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Kirkland Triathlon
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 2011-09-06 2:08 PM |
Master  2235    Pacific Northwest |  Subject: Kirkland TriathlonAnybody doing this? I'm on a relay team with a speedy swimmer and runner.....I am doing the bike, of course. Looks like a pretty hilly route, hopefully fast downhills! |
| 2011-09-06 2:43 PM in reply to: #3674972 |
Champion 10668  Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon Beware of the highway crossing. Steep-ish downhill with a hard compression (get a good grip on the bars) at the end going onto the sidewalk getting onto the footbridge. Then a hard off-camber left coming off the bridge at speed. Yes, it's hilly, with a really nice long downhill at the end. Okay, not "RAMROD" long downhill, but probably a mile. |
| 2011-09-06 7:22 PM in reply to: #3674972 |
Regular 1126 East Wenatchee, Washington | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon I'm in. I drove the course and it has some significant hills....which are always more challenging on a Tri bike. Good luck! |
| 2011-09-16 3:32 PM in reply to: #3675363 |
Master 2501 | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon Have done this twice in the past -- hilly bike route (gear down early!) for sure. They have changed the location this year (down to Marina Park) and also the run route has changed. The bike route looks to be the same. I stopped by and checked out the setup during a run this morning, and if you are doing the race, be prepared for a VERY LONG UPHILL CLIMB out of the water to the bike racks in T1!! My girlfriend and I clocked it on our Garmins, and from the furthest-most bike rack to the water it was .25 miles. We spoke to a race planner about this, who quoted the distance as "only 900 feet." I disagree about the "only" and the "900 feet" part, but so be it. The run course is also different, with a decent gradual slope right out of T2 -- it's going to be a tough run, but you should be rewarded with some nice downhills on the back of the course. The woman with whom we spoke said this is the last year they are doing this race. Entries have been down the past couple of years and there are no plans to continue it. Sad, as it's a nice little race! Looking forward to reading RRs of any racers! Good luck!! |
| 2011-09-16 3:49 PM in reply to: #3689928 |
Champion 10668 Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon kkcbelle - 2011-09-16 1:32 PM Have done this twice in the past -- hilly bike route (gear down early!) for sure. They have changed the location this year (down to Marina Park) and also the run route has changed. The bike route looks to be the same. I stopped by and checked out the setup during a run this morning, and if you are doing the race, be prepared for a VERY LONG UPHILL CLIMB out of the water to the bike racks in T1!! My girlfriend and I clocked it on our Garmins, and from the furthest-most bike rack to the water it was .25 miles. We spoke to a race planner about this, who quoted the distance as "only 900 feet." I disagree about the "only" and the "900 feet" part, but so be it. The run course is also different, with a decent gradual slope right out of T2 -- it's going to be a tough run, but you should be rewarded with some nice downhills on the back of the course. The woman with whom we spoke said this is the last year they are doing this race. Entries have been down the past couple of years and there are no plans to continue it. Sad, as it's a nice little race! Looking forward to reading RRs of any racers! Good luck!! Interesting. With few exceptions, numbers have been down across the whole race calendar. |
| 2011-09-20 9:48 AM in reply to: #3674972 |
Master 2235 Pacific Northwest | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon I did the Kirkland tri...well, the bike leg of a (winning) relay team. It definitely wasn't a course I enjoyed, not a race I'd repeat, actually. They started super late because the buoys floated away in the wind....I can understand why they did not anchor them in the first place, as it was windy all morning. Our swimmer was first out of the water, I think, in the relay wave. However, it was about 1/4 mile uphill to T1 for her! I had to walk down and back before the race to see the start, and I think it was one of the worst T1 runs I've ever seen. Really steep, really far. I was not warmed up in the least by the time my bike leg started, and the start was uphill, which was super irritating. The bike course didn't have a ton of elevation gain, although it was pretty consistently uphill for the first ten miles, with a couple of slight downhills, usually ending in sharp turns, so no chance to get speed. Uphill courses with lots of turns certainly don't favor me! I prefer courses where I can really power through downhills and flats...this wasn't that one. Oh well. I did ok, but probably, had I warmed up, could have done better. My sister, who ran, said the run was also super hilly. Luckily she is fast on all terrain! There were a lot of empty bike racks in transition. The kicker was that the awards were so delayed that most people were leaving.....and the food was sub par as well. So that's my two cents. I sound bitchy and cranky about it, and am a little bit.....but I have been to some awesome races, and this just wasn't one of them. |
| 2011-09-20 2:44 PM in reply to: #3693329 |
Champion 10668 Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: Kirkland Triathlon Medusa_Ann - 2011-09-20 7:48 AM I did the Kirkland tri...well, the bike leg of a (winning) relay team. It definitely wasn't a course I enjoyed, not a race I'd repeat, actually. They started super late because the buoys floated away in the wind....I can understand why they did not anchor them in the first place, as it was windy all morning. Our swimmer was first out of the water, I think, in the relay wave. However, it was about 1/4 mile uphill to T1 for her! I had to walk down and back before the race to see the start, and I think it was one of the worst T1 runs I've ever seen. Really steep, really far. I was not warmed up in the least by the time my bike leg started, and the start was uphill, which was super irritating. The bike course didn't have a ton of elevation gain, although it was pretty consistently uphill for the first ten miles, with a couple of slight downhills, usually ending in sharp turns, so no chance to get speed. Uphill courses with lots of turns certainly don't favor me! I prefer courses where I can really power through downhills and flats...this wasn't that one. Oh well. I did ok, but probably, had I warmed up, could have done better. My sister, who ran, said the run was also super hilly. Luckily she is fast on all terrain! There were a lot of empty bike racks in transition. The kicker was that the awards were so delayed that most people were leaving.....and the food was sub par as well. So that's my two cents. I sound bitchy and cranky about it, and am a little bit.....but I have been to some awesome races, and this just wasn't one of them. I can't imagine the weather conditions helped at all. That course could claim victims in the best of weather. I know in the two years I did this event, it seemed to go downhill (quality-wise) the second time. |
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