Square Lake Triathlon : Official Thread

I did not get registered for the Short course early enough and did not get in, was looking forward to this one.

I'm in for the sprint.  Here's my race report from last year.

I like this race...last one of the year for me, so I'm usually very well rested...PR'd by 4 minutes last year...

Water is beautiful (clear).  *I* consider this course 'hilly.'  Up a hill about a mile into the bike.  Fairly big hill 2 miles into the run...

I'll try to attach the elevation graph later this week...

When is this race?

I am attempting to do both races at Square lake.  I did not race last year, was in Madison, WI  for IMWI. 
The swim is nice - the sun might be an issue so clear goggles might not be the best for sighting.  The run up the hill to T1 is a small challenge. 
I do remember the bike is hilly and a bit bumpy, especially on Hwy 95.  Not sure if the road has been worked on since, but those bumps take some energy out of you.
The run is a bit hilly near T2 and coming back, the rest of the course is not so bad. 
One thing to note, not sure about last year, but previous years the weather on this weekend has been very warm for Sept. 

Good luck everyone !!

The Square Lake Sprint will be my first triathlon. I'm petrified of swimming in lakes, but I checked it out a couple of weeks ago and I have to say I just might be able to do this! Very clear, chilly water. The race page recommends a wet suit. For those of you who have done this one, do you think one is necessary? Also, does the swim go out into the lake proper, or is it more along the shoreline (I need to know to psyche myself up on this!)? The run is rather pleasant....a number of long hills and one rather steep one; mixture of hard packed dirt/gravel and pavement. Haven't done the bike route yet, but drove it and...wow....bumpy and hilly, even in a car! I put different tires on my bike in preparation for a practice ride. Any advice will be welcomed.....good idea re: tinted swim goggles in case it's sunny. Thanks!

pretty much Everyone will wear wetsuits for a 1/2 mile swim. It makes the swim easier and provides flotation. This should help out your fears i would think. It sould be straight out. It may look far when you first see it so dont let it scare you off. Just take an easy swim. I would recommend not attacking it as if you were in a race but rather take the pace you are comfortable with and be calm.

Here's the Square Lake bike course (short course).  Click the 'Elev. Graph' button to get the elevation map.  Moderate hills at miles 2 & 7, uphill to the finish starting at mile 13.

The Square Lake run course (short course).  Dirt road starts at ~mile 2.3.  Hill at mile 3.  Dirt road ends at ~3.3 miles.




Edited by sparco 2009-08-12 8:31 PM

Thank you markmms5831.......I will look into a wetsuit. I went to Square Lake yesterday; swam laps for 45 minutes along the beach buoys. Went out far enough to be swimming in weeds - a very first for me. You know how the body gasps when someone unexpectedly comes up behind you? Well, that gasping is what I was doing initially each time I touched a weed, or saw a thick patch of weeds along the bottom - it was so very weird - I could not control it at all. Talk about a racing heart rate! I finally turned off my heart monitor! All the rationalizing self-talk didn't help. But, like magic......within 30 minutes or so......I started to swim along peacefully, able to focus on my stroke. Very strange brain-transition. It was me and the weeds in harmony.....or something like that! Now I have to go back there at least one more time to see if I can repeat that harmony!

Square lake half!

I did it last year, so here is what I can remember from it;

the swim was a 2 loop course, and yes take you wetsuit because I was the stupid one that decided not to wear a wetsuit and pay the price for it, anyway they send waves every 4 minutes starting with males under 30 and so on, which means that you might catch up to the last wave during your second loop.

T1: so you get out of the lake and get ready to go up some stairs! there are a bunch not to bad but still you have to go up some stairs (maybe 50?)

the bike was again a 2 loop course, felt pretty flat to me and I can really remember if we had any head winds but that can change, btw last year was overcast and rain was totally creeping on the race, to my luck it didn't rain until the run.

T2: really simple in and out much easier than T1

Run is out and back, nothing crazy just a little uphill before the turn around point at mile 6.5
aid stations every mile with water, gatorade, and some had food.

I hope you can use the info =) and I'll be there this year again!!! good luck with your training

I ran up the steps last year.  Based on Mike Ricci's race strategy suggestion (see below), I'm gonna opt to walk up the steps this year.



Seems that the point of easing off the swim and warming up on the bike is to get the HR down.  I'll be watching my heart rate monitor and making sure I don't get above LT (lactate threshold - 162).  Doesn't seem worth running up the steps and trying to get around people (steps accomodate about 2 abreast) or getting a cut from a trip or fall just to save a few seconds.

Just my .02

yeah i get what you are saying, I came out on 26 min XX last year (second out of the water) and ran up the stairs, the reason why I ran was because I had no wetsuit and honestly I was thinking about calling it right there cause I was too cold but running the stairs kinda helped!!!

for 2009 I'll be wearing a wetsuit! yay =) anyway seems like you have a good plan.

Question for those of you who have done this race - I'm scheduled for the short course (my first tri) on Saturday, Sept 12. My swimming is coming along nicely......running has been my thing for years (slow, but can complete a marathon). I just started cycling in June. Average 14.5 mph on slightly rolling terrain with distances up to 22 miles. I'm training some on larger, longer hills, but am finding that I have a ways to go in that arena. I get fatigued and have to coast down the subsequent hill.....and I have a fear of going >23 mph or so, so cannot maximize the downhill momentum yet.
That said, is it too soon for me to try this course?
I drove the course in the car a ways back. Seemed like a lot of long gradual hills, though I cannot recall if any were steep.
Your input/advice sure would be appreciated.

Definitely not too soon for you to try this course.  Since you have a comfort level in running, I would design your race strategy so you capitalize on that.  Last thing you want to do is to 'bonk' on the running leg.

Just manage your heart rate on the bike and make sure you're not exhausting yourself.  Let your heart rate (HR) drop after your swim, and ease into the bike leg.  When you start feeling resistance biking up hills, there is NOTHING wrong with dropping down to a lower gear and maintaining your RPMs (revolutions per minute -- foot turnover on the pedals).  Probably want to stay above 65 RPMs so as not to be 'grinding' up the hills.  This will keep you fresh (and confident) on your downhills, allowing you to make up the time (keep pedaling on the downhills).

You'll be surprised how fresh you'll feel on the run, and will most likely be passing people during the run leg.

Good luck to you.  Hope to see you there! 

Thank you, Sparco.....I appreciate the advice. It gave me a bit of confidence. I'm doing my own private mini-tri tomorrow with 40 minutes each of swim, bike, run......consecutively except that there will be a little break b/t the swim and bike since I have to get myself out of the pool/gym and unlock my bike from the rack where I will have dropped it off. I will watch my HR on the bike to see how I do keeping it down. Funny that I monitor my HR during the swimming and running, but not much while cycling, probably because I figure it's "way up there" in light of the effort I feel I'm putting out. Tomorrow's route won't be hilly, but still worth monitoring. Again, thank you.

Well if all goes well, who knows with VS, but one of my co-workers is not going to do the short course so we are working to get his entry transferred to me for Square Lake.  Otherwise I may just have to race it under his name!  I am glad St Paul will not be my last race this year.  Hopefully I can manage to continue training for the TC Marathon, and allow myself ample time to recover for this race.  I am thinking a 16 mile run on Labor day, and a nice easy week leading up to Square Lake.  

Well, I DID IT! My own personal little triathlon - completed it yesterday! I just had to try all 3 disciplines consecutively at least once to be sure I could even do it. Completed a 35 min swim (in pool 25yd x 48), 48 min bike (13 miles, a few rolling hills), 52 min run. Took my time.....slow, slow, slow......but no stopping other than transitions, and for red lights, of course.  Now, to combat seaweed fears and those darn hills! And, oh yeah, I still have to try putting on this wetsuit that arrived.....somehow I cannot get up the nerve to take it out of the box! I'm sure this cooler weather will soon convince me that I'd better be sure it fits.

You're right, ejshowers. The wetsuit and I made a pact to go to Square Lake for an OWS over the upcoming 4-day weekend. I cannot get myself to put even a toe into the gross lakes here in the metro, but I've managed practice swims in Square Lake twice now.

Nice work on the multi sport day Deb.

Since I am going to be doing the short course and my last race was only a 5k run and I am not training for the marathon, I used one of my 6 mile runs this week to push hard for speed.  My 5k run averaged 7:38 a mile I think, so I hope to be able to beat that over the 5 mile course of Square Lake.  Did a 6.1 mile run tonight in 48 minutes flat so I am close, figuring since that was a training run, I will run a bit faster for the race.  I was not sure how my endurance would hold up at a sub 8 pace. 

Wetsuit legal is based on water temp to my understanding and since Square Lake is spring fed it normally is pretty cool.

Also that normally only applies for USAT sanctioned events, don't think any Vacation Sports events are. 

Yep, it is.  The past 2 years I've done Square Lake it was wetsuit legal.  Last lake reading at Calhoun (still a few miles south of Square) was 74 degrees, so I was just figuring that if we didn't have a warm-up before the race date, there would be no chance for it to get to 78!

I just swim with much less effort with a wetsuit.

When I signed up for the short course in June, the website actually stated that a wetsuit was recommended. That was what prompted me to read up on wetsuits......having never done a tri before, I didn't even know they were worn