by milesflyby

Ann Arbor Half Marathon Recap

*This year’s medal for the Ann Arbor Marathon*

I debated whether it would be a good idea to run the Ann Arbor Half Marathon this year since it fell a week before the Detroit Free Press Marathon – my goal race this fall. My training schedule called for a 12-mile run with half of it at marathon pace that day anyway. It would just be an extra mile and I’d aim to be smart and not “race” it. Yeah right. I decided to sign up after I received a discount code from Epic Races for participating in one of their other races. I knew I really wanted to do it since I’ll take any excuse to get back to the land of the University of Michigan and because I’ve enjoyed the race so much the last three years in a row.

I basically cancelled out the discount by opting to pay a fee to have my bib and shirt mailed to me. The half marathon requires people to do that or to attend the expo the day before the race. I was able to make it to the expo last year because I had plans to catch a concert in town and stay overnight. Otherwise, it really doesn’t make sense for me to drive an hour out to Ann Arbor then an hour back home on Saturday, then do it all over again on Sunday. I’m thankful I had the option to have my packet mailed to me.

Just like last year, I went to a concert the night before the race. This time it was in Detroit rather than Ann Arbor so I drove home afterward and probably got around 4.5 hours of sleep since I left the house by 6:00 the morning of the race. It’s the sacrifice I’m willing to make when I love both music and running and want to do it all!

One bonus for having the race on a Sunday is that street parking is free. I got to town an hour before the race started and was able to find a spot a couple blocks away. I made a bathroom stop, did a half mile jog to warm up, then dropped warm clothes at gear check about 20 minutes before the 8:00 start. It was in the high 40s and I was concerned I might be cold standing around in a t-shirt while I waited, but between my jog and the anticipation of the race, I was fine. I lined up in the corral early enough to situate myself right by the pace group I hoped to follow. Last year I hit gear check later and faced a line, then it was hard to get where I wanted to be in the corral and I started farther back than I should have. I learned my lesson for this year.

I knew I should be disciplined with my pace since I was in taper mode for the marathon. My goal marathon pace is around 8:00/mile so I figured I could stay behind the 1:45:00 pacer for at least half of the race and maybe go ahead after that if I felt good.

We started in small waves every few minutes to help ease congestion and I went off near the front of the second wave. The wave start was especially helpful for coping with a tight spot around road construction in the first mile.

*If you look closely enough you can spot me, always smiling for photographer Greg Sadler!*

I’ve only had success sticking with a pace group a couple of times but this wasn’t one of those times. Despite being a couple people behind the pacer in the corral, I lost him immediately in the bustle of the start. I was able to get moving at my ideal pace fairly easily and ran the first mile in 7:51 yet I still couldn’t catch the pacer.

Last year we started an hour earlier in the dark which I believe was due to a request from the city so the roads could open up earlier. It also rained during that race so I didn’t take photos along the course. I made up for that this year by taking tons of photos of the scenic route. Fog kept us from seeing much of a sunrise but it was still pretty running past the Michigan and State Theatres through downtown Ann Arbor.

Prior to the start, race director Eva Solomon made an announcement about a narrow spot due to construction. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that until later because the guys next to me in the corral were talking so loudly I couldn’t hear anything she said. As we ran down State Street, we shifted to the sidewalk to get around the torn-up portion of the street. It didn’t get too clogged thanks to the wave start staggering runners every few minutes.

*The course narrowed for a brief stretch on State Street*

The inconvenience was fairly brief. We crossed over by the art museum and soon enough we were back out on the road running past the scenic law quad.

*Another perspective of the law quad, thanks to Greg Sadler Photography*

One of the perks of this race is getting to run around the campus of the University of Michigan, my alma mater. The only running I did during my time there was around the indoor track at the gym so I enjoy getting to run around a little chunk of campus now that I’m a “real” runner.

*Running past a building that didn’t exist when I went to school there!*

After a couple miles we worked our way out to Geddes Ave. which has some rolling hills. One of my fastest miles of the race was the fourth mile when I gained a lot of momentum running downhill. Each time I run that stretch I think about how I ought to get out there when I’m training for the Boston Marathon because it can help simulate the quad-pounding downhills of that race.

*Rounding a corner on Geddes, about to head down a hill*

*The map and elevation, which shows the drop a few miles into the race*

The foggy scenery was kind of nice as we ran past a golf course.

We ran along Huron River Dr. for a stretch before heading down to a path that runs along the river.

I have run this race four times and have experienced a slightly different course each time. The core of it has been the same but there have been tweaks every year – probably because of construction in a different spot each time. We didn’t run on as much of the Border to Border (B2B) trail last year so I was thankful this stretch was a part of the course again this year because it’s especially scenic.

*A little taste of fall colors along the B2B trail*

I was halfway through the race when I finally caught up to the pace group. Does it mean I was technically disciplined since I didn’t pass the 8:01 pace group until halfway through the race as planned…even though my watch said I was averaging 7:45/mile at that point? Early on I heard some guys speculate that the pacer might be going out fast to help bank time for the hilly section that would come later. When the course ended up running extra long for me, I realized it was necessary to go faster than 8:01 to actually hit that 1:45:00 time successfully.

*I couldn’t resist taking a bunch of pictures here*

By the time I was halfway through the race the fog had broken and it turned into a pretty day. Thankfully it was in the low 50s which felt perfect to me.

I know things get tough when we approach the hospital 10 miles into the race. There’s a good uphill climb at that point. I had actually been there a couple weeks earlier because my niece Zoe was born there!

A major change to the course this year came when we got to the Arboretum – aka “the Arb” segment. We entered the Arb where we usually exit. Once again, thanks to construction! It got a little congested at this point because the marathon and half marathon runners started to share the course with people doing the 10K.

*Another perspective of the entrance to the Arb*

Taking a set of stairs down to the trail was something new this year. I’m thankful that Epic Races keeps finding ways to adapt each year so we can keep running the race even as construction pops up all over. I’m sure it creates challenges with mapping out the course.

*A blurry action shot flying down the stairs*

The Arb is such a gorgeous part of the race. It was nice to run along a trail through the woods for a bit. The Arb hill is known as the toughest part of the race. Even though we ran a completely different route through the Arb, we definitely still got a hill! It wasn’t one steep climb like we’ve had in the past but rather a longer climb that just kept going. I ran 8:26 for the eleventh mile which was 30 seconds slower than my second slowest mile. It sure was pretty though!

*It was a pretty day for some trail running*

*The climbing helped space people out and I was on my own for a brief moment*

Once I came out of the Arb I had a couple miles to go and got my pace back to where it had been prior to that mile. I had to do a little more weaving around some of the 10K people, and as I got closer to the finish, some 5K people as well.

*Thanks to Greg Sadler’s team for some great photos!*

During the last couple miles I also saw some of the fastest marathon runners going out for a second loop of the course.

*Heading toward the finish on one side of the road as marathoners went back out on the other*

The inconvenience of the construction on State Street was more noticeable on the way back simply because people running each of the races were on the same narrow stretch of sidewalk with a variety of paces. I was able to get by on the left well enough and it didn’t seem to slow me down.

Things opened back up soon enough and I knew I’d get a nice long stretch along Liberty to let loose with a downhill segment helping me out by the end.

*It’s so cool getting to run through this town*

I managed to run a 7:01 pace for the thirteenth mile, then instead of having .1 left, I still had .43 more according to my watch. That was nearly half a mile at a 6:40 pace. So much for being disciplined and taking it “easy.”

*Around the corner to the final stretch*

My official time was 1:43:21 which averaged out to 7:53/mile. Since my watch claims I did quite a bit more, it had me down for a 7:42 pace.

I know well enough that it’s rare for me to actually run the shortest possible distance on a race course even when I aim to run the tangents. My watch is not always reliable either and it showed me running through buildings rather than on the street when we were downtown. It’s typical for me to end up with 13.2 miles in a race rather than 13.1, but going over 13.4 was a bit more extreme. I’m sure construction along the course and a different route through the Arb could have contributed to some of that. It’s just nice to know that I would have been even closer to 1:40:00 minus some of the extra distance.

Mile six is when I found myself actually by the pace group and when I kept it the most under control. I’d been in a rhythm of going faster though, so when someone else broke around them on the left to pass, I took that chance to follow. I was actually fairly consistent for most of the race. That just meant I was consistently faster than I had intended to be on this day! I felt good and it can be hard to hold back.

*A closer look at the medal, which came with a little charm that can be detached*

I went to the post-race celebration area and saw my friend Angie who was helping Epic Races at the merch tent and talked to her for a few minutes. Standing around there only tempted me to buy something, of course.

*I didn’t really NEED another hoodie but couldn’t resist this cozy one in UofM’s colors*

Then it was time to get my warmer clothes from gear check and walk through the food line. I got some of my favorites that Epic always has to offer – pancakes, an egg and cheese wrap, and a cookie.

*Another place to pose – after I got some warm clothes*

I stopped by the awards table and found that I was first in my age group! I could pick a coaster or a keychain and opted for the keychain.

I thought about going to treat myself to some donuts from Washtenaw Dairy and sent a text to my friend Beth to see if she was around. She lives right by the dairy and I stopped to visit her after the race the first year I did it. I lucked out and was able to see her and her family for a little bit before their day got busy.

*Running a half marathon is a perfect excuse to enjoy some donuts from Washtenaw Dairy*

I walked back by the finish line on my way out, thinking about how the marathon finishers at that point were probably around the pace that I would run for the marathon. Now I’ll see how that pans out for me on October 19 when I get my shot. I ran easy the day after the race and felt fine so I don’t think I beat myself up too much. Between the 20-miler at the Fox Valley Marathon at the end of September, this solid half marathon, and some good training, I should be in good shape and will hope everything comes together on race day.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

08.20.25

by milesflyby

Swim to the Moon 5K Recap

*Swim to the Moon: Unsalted & Shark Free*

2019 was the first year that I did the Swim to the Moon 5K with Epic Races and it was such a great experience that I’ve come back every year, with 2020 being the exception due to COVID. That meant that this year was my sixth time so of course by now it has become routine for me. I know I can always use this event to motivate me to keep up with my swimming because 5K is some serious distance in the water. I was a bit disappointed in myself for slacking off on my pool time for much of the winter and spring this year though. With marathons in both January and April, that training took priority and I cut back on my early morning swims in favor of sleep to recover from all of the running. I had some stretches where I didn’t swim for weeks at a time and it wasn’t until later in June when I finally stepped up again with multiple swims per week. In 2023, I swam close to 160 miles from January until this race. I dropped down to around 120 miles last year. If I thought that was disappointing, I was kind of shocked to realize now that I had done just over 60 miles during that stretch this year! It’s okay to shake things up and change priorities throughout the year but I’ll have to see if I can do better going forward. I guess what matters most is that I got some good training in for 8-9 weeks prior to this event which was still plenty of time to be prepared.

One tough part about the routine of doing this race is leaving the house around 4:30 in the morning to get to Halfmoon Lake at Pinckney Recreation Area just before 6:00. Sunday, August 17 was the big day and we lucked out with a pretty great day for it. It’s been a warm summer so I didn’t have to worry about the water being a little chilly like it has been some years. The water was probably around 80° this year! I also didn’t have to worry about shivering before or after the swim. It was in the low 70s first thing in the morning and it just climbed from there. Forecasts had shown possible rain or storms but fortunately nothing materialized and we were good to go.

Packet pickup is an option the day before the race but obviously it doesn’t make sense for me to make that drive. Getting there early usually works just fine. I waited a few minutes to collect my shirt, swim cap, and gear check bag. Collecting my ankle timing chip required a longer wait. In the past we’ve had disposable timing chips and plenty of people had them ahead of time because they went to packet pickup on Saturday. This year the timing company had reusable timing chips that were assigned to people on race morning. I suspected that could cause a delay and I was correct because hundreds of swimmers would be lining up for those in a short period of time. I was totally fine because I was in line by 6:15 and had until 7:00 to catch a bus to the 5K start. However, some 10K people were still getting their chips at the last minute which wasn’t ideal when they were supposed to start at 6:30.

The 10K swimmers start at Halfmoon Lake, swim out 5K, then come back. I usually like to see them take off before I catch a bus out to my start, and this year they were delayed a good 25 minutes. I knew that meant our 7:30 start time would likely be delayed by as much time as a result so I wasn’t in any big hurry.

In the meantime, I was able to find my work buddy Cristian waiting in line for his chip. One day we were chatting at work about all of these crazy races that I do and I mentioned Swim to the Moon. It caught his interest because he used to swim in high school. Next thing I knew, he had signed up! I was a bit concerned because he hadn’t done any real swimming in something like 11-12 years and had maybe a month to prepare? We touched base as he got a YMCA membership and got in the pool a few times. I personally like to prepare as much as I can, so his approach of just going for it kind of stressed me out! Some people can pull that off though! Hoping that he would have a good experience helped distract me from some of the nerves I may have had about my own race.

*With Cristian in the line for timing chips*

I had another distraction because Kim, a friend who I know thanks to Epic Races, asked if I could join her 16-year-old daughter Sydney for the bus ride and hang out together at the beach where we’d start. Kim was swimming a shorter distance and wouldn’t be able to join Sydney at the start and it would be nice for her to have some company. Hanging out together probably distracted both of us from some of our nerves and it was really nice getting to chat with Sydney and learn about the kind of training she does with her high school swim team.

*Heading to the bus with Sydney*. *Photo by Kim.*

*Getting dropped off at North Star Reach*. *Photos courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography and his team.*

The 5K starts at Patterson Lake where there’s a camp named North Star Reach. It’s a place where kids with serious health challenges are able to go and enjoy themselves and the race raises money for the great organization. I gave a little money after I signed up and appreciated my mom for providing a donation as well. Over $19,000 had been raised when I looked the day before the race!

As we walked from the bus to the beach I heard an announcement that things would start at 7:35 and I freaked out. I had been super relaxed assuming the first swimmers wouldn’t go until 7:55 and I’d probably be starting at least 45 minutes behind the fastest people. I wasn’t ready to go yet! I hit the porta potty and realized I better pack my clothes quickly to drop at gear check before it closed. While over by gear check, Sydney found some work friends so I knew she would be good to hang out with them. That’s when I had time for my own nerves to kick in!

It’s possible that the announcement about starting at 7:35 referred to a pre-race meeting rather than actually starting the swim. That’s when race director Eva Solomon went through the logistics. That confirmed what I suspected – we WERE still waiting for the lead 10K swimmers to come through before we’d start. That’s how it has typically worked in the past and why I had been in no rush. If it takes about an hour for the speedy people to get to us, the soonest we would start would be around 8:00. The lead swimmer this year finished his first 5K in an hour and five minutes!

*Race director Eva Solomon leading the pre-race meeting*

Now I was a little anxious because I still had at least 45 minutes to kill and probably should have hung onto my drink and energy chews. I try to plan the timing of my eating and drinking very carefully! I ate a Honey Stinger Waffle at home before I left, a Picky Bar during the drive, another Picky Bar while waiting for the bus, then a couple of caffeine Clif Bloks real quick when I had to leave my stuff at gear check. I drank nearly 20 oz. of Skratch electrolytes during my drive and sipped on some heading to the beach as well. I like to pre-load with electrolytes knowing that I don’t want to cramp during the swim.

In the future, I may just hang on to a disposable bottle, some of my chews, and maybe even a heat blanket from a marathon if I have to drop stuff at gear check by 7:20 but still have to wait an hour to actually start. It wasn’t a cold morning so I was fine and fortunately I seemed okay with my timing for what I ate and drank.

*5K swimmers lined up and ready to start*

Cristian found me during some of that downtime so we got to hang out as we waited to start. I took a few minutes to get in the lake off to the side to warm up and get my goggles ready then I lined up when it seemed like we were getting close to the swimmers who might take 1:40-1:50 to complete the 5K. It wasn’t super structured so I may have started a little early, but that worked better for me than last year when I started later than I should have and got stuck in some congestion behind slower swimmers. It’s a tricky art trying to figure out where to line up when it’s kind of a free-for-all!

Cristian thought he would be quite a bit slower but we still started out together which made things extra fun. It was cool having a friend to share the beginning moments of this crazy thing we were about to do.

I think Cristian had a pretty strong start and we were probably by each other for the first few minutes, but eventually it was hard to tell with other people around and each of us settling into our own paces. It was a cloudy morning at that point which was ideal because it made it easier to spot buoys. The water was comfortable and I didn’t really think about the temperature at all.

I knew where photographer Greg Sadler had set up for photos in the past and didn’t see him there so I wasn’t sure where he might be along the course. I usually like to mug for him when I spot him. I found out later that he had been positioned on top of a bridge. He got some nice shots of the action from up there.

*Swimmers on their way toward a bridge* *along the Potowatami Trail*

You can see a number of people standing because the transition from one lake to another was pretty shallow. I was just barely able to continue my stroke without swiping the bottom, but I’d imagine people with longer arms had more of an issue. Whenever people chose to walk it seemed like they went the same pace as me as I continued to swim so it really didn’t matter which I did. I just told myself that I was there to swim 5K so I wanted to keep swimming.

*Heading from Watson Lake to Halfmoon Lake*

No big smile this time around, but Greg caught me in action as I approached the bridge.

I did pretty good spotting the buoys and staying on track for a while. One thing that messed with me was approaching buoys when we actually needed to turn. There were a couple of buoys that were good for sighting so I knew which direction to aim for, but then I didn’t realize that we actually needed to turn and head into the next lake. I found myself still on track to get to those buoys when I noticed that people were rounding a corner instead of heading straight toward the buoys. I have to be more aware when I do this race in the future so I can cut those corners rather than adding unnecessary extra distance. Although some individuals might swim out of the way and stray from the path of the buoys, if a whole group is headed one way, there’s probably a good chance that I should follow them.

We pass through five lakes in this point-to-point course which is something that makes it extra special. It’s so much more enjoyable than swimming loops around buoys in one lake. Some of the transition spots get a little tricky though. There are the shallow spots, and some spots have pretty thick weeds. Those stretches don’t last very long though before getting back to a more open lake.

I bypassed the first aid station a mile into the race because I’m used to going two miles straight without stopping to drink. I planned to stop at the 2-mile mark for some water. I snuck glances at my watch along the way when I knew I should be past two miles but still hadn’t seen the aid station. I saw a bunch of people standing in the distance and figured that must be where it was. Nope – it was just another shallow spot. This time it was shallow enough that I decided I should walk so I could get some relief from my goggles. They were killing my face by that point and it’s a struggle that I still haven’t managed to resolve. I want the goggles to suction tight enough so they won’t leak, but eventually they start to hurt. I’ve tried what seems like a million different kinds and keep coming back to the Speedo Vanquishers just because I can keep them from leaking more than any of the others.

I took that little break to wade through the water while I messed with my goggles then continued to swim. Just when I thought I wasn’t going to get to an aid station, I realized there was a boat off to the side. I worried that it might take me off course and add distance, but I thought it would be smart to have a cup of water to help avoid dehydration. I held onto the boat, drank, then got going again and realized I was still on track for the next buoy from there.

Halfmoon Lake is where we finish so it can seem like a big relief to finally get there. Yet it probably covers about a third of the swim! It’s not like it’s a quick straightaway to the finish. It’s also where the water got a little more choppy. It wasn’t anything too annoying but it was more than we’d faced in any of the other lakes. The sun also came out by the time I got there. That WAS super annoying because then I was heading straight toward the sun and it was really hard to see the buoys and know whether I was on track. The best I could do was follow people ahead of me and hope they were going the right way.

I held up pretty well throughout the whole swim without any real issues. I decided to pick up my pace when I figured I had 1,000 yards to go. It’s not like I suddenly found more speed, but I definitely felt myself really working.

Eventually I came to a pelican buoy and then a turtle and knew those marked the turnaround spots for people swimming some of the shorter races. Those helped keep me on track and motivated me to keep pushing because I was getting close.

As always, the finishing arch became visible enough eventually.

*Time to stand up and head to the finish line*

*So glad to get those goggles off my face*

My official time was 1:54:05. Out of the six times I’ve done the race, that falls somewhere in the middle of my times, with the best being 1:50:00. That was my very first one and I still haven’t figured out why I can’t seem to improve on that time yet!

Surprisingly, I didn’t stumble when I stood up after being in a horizontal swimming position for so long. I was able to jog under the finishing arch and felt fine. The only thing that bothered me, which hit a little bit later, was some tightness around my neck, shoulders, and back. What I really needed was a good shoulder massage! I was totally fine otherwise though. I got my stuff from gear check, sprayed some sunscreen, then went to check out the food.

Pancakes, cookies, an egg and cheese wrap, and a peanut butter and granola wrap – all of the usually goodies at the end of an Epic race.

I hung out by the finish for a while and as I started to walk away I ran into Cristian who was exiting the finisher’s chute. I must have just missed his finish! I gave him a high-five and was so excited for him. He thought he might take at least three hours and was worried he’d miss the cutoff. He finished in 2:27 and didn’t have to worry at all! We hung out with his girlfriend for a while and talked about our races. Cristian’s shoulder started to bug him a mile into the race so it was uncomfortable for a good chunk of it. Being undertrained probably had something to do with it, but it’s totally awesome that he was able to pull it off. I was relieved that he wasn’t cursing me for putting the idea in his head – he was already talking about doing it again next year!

I saw my friend Dawn and she told me that I had placed fifth in my age group. Epic was giving awards to the top five people in each age group, so I decided I should go check on that. I was shocked because I usually don’t place very high in this race. I’m a decent swimmer when I’m racing against people who are stronger cyclists in triathlons, but when it’s purely a swimming event, I can’t compete. Yet it was confirmed that I was listed as fifth and I collected a little backpack for an award.

I don’t get any cell reception at that park so I wasn’t able to see the results. It wasn’t until later in the day that I was able to check and I found that my finishing time was listed as 1:38. That would have been nice, but there was no way. I knew my Garmin could be off by a few seconds, but I definitely swam 1:54-something, NOT 1:38. I felt bad knowing that I’d probably taken someone else’s age group award but I hadn’t been aware of my supposed time when I collected it. I sent a note to the timing people about correcting my time and I finally saw that it was fixed a couple days later. I was actually 7/19 in my age group and 156/289 overall.

Because I’m totally crazy and Sunday is usually my long run day, I decided I would attempt to get a run in after the swim. I realized that Hudson Mills Metropark was just a few miles down the road on my way back to the highway so it would be the perfect place to go. It was 1:00 by the time I started which wasn’t great with the sun was beating down on me. It wasn’t so great trying to run after eating pancakes and cookies either! It got better as I went though, and fortunately a good chunk of the park’s path has some shade. Somehow I managed a solid 11-mile run. It caught up with me the next day though when I didn’t feel so great.

*A beautiful afternoon at Hudson Mills Metropark*

*I’m glad there’s plenty of shade along the park’s path*

Once again, Swim to the Moon left me feeling very accomplished. Swimming races like this are pretty rare and we are lucky to have such a cool opportunity around here. It sounds like I can count on seeing Sydney and Cristian next year too because as soon as we were done, all of us were already thinking about doing it again!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

08.02.25

by milesflyby

Battle of Waterloo: 10-stage Triathlon Recap

*Like the medal says, “10 legs 42 miles.” Battle of Waterloo is the ultimate triathlon!*

Epic Races truly lives up to its name when it hosts the Battle of Waterloo. It is the ultimate triathlon/adventure race that covers close to 42 miles over 10 stages around the Waterloo Recreation Area in Grass Lake, MI. It’s an opportunity for triathletes to mix things up from the traditional swim, bike, run routine. Instead, people ride their bikes from one park to another, swim across a lake, run on trails to get to another lake, swim across it to go for another run, and so on. Obviously it is quite an endurance event, but it’s also very much a logistical event because people need to carry their gear with them along the way.

While I have done the Battle of Waterloo a few times now (here are my 2021 and 2023 recaps) and it feels like I’ve got the hang of it, it doesn’t make the challenge any easier! I continue to learn lessons each time I do it. At this point I have a couple pages worth of notes to remind me what to bring and how the logistics of each stage plays out step-by-step. I have also taken a picture of my gear each time for a quick reference to make sure I have what I need. My notes came in handy this year when I started to feel pretty stressed the night beforehand. I had been out of town until a few days prior to the race, didn’t get a last practice session in like I had hoped, and didn’t start packing early like I meant to. Going through my checklist and notes kept me very organized, reminded me how it all worked, and eased some of my worries.

*The gear I used for the race, plus my bike that had a couple of bottles*

The picture of my gear is fairly representative of almost everything I took. For this race I like to use a tri suit with sleeves for the sake of more coverage from the sun. Although I put sunscreen on before the start, I know it will wash off by the time I finish five hours later so sleeves will help save my shoulders from sunburn. I have a very large dry bag/swim buoy for packing all of my gear. I wish I could be more minimal but I tend to be an over-packer and like to have my “stuff.” That includes my own fuel, so I have used a hydration vest the last couple times where I can pack the buoy in the main pocket and have flasks with my electrolyte drink (Skratch) plus Clif Bloks (with extra sodium) and a Picky Bar in front pockets.

I always like chatting with athletes at the race to learn how they approach it. I even study some of the race photos afterward because people have their own methods and they give me ideas for things I can change. While I’m more maximal with all of my gear, some people take their swim cap, goggles, and running shoes…and that’s it. They may tuck their shoes into their tri suit during the swim and run sockless with wet shoes. That means they need to make sure those shoes are secure enough so they don’t lose them along the way. I saw a shoe on the road during my bike ride then saw a guy riding the opposite direction who I assumed could be going back for it once he had realized. I saw a swim cap on the ground which obviously isn’t quite so critical, but another guy said he lost his goggles. Some people sling the swim buoy across their body during the bike ride and tuck it or hold it during the run. Others have a drawstring bag or backpack. The key is to train with the gear to hopefully work out any issues. I probably wouldn’t want to hold a buoy while I run and would also need to make sure it doesn’t bounce and annoy me while running if it’s in some kind of bag.

Sunday, July 27 was the big day. The drive takes me close to an hour and a half so I was pretty tired by the time I got to Big Portage Lake State Park around 6:15. I took my stuff to the transition area where we got to choose our own spots on the bike racks then I checked in to collect my packet.

*A fuel belt was included in our packet too*

The race features a “full battle” and “half battle” with the full athletes starting at 7:30. There was a pre-race meeting at 7:15 and I had plenty of time to get ready in the hour after I arrived.

*A drone shot of the transition area courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography. The “full battle” racks are up top and the “half battle” racks are at the bottom.*

I caught up with some friends and did some stretching and jogged for a minute to warm up since the race would start with a run. Although it added weight, I chose to wear my vest for the first run for the sake of not wasting time fumbling with it before I took off on the bike.

We met at the start/finish line to go through a few things then the full battle athletes started with a run. Because the half battle athletes would head a different direction on the bike, they started after all of the full battle athletes cleared out so there would be no confusion about which way to turn.

*The pre-race meeting. All race photos thanks to Greg Sadler Photography.*

*The woman behind me would go on to win*

I had just done Epic’s Tri Goddess Tri at the same park at the end of June. Between that and racing there a number of times in the past, the first run course was very familiar. We had a little time on pavement at the beginning where people spaced out a bit then the majority of the run was on a trail. The run was only 1.6 miles long but that was enough time for the humidity to really hit me. The breeze on the bike would feel nice.

I had a quick transition of 56 seconds since I rode with my running shoes and just had to put my bike helmet on and head out with my bike.

*Heading out of transition for the 2nd leg*

I knew the roads would get rough so I was extremely thankful for the stretch of smooth pavement we had at the beginning of the ride. Some of the roads in the area continue to deteriorate which results in a more challenging ride.

*Smiling on the bike while I had that smooth pavement!*

*A view that shows my hydration pack with the buoy stuffed in the back*

I hardly consider myself a cyclist and I regularly slack off on the bike because I’d rather run or swim. That already put me at my usual disadvantage on the bike leg, and going on vacation leading up to this race didn’t help either. It had been about two weeks since I’d been on a bike. I could get through the 20 miles but it wasn’t especially pretty.

Epic was kind enough to circle many of the bad potholes with paint to help us avoid them. Considering the number of potholes on those roads, that had to take a LOT of work! Luckily traffic out in the farmland was very minimal on a Sunday morning which provided some flexibility for weaving all over the road to avoid the worst stretches. I was even able to ride in the opposite lane when I needed to. I always debate bringing my mountain bike for races in this area and have done so several times in hopes of making the rough ride more tolerable. I didn’t do it this time and fortunately I escaped without a flat. I was gripping my handlebars way too tightly though! I didn’t wear gloves because it would have been one more thing for me to worry about in transition. I did notice one person running with them for the first leg though which may have been smart. My hands were so slippery that gloves would have come in handy.

I made a point of drinking close to 20 ounces of my electrolyte drink on the bike. I didn’t want to cramp during the swims and wanted to stay on top of hydration. The ride was so bumpy that I worried about trying to eat my Picky Bar because it could fly right out of my hands. I managed to scarf down half of one after about an hour on the bike.

I recorded 1:12:59 on my watch, good for 16.7 mph for just over 20 miles. When I parked my bike after the second leg it felt like the racks were especially full. I was convinced that I must be one of the last people. When I was running the fourth leg I crossed paths with some people doing half the battle and it suddenly hit me that they must have gotten to the bike area sooner and that’s why it looked so full. Even though they started about half an hour after the full battle, they only biked 5.8 miles during their second leg.

*The transition area where we left our bikes as we swam, ran, swam, ran, swam, and ran*

I left my helmet with my bike and ran down to the water. It was time to get my swim buoy out of the hydration pack and put the pack inside the buoy. I only needed my swim cap and goggles and everything else went inside the buoy. Between the run from the bike to the water and getting all of my stuff situated, the transition took me 4:53.

*Once I hit the button on my watch I can start the swim!*

After the tough workout of the bike ride, I was really looking forward to swimming – something I enjoy much more.

*Jason Paluchniak from Greg Sadler Photography’s team always gets great action shots in the water*

When looking through my notes for the race, one important thing I had to remember was to inflate my buoy as much as possible. I thought I had but it felt like it was dragging a bit during the first swim. Still, I had a good first swim across Clear Lake. I recorded 17:49 for that leg.

*Leg 3 – I got 820 yards for the swim which is nearly half a mile*

*Deflating my buoy so I can unpack my run stuff when I get to shore*

We were told that the lakes ranged from 78-80° which was perfect for swimming.

*Where we finished our swim across Clear Lake*

*Getting my shoes ready to run*. I put them inside a shoe bag within my buoy which helped avoid getting a bunch of dirt inside my buoy after the trail runs.

My second transition took 2:56. The run from Clear Lake to Mill Lake took us on a segment of the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail. The actual distance may vary because my Garmin may not have correctly tracked me in the woods.

*Leg 4 – I got around 3.6 miles for the run*

That run was pretty decent and took me 34:08. But the BUGS! They were so awful and I was constantly swearing at them to go away. During other run segments I sometimes took advantage of aid stations that had bug spray to share.

My second transition took 3:15 then it was time to swim across Mill Lake – aka “the one with the lily pads.” Only people as crazy as us would swim through a lake like that. As if the lily pads weren’t challenging enough, the weeds in general were really thick. I couldn’t help but think that the swim was the material of nightmares. It was as if the plants were trying to tangle me and pull me under. I tried to mix some breaststroke in to see if it would help but I didn’t figure out any good technique. My arms and legs got stuck at times no matter what I did. I basically waded my way through some parts. There was someone in a kayak who was watching out for us and could help if we needed it and obviously I DID survive it.

*Leg 5 – I got 696 yards for the swim, around .4 miles*

The totally straight line my Garmin recorded for this swim tells me that it probably didn’t pick up my signal very well through all of the weeds and just tracked the start and finish. My open water swims never look this smooth! It took me 13:44.

At that point I had to save the first five legs on my Garmin and start a new program. Garmin only allows five stages for its multisport setting. I spent a minute waiting for it to save and to get my next five legs started. That meant I couldn’t record a true transition between the swim and run, but I can see that it took 2:42 before my pace suddenly picked up.

*What my Garmin recorded for the first five legs*. *26.63 miles covered so far.*

There were enough aid stations along the way between one at the end of the swim/start of the run, one along the way, and another at the end of the run/start of the next swim. I had my own electrolyte drink because sometimes Gatorade is too strong and doesn’t sit right with me. I did grab water at many of the stops though and ate some of my Clif Bloks along the way.

The run from Mill Lake to Crooked Lake took us on the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail again. The trails weren’t overly technical but there were plenty of roots and rocks to watch for and potential ankle-turning spots. By the time I got to the later runs I wished I had been doing regular hill repeats to prepare! As it got warmer, it was especially helpful that we had shade on the trails for the runs. I just could have done without the damn bugs!

Between my swim to run transition and the 2.9 miles of running, I recorded 31:10 for the sixth leg then I took 4:04 to transition to the final swim. I took extra time to make sure my goggles were secure since the final swim was close to a mile long.

The swim across Crooked Lake was especially enjoyable for me. The water was calm and felt great. It just got a little tricky when it was time to stand up and walk my way into shore. Most of the swims didn’t exactly start or end at nice beaches. They were pretty random spots where I would sometimes stand up to walk then change my mind and try to swim in further because the footing was loose or rocky.

*Leg 7 – I got 1,598 yards for the swim, a little under a mile*

Once again, the straight line my Garmin recorded is a little too perfect. It said I swam .9 miles and the info for the race said it was .7 miles. It could vary based on the buoy placement, how much I actually stayed on track, etc. It’s all a rough estimate. I recorded 27:22 for the final swim.

*Watching my footing coming out of the final swim*

I took way too long during the transition, partially because I couldn’t seem to get my swim buoy to fit into my hydration pack. The back pocket is fairly skinny and can be a tight squeeze. It’s one thing I may have to change about my method for future races. I got going on my run after 4:29 in transition.

The run from Crooked Lake took us on some dirt roads with challenging climbs. The last couple times I did the race we ran through a gravel pit which gave us a cool backdrop for photos. It was all grown over with grass this time so it wasn’t as exciting and all I could concentrate on was the huge hill that took us out of that area! That run segment was TOUGH with the hills. I rarely walk during my runs but that changes during this race. After being on the go for several hours the steep inclines on the trails and dirt roads felt especially harsh. I saw people ahead of me walking which made it easier for me to accept that it was the only way I’d get through it. We had another chunk on the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail before we got to Clear Lake Road, which took us back to the park where we had left our bikes.

It was great to be greeted by drummers because that sound told me I was almost to the transition area and that motivated me to keep moving. I finished that run in 33:42.

We were encouraged to stop at the aid station so I grabbed some water, took my hat off and stuck it in the outer pocket of my vest, then headed out on the bike with a transition time of 1:22.

I knew that I could expect my legs to feel wrecked for the start of the ride so I tried to keep it as easy as I could. At least the final ride was on decent roads. I got through the ride in 20:56, which was around 16.1 mph.

The final transition was a quick 49 seconds because I just had to park my bike, swap my helmet for a second hat I had left in transition, then I left my vest behind. It was freeing to run without any extra weight. At least I ONLY had 1.6 more miles to go.

*At least there was a little downhill segment out of transition*

*I told Greg Sadler my smile may have been fake for this last segment!*

The last run went surprisingly well and my watch says my pace averaged 8:49 per mile for 14 minutes. Seeing Angela from Epic Races and Greg Sadler out there a couple times for the final run helped lift my spirits and kept me smiling.

DONE!! I didn’t sneak in under five hours, but I finished in 5:01:47.

*What Garmin recorded for legs 6-10 – 14.5 miles for that portion*

I was pretty shocked to hear that I was the second woman. I really had no idea how I’d been doing out there. The race was spread across so many segments that it was hard to gauge where I stood. I just knew that it felt like a struggle for me but I must not have been alone. This thing is probably hard for everyone! I chatted with another athlete afterward and we both agreed that it felt harder than a half Ironman. Running the hills on trails and dirt roads felt brutal at times. They are both tough challenges and it’s probably hard to compare, but at least on this day it seemed harder!

After getting some food (pancakes, mac and cheese, an egg and cheese wrap, a cookie, and an ice cream sandwich!) and chatting with a couple other athletes, I finally checked in at the awards table. I got a towel for placing first in my age group.

*This was on the towel that I won for an award*

Since this was my third time doing the race, I was curious how I compared to past years. This time I was within a minute or two of my first time when I made it just under five hours. The bike course was cut short by about six miles due to poor conditions the second time I did it so I really can’t compare those results. I feel like I was especially beat up by the hills on the run this time but maybe time helped me forget how brutal it could be!

So many things can happen during a race this long with so many stages. One of the photographers said a lot of people had water get into their buoys. I heard a ton of people talk about suffering from cramping. Some people made wrong turns. If others hadn’t dealt with some of those struggles, they surely could have finished ahead of me. It’s all a part of the adventure though and I was fortunate that things went relatively smoothly for me. As much as I thought I was too slow on the bike or took too long in transitions, it worked out well enough. Although I fumbled around too much trying to get my buoy into my hydration pack, that vest may have saved me from cramping since it helped me stay on top of fueling.

I spent many moments swearing as I dodged potholes, climbed hills, swatted bugs, and tried to untangle myself from weeds in the water. Yet by the next morning I was already brainstorming about how to improve things next time because I definitely want to do it again. It’s amazing how quickly the struggles fade and the sense of accomplishment is what sticks with me. It feels pretty badass to complete something like this and there are few people who even take on the challenge.

Many thanks to the Epic Races team for offering such a unique experience. They always provide such a supportive and welcoming environment for people of all paces. A LOT of work goes into something this involved. The volunteers were also amazing for spending hours at the aid stations on a hot day with bugs surely trying to eat many of them as well.

I always come away from this race feeling like I can accomplish really hard things and I’m very grateful that my body allows me to do this crazy stuff.

*I did it! Another Battle of Waterloo successfully completed!*

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

06.30.25

by milesflyby

Tri Goddess Tri Recap

At first it looked like I might only do a couple triathlons this season – Island Lake Triathlon at the beginning of June and the Battle of Waterloo at the end of July. I didn’t feel super motivated going into Island Lake because I’ve been on such a roll with my running lately that I didn’t want to disrupt that momentum by trying to add biking to the mix. I had a feeling that once I got back to the race environment I’d come around. Sure enough, once my first tri of the season was over I decided immediately that I should sign up for Tri Goddess Tri which would take place a few weeks later on Saturday, June 28. I’m especially partial to Epic Races because they make the whole race day experience so enjoyable. I had raced the Olympic distance with them at Tri Goddess Tri last year and signed up for the same distance again this year.

*A bike jersey for doing this year’s race*

I’ve really loved the races that are a part of Epic’s Goddess Racing Series because the events really focus on celebrating and empowering women. The races can still be plenty competitive if that’s what people are looking for, but there’s also an extra friendly and welcoming vibe. I knew a bunch of women who were going to be there doing the mini-sprint, sprint, and Olympic distances. There’s something for everyone!

Tri Goddess Tri takes place at the Portage Lake Unit of Waterloo State Recreation Area in Grass Lake. It’s an hour and a half away from me so at least the sun rises early enough this time of year that I had daylight for a good portion of my drive. I got to the park around 6:00 and took my stuff right into the transition area where I was able to grab a spot at the end of a rack for Olympic athletes. I was early enough to check in quickly at packet pickup then I had to go catch the sunrise just before the sun broke over the trees.

*Catching the sunrise is always a major perk of early race days*

When I got back to the transition area my friend Angie (who I met thanks to Epic Races) was there so we got to chat as we set up. I didn’t really have any nerves – I just kind of felt “fine” about the day.

*Getting my stuff organized in transition. I always like having some extra room when I can get a spot at the end of a rack.*

*A great drone shot of the transition area courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography. I see me at the bottom right!*

The pre-race meeting on the beach was due to start at 7:15 and I got into the lake to warm up a few minutes before that. Thanks to our recent heat wave the water was 83° – no wetsuits for this one! That’s actually the same as it was last year, although the heat wave continued on race day. We were extremely fortunate for a little break in the heat and humidity on race morning this year. The air was 67° at the start so I actually wanted to stay warm in the water as long as I could.

*No shock to the system getting in water that warm!*

*The pre-race meeting. All race photos thanks to Epic and Greg Sadler and his team of photographers.*

During the meeting I got to see my friend Mary, who I also know thanks to Epic Races. She was doing the sprint distance and because she was camping at the park, she would hang around and I’d get to see her afterward even though I would finish long after she was done. Sweet Stella sang the national anthem and when she forgot some of the words, everyone jumped in and sang the rest of the song together. It was just another example of the supportive vibe that surrounds this race. When it was time to kick things off with the Olympic race, random women gave each other high-fives along with messages of encouragement. I loved it.

*Race director Eva Solomon standing next to Stella*

Just like last year, when it was time to line up for the swim, no one wanted to take the lead. I KNOW there were some speedy women who belonged up there! When it happened last year, I ended up near the front only to have people pass me immediately. Because of that I tried to hang back a little and ended up starting around the fifth wave with two of us starting together every few seconds. I was near a woman or two for the first few minutes, but eventually I found myself on my own so I think I started in the appropriate spot.

*A great drone shot of the Olympic athletes lined up at the start*

One really nice thing about this swim course is that we were able to swim without looking into the sun! So often we swim toward the sun at some point and it can be really difficult to spot buoys. This was one race where I could finally see all of the buoys without any issues. The Olympic distance had two loops to swim and after the last Olympic athlete started the second loop, the sprint athletes started their race. Sometimes the speedy sprinters will catch up to me before I can finish but it didn’t happen this time.

*I love that Jason, one of the photographers, gets right in the water for some great shots.*

*Kind of trying to smile for photos while still moving along*

*Looking up to make sure I’m on track with the next buoy*

There were 20-some Olympic athletes and it was really nice and kind of weird to swim without anyone around me for the majority of the swim. By the time I was halfway through the first loop, the speedy women were WAY ahead of me, and if people were behind me, I didn’t notice. Earlier in the week I did a frustrating lake swim where I had to pause because kayakers were drifting through the swim area and I had to dodge people playing in the water. I told myself that this was exactly what I wanted from an open water swim – a relaxing experience without anyone getting too close! I didn’t have to look up to sight quite as often either because I didn’t have anyone to run into. Later into the second lap I felt like my cheeks were probably pink from the warm water, but it wasn’t that bad and I really enjoyed the swim. There was a brief little patch of seaweed approaching the shore and it was all calm and clear otherwise.

I don’t always know where the transition starts and when to end the swim segment on my watch, but the official results had me down for 28:07. My watch had me at 1,667 yards. According to the results, I had the second fastest swim?! I realize now that’s because at least one or two of the speedy women must have done the aquabike race (with no run) rather than the Olympic race. I didn’t even know what my time was because I was preoccupied with making the long run up the hill to get to the transition area.

Again, because I didn’t know where the official transition timing was placed, my watch and the official results have two different times. I counted the run up the hill as part of my swim and didn’t start the transition until I got to the actual transition area. In that case, I only took 1:27 according to my watch which is super speedy for me. Not having a wetsuit makes it a whole lot faster! Officially, I was down for a 2:58 transition.

Like everything in the Olympic race, I had two loops of the bike course next, and like the swim, I was on my own…at least for a while. It wasn’t until I approached the turnaround for the first Olympic loop that I finally saw the leaders riding the opposite direction. I was pretty surprised to realize I was in third place at that point. Considering how I’m not much of a cyclist, I figured it was only a matter of time before people caught me.

*When the sun hit me right, I noticed the shadow of my helmet sticker hanging loose and just took it off. The numbers identify us but the adhesive wasn’t so great!*

For the Olympic race we rode an extra mile or two past the main turnaround just for the first loop so we could add extra distance. Unfortunately, that section of road is the worst. It’s pothole central. Sometimes I could go around patches when the road was deserted enough but sometimes there was no avoiding the bumps. I had to brake in one section because a truck went by on my left which forced me right into an awful patch. I’ve been doing races from this park for years and it seems like it’s a given that we’ll hit some rough patches. I wish they would fix the darn roads already!

Once I made it back to the main turnaround, I finally had other people around. Plenty of sprint athletes were getting to that point so I had both people ahead of me, and plenty to watch on the opposite side of the road still on their way out. I feel like at least one woman passed me who must have been an Olympic athlete but then it was hard to tell if people were a part of the sprint or even the mini-sprint. After that turnaround I was on the lookout for friends and spotted a couple. I tried to smile and cheer for a majority of the women whenever I crossed paths with anyone and so many others did the same. Most were good about announcing when they were going to pass as well. There’s always an exception or two, but the percentage of courteous people was so much higher than it is at most other triathlons. Parts of the course are a bit challenging with some rolling hills and having so many friendly women around brought a really great vibe. It reached a point when we basically took over most of one road with a steady stream of people on both sides. At one point I even had to slow down because I was caught behind a truck that couldn’t pass the bikers.

*A shot that shows how busy the roads got*

I made it back to the park and turned around to head out for my second loop. There were still some people out there, it just wasn’t quite as busy as the later part of the first loop. I was getting ready to eat a Picky Bar a couple miles into the second loop when I realized the photographer was there. I figured it was a good chance for a photo op as a Picky Bars AmBADASSador!

*Ready to eat my Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar!*

I continued to root for people along the ride and spreading positivity made my own ride more enjoyable. I had my moments of having to work hard and thinking about how it would probably help if I actually trained on the bike more, but I did about the same as I ever do anyway. I ended up with 24.4 miles in 1:27:38 according to my Garmin which says I averaged 16.7 mph. Obviously a few people caught me on the ride because I ended up 7th out of 24 for the ride. That’s way better than I usually fare!

After a quick 33 seconds in transition, I took off for my run with a groan. It simply never feels good to run right after a long ride. I felt one of my hamstrings as I ran up a grass hill and luckily that faded once things leveled out.

A slightly uphill segment heading out of the park is always a bit rough. Like last year, Olympic athletes added some extra distance to the first loop by doing an out-and-back segment on a rolling dirt road. When I headed out of the park, one of the volunteers said he thought I was the first Olympic runner! If that was the case, it definitely meant that some of the speedy women on the bike had done the aquabike, duathlon, or something else! When I hit the turnaround point on the dirt road, I saw several women running toward me. A couple of them looked pretty fast so I figured it was only a matter of time before they caught me.

*A map of the whole course for the day, with the run in blue*

I ate a couple of Clif Bloks during the run and drank some Skratch from my own bottle rather than grab anything from the aid stations. After running along the main road, the rest of the loop was on a single-track trail. Despite rain the night before, it really wasn’t sloppy. There was one quick downhill that I realized I should slow down for, followed by a quick uphill that was steep and muddy enough that I realized I better “hike” it. Aside from those spots, there was some general rolling through the woods with stretches where I could gain momentum and some that slowed me down. Since it was through the woods, it helped keep things a bit cooler too. Fortunately heat really wasn’t an issue for me.

I passed a number of people out on the run course and had no idea if they were doing the sprint or Olympic. I was just surprised that no one had passed me yet. I went out for my second loop through the woods and looked back a couple times as I ran “scared” figuring that someone had to be on the verge of catching me. Still no one! That changed when I came out of the woods and was a couple minutes from the finish. Then I realized someone was just behind me and I tried to pick up my pace to finish strong. She did too. She clearly had a kick that I couldn’t match and I told her she was doing a great job as she passed. As we got to the finish, she was just seconds ahead of me and we had an exciting one-two finish. It was so exciting that I only heard a little bit of what the announcer said, which included how the last name of Boltz was fitting. I’ve gotten that a lot from race announcers and think it’s kind of fun.

*It looks like she was hurting for that win!*

*Maybe I should have been hurting more rather than strolling in with a smile!*

After hunching over to catch my breath while a volunteer removed the timing chip from my ankle, I had to congratulate the woman who is named Kelly. I told her that she had an awesome kick and we gave each other a high-five. I’m so thankful that photographer Greg Sadler captured that moment because it perfectly captures the whole supportive vibe that I felt throughout this entire race.

We didn’t know each other, yet we shared that great moment. We were asked to do it again for more pictures which just made us smile even bigger.

I finished the run in 55:13, and my Garmin recorded 6.49 miles with an average pace of 8:31. Official results show that my pace was slower, but I believe it was calculated based on 6.2 miles.

It was great to be greeted by friends Mary, Jason, Dawn, and Angela at the end. I’ll keep saying it, but Epic Races is the best and I know all of these awesome people thanks to Epic.

*Celebrating with Mary who did the sprint*

*Celebrating with Dawn and Mary. Dawn did the mini-sprint just a week after racing a hot and tough half Ironman!*

After catching up a little bit, I went to get the usual treats – egg and cheese wraps, pancakes, and a cookie. I got an ice cream sandwich a bit later too. Eventually I went to the results table and got a printout that confirmed my second place finish. I was also first in my age group. I was still pretty surprised because I don’t usually place that high overall! It just depends on who shows up, plus I had a solid day.

For this race, Epic had some nice towels for awards. Something different to add to my collection!

It wasn’t until I got home and got to analyze the results in more detail that I realized Kelly had actually won by 29 seconds. I hadn’t even thought about the factor of the chip time and that she may have started the swim behind me. I was even more relieved that she had that great finishing kick because she deserved to get that proper win. It would have been a bummer had I finished ahead of her and it seemed like I was first when I really wasn’t.

*It was still close, but Kelly had much more buffer than those few seconds racing to the finish*

I continued to hang out with Mary, determined to catch Angie when she finished. She’d had a rough time at a race recently and hopefully this one would be a better experience. As time went by I felt anxious for her and hoped she wasn’t miserable out there. We gave her some big cheers when she did come through and we learned that she’d had a flat tire that delayed her by 40 minutes! What a bummer. Of course it was on the same rough patch that I disliked so much. Another woman went flat before her and at least they ended up coping together. I was relieved that she was in good spirits and had a great day otherwise. I’m glad I got a chance to catch up with her and share stories about the day.

*With Mary again as well as Angie who did the Olympic, and with Angela who plays a big role in making Epic Races so wonderful!*

I did more analyzing at home and compared my results from this year to last year’s. Last year was extra hot so that definitely was a factor. It’s also hard to compare races because the distances tend to vary a bit, especially with the swim. Still, I finished 10 minutes faster this time! It looks like the swim was a bit longer last year, but my average pace was still better this time. The bike distance was the same and I was a couple minutes faster, even with my lack of training. The run was about a tenth of a mile longer this year but my pace was faster. Aside from the weather factor, the distances kind of balanced out and I either felt better or actually did improve a little bit. That’s always a good feeling!

I went into the race without any real expectations and told myself that no matter what, it’s always a good training day for whatever is next. The Battle of Waterloo is next and I’ll be back at the same park in a month. That race takes me about double the time of this one so today was definitely some good training. I felt good enough the day after this race to do a swim/run/swim/run workout for BOW prep as I already look forward to the next one. That one will be a fun adventure itself and I know I can look forward to having a great experience with Epic again. For now, I want to savor and remember just how supportive, friendly, and welcoming this race was and know that I should definitely register to do it again in the future.

– Janet

Follow me @janetboltz on Instagram

06.09.25

by milesflyby

Island Lake Triathlon Recap

*A sparkly and fun medal with such cool details for this year’s Island Lake Triathlon*

Now that I’ve done the Island Lake Triathlon seven times, it would seem like another blog post about it might just be repetitive. It’s a unique experience every time though! I believe I committed to the race as soon as last year’s was over because it’s such a great way to kick off my triathlon season and Epic Races always does a great job.

The race takes place on the first Saturday of June, and it’s good that it fell a little later (on the 7th) this year because we needed as much time as possible for the water to warm up more. It seems to magically warm up enough by Memorial Day weekend that swimming in a lake is a reasonable thing, but we just haven’t had as many warm days as usual this year. Friends who have been brave enough to get out there have reported lake temps to be in the low 60s. I prefer closer to 70° so a cold lake and possibly freezing on the bike afterward if we had a cool morning were my biggest concerns this year. Fortunately everything worked out just fine.

*The details on the shirt are a perfect match for the medal*

I followed the usual routine – I left home around 5am, got to Island Lake Recreation Area around 6am, went through packet pickup quickly, then took a moment to appreciate the sunrise.

*I always love catching the sunrise over the lake before the race*

The transition racks were separated by race distance but we didn’t have assigned spots. I was early enough to be able to grab a spot on an end. That gave me more room for my bag and situating my gear.

*The transition area before it got busy. The colored flags made it easy to locate my rack after the swim and bike*

*A post-race look at my stuff crammed in at the end of the transition rack*

It was in the 50s and I was shivering while setting up so I continued to debate whether I should wear a jacket on the bike. It didn’t look like anyone else had extra layers. I decided that if even if I was a little cold to start, I’d warm up. That was a good call – it got up to 60° by the time I got on the bike.

I made it to a porta potty with five minutes to spare before transition closed then headed down to the beach. I didn’t practice in a lake prior to this race and wasn’t sure how I’d do with cold temps. The water was up to 69° on race day which was a big relief. It was still a bit of a shock for the first minute as I did a little warm up swim but I was fine after that. I’ve done enough triathlons at this point that I know what I’m doing in open water and didn’t truly need the practice.

*The pre-race beach meeting. Race photos courtesy of Greg Sadler Photography.*

We had a meeting on the beach at 7:15 to talk through the steps of the race, then my distance (Olympic) lined up first for a 7:30 start. People are supposed to line up based on how fast they think they’ll be, but there aren’t any pace signs so it’s always a free-for-all. When I see a bunch of young guys who look like they’d swim right over me, I just move behind them in the line! In the past I’ve often placed somewhere around the top quarter of the swim results and try to gauge based on that. I haven’t been swimming as often lately though so I didn’t know if that would still hold true. We started two at a time every few seconds to help space people out. Since I’d already been in the water I didn’t have that feeling of shock when I got back in.

Triathlon swims tend to get tricky on sunny days because at some point we’re bound to swim toward the rising sun. This time it was at the beginning of the looped course. I couldn’t spot the buoys and just followed the crowd. After making the first turn, I could see the buoys a little better.

I usually try to maintain a routine of getting in the pool three days a week. My routine has fallen off since the fall as I went through marathon training for races in January and then in April. I concentrated on my running, favored sleep, and struggled to get out of bed so early in the morning. I still haven’t regained my routine and have managed to keep up one day a week. I can do the distance just fine but my pace has been slower since I haven’t been consistent enough. The buoyancy of the wetsuit would help me speed up a little at least!

The swim course tends to vary at this race each year depending on the growth of the seaweed. I think one year we had to do three smaller loops to get the Olympic distance, which is usually just under a mile. Last year we got lucky and the lake was clear enough that we only did one loop. We swam two loops this year, and as I came to the last turn closest to the beach, the seaweed got THICK. It doesn’t freak me out or anything but it was so thick that it was difficult to swim through one stretch as I kept snagging it with my arms. It cleared up though, then it was time to swim the course a second time.

*A piece of seaweed I discovered when I removed my watch later*

Sprint athletes were due to start the swim as the Olympic athletes completed the first loop. A few minutes into my second loop people with blue swim caps started flying through. Congestion is always the one thing that bothers me most during swims. I just want space to do my own thing! I had a few moments of annoyance during the first loop, and now I had to make sure I didn’t get too close to the much faster swimmers.

Aside from the seaweed, I enjoyed the swim. The shallow areas close to the beach were especially murky this time with a mixture of sand, seaweed, and whatever else all stirred up. As I got close to the finish I opted to stand up a little early and “run” my way to the shore rather than keep my face down in that mess.

I wasn’t aware of my time for the swim or what the distance had been until I looked after the race. A friend said that the swim had been extra long for her and my Garmin showed that as well. The distance was supposed to be around 1,500 meters, equivalent to around 1,640 yards. It’s likely that I could have added some distance as I dodged people, and watches aren’t always accurate in open water, but I came up about 400 yards long. That’s fine with me since I enjoy the swim! Plus, most triathlon courses can vary a bit based on what course makes the most sense and they’re not always the same exact distance. Even though I’ve been slacking with my swimming, it helped explain why it looked like I was so much slower than I have been other years – a time of 38:48.

*Open water swims can often look a little funky from my Garmin so I may or may not have zig-zagged that much! Either way, it looks like the distance was longer than usual.*

*Seeing my buddy Greg always makes me smile extra big*

As usual, I screwed around too long during my first transition and spent just over three minutes there getting out of my wetsuit and getting ready to bike. The start of the bike course was extra smooth thanks to repaving over the past year. I wasn’t cold at all so I was really glad I didn’t wear a jacket. It was the same familiar 2-loop course on the roads of the park with some rolling hills to keep things interesting. Like last year when the eastern stretch of the road was under construction, we added some extra distance to the west to make up for it. There’s a nice hill after a short out-and-back stretch, but I still prefer the quick hill over the gradual climb we used to do up toward a parking lot. We would encounter more cars in that parking area too which could make things a little more dicey, so I appreciate the slight change in the course.

It will forever be my pet peeve when the speedy cyclists fly right next to me without announcing that they’re passing. If people give a wide berth, I get it. When they barely give me any space, it’s pretty annoying. My biggest moment of annoyance was when I was gaining on another cyclist enough that I was going to have to pass them. Of course I turned to look before making a move, and a speedy guy was right there and didn’t let me know he was coming. Some people are kind about providing warning, some aren’t, and that’s just how it is. Since I barely consider myself a cyclist as it is, that aspect doesn’t make me feel any more secure!

I didn’t enjoy the squirrels who frantically ran in front of me then couldn’t decide which way they were going to go, but I did laugh when a turkey crossed the road and I liked seeing ducks with some ducklings in a lake. I ate a Picky Bar at the start of the second loop, a Clif Block near the end of my ride, and I went through one bottle of my electrolyte drink. It was a decent enough ride, especially since I haven’t worked much on my bike training. Like the swim, I’ve done enough that I could cover the distance, but nothing exceptional beyond that as I continue to favor running.

I finished 24 miles on the bike in 1:26:10, and as usual, I was somewhere around 17 mph.

*The bike course. Pay no attention to the ascent – my watch is clearly broken.*

I went through the transition pretty quickly in 57 seconds and headed out for the run. This was the one part of the race I had actually properly trained for. Maybe TOO much, considering how I’d run a fast half marathon the past Sunday and did a track workout on Wednesday that still had me feeling a little sore. When I did a bike/run workout on Tuesday, the run felt pretty awful by the end and I thought about how I like running a whole lot more when my legs are fresh and I haven’t destroyed them on the bike first. Why do I do triathlons again?! That’s how it works though and this run never felt great, but I got through it pretty successfully I suppose.

One good thing about my blog is that I can look back on past races and remind myself of lessons I’ve learned. When I started the run last year my stomach cramped up and my heart rate was way too high for the first loop. I don’t monitor my heart rate while I run so that was kind of a wakeup call. I told myself not to go too crazy at the start of this run and do that again. I was also reminded that the first mile or so is a gradual climb so I should mentally be prepared for that. I didn’t have any cramping and aside from the dead-legs feeling, I was okay. It had gotten up to 70° by the time I started the run so it was a little sweaty and warm. I continued to drink electrolytes from my own bottle which worked well.

My friend Alise, who I know thanks to Epic Races, did the Olympic race as well. I got to see and cheer for her a couple times in passing since we ran two loops of an out-and-back course. It’s always fun (and a nice distraction) to see friends out there.

While the end of the run course always has to take us down a drastic downhill stretch toward the beach, we’ve usually done so on a pretty steep part that can be a mix of rocks and grass. This time we headed down in a different spot that was all grass. It was still a quick downhill, but it felt easier for me to navigate and I liked that adjustment. We got to do that at the end of the first loop and again when going in to finish. At least that makes us feel extra strong at the end!

Like the swim, I didn’t realize I had run 6.3 miles until after the race. It’s supposed to be around a 10K (6.2-mile) run, and most years I’ve come up a bit short. The course seemed to be nearly the same but I got about a quarter mile more out of it this year. I’d rather be a little over what I expected instead of coming in a little short. I was initially shocked that my final time was around 15 minutes slower than I tend to do at this race. When I realized my swim and run segments were a bit longer, that helped explain it. My final time was 3:01:47.

After taking a few minutes to recover, I wandered over to find Alise next to the finish line. I also found another Epic friend Kim and her daughter Sydney, who had done a relay together. It was nice to hear that race day had been pretty successful for everyone.

When I checked my results, it showed that I was first in my age group…out of one! The same thing happened to me last year when I won by default because no one else was in my age group. As the results got updated later I saw that there was actually one other woman in my category.

I enjoyed some great food after the race and chatted with Alise and her husband Eric for a bit until I finally went to collect my award. I opted for a coaster this time. It’s always interesting to see how the different segments break down in terms of placing. It was funny to see that I placed 48th overall in both the swim and the run. No surprise to see that I placed much lower at 98th in the bike.

*Always some great treats at the end of Epic’s races*

*Listening to some music from Lost Voices while eating*

I didn’t have any big expectations coming into this race. Knowing very well that I had been doing the minimum with swimming and biking told me that I shouldn’t expect to break any of my records. I’ve been doing so well with my running lately that I was somewhat reluctant to mess with that momentum by trying to add biking back to the mix. I had even been questioning how much I really wanted to do triathlons this year. I had a feeling that once I actually got out there and did this race, it would help bring back some of that motivation. These things are hard but they’re also really satisfying because I feel so accomplished for pushing through. Sure enough, I enjoyed myself and decided that day that I should add another triathlon to my schedule. I had only signed up for two this summer and this helped me realize that I want to get more out of the season. Now my next one will be Epic’s Tri Goddess Tri at the end of June.

I keep telling myself that it’s okay to change things up now and then. I don’t just have to concentrate on running year-round and it’s not like I’ll totally lose it if I cut back a little during certain periods. If I choose to run hard for part of the year, it’s okay for my swimming to suffer some. When I ought to step up on my swimming and biking for summer events, it’s okay for the running mileage to drop some. Variety helps keep things interesting and I always have fun when I do these triathlons.

– Janet

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Tag Archives: Epic Races

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