Race Report: Buffalo Triathlon (MN)

On Sunday I raced in the Buffalo Triathlon in Buffalo, MN The event had both long course (1.5K/40K/10K) and short course (0.25mi/12mi/3mi). There were 5 waves of long course (~200 racers) and 12 waves of short course (~600 racers).

The event had no prize money but the race director had attracted a few pros by paying for their travel. Doug Friman won in 1:52:02 over Brian Lavelle in 1:52:58. Becky Gibbs-Lavelle won the women’s race in 2:01:58.

The water was cool - upper 60s - I was glad to have my wetsuit. The swim was fast. Perhaps it was a bit short. I was expecting a time around 24 minutes based on recent pool swim triathlons. I guess the wetsuit makes a bigger difference than I was figuring and I swam 22:02. Doug Friman swam the fastest split of 16:59. Does that sound about right for a top pro with a wetsuit? Becky Gibbs-Lavelle swam the top womens time of 17:50.

The bike was on gently rolling county roads through farmland and around lakes - big ring the whole way. It was pretty crowded at first as I was starting the bike with a lot of short course racers from waves 10 and 11 (I was in the last long course wave). The short course bike was a subset of the long course. After about 8 miles, the short course turned back toward town while the long course turned the other way to add more miles but it returned to that same point and finished with the short course for the final 4 miles. I had trouble catching my breath initially but then rode well starting at about mile 4. I rode a 1:05:29 split for an average of 22.7mph.

The run was an out-and-back 10K. I suffered. I have not been running much and it showed. I felt OK for the 2nd mile but from that point on I was battling a side stitch. I ran a 47:52 for a total time of 2:18:21.

Full results are here http://onlineraceresults.com/event/view_event.php?event_id=766

Doug Friman swam the fastest split of 16:59. Does that sound about right for a top pro with a wetsuit?

It sounds right for a ITU guy. Never heard of Doug Friman but if he can’t swim with the top guys in a ITU field, it means that that was a little short…

Looking at the results the whole race seems a bit off. I’d say 1,3 K on the swim, 38 K on the bike, 9,5 K on the run. I’m looking at the results of the first women. Vanessa Fernandes who just won his second ITU World Cup in a row, won the race in 2:04:xx and we are talking here of a ITU race with every inch measured.

But hey that’s just me guessing…

It sounds right for a ITU guy. Never heard of Doug Friman but if he can’t swim with the top guys in a ITU field, it means that that was a little short…

Doug Friman won the ITU race in Tempe, AZ last year in 1:46:57 http://www.duathlon.com/articles/3463 and 4th in this year’s edition which was not ITU http://www.duathlon.com/articles/3839

Becky Gibbs-Lavelle recently won St. Anthony’s in 2:01:59. It’s no longer an ITU race and it’s not draft legal anymore, but she beat the likes of Barb Lindquist, Susan Williams, and Michellie Jones http://www.duathlon.com/articles/3813

I looked at the Madrid World Cup results and I think that bike was way long.