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
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