Grand Haven Tri

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2008-06-30 11:04 AM

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Subject: Grand Haven Tri
Another plug for our local race coming up on Sunday, July 13. For those of you who haven't done it before, Grand Haven is a great venue. Tom Ziebart is now our RD and this promises to be the best event yet. If you can't race, please consider joining me in the volunteer crew!

www.grandhaventri.com

2008-06-30 12:56 PM
in reply to: #1498842

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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri

Howdy-

I am visiting family in Grand Rapids that weekend and saw that I could have a chance to do triathlon while on vacation. I dont know too much about the area. How far roughly from the east side of Grand Rapids to Grand Haven? If you had a make a guess what time would I need to leave Sun AM to get there, get a packet (i would register beforehand), and get set up?

 

2008-06-30 2:23 PM
in reply to: #1498842

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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
We're hearing good things about the course along with an increased level of local support and participation in the event.

The other ting I see about this race that is encouraging is that it is an Olympic and Sprint distance this year- a better match for the area and a more manageable distance for the region. The previous attempts by another R.D. included longer distances that were daunting to competitiors and tough on race logisitics. The new sprint/Olympic format is a big improvement.
2008-06-30 3:48 PM
in reply to: #1498842

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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri

Tom - With your experience having been in & around MANY different courses, have you ever come across a race with such a long distance between where you come out of the water & T1?  My wife did this race 3yrs back (initial year, lots of headaches) and that long, post-swim run seemed to throw a lot of people for a loop.  It didn't help that Lk Michigan had flipped 2 days prior and the lake was 53 degrees that morning.

If you're familiar with the area, it seems to be perfect for a separate T1 & T2.  There's a DNR parking lot right by the base of the pier, use that for T1, then use the lot at the Y for T2.  Yeah, you'll tick off some fisherman, but it's one morning and they close an entire boat launch for a weekend for the tri in holland.

Any thoughts? 

Also, any idea why 3D stopped doing that race?

2008-07-01 6:33 AM
in reply to: #1499276

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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
bananatoes - 2008-06-30 12:56 PM

Howdy-

I am visiting family in Grand Rapids that weekend and saw that I could have a chance to do triathlon while on vacation. I dont know too much about the area. How far roughly from the east side of Grand Rapids to Grand Haven? If you had a make a guess what time would I need to leave Sun AM to get there, get a packet (i would register beforehand), and get set up?

 



From East GR, it is about a 45 minute drive (conservative) on I-96. Not sure what time you'd want to get there on Sunday morning, but transition opens at 5:30 and closes at 7:15. The drive will be even easier early Sunday morning with virtually zero traffic. Let me know if you have any other questions, hope to see you there!
2008-07-01 10:39 AM
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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri

I'm in for the Oly.  How many other BT ers are singed up?

2008-07-01 11:03 AM
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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
Yes, I've done a few that had hefty distances from swim exit to T1. The most notable is probably the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. You have to run at least 1/2 mile on pavement from swim exit at the San Francisco Yacht Club to the transition area. Also, at the SuperSEAL Naval Special Warfare Traithlon in Coronado, California earlier this year we had to run from San Diego Bay, where the swim was, about 3/4 of a mile under the Silver Strand Highway, through a tunnel and over to the Pacific Ocean on Silver Strand State Beach. That was a long run. We took one look at it and went out to buy a second pair of running shoes on sale to put at the swim exit so we could run in shoes from the swim exit to the transition area. People also commonly do this at Alcatraz. It may be a viable strategy at Grand Haven.
2008-07-01 3:37 PM
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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
From reading old race reports this is pretty much a wetsuit mand. swim? I have a friend who grew up in St.Joe and she said that the lake is really weird warm one day freezing cold the next. I grew up in Toledo/Sandusky and Lake Erie seemed to be pretty predictable. I am doing the Great Lake Escape (jump off the ferry start in Lake Erie) in September and would really like to fit this one in. My tri's so far have been in smaller inland lakes and quarries.
2008-07-02 6:31 AM
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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
bananatoes - 2008-07-01 3:37 PM

From reading old race reports this is pretty much a wetsuit mand. swim? I have a friend who grew up in St.Joe and she said that the lake is really weird warm one day freezing cold the next. I grew up in Toledo/Sandusky and Lake Erie seemed to be pretty predictable. I am doing the Great Lake Escape (jump off the ferry start in Lake Erie) in September and would really like to fit this one in. My tri's so far have been in smaller inland lakes and quarries.


I would strongly recommend a wetsuit. Your friend is right, Lake Michigan can "flip" in a matter of hours and drop 10-15 degrees. This usually happens when we get an east wind which blows all of the warm surface water back out towards Wisconsin. Two years ago, the water temp on race morning was a very chilly 54-ish degrees. Last year, the temps were plenty warm, but we had vicious winds which kicked up some serious waves and we had a shortened swim. So, this year we are expecting near perfect conditions, right?!?
2008-07-05 11:03 PM
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Subject: RE: Grand Haven Tri
Originally was planning on this but now will be out of town. Someday Bill we will meet up, and congrats again on IM CDA!!
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