Race Report: Hy Vee

Or…the most expensive sprint race ever.

Pre Race:
It was a bad sign that the events on Saturday (the kids triathlons) were cancelled due to bad weather and lots of rain.

On Saturday we hit up the pre-race meetings (which were pointless for most racers) and checked out the expo. Britney got a really cheap bike jersey ($10) and I got a backpack full of swag. I also checked my bike in a very muddy transition area…boy, that was going to be fun tomorrow!!

Sunday morning I was up at 3:30 getting my stuff together. I rolled Britney out of bed at 4:15am so we could head to the race site by 4:45. Our kind host, who we’ve stayed with for every Des Moines race, dropped us off really close to the race site. Thankfully, the ran from the previous night had stopped so it was an easy morning and transition set up.

Due to my late race wave, Britney and I milled around for a while while after I got my stuff set up. While chilling, the race director made grabbed the mic and change our life: due to weather coming in, the entire race was changed to a sprint. In addition, it was going to be time trial entry, some one entering every 3 seconds. They wanted us in and out of the water as soon as possible.

Well, that changed everyone’s game plan so it was slight chaos while everyone got re-situated. I wasn’t quite as frenzied since I had the best Sherpa in the world taking care of my stuff.

Swim: 10:24
I don’t wanna talk about it.

T1:
It was an easy transition since there was no wetsuit.

Bike: 42:15 (17.6 mph)
Well my bike average improved, that is for sure. Must be all that time spent on the bike! It was a good bike, with just a few inclines. I tried to keep my cadence constant but I was riding semi-naked…no Garmin or bike computer, just my watch which already had my swim and T1 splits on it.

It was a simple out and back course and since they changed the distance, they just brought the turnaround point closer and eliminated one of the bigger hills, so that was nice! The new seat worked out well, although I still need to make a few minor adjustments.

T2:
Mud, mud, mud. By the time I hit T2, hundreds of others had before me, so anywhere I stepped, I stepped in mud. So I took extra time to rinse off my feet before throwing on my shoes and heading out.

Run: 27:58 (9:02 pace)
HOLY HELL! I have NO idea where the hell that run came from! I even stopped to walk up a few of the hills! I felt good coming off the bike (I usually do) and just set the pace on cruise and I had no idea how fast I was going (again, no Garmin). The best part was, I felt really comfortable during my run. I probably could have gone faster, specifically on the last mile, but that’s good to know for the future.

Finish: 1:24:11 (PR by over 9:30 minutes!)
4/22 Athena division

Post Race:
Quite literally after I hit the finish and found my better half, the skies opened up. This was no spring rain…this was a freakin’ storm! The race director was calling out directions to spectators since lightening was in the area, but left finishing up to the athletes, they could continue or stop, it was their call. That was cool because there were still plenty of athletes on the course and the main reason why they were still on the course was how the swim waves were split up, not just because they were slow.

We decided to book it out of there, so after tyranny at transition (they wanted us to enter single file to get our stuff out while it was pouring…we said screw that and jumped the fence), I grabbed my stuff and headed out in the pouring rain. Britney stayed dry thanks to a rain coat but I was already a lost cause.

Thankfully most of our stuff stayed dry in the bags, namely her $600 camera (which I was worried about) but there was one casualty…my phone. It was a long day (we got back to the bed and breakfast we were staying by 9am) so we crashed a bit more before heading home.

Product Review:
Rocket Science Transition Bag: Aside from not being waterproof (which I did know) my transition bag is the best thing ever! We stuffed so much crap in it and it held it all and more. Britney said it was comfortable to carry around

Cobb V-Flow Plus: It was comfy although this was a short ride so comfort wasn’t a big deal. So far I am pleased with this seat. I’ll know exactly how pleased after Racine.

TriTats: Hy Vee used this things called TriTats for body marking, which are temporary tattoos that you can put on yourself race morning. They are big block numbers and that look more professional and clean cut. Pretty cool. But don’t expect me to put sponsor tattoos under my numbers…I’m not a sell out…yet.

Why it sucks to be a Koeppel:
1) The two things designed to get wet (my wetsuit and rain jacket) were the only two things dry in my bag.
2) All of the stuff could be replaced easily…except the phone, which is the only thing that needs to be replaced.
3) I got 4th in Athena by 22 seconds (that’s not so much luck, but it still sucks).
4) I ordered a chocolate extreme blizzard from DQ and they gave it to me with vanilla ice cream…how the hell is that chocolate extreme?!
5) At dinner, I ordered two chicken enchiladas with two sides of beans. They bring me two beef enchiladas with two sides of rice. I tell the food runner I ordered two sides of beans, he comes out with two more sides of rice.

Why it doesn’t suck to be a Koeppel:
1) I have the best Sherpa in the world…never once did she complain about hanging out in the rain.
2) I have awesome friends in Des Moines that let us crash and then come out in the rain to cheer me on.
3) I have awesome blogger buddies to keep my spirits up!

The bottom line:
The race rocked (even if it was shortened). The day sucked. But I maintained my sense of humor so I get an A for the day.