Trizou 2014

Trizou - 5/4/2014

The first triathlon of my season. I had an early start. I got up at 3:30AM to drive from STL to Columbia. It's what I'd been training so hard for all winter. However, I felt much less prepared than I thought I would. I knew all of my short comings in my training. The biggest of them all had to be the fact that I hadn't logged a single lap in the pool since the end of last season. I had no idea what was going to happen at the start of this race. To make matters worse, I had entered the "elite" division to be up against the best and they all showed up. I am pretty sure there were 19 men and 6 women. However, the standing only show 18 and 5. I'm wondering if there wasn't a DNF for each. Anyways, back to the race. With a pool wave start there was only room for 16 in the first wave (2 in each of the 8 lanes). I had been chosen along with my friend Dave Otto. Both us saw who was left out of heat 1, Victor Halamicek and knew that wasn't right. He had consistantly out performed us at races. We both offered up our spots and Victor and another were gracious to accept. If I had better swim training and confidence coming into the race, I might not have done that. Being the first race of the season, I really had no idea what I was going to be capable of. I was running and biking better than ever. I would be in the second heat with the women and 2 other elite men. Fine by me.

We watched the first heat do their swim and out of the pool. Our turn! Despite what it sounds like, I was pumped and ready to give it my all! I was not going to go away quietly. We got in the pool and without much waiting, we were off. I was quick to get after it. I even took the lead over Dave Otto who I was sharing a lane with. I figured I was probably going out too fast and he'd probably catch and pass me before the end. This was what happened. It didn't feel as bad as it should. With only a 400, it went by pretty quickly. Climbing out of the pool is a bit of an awkward climb. I got to my feet and was off and running. It was a decent run to our bikes and my pace was fast. I didn't feel like it took me too much time to get on my shoes and helmet, grab my bike, and run out of transition.

I jumped on the bike just past the mount line. Click, click. My shoes clipped in. Not normally an event to mention and be excited about. However, I was wearing these shoes for the first time and the cleats as well. I know the rule not to test new equipment on race day. I guess I'm just a risk taker despite having had that backfire on me at least at one race. There's some sharp turns to start the bike and I was playing it fairly safe. I'd seen someone go down on those turns two years ago and there was plenty of other time to make up any ground I lost. I pushed hard once on the main loop. I wasn't saving anything. I wanted to catch Dave Otto who wasn't extremely far ahead of me, especially since he's almost impossible to run down. Two big climbs on the loop that we do twice. The hills felt much better than they did previous years. My improved bike training, including hills, had paid off. I felt fast. I had passed some of the women who had gotten out of the pool ahead of me, but neither of the men. The second loop was filled with traffic from people starting their first loop. It wasn't the easiest to navigate, especially with some of the turns. Most of the way around the second loop, I'm getting passed! What!? Oh... nevermind. It's Kevin Nickel who has won this race the last three years. He was flying. I did what I could to keep up and finish up my bike.

Another pretty decent transition and headed off around the track to start the run. I was wearing new shoes for the first time yet again. I am pretty sure I lost some time going the longer way around. No time to fret over it though. I was running well and feeling pretty good. I had a decent pace going. There weren't mile markers out there to know exactly how far I was into the run. With such a short run of 3 miles, I guess it didn't really matter. It was just push hard the whole way around. The course loops around to go back on the walking bridge over the road. This is good news as the highest point of the course and a downhill the rest of the way to the finish. My new shoes were feeling fine. With no socks, it was probably a bigger risk than normal. There hasn't been anyone in sight ahead of me to run down which would have been nice to keep me motivated and my pace up. I finished will all I had and got some great cheers coming into the finish.

I had stopped my watch at 1:07:??. I had started it 10 seconds early and stopped it just past the line, so I was glad to see the final results putting me at 1:06:53 and my best finish time at this race (by 3 seconds! and my slowest time of 1:07:00 LOL!) This race keeps me pretty consistent. I was very happy with the result no matter what place it amounted to. I ended up 15th in the Elite Men and was only beat by one of the women, Holland Smith. I had also had 2 others within 30 seconds of my time that I wonder if I could have held off if I had stayed in that first heat and known how close it was. I'm excited for my next race. I won't have to wait long, just 2 weeks. I'll try not to use anything new for that race. Also, I've got an 8hr Adventure Race to get through first.

Important Links:
Trizou Website
Trizou Race results

Boonecrusher 12hr Adventure race

Boonecrusher 12 hr Adventure race - 4/26/14

The Toporadicals are back and ready for action. After a 4th place showing at the last race, we were poised to break into the top 3. Our training was going well and everything pointed to a good race. The race headquarters was at Brushy Creek Park. For the first time, Nathan and i decided to camp at the race site. We both love to camp and it's very convenient to be so close to the race start. There were some concerns about not getting as good of sleep and issues planning and plotting at camp.

We got into town and race check-in was already open so we decided to go there first instead of setting up camp. The Bike Shop in Fort Dodge had everything ready to go for us. Kudos to a GREAT race shirt (good design, good color, and great fabric)! We were excited to get right to it. We looked around for a good place to get a good plate of pasta. Fort Dodge was not really helping us out much there and we ended up settling for a Fazzoli's. We spread out and started plotting. The UTM coordinates were really not matching up like we'd like for our double checks. It took a minute to get rolling with it and get into a rhythm. We decided to note the ones we had questions about and head be to check-in to ask about them later. We had a good idea of what the race was going to look like and ended up with just a few questions. Back at check-in we found out we weren't the only one's with questions. There was one CP that had the wrong UTM coordinates, so they marked the spot for us. All other questions were confirmed and explained.

We headed back to camp and setup the tent which only took a few minutes. Planning and plotting went pretty quickly too actually. We did our share of checks and double checks to make sure we picked the "right" route. We even did some calculations to see what the situation was like with the time cut off. Previous years had very few finishing in time with all the CPs, so we needed to be sure we could finish, or have escape routes ready. puzzled, it looked like there was plenty of time. You just never know, so we identified CPs that would be the best to punt on. The idea of not finishing the course is something that is like nails on a chalkboard to us. We got to bed at a reasonable hour.

We both had a good night sleep and woke up early with no problem. We had everything packed and ready to go from the night before. We got dressed and headed out. Despite being very close to HQ, we brought the car in case they were letting us use them as a supply point. We asked when we got there and that was not allowed. No problem. We were ready for either answer. Mainly it meant that we'd have to carry our paddles with us the entire race. Race directors did a good job of making sure everyone had the CP correction for the wrong UTM and made announcements to clarify any questions. One announcement said that we could leave our paddles at HQ with our bike. We instictively started unpacking them and were happy to not have to carry them for the first trek. However, I was quick to realize that we didn't want to have to come back to HQ after trek 1 and wanted to go straight to the boat ramp. Paddles were packed back up. A beautiful sunrise and national anthem got things going. We all gathered up on the parking lot and were counted down. Nate and I were right up front and center. I was off with start. The excitement of it all must have really gotten to me and I was out in front! I turned to make sure Nathan was with me and said to him "We're in 1st place" with a chuckle. He was the voice of reason and realed back my pace to something more reasonable, although still in the lead. Only 5 CPs for trek 1, but we were the only ones in sight that went for CP3 first. Maybe I should have been more concerned about that, but I felt good about our choices. It didn't take long for us to realize these "open field" areas weren't going to be fast going. The ground was soft and grasses were high. We did well on pace and got all the CPs cleanly. Only seconds were lost on a brief discussion of what reentrant to check for CP4. Pre-race, start, and Trek 1

Running up to the boat ramp for the canoe leg was a big boost. It was obvious that were still out front. The voulenteers said that only one team had gone out before us and they had skipped a CP. We were in first! No time to celebrate. There were some big winds coming across the lake and it was going to be a battle. As we paddled into the wind, there was discussion of possibly changing our route, but it was decided to keep it as is. One team was not too far from our heels when we got to the first CP. Paddling is not our strong suit. The wind was really messing with our boat and our novice skills on the water showed. It was a fight the entire way around the lake. There were three sections where were could pull the boat on shore and get CPs by foot, so we did that every chance we got. We did get passed by Wadabi before getting to the far end of the lake. After the last CP we tried to figure out where we stood, but Wadabi wasn't in sight. We had a slight mistake that caused us a little time, so they were likely out in front. We pretty much tipped our boat as we came in. I was just so excited to be done with that. Time for catchup on the bike.

We had a short run to HQ to get our bikes and a transition that was fast enough. I can't tell you how happy I was to be on my bike. That would change quickly... very quickly. After going south to get below the lake it was time to head east. POW! A headwind that was unforgiving. Our pace was reduced to a crawl. With our destination pretty far to the east of us, there was no doubt we were in for a lot of suffering and suffer we did. We did what we could and tried to draft and use the tow to stay together. Now I was having to long for getting to the next trek section. Slowly but surely we inched our way along. The team in the distance in front of us gradually pulled away and out of sight. We were thankfully able to do the same thing to the team that was behind us though. A big gravel downhill to the TA was a nice rest.

There were 8 bikes already there. With adventure racing, it's hard to know what that means. 4 person teams, 2 person teams, possible skipped CPs... There's a lot of race and Toporadicals would never give up. We started right back up that hill we had ridden down for our approach to CP17 to start off this leg. This was a tough one. We were so sure we were in the right spot, but the topo lines and the terrain were not matching up and it took a lot of time to finally get it. It was right were it was suppossed to be, but I still feel like the map was lacking in that area. I was looking forward to the next task. RIVER CROSSING! Fun. We came to the river at just the right spot. The water wasn't too deep and footing was good. The cold water on our legs actually was awesome! I knew we had 3 more river crossings planned and couldn't wait. CP18 gave us some trouble first though. We stayed high and to the left of the reentrant where the CP was going to be. We made it all the way to the end of the reentrant and NOTHING! Nate insisted we were in the right spot, so we went back through. This time I took the creek. Sure enough, it was right there. We must have been too high or away from the edge to see it at that point of our route. Silly mistake. Back across the river at the same point we crossed before so there wasn't going to be any problems there. We ended up on the heels of another team so we pushed to try to get ahead. We ended up getting the next CP at the same time. The last CP was a decision point to go around and do a climb, or a direct route with 2 river crossings. With wet shoes already and enjoying the cold water on our legs the last crossing made it no choice at all for us. The 3rd crossing was about knee deep, but the 4th was almost waist level! I didn't really want to get out. We got the last CP and were back in TA in no time.

Besides knowing we were going to have to make the big climb out of there, most of the rest of the ride should be headed west! That's right... with a TAIL WIND! Yes! The crosswind sections when heading North and South were still not fun to deal with though. At least there wasn't a brick wall of a head wind. There was a short trail section on this leg and a fun pint dangling over the middle of the creek. I had to climb and maneuver my way through a fallen tree to get it. There was a big, steep climb just after that and I was proud to have made it up without having to get off my bike and walk. Closer to the end of this leg there was a valley to go down and come back up after crossing the river. It was going to add a climb both directions. We were starting to really feel the effects of a hard day by the time we got to the last trek.

I didn't really feel tired, and my muscles didn't either. However, my knees were really hurting. I was forced to some sort of awkward shuffle to try to hold any pace. It just wasn't happening. I was being forced to walk. Thankfully, walking did provide relief and didn't cause my continued pain. I could even walk pretty fast without trouble so that's what I did. I would do a run/shuffle from time to time until the pain was too much. Descending down the steeper hills was actually the worst part of it. Who would have thought going down a hill would be my least favorite. The teepee CP was a cool area and actually this whole park was pretty neat. Unfortunately my mind was on my pain and on time. With the winds slowing our bike and giving us trouble on the canoe, we had to consider the cut off time. I was really paranoid about it. I didn't want to give up our good position by coming in late and taking penalties. I kept constant recalculations of when we needed to leave and how fast I had to try to go. There was going to be a head wind for the bike back east to HQ/finish, tired legs for both of us, and not knowing if my knee issues would appear on the bike as well. We did get all the CPs and back to TA with another 30 minutes by my estimated comfort level.

I was only sort of glad to be back on the bike. My knees were fine with peddling, but I knew a headwind was in our future. The voulenteers were pretty sure we were in second place since one of the two teams that had left already didn't have all the CPs. The first part of the ride had me feeling great. I rode up the climb across the river with ease. At the top, Nate let me know he was struggling, so I took the lead and let him hook up to the tow for assistance when needed. It wasn't long before we got rocked by those winds and our pace brought to a stand still. I wore down fast. My fatigue hit me as hard as the headwind. Now I was in trouble. I let Nate know and he took the lead to bring us home. I was struggling to keep up and was ready for this to all be over. Those last couple miles felt like an eternity! It's funny how a mental boost can change how you are feeling physically. I saw the parking lot with our car! It was just what I needed... an end in sight. I made it up to Nate's wheel and was happy as could be to be cranking out the last little bit. On the slope down to HQ the wind gave us one last strong GUST to make sure we knew it had been a formitable opponent. We shook our heads and laughed, both having thought that same thing. FINISHED!



2ND PLACE OVERALL! Our best finish so far! We were thrilled. I think what I was most proud of though was clearing the course. Before starting out in the world of adventure racing, I'd never been satisfied just from the act of crossing the finish line. Having done the entire race within the time limit when so many others weren't able was a thrill though. Success and results are always pushing me to be better and faster. Now there's only one spot left to improve to... FIRST. This was the start of 4 race weekends in a row for me. AR, TRI, AR, TRI.

Links
Boonecrusher site
Boonecrusher Results
Boonecrusher Facebook page
Strava Race data
The Bike Shop in Fort Dodge

Team meeting and sponsor shout out

Unfortunately the group ride was canceled due to rain. However, we still held a team meeting and get together. A big shout out to Farmer Girl grass fed and pasture raised meats! They provided us with some delicious burgers for our event. We got some team t-shirts and took a team photo. I had a good time catching up with the other members. I was doing my best to talk to everyone and encourage them to get out there and race as much as possible. A lot of the team is new to racing and are looking to get more involved. I think it's great to get more people out there in the cycling community. It's a great way to stay fit and healthy and I wish I could convince more people to start riding.


I'd like to thank the full list of sponsors for our team. We really appreciate everything you do for us!
Trek Store St. Louis
Midwest Cycling Community
Bright-mann Contracting
Farmer Girl grass fed and pasture raised meats
Old Rock House- Bar, Concert, and event venue
Main & Mill brewing Company
Royal Prestige
Knockouts- haircuts for men

Related links:
Our Team's Facebook Page
Our Team's Strave Page

Tuesday Night Worlds Criterium with CRASH - 4/22/14

Tuesday Night Worlds Crit race - 4/22/14

Another day, another race. The weather has been great for the most part in St. Louis lately and I've been able to get in a lot of riding. I am really enjoying becoming more of a cyclist and improving my skills and speeds. We had another larger group racing with the young team showing up again to fill out the numbers. I am all for growing the sport and allowing for the inexperienced to get better. However, it does make it a little less organized throughout the group and tends to make for a higher chance of mishaps.

We started off as per usual with a bit of a surge after the neutral lap to thin out the lead group a bit. There was still a large number of riders together though. I even led most of the second lap by default. I wasn't pushing a tough pace or anything. Just after the 3rd lap, there was a move on the inside to try to break away from the group. Our race is not one for letting any sort of riders go off the front. I think it's the lack of any large teams (besides the young group). I wouldn't say there's a team with more than 2-3 riders. So the top riders are always quick to take up the chase to ensure they aren't left behind and out of the running. The move was just before the downhill section and into a pretty sharp turn. According to my Strava data, I am around 30-33 mph for that turn and it's by far the fastest section of the course. I was not in a rush to react and was still contently in the top 12 or so. Had I know what was going to happen next, I would have done things differently. CHAOS in front of me. A rider went down and slip into the far curb, taking another with him. A rider went wide to avoid the mess and hopped the curb to go off into the grass. Most of the riders in front of me were hitting their brakes hard, trying to skid to a stop. I hate to admit it, but my brakes don't really work all that well. I normally don't really care and avoid using them at all costs. I did try to slow down as much as possible, but I wasn't going to lock it up and go skidding like the others. I had somehow found a clear line right through the middle of the mess. Whew! That sure was a close one and my first real experience with a crash in a group like that.

There's no time to sit back though. The race goes on! It looks like only the top 5 riders made it through without getting slowed at all. I was one of only 3 that managed to make it through quickly enough to give chase. Luckily my friend and teammate, Griffen Bailey, had also made it through with me despite behind just behind the crash. He was riding a new bike that he had just gotten yesterday, so that could have been a real disaster. I pressed on as we climbed the hill section and settling back in. At the top, I made my charge to try to catch. I pushed hard through the flat, downhill, sharp turn with riders still there trying to access damage to their bikes and themselves. I just can't seem to carry enough speed to the hill section and Griffen flew by and carried on without me. I hung onto sight of the lead group, but couldn't seem to make any progress. As the minutes went by, my hope was fading. I was now barely holding onto the other riders wheel that was with me. Even he would get a gap that I just couldn't close down. I was still able to stay on the lead lap and managed to average 22 mph for a mostly solo effort. Not bad for a guy on a cyclocross bike if you ask me.

I probably finished around 8th place. There was an issue with the results as they had counted a couple of lapped riders who got back into the lead pack after sitting out a lap or two. I was just happy to have made it through with my bike and myself in tact. I've got a big adventure race coming up this weekend and a crash this close would have been disastrous!

Related links:
Big Shark Tuesday Night Worlds
USA Cycling Results - Vann Knight Tuesday Night Criterium Series
Strava Tuesday Night Crit

Tuesday Night Worlds Crit race

Tuesday Night Worlds Crit race - 4/15/14

I was back to toe the line for another round of the Tuesday night criterium races. I was looking to have a better tactical race and hopefully improve on last weeks 4th place performance. I really don't know the people I'm racing with for the most part, so I really wasn't sure who my competition was going to be. Griffen Bailey was there and he would surely stay with the lead group. The big youth cycling team wasn't there this week, so last weeks winner wasn't there.

We got led out with a neutral opening lap. I wasn't afraid to stay right near the front this time. It doesn't take long for a 0.7 mile lap even at an easy pace. We were off! The pace picked up right away. I stayed with them and the pace came down to a more reasonable level after a lap or two. It was probably best to try to weed out some of the slower rider so they didn't get a free ride from the start. I did much better at keeping with the lead peloton. There were a few areas on the course that I felt like the group was slowing me down. I tested my legs a few times and went out front, but not wasting too much effort trying to hold off anyone that wanted to take the lead back. The race was much more organized among the riders and the peloton was much larger than last week. They sounded the final 3 laps to go and I knew the real race was on. I just worked to keep up with the leaders and waited to make a move. I tried to get a lead going through the downhill and sharp left turn. My hope was to hold onto as much speed as I could for the uphill section to get to the finishing straight. Well, it didn't really work. Enough riders were able to stay close enough to catch and pass me on the hill. It really seemed like they passed me much faster than I thought. I burried my head an pushed hard for the top of the hill. I was doing my best to conserve as many spots as I could. Finally, I was at the top and pretty maxed out. I had a couple riders on the verge of being able to pass me and I was determined to hold them off. I kept the pressure on and was holding the half a bike length lead on them. I did a lunge for the line (I've always wanted to do that!). I had done it and managed to get 6th place which is the last recorded spot for the C racers, so it was more important than I knew to hold off those riders in the end. See the full results here

I feel pretty good about the race. I did have a smarter race than last week. I wasn't having to constantly catch up to the leaders and wasting effort. I still have to put some thought into my best strategy for the finish though. Actually, I just need to get better at climbing hills. Practice makes perfect. I hope to be able to race again next week and see what other lessons I'll learn then. I followed up the race with a 5K run at Tower Grove Park (21:09). Not bad to be under 7 min/mile pace and to get the Strava course record as well! It was my first week having results to upload for the criterium race so I couldn't compare lap times, but I estimate the average pace to be about the same. It will be nice to use that to see if I can improve on those lap times and climb time in future races.

Related links:
Big Shark Tuesday Night Worlds
USA Cycling Results - Vann Knight Tuesday Night Criterium Series
Strava Tuesday Night Crit
Strava Tower Grove Run

Big Sharks - Tuesday Night Worlds

Tuesday Night Worlds Criterium race - 4/8/14

It's been since high school that I'd raced in a criterium race, or in a cycling only event for that matter. I love to ride, so it was time. Another big difference is that I was used to racing with others in my age group, which was no more than a group of 5 riders back in the day. I was only in one other race with a large group which I wasn't able to stay with for very long. The first hill of any significance was able to unhitch me from the pack. I also have never been on a group ride that consisted of a large group. It doesn't help that there's a general sense of trepidation when pure cyclists talk about riding in groups with triathletes. That and my lack of race experience had me very uncomfortable, but I'm not one to back down from a challenge.

We had a decent sized group for our CAT5 "C" race. There was a large team of young riders. I didn't want to get beaten by these young kids and I was a little afraid of riding with so many of them in case their bike handling skills weren't what they should be. There was a chance of rain and the occasional rain drop here and there, but it never manifested into anything. The race director took some extra time to talk to everyone and try to ensure a safe race with some tips and guidelines of proper racing eddicate. We also were waiting for a rider that had a last minute flat to fix. They decided to start us off with a "neutral loop" where we ride at a slow comfortable pace to keep everyone together and sort ourselves out with where we want to be in the pack. It doesn't take long to complete a 0.7 mile loop, even at a moderate pace. That starting line was soon there and the race started!

I held back to the middle of the pack, not know what to expect with the pace or my comfort level. It didn't take long for me to feel comfortable and want to be at the front of the race. There was a bit of traffic and tentative riding to have to navigate around, but nothing extreme. It did slow me down though and there were at least a couple guys in the front wanting to push the pace. I was playing catch up and had to do the work myself. Progress was slower than I'd have liked, but I would catch the lead group. It seems that when I did that, the rider at the back that I caught would decide to have to drop. It took me a few seconds to identify it as I was busy trying to catch my breath a bit. That's all it took for the lead group to get another gap on me. This pattern continued throughout the race. There finally came a time when there were only 5 riders in the lead group in front of me. I made one last hard push to catch them, knowing I needed to do it quickly and try to catch my breath as much as possible before the time was up and the 3 lap countdown started... too late! Right as I caught the lead group we were rounding the start/finish line to the announcement of 3 laps to go. Shoot! So much for a rest. I pushed onward. The pace quickened and I pushed hard to keep up as best I could. I stayed with them to the bell sounding off for the final lap. Three of the riders were able to push harder than me up the last climb and got a gap. At the top of the hill, I could see the 3rd place rider in front of me fading quickly as the top two kicked a final time for the finish. I was catching 3rd, but the finish line came to quickly. I had to settle for 4th.

I was very happy with that result for my first race back and I learned a lot. I look forward to competing again in this series. I won't be so tentative at first. I'll have to be more aware and responsive to the lead group, and quickly identify riders that might be slowing me down and distancing me from the lead group. I hope they are closer to the full time limit next time. It is supposed to be 25 minutes plus 3 laps, but we only did 20 minutes total (including the 3 laps). The longer we go, the better my advantage, I think. I bet i only needed one more lap to be in third.

Related links:
USA Cycling results - Vann Knight Tuesday Night Criterium Series
This race results

Tracks N Treads - off-road duathon

Tracks N Treads - Metro Tri Club 4/5/2014

I have been pretty happy with how my training had been going. With a 4th place overall finish last year, I was coming into this race looking to do something special. Unfortunately the weather had decided to play a factor and caused the race director to use an alternate route for the bike section. The rain was just too much for the single track trails for us to use them without completely tearing them up. This was a bit of a disappointment for me. I'm not really the best at single track riding, but I do love it and wanted some practice racing it. The more open paved, gravel, and field sections actually played to my favor I thought. However, upon pulling into the race site, I was surrounded by racers with their cyclocross bikes. What!? I didn't even consider that as I thought it wouldn't be allowed. My advantage just turned back into a disadvantage. No bother, I was still feeling fast and felt I still had a shot to stay with the best of them.

I'm pretty used to doing a setup in transition to have everything I need ready. The biggest question marks was with the temps. It was a little cold but seeming to warm up. Disliking the cold, I decided to start warm and could dump layers in transition if needed. I also left a hood in transition in case I thought I'd need it for under my helmet for the bike. A quick bathroom break and I was ready for this party to get started. There was a decent amount of pre-race instructions with the changed up course. We were going to be close to some roads, but were instructed to stay off of them because we didn't have the permits for that. I was thinking to myself that I hoped nobody cheats that as it would be a huge advantage. Soon enough, we were all toeing the line awaiting the start. It seemed like people were tentative to be at the front of the race, so I wasn't shy about being right up in there. A mini accidentally air horn and we're off, followed by a much louder, more deliberate air horn. Ha!

We were on our way... I stayed just back from the true front of the race and tried to settle into a comfortable pace. There is a little unknown with the people around you possiby doing just the trail run, or being part of a team. I stayed in the top 8 or so runners on the mostly paved route to the actual trail section. It didn't take long for my first distraction. Within the first half mile I'd already had a shoe string come untied. Oh well, I pressed on and would wait to see if it would actually cause me any trouble before wasting time fixing it. The trails were fun and were actually in decent condition. I was admit-tingly expecting a lot of slop. There's a lot of steep uphills and downhills, but nothing with a prolonged climb or descent. Some of the turns in the trails were pretty sharp and held you speed in check to stay on course and in control. About half way through, my other shoe came untied as well. Sheesh! Maybe it would have

been smart to take the time to tie them, but I never did. I had settled into a comfortable pace and was staying within sight of the next 3-4 runners in front of me. It also appeared that I was the last of the lead group and there was a decent gap after me to the rest. I remember thinking to myself that I was probably going to easy, but I didn't want to burn out early and not have anything for the bike. Soon enough we came out of the woods and were headed towards transition back on the paved section. Thinking ahead, I was prepared to lose my jacket, and not worry about anything under my helmet. I started shedding the jacket before even getting to my bike to save time. I forgot to unvelcro the wrist straps and it caused me a little extra effort to pull my sleeves free. I guess it was a good thing I started that process early and was done with it by the time I got to my bike.


Transition was pretty quick from there. Drop the jacket and lose the already untied shoes. Put on my biking shoes and helmet, and I'm out! Ran out to the mount area, hopped on, and was on my way. There was a biker just in front of me and he was taking time to get a drink. I took that time to pass him. I was only ahead for a few seconds when he overtook me in the grass heading for the first climb. He took a wrong line and I slowly peddled past while he dismounted and had to run the rest of the way up.

It didn't take long for him to catch back up on the paved trail section with his cyclocross bike though. I was forced to just push hard and try to hang on. There was a lot of gravel and loose soil around turns that were forcing me to be careful to avoid a crash. I came close a couple times, but managed to get my wheels back under me without incident. Finally away from the paved sections for a while, I was able to catch up to the cyclocross rider in front of me and he had caught the rider in front of him. We passed a voulenteer that was telling us our place, I was 8th. It was a bit of a let down actually, but there were some places ready for the taking just in front of me. The cyclocross rider made his pass and I did soon after as well. The course really didn't give us a chance to let up at all to catch our breath. My fitness was good and that played into my favor.

My cyclocross target was wearing down and I was reeling him in. I also was able to see the rider in front of him, Doug Havlin, a known good triathlete racer. I keep the pressure on and soon got the pass and was chasing Doug. I was reeling him in as well, and that was a boost. That's when I saw Doug sit up a bit looking confused. We had made a wrong turn and were back to a section of the course we had already done. OH NO! A wasted half mile or more. No time to shed tears and we pushed on realizing our mistake and getting on track. Unfortunately, it was back to the paved section for the long straight heading towards the finish. I had Doug in front of me on a hybrid and possibly the guy behind me on a cyclocross bike (if he hadn't overtaken us both during the wrong turn). I pushed hard and was catching Doug. The 75 meters was widdled away to 15-20. There was a last little grass loop at the finish and I was holding onto hope of a catch. I kept the pressure on and was ready to take advantage in the case of a mistake, slip, or trip over the barracade just before the finish. He made it through cleanly and I came in close on his heels.

I got some of the good post-race food and drinks. I congratulated Doug for a hard fought battle to the finish and talked to him about the wrong turn. We think we lost at least 1 spot there. I talked to some other racers and friends before having to head out before the results were posted or awards handed out. I actually still don't know where I ended up. I could have been 6th unless I got passed during the wrong turn section. I had Kourtney from the Arnold Trek Store who was going to be around to pick up any award for me if I had managed to get one. I would have loved to stick around, but it was my both my parent's birthday celebration weekend that couldn't be missed! They are both turning 70 this year and there was a fun weekend planned with a picnic, hiking, eating, cake, presents, and a zip line obsticle course at Go Ape!

I just saw the results posted! I was 4th Overall and 2nd in my Age Group.

Here's some other links for information about the race:
Race Results and Race photos
Facebook Event Page