2014 USA National Duathlon Championships: RACE REPORT

Duathlons are something I had rarely dabbled in during multisport competition in my younger days. It was a speed session or something I did when the weather was too cold to have a swim involved. Using it merely for pre & post race practice of race routine (figuring out how long prior to wake up, what warm up to do, how much/long, etc).  Certainly using it to hone transition skills is one of the greatest values I find as it is real world stuff you just can’t seem to get in a practice out of your garage, because there are people around you trying to kick your ass and every second counts.

Last year, a friend I had gotten to know through trail racing and some sporadic winter duathlons, Andy Ames (2013 ITU World Duathlon Champ 50-54, 2013 & 2014 US Duathlon National Champ 50-54), planted the idea/seed in my head that he thought I should race duathlons more. He thought I could be one of the top in the nation if not world. I like to say he badgered me until I said uncle, but it was a new direction so what the heck. I found a 2013 qualifier, Orange County Duathlon in early spring. Finishing 2^nd overall with a hip strain to the guy who would later become the overall US National champ—I stamped my ticket on Team USA & went to worlds. Andy & I roomed together and had a hoot of a time going around Canada’s version of Washington D.C. In the end, I was 4^th in the 40-44 (in the world!!)…as well as the top American master. 

The keynote here was it was just on a bucket list of many for 2013. Only FIVE days prior I had raced Boulder 70.3 half.  Still tired from that effort, it was a tricky balance. Go all out at Boulder & flop at worlds?  A goal was to go only hard enough at Boulder to nab a slot to 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas, which I did perfectly. However, it still left me dry for worlds to a degree, but I was satisfied even though my bike effort was quite horrible. I took an extended and early break last fall after Las Vegas, knowing 2014 had Ironman Boulder involved.

2014, Andy once again talked me into going to race USAT Nationals for duathlon in St. Paul. Once again, we roomed together and had fun trying different restaurants each meal. Race day was 6/19. Once again, I raced Boulder Peak Triathlon on 6/13. The entire season was a battle with a chronic hamstring tear after a duathlon I won called Big Sky in Denver. From there, I over-compensated with the left non-injured side and ended up with a quad strain that lasted pretty much through August. Luckily, the duties of Boulder Peak efforts were not enough to deter me from my first ever US National Championship. I’ve always wanted to be a National Champ in *something* (anything)…finally that was off the bucket list. I’d love a World Championship one day too in something, maybe someday.

2014 US Duathlon National Championships went something like this…race effort from Boulder Tri was 6 days prior, a little tired—cycling all season has been horrible as far as power output from the injury. Biking was so far OFF from my normal, it was very common for me to have one of the slowest bike legs in the top 10. For some reason, my running has been very much ON all season except Bolder Boulder when I was in the beginning of the injury stage. Nationals was no different. Knowing I wouldn’t be up with Dave Slavinski/Tom Woods AFTER the bike, I kept out of their way on the first run and throttled it just enough to come in 7 seconds after them. It was quite an easy run and running with them really was quite realistic. All I wanted anyhow was to shoot for the 45-49 title & they were both 40-44. I’d get through the bike leg just waiting for a 45-49 to pass me. A few did, one had bad luck by crashing on a corner, fate stuff you know? 

Once I got passed by the reigning US Duathlon Long Course Champion (I didn’t know it was him as I never met him)…I kept tabs so him and another guy who passed me on the final lap of the bike. Honestly, the power wasn’t there on the cycle leg—it was difficult knowing how much time was being taken out of me from a simple chronic leg issue that crops up every couple years.  Upon hitting the run, I quickly passed the first of the two guys in front of me in my age group. It was about 200 meters into the run when I moved past him. Slowly I closed in on the leader…inch by inch, not really punching it, just steady to see what he was doing, if he tried to make a move—whatever. Observe. The plan was to slowly close, then gas it. The run course was shortened due to flooding, so with about a quarter mile to go I had caught up to the US Long Course Champ, Marc Warner. Again, I didn’t know it was him. In the last half mile I thought, “I believe the finish line is just around that last pylon then it is like a quarter to half mile then the finish, I better catch up to this guy NOW. It’s now or never!” 

Doubts crept into my mind whether I could actually close the gap of about 12 seconds if he punched the accelerator. It is easy to cave when doubting yourself. Then I told myself, “Dig, don’t throw away this trip, a tick off the bucket list and national title because you don’t want to hurt!”  Dig I did to catch him within about a 100 meters. I kept right on going. He kindly encouraged me to keep on going, with a “Good job.”  The rest was well…history. My first ever US National Championships.  USAT gives the US Champs a special jersey to wear with the year on the back of it, to wear if they like to show their accomplishment at future races. I don’t think I’ll be wearing it though—it’s a keepsake! 

 

KK on top as 45-49 US National Duathlon Standard Distance Champion!

 

Shane Thread (left) & Andy Ames (right) at our celebration dinner in St. Paul.

 

2014 US Duathlon 45-49 Sprint Champ Glen Thompson (left)

2014 US Duathlon 45-49 Standard Distance Champ Kevin Konczak (right)

*Sprint Nationals & Standard Nationals were held on the same day in St. Paul.