Photos from the 2023 Square Lake Sprint Triathlon

The Square Lake Triathlon was about 10 days ago, and I had a good race (after a crappy swim). Here are a bunch of photos from the race that Midwest Multisport Races shared on Facebook:

Race director Judi giving a pre-race meeting.


Underway at the beach!


There's me in the background of that last image, about to have a shitty swim.


Lots of athletes lined up to start.


Judi sending them off.


Close-up. Me awkwardly talking with Erin pre-race. Yikes.


This guy, then Erin ready to go behind him, and I'm out-of-frame behind Erin!


Dear God. What am I doing?

As a photographer myself, you'd think at SOME point I'd realize that there's a photographer taking pictures of me and decide to do something better with my face! But I'm all nerves pre-race. Yikes.

THIS is how I SHOULD enter the water! NEXT TIME!!


This shirt just looks slow in the water.


A line of swimmers heading out.


Close-up of the far right of that last image: why is there a duck so close?!?


Another example of how I should be entering the water.


It looks like he's stomping on the water... like he's pissed.


Line o' swimmers.


Hey, there I am exiting the water!


Close-up. I even look a little frustrated with that swim...

Also note that there are a few sun spots next to me in that last image. There were some clouds now-and-then that REALLY HELPED on the final stretch of the swim. If it was sunny the whole time, I'd be sighting directly into the sun. It wasn't bad after rounding that last buoy and only got worse near the shore (where it was easy to know where to go). I got lucky there.

AMAZING.


Swimmings heading to shore.


How'd that swim cap stay on??


Very short beach run before transition.


Swimmers heading in.




Hannah finishing the swim!


That NASTY little hill out of T1. (Felt WAY worse running out of T2!)


Tackling that hill while on your phone while doing a
race with 200 people around might not be the best idea.


You can see the effort to get up that hill.


A few people ran up the hill.


Riding the hill!




Even once you got to the "top," it kept climbing...


... even around the corner: still climbing.


I loved seeing this woman at the race with her
"step-through" bike frame with a wicker basket on the front!


The eventual winner (and pro cyclist) KILLING us all on those hills.


The winner running with no on else in sight.


I passed this guy on the run.


This was a team.


Here's the 18-year-old who was 2nd
(who beat me by 14 secs!)


Me rolling up to T2!


I felt pretty good about my ride. I had questions about how the upcoming run would go.


This was Nate just behind me. I caught him on the bike with 2 miles to go.


I wasn't able to catch 2nd place!


Another guy I caught on the run - he was 5th overall.


Storming up that damn hill!


Close-up. Determined!! (With some sweaty boobs.)


Next shot.


Close-up. Realizing I'm being photographed.


Nate coming behind me.


Erin coming in to T2.


Cyclists coming down, runners heading up.


Judi directing traffice out of T2.


This was the first guy across the line, but he was in
the "aqua bike," so he just swam and biked (no run).


The winner smoking us all!


Erin's hubby and child (who took some photos of me in my race report!).


Here I come!


Close-up. Flying. Doing that weird thing I do with my pinky.


Next shot. A bit more awkward on the downstride.


Close-up. See? Awkward.


Final shot of me coming down that hill.


Close-up. My arms are crossing my body too much, but
I'll blame that on the "final sprint" and that steep lil' hill.


Hitting the line!


Close-up. It LOOKS like I'm hitting my Garmin, but I'm only (accidently) taking a split.
You can see me ACTUALLY stopping my Garmin in my race report.


Nate behind me in 6th. (I passed more people on the run to move up to 3rd.)


THis guy boogied across the line to finish the "aqua bike."


I out-split the relay runner in the Mill City shirt. Sweet. ;)


Lots of runners still heading out!


Erin coming to the line!


I see this guy at a lot of multi-sport races!


This guy was cramping BADLY down the hill to the finish!

I was cheering on the hill as he came by, and he let out some audible groans... I was afraid he wouldn't make it down the hill upright. But he did! In fact, if you crop that photo of him finishing (which was cropped in on him above) to the upper right, you can see me in the corner:

That's me! See the shorts?


Cheering in later photos as well.


This guy's awkward finishing kick looks a lot like mine!
(Not at this race, but in other photos I've seen of myself over the years.)


Joyful!


Hannah finishing!


I love emotion at the finish line!


An "aqua biker" finishing with her helmet!


First: love ths shirt. Second: I thought she did the entire
triathlon in her pink swim cap! (It's a thick headband.)


Love this.


I'd pull something doing this.


Friends racing to the line!


A perfect photo to end with! :)

If you missed it, here's my full race report, here's a link comparing my last 3 races there, and here are a few more post-race thoughts.