Swim
Comments: For those that didn't know, Lake Michigan is freakin' COLD! I even tried to get used to it before the start, but we had to leave the water before the race stated and I heated back up waiting for the wave 5 start. The worst part was the start. As soon as I hit the water my chest tightened from the cold and my breathing was difficult from the beginning. It took me about half way before I got into a rythm. What would you do differently?: More OWS Transition 1
Comments: Long run from the beach to the TA. Removing the wetsuit took extra time as well. Used bodyglide prior to the race, so I was in pretty good shape. What would you do differently?: Most people were in the 3 - 6 min range on T1. Considering my limited wetsuit experience, more removal practice would be good. Bike
Comments: This was the worst part of the race. My rental bike was okay, but nothing like having your own bike. I was too forward over the bars without any aero bars either. I know I lost at least 5 minutes not having my own bike. The course was really bad in some stretches with lots of potholes and very tight cornering. What would you do differently?: Ship my own bike. I saved about $250 not shipping my bike, but I wasn't really that great using a rental. Transition 2
Comments: Good T2, didn't waste alot of time here. What would you do differently?: Tied my shoes instead of having the zip laces. Need to buy a pair. Run
Comments: I was happy about the run. The weather was perfect (except the water) to be able to push it. I ran the first two miles before deciding to speed it up. Not sure why my last mile was 7:50, it didn't feel like I back off the pace. Splits M1 7:45 M2 7:42 M3 7:23 M4 7:50 What would you do differently?: Felt good that my off the bike training helped me sustain the ~7:45 pace. Post race
Warm down: The post race was great. They had grilled hamburgers, eggs, fruit, juices, etc. Family was there for support so all was good. Plenty of room for the kids to run around. Event comments: I give this an above average experience since I made an out of state race happen, rented a bike, swam in Lake Michigan, and had a few good take aways. The event was very well organized, friendly volunteers, nice dry-fit race shirt, and solid post race party. Last updated: 2009-07-01 12:00 AM
|
|
United States
Capri Events
68F / 20C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 255/807
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 43/93
The day before the race I picked up my rental Trek 1.2 bike from downtown Chicago. I found out that they did not have SPD SL, only SPD -- so I spent another hour getting a conversion kit + SPD cleats so I could use my bike shoes. The night before the race I was making adjustments to the seat and post to get it right.