Black Hills Triathlon - Freaked Out!

I can't give you any info on the Black Hills tri, but I will also be doing my first oly on September 12th.  I will be joining a friend for a race in Wisconsin. 

Which sprint are you doing? 

Have a great race this weekend.

I love the Black Hills course.  The bike and run courses are both beautiful. The bike course is mostly flat and rolling hills, no big climbs that I can remember, and the run is awesome. It's a trail run. . . and it was even super fun in the RAIN!! Yeah, it rained when I did the race a couple of years ago, but at least the rain held off until I got off the bike

One piece of advice-- take some sort of slip on shoe down to the lake with you. The distance from the swim to the transition area is not trivial.

Enjoy!

Heck yeah, I do this one, it's my local!! :-)

It will be my 4th year this year, it was my first ever tri so it's a little special to me. The first year it poured rain during the bike. It was a deluge and completely a mess but it was a ton of fun. It's been hot the last couple of years so who knows what we'll see this year.

Details:

The swim is decent if a little crowded at the start because the entrance is a little hemmed in by a submerged tree and the shoreline. Once you hit open water, it gets better. The water is cool but not horribly cold. Wetsuits have been required in the past, probably will be again this year.

Bike is rolling hills with only one really bad hill coming around mile 20 or 22. It's a steep sucker with a false flat in the middle. There are a couple of really nice downhills to rock and roll on. The first mile and last mile are in and out of Millersylvania Park. Supposed to be a no passing zone but I've always gotten passed. Maybe I should be cranking it up a bit harder? :-)

The run is a trail run through the woods. Again, rolling and a couple of steep little hills but nothing bad. It's all downhill for the last half mile or so. You hit the last steep downhill then out the woods, over the grassy field and down again to the finish line. Great place to catch someone. :-)

I haven't registered yet. The last couple of years I've registered day of race. This year I get back from Disneyland (I'm doing the half marathon) the Friday before Black Hills but I'm still planning on it.

If you see me say hi!

Russ

Forgot to agree on the swim to bike transition point made up thread. It's probably a quarter mile (feels much longer!) from the lake to transition over a path strewn with gravel and pine cones. Bring some sandals or something. I've done it both ways and the time spent putting on the shoes with your cold wet feet is better than trying to pick your way through.

Russ

Russ, thanks for the great details.... I'm glad I don't have to worry about the swim!!!--as I'm doing the duathlon.  But nice to know about the hills on the bike course.  (Well, a few hills keeps it interesting!)  I will be at the campground on Friday, so maybe will take a little tour of the course, as well as checking out the trail for the run.  I wonder if I should wear my regular running shoes or my trail running shoes?

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