfully, they have a number of water stops and they have COLD water.  Some cups even had ice in them.  A couple of stops also had sponges with cold water.  Having cold water, and sponges, made the run possible.

I felt like I barely finished the run.  I was cooked.  Luckily, this race has a great supply of cold beverages and food at the end.  They also have "showers" setup.  Basically, a wood structure with some water spraying out, but it provides some relief.

As you can see below, I was a little slower than 2008, mostly due to the run.  23.2MPH remains, to this date, my fastest average bike speed in a triathlon or duathlon.  The 22.7MPH average this year is my fastest average this year. 

As I finish this post, I have already finished Chisago Lakes Sprint Tri.  I am running a little behind.

2012 Heart of the Lakes Triathlon Results
Swim (880yards) - 14:42 (1:40/100yds)
T1 - 3:00
Bike (21miles) - 55:37 (22.7MPH)
T2 - 1:40
Run (5.3miles) - 46:07 (8:42/mi, see my run from '08.  This run was slow.)
Total - 2:01:03
Overall - 102/292
AG - 7/17
Pace - 4:31/mi

2008 Heart of the Lakes Triathlon Results
Swim (880yards) - 16:42 (1:54/100yds)
T1 - 2:57
Bike (21miles) - 54:13 (23.2MPH, fastest average in a triathlon)
T2 - 2:02
Run (5.3miles) - 40:58 (7:44/mi)
Total - 1:56:50
Overall - 151/460
AG - 14/39
Pace - 4:22/mi

June 2012 Triathlon Training and Racing Summary

June 2012 consisted of four triathlons and one TT.  My weekends were busy.  I would say that I had two good/very good/great races, and two ok/not too bad races.  Lake Minnetonka Tri and MinneMan were the better ones and Manitou and Waconia were good races.  I really cannot complain.

I think I had a pretty good month of training, and racing.  I had to dial it back during the week, especially close to races, so that I had legs to race.  As always, I would like the run to be faster, but for the amount of time I have put in this year I cannot be too disappointed.

This is the halfway point of the year, it is also the halfway point of the season, in terms of the number of races.  I have completed 6 of 12 races, 5 triathlons and 1 duathlon.  At the bottom I will put my average pace/speed up to this point in the season.

July, August, and September each have two races, so I can focus a little more on training with some extra time between races.  I am going to try to focus more on the run so that I can get my 10K time down below 8min/mi for the last two triathlons of the year, which are Olympic distance.  Also, my very last race of the year is the Dousman Duathlon, which has two 2 mile runs, so I also want to work on my speed. 

I did one Tuesday Night Time Trial in June.  It was not my slowest of the three this year, it was also not my fastest.  It was right in between.  Hopefully, in June I can do two of the TTs.
June 5th TNT (11 miles) - 30:09 (21.9MPH)

June-to-June Comparison

Totals and Averages Since 2007

YTD and Totals Since 2007

Here are the averages paces, and average distances, for the 5 triathlons I have done so far this year.  In parenthesis is the average from 2011 for all 10 races.
Swim - Average Distance = 1204.8 yards - Average Pace = 1:38/100 yards (1:39/100 yards)
T1 - 2:28 (2:21)
Bike - Average Distance = 21.4 miles - Average Speed = 21.08MPH (21.37MPH)
T2 - 1:28 (1:12)
Run - Average Distance = 4.81 miles - Average Speed = 8:12/mile (8:01/mile)
Average Pace - 4:40/mile (4:29/mile)

2012 MinneMan Race Report - Olympic Distance

Picture of me near the finish courtesy of Kerry Yndestad

This race was last Saturday, 6/30.  I am a little late getting this out.
It was a hot day, I think there are going to be a lot more race days like this the rest of the summer.  I think there are going to be a lot more hot days like last Saturday, for the rest of the summers, for the rest of my life.  That is a different topic. 

Anyway, I had a surprisingly great race.  Waconia, the weekend before, was hard on my legs, so the week before MinneMan I took it a little easier.  Especially, since Waconia was on a Sunday and MinneMan was on a Saturday.  I figured I could use a little extra rest.
In the past MinneMan was a Sprint only race, this year they added an Olympic distance event.  They lengthened the Sprint swim, from a third of a mile to a half mile, and then doubled it for the Olympic. They doubled the bike for the Olympic, and doubled the run.  The bike is longer than 40K, 40K is about 24.8 miles, this bike was about 26.7 miles, two 13.3ish mile loops.  The run was two 3 mile loops, a little shorter than typical Olympic distance.  Normally the Olympic distance should be a 10K, 6.2 miles.  I like the two loop format, also I think it is good for spectators.
The field for the Olympic distance was about 144, less than half the number in the Sprint (300+).  The Olympic distance did have some of the biggest names in female and male, Elite and Pro, triathletes in MN, some might say in the nation, participating.  It made for a very cool environment.
As usual, I got there early, got setup.  There was plenty of room.  I did a short bike warmup, no run warmup.  Chatted with a few people, made sure to hydrate, but not too much, I did not want a belly full of fluid sloshing around.

The water was reported right at 78 degress, making it just wetsuit legal.  As Jerry, the announcer, said, "At 78.1, no wetsuits".  The lake is shallow and I was pleasantly surprised it was wetsuit legal. The water felt good.

Getting to the race.  My wave, 35-39 males, was small.  Only 13 guys.  The course goes counter-clockwise, bouys on your left.  The course was basically a rectangle.  Your first left turn and short swim across the top of the rectangle was right into the sun.  After the race it became apparent that some people had issues with the sun and missing the left turn that takes you back to shore.  I didn't have too much trouble.  I just sighted more frequently. so I would not miss the bouy.
At the swim start I started far over on the right, I usually start wide and swim across toward the first bouy, to stay out of traffic.  As usual, when the gun went off I was near the back at the start.  Something surprising happened.  About halfway to the first turn bouy, there was clear water in front of me.  I could see one person swimming out in front of me, and it was the same color cap.  I took a quick look over my right shoulder and saw one guy.  I believe I was in 2nd place in my AG.  I swam this position all the way to the end and into transition.  Later, when checking the results, I was indeed the second fastest swim in my AG.  I thought that was pretty cool.  I had never swam in so much open water.  I passed a number of people from waves that started before, which is typical, but swimming in so much "clean" water was nice, and different.  I was worried that without people around I would swim slower, but I did not.  I think I was worried about swimming slower, so I didn't swim slower.

Once out and through the long transition run, I did see that I was the second one to the bike in my AG.  Excellent.  I got out for the long bike.  Two things I wanted to work on were, hydrating and keeping good form.  I think I did a pretty good job on both.  The bike course is mostly flat, with a few climbs on it, if I remember correcty.  There was more wind than I expected.  The last few miles of the bike loop goes through a residential neighborhood that is flat.  I like this part of the course.  It is a part of the course that allows you to really haul some ass.  Going through the second loop I could start to feel the heat.  Mostly I started to feel it coming at me from the road.  The pavement was heating up and you could feel it on your legs and chest.  The run was going to be hot.

The longest bike of the year, turned out to be my fastest bike split so far this year. Hooray!

Coming into T2 I felt pretty good.  Got off the bike and got out on the nearly pancake flat, nearly shadeless, run course.  I was worried about going out too fast in the heat and blowing up.  My goal for this year is to do an Olympic distance race under 2.5 hours.  I had a chance to do that today.  It would be especially sweet to do it on this course, since the bike is longer than your typical Oly.
The run became just another battle in the heat.  It was mostly mental, as it frequently can be.  My goal was to not walk at all during the run, like the 30 second walk I took near the end of St. Anthony's this year.  I did not walk.  My focus became maintaining my form on the run, trying to ignore the heat and fatigue. 

Through the first loop I was running in front of, next to, and behind a girl, probably high school age, who was cheering for everyone she passed and people coming the other way.  It was really great and I think it helped me get through the run.  She was very upbeat and I think her attitude was an example of how all triathletes should be out on the course.  I saw her after the race and thanked her for her attitude.

Well, I made it through the run, of course, and my time was surprisingly good.  The last mile or so I thought I was going to vomit, but once I got some water in me, and on me, and in the shade I started to feel much better.  Typically, I do St. Anthony's in late April/early May and I don't do another Olympic distance race until late July or August, so having an earlier race at this distance earlier in the summer gave me a better idea of where I am at. I am happy with where I am at.

This was another OHP race.  Very well run, as far as I could tell, everything went off without a hitch.  My only criticisms are that the water on the course and after the race is warm/hot and the only thing to drink is water, something besides warm water would be great.  Otherwise, the races they put on are extremely well executed.  Full disclosure again, I am a part-time staff member at OHP.

I think the most important thing I can do when fatigued, is concentrate on form, whether it is the swim, bike, or run.  Typically, not a problem on the swim.  This is kind of a "duh" statement.  Everyone knows how important form is to going fast.  Some people can "muscle" there way through different legs of the race.  I am not fast enough or enough of a natural athlete at any part of triathlon to do that.  So, if I can remember, when fatigued or not fatigued, to concentrate on form, I can have really good race results.

Since this is the first year for the Minneman Olympic distance race, I put a few of my last Oly distance race results for comparison, along with my 2011 MinneMan Sprint results

2012 MinneMan Olympic Distance Triathlon Results
Swim (1760yards) - 25:53 (1:29/100 yards), 2nd fastest in AG
T1 - 2:59
Bike (26.6mi) - 1:12:41 (22.1MPH)
T2 - 1:21
Run (6mi) - 49:56 (8:20/mi), I would like this/need this to get under or around 8:00/mi
Total - 2:32:47, oh so close
Overall - 66/144
AG - 5/13, the first two guys in my AG were under or around 2:15
Pace - 4:32/mi

2011 MinneMan Sprint Distance Triathlon Results
Swim (587yards) - 8:20 (1:35/100 yards)
T1 - 2:51
Bike (13mi) - 36:15 (21.5MPH)
T2 - 1:10
Run (3mi) - 24:30 (8:30/mile)
Total - 1:13:03
Overall - 68/342
AG - 5/28
Pace - 4:29/mi

2012 (April) St. Anthony's Olympic Distance Triathlon Results
Swim (1640yards) - 29:03 (1:47/100yards)
T1 - 2:18
Bike (24.85mi) - 1:12:54 (20.4MPH)
T2 - 2:42
Run (6.2mi) - 55:04 (8:53/mi)
Total - 1:41:51
Overall - 977/2689
AG - 124/236
Pace - 5:04/mi

2011 (Sept) St. Croix Valley Olympic Distance Triathlon Results
Swim (1640yards) - 29:00 (1:46/100 yards)
T1 - 2:22
Bike (24.85mi) - 1:10:31 (21.1MPH)
T2 - 0:51
Run (6.2mi) - 49:36 (7:59/mi)
Total - 2:32:17
Overall - 40/103
AG - 12/19
Pace - 4:46/mi

2011 (August) Maple Grove Olympic Distance Triathlon Results
Swim (1640yards) - 27:26 (1:44/100 yards)
T1 - 2:26
Bike (26mi) - 1:13:32 (21.2MPH)
T2 - 1:12
Run (6.2mi) - 50:15 (8:06/mi)
Total - 2:34:49
Overall - 44/216
AG - 9/33
Pace - 4:41/mi

2012 Lake Waconia Triathlon Race Report

I woke up the morning of the race  and I felt really tired and somewhat disoriented.  I wasn't super tired the night before so I laid in bed for awhile and read, I don't think I fell asleep until after 11, which is not great when you are getting up at 4AM, especially since I was pretty tired all week.  I also had a little tummy ache in the morning.
I went through my usual routine, of shower and shave, yogurt with frozen fruit and granola and a banana.  On the drive to race, donut and coffee.
I just felt tired this morning.
As always, got there early and setup. The lake was glass and it was warm outside.  I was sweating pretty good the whole time before the start.
The guy next to me in transition, probably in his 50s, had a 5 gallon pale to sit on, which is no big deal, and a rubbermaid storage container with his stuff in it, that he left in transition the whole race.  I think rubbermaid tub is a little much for your transition spot.
Shortly after setting up my transition area I realized I forgot something.  A water bottle.  That was a new one.  First time I have ever forgot a water bottle.  So, I went without a water bottle on the bike.  Probably not a great way to go on a hot day like today.  I did my usual water and Gatorade drinking pre-race with the hope it would be enough until I got to the run course and had some water.
Before the race I spent a little time chatting on and off with people. I did a very short bike warm-up to make sure the bike was ok.
I did a swim warmup, mainly to cool off in the water, and waited for the start. Since it is a TT swim start there was some standing in line, and sweating, before your turn came up.
The swim was pretty uneventful.  Water was calm and the traffic was not too bad.  I did not feel too tired on the swim.  It went pretty well, average.
I got out of transition pretty quick and off to the bike.  I started in an easy gear, since there is pretty decent climb out of transition.  When I was swimming and in the transition area, it did not seem windy, out on the bike course it seemed windier.  My legs felt pretty heavy on the bike, so I concentrated on my form and hoped for the best.  I was hot and I did get parched on the bike, so not having a water bottle on the bike probably did have ill effects on me.  After the race, for most of the day I had a headache, which I have learned to associate with being dehydrated.  The length and severity of the headache tends to go with the amount of dehydration.  The headache today was pretty painful and last most of the afternoon and evening.  Interestingly enough, I had to pee most of the time I was on the bike and my tummy ache went away.
The bike course has some hills on it.  I would say that the first one out of transition and there is one in the last five miles that got me out of the saddle, are the toughest.
While I was on the bike, I could tell that the run was going to be difficult.  The run is not flat, it has a couple of decent climbs and false flats, so it would be more challenging than normal.
I got out of T2 pretty quick, almost forgot to take my helmet off.
There were times on the run I felt ok, and at times I felt terrible.  I just had nothing in my legs to work up the hills.  It was hot and each time I was able to take some water in, and pour some on myself, I felt a little recovery and I was able to run a little bit faster.  The run was not that painful, my legs would just not turnover.  Such a huge difference from the Lake Minnetonka triathlon the week before.  My pace was almost a minute difference between this week's race and last week.  The two course are vastly different, and the conditions are vastly different, but it is amazing how much different my run pace was between the two.
At the end of the race, they did have plenty of cold water, which was awesome.  The last two races seemed to lack cold water at the end.  Also, there was cold water out on the course at Waconia.  They also had a good supply of fruit, especially watermelon which I love after a race.  There were cookies, mini-muffins, chips, and granola bars.  Of course, Gear West and Kevin were out grilling hot dogs. 
My race results are not the greatest, but I am happy I was able to go out and finish on a beautiful morning.  I recommend Waconia for anyone looking to do a challenging race that is well run.
This coming weekend I will be doing MinneMan.  This year is the first time they will have an Olympic distance event.  In the past there has only been a sprint course.  I will be doing the Oly.
 
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

2012 Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Report

It started out sunny and warm, by the time I got out of the water it was raining.  The bottom picture above was taken after the race.  It was like that the whole race.
That did not stop it from being a good/great race. 
I got up at my usual time and had the usual breakfast.  I got to T1 early, as usual.
I had a chance to talk to a few people, some of whom I had not seen at races yet this year.
The race start announcements started about 10 minutes earlier than expecte.  I expect the reason for this is that they had an idea ran was coming, that was not predicted when I checked the morning weather.  By the time the announcements were done and we walked to the start, the swim is point-to-point around a point, it was cloudy out.  The first wave started about 4 minutes earlier than planned.  Which was great, no reason to wait around.  My plan for the swim was to start outside and work in to the first bouy.  It is a nice swim course and I was happy with my swim.  I got out and it took me a minute to realize that it was raining out.  It was raining pretty good out, and it was that way the whole race.  I wore my sunglasses on the bike, but kept them tipped to the end of my nose so I coul easily look over them.
I got out of my wetsuit and on the bike much better than last week.  Part of that was due to going no socks, which was a really good idea for this day.  I am going the rest of the year sockless.  I was worried about running sockless, but there were no issues at all.  Going sockless is really going to help my transition times.
The only and only time I did this race was in 2010. I remembered the swim and run, but the bike I did not totally remember.  The bike is somewhat hilly, definitely more hilly than last weeks Manitou sprint.  I tried to be as aggressive as possible on the bike, and it went pretty well, even in the rain, some times coming down pretty hard.
There was a guy in my age group that was going back and forth with me on the bike.  At one point after the turn around, a guy in the 45-49 AG passed me, then the guy who was going back-and-forth passed me and got on his tail.  This was a flat part of the course with a headwind.  It appeared the guy from my AG wa drafting off the older guy.  This kind of pissed me off.  I did pass him again, then he passed me right into transistion.  He had a small lead out of transition, but I passed him on the run and he never was able to catch me.  So, poo on him.
While I was out on the bike, two fellow triathletes who were not racing that day, Suzie and Paul, were out on thier bikes and at two different points cheered for me.  That was great.  It is always good to have people you know cheering your name. 
When I came out of T2, I saw Jackie, Jen (my sister-in-law), and Jen's two boys.  It was great to hear and see them.  Jackie's two nephews are so cute and energetic. 
The run out has slight uphill and then mostly flat.  That uphill is tough at the beginning and the end.  At the top of the hill the Gunthers were cheering, which was also really nice.
Once I got out on the flat part it felt pretty good.  I had a really good rhythm.  I did have the thought that I am going to skip Tuesday Night Time Trial this coming Tuesday.  I am going to need the extra legs for Waconia next weekend.
When I finished, it was still raining, and Jackie, her sister, and her sister's boys were there to cheer me in.  I chatted with them before they left the rain.
Aside from the rain, or maybe because of the rain, it was a really good day to race, and I had a really good race.  I was faster than 2010, by 2 minutes, and that improvement was spread over the swim, bike, T2, and run.  My run pace was the same as Manitou last weekend.
I recommend the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon.  The bike course is challenging, but not long, the run course is mostly flat, and the swim course is a nice point-to-point.  It is a well run race.  The food at the end leaves a little to desire (muffin assortment, bananas, apples, and oranges), but everything else is done very well.  The volunteers were great.  Everything went very smoothly.
Next week is Lake Waconia.

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

2012 Manitou Sprint Triathlon

It was hot and windy on Sunday.  Very much different than when I did this race in 2010.
If I remember correctly, in 2010, it was overcast, damp, and a bit cooler.
Anyway, earlier in the week I started feeling a little "off".  I rarely get sick, but Wednesday and Thursday I had almost no voice, no sore throat, just "froggy" and unable to speak.  Thursday things started to break up and I had more voice, but also more coughing, clearing, and some snot to go along with it.  On Sunday, I felt ok, still hacky and hoarse.  I cannot say for sure this affected my performance at all.  I don't think it did, I did feel a little fatigued going into the race.  This might have been from doing the Tuesday Night Time Trial during the week, working out, and not getting enough sleep. 
Onto the race, as always, I got there early and got setup fairly quickly.  I saw a lot of people I know at this race and I had plenty of time to chat, since I got there so early.  That was nice.
I warmed up on the bike briefly, mainly to make sure that the bike was ok and to check the wind.  Bike was ok.  The wind did not seem too bad, but I will get back to that.  Then I went for a short run.
Onto the race
The wave was only my AG, which is nice because it gives you and idea of where you are during the race.  I started out kind of slow, intentionally and unintentionally.  The unintentional part was that I missed starting my watch, so I kind of messed with it while getting in the water, which put me at the back when I started swimming.  The water was choppy, and sighting was difficult, especially on the way because you are swimming into the sun.  I came out of the water 9th, of 26, in my AG.
Transition in a long run up, and I jogged it.  That is not the reason for my SLOW T1 time.  The slow time is due to having a little trouble getting out of my wetsuit and trouble getting socks on.  I am skipping biking and running in socks.  I tried running without socks on Monday night and there were no issues.  No more racing with socks on.  Unless I have problems at Minnetonka this weekend, then back to socks.
Once I sorted out my issues and got on the bike, I got a feeling for the heat and the wind.  The wind was pretty bad, I felt like I was getting pushed around a lot, that along with the horrible road surface, made for an unpleasant/uncomfortable ride.  I think my biggest mistake on the bike was not paying enough attention to my pedal stroke.  I think I was getting sloppy with my foot and knee position.  I think if I paid more attention, like I was doing at St. Anthony's and GW Du, I would have had a faster time.  Something I need to continue to think about is bike form, it makes a big difference, at least for me.
I did get off the bike fast and on the run fast.  The run is pretty well shaded, but still warm/hot.  The out part of the run is mostly uphill and the back is mostly downhill.  I felt ok on the run, not strong.  The first mile I felt very fatigued, but as it went on I started to feel better, which was a good thing.  There was a lot of people, volunteers, people who finished the race, and spectators cheering, which was really nice.  I felt I did a good job of concentrating on my run form.  Close to the finish I got passed by a guy, who happened to be in my AG, so I ended up missing 4th place in my AG by about 6 seconds.  Not a big deal.  Not sure I would have done anything about it had I known the guy was in my AG.  Typically, I am racing for myself and not concerned with my competition.  How I finish in my AG and overall, is how I finish.  That being said, I think with a better T1 and a little better concentration on the bike, I might have been able to squeeze in the Top 3 in my AG.  There is always next year.
After the race there was some time to wait until we could go into transition and get our stuff.  So I decided to get the free massage, which I had never done before.  I learned what I already knew.  I need to take more time for massage/use the roller when I do recovery, also probably stretch more.  I am tight and I can get cramps, mostly in my hamstrings and glutes.  So, stretching and massage needs to become something I do regularly.  Again, something I already knew, but something I need to do.
OptumHealth Performance puts on this race.  It is very well excuted and as far as I am concerned it went very smoothly.  My only recommendation would be cold water/cold beverages at the finish.  The water was warm and water was the only option.   Otherwise, everything was great.
This coming weekend is Lake Minnetonka Triathlon, which I last did in 2010.

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

Interesting to note, my St. Anthony's run time from 2011 and 2012 are exactly the same and my Manitou times from 2010 and 2012 are nearly the same.  Very strange.