Battle of Waterloo Roll Call

Me!

I'm in!  Hopefully there's more than 50, or I'll probably be dead last!  There were about 80 people last year. I finished 60th overall, and while there were definitely parts of some of the runs where I didn't see anyone, there were always people around at the start and end of the swims, and I never felt like I was out there forever without seeing anyone.

Me and she-who-must-be-obeyed.

The race does tend to thin out, the closer you get to the end as people settle in to their finish order.

I crashed in the first bike and then tried to drown myself in the first swim (long story) which caused me to lose about 20 minutes early on in the race.  There were plenty of people about until the last swim leg ... on the last x-c stage, I could only see three or four people and I passed a couple of others on the final bike leg.  Don't recall seeing anyone on the last run apart from friends and spectators.

However, last year was the first year and there were only about 80 starters. A friend of mine volunteered though and he said that they had been expecting about 100 but, I guess they had a few no-shows.

I'll be cheering near clear lake.  I have a friend who is in it.  I bet the numbers are down because of the strict cut off times.  Good luck those of you who compete.  I'll cheer for you as you jump in the lake.

Good point about the cutoff times. I'm sure that was a contributor if the turnout is lower.

So?   How'd everyone do?

I think ended up with around 80 people this year, which is the same as last year.  Unfortunately, they need to have a couple hundred racers to make this race profitable and worth all the work it takes to put it on.  So apparently they will not be putting on this race next year, which is a huge bummer!

Well done carol!

That is a huge bummer!  I had so much fun I was considering making it my A race next year.   It was nice to have a change in activity every 1/2 hour.   Finished in 4:22:39  I'm sure I could have cut off 10 min. in transition time had I thought it through more, but I was trying not to take it too seriously.   Racing all over the area I train in was a blast!

Great job everyone.  I slept in so I didn't make it to chear.  I heard it was about 80 people.  My friend said he got lost and ran about 1 extra mile, but he said the event was still fun.  It does suck that it doesn't look good for next year.  It sounds like a one of a kind event. 

Just about beat Kevin .... 4:22:22. Twelve minutes better than last year despite not having done any training at all since Steelhead.

Although I personally want these "different" kind of races to succeed, in many respects, it's not particularly surprising that so few of them do.

I think that this is a race that attracts HIM/IM rather than short course athletes and, as a long course event it has a couple of issues.

Firstly, a lot of long course specialists tend to be pretty awful swimmers, particularly when they don't have a wetsuit to keep themselves afloat. In a normal HIM/IM this isn't an issue as their race only begins on dry land and, if you're a good enough biker and runner, you can catch the good swimmers, where you don't have enough time to do this in shorter races. Having a three-quarter mile, non- wetsuit swim three hours into the race may well put off a lot of these people. (More so, given the absence of safety kayaks etc.... if you cramp up during the last swim, you better hope that some stops and pulls you out)

Secondly, this isn't a well- balanced race. It's a trail run with some swimming. Frankly, you could delete the two bike legs and it wouldn't make a bit of difference to the finish order. The same is true of legs 9 & 10 .... the second bike leg isn't long enough for good cyclists to pull time back and unless you're with half a dozen others when you return after the second bike, I don't really see the point of the final run.

If I were to make suggestions, I think that I'd keep the first run and then have the first swim, say a mile if possible, at Portage Lake. This would reduce the 'peloton' during the first bike which I'd keep as is. I'd then have the current first swim as my second swim and I'm sure it would then be possible to have a long run, ten miles or so, that arrived back at the second transition area. I'd then finish up with another 20 mile ride to give the cyclists a chance. This would give a 1.5 mile - 40 mile - 11.5 mile event and might be attractive to more people.

Also, if they could get the race sponsored by a brewery, that would help too

Ian.  I didn't know who you were, but I was catching up to you quick!  I was burning that last mile, probably sub 6 min, saving nothing.  I caught up to and passed 3 people on that last bike even though it was short, so I was grateful for it.

  Not so much for the 1st bike where a peloton caught up to me 3 miles in and then slowed down.  I was annoyed as I hung legally off the back a bit, sat up and drank fluids, then hammered by all 8-10 of them.  They sped up and caught me again a few miles later, but this time at a speed that I felt I didn't need to exceed.  I kept the group in sight for about 8 miles as I slowly picked off people that fell off the back.  By the last few miles they weren't drafting at all.

I agree about the 3rd swim.  You better know how!  Standing after that swim was an experience.  I couldn't even stand.  All the muscles were contrating and doing wierd things.  I guess all  the blood was out of them.  They slowly came back on the run back to the 2nd bike.

They're were sure enough 40-44 year olds.  I was glad for my AG 5th place, which would have been 1st or 2nd in most of the other divisions.

Very fun, very difficult race.  I had terrible cramping issues in the last swim and had to pull over onto a dock for 12 minutes!  But that's part of a LC race, isn't it. 

I thought the support was excellent....lots of aid stations so you had chances to keep the fluids going.  That was important given how hot it was.  I thought overall they did an excellent job with the RD and wouldn't change anything except the second swim.  Either find another lake or run around it....just too many weeds.  I talked to one volunteer that spent 3 days prior cutting that channel we swam through.  That's an awful lot to ask of your volunteers.

I hope the rumor above of the race's demise is not true.  Would love to give this one a shot again next year and see if I can get through without cramping.

Well, I had to email Epic with some questions about Swim to the Moon.  This is what Eva said about BOW 2011:   "We are not certain yet about next year - we'll announce whatever we decide by the first of the year.  I'd like to figure out a way to make it work."  Let's hope they do!

I agree that this race would not be as appealing to weak swimmers as a traditional tri.  Of course, for those of us who can swim, it's great!  Generally I never pass anyone in a traditional tri, but in this race I get to pass people on the bike, and then pass even more people on the swims!  (Of course, most of them just pass me back again as soon as we start running!)

This race is modeled after Survival of the Shawangunks, which only has one bike leg, and it's the very first thing.  I do think a longer first run would separate people out, though, and maybe break up some of the "peloton" near the front.  Of course, if you guys were slow runners like me, you wouldn't have to worry about any peloton on the bike!  And it's so much easier to find your bike in that first transition - I only had to choose between mine and the one other bike that was there.  At least I beat that old guy with the limp!  LOL!


The first bike definitely made a difference in my overall placement (at least relative to the few people reasonably near me in overall time).  I have no idea how the second bike factored in, but the last run definitely made a difference in my placement, since the woman who ended up taking first place in my age group passed me during that run.


I saw at least two kayaks on the third swim, so there were definitely kayaks there patrolling the course.  Personally, I think the weedy second swim adds to the 'adventure' feel , but that's just me.  (I wouldn't be heartbroken if they weren't there, though!) The only thing I'd like to change about this course is to make me a faster runner!    The volunteers were completely awesome - I was so impressed!

Let's hope we have a chance to do it again next year!

Carol