Bigfoot Triathlon

Lake Geneva, WI
Sunday June 27, 2010
by: Mark Johnson

Bigfoot Triathlon, Lake Geneva WI
International Distance (.9m swim, 24m bike, 10k run)
1st Place Overall

I’ve been putting off this race report for a couple of weeks.  Though I found success at this race, something about the race and the weekend itself left me weary, making my written word a little more labored.

My wife and two kids camped out at the Bigfoot State Park campground for the two nights prior to the race.  During this time, the weather sprung into the 90’s during the day, storms came during the night, and my 4 year old son puked twice (each night) in the tent.  This did not make for the most restfull of occassions.  On a positive note, we had some delicious camp stove cooked meals with our friends who were also competing and camping out for the weekend.

On race morning the sky was dark and the wind was mighty.  White caps were on Lake Geneva at 5 a.m. and the outlook for the day was forboding.  But by 7:00, when the first wave of swimmers bounded into the water, the winds had calmed and swimming conditions were perfect.  I was in the 4th wave and I was actually feeling some confidence about this swim (usually my nemesis of the 3 events).  I exited the water in 19 minutes.  This was an awesome time for me, but I was also pretty sure the course was short.

The sky became dark as the bike course began.  I didn’t mind.  I was already wet and it was a welcome change from the heat of previous days.  I felt bad for my wife and kids who were watching, but there wasn’t much I could do for them.  The biking leg passed quickly.  I didn’t get passed, and did a lot of passing.  Finished in 57 minutes and change.

The run leg consisted of two 5k loops through park trails.  Having run the loop on the previous day, I had opted to wear cross country spikes so as to provide traction on the areas that were bound to become mud slick as 1000 runners passed over them.  I think I was the only person to wear spikes in the whole race, and my time showed.  I pulled of a 36:36 for run.

The results of the race put me in fourth place overall.  I noticed the previous three finishers ran their 10k’s in less than 24 minutes, and knew something was amiss.  Sure enough, the first three finishers were disqualified and I moved up into first.

The day ended on an anticlimactic note.  The rain cleared and the sun did come out at the end of the race.  And as quickly as people had appeared for the race, the vacated just as quick.  I found the race director to find out if there were awards.  He handed me a curved piece of glass with a sticker on it that read “1st Place Overall”.  Kind of shafty I thought, not even a gift certificate for the gas it would take to get me home.  Oh well, it’s all about the journey.  Living is learning.  It felt good to put in a good race effort, and it felt equally good to go home to sleep in my own bed that night.