Waupaca Sprint and Race the Lake

Here we are 3 weeks from Ironman and up on the schedule was the Waupaca Sprint Tri.  They call it the long course because they have a super sprint and a sprint.  The long course is a half mile swim, 20 mile bike, and then the 3.1 mile run.  I had signed up for this a long time ago.  The race sells out and for sure is a favorite of any person I spoke to that had done it.

So Friday I loaded up the car and Jenny and I drove to Waupaca and got our packets and checked into the Village Inn.  Cheap room, and just what you would expect for a cheap room.  Not super comfortable but whatever.  I slept awful.  Tossing and turning and too hot, too cold, and just kept waking up.  Bogus.

Up at 4:45, breakfast and loaded gear from hotel into the car and drove down to the park.  Shadow Lake is the swim venue and it was looking very nice.  Your race number was based upon when you registered and the waves were based on bib number.  So it didn't matter what your age or sex was.   Waves were 50 people every 2 minutes.  Jenny and I were in wave 3.  Alison in wave 4.  My goal was to swim well and not let Alison get too far ahead of me, catch her on the bike and hold her off on the run.  FAIL.

We set up in transition and see Will Smith from the aquathon.  I knew right away he would win.  The guy is fast.  He has retired from being a pro because of injury but still races elite to stay fit.  He talked with Jenny and I and is a very nice guy.  I chuckle when he says "hey mate".  He's Australian and his accent cracks me up.  He even cheered Jenny on the run with a "Go Janesville".  How cool.

So Jenny and I take off in the swim.  Water was excellent.  I decided to stay to the outside, Jenny goes inside.  It was an out and back swim.  Big mistake by me.  I forget that sprint tri's are loaded with people who can't swim.  It was a disaster.  Every time I started to get going, there was another group of breast and side strokers and people just being in my way.  These people, of course, were all on the outside and away from the pack.  I had to breast stroke a few times to get out of traffic only to find more.  I got pounded by people and just overall had a really crappy swim. I came across a group of about 5 dudes that were breast stroking side by side and talking to each other.  COME ON MAN.   I swam 200 yards shorter than the aquathon and it took me 2 minutes longer.  A 20 minute swim for an 800.  I was pretty frustrated at this point.  There is a long run up the beach and I had to run all the way through transition to get to my bike.  Jenny was already there, Alison was GONE.  Jenny was gone way before me and I just tried to focus on getting my gear on and GO.  4 minute transition inlcluding the run up the beach and getting through transition.
Bike course was really nice.  At mile 5 I passed Jenny.  I passed quite a few on the bike and didn't get passed much.  Not many hills and it felt like it was about 90 percent down hill.  I just kept it cranking.  About half way on the bike, I had to cough.  I coughed several times and noticed I was wheezing.  I tried to get the junk out of my lungs but it wouldn't budge.  Not sure what the deal was.  I wasn't wheezing badly unless I really got my HR up there on the hills.  So I put my purse down and dealt with it.  Never caught Alison.  I rolled into T2 with a 58:30 bike for a 20.6 avg.  My best bike split ever.  I saw Alisons bike was there and her run stuff was gone so I knew I wouldn't be able to beat her or even be close.
2 minute T2 and started to run.  The wheezing got a little worse but I could still run.  Didn't have a great run.  10:58 per mile.  I wanted to run sub 10 per mile.  Finished with a 1:59:45 total.  I passed 4 people on the run and got passed by 87.  Seriously 87 people.  My run needs work.   Will Smith did win.  He finished in 1:12.

I had fun.  I wasn't last in my age group and I did a crazy dance for Jenny when she finished.  She told me to stop it.  Best thing was I didn't feel really gassed at all.  My endurance is pretty good right now and really I could have gone and done it again.

Jenny and I went back to the room and showered and got checked out and went to a great food place.  There was great pizza and they were cooking a BBQ that smelled amazing.  We ate and drove to Fon du Lac and checked into our hotel, the Executive Lodge in Fond du Lac and then went and got our packet for Race the Lake and then napped.  I needed the nap.  I had gotten a bad head ache..  It was a big upgrade from our Waupaca hotel and the bed was super comfy.

We got up at 5, ate breakfast and rode down to the start.  We started in wave 11 out of 12.  We rode pretty good and had a lot of people pass us at first.  Even with us averaging 18MPH, including a guy in toe cages and slippers.  Seriously.  Slippers.  At mile 20 we came across a rider down being attended to by paramedics.  It looked bad.  We skipped the first rest station and stopped at the second one.  The porta potty situation at the second rest stop sucked.  It took 22 minutes in line to get in.  Once we hit the 45 mile mark we stopped at the other rest area at High Cliff State Park.  We did the first 45 miles in 2:30.  There were a few more guys with serious road rash at that rest area.  Sounds like quite a few guys got into wrecks.  We had some doofus who kept passing us on the right with about a foot between us and the curb.  Finally I told him to quit it and pass on the left.  I was seriously ready to boot him into the ditch.  Does he not know I'm trying not to get injured for Ironman?
So we kept on chugging along.  The last 40 miles have some hills but nothing special.  We did run into a nasty headwind with about 20 miles to go and we turned out of it a few times but mostly it was right there.  Jenny and I started passing people who went out way too fast and didn't realize there were hills.  Including slipper man who was hurting at mile 80.  He was barely moving.  At the finish he stopped and let out a string of vulgarity I won't repeat.  And then it was over.  I felt great.  We had a moving time of about 5:30 for the 90 miles for about 16.5 avg.  Good enough for me.

As much as I like this event, I probably won't do it again unless I'm training for Ironman.  It's just not worth spending the night when there are so many other cycling events out there that are closer.

So now I need to have one more strong week with LOTS OF BIKING AND RUNNING and then it's taper time.  I feel better, stronger, and more fit than I ever have.

Time will tell.