I noticed there were no reports on this race here so I figured I'd add one. Bottom line, the venue is a blast. The people are awesome and the race is well organized. It is an incredibly family friendly / spectator course as well. Great price also. Hopefully WTC doesn't buy it...
Pre-Race
We (me, wife and three kids) stayed in a golf cabin on the resort. This also had the advantage of being on the run course (more on that later). As a father of five year old triplets, taking care of the family makes for a better race experience all around. Not to mention, there is something to be said about walking three minutes from transition back to your own toilet. Breakfast was normal; it was a nice bonus to see the kids a bit before slipping into my wet suit and walking to the swim start, also an added advantage of pretty much staying on the course. And, it started to rain. Excellent!
Swim: 34:02, 6th AG
The swim was actually good. Last year it was 37 degrees (air temp, not water) when we started. It is a rare thing to see people in 70 degree water trying to stay warm! Anyhow, this year it was overcast and about 70. Much better. Less chop on the water as well. This year however, my Garmin showed the course to be about 250 meters too long; factor in the extra distance and I was able to achieve my goal race pace of 1:30 per 100. I used a Xterra Vector Pro sleeveless suit and it was excellent for the conditions.
I changed my goggles to a set of Aqua Spheres and was rewarded with a clear view of the course and buoys rather than the fogging haze I’d grown accustomed too. As a result, I sighted better and never felt like I went off course. I tend to NS swims and this was no different. I did however, lose a bit of time as I ran into a group exiting the water via the ladders directly in front of me.
This time I applied a healthy layer of Vaseline under my arms and along my flanks to prevent chafing from wearing my M2 tri suit up (under my wetsuit). In Redman I didn’t put any lube on and paid dearly for it with some really nasty marks.
T1: 1:36, 7th AG (about a minute faster than last year)
My plan is always to skip the wetsuit strippers and do my own thing. This year the suit caught a bit on my leg and I had to wrestle it off. Also, my hands were trembling a bit from the chilly water, causing me to fumble with my socks and chin strap more than I would have liked. Frostbite is not a cool weather athlete’s friend.
Bike: 2:31:56, 4th AG
My positive experience of racing in the rain (IM Chatt 70.3 back in May) paid off from a mental perspective as I wasn’t put out by the rain on the course at all. It actually kept things cool and I am very comfortable with my bike handling skills in the wet. It was a bit windy throughout but not crushingly so. No worries with marshals and drafting penalties this time (compared to Redman) as I seemed to ride by myself most of the race. There was one point however, that I was going back and forth with two other riders. At a certain point I realized that if I kept pushing to stay with them I would extend myself further than I really wanted to so I stayed within myself and let them go. It turned out to be a good decision in the long run (no pun intended).
The course is really pretty (some of the same roads as IMTX). The roads are decent for the most part until you get on the northern half and are greeted by some really rough chip seal. I’m glad I didn’t flat. Overall, the ride was uneventful. My goal was to push an uncomfortable pace that would still leave me some legs to run with. (I think I pushed a bit too hard at Redman and paid for it). The terrain is mostly rolling hills but nothing major. My Garmin showed about 1900ft of climbing.
T2: 53 seconds, 1st AG
Ran in, racked the bike, put my shoes and hat on, grabbed my belt and ran out. Probably the smoothest transition I’ve ever had.
Run: 1:30:32, 4th AG
I figured since this was the last run of the year I’d push it a bit more on the way out than I normally do. It was still raining. I run in Adidas Adios Boost shoes with Yankz. The drain really well and don't turn into sponges. The course was three laps; my goal was to do each lap in 30 minutes or less and that is pretty much what I did. My wife had the kids right by the start of the run so I could stop and kiss them; this is a critical component of my nutrition plan. Part of the course was on mushy grass. While some people lamented this I tended to embrace it as I felt like it gave my legs a reprieve from the concrete of the cart path. I tend to try to find grass wherever I run so this was a bonus. By the third lap the section around the convention center was slop on the left of the cones so I ran on the right. No issues there.
The course is fairly flat with a few gradual inclines as you head up the golf course and one very tiny incline when you run through the golf cabin section. Overall my Garmin showed about 380ft of climbing. The course is almost entirely on paved cart path with some sidewalk, road, and the short grass sections around the convention center.
In the middle of the run I had to pee, causing me to slow my pace just enough to do so. Yes, I pee while I run. What a time saver! Anyhow, after that I kept running the best I could as I was starting to really have to dig deep due to my aforementioned push at the beginning. Two things motivated me: first, the golf cabin we stayed in allowed my wife to sit on the back porch with the kids and cheer me on every lap. What a huge mental boost that is! Second, there was a fellow that had started to gain on me and I really didn’t want to give up my spot. So, I steadily picked up my pace over the last few miles, running my final three miles in 6:55, 6:47 and 6:38 respectively. It hurt but it was worth it.
Finish: 4:39:02, 2nd AG, 11th overall
My finishing time this year was nearly 17 minutes faster than last year (4:39 compared to 4:55). I was about a minute and a half slower on the swim but 16 minutes faster on the bike and a minute faster on the run. I would say the conditions were a bit tougher this year with the rain and winds so overall I can’t complain. It was a fun race that we (as a family) enjoyed. Ironically, I was also 11th overall last year. I think this shows the increased depth of the field this year, attributable to Oilman being the SMW Regional Championship. For perspective, last year's winning time was 4:32, this year was 4:18.
The RD, crew and volunteers were awesome. It is a great place to end the season.
Pre-Race
We (me, wife and three kids) stayed in a golf cabin on the resort. This also had the advantage of being on the run course (more on that later). As a father of five year old triplets, taking care of the family makes for a better race experience all around. Not to mention, there is something to be said about walking three minutes from transition back to your own toilet. Breakfast was normal; it was a nice bonus to see the kids a bit before slipping into my wet suit and walking to the swim start, also an added advantage of pretty much staying on the course. And, it started to rain. Excellent!
Swim: 34:02, 6th AG
The swim was actually good. Last year it was 37 degrees (air temp, not water) when we started. It is a rare thing to see people in 70 degree water trying to stay warm! Anyhow, this year it was overcast and about 70. Much better. Less chop on the water as well. This year however, my Garmin showed the course to be about 250 meters too long; factor in the extra distance and I was able to achieve my goal race pace of 1:30 per 100. I used a Xterra Vector Pro sleeveless suit and it was excellent for the conditions.
I changed my goggles to a set of Aqua Spheres and was rewarded with a clear view of the course and buoys rather than the fogging haze I’d grown accustomed too. As a result, I sighted better and never felt like I went off course. I tend to NS swims and this was no different. I did however, lose a bit of time as I ran into a group exiting the water via the ladders directly in front of me.
This time I applied a healthy layer of Vaseline under my arms and along my flanks to prevent chafing from wearing my M2 tri suit up (under my wetsuit). In Redman I didn’t put any lube on and paid dearly for it with some really nasty marks.
T1: 1:36, 7th AG (about a minute faster than last year)
My plan is always to skip the wetsuit strippers and do my own thing. This year the suit caught a bit on my leg and I had to wrestle it off. Also, my hands were trembling a bit from the chilly water, causing me to fumble with my socks and chin strap more than I would have liked. Frostbite is not a cool weather athlete’s friend.
Bike: 2:31:56, 4th AG
My positive experience of racing in the rain (IM Chatt 70.3 back in May) paid off from a mental perspective as I wasn’t put out by the rain on the course at all. It actually kept things cool and I am very comfortable with my bike handling skills in the wet. It was a bit windy throughout but not crushingly so. No worries with marshals and drafting penalties this time (compared to Redman) as I seemed to ride by myself most of the race. There was one point however, that I was going back and forth with two other riders. At a certain point I realized that if I kept pushing to stay with them I would extend myself further than I really wanted to so I stayed within myself and let them go. It turned out to be a good decision in the long run (no pun intended).
The course is really pretty (some of the same roads as IMTX). The roads are decent for the most part until you get on the northern half and are greeted by some really rough chip seal. I’m glad I didn’t flat. Overall, the ride was uneventful. My goal was to push an uncomfortable pace that would still leave me some legs to run with. (I think I pushed a bit too hard at Redman and paid for it). The terrain is mostly rolling hills but nothing major. My Garmin showed about 1900ft of climbing.
T2: 53 seconds, 1st AG
Ran in, racked the bike, put my shoes and hat on, grabbed my belt and ran out. Probably the smoothest transition I’ve ever had.
Run: 1:30:32, 4th AG
I figured since this was the last run of the year I’d push it a bit more on the way out than I normally do. It was still raining. I run in Adidas Adios Boost shoes with Yankz. The drain really well and don't turn into sponges. The course was three laps; my goal was to do each lap in 30 minutes or less and that is pretty much what I did. My wife had the kids right by the start of the run so I could stop and kiss them; this is a critical component of my nutrition plan. Part of the course was on mushy grass. While some people lamented this I tended to embrace it as I felt like it gave my legs a reprieve from the concrete of the cart path. I tend to try to find grass wherever I run so this was a bonus. By the third lap the section around the convention center was slop on the left of the cones so I ran on the right. No issues there.
The course is fairly flat with a few gradual inclines as you head up the golf course and one very tiny incline when you run through the golf cabin section. Overall my Garmin showed about 380ft of climbing. The course is almost entirely on paved cart path with some sidewalk, road, and the short grass sections around the convention center.
In the middle of the run I had to pee, causing me to slow my pace just enough to do so. Yes, I pee while I run. What a time saver! Anyhow, after that I kept running the best I could as I was starting to really have to dig deep due to my aforementioned push at the beginning. Two things motivated me: first, the golf cabin we stayed in allowed my wife to sit on the back porch with the kids and cheer me on every lap. What a huge mental boost that is! Second, there was a fellow that had started to gain on me and I really didn’t want to give up my spot. So, I steadily picked up my pace over the last few miles, running my final three miles in 6:55, 6:47 and 6:38 respectively. It hurt but it was worth it.
Finish: 4:39:02, 2nd AG, 11th overall
My finishing time this year was nearly 17 minutes faster than last year (4:39 compared to 4:55). I was about a minute and a half slower on the swim but 16 minutes faster on the bike and a minute faster on the run. I would say the conditions were a bit tougher this year with the rain and winds so overall I can’t complain. It was a fun race that we (as a family) enjoyed. Ironically, I was also 11th overall last year. I think this shows the increased depth of the field this year, attributable to Oilman being the SMW Regional Championship. For perspective, last year's winning time was 4:32, this year was 4:18.
The RD, crew and volunteers were awesome. It is a great place to end the season.