Race Report: Get In Gear 10K 2007

This is a bit out of order as I did this race back in April. I blogged about this same race last year. This year the day was quite different in that it was a gorgeous sunny morning. Other then that it was almost the same race. Strangely so.

I entered the race feeling very strong. I had a good winter of continuous training and after all the marathon training last Summer I assumed I would be faster then last year. The goal was sub 7 minute miles. At the first mile marked I was already 15 seconds behind where I wanted to be. Not good but understandable with so many people. At the second mile I was once again 20 seconds off on that mile. Clearly the race was not going my way. There was nothing special about the rest of the race other then I was able to really gun the last half mile and passed a ton of people. I finish with a time of 46.28.

The real surprise, and frustration, was that mile for mile I ran almost the same race last year, in the rain and supposedly in less shape. My take away is that I need to work more on speed. I've done a lot of work to build my aerobic conditioning but I haven't been much time doing intervals or just running fast.

Riding with Andy

The duathlon ended up not being the highlight of my weekend in Grand Forks. On Sunday morning I got to ride with retired pro racer Andy Hampsten!

Andy was in town to help move his Mother who has been an English Professor at UND forever. Plus, the city of Grand Fork had a ceremony to name their new bike trail system after Hampsten. But the best part of the weekend was that the local bike shop organized a fast 30 mile ride with Andy which was meant for more serious bike riders. I had no idea about any of this until Saturday afternoon. Riding with him would be equivalent to a tennis player having the chance to volley with Andre Agassi.

There were about 30 people at the ride. Some came from as far away as Winnipeg. There was nothing fast about the ride (15mph average) thou after about 10 miles there were only maybe 15 people. I talked with Andy for at least 20 minutes about Italy which Linda and I will be visiting in July 07. I told him about my race FU and asked him if he ever got lost in a pro race. He said 'Oh yeah!'. He tried to remember which one but couldn't. I was surprised to hear about the lack of course marshals or signs and how the pros sometimes just go where the crowds are standing.

The neatest part was telling him that his Mom had purchased one of my photographs from my senior art show way back in 1988 when I graduated from UND. He said that she had bought many student artworks over the years and that they filled her house. Part of the move that he was in town for was that all her kids had to choose artworks to take back home. Was mine still there?

I was beside him as we climbed over the highest hill in Grand Forks county (an overpass). I made sure that I got just a wheel length ahead at the top. So, yes, I out climbed Andy Hampsten.

Andy is a really cool likable guy. A great memory.

Race Report: Dewey Kvidt Memorial Duathlon

I love this photo. I assure you that the ambulance was not following me!

I opted to do this race instead of the Oakdale Du because it was in my hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota and I hadn't been back in a while. Plus it would be a small race on pancake flat roads. It ended up being a crazy race.

The first 3 mile run was uneventful. It was hard to judge my place because they were running a concurrent 5K run on the same course. At the first transition the foot racers went to the finish and we turned left to the transition area. I was very pleased to see a majority of the people in front of me head to the finish. But then the fun REALLY started.

Once I got my bike in hand I went for a flying mount which I had never practiced on the new Cervelo. I landed right but I missed the pedal and was weaving all over - or at least it seemed I was. I recovered and was off.

Two miles into the 15 mile bike was a 20 foot patch of gravel where they must of done some construction (they had warned us about it). I grew up on country roads and that little patch managed to represented the worst of every one of them. It was washboard and loose gravel. Luckily I had ridden over it the night before so I was ready with a line through it. But it was really really scary. I did fine.

Then it was 6 mile straight out with only a highway overpass crossing as a distraction. I passed a few people then at a railroad crossing the race volunteers yelled that there are 4 people ahead of me. Excellent!

After a few more miles I finally see the leader coming back so I start looking for the turn around which must be ahead. I started to see a lone man standing in an intersection up ahead. As I get closer I'm waiting for some kind of indication to turn around. But he just looked at me so I blew passed him because clearly that wasn't the turn around, right? One mile past him I start to approach a huge tractor pulling a plow that is spanning the whole road. Oh crap. But I figure everyone else had to deal with it. France has mountains, North Dakota has tractors! I'm wondering if he even notices this speck coming up behind him. Luckily, he started to pull over for 2 cars coming from the other way. I jetted by and gave the farmer a wave. At this point I can see probably a good 2 miles down the road and I don't see anything along the road - and I mean nothing. A sinking feeling takes over me that the guy back 1.5 miles was the turn around. I turn around.

Now I'm really pissed and completely frustrated. Why did that guy let me go by? Where was the sign or pylons? I'm pretty much soft pedaling and swearing. I was trying to decide whether I should even bother with the last run. But then I think about the crazy things that can happen to the people in front of me; flats, the train crossing (they warned us that a train 'might' be coming), and that gravel patch. So I once again cranked it up and was off. At the turn around there were now plenty of people making the turn. Were they just smarter then me? Maybe. I estimated that I tacked on an extra 3 miles total and I think I passed many people for the second time. The rest of the way was fine including the scary gravel which I didn't even slow for this time.

Off the bike and onto the last 3 miles of running. I caught a bunch of people and got to high five the leaders as they were just finishing. Cool guys. I was talking with them before the race.

Ended up 2nd in my age bracket. Not sure about overall as they haven't posted it yet.

And as a good lesson, one guy in front of me did flat on the gravel and he might have been in my age bracket. So never give up.

It was still fun despite the FU.

My buddy Dave, whom I stayed with in Grand Forks, was my photographer. As usually, more photos are on Flickr