Greetings once again tri, du, and multisport race fans! “Race Report” Dave here with what will probably be my last race report of the season. My final installment covers Gino’s Race, a duathlon which took place at Cordorus State Park, PA, about 2 miles east of Hanover, this past Sunday 9/13/09. Proceeds from this event go to the ALS Association (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and is in honor of Gene Gladfelter, an avid multisport athlete who died of the disease in 2001.
Now my first duathlon was the Richmond Duathlon National Championship early in the season. That event had over a thousand folks there and covered a standard duathlon distances (10K Run, 38K Bike, 5K Run). This was quite a bit less in numbers of people (less than 100) and distances (2 mile run, 14 mile bike, 2 mile run). Club member Michele Trdina invited me to race there as she knew I probably wasn’t going to be doing Brierman and also because she’s likes this du as she’s done it few times now (and won the Women’s Overall BTW). Since it was fairly inexpensive ($25), weather looked good, and it was relatively close, I thought why not? Michelle also told me that there are some great raffle prizes and also for a few dollars more, one could win a brand new mountain bike. Okay, sign me up!
I had hoped to bike the course prior to the race but had to settle with driving it the day prior. And it’s a good thing I did! The first few miles start out rather benign with a couple of stretches of gently up and down sections. Then the course becomes more technical with more turns, some short hills, and some rather winding downhills. There was also one fairly significant climb (well, for me) that gave me pause when I saw it. I then decided to change my back cassette to the 12/27 so the 27 would give me more to work with on this hill. It also looked like I probably wouldn’t get into the 11 as most of the downhills were pretty short and I wouldn’t be able to really crank on that gear. One other note during the last few miles was a sharp left then sharp right turn coming out over railroad tracks as one was coming downhill! Whew! Pretty safely back to the transition in the park after that though it is mostly uphill until you actually make the turn into the park.
Race morning is here and it’s far too early. At least the race doesn’t start until 9. So after breakfast, head out the door into the dark to begin the drive to the race site. It looks clear out and a while later, dawn breaks to a nearly clear sky. Wow! What a spectacular day for a race! Bright sunshine with a little bit of wind and temps in the mid 60s warming to the low 70s. Racing weather doesn’t get much better. A bit more wind on the bike than I wanted but it wouldn’t have made much difference. Get checked in at registration and then go to get my gear moved to transition. No body marking which is a bit different for me. Just so used to it. Michele and her husband, Brian, then arrive and stop by to chat for a bit when I’m getting something else at the car. Now, transition is in one part of the parking lot and it’s open racking, though there were number signs on the racks that didn’t correspond to any of our numbers. A bit confusing at first but not a problem. Unsure how the run course worked also since it wasn’t mentioned in the flyer or online. Found out the two runs took us around the parking lot on the grass which was a bit different. The first loop around we come in from one end of parking lot, get to our bikes, and exit the other. Then the bike in was the same as bike out. And after the second run, we loop the lot again to finish nearly all the way around. In addition, the run course was also a bit challenging as it was a slight uphill, followed by a steady downhill, turn around to come back up that, and then back down in the park to loop around the parking lot. So a fairly fast course. No chip timing though, so no splits.
As I got there pretty early, I decided to warm up by running out to the road before the park and back, plus run anywhere else I’m going to. This is something I’ve been needing to do more of before my tris/events as I think it’s actually limited me a bit. So, adequate warm up here. Then it’s race meeting time and we find out about all the good stuff I mentioned above. The race director (and Michele earlier) mentioned and emphasized an incident last year where a racer had his head down on the bike and ran into a truck in the park (ow!). So, we had to solumnly swear to be careful and also have fun (snicker). Then a few more minutes and it’ll be race start time.
This is a mass run out of the park and I start in the middle with Michele. The starter says he’ll basically say ready, set, go (or something like that) in just a few. I start my watch. “Ready….Set….GO! (like I said, or something like that)” And we’re off!! The pack ahead really takes off and my adrenaline is up there too enough for me to want to go faster. So, I think I mumbled something real quick to Michele, like “Bye” and started to pass folks ahead of me so I could get a fast first run in. After just a little bit up the road, the leaders are pretty much up there but there’s a chase pack that I’m also chasing and trying to maintain pace with. As we get onto the main road to start the gradual downhill portion, I can tell this is definitely a quick pace for me and I know it’s going to start getting uncomfortable soon. Just maintain pace and sight of the group is all I think about. Turn around and come back. I don’t remember seeing Michele on the return so she’s either right behind me or else I’m just in my zone a bit too much concentrating on maintaining this pace. And the pace is taking its toll on folks ahead of me too as we’re going back uphill to the park road. Though this is now a bit uncomfortable, I’m able to pick a few folks off before I round the corner and still maintain sight of the chase group ahead of me. Fortunately, the road becomes more downhill now and I use gravity to my advantage coming into the grass part of the course. This isn’t too bad but it’s wet here and there. Also, there was a puddle I almost didn’t avoid in the grass area! That could’ve been nasty! Kept that in mind for the second run. Round the final corner, back onto the pavement and into transition. Interestingly enough, Michele has used me for motivation and kept me in sight after I took off in the beginning (that’s the third person that’s used me for motivation and pacing. I’m actually honored). Her 1st run time was 50 seconds faster than last year! And she said to me that the clock time said 13:35 or 13:39 when she comes in, which she had trouble believing. So…
1st run time estimated at 13:30, 6:45 pace
Transition is a small one so I don’t have any problem getting to my gear. I might have been a bit faster than a few other folks because several people from the chase group are still getting their act together. And I don’t have any problems here getting anything on. It went pretty smoothly and I’m right near the bike exit. No hydration belt still on me like at Richmond 
(see my earlier race report if you don’t know the story). Leave transition with a few folks from the group I was chasing on the run.
T1 time estimated at 1:02
Just after I started the bike, I put my helmet visor down and couldn’t see. Apparently, I hadn’t cleaned the visor and it was real difficult to see anything. So, though it would take a bit of streamlining away, put the visor up for this race. Something to remember to check. Now, after the fast first run, I’m actually recovering a little bit while getting going on the bike. Fortunately, there’s nothing really technical or significant during the first few miles. Some decent straight stretches to get my act together. A few folks start passing me here and I do a bit of the same. As we get into an uphill stretch, a person passes me and says “Let’s get a move on! (or something to that effect)” It’s Michele! Dang, I was kinda hoping she wouldn’t pass me until later on the bike as I (and many of you) know she’s a strong cyclist and the second run’s too short to make things a race with her. I tried to keep her in sight as long as I can, but I lost sight of her as we started to enter the more technical part of the course. Now during the first part, I had started to trade places with a couple of other guys. I would hammer down the hills only to be passed again up by the two guys. And we still continue to trade places for the next 6 or 7 miles I estimate. In addition, one of the leading women (maybe a relay person, maybe not) has also joined in this group jockeying for position as well. She did the same thing to me on the uphills and looked like she was maintaining with the one guy ahead. Now, when I drove the course, I was a bit unsure of handling things here but armed with that knowledge, I thought I handled this part of the course fairly well especially the turns on the downhills. I found I was able to maintain and even hammer a bit despite a few twists and turns. That seems to be the only thing keeping me with these folks, my ability to pour on the power downhill and take the lead time and time again from the other 3 after I had lost it on another short hill. Down one particular hill, I really poured it on and was again leading for quite sometime until the big hill. Two of the three folks rejoin me as we’re in the middle of climbing. For some reason, we’ve lost the woman that was with us. Didn’t see her again. I also see other folks nearing the top as we’re below. Hmm, maybe a chance to catch more folks? Nah, not with this hill yet to climb. Anyway, the one guy passes me and gets over the top before I do. The other guy also passes me near the top but can’t maintain and I stand to push myself over the top to enjoy the really nice downhill afterwards. I don’t see this guy again on the bike. Now it’s just the one guy with me chasing. And this is really how it stays for the next 3-4 miles. At times I’m catching him and then fall back a bit. Back and forth it goes like that. Then we come down this hill with the two sharp turns and railroad tracks. I take the first one okay but have a little bit too much speed for the second. I put on brakes as much as I dare so it doesn’t lock up and this seems to do the trick. I do think I heard my back tire skid just slightly before the railroad tracks though. And right after that, there’s a pickup and trailer in my way on the right! Yikes! Fortunately, there are volunteers there to direct traffic for us and I get by them. Reset my sights on the guy up ahead. Finally the run course cones comes up and I know we’re near the park. Round the corner to get on the road into the park and it’s downhill. So hammer a bit here to narrow the distance between us. It’s here I get out of my shoes since I’m on the downhill and pedal into transition. That might have been a bit soon, but there was a slight uphill as we’re making the turns into transition and I didn’t want to make the same mistake as I did in Rumpass in Bumpass (getting out of shoes on the uphill, bleeding speed/momentum). Just before the final short turn before transition, the other guy is now getting out of shoes but I’ve already swung my leg over and balancing on one pedal as I make the final turn to transition. I hear a person (maybe a volunteer?) say to me “Look at you! All ready to go!” as I hit the dismount area running to my rack spot!
Bike time – 45:47 (estimate) 18.35 mph avg
In T2 I am blazing! Seriously – bike is racked, helmet off, running shoes on, grab visor, and I’m gone out of transition and into the 2nd run! Yes, Elvis has definitely left the building!! This is so quick I estimate T2 at 30 seconds! And I have left the guy I was trailing on the bike in the process!
Now on the 2nd two mile run and I see other folks who were ahead of me in the 1st run and on the bike. And though my legs haven’t quite come back yet for running, I’m able to pass a few of them. I am moving okay though and start the slight climb up the park road. I’m pretty much alone here as I recall and see a few other runners up ahead as well as maybe the first or second place person coming back. Once out of the park, I see a fair number of folks ahead and now my legs have woken up completely. But, everyone else here is moving pretty much at the same speed or a bit faster than I am, so all I can do is maintain pace now and hold on for the next mile and a half. Coming to the turn around point, I see Michele heading back already and exchange fives as she encourages me to catch her. But, unless I’m able to really put on some speed here, I saw there just wasn’t enough distance. Still, I press and try to keep pace though it’s going to get uncomfortable after the turn around since it’s uphill. Upon turning around, I do see I’m starting to gain on a guy a good distance ahead. So, when I finally reach the top of the hill and enter the park, I use gravity to my advantage to essentially fall down the hill a bit to get a bit more speed. At the grass area, I’m not too far behind this guy and he takes a slightly wrong turn but gets back on course. Still, this is enough for me to close the gap a bit more. However, he hears me behind him and puts on a bit of speed to stay ahead of me just before the final distance to the finish. I cross the finish line 4 sec behind him! A nice volunteer takes my number tag and I stagger a bit over to the food/drink area to get some much needed refreshments. I congratulate the guy who finished just before me (Pat Small) and he said he heard me coming. I also congratulate a guy who I was racked beside as he was ahead of me on the 1st run and the bike, but I caught him just after leaving transition on the second run. And then of all things, we get treated to an air show of one prop plane overhead doing rolls and loops! What a pleasant surprise and good after race entertainment.
2nd run time – 14:32 (estimated, 7:16 pace)
Final time – 1:15:21. Unfortunately, it was a tough crowd in my AG as 5 out of 10 were in the top 15 out of 71 individual finishers. I finished 13th overall and 4th in my AG, 1:14 behind 3rd. It’s okay though as the AG prizes were small medals and not even the ones that go around your neck. Michelle finished in 1:14:02 and took the Women’s Overall again. Congrats to Michele! Full results are here:
http://www.eteamz.com/ginosrace/handouts/
Now the better part about this event were the raffle prizes. There were some really good ones, including a new mountain bike if you paid $5 more dollars for an extra raffle. Unfortunately, just not my lucky day as I didn’t win the raffle prizes either. Could’ve used the big tub of hard pretzels. But, Michele came away with a small gear bag.
I chatted with the guy who I was tailing during the bike (Lee Wilk) for a while about the back and forth on the bike course and Lee commented on the fact that I was just gone during T2 and he couldn’t catch me on the 2nd run. Lee was also in my AG and finished 5th. Turns out several of his racing team, DU2R from Ellicott City, were in the top spots today. So I feel even a bit better about being up there with these guys. And unknowingly, a few others in my AG also competed with me at the Richmond Duathlon National Championships in April. Cool.
Well, I was pretty pleased with my run and overall performance, though I still have a good deal of work to do on myself (i.e. weight) and with my bike section.
Unless something changes, that will wrap up the season for me multisport fans! Until next season, this is Race Report Dave wishing you well in the rest of your season!