Lets hear some Vermilion recaps

[watchman]

I thought for sure I could read about some amazing races.

Many PR's , Age group wins overall wins

Aussie? Durno?

lets here it

mike

[Tiffany]

I did terrible today. TERR. I. BLE. Worst race I ever did and I feel like I was hit by a mack truck right now :-( No wipeouts on the bike, but those hills were brutal. My run was almost non-existent. My swim ... I had such high hopes ... I have a mental issue with the water I think. I really, really, really need to get into the lake to practice. I swim 3 times a week - 2000 yds in 38 minutes. But I just cannot bring myself to do free in the lake I woos out and do breast-stroke - and then I'm SO MAD AT MYSELF! I think my wetsuit might be a small contributing factor because it feels tight around my neck. Other variables, besides the obvious heat today, include: this is the 5th week in a row I've raced (probably fatigued), the dehydration I had today makes my nemesis - my kidney stone - act up an causes severe back pain. (Lithotripsy soon...) and, my blood sugar was >300 today (I'm diabetic) so I think I need to consult my endo doc for a short-acting insulin and test at T1 and T2.
I'm really bummed about today's race. Really. The only thing I can think to do is to get my butt to your OW swims rather than hit the pool. I'm embarrassed to say that I have A REALLY BIG RACE at the end of Sept. and after today I feel SO UNWORTHY My earlier Olys were SO much better than today. Oh, and I lost my chip on the run! Dang! They'll probably charge me $90 for it. Lovely.

[kfoster]

Okay, I'll fire away...

Did my first Oly today and had a blast. The water was perfectly calm for swimming (though I managed to do my warm-up swim with my van keys in my jersey pocket - oops. Fortunately, they stayed put and I caught the mistake before my wave went out) Found open water right away for swimming and had few issues with other swimmers (or kayaks). Sighting into the sun was a bit challenging, even with mirrored goggles, but still managed. probably a bit on the slow side for me, but I was staying smooth and calm. One of my most comfortable swims in a race ever.

The oly bike course was a ton of fun! I loved the warnings painted on the road - "big hill", "slow down" "no joke" etc. Actually laughed at the skull and crossbones painted on the road! I was going back and forth with a handful of riders for the first 10 miles or so, but managed to drop them on the back half - seemed like there was a bit of a tailwind as we headed north, so I was cruising. My legs felt great for the second half of the bike, cruising speed got up around 24. Smiled to myself as we came back into Vermilion - passed a "speed limit 25" sign and was pulling 27...yeah, go ahead and write the ticket, I thought! Loved all the volunteers who were cheering throughout the bike course.

The run was hot! Legs felt okay, but I just couldn't get going very fast, which is okay, because the goal was to finish. There were a few of us clumped together that went to the ol' run-walk method. I'd run (okay jog) for 4-5 minutes, then walk 30 seconds. Glad there were lots of aid stations, glad there were lots of folks with garden hoses offering to spray us down (though soggy shoes kind of suck). Ended up being a much longer time on the run than I know I am capable of, even being a weak runner - but I'm not at all discouraged. Still managed my goal time, which was a PR since it was my first (with PLENTY of room to improve next season).

As a sweet bonus, I took 2nd in my division.

[brycerapp]

Well, I wasn't last (not that being last is bad). The water was a real nice temperature and very calm. I enjoyed the bike course with the hills and very little traffic to speak of. I was getting a little scared about dehydration because I assumed we'd see a water station or 2 on the bike but I couldn't even find any homeowners outside to at least fill up my bottle. I finally found a farmer at mile 20 to hook me up. Don't let docheindeldvm's post mislead you. I met her on the bike and I enjoyed playing cat and mouse with her during the race. She did great! She's a real strong athlete! I had my entourage of 5 kids (and one of their friends) running me in to the shoot which really made my day. We'll do this one again next year.

[birddog1]

Completed my first Oly also, Things went very well and I finished feeling good, I was able to pace myself well on bike and I was able to pick up the pace on turn around on the run. I have special fueling needs and my fueling/hydration went very well. Bike really held me back. I now know positively I have equipment disadvantage. There will be new bike in my future.
Loved the course. Signage painted on the ground was helpful and race was loaded with encouraging volunteers. The local residents were out in full force with there hoses,musc and big smiles and was big help too. I will do it again.
Ed

[MattCollister]

Aug 16, 2009 14:15:21 GMT -5 Tiffany said:

I did terrible today. TERR. I. BLE. Worst race I ever did and I feel like I was hit by a mack truck right now :-( No wipeouts on the bike, but those hills were brutal. My run was almost non-existent. My swim ... I had such high hopes ... I have a mental issue with the water I think. I really, really, really need to get into the lake to practice. I swim 3 times a week - 2000 yds in 38 minutes. But I just cannot bring myself to do free in the lake I woos out and do breast-stroke - and then I'm SO MAD AT MYSELF! I think my wetsuit might be a small contributing factor because it feels tight around my neck. Other variables, besides the obvious heat today, include: this is the 5th week in a row I've raced (probably fatigued), the dehydration I had today makes my nemesis - my kidney stone - act up an causes severe back pain. (Lithotripsy soon...) and, my blood sugar was >300 today (I'm diabetic) so I think I need to consult my endo doc for a short-acting insulin and test at T1 and T2.
I'm really bummed about today's race. Really. The only thing I can think to do is to get my butt to your OW swims rather than hit the pool. I'm embarrassed to say that I have A REALLY BIG RACE at the end of Sept. and after today I feel SO UNWORTHY My earlier Olys were SO much better than today. Oh, and I lost my chip on the run! Dang! They'll probably charge me $90 for it. Lovely.

You did accomplish one thing today---the most depressing race report I've ever read!

Sounds like you just had a rotten day. Chin up!

[MarkD]

I'll do a race report when I have more time. Lots to discuss with this one. But, I'll say this...

1. The heat was a major factor on the OLY course - so, don't fret your performance (especially on the run). The 2 mile death-march (thanks for the term Daniele) from mile 2 to 4 was horrendous (sp?) on the black top.
2. The OLY bike course is TOUGH - one of the more challenging courses I've done.
3. All you first timers at the OLY distance - a major CONGRATS - you call tackled one tough mama for your first race.
4. Tiffany - the beauty of this sport is learning from your challenges - embrace it - challenge yourself - then HAMMER it !!
5. Mike - this is not a PR course - very, very challenging.
6. We took home a lot of hardware today - outstanding !

Race Report coming soon....

Now... off to the Map Room.

[karming]

dolcheindeldvm, I find that one learns the most from "bad races." God knows I have had enough of them. Regarding your wetsuit, just don't zip it all the way up. Use the velcro to close it. I occasionally get that same sensation. Seems to work just fine. Why don't you let the group go first and the start swimming so that you won't have to deal with the "washing machine" effect of all those people

I enjoyed the race. Finally have gotten my swim to be respectable enough so I tried going hard for the first several buoys. This allowed me to find the faster feet easier as well as not to have to fight it out with everyone else. End of the first loop was a little difficult as I navigated to the wrong yellow buoy at the end of the lap. Had to swim back about 50-100 yds to get around the correct yellow buoy.

I found the steady uphill on the way out to be a challenge. Kind of nice when we hit the turnaround and started riding downhill. This was definitely a nicer ride for me compared to Maumee Bay as I think I have found my bike stride again. Not extremely fast but felt comfortable especially with the effort I was trying to put in. It was nicer this time to be passed by only a few riders from the 40-49 age group (I race in the 35-39 age group) compared to Maumee when I think the entire 40-49 age group passed me. I think the bike was long. It was 25.9 miles on my Garmin.

Only one word for the run, hot. Make that extremely hot. Only got passed by one guy and was able to pass a handful of people. Funny thing on the run I saw some guy who appeared to be so soaking wet such that every step he took, there was a significant amount of water spraying off him. Caught up to him and asked him if he was a heavy sweater, etc. Turns out he was taking a leak while running. Never seen that happen before up close. Thought it was a rumor like the Yeti.

Have been using this year to finally move down from long distance and pick up speed and I have been making some progress moving up in my age group. Forgot how painful short course racing is

Kar-Ming
btw Ian, shoot me a email and let's get together to train. it's [e-mail]

[Tiffany]

Okay, on a more positive note ... I enjoyed seeing some of the CTC peeps I've met! I go by myself and it really helps to see familiar faces and get encouraging words - THANK YOU!!!
The volunteers were FABULOUS! I thought they were all very helpful, peppy, encouraging and that made me fell a bit better.
Finally, Bryce - I meant to find you after I finished but they wanted my bike off the rack so I was preoccupied ... I really was glad to have you there! I'm glad we met, you pushed me, inspired me, and when we were both out of steam, you were great company!! Thank you for your stories, your support and you are an amazing person! Glad we met!!
So, I guess today wasn't such the suck-fest I originally felt it was in my first post! Sorry to be such a downer - had a pity-party moment. I appreciate the supportive words from y'all and I'll use THIS post as an amendment to my first. Not such a bad day after all!
Thanks!!

[Bill Bretz]

Haven't been doing much racing, but did the Sprint Tri. Good swim. Bike course was crowded. Run was hot. Couldn't find my spot in transition during T2, cost a little time. 1:16:01, first in AG. Pays to get older.

Bill Bretz

[Brandon]

Woke up at 4:30. Drank coffee and facebooked with Durno at 5:00 a.m. Got on the road at 5:30...a little later than I had hoped. Then, my race started when I was driving down the interbelt and the 90W ramp was blocked by police. So, all the way down to the airport to catch 480 and then work my way back up to the lake. This worked out because I got to Vermilion in plenty of time and didn't get a speeding ticket.

Water conditions were perfect! It was a beautiful morning when we set out on the swim. Sprint waves went first swimming one loop, then the oly swimming two loops. The swim course was crowded, especially on the first loop. After the turn around I couldn't see anything with a leaky goggle and the sun up and shining. It was 8:30 at this point...would have preferred a 7:00 start to the day. Had to run up a little sandy hill on the way to transition. Ouch.

The early part of the bike had a poor set up IMO. We had one lane dedicated to the racers, and the elite sprint athletes were coming back in the same lane that we were leaving. Seemed very dangerous, what with passing within arms reach of other cyclists going in the other direction at 20mph. Also dangerous were some of the technical descents on the bike course...which I'm not complaining about at all. The volunteers (and course markings) were great giving fair warning of the hairy sections. There were a couple small and fairly steep climbs on the course. Also some flat sections with a tailwind on the way back!!! I agree with others that the bike course was long, my computer had almost 26 miles. Makes one feel better about the slower than typical bike split.

The run was hot as the dickens, especially the middle section out on the blacktop of a 4 lane highway. The local residents were out in force on the early and latter part of the run course and volunteers/aid stations were plentiful!! Many locals stood on their front lawn with hoses and sprayed us down as we ran by! Very cool!!

All in all a great local race that had a rather large field full of both beginners and many experienced racers. My only real complaint is the early part of the bike course having 2 directions of bike traffic in one lane, but this won't stop me from coming back next year. After the race I took a dip in the lake, at some PB & J, chatted with the CTC peeps in attendance and then rode back home.

Was challenged (at least in my own mind) to another bike race on the way home by a hipster on Euclid Ave. This guy was all over the road riding crazy and pretty fast. By this point I was so tired that I just sat back and watched him weave through traffic and over curbs while I was day dreaming of pizza, ale, and good people in a couple hours time at the IMLOU send-off party. What a great way to spend a Sunday!


*edit to add: It was hot, sunny and muggy Sunday. However, on my ride home from the race I actually had to pull my bike over and wait out a torrential rainstorm, which wasn't so bad because it was raining and blowing so hard I was getting pretty cold. I didn't bring my blinky light and didn't want to be on the road without it in those conditions. There is a lesson to learn here: If you are going to ride for more than one hour, at any time of day or time of year in Cleveland, bring your blinky light!!!

[MarkD]

Brandon -

You forgot to mention how well your super sexy bright white knee high compression socks worked out !

[Brandon]

Torbjorn Sindballe wore tall socks, so I wear tall socks. It's all about looking cool.

Really though I've just bought some compression socks from Chris at IDUTRI to deal with swelling issues I've been having in my cankles (formerly known as my ankles). I've been using them for recovery, driving, or if I plan to be on my feet for long periods of time. So far so good....and Durno thinks they're sexy (keep in mind Durno saw my cankles first hand last week after my long run).

[MarkD]

Report:

This was an interesting week/race for me. Going into the race, I had trained really hard all week; however, I took Friday and Saturday light to ease up, but, really, I knew this would be a B/C performance - which is cool 'cause, after NYC, every thing I do is for fun (except Niagra - different story for a different post). Another oddity is that I got GREAT sleep on Friday and Saturday night (9 and 6 hours respectively). That never happens, so, it would be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

Pre-race: Great to see so many Snakebite racers out there - we haven't had that full of a presence (racing anyhow) at a multi-sport event this year. Angie - thanks for the traditional pre-race run. Eric - thanks for the "package". It was also cool to see so many club members racing - as many of us were volunteers the week before.

Swim: I registered as a "master elite" for this one so I could go in the first Olympic wave (instead of the 3rd or 4th). Placing wasn't important for this race, and, besides, it gave me a chance to race side-by-side with some of the youngsters. Big mistake - they started us 2 or 3 minutes after the last sprint wave (not enough time). within 300 yards, we were swimming on top of the breast- and back- strokers and the 2nd turn was an absolute nightmare. HFP shouldn't do this - very inefficient and dangerous. After the 3rd turn, we were staring into the sun and, as Kar-Ming mentioned, many of us (self included) accidentily swam the diagonal toward the wrong yellow bouy. I realized it about half-way there and turned my self toward the correct bouy, then, some how got off again and ended up at the wrong one. Like Kar-Ming - I swam against the swimmers back to the proper bouy and easily lost a minute or two in the process - then got back on course. I give he and I full props for our honesty. I saw at least 5 other swimmers who did what we did and did not go back - they cut the course. Check out the results - anyone with super fast swim times probably cheated. Losers.

Bike: The other reason I wanted to go in wave #1 was to see how many miles it would take Aussie to catch me on the bike. With my extra slow swim, it didn't take long. He caught me a mile 7. So, I decided to see if I could pace him. I was able to and learned that legal drafting can definately benefit. I stayed about 4 bike lengths behind him for about 10 miles. There was definately a difference in the amount of work I was doing. At about mile 17, I passed him and the HR was much higher. He and I ended up coming into T2 within seconds of each other and ran out of T2 shoulder to shoulder. A lot of climbs on this course - AND it ran long - definately not a PR course.

Run: All who did this - what can you say other than flippin'
HOT. This is the first time that I've been so overheated that I took my top off and begged to get sprayed down at every opportunity. For me, this was the toughest Olympic run ever, but only because of the heat - the course itself isn't bad at all.

Post-race: I was actually pleased to see so many people look like sh*t after this - that indicated to me that it was a brutal race and not just my problem. I felt ill for the next couple of hours until Dave, Rob, and I got our traditional post-Vermillion Big Macs. YES !

Kevin F. - major congrats for completing your first OLY here - I know you've trained hard all summer for this one.

md