NATIONAL USAT AQUABIKE CHAMPIONSHIP -- CEDAR POINT OHIO

PROLOGUE: It has been a designated "off year" for my multisport efforts due to nagging injuries as discussed previously, involvement in family activities and life events, and a reduction in motivation and focus. Consequently I've only had three triathlon races and this one Aquabike.  Aquabike races are gaining in participation on the east and west coasts, almost non-existent in the upper Midwest. For aging triathletes with aging knees, they become an attractive multisport alternative to triathlons.

The USAT Aquabike National Championship was held as part of a Rev3 race venue.  Rev3 considers itself a more modestly priced alternative to the WTC Ironman and 70.3 long distance triathlon races. They generally are weekend events with kids triathlons, sprints, olympic, half and full Ironman distances. Currently, none of the Rev3 series of races take place west of the Mississippi.

SOME OF THE 17 COASTERS

CEDAR POINT VENUE:  This race was held at the "largest amusement park in the United States", which includes 17 roller coasters, and is located in Sandusky Ohio on a spit of land that projects into Lake Erie.  With the multiple race distances, smaller entry fees and venue locations, the Rev3 organizers are obviously trying to make their events more family friendly as a point of distinction to the WTC events.

The USAT Aquabike National Championship was held concurrently with the 70.3 triathlon.  So the race distances were 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike and then finished! To separate the AB'ers from the H'ers, your calf's were marked accordingly.

LOOKS LIKE A NICE DAY FOR A SWIM

SWIM: By race day of Sunday September 7th, the prior days storm had passed through and the undertow warnings had been lifted so the swim took place in Lake Erie rather than the back-up swim venue, which was the bay on the inland side of the spit.  Even though the undertow warning was lifted, the waves still were in the one to three foot range, with the swim being basically an open box;  .4 mile out, .4 mile parallel to the beach, .4 mile back to shore.  As I was walking up the beach to the starting point, many Ironman distance entrants who started 80 minutes prior to the Half entrants, were walking back to the finish. Swim conditions were hazardous enough for them to DNS. It was the toughest swim I've ever experienced, tougher than the 6 Kona Ironman races I've competed in.  The visibility was nil due to the wave action stirring up the sand.  The waves were large enough and irregular such that you could not sight on the guide buoys.  In the first 50 yards I was so soundly kicked in the jaw, I thought it was broken as my teeth no longer matched up.  After taking some time to assess my situation, I decided to continue and if nothing else, just finish the race. I had driven two days from Minnesota and didn't want that effort to be a complete waste. It was my slowest 1.2 mile swim ever, 42 minutes. When the results were posted, I felt a bit better about my time split, the fastest split in the field was a slow 26 minutes, with only 3 entrants under 30 minutes.

BIKE:  The bike course was in the country roads surrounding Sandusky.  By-and-large, the roads were smooth and well marshaled. It was the flattest course I've ever raced in my 30+ years of multisport events, supposidly 600 ft of climbing in 56 miles.  I prefer hilly courses because it makes drafting less likely and less beneficial.  It took me almost 6 miles on the bike to regain my composure after the kick to the jaw and difficult swim.  Someplace before 10 miles I was overtaken by a group of bikers, one which had my age group and AB on his calf.   I was only clocking about 180 watts and had intended to average 200+ watts so I knew I could easily take up the challenge and not just settle for an enjoyable bike ride.  I picked up the pace, and at about 20 miles I passed the group which now included another 65-69 age group AB rider that had been caught, but noticed I was spending about 240 watts for an extended time and I had not gaped them.  But 240 watts is not something I can average for 56 miles so I had to ease up and let them go by. My strength is not sprinting, and it was beginning to look like a three-person sprint was in the making with me being the leadout. At about 30 miles I again tried to gap them in a cross-wind section knowing that drafting in a cross -wind is not as advantageous as other situations. After 4 miles at 250 watts they were still comfortably tucked in behind me. I eased but they did not pass. I kept thinking, where are the marshals? About then my power meter also crapped out. With about 10 miles to go I decided I had to break them or I'd end up third, so I pushed as hard as I felt I could and thought I had gaped everybody, but one had held on. With less than 3 miles to the finish he sprinted past, I stood on the pedals to close the gap and I cramped. Split time 2:36. Average speed 21.5mph. Second place by 10 seconds.

LEARNING'S:  First; I believe Aquabike will be a good fit for me with my uncooperative knees. Second; That may be, but I'll have to get much stronger on the bike in order to ride away from my competition.  As one of the other two riders said to me after the race,  I know we were drafting but given that we all found one another out on the course, it was going to be a Mano-to-Mano thing anyway, so drafting was OK.  Third; My swim is actually OK for my age-group.  The fastest split in my age group was only a few minutes better and he was a collegiate swimmer.  Me, self taught. Lastly; Next time I fly instead of drive.  Oh, and it takes about two weeks for a well-kicked jaw to heal, the blood bruising to go away and the teeth to realign.