Devil's Challenge Logistics ??

Congrats on your 2nd tri!  This is a fun one.

1) Get there between 6 and 6:30 to park inside the park. We got there a little after 6 and got a prime spot in the park office lot.

2) They may be able to park inside the park, but may have to walk up to a half mile.  Any parking outside the park is at least 3/4 mile.  I'd suggest they get there before 7.

3)  There are separate waves for novice.  I think they try to seed the waves based on average finishing times within the gender.  (If memory serves, I think the male novices started after all the male waves went.)  We should get an email from the race director with our wave assignments this week Thursday or Friday.  I would guess the female novice wave would be late.

4)  The water will be warmer than the air, so the wetsuit is up to you.  Do you gain more speed to offset the time it takes to take it off?  Will you freeze coming out of the water and getting on a bike without one?  Also, the lake will be chillier than the last couple of years so maybe you want a wetsuit anyway.

I assume it will be in the low to mid 50's when you start  the bike.  If you wear arm warmers, roll them up so when you put them on you can roll them up your wet arms.

Maybe wear your race # under your wetsuit if it doesn't bother you.  Select a transition spot you'll remember.

All in all - don't worry about looking like a newbie, we all were and we are all still learning one thing or another.  Just smile and have fun.

More info just came through (jeez, apparently I don't remember well).  Here are excerpts from what was stated in the email we got tonight...in case you missed it:

Swim:  Swim caps are mandatory and a few will be available for sale for $3.  The swim is a counter-clockwise swim starting at from the far end of North Shore Park. Keep the buoys on your left. There will be lifeguards on the swim course, so if you need to rest, you may on one of the boats.  The water temp is around 73 degrees, and wetsuits are permitted and recommended, but not mandatory. The water is very shallow this year, so you will be able to touch the bottom during the swim. If any athlete intends on walking the entire swim, YOU NEED TO BE IN THE NOVICE WAVE.  I also suggest if you are not a strong swimmer, or will swim 12 plus minutes, you should put yourself in the Novice Wave.  You can warm-up in the water for the swim, but you must be out before the race starts at 8 am.

Waves:  The first wave is Elite and relays, 2nd are Novice Male and 3rd is Novice Female.  Wave 4 will go off after wave 3 between 12 to 15 minutes.  I will not know the rest of the wave assignments until later. If it is cold, be prepared to bring extra clothes to the swim start, since the transition area will close at 7:50 am.  You will need to wait until packet pickup to know your wave.  Usually the men go in the first few waves and the women will follow.

Parking:  Please be aware if you park close to the transition area that you will NOT BE ALLOWED out until the last biker has come in.

thanks everyone. Just found the email in my spam...so glad to know that it came.

One more question - it says no headphones on bike.  Does that mean that they are allowed on the run?

If you want to look like a newbie, go right ahead and put on some headphones.

Seriously, I'm pretty sure they're not allowed on the run, either. But, even if they are technically allowed, it's a bad idea. There are a couple of sections that are pretty narrow on the run, and if you can't hear people letting you know they're passing, it could be dangerous.

Thanks for the heads up. Leaving headphones at home!  What would I do without you guys??  :-)

I am also a newbie and doing this as my first tri....eeeeek!!! Starting to get nervous - ok, that's a lie. I am already nervous, now I'm just getting MORE nervous!

Anyway. We're staying at one of the local campgrounds and will be getting to the course around 6-6:30 on Sun morning. Telling family to park outside of the campground to see us finish.

I am bringing headphones for the run - I called Jenny to ask her (since in the online description it said no headphones, but then the email out didn't specify). She said headphones were fine but you need to be (obviously) aware of what's going on around you. I have never run WITHOUT music, so this tri is NOT going to be my first attempt!!

I'm definitely nervous about the bike ride though...been trying to do hills a little more here in MKE, but there are none I've found that are similar!!

Congrats on your upcoming 1st tri!

If you're in it for fun, don't be afraid to walk the hills with your bike.  Do your best!   I would suggest no more hill work this week unless you want your legs to be really cashed come race day.

If you like to really push yourself, then don't worry about going 4mph on the hills.  Try to spin through them.  Save enough energy for the run.

Try without the headphones.  Wear them, but take them off during the run for a bit and enjoy the sounds and atmo around you.  You might just feed off the vibe.  Also, you might miss those words of encouragement from family/friends/strangers, or giving out some encouragement.