Triathlon Thread 2009

[FireDancer]

Thanks for the goggle info folks. I ended up trying on a bunch of goggles and a pair of Speedo Vanquisher fit the best. I have a child size head so the fact they came with different sized nose straps made a difference. I had a gift certificate so if they end up not working out in the pool/lake I won't feel too bad about getting another pair down the road.

I have decided that my end goal is to do an Ironman 70.3 at some point in the future. I'm thinking my plan will look something like this:

Next spring do a couple of biathlons/dualthlons.
Next fall do a sprint tri.
Summer 2011 work on training for the longer distances and do an olympic distance
2012 go for the Ironman 70.3 I would probably go for the one at Disney if it is still there but the closest one to me is the one in western Michigan.

Right now I am concentrating on my first full marathon which is in October but after that it will be getting into the pool at the gym. I'm sure I'll be seeing more of this thread after that.

 

[Sandy321]

Liz - I'm staying at the Hilton (race hotel/expo location). We don't know CHicago that well adn we stayed there before fo Chicago Distance Classic, so it works fro us.

Just pricelined and we got the Hyatt - are there any dinner meets? I was thinking of making reservations for Quartino for either early Fri night or Sat night... http://www.quartinochicago.com/ Its a nice Italian place just west of Michigan Avenue - they have "small plates" so its more like a "tapas" place - sharing is encouraged!

 

[wtpclc]

Sandy - We won't be in until late Friday and don't think we can do dinner Saturday. :-( I know I'll seee you Saturday morning at least, but we'll have to figure more out.

 

[Sandy321]

no worries!

Good Luck to everyone!!

 

[wtpclc]

Did my last brick last night adn going to swim in my side of the big lake tonight. (Yeah, probably shoudl have doen that sooner, but I trian in a lake that gets somewhat rough.)

Everyone else ready for CHicago?

 

[twoWDWfools]

As an fyi, the water is freaking cold!!! We went down Sunday to swim and bike. My wetsuit is sleeveless and it was really hard to keep arms in the water at first.

Other than that I'm good.

 

[wtpclc]

As an fyi, the water is freaking cold!!! We went down Sunday to swim and bike. My wetsuit is sleeveless and it was really hard to keep arms in the water at first.

Other than that I'm good.

I so didn't need to hear that. We don't have wetsuits. Oh well, I'm still ebtter cold than hot.

Frank - I have heard good things about Steelhead. skfulkers did it this year. Sadly, there is a big local festival tha tweekend that my family always comes out for, so it doens't work for us. :-(

 

[laxdef69]

The water is 70 degrees at North Avenue Beach....good lord!



Seriously, good luck to everyone...I'd be there helping and cheering, but I'm going to kick my own @ss up to Madison and work out up there.

If you are looking for another really good Italian Restaurant, its tough to beat Tufano's, also known as Vernon Park Tap.

http://chicago.metromix.com/restaur...ittle-italy-university-village/134502/content

Its a cash ONLY place, very popular, and worth the effort to find it. If you go south on Racine from the Eisenhower, look for a wrought iron fenced parking lot...about 1/4 mile south...turn east (left) and go down 1/2 a block.

Yummylicious!

another map and link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-...=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=8760561857931058834

Mike

 

[wtpclc]

The water is 70 degrees at North Avenue Beach....good lord!



Seriously, good luck to everyone...I'd be there helping and cheering, but I'm going to kick my own @ss up to Madison and work out up there.

Mike

OK, it will eb warmer than the air at that time in the morning. Will be about the same as my last tri. that wasn't too bad.

 

[twoWDWfools]

The water is 70 degrees at North Avenue Beach....good lord!



Mike

Water at Foster Ave Beach where the super sprint is was 62 Sunday.

 

[laxdef69]

Water at Foster Ave Beach where the super sprint is was 62 Sunday.

WOW...8 degrees in that short of a distance?

Amazing.

I take it back...62 is a little chilly without a wetsuit...

 

[Sandy321]

The water is 70 degrees at North Avenue Beach....good lord!



Seriously, good luck to everyone...I'd be there helping and cheering, but I'm going to kick my own @ss up to Madison and work out up there.

If you are looking for another really good Italian Restaurant, its tough to beat Tufano's, also known as Vernon Park Tap.

http://chicago.metromix.com/restaur...ittle-italy-university-village/134502/content

Its a cash ONLY place, very popular, and worth the effort to find it. If you go south on Racine from the Eisenhower, look for a wrought iron fenced parking lot...about 1/4 mile south...turn east (left) and go down 1/2 a block.

Yummylicious!

another map and link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-...=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=8760561857931058834

Thanks for posting that - I'm directionally challenged!! Love Metromix - they include directions for the bus and train lines!! Looks like if we visit DS at UIC - it will be a great place to check out!! Thanks!!


Mike

The reason I like Quartinos - its within walking distance! (and you do pass a Trader Joe's I will stock up our hotel room!!) and I think its better than Italian Village... which is fine - and large enough to handle crowds and walk ins, Quartinos is quaint -

Good Luck in Madison!

I so hope DS is ready for this - it doesnt seem like it to me - not that I'm an overprotective, nervous mom or anything...

Fri - expo and then we're headed to the Art Institute - - Sat we're volunteering at 6am (this may be a good night for pasta loading - or not depending on which book you read! ; ) ) Sun - we've got our shirts (WISH shirts right?!!) and cow bells (green!) to cheer everyone on!!

 

[laxdef69]

I'll stop by Quartino's, but I wasn't talking about Italian Village (which is quite good, but a different atmosphere than Tufano's, or from the sounds of it, Quartino's. Tufano's is in the old Little Italy section near the UIC campus, just south of Greektown.

Good luck everyone...time to go train!

 

[wtpclc]

Well, I swam in teh big lake last night. Or tired to. As much as you can when teh waves are 3 to 5 feet. COuld not believe it when we got to the beach adn the red flags were flying and dh said, "Yeah, I thought they would be" and proceeded to get out adn walk down to the water. WTH? WOuld have bene a blast if we weren't trying to swim for real. not as bad as I thought, tthough. Still, we cut it very short. Not that that didn't feel liek a huge workout. Not the pre-race swim I wnted, though.

On the bright side, teh water temp didn't fell too bad. It had to be cooler thant the 70 posted beginnign of teh day because it was so churned up. I think i'll be ok there.

Sandy - Your son is young. he'll be fine. Can't wait ot see the WISH shirts on teh course.

SuperSprinters - I will wear my WISH hat or visor and try for a WISH shirt, but we;ll likely be req'd to wear our volunteer shirts.

 

[Cindylou]

Carrie: Lots of luck to you.

Good WISHes to the others racing this weekend too.

Cindy

 

[Sandy321]

WOW...8 degrees in that short of a distance?

Amazing.

I take it back...62 is a little chilly without a wetsuit...

Just saw the weather report - its going to be COLD!! low in the 50's Sat - Sun High in the.... low 60!'s (the last weather guy said he didnt think it would get out of the 50's, maybe at 60 at best later Sunday!)

DS now has a wetsuit!!

So Lake Michigan is liable to be a lot warmer then the outside air temperature!

(Thanks Carrie for reminding me to pack our WISH Hat/Visor!! Of course with it being cold - I'll be layered up!)

 

[twoWDWfools]

For some reason I am not looking forward to this one. Was excited and nervous going into the past two but this one....just not feeling the love. Not sure if it's due to crappy weather or what.

We aren't staying downtown so won't make dinner plus we're doing the supersprint on Sat morning. Will have to watch for WISH shirts. Won't be able to post bib/wave numbers since we'll do packet pickup that morning instead of driving downtown on a Friday night.

Good luck to everyone!!

 

[ironz]

Good luck to the Chicago tri peeps!!

Mike, sent you an email about the bags.


and to the other PP who asked...the transition for most 70.3 races is like at a regular triathlon...no change tents, no special gear bags, etc. The only one I've done that had that was at the Clearwater 70.3 championships.

Did another sprint this weekend...fun, but it is just hot here for the run. No podium for me, thanks to my slow running. One more sprint in September. Main focus now is Goofy!

 

[Sandy321]

Chicago weather - super rainy today - tomorrow its predicted to be as rainy in the morning - then it should be ok for Saturday AM - and Sunday should be ok - its still going to be fall like weather (which is fine to run and bike in, but I cant imagine jumping into lake michigan - I'm thinking it will be like a Polar Bear Swim!!)

If there are no change tents - Can you have someone help you hold 'stuff' ? I'm thinking of towels to dry/warm up after that swim!! Maybe get some of those hand warmer thingys!!

 

[wtpclc]

Sabdy -- I really don't think it will be that bad. The last one I did was in teh 50s. The lake was probably a few degrees warmer, but after a mile in teh water, we should eb warmed up, especially if DS has a wet suit.

Thansk Betsy! WIll have to make sure we meet in January,