Will Race For Beer

Deschutes Dash Sprint Duathlon
Bend, OR
12.5 mile Bike/3.1 mile Run

Total: 59:27 (9/54 OA, 3/7 AG) The splits are all estimates based on my bike computer and Garmin
Bike: 38:57 By my bike computer
T1: 1:00 Approximately
Run: 19:30 Estimate Probably closer to 20:00 with bike computer capturing some T1 time.

Fashion Report: Black Sugoi tri shorts, Blue Under Armour Bike Jersey, LIT hat, and a temporary Red Lizard tattoo on my right leg
Breakfast: 2 packets of oatmeal, bad coffee
Pre-Race: 24 oz Gatorade Endurance, Vanilla Gu, 2oz water
Race Nutrition: 2 oz Gatorade Endurance on bike, 1 swig of water in Transition
Post Race Libation: Cascade Lakes Pale Ale and CL Blonde Bombshell at post-race tent, Deschutes Miami Weiss at lunch

Arrived a little more than an hour before the race start and got a decent spot on the rack. Setting up for a duathlon transition, particularly one with no 1st leg run, is pretty noneventful. I kept thinking that I must have forgotten something, but there wasn't really much to forget. Shoes and a hat at the ready with a water bottle nearby. This left a lot of time to chat with Raquel and Nathan and to get a short warmup run in.

The Bike: The bike leg start was time trial style with 1 rider leaving every 30 seconds. I started about the middle of the total field. The two riders in front of me were local guys who primarily ride the trails outside of town but decided to give a road race a try. Finally after a 10 second warning and 5 second countdown, I was off. I clipped my right foot in and pushed the bike across the start mat with my left foot. Once across the line we were allowed to pedal. It took me three tries to get my left foot clipped in (gotta adjust that one as it always gives me more trouble). Once in, the easy part of the climb began. The course is an out and back rising about 500 feet on the out and dropping on the return. Less than a quarter mile into the race, the rider who started 30 seconds ahead of me had aready stopped to fix something on his bike. My first road kill. My goal was to not get passed and hammer the entire ride. Whatever I had left for the run would have to do. The climb progressed mostly up with a few declines and false flats. About 4 miles in, I saw the guy who started a minute ahead. Now I had my next target. We each passed a couple of slower riders and the gap between us was slowly narrowing. Finally about mile 5.25, the road started to turn more steeply upward and I managed to get into passing range. Drop the hammer and now I'm clear. Oh man, I can see the turn around about 1/3 of a mile ahead, but I can feel my cadence dropping. Downshift. Downshift. Crap, I'm out of gears on the rear ring. I am NOT shifting to the little boy gear. Somehow, I managed to keep my cadence around 60 and hit the turnaround.

It's go time! Pedal.Shift.Pedal.Shift. Now I'm in my 50/14 (I think, didn't really look) and flying down the hill at 35 mph. Wish I had a tri bike. I'm in the drops, but it's not the same. I can tell already that my quads are trashed from the climb, but I have to keep up the pressure on the return. As we reach town, there are two roundabouts. I hit the first one at just shy of 30 mph. There's a reason those signs say to slow to 15mph. My wheels nearly broke loose on the turn, but somehow I managed to feather the brakes enough to stay upright. The second roundabout had no such drama, just a line of stopped cars to squeeze past. Downhill to the dismount zone, unclip both sides and brake to a stop.

Transition: My legs didn't collapse under me like I feared they might. However, I should have paid more attention to the layout of the transition area. Yes, I was nearly Lost in Transition. I missed my turn and nearly ran out the run out exit with my bike. There were two rows of racks and my mind was thinking 2 aisles, and that I needed to get to the second aisle. The volunteer corrected me and I made the turn just in time. Almost. My right pedal hit the post holding up some of the fencing and I came to a sudden stop. Dammit! Back up, move left, and we're at the rack. Swap shoes, grab my hat and a swig of water. Untuck my number from the back of my shorts and turn it forward as I head out on the run.

The Run: This SUCKED. I passed Raquel just out of transistion and heard her say "You're a runner! You're usually faster than this!" She actually said "You're a runner! Let's hammer this!" I think my version fit my physical state at this point. My legs felt dead and my HR was pegged at red line. I expected a run that was entirely on a paved path. No dice. Most of the first mile was through a future parkland construction zone over dirt and gravel. The 3rd mile featured gravel, grass, dirt and an underpass below a low bridge with about 6 inches of dirt between the river and the concrete supports. The guy who eventually won my AG by 7 minutes was the only runner to pass me. I somehow managed to pass three women and one 59 year old guy on the run. I did find enough kick to pass a woman with about 100 meters to go. Then the finish. I checked my watch. YES!

I decided that I would be happy with anything under 1:05 for my first effort. My secret goal was sub-1 hour. Made it with 33 seconds to spare.

This was a fun weekend that we'll plan on making a family tradition. The format of oly distances on Saturday and sprints on Sunday along with a very spectator friendly race makes this one a winner. Next year we'll have to get Nathan into the kids splash and dash.

Third Place HW - Not bad!

Up the Lazy River

Deschutes Dash Olympic Triathlon
Bend, OR
1500 m Swim/40K Bike/10K Run

2008 Results
Overall Time: 2:56:03 (126/195 OA, 44/89 F, 5/14 30-34 AG)
Swim: 19:15
T1: 3:53
Bike: 1:35:26
T2: 1:06
Run: 56:21

2007 Results
Overall Time: 3:03:37 (98/138 OA, 29/54 F, 8/11 AG)
Swim: 20:27
T1: 4:01
Bike: 1:35:49
T2: 1:03
Run: 1:02:15

Fashion Report: Black tri shorts, red Sugoi shimmel, Promotion Power Glide wetsuit for the swim, black Transition Girl skirt for the run, LIT visor, & a temporary Red Lizard tat on my right shoulder
First Breakfast: 2 packets of Cinnamon Bun oatmeal (I forgot my cherries), bad coffee, Gatorade Endurance
Race Nutrition: 2 Gus (20 min before swim, on bike), water, Gatorade Endurance on the run
Post Race Libation: Cascade Lakes Pale Ale

5:15 sure comes early when you spend the night tossing and turning wishing your scratchy, achy throat would just go away for the day and leave you to race in peace. Looks like I was coming down with Nathan's little summer cold. Nothing else hurt. I could breathe so I swallowed my "harden up" pills and pulled myself out of bed to choke down a breakfast of oatmeal and bad hotel coffee. We got to the race site in plenty of time for me to pick up my chip and set up while Chad & Nathan went in search for their own breakfast. The swim start was less than a mile away so I decided to hoof it instead of waiting for the shuttle. Goals? A-/B+ race for me. I tapered the bike and swim. The run? Not so much since I'm ramping up the run mileage to prep for marathon training. I'd be happy with a PR, ecstatic with a sub-3, and over the moon with a 2:50. Oh and I wanted to have fun and collect as much "road kill", preferably age group "road kill", as possible.

Into the wetsuit, dropped off the swim bag in the station wagon, and got in the water. OMG! This water is glacial! It felt colder than SF Bay. I had checked the USGS data further downstream earlier in the week and it was bobbing between 53 and 54 F. Definitely colder than the Bay. Stupid snowmelt. Now I wish I had my neoprene hood which I decided to leave in transition at the last minute.

More motivation to swim fast once they blow the horn....anytime now. Finally! Some thrashing & bashing as I try to move into the fastest current. Yikes. I hope I didn't kick or elbow anyone too hard. Heart rate too high. Relax and settle in. Time to sight! Ack! Bright light and my goggles have fogged up. There are green caps around me. It's all good. At least now I can barely see the river grass which is a lot slimier than I remember it. Sight again. Someone please turn off that big yellow orb in the sky. Still going the right way. Don't hit the bridge pilon. Follow the bobbing heads. Stop a few times to rinse out the lenses. Man this current is screaming. There's the end already. Out of the water. No ice cream headache this time. Woohoo! Try to strip the wetsuit. Can't find a panel to step on to get the silly thing over my calves. Sit down. That doesn't work. Stand up again. There it goes. A quick towel off. Fumbling with the socks. Chad & Nathan asking me if I need a cup of coffee. Very funny guys! Finally got my bike persona together. What a fiasco of a T1 but I'm finally on the road.

Out of the parking lot. Spin since the legs are popsicles. First road kill 500 m from the parking lot. That was fast. Through the business park, into the residential area, and finally onto Century Drive bagging three more on the inclines but getting killed by a couple including a woman in my AG. Can’t let that happen again. She’s hammering but slowing on the climbs. I could eventually catch her, maybe. Suck down a Gu. Can’t find my back tank pocket. Stuff empty packet into my aerobottle. Focus girl! The big hills are coming up. Keep spinning. I’ve lost sight of the first woman but I’ve bagged a few more in my AG. A few guys pass me like I’m standing still followed by a couple of women in the 45-49 AG. Wow! I want to ride like that when I grow up. Couple in front of me are drafting. Course marshal yells at them. I move to pass. Road kill times two. Almost at the turnaround. Passed again by a dude wearing a dress. Yeah, that’s embarrassing. More AG road kill at the turnaround. Turn and get ready for the sled ride! Into the big girl gear and hammer it home. Road kill, road kill, road kill. I’m in my 50-11 and free spinning. Crap, I’m out of gears. I could really use my old 55 but I’m not willing to trade in the compact. More road kill. Bike computer not working (turns out I put the front wheel on backwards in a sleepy haze this morning). I’m going so fast and passing a lot of people so it’s probably a good thing the computer’s not picking up a signal. Yet more road kill. Never caught that first woman. Oh well. Slow to negotiate the roundabouts. Scream down the hill to transition. Stop & dismount before I give the volunteers a heart attack. Drop the bike gear. Skirt, shoes, visor. Time to run.

Legs feel pretty good. Form is meh but that’s typical for the first half mile off the bike. Gatorade at the first aid station. Rocky trail portion is starting. At least it’s flat. Start picking out and picking off rabbits. Across the footbridge and back down the other bank of the river. I wish the sprinklers were crossing the path. More road kill. Gatorade at the second aid station. Gravel, yuck! This wasn’t here last year but they did say that part of the path was under construction. Under the bridge. Watch your step. You’ve already finished the swim. You don’t need another one. Back across the footbridge and onto the sidewalks back to the amphitheater. High five to Nathan. Pass but don’t look at the finish line. You’ve still got one more loop. More Gatorade. This is starting to hurt. I’m doing this why, exactly? Rabbit with an Oscar the Grouch jersey. Stalk, catch, pass. Yeah! I’m working. Breathing is a chore. Back over the first bridge. More rabbits down. This hurts. Last cup of Gatorade. Feeling the feet pick up a bit. Yeah! Under the bridge. Back over to the other side. Almost home. Where’s the next rabbit? It’s the woman who passed me early on the bike. She’s fading! Stalk, catch, pass. Sweet! Another half mile. Hold on. Heavy breathing behind me. Don’t. Look. Back. I really hope it’s not her. It’s not but it’s another rival I passed on the bike. She ran me down. She’s building the gap. Pick it up a bit. Legs are saying this is as fast I can go at the moment. I can’t catch her but the gap isn’t growing anymore. A last high five to Nathan. A feeble kick and I’m home!
I fumble with my chip until a volunteer takes pity on me and removes the strap. Medal, rehydrate, food, and a well-earned pint of beer. Had fun? Check! Collected road kill? Check! Sub 3 oly? Yeah baby! This sucker hurt but I felt strong throughout. It was a good race. It was a good day.