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Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Bear Lake, Utah
United States
Gold Medal Racing
70F / 21C
Sunny
Total Time = 4h 36m 16s
Overall Rank = 3/150
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 1/15
Pre-race routine:

I have never seen a race go through more changes from its announcement to race day. First it was a Ultra 140.6 designed to go around the lake 2 times (approx 1200 ft of climbing). Fine.
Then it was changed to two out-n-backs from Rendezvous Beach to Randolph which meant over 4500 ft of climbing. Okay... not great but still doable. Since I had just finished IM St. George, I was feeling all climby anyway.
About 4 weeks before the race, RD cancelled the Ultra to make it soley a 70.3 (he was fair about giving us options for total refund, or incentives). I was bummed, BUT I had done so much hill climbing I felt my bike had improved 2000% so one flat loop around the lake should be cake. Okay, I'll take the 70.3.
So then the run was changed from an out-n-back, to a completely different one loop course (I actually liked that change, but it was a change nonetheless).
Okay, we're set... The first agenda that came out had us starting at 7:00am, but to my 'no-longer' surprise a new agenda came out saying the first wave would not start until 9:00am. Now it's getting funny (I didn't completely hate the late start as lows up at the lake have been in the low-mid 40's.
The thing I didn't like about the last agenda is that the wave starts (which began at 9am) were separated by 30 minutes. Wow, everytime there is news... it gets worse.
The morning of the event, the RD notified us that his inflatable buouys were torn from his previous event and only had two to work with so the swim would be an out and back instead of a diamond. Now...... I've never seen a swim out and back in all the years I've been doing this, and if you want some comic relief that's where you'll find it, but I'll get to that later.
XXXXX Day Before XXXXXXX
This was a race that my brother, two sisters and I had planned some time ago. A little family affair. We stayed at a cabin at the lake and went to a little dive of restaurant up in Montpeilier ID. It was backwards, but alot of fun.
We ended up staying up way too late talking, I guess with the later start we didn't feel the need to be in bed before the sun set.
XXXXX Race Morning XXXXX
With the later start there was no 3am wake up call, which was nice. We got up about 6:30am and slowly ate, packed up and headed to the lake.
The "Under 39 Males" went first. We watched what would soon be our own fate as the faster swimmers made the turn and headed back to shore against all of the other swimmmers. I could only imagine how it would be for us having to deal with our own wave let alone the wave before us. It was sure to be chaotic.
Event warmup:

None
Swim
  • 28m 28s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 21s / 100 yards
Comments:

Alot of the straglers from the first wave were still swimming toward shore when we started. I thought I would be more frustrated but playing our own version of "frogger" in a lake (as opposed to a street), actually made time go by quickly. Before I knew it I was rounding the buoy. I notice I was side by side with another swimmer in my wave and then no one else for a couple of hundred yards. As we started back we were now battling our own wave of starters.
We swam side by side on the first return until we reached the buoy. I then decided to get in behind and use his slip stream. It was awesome. I've never really successfully drafted in the swim.
It was nice but I felt like we were going slow, so I'd move out of the slip stream to pass but I felt like I was using alot more energy and I made very little progress on making the pass. I tried it twice then just decided to stay on his feet.
As we made our way back to shore the 2nd and final time he made the mistake of standing up too soon to run to shore. I kept swimming (mixed in some dolphin dives) until I was scraping the bottom then stood up.
There was about a 200yd run up to the transition through the sandy beach before we crossed the swim timing mat. Not sure what my real swim time was.
Transition 1
  • 02m 13s
Comments:

I was hoping to go under 2 min transition - so not too bad. I made the decision to leave my singlet at the bike loaded with my nutrition and put it on in transition.
I tried this once before with a singlet with a 1/2 zipper and it was VERY UNsuccessful. My singlet now, zips all the way down and it's much easier to get on/off when your wet.
It worked great. I would do it that way again.
Bike
  • 2h 20m 56s
  • 56 miles
  • 23.84 mile/hr
Comments:

With my running issues over the past month I've concentrated almost entirely on the bike and swim (mostly bike). I was fairly confident I could ride under 2:25, but was really hoping for a sub 2:20. As it turns out I missed it by less than a minute.
First out of the water and on to the bike was very empowering. I felt this need to ride hard to stay ahead of anyone behind me. The first part of the ride was very comfortable (although I could never get my HR down to my comfort level in the 130's) and I was averaging about 25mph. I knew that's where I needed to be to do a sub 2:20 because the east side has some rollers that always bring my average down.
At about mile 14 I began passing riders from the previous wave that had started 30 minutes before us. Each time I saw another rider I set them in sights and so went the ride.
I ended up riding past the turn around for the the little O/B (RD completely blew this one). According to my Garmin I should've passed it already so I turned around and rode back to find the RD had sprayed an orange sign on the road that you may have been able to see if you were walking but not at cruising speed.
I asked some spectators if this was the bike turn around.
Yes.
So who do I give my number to to verify I made the turn? Silence. I made the turn, slightly disgusted, and headed back to the start of the O/B.
About 1 mile heading back there was a sign that said HALF TURNAROUND. What???? It was supposed to be 3 miles back. I was so confused.
I yelled to one of the bikers that I guessed had completed the turn, if this was the turn around.
"Go back to the aid station" was his reply.
Made sense to me, but I knew that sign (as it turned out was for a 1/2 marathon ran earlier that day or the previous week), was going to be the turnaround for many bicyclists.
Oh well, I can't do anything about anyone else. By the end of the ride my garmin recorded 56.25, so that, along with slowing up through that confusing part of the course, I do believe I could've gone under 2:20.
Even though I was running my legs a little HOT, I felt pretty good at the end of the bike.
I figured my run would be garbage anyway, so if I was going to have any sort of respectable finish, it would come from the bike.
What would you do differently?:

My nutrition went all foul. The web site showed aid stations at mile 14 28 & 42. I packed just enough fluid to get me to mile 14. At mile 14 there was no aid station.
Fortunately the day was still cool and so I was okay. As it turned out, the first aid station was around mile 20.
Then I lost my electrolyte bottle at the bridge so I had one H2O bottle to get me to the next aid station. It was supposed to be at mile 28 but I was pretty sure that wouldn't be. I was right.
By mile 37ish I was completely empty. The 2nd and last aid station was at mile 42 on a fast downhill, (really, Joe?) I slowed down as best I could, but at 20+ miles per hour I could only get one bottle of HEED. Drank the whole thing in about 2 gulps, I was thirsty (and I don't even like the HEED).
I don't feel I ever got caught back up on my nutrition the rest of the day.
Transition 2
  • 00m 54s
Run
  • 1h 43m 52s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 07m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Felt very good for the first six miles.
Heel spur or Plantar Fascitis (I haven't decided which I have yet) started to kick in about mile 6 and by mile 9 I was running on endorphins alone.
I caught B.J. at mile 9 (he started in the 1st wave) and we ran together to the finish. Each step was painful those last few miles and I was starting to show signs of cramping (my nutrition was way off today)I tried to hit the pedal at mile 12 and finish strong but as I made the turn back into the park with perhaps 1/4 mile left, I felt the cramps were ready to go into an all-out war with my legs, so I pulled back, kept my turnover quick and just coasted to the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Nutrition
Post race
Warm down:

Hung around the finish for Kammi and Steffanie (both of whom completed there first 70.3's).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nutrition was off

Event comments:

This venue could be a five. RD's have tried for years to get a race around the lake (years past the county would only allow an Out and Back) and Joe did it.
I think if he keeps pushing and refining he will have the best 1/2 in the state of Utah and now the only full for 2013 (since IMSG is gone).




Last updated: 2012-07-26 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:28:28 | 2112 yards | 01m 21s / 100yards
Age Group: 1/15
Overall: 4/150
Performance: Good
Avg HR 148
Suit: Hurricane 5
Course: Two Laps - Out and Back (each leg must've been 1/3 mile)
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 70F / 21C Current: Low
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 02:13
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:20:56 | 56 miles | 23.84 mile/hr
Age Group: 1/15
Overall: 2/150
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: One loop around Bear Lake is 50 miles. So at the North end of the lake, we did a little 3 mile out and then back to get the full 56 miles. Mostly flat with only about 525 ft of climbing. Great venue for a bike race of any kind.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 100
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 00:54
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:43:52 | 13.1 miles | 07m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/15
Overall: 7/150
Performance: Below average
Course: One loop. Completely exposed. Miles 9-12 are on a dirt road and some mild rollers
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers? No
Plenty of drinks? No
Post race activities: Bad
Race evaluation [1-5] 2

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2012-09-10 10:10 PM

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Regular
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100
Logan, Utah
Subject: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course


2012-09-11 2:28 PM
in reply to: #4404880

New user
56
2525
Utah
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course
You had a great race.  For about 20 minutes I was 3rd overall, then you finished.  If we were in the same wave I never would have caught you anyway.  What are your race plans for next year?
2012-09-11 11:18 PM
in reply to: #4404880

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Regular
112
100
Logan, Utah
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course
Jpay, thanks (1st ever over-all podium finish). Our times were so close... Looks like the difference was really just the swim. Great race, I'd be interested to read about your day and your thoughts on the race if you get a chance to post.
I'm signed up for IMCDA, and I will do StGeo 70.3. Probably sprinkle in some other things along the way (still have one more HIM this year in Vegas). What about you?
2012-09-12 10:34 AM
in reply to: #4406928

New user
56
2525
Utah
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course

I don't have anything for the rest of the year.  I have been battling IT Band issues for a year so I am going to try to rest up good for a few months and then hit the training for IM ST George 70.3.  Nothing really planned after that, although I would like to take another crack at a 140.6 again., but that probably won't be for a couple years.  I really like the half distance.

I should put up a race report of some sort.  There was a nice little battle on the run between 4-6th place. 

You did awesome though.  I will look for you in St. George.  Are you going to go down and train anytime before hand?

2012-09-12 4:06 PM
in reply to: #4404880

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Member
241
10010025
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course

Cody,  Great RR.  This was my first HIM and like you said I
completely loved the venue.   I’m not
fast like you and JPay but I’m slowly improving (my time was 5:34 and I came in
50th overall, so MOP).  I only
started triathlon last year and almost drown in Utah Lake but I have since
survived Daybreak, Echo and now Bear Lake. 
Bear Lake has been one of the most enjoyable swims I’ve had.  I was frustrated with a lot of the
disorganization but I think Joe is committed to make the right
adjustments.  I actually sent him a lot
of unsolicited feedback and his response was very gracious. 

My wife was a volunteer at mile 21 (poor woman had to do
that with literally zero training from Joe) and she remembers you because you
were yelling asking about who you give your number to.  She was initially confused but then clued in
to why you were asking and felt really bad because there was no race procedure
to ensure all participants had turned around. 
She could definitely tell you were frustrated as was 90% of the field
with that section.  Hopefully next year
it’s better organized.

My goal is to do the 140.6 there next year and I am hoping
that enough people sign up so that it isn’t cancelled.  I am having trouble, however, finding an HIM
during the summer that I can do in preparation. 
The Utah Half is too close to the Bear Lake Man.  I was thinking of Mountain Tropic Half but
the date of that is TBD.  Have you done
that one before?  Would you recommend it?  Any other HIMs in the summer that you (or
JPay) would recommend around the intermountain area?

Congrats on your performance and your podium finish.

2012-09-16 5:59 PM
in reply to: #4408273

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Regular
112
100
Logan, Utah
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course

Locknload

5:34 is a great time. Congrats on finishing your first HIM (did you post a RR?). I remember your wife, I hope she doesn't think I was frustrated with her. I think your right that Joe will get it right.

As far as other HIMS, if you can get out to Boulder, the 70.3 is usually at the first of August, but that may be to close to race day. Don't know much about the Mtn Tropic.



2012-09-16 11:18 PM
in reply to: #4413718

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Member
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10010025
Subject: RE: Bear Lake Brawl Triathlon - Half 70+ Course
My wife has enough experience helping out with races that she knows how frustrating it can be to be in a situation like we were.  She knows you weren't frustrated with her, she just felt bad for us having to figure out the course on the fly.  I probably will have to do without an HIM in July or August.  I thought of Boulder 70.3 but I was trying to stay closer to home.  I am thinking of doing the St. George 70.3.  This one is very far from my race date but it may be a good way to kick off the training season.  I will be posting an RR of my race this week.  Things have been crazy at work but I should have some time this week so look for it.
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