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Lake Macatawa Tri
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Lake Macatawa Tri - TriathlonOther
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 Swim
Comments: Open water sucks! This was my first time in open water since my race last year. I definately need to practice in open water, not just the pool. I started at the back of the pack, hoping to avoid getting trampled. I didn't collide with other swimmers too much, but my sighting was horrible. I would try to find some kind of rhythm- take 8 strokes and then lift my head to sight- but I seemed to keep getting off course. My goggled fogged and I really had to sight using the swim caps of those ahead of me. I kept telling myself that I couldn't get so far behind that I wouldn't be able to see swim caps anymore. Finally as we were approaching the beach some of us realized we could touch bottom and walk as fast as the others were swimming. I put my goggles on top of my cap and enjoyed the walk- until I realized that we had just walked into a dock area and the water was once again really deep- had to try to adjust my goggles while treading water. What would you do differently?: practice in open water- I know it's been said here a million times- but it really is completely different than the pool  Transition 1
Comments: I was just so happy to have survived the swim! When I got to my bike, I saw someone throwing up into the trash can- guess I didn't fare too badly on the swim afterall! What would you do differently?: Grab a gel for the bike- I had diluted gatorade on my bike, but I had intended to take a gel with me.  Bike
Comments: The bike was by far my best segment. It was shaded and nice and flat. I did realize that riding the hills near my house is harder than riding flat terrain, but it also gives you chances to rest when going down the hills. Bill and the younger 2 kids were cheering me on at the beginning of the bike course- it was fun to see them. The pace is fast for me- when I ride at home it's usually about 14 mph. Near the end of the bike I got stung by a bee- ouch! - but I kept going- I figured that there wasn't much point in stopping. What would you do differently?: practice clipping in- I had my pedals replaced just before the race and it did take me a while to get clipped in. Transition 2
Comments: I've watched too many people crash coming into T2- I'm in no hurry. I took a gel and threw on my race belt (figuring that I might need extra hydration)  Run
Comments: Running in the heat is not my strength. I decided that I would take frequent walking breaks. Several people passed me early into the run, but I knew I couldn't push myself too hard. I met up with another slow poke and she and I stayed together until near the finish. It was really nice to have someone to talk to - I probably slowed my pace somewhat to stay with her, but I didn't mind. It felt good to take it easy. People who lived along the run course were really nice- lots of families had set up their own water stations...kids were out with hoses, offering to spay runners...one guy was even handing out beer. It sounded really good, but there's no way I could have run another 3 miles after drinking beer. When I came into the park and was nearing the finish line, my 8 year-old was there asking if she could run with me. It was great to have her escort me to the finish! What would you do differently?: Push myself harder- maybe take my MP3 player- it's really hard for me to adjust to running without music. Post race
Warm down: Got some orange juice and a massage. Met up with a couple of the people I had met earlier. What limited your ability to perform faster: Heat Event comments: People were really friendly. The course is beautiful- I definately plan to do it again. One thing that was really helpful was to have my mom at the race- being able to divide the kids between 2 adults is much easier. Last updated: 2005-06-14 12:00 AM
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 2005-06-14 6:36 AM |
Extreme Veteran  461   Northeast Ohio |  Subject: Lake Macatawa Tri |
| 2005-06-14 6:47 AM in reply to: #174427 |
Master 1480 Southwest Chicago 'burbs | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri Great race!! Looks like you did awesome on the bike segment, too! AND you got stung by a bee and kept on going...I probably would have been a wuss about something like that.  Or at least complained about it more. |
| 2005-06-14 7:42 AM in reply to: #174427 |
Extreme Veteran 456 Western Massachusetts | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri Yay! You're my hero! (Your race report was the last thing I looked for before bed and the first thing I looked for this morning.) Too bad about the trisuit, I can guess how that'd make you feel. I'm obsessed with open water swimming issues this week: how did you deal with the black murkiness? Do you do bilateral breathing to help manage waves? Were you swam over? That race looks like such a long swim! Congratulations on pulling it off, you Triathlete, you! Gwendal |
| 2005-06-14 2:00 PM in reply to: #174427 |
Extreme Veteran 461 Northeast Ohio | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri Gwendal, I HATED the swim. Not being able to see in the water didn't really bother me that much. I stayed to the back- a couple of times I thought, "hey, I should try to draft and see if that makes any of this easier"- ok, I have no idea how you draft when you can't even see your own hand. I really focussed on making it to the first buoy and knew that if I could make it that far the rest wouldn't be so bad. I also told myself that I could float or do backstroke if I got tired of swimming. I did roll onto my back and do backstroke a couple of times. Both races I've done with open water swims I came away really proud of myself for sticking it out. The bike and run might be tiring, but they're not scary- I love the feeling of coming out of the water- like I've just conquered a nasty beast. I don't know- if I grow to like open water swimming (not likely)- maybe I'll actually miss the sense of accomplishment. |
| 2005-06-15 7:10 AM in reply to: #174427 |
Master 1249 Lexington, Kentucky | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri Congratulations! Great race! I'm especially impressed that you shrugged off the bee sting and kept going. |
| 2005-06-18 7:31 PM in reply to: #174427 |
Master 2491 | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri I was there and the lake was pretty gross. Swimming near a water (sewage) treatment facility, a coal-burning electricity plant and a pharmaceutical company does not make for crystal clear water, though the temperature was nice! I was totally unprepared for open water as well. It was the first time since boy scouts! It's great that you had a good bike ride, except for the bee. It's my first season, and the cool thing about multisport events is that you can finish something you're not so good at and move along to something better. It was hot on the run. I see you put 88 degrees. No wonder I wanted to run through people's front lawns to get wet in their sprinklers. Great job sticking with it! The person you ran with surely appecitated the company.  |
| 2005-06-18 9:49 PM in reply to: #174427 |
Champion 19812  MA | Subject: RE: Lake Macatawa Tri Great Job!! I've been waiting to read your race report....you should be so proud of yourself. You were flying on your bike.....those hills at home really helped you. Your feeling about the water and finishing the swim is similar to mine....once my feet hit the land, I feel I have conquered my demon. I keep practicing open water swims and try to go 2-3 times a week. I'm so happy that you did it. One of my biggest fears is getting a rip in some of my Tri clothing..since we don't wear anything underneath....you did it...you are great!! |
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88F / 31C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 219/223
Age Group = F35-39
Age Group Rank = 10/10
We all drove to Michigan on Friday and visited with my mom a bit. Drove out to pick up my race packet and see the race route, hoping to cut down on pre-race nerves. Wasn't able to sleep much, but my mom and Zoe were willing to leave home at 5:30 to go with me. It was great to have a crew there with me. Ate an english muffin with jam, a banana and decaf coffee for breakfast. On the way to the race I stopped to get gas and go to the bathroom and on the way out of the gas station my tri shorts caught on the dorr and ripped a huge hole in the leg. I already feel so self-conscious at these races- and now I've got a big bulge of pale flesh hanging out of my shorts- ug!
When we pulled into the parking lot I was getting really nervou- lots of fancy bikes and people with 0% body fat. As I unloaded my bike I saw another overweight woman unpacking her kids and gear. I felt so much better to see someone else like me.
Set up transition area. I had bought a wetsuit specifically for this race because I figured that even an inland lake in Michigan would be freezing in early June. Well, I hadn't planned for the heat wave to get water temps up to 80. I brought my wetsuit and decided to play it by ear to see if others were wearing wetsuits or not. People were really friendly at this race- lots of chatting and helping as we got ready. People started putting their wetsuits on, so I threw mine on too.
Just pre-race jitters, really. I did some arm circles while waiting for my wave to start.