Portage Lakes Triathlon - Race Report

Portage Lakes Triathlon - Portage Lakes State Park
Akron, Ohio

Rolled out of bed at 6am. Breakfast of "Organic" Frosted Mini-Wheat's cereal and orange juice. My race started at 8:30am. That was cool, but so was the weather at 38 degree's. Took 25 minutes to reach Portage Lakes course. Lucky I got close parking place to transition area. Unloaded my bike and tri gear quickly. Zoot tri backpack was super smart purchase 5 months ago. Really helps me stay organized on race mornings when I'm half asleep. Chit chatted with my training and racing buddies on course. We all commented how it was freaking cold weather. By race start time temperature was 43 degree's. I put my wetsuit on which felt nice and toasty. Feet were really frozen. Water was warmest thing on the course. When I got in the water my feet warmed up. This was my coldest tri to date in 6 years of racing.

[International Distance Race - All 2 laps]

Swim - 1,500 Meters (00:37:54)
Key component of my race strategy was to go all out for swim course. Worked very hard since May on swimming. Swimming has never come naturally to my mind and body. Huge progress though with stroke and endurance. Much room for growth still. Ready to go. Start of race I couldn't breath right. I wasn't loose and relaxed at all. Should have warmed up. Next cold race I will. There was this plant life just beneath surface of water. Only way I can describe it was similar to being caught in a fishnet. After 5 minutes my swimming and breathing was in synch. My race time after 1st lap was 18 minutes. I thought either swimming extremely fast or course is slightly shorter than 1,500 meters. Turns out was combination of both. Near end of the swim I felt strong. Swimming last year was exhausted before I jumped on bike. End result for 1,500 meters - new PR for swim by 15 minutes.

Bike - 23 Miles (01:20:42)
Removing the long sleeve wetsuit is very slow process. T1 needs practicing for next year! Bike course is a mix of flats, slight hills and couple steep ones. I was trying to go fast on bike since I didn't want to sprint the 10K run. Drank bottle of orange flavored Gatorade Endurance and ate a blueberry Cliff bar. Took 2 Hammer Endurolytes too. Saw the "free range" chicken sign - means end of bike course is near. Side note: I've biked by that area 3 occasions and have never seen chickens roaming the fields.

Run - 10K (00:50:34)
Time to suck it up or whimper like the caged chickens. I need sub 3 hour race to close out the fun filled tri season. Knew I had to hustle. Felt solid first 4 miles, but wasn't burning up the run course. With 2 miles to go was concerned sub 3 hour wasn't going to happen - like my sub 6 at the Greater Cleveland Triathlon Half Ironman. Last mile I sprinted and hauled to finish line - 2007 triathlon season over at 02:58:29 hours!