Zorbaz Gull Lake Challenge/ Peter Johnson Memorial Swim Race

June 14, 2014

Just one week post 70.3 race, I find myself toeing the start line again!  For those who know me well, I have never been a swimmer.  I have always floated like a rock!(**see times below**)  I am not a swimmer turned triathlete, but quite the opposite!  This was going to be my first ever open water swim race (not attached to any other events).  My expectations?  To finish the 2.4 mile course & gain some confidence in the distance swim looking toward Wisconsin!  I am a triathlete treading on a swimmer's turf. I just wanted to finish with a respectable time!

This was the first year of this event.  A year before, an avid local swimmer (& father of a high school classmate) had died in the Gull River when he suffered a heart attack, his boat capsized, & he was able to get his grandchild to the safety of the shore.  Proceeds were to benefit the local high school swim teams.  I was happy to participate!

The way the rest of the year has gone, it should be no surprise that is was cool & raining on race morning! The 06:30 race start was not pleasant (my alarm had to go off way too early), but it was nice to roll out of bed and not have very far to drive to the race site!

After the race brief, we headed to the water.  Water temps had cooled off during the week.  It was definitely brisk when I jumped in!  We lined up & were off through the channels of Lake Margaret on our way toward Zorbaz on Gull.  It was a typical swim start with a washing machine like first few hundred as people got sorted out.  Once things settled down, I settled into my pace and just focused buoy to buoy.  They had yellow markers every 1/2 mile on the course that helped me figure out how far along I actually was.  I had hoped to grab onto a set of feet & hold on as long as I could, but quickly found myself on my own (there were a couple around me, but nobody to draft off of).  The one time I did find a set of feet, it was unexpected.... and came as a heel struck my goggle dead center.  We were both okay & pushed toward the finish!

Before I knew it, I was under the bridge & approaching the funnel of buoys to the finish!  I crossed the line, climbed the steps to the pier, & found some LAMS teammates that had done the 1 mile race.  I felt good.  Was I tired?  I just swam 2.4 miles, so yes, but I felt like I needed to hop on the bike & go (and was ready for it)!  The plan was to take the race at IM pace & be comfortable with my pace (not push it).

My time?  1:02:08 (I was hoping for 1:05:00).  I felt like I met my goals for the race!  After I got changed & cheered on a few others, it was on to check the results.  I ended up 8th overall, 5th Male, and 1st in my Age Group!  Definitely not where I expected to be, but I feel like I am in great shape for the IM swim!

After the race, I stuck around for a awesome breakfast buffet & Bloody Mary bar provided by the event sponsors.  This was a great event & will be keeping this one in mind for future race calendars!

**To support this statement, here are a few previous results:
2008 Lakes Country Triathlon 1/2 Mile Swim: 29:06 (3:38/100 yds)
2010 Young Life Triathlon Olympic Distance 1.5 km (0.93 miles) Swim: 45:08 (2:44/100 yds)
2012 CanAm Games 1500 Meter Swim (1650 yards) 27:09.26  (1:39/ 100 yds)
2012 CanAm Games 800 Meter Swim (1000 yards) 16:16.96 (1:49/100 yds)
2014 Gull Lake Challange 2.4 Mile Swim (1:28/100 yds)

Liberty 70.3

June 7, 2013

I did this race in 2013 as a "test" of the longer distance events.  More specifically, could I handle thinking about Ironman.  In 2013 I had many things go "wrong" with my race plan, but learned a lot!  I was going into this race planning to take 45 minutes out of my previous attempt.  If I had "my day", I was shooting for 1 hour or more!

When you wake up in the morning to cold, thunderstorms & hail on race morning, it is tempting to roll over & go back to sleep.  Not me (on this day)!  I was hoping the storms would roll through & we would have a great day to race.  Well, the storms didn't just "roll through", but we did race!

Freezing before the swim start!  Photo by Ellen Thomes 

I was on site at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve shortly after the transition areas were opened.  I was a little surprised to see so many people there!  A year earlier, there was hardly anyone there that early!  I quickly claimed my spot in transition, found some familiar faces & walked through my transitions.  We found some large puddles to be avoided, but nothing too bad (yet).

Swim Start (I'm in the sleeveless wetsuit on the right)
Photo by Ellen Thomes

    As I was getting ready to head down to start my       swim warm up, they announced that another cell was to the west.  We were going to get wet. There would be lightning. The race was being delayed 30 minutes.  We all headed for shelter, but I was surprised at the number of people that packed up & left!

After a few more delays, we got underway about an hour after the scheduled start.  I was afraid that they were going to shorten the distances, but they kept the course. Things were wet.  It was cold!  The Transition Area was muddy.  Some roads were flooded (but the water had receded).  But we were still on!!!


We got wet on the swim, go figure!  My heat started 1 minute behind the Elite heat.  It was a good feeling to start passing those guys by the third buoy!  Nothing too exciting happened in the water.  I flooded one of my goggles early in the swim, but I decided to just go with it.  I had a good swim.

Photo by Ellen Thomes

Photo by Ellen Thomes

Running into transition was interesting as the added water had created a muddy mess. I got changed quickly & onto the bike.  While things started fast and feeling great, the tables turned quickly!  A little over 10 miles in, as I turned onto a road to the south I found a large change in road height due to construction.  A couple guys just in front of my flatted right there.  Just when I thought that I had made it through fine... about a mile later while going down a hill my front wheel began to shake & I heard the hiss.... My first flat during a race.  Thank you to the Waconia Ambulance crew for stopping to check on me as I was working on the tire!  I changed things fairly quickly, but I definitely got cold in that change!  The rest of the bike was wet, cold, & windy.  I was able to nail my nutrition with GU Energy Gels, flat Coke, GU Roctane Drink, and water this year!  Racing without GI issues makes for a much happier race!  I felt like I kept things (aside from the flat) right where I needed to be throughout the bike.

Photo by Ellen Thomes

As I rolled back into the park, my family (who said that they were not coming if it was raining) was waiting.  Talk about a mental boost!  I quickly transitioned to my run gear & headed out on course.  Right as the transition area met the paved trail, a lake had formed.  I felt like a kid splashing through puddles!  The first half of the run felt good.  We got to run on a gravel road (aka mud)  for the middle couple miles.  My pace slowed as I looked for "solid" ground to run on.  When I got back to the asphalt trail, I just couldn't get my pace back.  I was running hard, but trying to keep within my limits.  Cresting the hill to the finish was a great sight!  A few dedicated fans were lining the trail.  I gave my son a high five just before crossing the line!

After the race, I was shot!  My legs did not want to move.  It felt GREAT!  Thanks to my LAMS teammates & families, I got dry clothes & food!  I finished in 05:51:26...just 8 minutes slower than my original goal.  All things considered, I am happy with that!  Would I do it again?  Do you really have to ask?

Fellow LAMS 70.3 participants post race.
Photo by Ellen Thomes