2012

2012

                  We got some cold weather running and biking gear and continued to computrain, run, bike and for Bobbi swim throughout the winter.  I looked ahead for a race. I had to compete. I signed up the St. Patrick’s Day Du (5K run/18 Mile bike/ and 2.5 run) in hilly Hampstead, MD(finishing Third in my age group). I scanned the schedule for any all Duathlons and found a few more and signed-up. The most challenging one was the Blackwater Duathlon.

So I asked , Iain Banks (http://theramblingsofanendurancejunkie.blogspot.com/) one of the co-owners of Parvilla, what the LC Nat Du was all about. He explained that it was the USA Triathlon Long Course Duathlon National Championship and that I had to do it just to say you competed in a national championship.  A 10K run, 70K bike and a second 10K run, wow! So the training began…

                  I did the computrainer series thru March, was running about 30 miles a week, biking long distance rides (2 to 30 miles) in Anne Arundel’s south county area. I ran the Annapolis Striders Cherry Pit 10 Miler, Kent Island Metric Marathon (26.2K), Hagerstown Duathlon (2mi run/10mi bike/5K run), Iwo Jima Memorial 7K, a 20K Bike Time trial in South County, and did a practice 37 mile ride.

                  Just a week before the race, I  finally got my bike properly fitted. Stu at Parvilla (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=336219063115361&set=a.298924940178107.66737.141061012631168&type=1) got me and my bike set up.

                  The USAT LC Du National Championship was held in Cambridge, MD. Well, actually held near the and partially in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  Windy and power packed would best describe the race conditions. It’s on the eastern shore of Maryland so it’s going to windy. Power pack because it was USAT National Championship there were a lot of elite athletes there, including pros on both the men’s and women’s side. The defending long and short course Duathlon champs were included.

                  That being said my goal was just to finish. My first 10K I was fine. I run a nice steady 7:44/mi pace on a out and back boring road and was feeling pretty good heading into T1 with a 47:52. T1 was a little struggle. I seems to take me forever to get my bike shoes on, but I got out an onto the bike course.

The 70K or 43.3 mile bike course was actually a down and back course also. About 11 miles down and back and you do that twice. I felt pretty good heading down the first time averaging about 19.8 mph. On the way back, the wind hit. My guess it was gusting up to about 15 miles an hour and I slowed down to about that same speed.  Hydrated and ate as I planned and made the loop to do it again. I was identical the second time around and I felt good heading into T2.

                  I was unclipped heading to the point where you must dismount before heading into the transition area. That’s when it happened. The race director moved in front of my bike just as I had no speed, my right foot snapped back onto the pedal and I fell over. OUCH!...elbow bleeding and sore…knee bleeding and throbbing with pain. I get up walk thru T2 and head out to the second run looking and feeling pretty beat up.

                  I didn’t even make it a mile before my right knee started screaming, first from the sweat pouring into the open wound and second from the pain of the knee smacking the pavement. So every 1Km of the 10K was a struggle of mind over pain and mind over quitting.

                  I’ll run to the water station it’s 2.5K away…ok, I made it. I’ll walk a little. I see the half way point. I’ll run again to there. Ok, I made it. Drink some water… walk some more…run to next water station….walk thru that water station and finally run the last 2K to the finish. The final run took 1:09:32 and I was hurting when I crossed the line. Overall time 4:35:01…179 of 220 finishers and 19 of 24 in my age group (45-49).

                  I went to the first aid station for the first time ever, in all my years of racing. And I am most grateful for my family (Bobbi and the girls) for being there for me at the finish and Iain and Sara sticking around too!

                  What could I have done differently other than no fall over?…NOTHING! And I am ok with that. Will I do this race again next year?…YES! It was my longest bike ride, it was my longest du and it was longest I had been in perpetual motion since the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon.

                  Recovery so far has been ok. I did 23 mile recovery ride the day after  and a short run of 4 miles at a 7:45 pace.

And now the rest of the season….