Hi everyone...
We are 5 weeks out and counting. I hope you are as excited about the race as I am. If you know anyone who has even a slight interest in multisport racing, this is the race for them to make the plunge. We are doing everything we can to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable day. Same day registration, at this point, is still going to be allowed. But the 275 athlete cap holds. I’d rather folks registered in advance. Plus there are some savings involved.
For the more experienced in the bunch, much of what I am including in this message may be old news. I’ll start kicking in more site specific information in the upcoming messages.
Let’s cover a couple of the basics. First the swim. If you are new to the sport or relatively inexperienced with open water swimming, to say nothing of a wave start with a few dozen others going at the same time as you, now is the time to prepare. I can’t stress enough the importance of pre-race preparation and training to make your race goes smoothly. The more time you spend with open water swimming right now, the better. Yes wetsuits are allowed, based on USAT rules (page 8 Sec 4.4). Chances are extremely good that wetsuits will be allowed without penalty. If you are using a borrowed suit, swim with it well in advance of the race more than once to make sure it fits you ok and you can get it off without issue.
Expect water temperatures in the upper 60’s to maybe low 70’s. Yes that is cool but far from the danger point. And with a 400 yard course you will only be in for a short time. Portage Lake is part of a unique connected chain of small lakes in the area with a constant flow of water moving through. Not enough for a current or anything though. The weather conditions and amount of sun in advance of the race will be the primary factor in water temperature. We will have an area off to one side of the course where you may warm up in the water race morning. I strongly recommend that if you plan to warm up, do it in the water, not on your bike or by running. Get acclimated with the conditions that you will first overcome in the event, not the last.
The bike portion of the event promises to be a wild and crazy ride for everyone. The faster the wilder. Once you head out of the resort and head north on 24th, you only have one right turn for the next 4 and a half miles or so. The east side of the course offers more fun. There are ten turns from that point back to the resort. All require your attention up ahead to the angle of the turn. A couple are more along the lines of “sweeping” curves. I’ve seen more than my share of athletes go flying off the road on similar curves by not paying attention and holding too high a speed for the conditions. Be aware and alert.
Units from both Kalamazoo and St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Departments are assisting us with traffic control around the course, to say nothing of quite a few volunteers to help guide you along the way. I’ll also have large painted turn indicators on the pavement. This course is flat. There are some minor grade changes but nothing you would look at as a hill. Those of you who have done the Sylvania Triathlon near Toledo will think you are on a shortened version of that course. This is more scenic though.
Check your bike out and put some miles on it before the race. We will have bike tech support from Breakaway Bicycles & Fitness on hand, but please look to them for last minute issues that pop up, not to help with things that should have been handled before arriving. You should always have a bike repair kit with you. It includes a spare tube, a pre glued patch kit, a couple tire levers, and a Co 2 inflator or even a small hand pump attached to your bike frame. Then you practice changing front and rear tubes. There are tons of how to videos online. Here is an example.
You absolutely need to know how to do this and ride properly equipped. I laugh at some folks who say they would never carry a kit during a race since changing a tube or repairing a flat would put them out of the running for an age group or overall award. Oh...and the kit will slow them down too. That’s just so far out in left field it isn’t funny. A small kit tucks up under your saddle and out of the way. In no way does it affect speed. Here is a link to a photo from a now closed bike shop. It is among the best examples I can share with you. My kit is a near mirror image of that one. You are self-supporting in terms of your equipment on the course regardless of whether there is a bike support vehicle to pick you up. And the next time you are on a training ride with others and someone breaks down but doesn’t know what to do...who becomes the hero?
Mountain bikes are fine. Please don’t think you need a high end road or tri specific bike to do a race. You may not be as fast, but you can certainly go the distance. Borrowed bikes quite often lead to issues, whether it is with fit, familiarity with operation, or several other factors. If you use a borrowed bike, be sure you have ridden it enough to know it will be okay for you on race day.
Bring a water bottle with you on the bike...and drink. Water is perfectly acceptable. Sports drinks are ok too. But your hydration and nutrition patterning in advance of the race will have a significantly greater impact on your performance race morning than slamming a bottle of Gatorade 15 minutes before the start.
The run course may be revised this next week. The resort has opened up a section of trails in a wooded area along the south edge of the property. I’ll be out there over the next two weeks trying out variations before deciding. But like the bike course, it is pretty much flat. There are some minor and slightly more pronounced grade changes in the trail area but nothing huge or long. The grade changes are mostly just getting from the transition area up to the normal elevation for the area.
That’s it for this one. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have questions or need something. Now is the time to get these things addressed.
Train hard...race well.
Jim Mishler
888-818-9918
racedirector@doubletimetri.com
