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 Swim
Comments: The swim was the best part of my race day. Everything went perfectly. I was swimming smooth and strong and about half way out I found a pair of feet to draft off of. I stayed behind that person all the way around the first turn, across, and then about half way back. It might have been a little slower than I could have gone on my own but at the end of the swim I felt zero fatigue and we were passing plenty of people so I knew we were moving along pretty well. What would you do differently?: Absolutely nothing. Although I am by no means a "swimmer", my swim has become the best part of my race.  Transition 1
Comments: The flooded transition area presented some issues that resulted in a little longer transition time than I would have had otherwise. One of the first races I ever did (the Montauk Half) was under similar conditions (the day after a massive rain storm) and I remembered how awful it was biking and running in soaking wet, muddy shoes and socks. To address the situation, I got dressed for the bike (arm warmers but no jacket - it wasn't that cold and wasn't raining) by my transition area but carried my shoes to the bike exit before putting them on. This kept them from getting too muddy or wet. I also biked this race without socks (but tucked them into my jersey pocket in case I started chafing). Everything worked very well. What would you do differently?: I can't think of anything that I would have or could have done differently. Even though it took a lot of time, relatively speaking, I came out of transition comfortable and ready for a 56 mile bike ride.  Bike
Comments: Man this bike course is hard! The hills were killer. I made my way up them as best I could and really enjoyed the challenge this course presented. I took great satisfaction in the thought that just to get up some of these hills meant that I was in decent shape and that even a year ago these same hills would have destroyed me (see my Rev3 Quassy race report). There were some excellent downhills (even one where they limited the maximum speed to 30 mph under penalty of disqualification). Because of the rain and wet road conditions, I didn't push the limits on them to the same extent that I usually do (hey, us heavier guys have to use the only advantage we have). There were some long straight flat portions where I just got myself nice and aero and pushed, passing plenty of folks that were sitting up or coasting. What would you do differently?: My Powertap stopped working about 10 miles into the bike. It would have been really nice to see my power numbers on some of those hills. It had stopped working about half way through my prior ride and I thought it was OK when it seemed to be functioning properly during the week before the race. I don't know if it was because of the rain or low batteries, but I should have made sure it was in tip-top shape before the race. Transition 2
Comments: This transition didn't go quite as smoothly as T1. I decided to carry my shoes to the run start instead of putting them on and running through the mud and water in transition. The only issue that caused some delay was that I also needed to use the porta-potty. So, I carried my shoes all around transition, over to the run start, put them on, and went off on my way. It kept my feet dry and clean but probably cost me some time.  Run
Comments: Finally, a run that I'm proud of. The first two miles were extremely difficult and I really had thoughts that I might not finish. I just couldn't get things moving right. Everything was stiff and painful and I figured that if I was starting the run at an 11 or 12 minute per mile pace, there would be no way I could get through 13.1 miles in one piece. At around the turnaround things got a lot better, I started to feel really good and my legs were really running. I never feel good during the run so this was an awesome experience. I saw my wife at about the 3 1/2 mile mark (she was headed the other way and was at the 3 mile mark). I figured I would try to see how long I could keep her behind me (she is a much faster runner than me - Boston qualifier and finisher). I thought I might make it to the half way point before she caught me but then I made it there before her and saw that she was still about a half mile back when we saw each other again. So, I figured, let me try to get to the next turn around (maybe mile 9 or 10). Still no pass and still about half a mile ahead. OK, maybe I can make it to the finish (or keep myself in a position where when she does pass me I can push myself and we can cross the line together). I finished and a couple of minutes later watched my wife cross the line. What would you do differently?: This was the first 70.3 where I ran the whole run, no stops, no walking (even in the aid stations). I'm usually really discouraged after the run in a 70.3 but after this one I can really see how the training has helped and how losing some weight has made a big difference. Post race
Warm down: I was hot, I was cold, I was sweaty, I was shivering. I think my blood pressure dropped really fast so I sat down for a little while. My wife and I went over to transition, packed up our stuff, and carted it back to the car for the six hour ride home (I had to be at work the next day). What limited your ability to perform faster: I performed to the maximum of my physical capabilities on this day. Event comments: Excellent race. Challenging course. Organized. Energetic volunteers. Plenty of police keeping the bike course safe. Beautiful area. I'd like to come back and see it on a non-rainy weekend. Last updated: 2011-09-02 12:00 AM
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United States
World Triathlon Corporation
Overall Rank = 477/
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 74/
My wife and I drove up on Saturday morning through the rain. We had planned on camping out that night but based on the weather we decided that booking a hotel would be our best bet. Fortunately, a room was available at the hotel we stayed at for Timberman last year and we were all set. We went straight to packet pickup, saw the condition of the transition area (submerged), and headed over to the hotel. My wife shopped for most of the rest of the day while I sat around watching the heaviest rainstorm I think I've ever seen. I bought a pair of big-ole waterproof boots for getting around the transition area the next day and planned out what to wear under any weather contingency. We got to bed late and I slept well. I woke up at 3:15, packed the car, and headed over to the race site. We parked maybe a half mile down the road, carried our stuff to the park, and set up transition. The weather was not nearly as bad as I had feared and, aside from transition resembling a rice paddy (which could not be avoided), everything was in pretty good shape and running smoothly. I am very impressed at how the event organizers rearranged the transition area to avoid the muddier parts (e.g., setting up extra tables to substitute for ground space) and that the race started exactly on time (not as common in my opinion as it should be).
I swam a few strokes in the lake to warm up after getting my wetsuit on, hung out with my wife until her start (8 minutes before me), and just tried to stay loose until entering the water. The water was a perfect temperature, not to hot, not too cold. Just right for a wetsuit swim.