Race Report: New Orleans 70.3, April 13, 2014

by Gray Skinner

After Cozumel, I took a nice rest during December and started back again in early January. With the main goal of 2014 being Kona, I needed an early season goal to stay motivated in the early months. I went into the spring with two goals: defend at the Enchanted Rock Duathlon and win the overall amateur race at Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. I am happy to report that in the last month, both goals were achieved!

Brief Enchanted Rock Recap

On March 30, Leah and I returned to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area to defend last year’s title. Race day was perfect, with low morning winds, great temps, and a capacity field once again. The race started out quick, with Sandy Joseph and I separating from the field on the initial 8k trial run. We traded the lead back and forth a few times, and I eventually took the lead for good at mile 4. It was a tough run as always, and Sandy was pushing me hard. Into T1, and out on the bike, I knew that Enlightened Performance athlete and uber biker Michael Jones would be hot on my heels. I pushed a decent pace (295 watts for 40 min for those who care) and came into T2 with a decent-sized lead on the chasing field. Through the woods and up the rock, I managed to hold on for the win.

William Jabour, Gray, Michael Jones

I was really happy to see Michael summit the rock next to take second overall. EP athlete and firefighter extraordinaire William Jabour also had a great race and improved his previous year’s time by nearly 8 minutes! I ended up a few seconds shy of the course record. My trusted swim advisor Andrea Fisher defended her title as well on the women’s side. It was a great first race of the year, and the folks at Redemption Race Productions did a great job putting it on, as always!

On to New Orleans….

Throughout the winter, NOLA 70.3 had been my main focus point for the spring. I really wanted to continue my improvement and development at the half distance and compete for the overall win. I learned a lot during my first full iron race in Cozumel, and I was eager to apply these lessons to a shorter distance. Three months before the race, Kiwi pro James Cotter sat down with me and broke down exactly what I needed to do to win this race. Writing the goal down, all the way down to transition times, really helped me be super specific in how I needed to train to accomplish the goal. On to the race…

We arrived in New Orleans on Saturday after staying with my college roommate in Baton Rogue. We had a great visit, and I did my riding that day on a pretty amazing tandem that Dan built by hand, a bamboo tandem fixie. That was a lot of fun! Dan used to be a pro triathlete, and his counsel has always been very valuable to me.

Arriving the next day in New Orleans, I pre-rode the bike course and did a quick run. Felt like I had timed the taper pretty well, good sensations on the run, bike not so much, but was ready for a big test! Checked in the bike and headed to early dinner at Olive Garden. Back to the hotel and to bed, I was feeling calm and confident, very few nerves, just an excited feeling of being ready to execute.

Up at 4 a.m. for a Nutella banana sandwich and my first regular coffee in four weeks (trying to maximize impact of caffeine on race day; it worked). We headed to the race, set up transition, and waited around for the swim start. The pros were off at 7 a.m., and I downed my BeetElite shot and readied with the rest of the AGers going off time-trial style in the marina. The course was N-shaped, and I was not expecting such a rough swim. The 30-34 age group went off eighth, and with the time trial start, there were already 500 people in the water by the time we entered. It was eight people every 10 seconds, which made for a very crowded course. I had big goals for the swim, as my pool times have improved dramatically over the last five months. However, I was not fully prepared for how chaotic the swim would be. I was swimming over and around people from the first minute until the last. I intentionally didn’t get a split after the swim and was on to the bike.

Starting out on the bike course, I had one goal: ride my watts. I knew that if I stuck to the plan, things would go well. Passing people from the start, I stayed focused the whole bike ride, and by mile 45, I was all alone having passed nearly everyone that started in front of me. There was a southeast wind that picked up as the day went on. I felt right at home in the wind and knew that the course was not going to be fast for most. I held a very steady 265 watts for the bike and came in at 2 hours 11 minutes for the 56-mile bike, which was the fastest of the amateurs that day by over three minutes.

Coming through T2, Leah gave me the information that there were only two amateurs in front of me. I was confident that if I crossed the line first, there was a good chance I would win, although because of the time trial start, I would have to wait for the remaining 1,500 to finish. I knew at a minimum, if I got passed at all, I had lost! I started out the run strong, holding back and running the first mile in 6:03. This may have been too fast, as it was really starting to heat up, and the course offered very little shade. I was not yet acclimated to the warm, humid weather and paid for it a little on the run. The run was going well, although I was gradually slowing down as my heart rate rose. Having the women pros to chase was motivating, and I kept on as the pain in the legs was slowly building. By mile 8, we were running into the wind, and I was starting to feel pretty rough. I passed the remaining two that were ahead of me by mile 10 and then began the toughest 5k of my life. I had slowed to 6:50 pace at this point, and the wheels were pretty close to falling off. Seeing Leah really helped, and I soldiered on knowing that this was the only chance I had to achieve the goal I had set for myself. I managed to pick it back up the last mile as I completely emptied the tank out there. I ended up running a 1:24 for the half marathon, which was mildly disappointing, but given the conditions, I was happy to have kept it together, even though I positive splitted every mile! That time was good for the third fastest run time overall.

Gray, Leah & (coming soon) Adelyn Skinner

After crossing the line, the waiting began! It was a few nervous hours with Leah, but  turns out that I had won the overall amateur! In the end, although my time was a few minutes off what I had prepped for, I had trained to win and was very pleased with the effort.

Special thanks to my amazing wife Leah and soon-to-be daughter Adelyn! Also to all the Enlightened Performance athletes, Sol Frost, Austin Tri-Cyclist, Rub Massage Austin, ROKA Sports, BeetElite, EnduroPacks, James Cotter, Andrea Fisher, Sarah Trent, and my employer Executive Stamina.

Thanks for reading!

March Bike Events

Enchanted Rock Duathlon

March offers something for everyone, from the recreational rider to the hard-core crit racer. Check out some of the Austin-area events below, or see TXBRA.org and TexasBikeRacing.com for events farther afield.

Driveway Spring Classic, March 8
Holland Racing ushers in another season of crit racing with the 2014 Spring Classic at the Driveway, one of the best venues Austin has on offer. The course, a twisting 1.63 miles built for racecars, is ideal for the fast of leg and stout of heart, attracting beginners and elite cyclists alike. Online registration is closed, but you can still register day of for some categories. (Note: There’s a healthy waiting list for the cat 4/5.)

The Spring Classic kicks off the regular season of Thursday-night Driveway Series races, which are held March 13-October 16. If you miss out on the Spring Classic, pre-register for this Thursday or buy your season pass!

Fayetteville Stage Race, March 15 & 16

Kat Hunter - ATC Racing - Fayetteville TT

Always well organized and fun, the Fayetteville Stage Race is one of the highlights of the year. The three stages—two road races and a 8.9-mile time trial—are based on elapsed time. Triathletes and strong time trialists tend to enjoy this event. Located roughly between Austin and Houston, Fayetteville is about a 1.5-hour drive from either city.  Read our past race reports from 2013, 2012, and 2011.

20th Anniversary Rosedale Ride, March 22
Offering routes of 26, 42, and 62 miles, as well as a children’s fun ride of 2 miles, the popular Rosedale Ride is a charity ride benefiting the Rosedale Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to support the children of Rosedale School, AISD’s only school for children with multiple disabilities. The ride starts and ends at Samsung Austin Semiconductor. Online registration is open!

Blue Norther Duathlon, March 9
A flat and fast course, and a long time favorite event of ATC staff and friends. This event in Seguin Texas is 5k run 14 mile bike and another 5k run.  Sign up and have fun! http://seguinlions.com/blue-norther-duathlon/

Enchanted Rock Extreme Duathlon, March 30

2013 Winner Gray Skinner

If you’re not registered for this year’s Erock Du, then you might want to go ahead and mark your calendar for 2015. The race cap has been reached. This is one of the most interesting multisport events in Texas, however, so even if the odds aren’t in your favor, it might be worth it to contact the race director and get on the waiting list.

About a 20-minute drive from Fredericksburg, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area features three pink granite domes that rise high above the surrounding Central Texas landscape. Erock is great place to visit for hiking, climbing, camping, wildlife viewing, backpacking, and, once a year, a really cool duathlon. The race includes a 5-mile run around the park on the Loop Trail, a 16-mile out and back on the farm road just outside the park, and a 1.2-mile run straight up (and up and up) Enchanted Rock herself.

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

RACE REPORT: Enchanted Rock Extreme Duathlon March 27, 2011

Photos by Earl Nottingham / Texas Parks & Wildlife

This Sunday was the third annual Enchanted Rock Extreme Duathlon at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 30 minutes north of the historic, German town of Fredericksburg. This race features a five mile hilly trail run, a 16 mile out and back bike on hilly roads (with cows!), and a 1.2 mile run – straight up Enchanted Rock. Actually, "run" is a bit of exaggeration, since very few competitors have actually managed to run up the whole way, perhaps as few as three people in the three-year history!

My wife, Kat Hunter, and I have gone to this race every year, and this year was not just for fun – this was serious. In our three previous duathlons, I had yet to go faster than her. Obviously this could not stand, so this year I would have my revenge. Finally I had some solid run training before the event, so all I had to do was stay close on the run and pass her on the bike. No problem!

The run starts nears the pavilion area, and we all gather for a mass start. Kat and I position ourselves near the front, where I notice a young woman ( Apryl Mortenson of team Tri-Sition) who looked very fit. "Look out for her," I whisper to Kat, who replied "I know." She already had her game face on, had already identified her main rival. This was going to be fun!

This is not blurry, the start is just that fast

The race starts and we all take off down the narrow trail. The first bit is relatively flat with a few rocks and stairs to navigate up and down. Then a quick run through the parking lot and back onto the trail, where it starts to get pretty steep uphill for about a mile. I pace myself on these uphills and Kat pulls away from me and her rival Apryl in the early going. I'm thinking Kat has the race won for a minute, but then when I look up again, Apryl has taken the lead! I'm not too worried yet. Last year the same thing happened when Monica Longlorai of the Texas A&M Tri Team threw down an amazing run time. Kat had managed to take the lead back on the bike, and I was sure she could do it again this year.

Darrel Williams takes the lead on the run

I pull up alongside the guy just ahead of me. "We're getting chicked," I joke. He says, "Yeah, by TWO of them," but he says that he's used to it, that it's his wife up there. "Me too, my wife is the other one!" I say. I try to get some intel out of him by super cleverly asking, "So does she beat you on the bike, too?" He answers, "Oh, we're about neck and neck." Uh oh! Ronald Mortenson looked like a pretty fit guy, and was running a decent pace. If his wife could bike with him, Kat might be in trouble. "This could be a good battle then!" I say.

We proceed to go back and forth on the run, trying to keep our wives in sight, but eventually they pull away as we get close to transition. I heard later from a spectator that Apryl came into transition with a good lead on Kat, but was sabotaged by her husband's bike when it fell over as she tried to get her own bike out of the crowded transition spot. She was far too kind and actually stopped to put his bike back up, losing a few seconds in the process. To be fair, the racks really were far too close together, one minor quibble in an otherwise perfect race. Kat took advantage of a smoother transition to take the lead at the start of the bike. (Though apparently she was not aware of that, as she hadn't seen Apryl in transition, and was quite worried!)

Ryon Talbot posting the 2nd fastest bike split

My transition was uneventful and I was ready to get on the bike and crush it to catch Kat, then drop her with authoritah! However, my lack of run fitness seemed to be getting the better of me. While I could maintain a fast, steady pace, when I tried to shift into ludicrous speed, every muscle in my legs would start to scream. There were 16 miles of hills to go, then a run straight up a huge rock, so I didn't want to blow up yet. Ludicrous speed was not an option.

I still managed to pass quite a few of those who outran me. Thankfully, I got ahead of all three Aggies (minor collegiate rivalry there, though I'm not a Longhorn, but an Owl). I was only passed by one competitor. As he pulled up next to me on a hill, I noticed his power meter and asked how many watts. "Three-fifty," he said. I kind of doubted that, but then he pulled away – far, far away, and I became a believer.

Aggies sweep their age group

Approaching transition, I became aware that I would not be catching Kat, again, this year. Her and her Cervelo P2C must have gone as fast as I had (wrong, she had gone minutes faster). Goals had to be adjusted – now I just wanted to podium in my age group and go as fast as I could. Off the bike, and onto the trail to the climb.

Once again I decided I would try to jog the whole way up. Three steps later, plans had to be adjusted. The steep grade just makes one's heart rate instantly max out, and legs burn. I switch to hands-on-knees power walking, which serves me well. Regular park visitors along the trail look at us, wondering who these people are in funny outfits, sweating and moaning, barely going any faster up than they are. As you approach the summit, the grade finally levels off and you can manage to run again. This is convenient because the spectators at the top can't really see you below that point. So as far as they know you ran the whole way!

Linda Lazo at the finish

The finish line is marked by two flagpoles with the E-Rock Duathlon logo. I sprint for the finish and look for Kat and our families, who are up there waiting for us. She is smiling and okay, and now three-time women's champion! (and fourth overall!) I come in three minutes later and 2nd in my age group. We both had our fastest overall times, each improving by six minutes over the last year. I have a moving target, but maybe next year I will be victorious...

Apryl Mortenson came in 2nd overall woman with a solid finish, and her husband Ronald had a strong showing as well at 2nd in his age group. Jamie Cleveland of Texas Iron, overall winner of the 2009 race, repeated in 2011 with another strong showing and was one of the few who actually ran up the rock. Kat and Jamie also won the King and Queen of the hill awards, for fastest male and female times up the rock.

The Enchanted Rock Du is truly one of the greatest multisport events in Texas. The views at the finish line are amazing and there's an amazing atmosphere, great trails, and tons of good German food and beer to be had in nearby Fredericksburg. Also, our Texas state parks are one of our best and most under-appreciated resources, so what better way to help support them than by training, racing, and spectating at the great venues they provide? We highlighted three state park rides in a previous blog post. Add Enchanted Rock to your list. Cycling is huge in and around Fredericksburg, and the park itself offers superb running trails, rock climbing, hiking, and camping. Go there often enough, practice that run up the rock, and maybe you can be King of the Hill one day.

Full results are up Here

Special thanks to Earl Nottingham of TPWD for the race photos, and for his dedicated coverage of the event. (We have to note that, of course, the blurry photo of the race start was not the work of this professional, but rather, our own meager contribution.) Look for more of Earl's photos and Kat's article about the race in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine in 2012.