Good Luck Riding Your Bike on Those Waves

[caption id="attachment_1336" align="alignright" width="300"] No, this is not "Aquabike."[/caption]

This past weekend I returned to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH to compete in the Rev3 Half Aquabike event, Clydesdale division (220 pounds and over). This also happened to be the US National Triathlon National Aquabike Championships, which was also pretty cool. This was also my big event to raise money for the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF) as part of Pedaling With a Purpose. Inspired by Christi Thomas, a sweet little girl who lost her battle against the disease at the age of 9, Cedar Point was one of her favorite places and we spent many afternoons riding rides, eating elephant ears and having fun. Plus, September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so even though my race is over, I'm leaving my donation page up through the end of the month and with any luck, I'll be able to exceed my $1,000 fundraising goal (so spread the word!).

While most have heard of the term “triathlon,” which consists of a swim, bike and run, an aquabike event eliminates the run part and just athletes swim and bike. It's a great opportunity to compete in a multi-discipline sporting event, yet avoid running (which seems to be what takes most athletes out of comission). I hurt my knee earlier this year training and was not up for the 13.1 mile run, but wanted to still compete in this great event. The funny part is, when I say I’m doing the aquabike, visions of a “bike riding on the water” spring to mind. However, with the rolling waves in Lake Erie at start (3-5 foot swells), there’s no way I’d even consider riding a bike on those waves (heck, swimming was hard enough).

A Swim Like No Other

[caption id="attachment_1339" align="alignright" width="300"] Doesn't look like much, but the waves got a lot bigger when you were in the water![/caption]

Our wave was the first to head off at 8:20 am and many of the full distance Rev3 racers were in the process of finishing their 2.4 mile swim (they went off much earlier). Heading into the water the get used to the temp I realized very quickly that this was going to be a swim like no other. I’ve played in waves this big before, but never swam in them, let alone tried to race. Good thing for the wetsuit, as the buoyancy was surely going to be a Godsend and keep me from becoming fish food for the Lake Erie inhabitants.

Start time arrived and we were off. Swimmers were “dolphin jumping” over the waves, as the sandy bottom reached pretty far out into the water. Once we got past the point of touching the ground, it became an immediate challenge just to spot the sighting buoys to keep on track and swimming straight, having to time my breathing with the roll of the waves. For racers that had done a lot of open water swimming this may not have been a big issue, but for me I have to admit to being just a “little freaked out” at what was ahead of me. I kept saying to myself “just keep swimming forward, even if that meant breast-stroke and doggie paddle to get this over (which happened more than I care to admit, unfortunately).

[caption id="attachment_1348" align="alignright" width="225"] Happy to be back on land, headed to for the bike now![/caption]

Once I made the turn (which seemed like it took forever to get there) and started swimming parallel to shore, it got a bit easier. I breathe on the right, so when I turned my head I was facing away from the oncoming waves, but there were times when I went to stroke with my left arm and I could feel it never even coming out of the water with my timing coinciding with another oncoming wave. “Just keep swimming” I said to myself and make the turn to that final buoy to make the swim back to shore. One of the cool parts about racing in Lake Erie is at this point when I took a breath, I could see Cedar Point (assuming I was not at the bottom of a wave and looking at water, that is).

As land got a little closer with every stroke I was elated that very soon I’d be back on the ground and soon would be tossing a leg over my bike and headed off for my ride. Coming out of the water, my buddy (and WSI Cycling teammate) Shayne was there to cheer me on and he said afterwards that I looked totally spent – he was right. I can honestly say I’ve never been so glad to be back on land after a swim in my life. But the good news was I was headed off to get on the bike and then the fun would begin.

Let’s Go For a Ride

After getting “stripped” of my wetsuit (yae) by a couple of the volunteers, I entered the transition area. Knowing that I was not going to have to continue with a run afterwards, I skipped the socks and just tossed on my shoes, grabbed my helmet and glasses and was off for the remaining 56 miles. Due to my horrible swim time, I knew if I wanted to make up any positions I’d have to put the hammer down.

[caption id="attachment_1334" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Love the bikes with roller coasters in the background.[/caption]

It was so nice not to be sucking in water and praying for land like on the swim just a few minutes ago and I was able to keep a fast pace for most of the bike leg. Passing riders one after another, you can tell which division they are in thanks to the markings on the racers' calves. “H” meant they were also competing in the Half Rev event, everyone also had their age, but I was looking for that extra “AB,” which stood for the aquabike. Those were the people I was after and needed to pass as many of them as I could.

I passed a lot of people out there, but it wasn’t until about the first 15 miles, I started to see some of my fellow AB-ers and was able to pass by them with ease. It was pretty obvious which of the disciplines was my strongest and I kept thinking about how nice it was going to be not to have to put on the running shoes and finish with those 13.1 miles at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to do all three legs of a triathlon (and a little part of me did miss being able to do the full event), but it always ended up with me passing a ton of people on the bike, only to be passed by them again on the run, which meant they ended up finishing before me in the overall event. Well this year that was going to change and I just ride.

The only “potential incident” (that was luckily avoided) was coming out of one of the small towns that we pass through. There were people lined up along the streets yelling, rattling their cowbells and cheering us on. I was coming up on the right of a woman to pass her and ahead was a 90-degree left hand turn to take us back out into the country. Not even thinking that she would go the wrong direction, I was surprised (and quickly applying my brakes) when she turned to the right, directly in front of me. It looked like she was really out of it and obviously was not paying attention, but fortunately I avoided a crash, which would have ended my day on a sour note (and some road rash).

At about mile 40 I could tell that I had been riding at red-line for most of the race as one of my legs began to cramp. I ate one of my energy gels, grabbed a drink and dialed it back a bit so I would not blow up. Heck, I still had 16 miles to go and wanted to make sure that I was able to finish strong. Fortunately, I got the cramping under control and was starting to see more AB racers. Being in the Clydesdale division, when I saw a “big guy” with an AB, that got me even more excited.

Coming into the last five miles, I basically took the gas pedal and stepped on it, all the way to the floor. While many of the triathletes on the course were starting to dial it back a bit in preparation for the run (which I would have been doing if 13.1 miles awaited me), I was blowing by people like a man on a mission. Making the final right-hand turn in to the big Cedar Point lot, I could see the aquabike finish banner in the distance and sprinted across it, leaving “nothing in the tank.”

[caption id="attachment_1341" align="alignright" width="300"] This makes four Rev3 finisher medals![/caption]

Coasting into the transition area was much different than years past. I would have been hurrying to get to my rack, ditch the bike, scurry around swapping my cycling shoes for my running shoes, messing with my number belt and then heading off to run the streets of downtown Sandusky. Not this year. My event was done and I coasted in, took my time, sat down and leisurely put on my socks and shoes to go out and then run through the finish chute and claim my medal and get a few cheers from the crowd.

I hopped up and exited the transition area. Volunteers were handing out water and Gatorade, which I would have normally taken as I started the final 13.1 miles of the day, but I decided to leave it for the runners and made my way to the final turn, headed back into the finishing area. Shayne was there and could see he was headed back to try and get a photo of me, so I just took my time and even waited at the end of the final straightaway for him. The announcer, who is a bit of a card himself, even called me out on it saying something like “looks like we’ve got another finisher taking some extra time to make sure he’s got a nice Kodak moment – here comes Eric Cook from Battle Creek, MI.”

Unfortunately, Shayne’s iPhone froze on him (hmm… maybe he should get an Android – ha ha) so I don’t have any photographic evidence of my finish, but I came across in 3:34:12, which was good enough for 2^nd place in the Clydesdale division. Overall I finished 78 out of 141 and considering the horrific swim time, I was happy with my result. Not sure I could have done either the swim or the bike any faster, which is what my goal was.

Two-Time Champion

[caption id="attachment_1333" align="alignright" width="300"] Celebrating Shayne's finish.[/caption]

The day before my race, Shayne raced in the Sprint triathlon, which was the second year for the Saturday event. He won the Clydesdale division last year, and since it was the first time for that race, we were telling people he was the “world record” holder for the Rev3 Cedar Point Clydesdale Sprint Triathlon. May be a bit of an embellishment, but it was true (technically speaking). Good news is that he retained his crown and again won the Clydesdale division. In true Shayne fashion, I caught him “hamming it up” a bit coming into the finish line (and yes, I’ve got an Android phone that did not freeze up!).

Just Being Kids

[caption id="attachment_1335" align="alignright" width="300"] Front row (again). Did you know you're not supposed to take photos on the rides? Oops![/caption]

One of the best parts about this race is spending time at Cedar Point with Shayne and just being "big" kids. We went in Saturday and Sunday and rode just about every ride we wanted. As mentioned earlier, it's a special place for me given the memories of Christi. Angela, Shayne's wife, and Shayla, their daughter, came up Sunday as well and I got to take Shayla on a lot of the rides her sister and I used to ride together. Of course, Christi was seven or eight years old and Shayla is now a sophomore in high school, but it was nice to carry on the tradition.

With any luck I'll be back agai next year for the "regular" half (70.3) triathlon and will have some time to get a bit of running in. While I'd like to continue competing in the Clydesdale divison, it would be nice to also come in next year under 220 lbs. I have a feeling the run would be a little less painful if that were the case, so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks again to those that have donated to support the CNCF and supporting me along the way (and it's still not too late to donate). While the ability to compete is certainly a blessing, being able to tie it to something that can does good for others is just an added bonus.

Eric

Tri 4 Evan

By Nikki Elder

It has taken me a month to write this. Trust me, that is a good thing. It has allowed me to condense my emotions about this experience and NOT bore readers with a novel. To make a long story short, I chose the Cereal City Triathlon to be my fundraising event through Pedaling with. Purpose. I'm a runner, I've enjoyed cycling for the last year and well, swimming, let's just say it wasn't/isn't my cup of tea.

[caption id="attachment_1328" align="alignright" width="200"] Photo by Stephanie Parshall Photography[/caption]I have had a fear of open water for quite some time. Many of you followed my personal blog and Facebook page and were able to see the weekly posts about ,horrible swim sessions, crying every time I got init a lake, etc. You get the point. But is still did it, and trained, and trained well for the event. I was still having panic attacks near and in water up to five days before the event.

On race day I was a wreck. Tears were flowing all the way up until the horn sounded to start the swim. Amazingly, once my head went underwater I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulder spans did what I had trained for. I took the swim SLOW, knowing if I sped up too much I would freak myself out....besides, what is that saying about the turtle and the hare? I was fortunate to have a great volunteer next to me the whole time on his SUP helping to ease my anxiety as well. I cam out if the water to one of the biggest cheering sections at the race complete with posters and cowbells. Did I mention I was the 2nd to last out of the water?

After about a mile on the bike I was finally able to clear my mind and foci on what was ahead. I powered through the bike course making up a great amount of time. The bike course was an out and back and I was able to see and cheer on several WSI riders on bikes as well.

The run was to be expected. The course was nice, non-hilly, and with it only being a mile from my home, it was familiar territory. Upon rendering the lark I had several friends and family run alongside me up to the finish. I finished.

I finished. That was my accomplishment. I overcame my fear of water and that had been my goal all along. Imagine my surprise when my name was called for 2nd in my age group!

I did it AND survived the murky waters! I was a nervous wreck with lots of tears beforehand but the minute my head went underwater I felt this amazing weight lift off my shoulders. As I showered afterward I looked down to see a few pieces of seaweed stuck to my hip as a reminder of what I had just done. It made me smile.

I finished my first triathlon. I overcame my fear of open water. I earned 2nd in my age group. As if that wasn't enough, through the support of my friends and family I raised OVER $1,000 for the Angelcheeks Foundation in honor of my friends' son, Evan!!!

I'm overwhelmed at the amount of support I had near and far, thankful that each and every one of you (too many to name) had your place in my journey as supporters, encouragers, pray warriors, coaches and more.

One down, no promises on more to go, although I do have a 1 second challenge to beat next year, right Chris Gillette?

Kevin Bridges Louisville Ironman Report

Katie and I spent the weekend in Louisville KY at the magnificent Gault House Hotel which was the host of  Ironman Louisville.  Friday was athlete check in, Saturday bike, gear check in and athlete briefing.  The build up to Sundays race was nerve-racking, the weather was predicted to be hot and humid (Kentucky in August, who knew).  We did get sometime to go out and see Louisville, which is a very nice town and maybe even nicer people.

On race day we all headed to the swim start, 2000 triathletes like lemmings about to jump off a cliff or a dock in this case.  The swim is in the Ohio River starting up river then turning down river swimming under two bridges and exiting at Joe's Crab Shack.

The bike course was in beautiful rolling horse country.  They had water stations every 10-12 miles which helped deal with the heat.  My bike leg was uneventful, I tried to keep cool and not use up too much of my legs.

The run is though Louisville past University of Louisville and Church Hill Downs.  The heat became very apparent on the run, most of us were pouring ice water on ourselves at the water stations trying to keep cool. The run seemed to take forever, but the great folks of Louisville were out on the course cheering us on.  The last two blocks of the run are incredible, both sides were lined with screaming people, cheering like they personally knew me.

This event had tons of volunteers that made it easy to navigate transition and get what ever was needed on the course, it was largely due to them that I was able to finish in 12 hours and 38 mins. under my goal of beating Hines Wards time at Kona of 13 hours and 8 mins.

Katie Bridges GBF Triathlon

A Girl’s Best Friend Triathlon, Race Report

The setting: Prairie View Park in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It was a cool morning, but sunny. I have participated in this event four of the last five years, first as a duathlon, then sprint triathlon. The past two years I have chosen the Olympic distance. There’s a lot to love about this race and I keep coming back to it. It was my first-ever race, the atmosphere is celebratory and the weather is always perfect. With crystal-clear water (okay, granted, being able to see all of the weeds creeps some people out, but I’m not one of those people anymore), a flat and fast bike course and a trail run, this race is built for me.

The goal: To improve upon last year’s times and place first in my age group instead of last year’s second. SUCCESS on the first part; FAIL on the second. I had an absolutely miserable bike and run after a pretty mellow swim. I felt so slow and after awhile, somewhat queasy. The running and riding I have been doing has had lots of hills, which made me wonder why this was so difficult! It should have been easy-peasy. With about two miles to go I remember thinking, I may need to throw up, but I’m waiting until after the finish line. That thought got me through and once I’d finished, I felt fine.

The data: I already mentioned, 2nd. I’m happy and I’ll take that. I have dropped about 7 seconds per 100 from my best swim time, 2.0 mph from my bike pace and below 9-minute miles on the run. My transitions were also my best this year and I shaved 14:45 from last year’s overall time. It feels great to have improved on all three disciplines, where in the past if one went well, generally another one suffered. Triathlon is a sport where finding the perfect balance when training each skill is difficult, I can definitely say it has been difficult for me. It’s funny how things like swimming, biking and running, all things I could do as a kid, toss me for a loop as an adult. I think its part of the challenge and draw to the sport. Now that my season is done, I’m wondering… if I did one more tri, and got the nutrition right this time….

The cause: This race is also the event I chose for my Pedaling With a Purpose campaign. The organization I am pedaling for is Girl’s on the Run of Calhoun County. GOTR is so much fun, and makes such an impact on the lives and futures of girls. Could you please follow my link and donate today?

Marie,Scott, and Rose Rock Cereal City

Cereal city triathlon:

Scotty: I did the sprint triathlon, with the sun shining and no wind; it was great weather for a race. The swim felt short, but I’m not complaining. I was off to a good start on the bike as I headed near the half way turnaround. And decided to see how fast I could make the 180-degree turn. So I toke the turn as hard as I could and before I knew it I was on my butt. With a goal of averaging over 20 mph on the bike leg I was not going to let this minor setback slow me down. The run was good, with nice and helpful volunteers I finished in 1:16. I overachieved my bike goal with averaging 21.1 mph. and a 20:30 5k. With a nice course and simple layout I would recommend this race to a friend.

Rose: I participated in the sprint duathlon, the weather was nice in the morning which made warming up really easy. The first run was simple, the layout was nice and everyone who helped did a great job, I never had to wait for cars or directions because everyone was paying attention and knew exactly what to do. Transitions weren’t crowded so that sped everything up, and then I was quickly on the bike. The bike course was really nice, there wasn’t much debris and with the police officers the cars were minding the cyclists. The second run was hard to start but as soon as I got my land legs back it was easy to tune out everything and tell myself I was almost done. Before I knew it I actually was done and I went and had a hot dog. I think that next year I’ll sign up again and see if some friends will come with me too.

Marie: I did the sprint tri and it was one of the best ones I’ve done in a while. The swim was good, people spread out quickly and there was minimal crowding (where I was, near the back). I was happy to get out of the water and start the bike. The bike was an out-and-back course that was nice. There was a good police force to direct traffic so we had no problems. It was a beautiful day and I felt good. I was able to go really fast on the bike. The bike and run courses were pretty flat for the most part. I finished the bike and started for the run. The run took me out to Riverside Elementary and back. Once I got used to running I was able to go faster than usual. I finished with a 1:33. My 5k run was a 22:47. I crossed the finish line and was glad to be done. I live in Battle Creek so I had many friends around from my cross country team. Our coach was there and was happy about our times. I had 2 other teammates do the tri and a few others do a relay together. We hung out and got food and waited for awards. I was first in my age group. It was a great day and a great race. I plan to do it next year as well.

Shermanator Du

Josh Haas here; coming off a tough finish at the Gull Lake Du, I was quite nervous about the Shermanator Duathlon this year.  I had high hopes of again taking 1st place overall for the 2nd year in a row.

I've been working on my core, strengthening my bum knee and of course, continuing to ride hard on the bike to keep my fitness level as high as possible.  Going into the event I felt good and saw only a few athletes that looked to pose threats.  I ended the first 2.5k run in 3rd and a smoking fast transition sailed me past two of them before they were even on their bikes.  Seeing the last one in front of me on the bike, it appeared he wasn't an aggressive rider and I smoked past him before even getting to the main road.  After exiting the Sherman Lake property onto 39th St., I buckled down into my rhythm and began picking off Tri riders one by one.  I was very pleased to know I had roughly 10 miles to gain as much time on my Du competition as possible knowing I had a couple faster runners that could potentially catch up in the 2nd run.

I had another fantastic transition going into the 2nd run.  After the first turn-around I began seeing my competition and at the time thought he was a little too close for my comfort.  This drove me to push the run pretty hard which resulted in me finishing with a PR 5k and well over two minutes faster overall than the 2nd place finisher.

This was definitely the performance I needed given the knee issues and rough finish at Gull Lake.  I look forward to another good showing next week at the Cereal City Duathlon.

-Josh

Katie Bridges at Dream,Believe,Achieve

Dream. Believe. Achieve. It's a triathlon, hosted at Sandy Pines Resort near Grand Rapids. The name alone caught me, and I was all-in. All week the forecast looked bad, with thunderstorms which would cancel the race. When my alarm went off at 4:20, I checked the weather and that was when I realized... today, I was lucky. It was my day. The race was ON.

The swim went great for me, which is a big deal because often the swim is where things go bad, very very bad. I stayed... chill. The water was flat, 77 degrees, and not trying to drown me. Then it was time to get on the bike. The course was very hilly, which went okay for the most part. It was so much fun roaring down those hills, but going up really causes the burn. I was worried that I was pushing too hard on the bike, and I wouldn't have anything left for the run. But, the bike is the fun part, right? I had forgotten my chomps and I was hungry when I got to T2. I NEVER eat the Hammergels, but I sampled apple, something berrie and the huckleberry along the run course to keep going. The run went through the Sandy Pines park, and was flat and full of people cheering and encouraging the runners along the route. Two loops through the park, and I was headed back to the finish.

I ended up finishing first in my age group! The post race festivities included a cold Pepsi, some snacks and I even won a raffle prize. See, I told you it was my lucky day!!

 

2014 Tri del Sol Race Report

It was a beautiful day for a triathlon in Middleville, MI at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin. The water temp was just cool enough to make it "wesuit legal". I felt like I had a really good swim: 750 meters in 11 minutes and 43 seconds. Then on to the 13.5 mile rolling bike course which I completed in 35 minutes and 32 seconds for an average speed of 20.8 MPH. I finished 2nd over all in the sprint aquabike division. Matt Wright



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bridges Family Gull Lake Triathlon Report

This weekend was the Gull Lake Triathlon and WSI Cycling had several racers at the event. The Bridges family not only participated, but had a great showing!

Kevin Bridges

I raced the Olympic distance at Gull Lake, had a very good race finishing 2ND in my age group. The swim was great, nice warm and clear water. The bike was a rolling ride in Barry County on fairly good roads at least better than we’re used to. The new Aero wheels I got this week worked wonderfully, I averaged over 20 mph, a first for me. Thanks Team Active! The run was hillier than I thought but I managed to get through it with a respectful run time. I was able to fix the mistakes I made at Seahorse earlier this season so I’m very pleased with my race.

 

Katie Bridges

Why do I do these? Misery can be so much fun, I guess. I also did the Olympic distance triathlon, and also came in 2nd in my age group. This course is beautiful; the lake is crystal-clear, the bike and run are rolling hills. The weather was fine, warm and 70s as we started out, heating up to the low 80s by the end. I’ve never been a fan of running in the 80s, but I guess after complaining about a cold winter, what can I say? Today’s goal was to work moderately keeping the heat in mind, and focus on the nutrition part. I did fine there. The swim just seems to take me FOREVER!! I just kept those buoys in my sight and worked toward them one by one.

By the time I got to my bike, I was so thankful to have some time to ride. The bike is my favorite part, and the rollercoaster hills were fun to play around on. Then I remembered… I need to have SOME legs left to run. The run was fine, but feels so slow after the bike! I like the out-and-back run, as I was able to see some of my WSI teammates, friends and family members finish up their race, cheering and giving High 5s. Gull Lake is a great race, I really enjoyed it as a first-timer, and I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great local race.

Scott Bridges

Gull lake triathlon was my first Olympic distance triathlon. The swim was very nice, but was a struggle at times, I had a very slow swim, with a lot of ground to make up I headed onto the bike. The bike course is great, with smooth roads and some hills made it interesting. With just averaging under 19 miles per hour, I felt great and saving something for the run, which is where I felt even better. Finishing strong and got 1st in my age group.

Marie Bridges

Gull Lake Triathlon was a great race. I did the sprint triathlon and finished in first in my age group and was the 7th women overall. The swim was nice and clear and seemed pretty short. The bike was great- only a few small hills and only like 10 miles. I was able to go pretty fast. The run was a 5k and relatively flat and on pavement. I started slow then got faster as the run went on. I wasn’t able to see the finish line very well coming up to it, but I soon saw it and sprinted the finish. Pretty good food at the end, and another great race.

Maumee Bay Triathlon Toledo Ohio

[caption id="attachment_1207" align="alignright" width="225"] Shayne Thomas at HFP Maumee Bay Triathlon Toledo Ohio 2014[/caption]

Shayne Thomas here...I'm glad to report that I have done the second race in the HFP Fit Family Series-Maumee Bay Triathlon at the awesome state park of the same name near Toledo Ohio.  Once again doing the sprint triathlon in the age group-fat, old, & ugly.  It was the second time that I placed third in the over 40 over 200lbs.  I was generally satisfied with my times.  I came out of the swim with my buddy and fellow Clydesdale Mark.  We talked about how good a pizza sounded right then as we trotted up to the transition.  Toledo is table top flat.  The only challenge on the bike is wind.  There was a bit, but, not as bad as it has been in the past.  The brutal run is also flat, but, is run in zero shade.  I thought a Guinness sounded pretty good and would quench my thirst, but, realized it would take a special person to drink one during a triathlon.

I literally grabbed my metal and my time slip and trotted off to gather my stuff from the transition.  As quickly as possible I needed to be in Mansfield, Ohio for the Miss Ohio parade to drive my daughter's float.  She is the reigning Miss Mansfield's Outstanding Teen.  www.shaylathomas.com.  I got a lot of questions about why I had my weight and age on my calves, unfortunately, they started to cramp halfway through the parade!!

Shayne

Double Time Tri

I was anxious to see how my off-season training was going to pay off this year. 2014 officially marks my 3rd year in the world of triathlon. To-date, I have only attempted sprint distance, but with help of Adam D, Mike W. and RJ, I am aiming at an Oly this summer. Having never used a wetsuit, I decided to bypass Seahorse and "tri" the Double Time, trusting the water temps would be warm enough to go sans wetsuit.

As any team member with children will attest, finding time to train can be a challenge.  I made a conscious decision to dial back some of the early morning workouts this winter (i.e. Masters Swimming) and concentrated on biking and run training.  For me, I could easily hit the treadmill and rollers at home after the kids had been put to bed and it fit around my dynamic work schedule.  With that said, I was a little worried about my swim time heading into the event…not from the standpoint of finishing the swim, but from a pace perspective.  Pre-race, I had jitters fluttering through my head like “Please let me swim in a straight line.  Remember to pick your head up and sight the buoy.  Remember coach said to picture your arm reaching over a barrel and let your hand drop 6” under the water before starting your pull, etc.”  As you can imagine, I was glad when the horn finally went off and all of my nerves and jittery thoughts went flying out of my head!  I found my pace where I felt I was not fighting the water and my energy level was comfortable.

Once out of the water, it was a jog to the transition area making sure to avoid rocks with my tender bare feet.  First transition of the year was a little clumsy as I could not, for the life of me, get my jersey on.  After a quick check for shoes, helmet and sunglasses (post jersey debacle) I was off.

My goal was to avg at least 20mph on the bike.  That quickly went out the window as my Garmin 910 was only displaying my overall time in the multisport mode so I decided to just go by feel but lucked out finding another rider to pace/race with.  The roads were surprisingly smooth so it was easy to get into a good cadence.  I dropped into the aero bars and began playing a game of “leap frog” with the other rider.  Each time we leapt passed each other one of us would shout something positive to the other which was fun!   While we were not racing under USAT rules, I still purposefully avoided drafting 1) because I thought it would be good practice for any USAT sanctioned races this season and 2) in my mind it seemed more like “fair play” to avoid the draft in a race.  We caught a few riders on our way around the course (again I tried to say something encouraging as we passed by...probably a Pavlovian response I have picked up from Trizelle training).  I had to keep a mental check not to drop into heavier gears as I knew I would have nothing left for the run if I did.

A quick check of my overall time on the way in from the bike and at 45 mins, I realized I was not going to make my goal time I had set for myself.  Once I was off the bike, my legs were feeling heavy but I tried to keep my biking partner in my sites for as long as I could.  In my mind, I was sure I was running a 10 min/mi pace.  Just when I started wondering where the turn-around was, I got a mental break when a road raging motorist started honking his horn and yelling at all of the runners on the course with expletives and in no-uncertain-terms, to get off the road.  To be honest, it was nice to think about something other than how tired my legs were getting.  As I neared the finish, a quick glance at my watch gave me the inspiration to pick up the pace.  I finished in 1:12 which was a PR by at least one minute.

 

Post-race, I got to explain the jersey to Cara Smith from Trikats.  She had seen the jersey’s at events but my team training kicked in and I explained what WSI stood for and and snuck the jersey into a Trikat team photo.  Turns out, I knew my bike course pacer.  It was Scott Miller from Agility Physical Therapy (turns out we had done the same sort of thing at the Cereal City Tri last year).  My race time breakdown is pictured below.

Deer Creek Triathlon-Mount Sterling, Ohio

June 1, 2014
First triathlon of the season! It was a perfect race day at Deer Creek State Park which is located between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. HFP Racing-FIT Family Series kicked off today. If you haven't checked out any of their races I would certainly encourage you to give them a tri (pun). www.hfpracing.com
I have been doing their events for 20 years. Shannon Kurek and his team put on first rate events. The races are well organized, predictable, and affordable. HFP offers a wide variety of events that help grow the sport and make multi sport accessible to everyone. Importantly, they have mastered traffic flow which minimizes interference between racers of different abilities.

Deer Creek's signature feature is the dam run, you literally run down and back across the dam and levies. It offers a spectacular view of the lake on one side and cyclist on the road struggling up a climb on the other.

I don't typically like to race with the skinny Clydesdales. HFP has a cut off at a mere 200 pounds. That is bantam weight in my circle of meat eaters. Nonetheless, I am forever grateful that age groups exist so that we can all enjoy racing without be an elite. A third place finish in the Clydesdale age group was a nice reward for racing hard today. Overall there were around 600 participants mostly from the Cincinnati/Dayton corridor and the Greater Columbus area.

Shayne Thomas
WSI Cycling
Tiffin, Ohio

[caption id="attachment_1140" align="alignright" width="225"] Shayne Thomas-Deer Creek Triathlon[/caption]

31st Seahorse Challenge Sprint Aquabike Race Report

It was a perfect day for racing here in Climax this morning! The air temp was about 60 degrees at the start. The water temp was 67. I raced the Sprint Aquabike division which means I had to swim 500 meters and then bike 20 kilometers. I was able to get right in the front of all the sprint athletes at the start of the swim, I always try to do that to avoid getting caught up in the slower swimmers. I felt pretty good throughout the entire swim and my time was 9:18. I then raced up the hill on foot to get my bike from transition.

The bike course was very hilly, but the wind was very light (about 4 MPH). My average speed on the bike was 20.5 MPH. I finished first….because no one else was doing that particular event. It was great to see so many other WSI team mates there, plenty of awards for the team! Everyone did awesome!

by Matt Wright

Bridges Family Race Report - Seahorse Challenge

Seahorse Challenge May 25, 2014

Katie: What a beautiful morning for a race! With the harsh winter I really had been looking forward to summertime and triathlon and the Seahorse Challenge at Coldbrook Park did not disappoint. Kevin and I raced the Olympic distance, while Marie raced the duathlon and Scotty the Sprint Tri.

The Olympic distances athletes went out first, and I did not see Kevin or Scotty until the finish line. The water temperature was just fine. I really had some struggles at the beginning. In my head I was thinking, “how do I do this again?” At one point I realized my wetsuit was making breathing difficult, and as soon as I fixed that, things went a little better. Two loops around and I felt more than ready to head to my bike. Goodbye water!

The bike course was hillier than I thought. It was downhill at first and I was able to push it a bit to shore up my sense of self-respect after that swim. The hills came later and I really had to pay for that earlier speed! I found Marie on my first lap, and passed her. The roads were quite smooth and my ride was pretty nice. In one particularly rough/hilly spot, R.J. from Team Active was perched on the side of the road to assist anyone who might need it. Luckily, my trusty Synapse got me through. Two loops around and I arrived back into the park. Time to run!

The run course cut through woods, swamps, campgrounds and fields. Michigan was really turning up the heat by that time, and I looked around me and thought, “finally it’s summer!” The run was very well supported and I took advantage of EVERY water/HEED station. The run finishes with a run up a set of stairs… I was ready to be done!!

The highlight of my race was seeing my daughter Marie at the finish line, along with my great teammates and friends Nikki, Charles, Danny and Matthew. Third place in my age group, I’ll take it. Not bad for my first tri of ’14.

Scotty: Its finally triathlon season, I did the sprint distance. Swim was good came out of the water 16th, spotted all my buoys perfectly, time to bike. I was flying past a lot of people with carbon fiber time trail bikes, averaged about 21 miles per hour and hade the 8th fastest time, and felt very good. The run was a nice mix of pavement and trail. Ran a 24 minute 5k and 6th fastest on the run. Finished 8th overall with a 1:14 time. Finished first in my age group, ready for Gull Lake Tri.

Kevin: Seahorse Triathlon holds a very special place in my heart, it was my first triathlon a few years ago. This year I did the Olympic distance, previously I’ve done the Sprint race.

The water was much warmer than I thought it would be, at the start of the swim I got kicked and had my goggles knocked out of place. Normally this isn’t a big deal but today I had a hard time getting back into a rhythm, after about 300 meters I got it together and finished the swim without any problems.

The bike went very well my Speed Concept performed flawlessly, I do need to work on the engine though. The run course at Seahorse has a little of everything pavement, dirt, and trail. It was nice to see other teammates on the run and encourage each other. I didn’t finish with a medal, but had a solid performance to build on going to Gull Lake.

Marie: I did the Seahorse Duathlon. It was a beautiful day and it was a great race for me. I’m a 16-year-old girl so I’m normally one of the only ones in my age group, which I was. There were very few of us anyway. We went out on pavement and the running course was on pavement for the first mile, then we went on a trail. It got spongy for a little bit, but most if the trail is dry. It goes back on the pavement. Both of the runs are 5k.

The bike was my favorite part. The first part is mostly downhill and I could get really fast. I got up to 28 mph once, which is really fast for me. It was a nice day, no wind, very minimal traffic on the road, which I appreciate. The bike course goes through beautiful southern Michigan farmland.

I was the 3rd overall female and I made an awesome friend who was the first overall female in the duathlon, and I hope to see her in many more races as the summer goes on. It was a great race, and I hope to do it for years to come.

Tiffin, Ohio YMCA indoor Tri

My name is Shayne Thomas and I am new to the team.  First of all, I want to thank WSI Cycling and Team Active for allowing me to join the team. Many of you know me through Eric Cook and our triathlon adventures.  I am an age grouper, typically racing Master Clydesdale-fat, old, (and ugly).  I usually stick to Olympic and Sprint events in Ohio. I was able to get an age group win at the Cedar Point Sprint Rev this fall-(only because Eric chose to do the half).  Joining the team has given my training new focus.  There are many good cyclist and triathletes in my area, but, no comparable community to what Team Active has been able to build in Battle Creek.

As many of my fellow triathletes do in the winter, I have moved inside.  I ride a Trek Madone, purchased at www.Teamactive.com. shoes and trainer from there as well.  Graciously, my daughter allows me to ride in her ballet studio in our basement.  www.shaylathomas.com.  The only stipulations are that I have to mop up the sweat and use my own Pandora station-usually AC DC.



Part of the joy of multisport is helping other athletes get involved.  Twice in 2013 I have strayed from doing an individual event in order to participate on a team. This has served to introduce aspiring athletes to multisport.  For the New York Triathlon I participated on Team Sad Dads as the swimmer.  Jumping into the Hudson for my buddies was worth it, because, one of my teammates has already registered for his first triathlon in 2014!!  This week was my second attempt to get friends turned on to triathlons.  My friend Pam was an accomplished cross country runner and her boyfriend Steve was an All American swimmer. They wanted to attempt a triathlon in 2014, however, were overwhelmed by the thought of the logistics.  I agreed to serve as their cyclist on Team Wolfpack for some local races until they got a feel for multisport.  We did our fist training event at the Tiffin, Ohio YMCA indoor triathlon.  We got a second place finish and are looking forward to a spring team triathlon with fall individuals for each of them.  Happy New Year and may your 2014 race calendar be full of races with friends!!



 

And they're off.....

Last Night WSI Team Active Racing got together to kick off  planning for the 2014 Season.  Eric Cook was nice enough to host at his house and, since I was driving from out of town, I convinced him to go for a ride in advance of the team meeting.

That may not have been the best idea.  Dwight  joined us and is (for some reason) at mid season form and Eric is, well what Eric always is...a machine.  I was a bit late for our departure time after making some much needed purchases at Team Active, although I was dressed and ready to go, my bike still needed to get prepped and I wanted to put toe warmers in my boots and hand warmers in my gloves.  Not sure what the temperature was, I remember seeing about 20 degrees.  While I was prepping my gear, I told Eric and Dwight that I needed about 5 minutes.  Dwight said "Okay, you get all ready, then we will start spinning and warm up on our way to the 'Dump'."  I thought he meant, we would have time to warm up, not that we would get on the bike and proceed to ride at 22 mph right out of the driveway!  I got warm, but not much of a warm up.

We met Kathy at an intersection about a mile from the entrance to the Dump.  It was too cold to socialize too much, but very good to see her.  I had not seen her since she returned from RAAM.  The Dump is a great technical morass of cement, tar and tile and, if you go down, something gets scratched or broken.

Last time I rode the Dump was 3 years ago, that was in the middle of the summer and I was much more comfortable handling my bike than this ride when the ground was frozen and I was cold.  Nobody fell, though I did do some sight seeing a couple times, but all in all a great ride through the woods.  On the way home, Dwight pulled and I locked on to his wheel as if my life depended on it.

My feet were so frozen, that they were numb, and (you know the feeling) I wanted to cry they hurt so bad when they started to thaw out.  But then we went to Crazy Horse for some pizza and a beer...then all was good.

All got much better when I saw the team that I started riding with 5 years ago.  Mike, Eric, Kathy, Dan, Danny, Hannah, Devin, Chuck, Charles, Dave, Dave Sr., Eric, Cameron, Dwight, April, Keith, JJ, Groat, Josh, (and I probably forgot a couple guys), have all been around since I started riding.  (JJ brought his daughter with him, it was great to meet her too.)

There is something about the internal fight you have with yourself while you are putting out a big effort (or fighting the elements) and then get together with friends who do the same thing.  It is a fraternity and sorority and a family.  It was great to see everyone, go for a ride and talk about all of the great things coming for 2014.  I value our friendship and look forward to an awesome 2014.  For those who could not make it, we missed you.

Go WSI/Team Active Racing.  Jack.

Silver at the Lumberman Olympic Triathlon in Cadillac - Woot!

After spending all my racing season “on a bike” and doing some mountain bike and cyclocross/dirt road races, this weekend I completed my first of three triathlons for the season. Saturday was the Lumberman Olympic in Cadillac, MI and was the second year competing in this event. As with all 3 Disciplines run events, it was very well organized an early registrants even got a nice sleeveless 3D cycling jersey. It was also pretty cool that one of my college buddies from Alma came up from Hastings to join me. Rob has not been doing triathlons for more than a couple of years (at most) and was coming off the Half Ironman in Muncie, IN just a couple of weeks prior. Even though he said he’d never do another one that distance, like everyone that does a race that distance it takes a while to get over the initial “shock” and decide that it’s something you actually will want to do again. Doing the Olympic was a nice “cool down” for him and after the fact, we both agreed that running 13.1 miles was something neither of us would have wanted to do today.

As with last year, the night before there was a lot of rain in the area, making everyone wonder if the race would even take place. Mother Nature stopped the rain, but about fifteen minutes prior to the start fog rolled in across Lake Cadillac and standing on the shore you couldn’t even see the first marker in the water. Obviously the organizers were not about to let us in the water for safety reasons, so we waited for the fog to lift and started about 45 minutes later.

The temps were in the 60s at start, making the 74 degree water the warmest place on the course. After spending so much time on the bike, it was apparent about 15 minutes into my swim that I better spend a bit more time in the water before my “half” 70.3 mile race in September! I came out of the water in the last half of my group, but was confident that I’d be able to make up some time on the bike.

Transition went quickly and I was off and pedaling for the next 26 miles. It was an out and back route and most of the way to the turnaround it seemed like I was fighting a headwind most of the way. One of my friends, Shirley, passed me on the swim and I saw her leave just before me in transition, so my first goal was to catch her, which I did. However, she hung on (not drafting, of course, because that’s not legal) and stayed within sight of me exchanging “banter” along the way.

I hit the turnaround and was nice to feel the wind at my back for a change. There were a few hills at the mid-point, but I made quick work of them and passed several other riders, especially coming down the back side. With the tailwind I was carrying 27-28 mph on some of the flat sections, which I knew would help me with some extra “time buffer” when I got to the run.

Coming into the transition for the run I was able to quickly rack my bike, switch to my running shoes and toss on my hat before heading out for the last hour (or more) on the course. Typically an Olympic has a 10k for the run, which is 6.2 miles, but we were running around Lake Cadillac and that meant a 7 mile run was ahead. My legs didn’t feel too bad given that I had not done much ride-then-run work this year. I was expecting my legs to feel like I was running in cement shoes, but fortunately that was not the case.

The first three miles were uneventful and some of the faster runners (who I had passed on the bike) were getting their payback and passed me. I kept an eye on their “size” given that I registered for the Clydesdale category (racers 200 lbs. or greater) and fortunately all the runners were “skinny dudes” so I was comfortable that I was in the lead for my division. Right around mile four Shirley came by tailing a fellow Clydesdale. They both were carrying a bit faster pace than me, but I knew if I wanted to keep my position I had better jump on and follow for as long as I could. We ran together for the next mile or so and was at my max for most of the time. I can honestly say that had I not been following them my pace would have been slower, so the motivation was nice.

Just about around mile six I started to catch a second wind and picked up the pace. By now Shirley had gapped us, but I was hanging on and the two “big guys” were clip-clopping along together. When I made my move and tried to build a gap he didn’t have the steam to keep up and I pulled ahead. Then, just about a half mile later another fellow Clyde came around me carrying a pretty good pace and I couldn’t hang on and he ended up finishing just about a minute ahead of me, taking first and leaving me with second and a nice sliver medal to bring home to Alicia.



Looking back at my performance I was pleased overall with my results. Had I raced in my age group (40-45) I would have taken third and overall was in the top 20 males for the Olympic. I was proud that my bike split was the ninth fastest of the entire field, but it’s evident that I’ve got some work to do with my swim, and especially the run. Had I been able to carry a faster pace on the run I easily could have won my division. But in the end I’m just grateful that this “old body” is able to still get out there and complete an event like this in one piece (and still be able to walk the next day).

Next race is in August, where I’ll be headed to Ludington for the Lighthouse Olympic triathlon. That’s always a good weekend since my grandparents live in Pentwater and we make a weekend event out of it. It’s also a great course and I’ll be returning as the “defending Clydesdale champion” (if there is such a title). Then, it’s back to Cedar Point for the Rev3 half in September for my 70.3 of the year (plus, some roller coasters).

Keep the rubber side down...
Eric

P.S. A special thanks to my good friend Donna, who luckily was at her cabin in Cadillac and had an extra race belt for me to use Saturday. She raced the Racine, WI half the weekend prior, so she was not racing this weekend. But that didn't keep her from coming down at at 7 am to meet me. Thanks Donna, you rock!

Triathlon Update - Double Post: Ludington Lighthouse and Cedar Point Rev3

Been a busy few weeks for me and  guess "life" has been getting in the way a bit, keeping me from my updates. Good news is the racing circuit has been good for me over the past couple of races and wanted to bring everyone up to speed.

August 19 - Ludington Lighthouse Olypmic

This is one of my favorite races, not only because the venu is a great location on the shores of Lake Michigan, but it gives my wife and I a chance to spend the weekend with my grandparents who live in Pentwater, just south of Ludington. I came into the race feeling pretty good and had a nice base of miles under my belt. Unlike the Lumberman in Cadillac, I came out of the swim feeling very strong and was pleased with my performance. Looking forward to the bike, where I typically make up any time from a slower swim, I ended up finishing the 26 mile course in just over 1 hour and 3 minutes for an average speed in the 23 mph range. Starting the run, I was a bit afraid that I maybe spent too much energy on the bike and headed out of the transition area for my 6.2 miles the legs were tight and I had to be careful not to let the "tinges" of cramps take hold and manage going fast enough to keep competitive, yet not disable myself with leg cramps. Fortunately, I found the right balance and was able to put in a sub-9 minute mile pace for the entire event.

I was excited to come across the line and see my wife, aunt and cousin (with her brand new baby) waiting for me at the finish line. When the results came out, I was pleased to discover I won the Clydesdale division (200 lbs+). In my years of racing, this marked the very first time I'd ever stood atop the podium with "gold" and being able to do that with family present made it even more special.

September 9 - Cedar Point Rev3

Last time I raced the Rev3 event I had just turned 40 and was one of the "big goals" I had set to make sure that I could prove to myself that I was not getting old. That was the first time that I had completed a 70.3 mile triathlon event and it was an amazing experience. Last year, unfortunately, I dealt with some foot issues that really kept me from doing much running, so running anything longer than 3-4 miles was not an option for me.

The good news is that my foot recovered and I was back on for the event this year. I signed up for the 7.03 (half) event and Kathy Roche-Wallace (www.GoKathyGo.com) signed on for the full 140.6. One of the best parts of the event is they have it at Cedar Point, so I got to "be a kid" on Saturday and spend some time riding the roller coasters. Mark joined me for the weekend as my "support crew" and we stayed with my good buddy, Shayne, who pulled his camper up to CP for the weekend. I was also excited for Mark and Shayne to spend some time together while I raced because Shayne's oldest daughter, Christi, unfortunately passed away in 2006 and Mark is one of the only survivors of the same type of cancer that took her all too soon from us. I'm sure it was a great day for the both of them.



Sunday morning arrived and Kathy and I were up at 5 am and were pleased to see clear skies and no signs of rain in the forecast. Shayne had wanted to do the Olympic event on Saturday, but was rained out, so I was a bit concerned that Mother Nature would do the same to us, but that was not the case. Headed to the transition area while it was still dark outside, I got my area set up and pumped up the tires one last time. Kathy was off at 7:05 am for a mass start and I was able to see her head out into Lake Erie with the rest of the full participants. I took off just over an hour later for my 1.2 mile swim, which went well. I was very comfortable in the water and enjoyed the swim, but as always was looking forward to the bike.

Headed out for my 56 miles on the bike, the wind picked up and some of the roads were "chipped and sealed", making some of the areas a bit of a challenge and made it important to pay attention to where you were headed so your wheel didn't catch a hole or crack and result in an early end to the race. I was able to pass a lot of folks on the bike, which is usually the case. But, I have to admin, I was a bit concerned about the 13.1 mile run coming up since I had started getting some cramps on the bike (which is unusual for me).

Starting the run and knowing that I had a half-marathon waiting for me I figured I'd just "trot" along and keep a steady pace. I went as fast as I could without risking cramps. The race headed out of the park and into downtown Sandusky, where it wound through the city streets. I recalled from two years ago running past an Irish Pub and joked with Shayne about making sure he was there to get me a Guinness. Imagine my surprise when making the turn and looking down the street to see the orange rims of his Trek District bike parked at the Pub. I ran up on the sidewalk and a bunch of race fans were enjoying some "adult beverages" and sure enough he had a freshly poured one waiting for me. I took a healthy pull, the crowd went nuts (ha ha) and then I was off for the remaining 7 miles!

Returning to the park, I could see the finish line and a big smile came across my face because I knew I was on the verge of finishing my second 70.3 event. I was able to run the entire time (ok, maybe I did make a little bit of a Guinness pitstop), which was one of my primary goals. Finishing just over 6 hours and 1 minute, I barely missed my sub-6 hour goal, but there was nothing "left in the tank" and was pleased with my results. I ended up mid-pack in both the Clydesdale division and overall, with around 750 total participants in the half.

Kathy came across in 12.5 hours and ended up winning her age group in the full and finishing 20th women overall! Granted, she's typically used to doing three of these at a time, but I was really proud of her and loved that I was able to be at the finish line to see her come across and give her a great big hug!



What a great event and weekend it ended up being and I'm pleased to say that I'm now able to walk down stairs without wincing in pain thanks to sore legs. I'm already looking forward to coming back again next year. The Rev3 folks put on a great event and can't think of any other venue where you can spend the day riding roller coasters and race the next day. I'm going to enjoy some recovery time, but look forward to getting back on the bike again real soon.

Cadillac Lumberman Triathlon Race Update

So this update is a bit "tardy" getting to the site, but as they say.... better late than never. On Saturday, July 28th I raced the Olympic(+) distance Lumberman triathlon in Cadillac, MI. As I got in the truck to head to the race (bright and early at 5:15 am), the temperature gauge read 50 degrees - HALF of what the temp had been lately (which was a good thing). Additionally, the Cadillac area had got about 3 inches of rain in the past couple of days, which also helped to drop the water temps and made for what I hoped was going to be a much more comfortable race day.

The swim was an "in-water" start and getting into the water racers got to walk through what seemed like a "mine filed" of rocks and other debris until getting to the deeper water and a smoother sandy bottom. I didn't realize it at the start, but after the 1500 meter swim (which could have been a little faster) I started my exit and with the first step of my right foot, felt like I had something jabbed in the bottom of my foot. I even went so far as to try and pull what I thought was in there before transitioning out of the water, but couldn't find anything. So, I ran "half-footed" up the shore to the transition area and before even taking off my wetsuit, sat down (which is not something that you're supposed to do when doing transitions for a triathlon) and figured I'd see a stick jammed well into the bottom of my foot. Good news (kind of) was my foot was just sliced by a Zebra muscle and there was nothing to extract and it didn't bother me once I got on the bike.

[caption id="attachment_456" align="alignright" width="179"] Finisher and 3rd Place Clydesdale Medals[/caption]

The next event, the bike, is my best and favorite part of a triathlon and I was able to make up a lot of ground from my swim. I'd not been in the water for a bit, so didn't have big expectations for the swim. However, I'd been doing a lot of riding and running so I had big plans to make up some time. I passed a lot of people on the bike and for the most part, the course was flat and fast. Temperatures remained in the mid 60s with a slight breeze and only at the turn-around point did some hills come into play. I was able to pass many of the riders on the hills (as they would not "break" aerodynamic position, but that's not the best way to climb), plus being "clydesdale" size (200 lbs+) the downhills were fast and continued to make up time.

I came into the transition area feeling great, couldn't even feel the cut on my foot, and ready for the last leg, a run around Cadillac Lake. In the opening paragraph, I referred to the event as Olympic(+), which means it was just a bit longer than a typical Olympic distance event since a full lap around the lake is almost 7 miles (and a typical event is a 10k - 6.2 miles). Normally on the run I end up seeing many of the people that I passed on the bike, as I've never been much of a runner. But I had dedicated a lot of my training time to getting faster on the run so I was excited to see if it was paying off.

I came in past the first mile checkpoint around 8:30 which was much faster than I expected, and admit that I cracked a little smile after looking at my watch. The challenge was I had 6 more miles to go and that little voice in the back of my head questioned if I was going to hold that pace for the rest of the run, or if I'd "blow up" half way through. Fortunately, I was able to remain on pace for the remainder of the run and for the first time I actually passed people on the run! Of course, I got passed by a handful of the riders I passed on the bike, but ended up finishing with a 8:50 mile pace for the entire 7 miles. I was very pleased with my time, no leg cramps and finished strong, keeping the footsteps behind me at bay and avoiding getting passed in the final few hundred yards.

I ended up placing 33rd of our around 70 total participants for the day and took 3rd in the Clydesdale division (200 lbs and over). My swim (knowing that it was not my best showing) was 58th fastest, but my bike showing (at 14th) is where I really made up some time and overall had the 38th fastest run. This was the first time (in a long time) that I got any sort of a placing medal, and was more than happy to bring home the "bronze" for the day.

I've done a couple of mountain bike races and a dirt road race this year, but this was my first triathlon of the summer in preparation for my 70.3 Rev3 event at Cedar Point on September 9th. This event is my personal fundraiser to support the fight against childhood cancer and looking forward to raising some money for this worthy cause (hey, how about you make a donation!?).

Next up is the state road race (Citizens/Cat 5) up in Traverse City on August 12th and then I'm headed over to Ludington on the 19th for the Lighthouse Olympic triathlon. That's always a fun weekend, as my grandparents live in Pentwater, just south of Ludington so it's a good weekend all-around and I've had a little cheering section the past couple of years with my wife, aunt and cousins coming over to support me. It's always nice coming across the line and seeing familiar faces.

Hopefully the next report will have even more good news from the road race next weekend, so keep your fingers crossed. It's going to be a busy weekend for WSI-Team Active Cycling, as we've got racers participating in events across the state. Good luck to my teammates and with any luck, we'll see you on the podium!

~Eric

Tri Del Sol Duathlon Race Report 7.21.12

On Saturday my wife twisted my arm and made me do a duathlon while she competed in her first Triathlon. The duathlon consisted of a 2mi run / 19mi bike / 4.9mi run. The first run I did fairly well and finished in the middle of the pack with a total time of 14:30. Then the bike started. It was a very rolling course with almost no flat sections. I made up a lot of ground and passed nearly everybody with a average of 22. Which is pretty good for me considering drafting is illegal, and as many of you know that's the only way I can keep up on Wednesday night rides. Overall I had the third fastest bike split in the duathlon. Then the dreaded final ran began. It took almost ¾ of a mile before my calves stopped screaming at me. All that hard work and huge lead I had gained was quickly washed away by mile 2 or 3 as the other runners appeared to be sprinting right by my slow ass. I finished the run with a time of 41:24min - avg 8:30min/mi. Which is way better than the goal I had set for my self. Finished 3rd of 4 in my age bracket and 22nd of 59 overall.

Special thanks to WSI and Team Active for making all of this possible.

David Goff