Wally Man Triathlon 2014: Race Recap

This past weekend, my family, the boy and I drove down to Hawley, PA for the inaugural Wally Man Triathlon. As I have mentioned in a couple previous blog posts, my brother is one of the race directors putting on the event for Evolve Sports, LLC. I was a participant in the Olympic distance triathlon, while the rest of the crew were volunteers.

Here is a short race recap:

(Weather was partly cloudy, around 60 degrees, and breezy.)

Swim (0.9 miles): The women’s Olympic wave was second to go, five minutes after the Olympic men’s wave. The race commenced with the firing of a starter pistol, which got everyone’s heart racing. Most people, me included, wore a wetsuit more so for buoyancy than warmth. The visibility was low, and you could get a glimpse of the occasional weed floating beneath you. Once clear of the small cove, the water was very choppy. I could feel myself bobbing up and down with the windward-driven waves. A flotilla of kayaks, SUPs and pontoon boats guarded the swim area and watched for anyone in distress.

T1: Out of the water, ran to my bike. Struggled to get my wetsuit off, to be expected. Wiped my feet dry, put on socks and shoes (forgot to tuck my shoelaces in), threw on my shirt, and got my helmet. Stuffed 2 GU chomps into my mouth and off I went.

Bike (~24 miles): To say the course was hill would be an understatement. By the end of the bike, I was exhausted. That being said, the course was beautiful and scenic. You biked past sprawling farmland and up on open ridges where you could see for miles. Unfortunately, open ridges are not so welcome when it’s windy, and there was a steady breeze. It was pretty cool to bike on the runway of the local airport, but tight turns made for slow going. I also missed a turn on to the runway, from what I heard I wasn’t the only person to do so. Only drank once on the bike. Oops! The last couple of miles were somewhat of a struggle for tired legs, and a few people caught up and passed me with 4 miles to go.

T2: Dropped my bike off; retied my shoes. My mom saw me and asked if I was ok. No, Mom. I just got my ass kicked on the bike and now have to run 5 miles. Took a sip of water. Ran out of the transition area. Stopped to go to the bathroom, while the clock was running on my run portion. Oh, well.

Run (5+ miles): Billed as flat and fast. Not so flat, not so fast. Just more rolling hills of the Poconos on an out and back lollipop course. Enjoyed the shade, which there was lots of on this course. Ran on the wide shoulder of route 507 for the majority of the course.  Plenty of water stops, with Gatorade and oranges, which was greatly appreciated. Saw lots of other competitors, which was great and uplifting. (Yay, Foster & Greg James!) Last mile or so was on a dirt path alongside the lake, which ran on top of a dike for about ¼ mile, and then back into the trees to the finish.

Overall, it was a great, but challenging race. Well done, boys! A huge thank you to all the participants, volunteers, sponsors, and friends and family who came along for the ride. You truly made it a memorable experience. Can't wait for next year!