Wisconsin? Or other recs, please?

[gumi]

One of my goals for the year is to get away more often, and so I am going to do one out-of-state triathlon during the summer.  Since I have to go through the hassle of packing my bike, I want it to be an awesome triathlon.  I also don't want to go to California because I have been there many, many, many times.

Also, I do not really want to swim in an ocean.

I am considering Nationals, which is in Wisconsin.  I have never been there, and I believe you swim in a lake?  Are there currents in  a lake the big?

I remember this race sold out last year so I think if I do that, I need to decide quickly.  But I want some other options.  What are other options? 

[hannahb]

Is nationals held on the same course as Ironman Wisconsin? Not that I know anything but my boss has done that race 3 times and swimming is her least favorite sport so it must not be too bad for her to go back. I can ask her.

[kams]

My friends who raced Nats had a great time, & Milwaukee was just named a top 10 city by Ironman.

I moved to the SW from Oregon, so I would love to go back and race in Bend/Sunriver. There's a long course in June, a sprint (Sunday) and Olympic (Saturday) on a weekend in July, and then there is the Leadman 250.

[mcc]

I went to college in Madison so it's worth going to go to Madison alone (Milwaukee is an hour away). On the fitness aspect, I'm no help. But zomg beer and brats and cheese and ice cream for post race is worth going to Wisconsin alone.

[breezy8407]

Are you talking about Ironman in Madison? I know a guy doing it.

No currents in a lake.

Madison knows how to party, I do know that much. You will get a ton of support if you do it. My brother and SIL and tons of friends are planning on supporting their friend the whole weekend/race.

[breezy8407]

Oh, if the swim is in Lake Michigan, I am not sure about currents. Don't think so though.

[schitzengiggles]

I don't have Tri location advice but I can tell you that there are currents in the Great Lakes. I lived by Lake Superior for many years and there were definitely currents. We had a flag warning system to keep people out of the water when they were bad enough. I imagine it could be the same for Lake Michigan.

[breezy8407]

Mar 21, 2014 8:35:44 GMT -5 schitzengiggles said:

I don't have Tri location advice but I can tell you that there are currents in the Great Lakes. I lived by Lake Superior for many years and there were definitely currents. We had a flag warning system to keep people out of the water when they were bad enough. I imagine it could be the same for Lake Michigan.

I'm from MN too - I never knew this! 

[schitzengiggles]

Mar 21, 2014 8:41:06 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

Mar 21, 2014 8:35:44 GMT -5 schitzengiggles said:

I don't have Tri location advice but I can tell you that there are currents in the Great Lakes. I lived by Lake Superior for many years and there were definitely currents. We had a flag warning system to keep people out of the water when they were bad enough. I imagine it could be the same for Lake Michigan.

I'm from MN too - I never knew this! 

Oh yes. Generally it is okay, I've swam in Lake Superior (Duluth) many times and never felt unsafe....but you just needed to be aware of the flag warnings and changing conditions. There have been drownings due to people being taken out by the current and not knowing what to do (swim parallel to shore). And every summer there is at least one or two rescues!

[blndsnbrdr]

Oooh, Wisconsin. I like it there. Well, I grew up there so I have to like it there!

Check out Steena, she has done lots of Madison/Milwaukee area tris

twitter.com/aHappyPace
findingmyhappypace.com/

I believe she did the IM last year? And is signed up again this year? She has full recaps on her blog and I've always seen her to be very open to questions.

PS -- eat fresh, squeaky cheese curds if you do go. From a local dairy. Just do it.

[keweenawlove]

Are they in Milwaukee again this year? I did the Olympic distance there last year. The swim is in Lake Michigan but it's in an area protected by various breakwalls. I was a little nervous about it because I grew up swimming Lake Superior so I was expecting possible currents but it wasn't bad at all. I've heard that area can get a little choppy but nothing like the huge waves that would be possible if it was truly open water.

I'm trying to remember when I signed up last year. I qualified at the tri in early June so I signed up after that.

The ITU World Championships are in Chicago in July. Have you look at that at all?

[gumi]

Mar 21, 2014 13:05:28 GMT -5 keweenawlove said:

Are they in Milwaukee again this year? I did the Olympic distance there last year. The swim is in Lake Michigan but it's in an area protected by various breakwalls. I was a little nervous about it because I grew up swimming Lake Superior so I was expecting possible currents but it wasn't bad at all. I've heard that area can get a little choppy but nothing like the huge waves that would be possible if it was truly open water.

I'm trying to remember when I signed up last year. I qualified at the tri in early June so I signed up after that.

The ITU World Championships are in Chicago in July. Have you look at that at all?

ITU is draft-legal, right?  hahaha I would probably  get eliminated before the bike!

Do you think its weird nationals is in the same spot 2 years in a row?  But I like what you say about the currents.  Would you do the race again?  

[keweenawlove]

gumi I have no idea about ITU. I've just been getting all their mailings and I thought Chicago would be a more exciting trip than Milwaukee.

I think I would do this race again if the money/timing weren't an issue. I'm not nearly as fast as you I got the email that I'd qualified when the race at 99% full so I registered on a whim. I had a family friend from MKE pushing me to do it and it was a 4 hour drive away.

It was a really good experience. I haven't done any tris on this scale before so I don't have much to compare it to but I thought it was very well run. The hard-core triathletes I talked to seemed to think so too. The bike course was on the freeway for some of it so you couldn't practice the whole course (if that's an issue to you). The run was along the beach for awhile - pretty but at that point I really just wanted to be on the beach relaxing instead of in the last 2 miles for the run. lol. That's all I can think of for now. Let me know if you have any specific questions.