I don't know about you, but I think that USTS/Bally's are trying REALLY hard to up their presence here in the Midwest, with now 4 races --- Mpls, Madison, Milwaukee, and Detroit. That's generally a good thing for us around here (races were few and far between, and now they fill up so fast you've got to be on your toes!). Even so, after going to USTS Madison last year, I was expecting something a bit better than what was experienced here today.
Prologue: | Went to the packet pick-up and "expo" on Saturday. 10 am (when they were supposed to be ready), and hardly any booths were set up. I bailed and came back 30 minutes later. By then, it was pretty much set up, so I checked in (outside), then went inside Bally's to pick up my goodie bag. Can you say coercion? By doing so, you HAD to notice the facilities and MAYBE want to join (the two week free passes in the goodie bag didn't hurt....). Unfortunately for them, I already belong to another chain, so no dice. Expo was minimal, and not exciting at all --- on par w/Madison. After previewing the bike course based on the strange map provided for us in the small and pretty much lame "passport" in the mail (never did get my e-mail confirmation....) i was concerned. According to the map and directions, we would cross over a one mile stretch of gravel road TWICE during the bike. I hoped they changed it, so I asked at the goodie bag area if they had a revised map. They said go outside and ask at check-in. I did, and they knew nothing about a course change. They suggested I come back (a third time) for a pre-race talk at 2 pm. Ugh! I went on a ride of the bike course w/two friends of mine, and noted the gravel stretch. Course was in fine shape, besides the gravel. Should be pretty fast, too! Returned to the expo at 2 (after a McD's stop ;-) to find that there now WAS a revised map at the check-in table --- and the "talk" wasn't very informative.....Hmmm..... [Whine mode now OFF]
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Race Day: | Got to the small parking area at 6 am, and found plenty of spots....and quickly got myself marked and set up in transition. I was immediately at the swim exit, so this was good! But I had a loooong run to the bike mount....this was bad! Sat in my car and read the Sunday paper, and noted that late arrivals were in a LONG line waiting to be marked and let into transition. We also picked up our chips this morning, rather than at the check-in on Saturday....they said that's because too many people lost them otherwise ;-). Waited around until about 7 am, then went back to transition to start preparing for the race....
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The Swim: | A 3/4 rectangle swim clockwise around buoys seemed innocuous enough, but it was not to be....I must say we started on time, and the waves were efficiently dispatched! It was soon my group's turn to go, and I lined up thinking....Only TEN training days in June? Only ONE swim? This isn't smart! The horn goes off, and I begin wading out for about 150 yards, then swim. Almost immediately, my goggles begin fogging; I stop, clean them, and start again. This is repeated more than 20 times in the race, and I usually don't have this problem. As a result, I noted I was getting further and further behind my own wave, and by the second turn, I was now being overrun by the leaders from two waves back (6 minutes behind). How slow was I going? This can't be?! I slogged along for the last leg, and had numerous problems with my goggles and swimming in crooked lines! Ugh! The swim couldn't be over soon enough....and finally it was! Time of 27:07 was amazing considering I hadn't trained....Maybe the course was a bit short? I jogged almost nonchalantly up the embankment, and up a tiny set of stairs to the transition....
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The Bike: | T1 went smoothly but slowly (2:43). I jogged the LONG transition to the mounting area, and finally got my steed going. Since I hadn't had many long rides, and none over twenty miles this past month, I was a bit worried.....and there was that course change..... I cruised along rather well for the first ten miles or so, passing a few and also being passed....didn't see any course marshalls.....and we were spread out enough that drafting wasn't a concern anyway. After those ten, I did notice I was tiring a bit on the hills, but the flats were generally OK. My miles were not in sync with the mile markers, but I figured they weren't really exact. The revised course had a few more rolling hills than the old one, and a long downhill we were supposed to get suddenly became a long uphill (and right after a turn, too!). I persevered, and hung on, even though my hills were really beginning to suffer (under 10 mph on some, and these are just rollers!). A group of about ten riders reaches a turn where there is NO OFFICIAL; there is a sign, but it looks like it has fallen over. People who didn't preview the course don't know that we are supposed to turn left and NOT go straight. MANY age groupers make the mistake and go straight....too many to count. Without an official, there will be NO consequence for cutting the course....and they will have a much better time to boot. This cut saved many riders about one mile, and made many of the rest of us angry....I intend to e-mail the race director on this! At the other end of the "cut", where the honest ones of us were merging with the cheaters, many people found that they passed the same people TWICE....and with NO OFFICIAL on the course, things were not kosher. Also, I asked a person at another intersection (a kid of about 12) if he had a walkie talkie, and he said no. I don't think that any of the people assisting on the course had them! What if there was an injury?! I began to notice appreciable slowing as I limped up hills for the last five miles, and FINALLY made it into transition again! My odometer showed over 26 miles, including the transition run, so it was a bit long due to the reroute! Time = 1:20:43, a bit slow, but I'll take it! T2 was OK, 1:16, and I was out to the run....
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The Run: | Having NO runs this entire year over four miles, I was VERY concerned here. I grabbed a GU and water at the first water station, and chugged along very slowly. First mile was around 8 minutes. I thought this was fine, but could I hold on? By the second mile, I had picked it up a bit, and was running about 7:30 miles. This lasted until mile four....and then I hit the wall :-( It was horrifying knowing that I was less than two miles from the finish and was slowing down with every step! Mile four was at 30:30, but by mile five I was at 40 minutes and slowing fast! Only one mile to go! I stopped and walked every aid station, but I needed an extra walk only a half mile from the finish...and it finally came! Run of 48:00 was 0.2 miles short, so right on 8 minute mile pace! Final time was 2:39:48! at least it was only 7 minutes slower than Madison! (And on so little training, too!). I was really tired, but VERY glad to be done!
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Postscript: | Although there were course snafus, I hope these can be remedied by next year's race. The weather was slightly overcast, so we stayed cooler than normal (great conditions!) and no one really overheated! One thing they REALLY did better at this year was the post race food! Donuts, cookies, spaghetti, beer, bread, bananas, oranges....they had it ALL! Much better than Madison, and efficiently run, too! They had the post-race awards area already set up, and even though I didn't stay, I think they were beginning the presentation EARLY because everyone was DONE! Woohoo! |