Bluff Creek Aquabike 2019

I was very disappointed a week ago when I injured my left foot, but I was downright devastated when I actually clicked the button to change my Bluff Creek race registration from the Olympic triathlon to the sprint aquabike. It is no secret that I have had an outstanding season and this was my only chance to accomplish my goal of setting a PR at the Olympic distance.

Even with the disappointment, I got into my truck just after 5:00 am this morning and headed for Don Williams park in the pouring rain. I arrived at the race plenty early to pick up my packet and get transition setup. It sure felt strange only setting up for the swim and bike. After racing here the past 2 years, I am very familiar with the course and have had a lot of success. In fact, last year I finished on the podium in 3rd place in Clydesdale division for the sprint triathlon.

The swim start is across the lake from transition so we have to ride on buses to get there. After a long wait and a short delay for them to finish setting up the swim course (they were running behind due to thunderstorms earlier) we got underway. The swim was 500 meters straight across the lake. I swam well but felt like I could have done better but my swim wave was pretty crowded. After exiting the swim, there is about 150 yard run uphill to transition. I finished the swim in 11:29 (2:06/100 average) which was better then each of the past 2 years on this course. 

Heading into T1

I made it through T1 in 2:05 and headed out onto the bike course. The 15 mile bike course heads out of the park and straight north for 7 miles before turning around and heading back. The winds were fairly light, about 10 mph, and with a tail wind on the way out I kept a pace well over 20 mph. With wet roads, I was a lot more cautious then usual but I still ended up crushing the bike course. I finished with a time of 44:19 (20.3 mph average), earning myself a 1st place finish. My official time was 57:54 and I finished more than a minute faster then the 2nd place overall finisher. 

Receiving my gold medal and prize

Super proud of myself

I'm not a very competitive person, and for me, racing has never been about beating anyone else. It is about improving myself and beating yesterday. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have ever believed that some day I would be the overall winner of a race. Today was a very special day for me as I was handed a tough situation and found a way to make the best of it. I have learned a lot in the last 6 years of racing, but I think the 2 most valuable lessons have been:

1. I can only control so much, and most things are out of my control (weather, injuries, etc.)
2. Being able to make adjustments to what success looks like. 

It may never happen again, but today I won a race!

As icing on the cake, I also had a huge cheering section today. My sister, Melissa, and her 3 kids came to watch me race, as did my mom and dad. I've said it before and it still rings true today, I always seem to race better with a cheering section. 

I think someone asked us to point to the sky...

Proud parents

Bluff Creek was officially my last multisport race of the 2019 season. What an amazing season it has been! While I'm still disappointed that I didn't get the chance to improve on my Olympic distance PR, I sure am happy with how this race went. 

I have officially been pain free in my foot for 5 full days and am looking forward to building my miles back up. I only have 1 race remaining for the year, but it is sort of a big one. The Des Moines Marathon is 9 weeks away and I'm looking forward to checking off another item from both my 2019 goals and my bucket list. Wish me luck over the next 9 weeks that I can stay healthy and injury free!

As a bonus side note, I thought that I would mention that I have decided to join My Team Triumph as a volunteer, fundraiser, and angel. I will not be racing with them this year, but am looking forward to getting more involved in 2020. Although I have noticed them at races before, they had a HUGE presence at the Door County Triathlon and made a large impression on me. I have been looking for ways to make my training and racing mean more and have a larger impact on people and I think My Team Triumph is the perfect fit for me. 

Accel Triathlon Relay 2019

On Saturday I was lucky enough to race at the Accel Triathlon in Waterloo with 2 friends. We signed up to race the Olympic distance race as a relay team. I did the swim, my friend Justin did the bike, and my friend Matt did the run. The best part of the race for me was getting to pair triathlon with a chance to catch up with a couple of friends.

I drove up to Cedar Falls on Friday evening and camped with my parents at Black Hawk Park. I got up early and headed into town to pick up Justin and his bike. We headed for George Wyth State Park to meet Matt.

Justin getting his bike ready to go

Pre-race selfie

After picking up our packets and getting marked, we headed to setup Justin's bike in transition. This is my first time doing a triathlon as a relay so it felt strange how little setup and preparation was needed. The water was 76 degrees (although I'm still not sure that I believe that), meaning the race was wet suit legal. After meeting up with my parents, we headed down to the water and I got my wet suit on. 

The swim 1,500 meters and I was in the first wave. I felt really strong during the swim and ended up finishing with a time of 37:05 which beat my previous Olympic distance swim PR of 43:53, set 2 years ago at the same race, by nearly 7 minutes! I quickly ran up to transition and got the timing chip handed over to Justin who headed out onto the bike course. 

Finished with my swim and enjoying being done

Justin had estimated finishing the 40k bike course in around 1:30, so we were a bit surprised when he returned to transition in a little over 1:20. Matt followed Justin into transition, got the timing chip and headed out onto the run course. 

Justin heading into T2 with Matt chasing behind

A very proud cyclist

The 10k run included 2 laps so we got the opportunity to cheer Matt on at the half way point. It was starting to get pretty hot during the run but that didn't slow Matt down much as he finished with a blazing fast time averaging 7:30/mi. 

Matt at the half way point of the run

Our overall time was 2:47:41 and we finished as the 2nd place relay team. I don't think I'm going to be turning in my bike or my cycling shoes anytime soon, but I did really have a lot of fun doing a relay and will definitely do another one sometime. 

Proud 2nd place finishers

My parents came to cheer us on

Official results

My next race is in 3 weeks at the Bluff Creek Triathlon where I will try to set a new PR for an Olympic distance triathlon. That will also mark the end of my triathlon season for the year. I have had an awesome racing season in 2019 and hope to keep that rolling with my last 2 races. 

Door County Triathlon 2019

Ever since I crossed the finish line at the Legend Ad Adstra half Iron distance triathlon in September 2017, I've been longing for the opportunity to redeem myself. While that was my first attempt at a long course/half Iron triathlon and I did manage to finish, I did not perform as well as I wanted.

Heading into this year, I decided on the Door County Half Iron Triathlon because I had heard great things about the race from fellow triathletes and I knew that I could talk Erin into going if we stayed a few extra days to explore Door County. I knew that my training in 2017 was not sufficient, so after a lot of research, I purchased the "Iron Fit Secrets for Half Iron-Distance Triathlon Success" book. I did some trial runs with the training framework for some short races last summer and fall with a lot of success so my confidence was high when I started my 16 week training cycle on March 25th.

It only took a couple of weeks for me to realize how challenging and time consuming the training program was. With the support of my family, I was all in and I clearly saw progress each week. In addition to following the training program, I spent a lot of time fine tuning my fuel and hydration strategy. I also incorporated a walk-run strategy on some of my longer runs occasionally and made sure to include plenty of hills while cycling. I did everything that I could think of to make up for my mistakes in Lawrence.

It was a long 16 weeks and there were several times that I wanted to call it quits, but I just kept visualizing how it would feel to cross that finish line. Before I knew it, I found myself packing and loading up the truck to head to the Quad Cities. There, Erin and I said good bye to our 2 daughters who would be staying with Gran and Grandpa Weiler while we made our way up to Door County, WI. We arrived at Murphy Park for packet pickup in the afternoon while the kids triathlon was underway. After getting my packet, we took some time to cheer on some of the kids at the finish line and to check out the swim course. The wind was blowing in on Lake Michigan at 20 - 25 mph with very large waves and I was immediately intimidated. I began to pray hard that the wind would calm down by morning.

After checking in at Parkwood Lodge, we headed to Al Johnsons for dinner (they were watering the grass on the roof so no goats) and then got to bed early. When my alarm went off at 5:00 am it was already very light outside. The temperatures were in the upper 60's, humidity was low, and best of all, the wind was light. As soon as we arrived at Murphy Park, things started moving quickly. I got marked, picked up my timing chip, and got my transition spot all set up. Before I knew it, 8:00 was fast approaching and they started calling for the first swim wave to line up. As time ticked away and each wave started, I got my wet suit on and headed down to the beach. I'm happy to say that I never really got nervous waiting.

Pre-race meal at Al Johnsons

At 8:39 am, the horn sounded and my swim wave was off. The 70 degree water felt good after waiting in the warm sun. I kept a quick cadence in the water and because they had marker buoys every 50 yards, I had no trouble sighting. After making the turn back south, it was clear that the wind was picking up, as was the wave activity. Even though the swim felt like it took forever, I ended up finishing in 47:10, over 4 minutes faster then my swim in Lawrence. 

Coming out of the water after dominating the swim course

I opted to pass up the wet suit stripping station (although it looked hilarious) and head into transition. I was not worried about speed in transition, so I took my time and managed to apply sunscreen and down a pack of sport beans in addition to my normal process. I also took some time to help a fellow athlete who was struggling to get his shirt pulled down.

As I headed out onto the bike, I was feeling very confident. The first 15 miles flew by and I was averaging around 19 mph on very smooth and fairly flat roads. As I headed into Sturgeon Bay, the roads got a bit more rough and I hit some miles that I was biking into the wind which slowed me down. The entire ride, I stayed on time with my hydration and nutrition. In addition, I managed to take advantage of the aid stations throughout the bike course. This was a whole new experience as well and I was truly impressed with the volunteers working those stations. Each time, I was provided with a pre-opened water bottle, directly to my hand while going 12 - 15 mph.

Finishing up a solid bike ride

I had no problem with the hills on the course and was very happy with my time of just under 3:10, 20 minutes faster then the race in Lawrence. Again, I took my time in T2 and grabbed a fresh water bottle as I headed out onto the half marathon run course. I was feeling great heading into the run, but knew that I would have to pace myself to get through the next 13 miles.

It was just before 1:00 pm so the sun was straight up and there was little shade for the first 4 miles of the run. I immediately opted for a run-walk cadence of 2 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking. The miles kept ticking by as I made sure to walk through each aid station to down a cup of Gatorade, a cup of water, and to dump a cup of ice down the back of my tri suit. At about mile 4 1/2, we finally got some shade but were also greeted with some hills, including our first trip up the bluff. After hitting the turn around, we finally were running into the wind which felt great. We also had a nice descent back into Egg Harbor before meeting back up with the road we ran out on.

It was at this point, about 8 miles in, that I began to feel panic as I started to feel my calves cramping up. This was exactly what happened at about the same point of the run in Lawrence that nearly ended my race early. The difference is that this time I was ready for it. I switched to a cadence of 1 minute running followed by 2 minutes walking. I also changed to a more flat footed stride to keep my calves from working so hard. Most importantly, I stayed positive and confident! I spent some of my walking breaks talking to other athletes which helped to make the time pass quicker. At mile 9 1/2, I walked along side many others as we made our way a half mile straight up the bluff on one of the steepest roads that I have ever seen.

Using a walk-run style made all the difference in this race

I kept a consistent pace going through the remainder of the race and with about a half mile to go, turned on the jets as I made my way back down the bluff towards the finish line. By this point, every step hurt, I could feel the sun burning my skin, I was extremely hungry, and I just wanted to lay down. As soon as I could see the finish line and hear the announcer, all of that went away. I flew through the finish shoot as the announcer said "And here comes another finisher! Coming to us all the way from Grimes, Iowa, Patrick O'Connell!!!"

My face after crossing the finish line tells the whole story

A few tears may have made their way down my cheek as I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch, and got my medal. Not only had I made it to another finish line, I had done it on my terms. The way that I wanted to. I have finished a lot of races since I started on this journey in 2014, but I have never been more proud of myself then I was in that moment. My run time was just over 2:49, over 28 minutes faster than Lawrence. Even better yet, my official time for the race was 6:53:24 which beat my previous PR (set in Lawrence) of 7:47:06. You read that right, I beat my previous PR by 54 minutes!!!

As always, I want to take a moment to thank my wife, Erin, and my 2 girls, Abigail and Bridget. They provide me with support and encouragement every single day. The amount of time that I spend training and racing requires them to sacrifice a lot and they never complain for a single moment.

I don't know who sacrificed more for this race, but we both earned it together!

With this race, I have officially checked off my 6th goal for the year! I have 2 remaining goals for the year. The first is to set a new Olympic distance triathlon PR, which I hope to accomplish at the Bluff Creek Triathlon on August 18th. The 2nd is to finish my first full marathon, which I hope to accomplish at the IMT Des Moines Marathon on October 20th. In addition to those races, I will be competing on a relay team with my friends, Justin and Matt, at the Accel Triathlon on July 27th. 

Quad Cities Triathlon 2019

After work on Friday, Bridget and I headed for the Quad Cities to pick up my race packet before heading to my in-laws house for the night. The forecast for Saturday called for thunderstorms and high wind, but at least it wasn't going to be extremely hot and humid like last year.

It was VERY windy at packet pickup

 After filling my tummy with Rigatoni and putting Bridget to bed, I headed to bed myself with an alarm set for 4:00 am. When my alarm went off in the morning, I was happy to see that the radar showed no rain nearby but I wasn't thrilled with the 15 - 20mph wind. With a goal of breaking a 20mph average on the bike, I knew the wind would not help. I headed for West Lake Park and waited in a short line of cars for the park to open. Just like last year, I got a parking spot just outside of transition and wasted no time getting everything set up. 

Transition set up with an extra towel on top just in case it rains

Erin and Abigail arrived on the shuttle shortly after I was set up so I hung out with them until race time. The water temperature was 70 degrees which meant the course was wet suit legal. After 1 last check of transition, I grabbed my goggles, swim cap, and wet suit and headed for the beach. The 600 yard swim course was an out and back with a self-seeded time trial start. I lined up in the last 1/3 of racers and waited my turn to get into the water. 

Heading to the beach

Waiting patiently for the race to start

Before I knew it, I was in the water and the race was underway. I swam hard and surprisingly passed a lot of people on the swim (something that I'm not used to doing). As I stood up out of the water and crossed the timing mat I was excited to see a sub-12:00 time which unofficially put me under 2:00/100 yards checking off another goal for 2019.

In the water, I'm in the black wet suit to the left of the furthest yellow buoy

Abigail watching the swim from the highest spot
she could find

Out of the water and headed to T1

I got off to a bit of a slow start on the bike but quickly started to pick up the pace once I got out of the park and onto the main road. The bike course was a 15 mile out and back course with 3 - 4 of those miles heading straight into the strong wind. My first split was just under 20 mph and my 2nd split was just over 20 mph. I knew that I had a good chance to meet another goal but I ended up getting slowed up a bit as we headed back into the park and ended up about 30 seconds slower than I needed. 

Headed to the dismount line and T2

I felt a little weird heading out onto the run course and my first mile was not very good. I sort of figured I might need some calories so I quickly downed a GU gel. I started to feel better quickly and settled in for the last 2 miles. I finished the race strong and felt great afterwards. Shortly after finishing it started to rain so I quickly got my transition packed up and drove Erin and Abigail back to their car before heading back to my in-laws house. 

Heading out onto the run course

Getting a high five from Abs as I head into the finish line

Literally flying to the finish line

I was extremely confident coming into this race and that confidence was confirmed with my performance. It is amazing how "easy" a race like this feels when I am used to training at much longer distances. I had 2 major highlights for the day that included my swim and how well I handled the wind on my bike. In addition, I fought through some early issues in the run and managed to finish strong. 

My overall time was 1:34:10, over 16 minutes faster than the 1:50:53 that I turned in last year. Last year I finished 297/399 and this year I moved up almost 140 places to finish 159/366 this year. I turned in the 159th fastest swim time (that is right, I was in the top 50% of all swimmers!) and the 85th fastest bike time.

Official Results

I saved the most exciting parts for last, and that is the numbers. My official swim time was 11:54, which put me at an average of 1:59/100 yards. That pace was good enough best my PR of 2:01/100 yards at the Des Moines Corporate Games Triathlon last summer and check off another goal for the year. My official time on the bike was 45:35, giving me an average of 19.7 mph. While it was not the 20 mph average that I was hoping for, it was good enough to surpass my previous PR of 19.4 mph set at the Cyman Triathlon last September and in turn, check off another goal for 2019. 

With this race, I have officially checked off 5 of my 8 goals for 2019:

• 5k PR
• 10k PR
• Half marathon PR
• Triathlon swim pace PR
• Triathlon bike pace PR

In addition, the 3 remaining goals I haven't even had the opportunity to check off this year (although I will soon!):

• Finish a marathon
• Olympic triathlon PR
• 70.3 triathlon PR

I'm looking to keep the good year rolling at Door County 4 weeks from today, where I will attempt to set a new 70.3 PR.

QC Triathlon Race Week

It feels like forever and a day since I last raced, even though Tri By Knight was only 5 weeks ago. I have come a long way in the past 5 weeks and I am now less than a week out from the Quad Cities Triathlon. This race will be my last warm up leading into the Door County Triathlon in July and I am hoping to knock out at least one more of my goals for the year.

Last year I had a rough day in the Quad Cities as the heat and humidity got to me. I will be going into the race this year in A LOT better shape then I was last year. The race will consist of a 600 yard open water swim, 15 mile bike, and a 5k run course. My goal for the race is to improve on last year in all 3 disciplines. In addition, I am planning to push hard on the bike in an attempt to average > 20mph and check off another goal for the year.

With my challenging training schedule over the last month, I'm really looking forward to racing again. The doldrums of the mid-training cycle have started to set in and I am in dire need of a confidence boost that can only be achieved by racing.