Race Report from 2014 Du Worlds Pontevedra, Spain

William Jabour set out in early 2013 to qualify for the ITU Duathlon World Championships with no expectations for the race beyond getting there. He'd competed on and off again in multisport events since 2004, but this was the first time he had a specific goal. In the course of a year of dedicated training, he found the sport taking on new meaning and importance. He began accomplishing things he never would have imagined possible.

Securing his spot in the top 18 at U.S. Nationals in Tucson in October 2013, William joined the ranks of Team USA to represent the nation at the world championships in Pontevedra, Spain. On June 1, 2014, he competed against the best duathletes from around the world in the 10K run/40K bike/5K run, placing 28th in the 50-54 age group and experiencing one of the most exhilarating runs of his life.

William is one of the few people you'll meet in Austin who is actually from here; born and raised a local, he remembers when the city was still 400,000 people and you didn't have to go far to find a cow pasture. He was a truck driver for most of his career, with gigs that varied from hauling Indy 500 race cars to carrying stage equipment or film sets cross-country for movie studios and celebrity bands. A one-man traveling show who competed in multisport for fun and general fitness, he would  park the rig, take his bike out, and compete in a race in a town he was passing through. At 46 years old, he fulfilled the lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter and is currently working for the Liberty Hill and Manchaca fire departments. Unassuming but also highly driven and competitive, William is a nice guy and a top-notch athlete who ATC is proud to be associated with.

After putting in all that hard work day after to day to meet a goal and far surpassing the original target, some people might add a checkmark to the bucket list and put the bike back in the garage. William, however, is already looking ahead to the 2015 world championships in Adelaide, Australia. Next month, he'll compete at nationals in St. Paul to qualify. From there, he'll have more than a year to put his nose to the grindstone and improve his times. In Australia, he hopes to shave off nine minutes and finish somewhere in the top five to ten places. "Single digits for sure," he says.

Du Worlds Race Report from William Jabour

Arriving in Pontevedra

Team USA members, William Jabour at far right.

My flight to Spain was pretty easy, and I did not suffer much jet lag. Once I got to my small 10x10 foot room I headed out on the town to see where things were. The first two days there were wet and cold to me at 50 degrees. On Thursday morning I met with a Team USA group to run the course for the first time, and of course it was cold and wet. The run course starts off with a pretty good climb from the stadium by the water, but once we got to the top it was fast and downhill through old town Pontevedra, and I knew the four loops would be my best 10K on race day.

The next day I had the chance to ride the bike course with a police escort and about 800 athletes from all countries. Riding the bike any other time proved difficult and dangerous because of traffic. ITU changed the bike course around two days before, and now it was going to be two loops with a cat 4 climb of six plus miles. It didn't seem too bad on that day at an easy 4mph, but race day was a different story, as many sufferings took place.

On Saturday, the day before the race, I left from my hotel in Marin, which was one town over from the race start. I went for a ride along the coast, some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The road went up and down along the water through towns and hills, and in truth, it was a lot more climbing than I'd wanted. I had to force myself to turn around knowing I had a race the next day. I'm guessing I also walked six or seven miles a day before the race sightseeing and messing about, but I was in Spain so I was going to enjoy it, which was the case with everybody.

One competitor from Hawaii got his bike dragged down the tarmac at the airport and destroyed. He thought his race was over, but when he went to the local bike shop to package it and send it back home, it turned into a cool story. Javier Gomez, world champion triathlete from Pontevedra, insisted on him using one of his bikes, so he was able to race on that.

To sum it up, the first few days were just a lot of meeting people and checking out the town. For me, the coffee lover, a lot of that was over croissants and pastries. I also found out that in Europe dinner is not served till at least 8 p.m. I met so many cool people that now I guess I'll be forced to use Facebook more to stay in touch.

Team USA gets interviewed by Spanish TV station.

Race Day
Bike check-in was the day before. I liked getting that out of the way. And the race didn't start till noon on Sunday, which I also liked.

My butterflies started days before, which doesn't usually happen to me, but it was Worlds. After not much of a warmup, it was time for my age group to go. I was in 50-54, though I'm still 49. My coach Gray Skinner had a plan for me, and I stuck to it. He has been coaching me for almost a year now and has totally changed me from where I was at the beginning. (Thanks Jeff Shelton and Jack Mott for pushing me into getting coached.) There were about 60 athletes in my age group, and it seemed all wanted to go out at a  five-minute pace, but I stuck to around 5:50 for mile one, then settled around 6:20, and by loop three out of four most of my competition was coming back while I was feeling better. I ran my best 10K at around 40:07.

I was happy to get on my bike with confidence because of the 10 months of suffering Gray had put me through. I knew it was my time to shine, and by the second 13-mile loop and the second 6-mile cat 4 climb when many were slowing and cramping on the side of the road, I was feeling good at 1/10 of a mile faster.

I went back down the hill for the last time at 44mph into transition for the final run. It was a bit of a slow start due to both hamstrings cramping. Proving there is another whole level of pain I can push through, I got faster. Running through the streets with the crowds and all the different countries and people cheering me on was one of the most emotional experiences I have ever had. I believe I had tears in my eyes for most of that 5K. All the hard work in the last year came down to these last miles and an experience I will never forget, my first world championship but not my last.

In my age division, I finished 28th in the world and 5th in the USA. The first guy in my division from the U.S. was about four minutes faster and 18th in the world. I was off of second, third, and fourth place male finishers from the U.S. by less than 75 seconds.

July 19 is U.S. nationals in St. Paul and the qualifier for worlds in Australia in October 2015 . I was blessed in Spain, and I feel I will do well in St. Paul and be one of the top guys in my division. I'm ready for the long road to Australia.

I'd like to send heartfelt thanks to the people who've made it all possible. Thanks to my coach, Gray Skinner of Enlightened Performance, for his confidence in me and for pushing me through the months to achieve another level and to accomplish my goals. I  look forward to years to come with him. Thanks to Don and Missy Ruthven and all the staff at Austin Tri-Cyclist for all the help and support they have given me, not only for this race but through all the years, and for making sure I'm always on the best equipment. Thanks to Liberty Hill and Manchaca fire departments and BA Tools for the financial support they gave me, and I can't forget my friends and family who have shared this experience with me. Thank you all!

Hotter Than Doo Du Race Report: A Two-Sided Story

Duathlons in the Austin area attract athletes of all stripes – triathletes, cyclists, dedicated runners, first-timers, maybe a retired pro or two. Until race day dawns, you never really know who’s going to show up as the competition.

Jeff Shelton and Ben Munguia, though both ATCers, had never crossed paths before. Both are real runners, the kind of guys that you simultaneously want to feed a quarter pounder with cheese and recruit on your zombie apocalypse team for decoy duty. They’re also remarkably humble, so make no mistake: on both the bike and the run, though especially the latter, you can expect a blistering pace. Read on to find out what happens when you put two uber fast competitors in ATC kits out on the course together for the first time.

 

Jeff Shelton, “the old man’s perspective”:

If you know me, which you likely don’t, but if you do, then you know I’m a runner. It isn’t because I choose to be a runner, but because it is in my DNA. I’ve always been a runner. According to my parents, my first steps at nine months were more of a jog than a walk, and it seems as if I've been running almost every day for 45 years. Once upon a time way back in the late ‘80s, I wasn't too bad of a runner. I wasn't too good, either, but rather just hoping on a weekly basis to be chosen by the coaches to be on my university's traveling cross country squad.

I give you this worthless background so you’ll understand when I say I don’t worry too much about running. It sort of just happens. I may have slowed down a tremendous amount, but I'm still a runner, so a duathlon should be easy, right?

So how does this relate to the Hotter Than Doo Du last weekend? Well, the crazy thing is that I love to run, but I’ve been spending a fair amount of time on the bike lately. My running now consists of taking our Weimaraner and Vizsla for their daily 4:30 a.m. exercise whether I want to or not. Let's just say that I'm not run-fit at all. I wouldn't say that I’m bike-fit, either, but relative to my running, I have a higher level of bike fitness.

The thing is that I want to be a good cyclist, but I needed help to understand why I have the weaknesses that I have on the bike. The list of weaknesses is too long, so I'll spare you, but let's just say when it comes to running I'm not too worried to run with others, but on the bike I'm constantly worried about getting dropped. I worry so much that I've been given the onerous nickname "tick" by a few riders. No, not the cool animated TV character from the early ‘90s, "The Tick," but just plain old "tick.” It would take too long to explain, and it is a discussion for another time and place. 

Recently I started working with Rothe Training with the caveat that I’m still a runner and I need to do a couple of run workouts in amongst cycling. I want to be as good as I can be on the bike, given the poor genetics I got doled out. So I started working with Rothe Training, and Stefan has worked running into my cycling. I'm improving on the bike, and I'm still able to run. 

So, again, how does this relate to the Hotter Than Doo Du? When the opportunity to compete in a duathlon arose I thought that it would be easy to run, bike, and then run again. What I learned was just how wrong I was. I knew that most competitors would be triathletes, with maybe a few runners or cyclists tossed in the melee, but I only recognized one person, who was ultimately the overall winner. He also served me up a big ole piece of humble pie. More about that in a minute. 

My race strategy was to just stay with the leaders on the first 5K and on the bike ride just hard enough to stay within one or two seconds of the leaders, then crush the second 5k since I’m a runner. It is what I am and what I do. It all sounded so easy in theory. 

The race organizers had the Sprint and Olympic distances start together, so on the first run I wasn’t too shocked to see a couple of teenagers shoot out of the gate. Quickly our herd narrowed down to near single-file, and the race was on. The young kid, who I later learned was Ben Munguia, and I were running along most of the time shoulder-to-shoulder, and I thought to myself, “Okay, he can run pretty well, but I know something he doesn’t know: I’m holding back for the second 5K.” Then I started to laugh because I was thinking about a scene from Princess Bride. I thought of the words of Inigo Montoyo, "I know something that you do not know. I am left handed." Ben and I chatted a little on the run, and before I knew it we were back at T1.

Ben was first out on the bike, but I wasn’t too worried. I just kept him close, all the while telling myself, “I know something he doesn’t know. I’m holding back for the second 5K.” What I didn't know was I was about to get a lesson from the youngster. Ben had a little something in store for me on the second run.

The bike course was four loops and very narrow, and we often had to ride outside of the cones while passing other competitors. I just wanted to be close coming off the bike, because, hey, I'm a runner and I'm going to just drill it on the second run. We returned from the bike, and I was first out of T2, but that would be the last time I was in first. The first 10 steps my legs felt weird. I felt as if I was running in slow motion. I looked at my Garmin, and the feeling was confirmed. I was moving slowly. It wasn't long, and I heard steps from behind, and they were much quicker than my own. Oh no, my strategy had backfired, and soon after leaving T2, Ben cruised by me, and he looked like he felt good. I tried to quicken my turnover, but nothing happened. Then I thought back to my wife, who had suggested that I might want to get in a few brick workouts while preparing. Nah, I told her. "I am a runner, what could possibly go wrong?" I've done one duathlon prior to this a couple of years ago, but I was running at least 60 miles per week then, and the second run just came easy. This time I was struggling on the run and could do nothing as Ben quickly disappeared around the first bend and disappeared.

At the turnaround I determined how much time he'd put on me, but I refused to concede at that point. By then I felt that I finally had my running legs, and I might get lucky since anything can happen. I closed the gap a little, but he must have been feeling good, as I saw him dash towards the finish line and he looked to be flying. 

Was I disappointed? Yes. I'd just had my butt handed to me by a better athlete; however, I will say it was a great way to start a Sunday.

Ben Munguia:

http://benmunguia.blogspot.com/, https://twitter.com/Mungub

The race directors were on the money when they named this duathlon. Without a swim to cool things off from the start, the 7:30 a.m. opening 5k made the rest of the race hotter than du. I'm hoping to have some strong late season races, so I wanted to use this race to get in a solid effort, without taking away from my normal weekend training. I did make sure to avoid the Austin Tri-Cyclist Saturday ride, though, and opted for an easier loop of the dam with a friend.

During my warm-up, I recognized the good-looking Austin Tri Cyclist race kit on a fellow competitor. It was Jeff Shelton, who I'd never actually met, but had seen zipping around Lady Bird Lake enough times to know that the man can run. I did a longer warm-up than normal, which left me drenched, and I struggled to get my race kit past my head. Race kit on, Thunderbird Energetica bar down, and I was ready to roll.

The run course was an out and back along the Brushy Creek trail, and luckily we had a decent amount of shade for the majority of the run. We took it out controlled, but Jeff and I maintained an honest pace to create some separation from the other competitors. Jeff casually chatted away, while I labored up the short climbs, thankful for the distraction and good conversation. Side note to Jeff: Sorry if my responses sounded more like uncomfortable grunts than words. As we came back into transition, Jeff thanked me for the company and said he probably wouldn't be seeing me on the bike since he just took up cycling. I had my doubts, though.

Sure enough, I looked back after lap one of four on the bike and saw Jeff not too far behind looking pretty comfortable. We stayed like this until I decided it was Jeff’s turn to set the pace for the first half of the last lap. Then I started to strategize the best way to gain some time on him going into the run. I didn't want to come off of the bike with him after seeing how comfortable he looked on the opening 5K. Instead, I decided to put in a good effort a mile or so out from T2 to see if I could get some separation. FAIL.

I rolled into T2 a second or two ahead of Jeff, but left T2 a handful of seconds behind. I had laid out a different pair of shoes (race flats) with quick laces for the second run to allow for a quicker transition. At the last minute I decided to stick with the same, more cushioned shoe I wore for the first run to minimize the post-race soreness. The adjustment had me fumbling around in transition to lace up my shoes again, and Jeff took off before me. I closed the gap in the first minute or two of the run and decided to push on and see if I could open things up. Fortunately, I was able to create a little gap. It was tempting to look back to see how much time I had, but I just kept pushing until the turnaround. I made the turn and saw Jeff flying down the hill not too far back. This made me a little nervous, but I knew I only had a little over a mile left. I figured if I kept the pace up, then he would have to run about a five-minute mile for the last mile to catch me. Luckily for me, I held on and finished about a minute ahead for the win.

It was a great local race, and one that I will be sure to do again in the future. The race directors did a fantastic job, and even gave out some great prizes – a rarity these days. Be sure to check out the Hotter Than Doo Du next year if you are looking for a great local race.

Enchanted Rock Duathlon Race Report March 24, 2013

by Gray Skinner

The Enchanted Rock Duathlon was my first race of 2013. After a long off-season and winter, I was ready to once again toe the line in a race rather than knocking heads with my training partners for another weekend! Having not put the body through the rigors of racing for nearly five months, I was not sure what to expect when race day arrived early on Sunday morning.

Leah (my amazingly supportive wife and running coach!) and I traveled to Fredericksburg on Saturday and stayed at the wonderful Cyclehaus. For those of you that don’t know, Cyclehaus is a B&B for cyclists in the Texas Hill Country. Staying there was great, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get out of town for a weekend or training camp. We then pre-rode the course in 85 degree temperatures

The wind howled through the night as the cold front rolled in. Race morning was a brisk 37 degrees F with howling winds. Setting up the bike in transition, I made the game time decision to drop the trispoke in favor of the less aero but more stable cosmic carbone in the front. Kept the rear disc in the back because I knew that I needed every edge I could get on the bike course (and partially because I have been influenced by the musings of Jack Mott!).

Race was a mass start and single file from the gun. Jamie Cleveland of Texas Iron set the pace from the beginning, with Andy Lee following closely on his shoulder. I tucked into third position on the opening single-track section and the race was on. I knew I had to limit my losses on the first run to have any chance of beating the multiple-time defending champ. I hung on behind Andy for the first 2.5 miles of the hilly 8k loop around the park. I was pleasantly surprised that I had managed to not be dropped by this point, and backed off a little as not to blow myself up too early. By this point it was a three-horse race, and I watched them run out of sight by the end of the first run.

Coming into transition, I moved with a sense of urgency as not to let the gap get any bigger. Going into the race, careful scrutiny of every possible relevant data point on the internets led me to believe that I needed to be less than two minutes behind coming out of T1. I had strategically positioned Leah with a stopwatch at the exit of T1 and was thrilled to hear that the gap was only 30 seconds! My confidence rose as I knew I was now in a position to use my strength (the bike) to win the race. I said to myself, “I’m here to win, mate!” a line I recently picked up from Chris McCormack’s book, I'm Here to Win, and got on with the business of catching the leaders. I caught Andy within the first couple of miles and then took the lead around mile 4. The winds were tough on the way back, something I relish as a former road racer. I hit the gas at the turnaround and never looked back. Coming into T2, I was not sure how far back the others were, but I was right where I needed to be, leading the race in T2 with at least a 1 minute advantage.

Back out the single-track, across the creek, through the gazebo, down the stairs and up the rock! Not sure I ran the entire way up, was pretty disorienting as there is no clear path to the top. When I saw the white flag for the finish, I was relieved to have been able to finish off this one and start 2013 on a high note! Final margin ended up being around 1 minute 30 seconds, and I was proud to add my name alongside superstar and three-time ERock Du winner Kat Hunter!

Thanks to Chris McDonald and Big Sexy Racing for their support, Missy and Don at Austin TriCyclist for help getting me on the P4, Redemption RaceProductions for putting on a great race, Jack Mott for help with the TriRig Omega, Jack Cartwright for being a great mentor and training partner and Sol Frost for the last minute tune up!

Gray Skinner is the  coach for the ATC Racing women's cycling team.
Full Results Here

2012 Texas Winter Duathlons

It may be getting way too cold to swim, but that doesn't mean the off-season has started. It's never too cold to bike and run in Texas, so the winter season is duathlon season! Texas offers a lot of fun events, all of them low-key and interesting. Have you ever started a duathlon inside of a cave? Or braved a hellish bike course personally designed by the one and only Adam Stroobandt of ATC? If we've caught your interest, get your running shoes out and pick some races from this list of upcoming Texas duathlons:

November 24 - Poultry In Motion, Waco, $50
5k run, 9 mile bike, 2 mile trail run

Organized by the Waco Striders Running Club, this duathlon takes place along the Brazos River in Waco. The first run is 5k along the paved river walk, followed by a short 9 mile bike, and then a 2 mile trail run along the river. A separate 5k and kids' duathlon are offered with family discounts, so you can bring the whole group!

December 2 - Du Boerne, Boerne, $50
5k run, 25k bike, 5k run

This low-key duathlon is just north of San Antonio. Transition is located at the Boerne City Lake Park, with a 5k run on paved roads. The 25k bike has some nice elevation changes on low-traffic roads. If you've done the Small Texan Triathlon, you'll notice this race shares the early part of the bike course.

December 8 - Hel of a Du, Helotes, $55
3.5 mile run, 26 mile bike, 3.5 mile run

Now for a tough one! Hel of a Du adds a little bit of extra distance with the 3.5 mile runs, and a LOT of pain with the 26 mile bike, which features a long climb in the middle. This race was started by ATC's own Adam Stroobandt and is now put on by other friendly folk from Soler Sports in Helotes, Texas. The 2011 race featured cool prizes like locally produced wine bottles.

December 9 - Natural Bridge Caverns Duathlon, New Braunfels
Various Distances

If Hel of a Du didn't tire you out, you can race the very next day at Natural Bridge Caverns. This race features a unique time trial start inside of a cave. You run your way up and out of the cave and then along a trail. The bike course features some decent elevation gain as you head back for your second trail run. Various distances are offered, from pleasantly short to gruelingly long. The hardest category, T-Rex, also adds a super steep segment to the first run.

Natural Bridge Races Offered:
Cave Bear: 2 mile run, 15.5 mile bike, 2 mile run
Sabertooth: 2 mile run, 12 mile mountain bike, 2 mile run
Woolly Mammoth: 5k run, 26 mile bike, 5k run
T-REX: 5 mile run, 26 mile bike, 2 mile run

If you know of other Texas duathlons not on the list, let us know in the comments!

Blue Norther Race Report: The Newbie Perspective

In early March, you can never be sure what kind of weather is going to roll in. But a race named for a weather phenomenon that brings a stretch of unseasonably cold, rainy days...well, that should give you an idea of what to expect. Hosted in Seguin on March 11, 2012, by the Seguin Sunrise Lions Club, the 22nd annual Blue Norther Duathlon was a success in spite of the storms and chilly temperatures.

For Jeffrey Shelton, long-time runner, the Blue Norther Du was a first experiment in multisport. Since his wife, Liz – a former All-American runner at UT who competed in the 2000 Olympic trials – had already participated in a handful of sprint triathlons, she offered him encouragement and race tips. But some things have to be learned the hard way. After all, what self-respecting man would listen to his wife’s sage advice?

Race Report by Jeffrey Shelton

Liz Shelton at Danskin

The duathlon was a 5K run, 14-mile bike, and 5K run. It was 51 degrees and raining cats and dogs all the way to Seguin. Rain, my bike, and me aren't necessarily the best of friends. I really, really hate to clean my bike after riding in rain so I wouldn't have raced, but someone had paid our entry and if you know my wife, Liz, then you know she loves atrocious weather. It's just another challenge to overcome. Here she was saying, "I don't care if it's pouring, lightning, or hailing. Slick roads don't scare me.” Meanwhile, in the back of my mind I was hoping the organizers would cancel or just turn the du into a 10K run or something. At least in a 10K I knew I'd be competitive in the Masters field. Liz asked, "You ready?" I had to just smile and as upbeat as I could feign, say "Yep.”

Well, much to my dismay the race director decided to hold the event. Liz was as giddy as could be as she racked her bike. I'm looking around to make sure I'm doing things right: placing my shoes, helmet, dry socks, etc. I felt like we were the only two "Freds" with road bikes, and we certainly didn't have aero helmets. At least Liz had some aerobars on her bike, but then she’d just had those installed by the shop the day prior and didn't want to use what I like to refer to as "death handles.” The only thing I could have done to be more of an oddball was wear running shorts, the short-short kind. ATC had recommended some good shorts that I could run in. I had tried to run in my cycling shorts, but it felt like I had a diaper on. What can I say, I'm not getting any younger and I want as much padding as I can get when on the bike, but I heeded their advice and got some tri shorts.

Something new for me was this whole marking the age on your calf business. My first thought was "c'mon, I know how old I am," but then Liz explained to me that if someone was in front of me in the same age group then I could see their age and run them down if I had enough left in the tank. Surprisingly, this bit of newfound knowledge paid off as I passed a youngster of 41 in the last 200 meters. I made sure he heard me coming and I looked over and told him "good job," but in my mind I thought there's only room for one Masters winner and I hoped that I'd caught all the 40+ dudes that had hammered past me on the bike.

The transition from run to bike was eye-opening too. Yes, I know I should have listened to Liz and practiced that because I was the third person back from the run and the seventh or eighth person out. I guess stopping to dry my glasses, put on some chapstick, and change into dry socks, and the fact that my road shoes have a ratcheting/tightening system, could explain my tardy departure.

Liz asked if I'd had a nice picnic after seeing my T1. Let's just say that velcro is all the rage and all the fast people and even the not-so-fast people have velcro this and that for quick shoe entry and removal. Meanwhile, I'm fiddlin' with the ratchet, "Click...click...click," and the clock is just tick, tick, ticking away. Now I know that velcro is much, much faster. Mental note: buy some all-velcro shoes if I do one of these things again. The one pro dude made it look easy as pie, or at least I felt like he must have been pro because he took out the whipping stick and put a whipping on us in the first run. I tried to look at his calf but his legs were moving too bloody fast. Liz warned me about the T1, but I failed to take heed. I guess I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm not the butter knife either.

The bike course was slick in a few areas, and this was my rude awakening to yes, those tri bikes, aero wheels, speedsuits, and even the "sperm" helmets make a difference, as I was passed by no fewer than eight people. Way back in the early ‘90s I could ride respectably, but until last year I hadn't touched a bike in 17 or 18 years. I felt very humbled as these tri guys just rolled me off the back like a carpet out of a truck. I've ridden with the ATC Saturday ride so I knew the tri guys are strong, but this was ridiculous.

I kept thinking about what my friend Desiree Ficker had said about the last seven miles and ratcheting it up and riding at my limit. She must have not known my limit was much lower than everyone else's; I tried, though. On the hills, or better said, on the slight rises, I was making up ground like a freight train off a cliff, but on the flats and downhills I could see people riding away from me, and they were making it look easy. I scooted as far forward on the saddle as the unmentionable area could stand and tried to pull on those pedals, but my engine wasn’t strong enough. I felt like I had a 4-cylinder and everyone else was a V8. I have my bike set up for relaxing long rides, and I don't own any aerobars to slap on, so it was like I was riding a chopper. Maybe next time I'll rent some aerobars or rent a bike for a few weeks if I do another one of these things. That's a big IF!

ATC's Missy Ruthven on the run!

Liz's background is running, and I knew Liz would be alright as she was first onto the bike, but alas, she too said on the downhills she was losing ground. In the end, two women passed her, so she was third into the final 5K run. Yep, you guessed it, those ladies were on those crazy aggressive tri bikes, with skintight speedsuits and aero-EVERYTHING. Liz said she could hear riders with the disc wheels coming and roll right on by, and she couldn't do anything about it. Trust me, I know exactly how she felt. She said she kept looking for ponytails as she was concerned about getting caught by ladies. Liz saw Missy Ruthven come rolling by but couldn't maintain contact. She hung tough on the little hills, though, and kept it to what would be manageable on the run. She said she was focusing on Des' advice too. Thanks Des for the advice, but we're newbies – at one point I just wanted to finish without walking.

Don't tell Liz because I'll deny it, but I did take her advice about installing the elastic strings for quick entry into my running shoes, which must have helped in T2 because Liz didn't ask how my picnic went there. Coming off the bike and starting the run I think I was 11th or 12th but I focused on what Des instructed and thought about quick feet. I imagined I was running through hot coals. I don't know if that was for the quick feet as much as the thought of being warm, since I was chilled to the core and my Raynaud's syndrome was kicking into overdrive.

Liz and ATC Mech George Schmitz

But quick turnover must have worked, as I passed almost all the guys who had passed me on the bike. Meanwhile Liz had lost something like two and a half minutes on the bike and had her work cut out for her. She passed the second-place girl in the first mile of the second 5K and would have to run her fanny off to catch the leader. Liz said that at one point she could see Missy and thought that the race might be over and that she had run out of road. Liz no longer has the 2:01 800m wheels but she still has wheels nonetheless. So much so that when it comes to a sprint I won't even step on the track with her. I've got a fragile ego and don't want to get "wifed" on the track so it's just safer for me not to toe the line against her in anything less than 800m. I knew she had a good chance if she could get close enough, but the finish line was approaching fast. In the end, Liz caught Missy with about 100 meters remaining.

The timing company had a few things go wrong and there were people confused about the posted results. Ultimately the timing company told everyone to just go home and they'd to sort it all out, which they did. For me as a newbie, the best thing was baked 'taters at the finish line. Yum, hit the spot. And they were hot, which finally warmed me up and helped to lessen the Raynaud's.

Last year Liz said, "I want to do a sprint triathlon,” which she did. Now she wants to tackle an Olympic Distance triathlon and has started training. She is excited to test herself and to do more triathlons. I'll be out there just cheering my heart out for her, wondering all the while how people can have such big engines and do these multi-discipline sports. Me, I think I’ll stick to just riding my bike as often as I can and running every once in a while with the ATC group and my good buddy Gilbert.

That's how I saw it as a newbie. Liz was 1st overall female and I was 1st Old Dude.

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Upcoming Winter Events

Temperatures are routinely below 80 degrees, it's dark by 6pm, and the next Driveway Series crit is more than 100 days away...we've officially entered the "off season." For some athletes, it's a period of welcome, extended hibernation. Others desperately take up new pursuits in an effort to assuage their grief. But before you go pro at channel-surfing and needlepoint, add a little multi-sport excitement to your winter calendar:

Nov 20, Sunday - Natural Bridge Caverns Duathlon - North of San Antonio

The "world's first cave duathlon," featuring a run that starts 180 feet below the surface inside Natural Bridge Caverns, this event is in its second year. A variety of race distances are offered, as well as off-road and on-road categories:

1. Cave Bear: 2-mile run/15-mile bike/2-mile run
2. Sabertooth: 2-mile run/12-mile OFF-Road bike/2-mile run
3. Woolly Mammoth: 5k run/26-mile bike/5k run
4. T-REX: 5-mile run/26-mile bike/2-mile run ( Very challenging 1st run)

Redemption Race Productions hosts fun, laid-back events and provides great food and unique trophies (for this race, geodes!). Participants also receive a complimentary cave tour with registration.

Nov 19-20, Sat-Sun - Dirty Du - Rocky Hill Ranch near Smithville

You'll need your mountain bike for this one! The original Dirty Du is a 5k trail run/12-mile mountain bike/5k trail run. The run is off-road and technical, with lots of rocks and hills, and the bike course is 80% single track and 20% Jeep track. Win cash prizes if you can beat the course records, currently held by the likes of Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis.

Nov 26, Saturday - Poultry-N-Motion 5k & Duathlon - Waco Tx

This inaugural event, billed as the perfect opportunity to "work off your Thanksgiving Day bird," is a 5k run/9-mile bike/2-mile trail run. There's an option to do just the 5k run, as well. The post-race party will include music, food, and awards.

Dec 10, Saturday - Hell of a Du - Helotes, TX

Sick of being run down? Maybe this is your chance to lurch across the line still in the lead! This is a race for the uber-bikers. The race starts and ends with a 3.5-mile run, but in between is a 26-mile bike course featuring a 7-mile climb. Participants can enter age-group categories or the elite wave, which is eligible for prize money.

Dec 18, Sunday - Du Boerne in December - Boerne, TX

Only 30-40 minutes northwest of San Antonio, this event starts in Boerne City Park. The race is a 5k run/25k bike/5k run with a cross-country run course and a low-traffic bike course.

Nov 26, Saturday - The Austin Beer Mile - Circle C Park

Yes, it's still multi-sport - running and chugging! This is an unorganized, free event. Bring your own beer! Donations will be accepted for a family friend with MS.

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Cycling Events

Nov 12 - Tour Das Hugel - Austin, TX

100+ miles of Austin's toughest hills, including over 10,000 feet of climbing... If that's not enough to convince you, read more about why you should not attempt this ride.

Nov 26, Dec 10, Jan 14 - Winter Crits- Fort Worth, Tx

Sponsored and promoted by The Racing Post, this crit course is 0.6 miles and wide, safe, flat, and fast. Lots of categories, $20 entry fees, and cash awards 5 places deep in ALL categories.

If you'd like to suggest other Nov/Dec multi-sport events to add to our calendar, email us at info@austintricyclist.com