As I have done so many years in the past, I kicked off another triathlon season with Epic Races’ Island Lake Triathlon on Saturday, June 1. This was my sixth time doing the Olympic distance race at Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton. Returning to a race that is so familiar is one good way to ease any nerves about getting back into the triathlon routine for another summer.

I also helped myself feel prepared by doing my own personal triathlon at Stony Creek Metropark a few days before the race. I knew it would be wise to get in the lake with my wetsuit once prior to this race. That’s when I refreshed my memory about things like keeping the wetsuit neck fastened as loosely as I can so it doesn’t chafe. Since I knew I needed to get a bike ride in too I figured I may as well do all three triathlon segments and run as well. It helped me gather all of my gear and reassure me that I know what I’m doing.

I got to Island Lake just after 6am and collected my stuff without any wait at the packet pickup table.

It was in the 50s first thing and I was a bit cold so I prepared some of my stuff in the warm car before heading out to the transition area.

Triathlon rules sort athletes into age groups based on their age at the end of the year, meaning I’ve moved on to the 45-49 age group this year…even though I’m not quite there yet! There were racks for my age group in two aisles so I found a free spot and started sorting my stuff. My biggest concern was that it still felt cold so I wondered how I would feel catching the cold breeze on the bike after swimming. I debated using a windbreaker then decided I’d just brave it. That was really the only thing I stressed about which isn’t too bad!

Sometimes the sun can make it hard to spot the buoys that mark the swim course and it always looks a bit confusing to me at first. Once we went through the pre-race meeting it all made sense though.

I got in the lake for a couple minutes to warm up before the meeting. The water was said to be around 72° and I didn’t struggle with the temperature at all. My sleeveless wetsuit was perfect. I like having more range of motion for my arms, but the buoyancy of the full legs is a game-changer. As usual, Greg Sadler and his team of photographers got some awesome shots.

I really wasn’t too anxious as we went through the pre-race meeting and got ready to start the swim. All Olympic athletes lined up together from fastest to “less fast” and I’m always a little iffy about where to line up when there aren’t any kind of pace signs. I’ve learned that I tend to place in the top quarter of the swim so I didn’t want to start too soon but didn’t want to start behind slower people. I kind of gauged based on the looks of people. I could just sense that some of the guys looked like they could be fast and tried to line up behind them!

Swimmers started one-by-one a few seconds apart which really helped avoid congestion. I must have seeded myself appropriately because I had plenty of space nearly the whole time – no worries about swatting someone else’s feet or having the same done to me! I was a bit winded to start and it took a few minutes to settle and get more comfortable.

One amazing thing about the race this year versus past years is that seaweed levels weren’t an issue. Sometimes there has been enough seaweed to affect how the swim course was set up. In the past we’ve had to do a couple loops for the Olympic distance and run around a buoy on the beach between loops. We always get a head start, but once the sprint and mini sprint athletes get in the water, there can be congestion by the end. The lake was nice and clear this time so we got to do one loop which worked SO much better.

I was able to spot the first couple buoys without a problem but struggled to see the third one that marked our first turn. I knew I could keep following the people in front of me and just hoped everyone was on track. It took a while but eventually I saw it. Once I made that turn I didn’t have to worry about swimming toward the sun and everything else was easier to see. I had to watch for other people a little bit at the two turn buoys, but I didn’t face any real congestion and was able to keep moving smoothly the whole swim. It ended up being a great swim and my time for around 1500m was 24:53. That was fast compared to what I’m used to swimming in the pool and I’m convinced that the wetsuit works magic for me!

When I practiced with my wetsuit a few days earlier I got it off over my ankles fairly smoothly and was relieved because that usually costs me time in transition. Unfortunately I was back to my old ways during this race and although I got the right leg off smoothly enough, I really struggled to get the left leg off. I hung my wetsuit on the bike rack only to realize it was dripping on a bunch of my stuff that I’d need later. I took a few seconds to shift my stuff around so it wouldn’t get soaked. I went to put my helmet on and realized I hadn’t taken my hair out of a bun yet and still needed to do that. I finally got it all together and started to run my bike out of transition when a volunteer noticed that I had dropped my chews out of my back pocket. She knew I’d need those later and went to grab them for me. That was very kind of her and cost me a few more seconds. My first transition time is never very good but it felt like I was especially scattered this time. It seemed like my swim was fast enough that I still had a little head start going out on the bike.

While I had worried about being cold it wasn’t even an issue. I’m glad I didn’t add an extra layer that I could have regretted!

After doing this race so many times and always doing two loops of the course I’ve gotten familiar enough with the bike course. I know that there are a few rolling hills and spots where I have to work a little harder but it’s all manageable enough for me even when most of my training occurs on pretty flat routes. The course was a little different this time due to road construction just east of the transition area. Usually we go out to the west, turn around, then go past transition and add some distance to the east. That part usually wears on me because there must be a gradual climb, plus there can be cars heading in and out of parking around there. This time we just added more distance out to the west. It included a hill but it wasn’t anything too bad. I still think I preferred climbing the brief hill versus what I usually feel on that other segment of the course.

One loop down, then back out for a second loop. There are always a few people who like to whiz by a little too closely without giving any warning but the ride was all good otherwise. I had some songs stuck in my head that kept me distracted a little bit. Watching riders on the opposite side of the road helped too. In the few situations when I passed people, I often liked to give them encouragement. Usually it’s ME getting passed though!

I had a Picky Bar halfway through my second loop and struggled a little bit to get it out of the wrapper. I managed to eat the whole thing though and drank a little water from one bottle and Skratch electrolyte mix from the other.

All went well until I was just outside of the parking lot that took us back to transition. The roads are open to traffic and a car was in front of me. It was crawling along because a couple bikes were in front of it and we were coming to the closed part of the road. I didn’t want to try going around the car not knowing which way they would head from there. I had to just coast along and wait it out until I could finally go. I was kind of annoyed but what can you do?

The bike route came up as 24 miles on my Garmin which was just under 17 mph in 1:25:26.

When I dismounted my bike and ran it through transition, I had that instant “oof” feeling. Running off the bike never feels great! I took my helmet off, grabbed a hat and my race bib, and got out of transition in 53 seconds.

The start of the run was rough for me. I felt like I was crawling and I developed a side stitch. I was really hoping that wasn’t going to be a problem because I had six miles to run. I drank some of my electrolyte mix from the bottle in my running belt and made an effort to try to breathe enough, hoping I could shake it. It stuck with me for a mile or so and luckily it began to fade after that. I ate one of my chews that has extra sodium in it and hoped it might help too.

Just like the bike course, I’m familiar with the run course after doing the loop so many times. We get one nice downhill as we head on the path into Kensington Metropark, but then we have to climb it on the way back. We get a steep downhill stretch on the grass as we head toward the finish line, but climb a little as we head back out for the second loop. That climb could be worse though – some years in the past we went up a steep grassy hill that was brutal. Now we head out on a path that is more manageable. Still, I realized there’s a gradual climb for the first half mile of the loop because it slowed me down each time.

I started to feel a little better during the second loop although I questioned how I’ve run faster other times in the past. It felt like so much effort and I wasn’t even going “fast” for me. Of course it’s harder at the end of a triathlon but I also haven’t had much of a speed mode for the last couple of months.

I was distracted by people running on the opposite side of the path and watched out for walkers, runners, and bikers on the Kensington stretch of the course where it got a bit busier. It made me smile a couple times when I crossed paths with Dawn, one of the other Epic Races ambassadors. We cheered for each other which was fun.

After cautiously flying down the grassy hill, I picked up the pace for the finishing stretch. Greg Sadler got a whole series of nice finishing photos.

I finished the run in 50:50 and my watch says I got just over six miles. I finished with an overall time of 2:45:29 which was right in the range of what I had guessed I might do.

When I saw the heart rate info after the race it definitely lined up with how rough I felt during the first loop! It seems crazy high considering how I wasn’t even that speedy, but now it’s pretty clear why I couldn’t go any faster!

My treats after the race included an egg and cheese wrap, pancakes, a cookie, and an ice cream sandwich. Good stuff!

I spent a while chatting with my buddy Greg Sadler when he was in between photographing finishers. It was nice to catch up and I was there to cheer for Dawn as she finished. Angela, who coordinates the Epic ambassadors, made the smart suggestion of getting a photo of the two of us together.

It’s been fun to share the Epic love as an ambassador. I felt like I was able to contribute even more with this race by reaching out to some of the first-time triathletes. A few of us took on the opportunity to check in on people who said this was their first race to see if they had questions. I connected with a bunch of people and was able to answer some of their questions and provide some advice. It was fun to connect with people who are just getting into this crazy sport and nice to feel like I may have helped a few of them feel more comfortable in any small way.

I stopped by the awards table before heading out because I had placed first in my age group. I wondered how I’d do in the new category and it turns out I did really well because I was the only one in it! Out of the two racks of women in my age group it’s hard to believe I was the only one who did the Olympic distance. The others must have done the sprint, mini-sprint, duathlon, relay, etc. Even though I didn’t have any competition, I was excited to place first because it meant I scored a pair of the new Epic sunglasses!

My first triathlon of the season was a great way to kick things off between the perfect weather and a solid race. Now that it’s happened multiple times I’ve come to the realization that the run isn’t my strongest segment in a triathlon like I used to think – I keep placing higher in the swim. I’ve actually been enjoying the swim segment the most as well. It helps that it happens first when I’m freshest. Running is still my favorite but it sure gets more challenging after time on the bike.

Just like last year, this tri was a good trial run before taking on the half iron distance in Grand Rapids a week later. It will be my second time tackling that distance and I don’t know that I’m properly prepared for the bike segment. It looks like I’m still going to go for it though and I’m sure I’ll manage to push through somehow.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz