Race Coverage

Fluffy Cows, Insane Climbs & Mount Rushmore...

Sunday, 01 October 2023 00:10

By Noah BIllings

Wildlife Loop Triathlon Race Report - When I was younger, I was very shy. When I started doing tri, I got a bit more outgoing. I think that it helped me socially because I liked the feeling of confidence and accomplishment that I gained....

In 2017, I started with the local mountain bike team. I was one of the youngest on the team, but I had a decent fitness level from Tri, and I loved biking on roads and trails. One of our coaches told the team about a very challenging race through the gravel hills of southeast MN called the Filthy 50. It is a very hilly race. After hearing about the Filthy 50, I was so intrigued by the overall challenge of it as well as the idea that it was too hard for someone my age to do. To be honest, I also really wanted to do this race to impress the fast guys on my team. In my eyes, the quickest route to inclusion was to show them what I could do.

There were shorter options, but I convinced my parents that I needed to do the full 50-mile ride. The race day was really hot & I finished the race in rough shape (for an 11-year-old). My experience with maintaining nutrition was poor, and my legs were in pain both during and after the race. There were a few times I remember working through physical and mental stuff that I was not prepared for.

But without this race, I do not think I would be the athlete I am today. As fun as the race was, it was at that time, the most brutal race I had ever done. It was really a transitional moment in my athletic development. I learned I could get through pain, and I learned I could do hard things. When I finished, I never felt such a sense of accomplishment. I loved that feeling. I loved the bragging rights!

This year, I have had two separate nasty viruses that made me have to pull from 2 great races. They also kicked my training back significantly. In May, I also incurred a lower back & lateral hamstring injury that caused me some loss in speed on the bike and the run. PTs, Chiro, and I had to work really hard at recovery. By the time I was finally reaching baseline, it was already Nationals!

Those setbacks were hard to process in my 17-year-old brain. While I was recovering, I decided I needed a late-season goal and that it needed to be a BIG goal.

I looked at some long-distance races in the surrounding states, and while I was looking, I happened across the Wildlife Loop Triathlon. This race is in Custer, SD, through Custer State Park. The race looked small, and the scenery looked spectacular. One comment I read was that this 70.3 was one of the most difficult courses for that distance. I talked to my parents and coach. My parents made me get medically cleared first (good news, I am done growing—bad news, I am the height of the average woman). My coach since day 1 of triathlon, Kris Koepp, said that while this would not do much for my sprint performance—but If I need to do this for my motivation, he would be happy to help.

This race gave me a big goal to focus on to stay compliant with PT exercises and stretching. It got me excited to do a BIG thing.

The race itself is stunning. The scenery was unbelievable. I had to try some new things! I was nervous about riding my bike on the same roads as buffalo, and I had never ridden a bike over cattle grates. During the pre-race meeting there is a “fluffy cow” safety talk. I had heard about the Black Hills, but the climbs on this route were INSANE. This was also my first race with a strategy and nutrition plan that my coach made me review nightly for a week before the race. Also, there was a cash prize for top finishers, so there were many pros who showed up hoping for some $$.

The day of the race the temps were perfect. It was in the 60s and the winds were low. My goal was to finish. My biggest concern was racing like it was a sprint and going out too hard. However, I had never done a race longer than a sprint and I was NOT going to fail.

The swim is in Stockade Lake—this is the only flat portion of the entire course. I had some trouble with sighting. The rising sun was right in my eyes on the longest stretch. I was slower than I hoped on the swim, but I was happy with my swim. The splits for the race timer were screwed up so according to Garmin—My swim was 37:04.

T1 was smooth, Coach Kris told me to focus on making sure I had everything together before leaving on the Bike. I took my time, I even put on SOCKS! My transition spot was right by the fence so I quickly said bye to my parents and was off.

Then, I headed out on my Bike. I enjoy climbing, so this was the racecourse for me! There are 5118 feet of gain on the bike course. It is wonderfully brutal. Also, the entire race occurred at a much higher altitude than I was anticipating, but it was still SO fun. I saw deer and bison while riding. I stuck to my nutrition plan, and I felt good. Toward the end of the bike, I started feeling it. my average speed was only 18.5 mph. However, I knew I passed a fair number of bikers and that always is a mental boost. I finished the bike in 3:02:03.

Rolling into T2 was a good feeling, but I was still tight. I tried (unsuccessfully-- ewww) to eat a little something, but quickly went back to my beverage-based nutrition plan. I took off running on a course with over 400 feet of gain. While the run started strong, the effect of the hilly bike was affecting my leg comfort. I know the last 5k was pretty brutal. I had been training at a 7:30 pace, but the hills caught up with me & I ended up finishing my 13.1 miles in 1:42:19.

My total time for the race was 5:31:19.6. I finished 15th overall. I was the 4th non-Pro finisher. My mom said the only reason I won my age group is because other kids parents have the sense to say no when their kids want to do crazy-ass things.

The race was amazing and so scenic. It is a very small and minimalist race. There are not a ton of supports available, and it has a very laid-back vibe. I loved the time in Custer. I also visited Mt. Rushmore & Crazy horse during my visit. I am ready for next year in a new way. I think this is a great race if you want to challenge yourself to do a crazy thing. This race is very brag worthy.