Race Report: 2012 Greeley Triathlon

Even if Greeley were not the town in which I grew up, this race would hold a special place in my heart as being the site of my first complete triathlon. Since the race is so well run and such a pleasure to do, it holds an even more special place.

Training has been going pretty well for me this year, so I was anxious to test my mettle in conditions more ideal than those from the Summer Open Sprint three weeks ago. It’s not exactly an apples-to-apples since Greeley is a shorter sprint, but close enough for my purposes.

Pre-Race:

As my wife and I made our way to Greeley mid-morning Saturday, we immediately noticed the column of smoke rising from somewhere in the mountains west of Fort Collins. It didn’t look to serious at the time, but this would blow up later in the day and is now being called the High Park Fire and is, as of this writing,  the second largest forest fire in stat history. Obviously, I was concerned about what all that smoke could do to the race, but there was not much I could do about it.

The race director, Jim Fuller, conducted a series of meetings on Saturday as people were picking up their packets and previewing the venue. Some were even swimming, running or riding though I personally would rather save the day before for rest. Jim did a nice job of succinctly pointing at all of the relevant information and answering questions. I really do appreciate the focused, but low-key approach he’s taken for this one.

I got to bed around 9:30 and asleep by about 10:00, ready for an early morning. Just before 3 am, I was awoken by the sound of wind that could have been a freight train. I looked out the window and saw trees blowing all over the place. Not good. This was what we had in Longmont three weeks earlier. Frustrated, I tried to put it out of my mind and go back to sleep. Since I can’t control the weather, there was no point in letting it rob me of some needed rest.

My brother, also competing in the race, and I loaded our bikes up right around 6:00 am and made the easy ten minute drive from our parents home to the race venue which is an office park on the far west side of Greeley.

The wind was still blowing but perhaps not as hard. It was still pretty cool as well…say around 55*.  I knew it might be unpleasant as I waited for the start but once I got going, I would be fine. Being too cold has rarely been a problem for me.

We arrived in transition to discover that body marking and chip distribution had not started even though it was after 6:15 and the first wave of races were slated for less than an hour. A volunteer told us a “decision” about the race was still pending. So we set up our bikes but left our transition bags packed. While we waited, the sun rose above the huge smoke cloud, the temperature improved and low and behold, the wind calmed. Shortly thereafter, the announcement was made; the race was on though anyone who wanted to opt out of the swim could do so. More on that later.

Once I got my body marked and my chip, I set up my transition area, donned my wetsuit from the waste down (it was now too warm to zip it all the way up) and headed over to the swim start area. This race is the site of the USAT Regional Junior Championship (ages 16 – 23) and they also host a shorter race for ages 13-15. Those two went first in a mass start.

With this being my second year, I knew how the line-up would go. It’s in reverse number order which is basically also reverse age order. From there, races start time-trial style, with one person going about every 3-5 seconds.

The Swim

My turn to start came quickly and I felt a lot of nervous energy as I approached the platform. Having taken most of the week off, I think I was champing at the bit to get going again. Then it was time to tell the timer my number (which he entered in the timing computer) and then have the starter tell me “go.” I dove in (literally though I don’t think I got any style points) and was on my way.

A lot of my open water swims have been characterized by hypoxia within the first few minutes as my heart rate tries to catch up. I could feel this coming on so I slowed my stroke just a little bit and tried to put it out of my mind. You’re in good cardiovascular shape, I told myself. This should not be a problem. That seemed to work because I didn’t feel out of breath the rest of the way.

The lake in which the swim portion takes place is very clear and clean (I’ve been told before that the water is nearly drinking quality) and it was also in the low 70* range which meant no shock. I didn’t do a perfect job sighting as the map below shows, but I didn’t swim too far out of range either. During the entire swim, I passed several and I don’t believe I was passed by anyone else.

Greeley is, so far, the only race I’ve down with wetsuit strippers. I needed a couple of seconds to get my Garmin off my wrist and then I just got on my back and voila, the wetsuit was yanked off by two big guys. I thanked them and high-tailed it for transition.

The Bike

Having had a pretty lousy transition in my last race, I wanted to get through this one quickly. I got to my bike and decided that I would skip socks for the ride. I could decide to put them on or not when the run started. At 2:19, it was a little faster than I had planned, but not bad. I ran the bike out to the mount line and was clipped in and headed out a few seconds later.

This year’s bike course included more riding within the Promontory office park itself and that meant a couple of sharp but manageable turns around traffic circles. I felt a little winded, but mostly strong as I navigated these and then it was time to head out onto the open road portion of the race.

Much to my pleasant surprise, I was able to climb to a pace over 25mph and maintain it which was more than I was hoping for on the flatter sections of the course. A right turn took us down 95^th Avenue including probably the biggest descent of the whole course. I barely hit over 30mph before having to slow down for a hair-pin u-turn that sent us back the other direction on the same street, but now going up hill. Since my two big rides on the previous week, most hills just don’t look all that daunting. I was up this one and back out onto West 10^th Street in what felt like just a little bit of time.

I continued to make better than expected time before I came to the first really sustained climb of the course. At just over 5.8 miles complete, you start a steady climb from 4094 feet to 4162 over the course of 0.9 mile. That makes for a grade of only about 1.4%, but it’s enough to shave a few mph off your speed. As I crested the hill, the wind which had been holding off suddenly gusted and I didn’t pick up much speed on the backside. It was just a gust and though it was in my face for most of the rest of the way, I still felt okay.

By this point I was out on Highway 34 and climbing a gradual but longish hill that lead to the south entrance to the park. Then another hill in the park and that was followed by a flat stretch back to transition. I didn’t notice at the time, but I was about two minutes ahead of where I’d hoped to be.

The Run

I dismounted easily enough and was running back to my section of transition. I had considered not wearing socks for the run, but I had also developed a couple of blisters during the preceding week and decided I’d better protect my feet. I probably took 15 seconds to get the socks on, but I think it was worth it. T2 timed out at 1:45 which was more than the 1:30 I planned, but not disastrous either.

I usually feel pretty winded as I start the run and while I was working, I also think I have a lot more cardio-conditioning that I did last year. That’s not to say that my HR didn’t spike a little and that I didn’t have to struggle to pick up my pace, but I also didn’t feel like I was going to suffocate. That’s always a good thing.

The problem I did encounter was cramps. First, it was on my side on the lower part of the right rib cage. Then the pain moved to the area just below the sternum. It was pretty easy to tie the pain with my respiration rate and my uneducated guess is that my breathing was irritating something. It hurt, but I felt like I could run through it.

Despite the pain, I was consistently keeping my pace under 8:00 per mile, well under in certain areas. It seemed that most of the people who were passing me were younger and those that were older were not in my age group. I didn’t know how long I could keep up the pace, but each step forward meant that much less time I had to commit. This was a lot like the BolderBoulder two weeks prior where I figured I ought to bank as much time at the front in case things broke down later.

Fortunately, they did not and I stayed strong. With the finish line less than 0.2 mile in front of me, I kicked the pace up to a sub 7:00 mile and went across the line strong. I felt pretty good. Looking at my net time of 1:03:36, I was really pleased.

My bro and I waited around for a while to see the results. Both of us ran at times that would have won the age division the year before. But then that was last year and you never know what the field will look like from one year to the next.

When the results came in, I was very happy to see that I had finished third in my age division. My brother did even better with a second place finish thanks to his smokin' run time. I’ll grant you that there were only five participants and one of them appears to have either opted out of the swim of DNF’d, but I still beat the next closest person by a couple of minutes and more importantly, I shaved over eight minutes off of last year’s time.

For my success, I was awarded a white cow bell indicating my podium status within the age group. This race just got a little nearer and dearer to my heart! It’s truly an honor to get rewarded for what I did and it's really cool that both Johnson boys placed in this one. This race is off the beaten path and in most fields, I’ll soon return to my MOP status, but today, I got to stand with the winners and I have to admit, it feels pretty good.

The Race Review

The Bad:

I feel like an honest review of the race needs to contain some criticism. No one is perfect. However, as I rack my brain, I can’t come up with anything. The organizers were facing several challenges this year including high wind and a massive forest fire. The decisions they made regarding the race were thoughtful and focused on safety, first and fore most. Try as I might, I can’t really come up with anything constructive that isn’t completely nit-picky. It’s rare on this blog, but the Greeley Tri gets an A+ in my book this year.

The Good:

Information: Lots of detail on the website, a pre-race meeting, a director who was more than happy to answer any and all questions all made this one of the most informative races you can do. No guessing about where the bike course would go. No wondering where the aid stations on the run would be. Where you swam and how you started were abundantly clear. They’ve been doing this one for several years and have learned well from past year’s mistakes. I love being able to know all I can before a race. No one else has delivered this the way the Greeley Tri did.

Course: The swim, transition, run and bike all work well for the venue and the size of the field (around 230 registrants and 158 finishers this year). The time trial start makes for a less crowded lake. I had no problem passing folks and there were no traffic jams around the buoys. The bike was not so spread out that watching the drafting rule didn’t come into play, but I was able to pass or be passed without issue. Likewise, there was no threat of anyone running into me as I dismounted. The run goes on the sidewalk for part of the race, but again, the field was thin enough that there were no crowding issues. Even better, for the most part, the run and bike are flat and fast.

Support: Entry fees go almost entirely to local organizations that send people out to volunteer for the race. That means a high school cross-country team that comes out to hand out water or strip wetsuits gets some money back to their organization. This drives lots of people out to provide help and support and it shows. In addition, the Greeley Police Officers Organization (presumably their union) is a sponsor so off duty officers are at the major intersections protecting the safety of the athletes and the integrity of the race. That’s a really big plus.

Intangibles: There are multiple factors that make this such an enjoyable race. Competitors of all abilities and levels of experience are made to feel welcome so whether you’re a hotshot riding a fast bike with carbon race wheels or the last person in riding an old ten-speed, you’re treated with the dignity and respect that everyone who competes in triathlon deserves. Winner’s names and hometowns are announced as they cross the finish line and volunteer hands you an iced towel, a big bottle of water and a medal when you do. The race is organized and supported by the Greeley Triathlon Club and their pledge of a race by triathletes for triathletes is evident. These folks know what they want in a race and they deliver it on race day.

I occasionally hear a knock on the sprint distance. It’s short, it’s over in around an hour and you often find yourself pushing far harder than an endurance athlete might normally expect. This is true, but I still find it’s a great way to get back into the season. You can fine-tune your transitions, get used to the multiple event environment and, if you’re lucky, maybe even snag a spot on the podium.

With that in mind, I’m inclined to return to this event again. My hat’s off to the organizers of this race. I know they work very hard at it and their effort shows on race day!

With this one in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to get back to hard training. The next event will be much more difficult, the Boulder Peak including its treacherous 15% climb on Olde Stage Road. More riding, running and open water swimming are planned. More posts to come.

Going Back to Greeley

Last year at this time, I was sure that the Summer Open Sprint would be my introduction to the sport of triathlon. But then high levels of e coli in the lake forced the cancellation of the swim portion and the event was converted to a duathlon. As a result, the Greeley Triathlon became my first three-sport event and what an impression it made.

Even before I had registered, it had advantages. My parents live in Greeley, all of about 2 miles or so from the race site. I grew up in Greeley and was familiar with the terrain for the bike and run portions. It’s still about the cheapest entry fee out there at $55.

Once I arrived at the venue on race day minus one, my positive impression was improved. The director conducted a complete and informative pre-race meeting. Packet pick-up was easy and took little time. We had full access to the entire venue so it was possible to see everything up close (except go for a swim, but you can’t have everything!).

On race morning, things continued to impress me. Parking was plentiful and nearby. The “time trial” start to the swim made for less of a washing machine effect which was indeed a blessing. The finish experience was great including the iced towel and running under the giant gorilla.

So with all of that, going for it, the decision to run this race again was an easy one. I have now registered and added another countdown alongside the other races. At this point, there’s just one left to consider, the Rattle Snake on August 19. I’m leaning more toward doing this one. Again a familiar venue and closer to home than any race I’ve done to date.

There’s a lot more coming soon. I’ve officially started my 20 week training plan leading up to the HITS 70.3 on July 29. The GoPro should also help a lot in illustrating more of my posts as well.

Thanks for reading!

Race Report - Greeley Triathlon

The first race is in the books! After something like eight months of waiting, I finally know what it is like to do a triathlon. I'm pleased with how I did and very anxious to put more under my belt.

The pre-race set up was at the race sight and included a meeting which was more of a Q&A session. This was particularly nice because, this course, like all courses, had its own nuances. We were briefed on a couple of particularly tight turns and the safety risks associated with them (things like crashing or pulling out in front of cars doing 70 on the highway). We also got a summary of how the swim course would work. Unlike the more typical mass wave start, this race used a time trial start due to the relatively small size of the lake.

Once that was done, we were free to roam around the lake and transition just to get a feel for the place:

The transition area sits empty in anticipation of the next day's race



Giant rubber duckies mark the swim exit



My bro and I agree...Chamois Butt'r is no good on toast!



Once we were set we did a spin around the bike course just to be familiar with the hills, turns and twists. I've been over it a few times on Google street view, but seeing it first hand is helpful. Then it was home for rest, more water and pasta for dinner!

Race morning started at 5:00 am. Since my parents live less than 5 miles from the course, it was a nice short drive and it was time I was able to spend sleeping rather than driving. That's always a plus.

We were at the site before 5:30 and though it did not officially open until 5:45, we were able to get into transition a little early and set up:

Then it was off to body marking. Since the last event was a duathlon, this was a new experience, but no problems. Both upper arms were marked with my number along with the back of my right hand. My USAT age was written on my right calf.

Earlier, I had mentioned the decision to forgo the wetsuit given an anticipated water temperature of 70*. However, a couple of factors lead to a change of mind. One, a group of volunteers would be serving as wetsuit strippers. That's something I've never heard of outside of an Ironman event. All I'd need to do was get the suit stripped down to my waist, sit on my butt and let them pull it off of me. Then get up, take the suit back and run to transition. Additionally, the guy there setting up the buoys recommended it for the sake of speed. Decision made, and it felt like the right one.

So after loitering around transition and making the requisite bathroom stops, I put on the Body Glide and pulled the suit halfway on. It was a little cool still at this point, but it would have been too warm to pull the suit all the way on.

It was shortly after this that I noticed my ankle strap containing my timing chip was missing the chip. It had apparently come loose from the strap. Not good. I found a coordinator and she and I went to the tent for Flatirons Timing where the guy running the show there was good enough to do an exchange. I was given a new chip and he scribbled down the change on a sheet of paper. Hmmm...well he's the pro at this, not me so I figured he'd get it covered.

This year's race was the site of the Rocky Mountain Region Junior Championship and that race, along with a shorter version for 13 - 15 year olds were set before us. Due to some issues on the bike course, the start was delayed. Finally, after about 30 minutes, the younger kids did there version. Once the last of them was out of the water, there were a few minutes to spare before the championship race went. All of this gave me the benefit of watching the swim course before my start.

Not long after the last swimmer in that wave went, it was time for our group to start. I had heard a call a little earlier for higher numbers to line up near the finish line, but my number was lower. The time trial start was in sequential numerical order which meant reverse age order. The first guy in the water was 82 years old! After he went I realized there was only about 50-some numbers between his and mine. But I had not heard a call for our number group. I suggested to my bro that we head over and sure enough, there were all of the lower numbers lining up. We made it, but with less than five minutes to spare.

So now I'm set. I'm standing in line with guys about my age, nearly all of us in wet suits and a line that is moving up one position about every five seconds. There was no mat at the start, just a race official and the time who had brought some kind of manual key-punch device with him. More on this later, but keep in mind that the number that was being read to the timer by a race official was the one on the right hand.

Probably not going to win any awards for this dive, but it my goggles and cap stayed on and the shock of the cooler water was minimal. I easily got into my rhythm of bilateral breathing every third stroke and siting on the buoys by looking forward every 9 -12 strokes was proving to be pretty easy. Then something really surprised me. I started catching the guys who had started in front of me.

Through all of my swimming, I've almost always been the slow guy in the pool or the lake. I've been able to swim since childhood, but swimming with form and technique are new to me and it's probably never going to be my forte. Nevertheless, there I was catching a number of people with relative ease. I went by several and there may have been one or two passing me, but not many. Granted everyone I went past was older than me or at the oldest, my age, but still, I was cutting through the water with ease. The wetsuit made me feel like I was the keel of a boat and I seemed to glide through the lake.

I finished the swim strong, was helped up onto the finish ramp and ran for the wet suit strippers. I was fumbling with the velros strap on the neck to strip down to my waste when one of them helped with that. Within 14 seconds or so, I was out of the wetsuit and running into T1.

I had decided to leave my jersey on the bike rather than swim with it. I was wet and it didn't go on cleanly. I probably lost 15 seconds messing with that. Otherwise, I got out of there with relative ease and clocked a 2:27 T1.

My feet did not go into the peddles all that easily but after a couple of tries, I was in and peddling out of the bike start, heading for the series of turns and traffic circles that made up the early part of the course. After completing those, I was out on to the business route of US 34 and crusing through a flat to downhill section.




Going back by the transition area on my way out to the highway



I had hoped to be faster through here, but I was putting a fair amount of effort into it all the same. My cadence was about 92 rpm which is faster than a lot of training rides, and, from my understanding, fairly close to the ideal range. I figured I was still over the average pace I anticipated so I'd just roll with that.

About four and a half miles in I hit the first serious hill, but I went after it fairly well. I had to balance my desire for a good bike time against the need for energy on the run.

Unlike SOST three weeks earlier, drafting rules were more applicable. The former was a three loop course so were always in the process of passing or being passed. This was a single loop course so there were lots of both, but it was more spread out. As I made the turn back west off of 83rd Avenue onto 20th Street, I came up on a guy who was a little slower than me, but not a lot. I was also passing him as I went by a group that might have included an official. At the speed I was going, I had to attack the pass more than I would normally be inclined to do. So I kicked up the cadence a little bit and went by him. It felt pretty good. More so as many more guys on high end TT bikes blew by me.

To this point, my pace was pretty good. I had a couple of slow spots, but overall, I was riding right about where I wanted to.  Then came 95th Avenue. Until a few years ago, this was just a dirt road and today it's the next best thing, A somewhat paved road with no lane markers, very narrow and pretty bumpy. It also represents some of the steeper, albeit shorter hills on the course. It definitely threw me off my pace. In addition to that, it features a U-turn on a narrow road that is the next-worst thing to coming to a stop. However, everyone has to deal with it and I did as well.

Turning off 95th Avenue to the US 34 by-pass route was the danger turn we had been warned about. Cyclists had to stay within the cones or they would be pulling in front of highway traffic and would also be disqualified on the spot. That proved to be no probem for me. I was moving, but the turn was easy at my speed. The climb up on the higway was long, but not very steep and even had a slight downhill section. Then it was up back into the business park where the race was being staged. This too was a steep hill and I knew despite best intentions, my bike pace would be slower than I hoped for. I did manage a little speed as I rolled in to T2:

The T2 was typical of a lot of my bricks. Unlike the SOST Du, I had to put on socks. I just can't run without them and a few extra seconds means no blisters so I think it's worth the trade off.

That said, I feel like I did okay with it and soon was running out. I worried about putting the Garmin on the wrist strap as I went and I'm sure that saved time. This run started out like they all do after a bike--I felt exhausted. More specifically, I felt like my heart was pounding out of my chest and I could not catch my breath. Fortunately, past experience taught me that my body would catch up and after about a quarter to half a mile, it did.

This was a great course to run since the first three quarters of a mile are on a gentle downhill. That allowed me to run a sub 8:30 pace which was great. I was hoping I had a good swim, and seemed to, but I also new I had a few minutes on the bike to cover. After that first stretch of down hill, I made a right turn and headed up a fairly steady and drawn out up hill. It was nothing like the monster on the SOST runs, but it was enough to push my heart rate back up and slow down my pace. However, I was still running ahead of my goal.

It was an interesting course in that it wound back inside itself so as I was going out, others were coming back in the opposite direction. The field was pretty thin however, so there were no traffic issues. In addition the bikes were still coming in, but they were well separated on the left side of the road so again, no issues.

The turn around was near the finish line which can be a little frustrating since you're hearing the finishers called but you still have nearly two miles to go. Fortunately, it's at this point that you get to go back down hill for quite a stretch and I felt better as well as saw my pace improve. Before long, a left turn put me back on the same hill I had run down at the start, along with a little in and out loop and then I was running around the swim lake on my way to the finish. I had wanted to finish stronger than I did in Longmont three weeks earlier and though I was breathing pretty hard at this point, I also knew I could stride out the finish. I did and it felt good:

And this is the very cool finish line that was set up:

Right between his legs and then you're done. There were refreshments and iced towels and that was most enjoyable as it had gotten pretty warm by this point.



Upon looking at the results, we also learned that my bro had not only placed, but won the 40-44 age group. He beat the next closest person by a comfortable 21 seconds. As for me, well it should have been about 9th out of 16, but more on that in a second. Given my brother's win, we stayed around for the awards ceremony. Then it was home for some much needed/desired beer and a barbecue!

Race Review

I have some criticisms, but I want to say up front that I think the race organizers did an excellent job. This was a well-run event and I had a blast. I'm glad this ended up being my "official" introduction to the sport and I plan to be back next year. I would also, without reservations, recommend it to anyone who is looking for a sprint early in the season.

The bad:

**Timing -After initially not getting a swim time, it later posted so despite having run with a replacement chip, all was well. What's more, I was actually the second fastest swimmer in my age group.
Pre-start communication - The call for everyone with number 238 and higher to line up lead me and my brother to believe that there would be a second call for lower numbers. I might have missed that, but I don't think so. There were a lot of participants and spectators about. You need to make those calls clearly and probably repeat them.

The Good:

Pre-race communication - The days leading up to the race included multiple e-mails with details, water temperatures, etc. I like being kept up to date and this was helpful. I never felt out of the loop.

Venue - A great sight for a race. The lake was small, but a short swim course is kind of cool and great introduction to rookies like me. In addition, the transition area was spacious and the run and bike courses offered great scenery, interesting challenges and above all, a good location for our family to watch us race. It means a lot to have your own cheering section.

Course support - There are apparently close ties between the Greeley law enforcement community and the race. As a result, several off-duty officers showed up to man the turns on the race and keep us all safe. They did this voluntarily for no pay. That's one of the more commendable things I've seen at a race and I tip my hat to all of them. There were also a lot of volunteers manning the run turns and of course, the wet-suit strippers. That was a very nice touch!

Race-swag - Not a ton of stuff, but what I got was pretty cool. It included a big red reusable grocery sack, the iced towel (suitable for transition) and a  pint glass from the local Crabtree Brewery. There was no beer on site, but they did give you a coupon for a free glass at the brewery.

Door-Prizes - I didnt' win any, but they had some pretty cool stuff including Rudy Project sunglasses and Road ID gift certificates. There was also a lot of it and several people got a little something extra for hanging around after the race.

Overall, I think this was a great race. While I look forward to the challenge of longer Olympic distance events coming up, I still plan on coming back next year. As I mentioned before, this is a great one to check out early in the season.

Today's a rest and recovery day and tomorrow morning I'm back in the pool. Thursday is a quasi-race as I'll be in Boulder for this week's Stroke & Stride event which is a 1500m swim followed by a 5k run. Lots more swimming, biking and running ahead in the next six weeks so plenty of posts coming up as well!

**A side note, even though I'm no longer a first-timer, I'm keeping the blog name for now. Although not official, I may have one or two followers out there and I don't want to lose anybody with a URL change. Next year, I'll see about an update and will do so with plenty of advanced warning.

Ready to Go!

It's been quiet in these parts recently so I apologize for going so many days without a post.

I've had a fairly easy week after the big ride on Sunday. I got one more short 15 miler on the trainer Tuesday and that's been about it. My attempt to swim laps on Wednesday got skunked by lightning--they would not let me in the pool, and on Thursday between a sore knee and hamstring, I decided a three mile run was really not going to do any good.

I had a couple of good strength days, but the tri training has been very light. I think I'll be better off for it.

In about an hour or so, I'm heading up to Greeley where I'll attend the 2:00 pre-race meeting and pick up my packet. My brother and I are also going to drive the bike course just to get a first hand look. We grew up in Greeley, but didn't spend any of that time around the course which lies mostly along the western town limit.

Pre-race e-mails have indicated a 70 degree water temperature so I'm still planning on swimming sans-wetsuit but it's going to make the trip just in case I change my mind. Not wearing will probably shave as much as a minute off my T1 and that seems like it's worth it.

Other than the meeting, there's nothing much to do but wait--not my favorite thing. However, I'm excited, I'm ready and by the time I make my next post, I'll no longer be a First Timer triathlete.