For all of you who love race formats outside of the standard distances … or at least may be interested in trying the road (and trails!) less traveled … check out the Battle of Waterloo in Michigan (close to Ann Arbor) http://epicraces.com/?event=battle-of-waterloo-coming-back-in-2014 It’s an incredibly well organized race very similar to the by now legendary Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) Tri. You will run on double-track and single-track trails and swim across beautiful lakes. The catch is that the race will only take place if they have 150 people registered by May 1. Right now … there are only about 50 people signed up. I have done the race twice in the past … driving over 10h from Long Island and loved it. So refreshingly different from the same old 70.3s and similar … not only in terms of distances but also in atmosphere. True grass roots event a la American Zofingen and similar. Highly recommended.
Anybody signed up for it yet? Let me know if you have any questions. I am not affiliated with the race … other than that I really like this event and would hate to see it die.
Looks fun but I’m doing Lake Placid the following week. I definitely have races like this, SOS, etc. on my radar for the future though.
This sounds cool but the logistics get me. After the first bike, how do I begin running? Are my shoes already there or do I carry them after the first run?
This sounds cool but the logistics get me. After the first bike, how do I begin running? Are my shoes already there or do I carry them after the first run?
The logistics are part of the race. You’ve got to carry everything you need with you through the legs.
I used two pairs of run shoes.
First run on racing flats.
Another pair of run shoes already on bike in dry bag. (dry bag so they will float, not to keep them dry, cuz they won’t be for long)
Park bike at second (different transition) and run to water with run shoes in bag.
Swim accross lake.
Put run shoes on and run to second swim
Leave shoes on to swim since it’s only a quarter mile.
Run to third swim
Put shoes in floating bag, swim accross lake.
Run back to bike
Bike back to first transition, carry run shoes however you want
Put on shoes used in first run for final run
This race takes most people over 4 hours, some 5 hours, the fast guys like baliman will do it in 3.5
jaretj
That’s a fairly strong excuse 
Good luck in LP and see you at SOS or BOW some day.
Looks fun but I’m doing Lake Placid the following week. I definitely have races like this, SOS, etc. on my radar for the future though.
Hey Jaret … how come I didn’t see your name on the entry list? Did I miss it?
For anybody new to this race … listen to Jaret … old pro at BOW … and it’s in his backyard. Using two pairs of running shoes rocks. But I prefer a different strategy:
Use nicely cushioned shoes for the first and last run. The entire race is somewhat run-centric and I like the extra shock absorbing in the beginning and end of a race.
For the second pair to be used on all other run segments, pick the lightest shoes with the least material that you can get away with (it’s all trails so a racing flat works for most).
Shove this second pair of shoes into the back of your tri suit before the first run. When you get to the first transition, simply drop the first pair of running shoes and hop on the bike.
I don’t bother with dry bags for the swim because shoes will get wet anyways and racing flats hold almost no water (and it will speed up transitions tremendously). I have tried swimming with shoes on several times at SOS … always had big regrets no matter how minimalistic my shoes were.
Anyway … don’t overthink the logistics … particularly when you do the race for the first time. Figure out what you like but the reality is that the race format is so much fun that you won’t mind dealing with shoes. And the race is really well supported with more aid stations that you could possibly use.
Stefan
I used two pairs of run shoes.
First run on racing flats.
Another pair of run shoes already on bike in dry bag. (dry bag so they will float, not to keep them dry, cuz they won’t be for long)
Park bike at second (different transition) and run to water with run shoes in bag.
Swim accross lake.
Put run shoes on and run to second swim
Leave shoes on to swim since it’s only a quarter mile.
Run to third swim
Put shoes in floating bag, swim accross lake.
Run back to bike
Bike back to first transition, carry run shoes however you want
Put on shoes used in first run for final run
This race takes most people over 4 hours, some 5 hours, the fast guys like baliman will do it in 3.5
jaretj
Hey Jaret … how come I didn’t see your name on the entry list? Did I miss it?
For anybody new to this race … listen to Jaret … old pro at BOW … and it’s in his backyard. Using two pairs of running shoes rocks. But I prefer a different strategy:
Use nicely cushioned shoes for the first and last run. The entire race is somewhat run-centric and I like the extra shock absorbing in the beginning and end of a race.
For the second pair to be used on all other run segments, pick the lightest shoes with the least material that you can get away with (it’s all trails so a racing flat works for most).
Shove this second pair of shoes into the back of your tri suit before the first run. When you get to the first transition, simply drop the first pair of running shoes and hop on the bike.
I don’t bother with dry bags for the swim because shoes will get wet anyways and racing flats hold almost no water (and it will speed up transitions tremendously). I have tried swimming with shoes on several times at SOS … always had big regrets no matter how minimalistic my shoes were.
Anyway … don’t overthink the logistics … particularly when you do the race for the first time. Figure out what you like but the reality is that the race format is so much fun that you won’t mind dealing with shoes. And the race is really well supported with more aid stations that you could possibly use.
Stefan
I used two pairs of run shoes.
First run on racing flats.
Another pair of run shoes already on bike in dry bag. (dry bag so they will float, not to keep them dry, cuz they won’t be for long)
Park bike at second (different transition) and run to water with run shoes in bag.
Swim accross lake.
Put run shoes on and run to second swim
Leave shoes on to swim since it’s only a quarter mile.
Run to third swim
Put shoes in floating bag, swim accross lake.
Run back to bike
Bike back to first transition, carry run shoes however you want
Put on shoes used in first run for final run
This race takes most people over 4 hours, some 5 hours, the fast guys like baliman will do it in 3.5
jaretj
I haven’t signed up for BOW cuz I’m racing Xterra this summer and I’m still unsure of scheduling. If there is a gap I’ll be there.
The first two years I did the race I shoved the shoes down the back of my shorts and that worked well. What worked the best was to stick them down far enough and tie the drawstring to keep the drag down. I did the bag thing last time and it was about the same. I’ve got another idea to try out but I have to make it, if I can get it to work I’ll let you know.
I practiced swimming accross a local lake to see how wearing the shoes slowed me down. It was about a minute for a half mile, that’s why I just did the second swim with them on.
I chose flats for the beginning and end runs cuz those were the smoothest surfaces. The roads with rocks bothered my feet so I wore some trail flats last time. Those required a little more room than my shorts allowed, that’s why I went with the bag. Gonna try out those NB Minimus shoes I have out there and see how they do.
jaretj
Xterra is cool … but then there is BOW 
Hope to see you at the race (and that BOW will be on).
As for shoes … all you need is a pair where the heel is flexible and can be bent down (NIKE Mayfly were the best). With elastic laces … it cannot take more than 5sec to put them into your suit/shorts
I really like the sound of this race. It’s only 1:45 from my house. The problem I have is my hometown has a Triathlon that I do ever year, and that’s on July 19, the day before this event. I’m not sure I could swing it (not so much from a recovery standpoint, because my hometown race is a sprint - but more from a “taking a whole weekend away from the family”, which I just don’t do much if at all).
Question: Obviously people go sockless on the middle runs? I assume so, because running in soaking wet socks wouldn’t be very fun would it? that would seem to make good drainage and light running shoes very important…
I’ll have to try them out. Hope to be there too.
jaretj
That looks great. But with IMC the next weekend, I will have to pass for 2014. Thanks for sharing as I didn’t know events like this existed.
Yes … sockless. Drainage is not the problem. All shoes drain. In fact, you don’t want to use shoes with drain holes (largely a marketing ploy) because little rocks, sticks, etc will get stuck in there … making the run pretty uncomfortable (I have tried it). The key is to have shoes with very little material that can hold water. For instance, Saucony Kinvaras work really well … providing lots of cushioning without taking on much water. Zoots, some Nike Frees, etc are similar.
I really like the sound of this race. It’s only 1:45 from my house. The problem I have is my hometown has a Triathlon that I do ever year, and that’s on July 19, the day before this event. I’m not sure I could swing it (not so much from a recovery standpoint, because my hometown race is a sprint - but more from a “taking a whole weekend away from the family”, which I just don’t do much if at all).
Question: Obviously people go sockless on the middle runs? I assume so, because running in soaking wet socks wouldn’t be very fun would it? that would seem to make good drainage and light running shoes very important…
I really like the sound of this race. It’s only 1:45 from my house. The problem I have is my hometown has a Triathlon that I do ever year, and that’s on July 19, the day before this event. I’m not sure I could swing it (not so much from a recovery standpoint, because my hometown race is a sprint - but more from a “taking a whole weekend away from the family”, which I just don’t do much if at all).
Question: Obviously people go sockless on the middle runs? I assume so, because running in soaking wet socks wouldn’t be very fun would it? that would seem to make good drainage and light running shoes very important…
Another difference between me and baliman, but then remember he finished quite a ways ahead of me.
Last year I wore a pair of Asics Fuji Racers on the middle three runs which have drain holes and won’t pick up rocks because of the way they are designed. I put on socks right at the beginning and never took them off until I got on the bike the second time. I swam with them on too. To keep debris off of them before putting shoes on I made sure I put my shoes on while standing in a couple inches of water.
I’m going to try out the Mayfly’s like he suggested though and see how I do sockless.
If you get your hands on Nike Mayflys … not an easy task as they stopped production long ago … you really want to caulk the drain holes with silicone. The shoes are absolutely brilliant … but were designed for the road and everything and his grandpa will get stuck in there when you run on trails … particularly rocky ones like at the SOS. I used them at my first BOW without silicone and I pierced my foot with a stick through the drain hole. The following year with silicone worked like a charm.
I really like the sound of this race. It’s only 1:45 from my house. The problem I have is my hometown has a Triathlon that I do ever year, and that’s on July 19, the day before this event. I’m not sure I could swing it (not so much from a recovery standpoint, because my hometown race is a sprint - but more from a “taking a whole weekend away from the family”, which I just don’t do much if at all).
Question: Obviously people go sockless on the middle runs? I assume so, because running in soaking wet socks wouldn’t be very fun would it? that would seem to make good drainage and light running shoes very important…
Another difference between me and baliman, but then remember he finished quite a ways ahead of me.
Last year I wore a pair of Asics Fuji Racers on the middle three runs which have drain holes and won’t pick up rocks because of the way they are designed. I put on socks right at the beginning and never took them off until I got on the bike the second time. I swam with them on too. To keep debris off of them before putting shoes on I made sure I put my shoes on while standing in a couple inches of water.
I’m going to try out the Mayfly’s like he suggested though and see how I do sockless.
How’s registration looking on this? Seriously considering signing up but it means I’d have to most likely put off racing Steelhead again this year. Sounds like an absolute blast though!
It is an absolute blast. And even better … I heard from the race director that the race will be on even though registration numbers aren’t up there yet.
It is an absolute blast. And even better … I heard from the race director that the race will be on even though registration numbers aren’t up there yet.
Awesome! Provided everything goes well in Boston I’m 99% signing up for this immediately after.
I vaguely remember the area from when I was growing up in Michigan (camped in Waterloo a lot) but what’s the course run profile like, rolling? Also, is it a race or a participation event or a little of both?
First and last runs start on a road then move to an easy trail.
Middle 3 runs are a mix of dirt road and single track trail. Roads are flat to a little hilly while the single track is generally flat to small hills. None of the runs are hard.
For some it’s a race, especially in the beginning but the first bike ride separates the groups very quickly.
jaretj