2018 Duathlon National Championship

I used to do the local duathlon - Du The Lakes Duathlon - as an early season race to see where I was with my fitness.  It was generally a slap in the face when I felt really slow.  The race would often take place on Mother's Day weekend but due to construction at Green Lakes State Park, this year's event was cancelled.  Instead, I decided to give the Duathlon National Championship a try for 2018.  This race was earlier in the year and I expected Greenville, South Carolina to be a bit warmer than the Syracuse spring.

Due to my vehicle spending some time in the shop, I rented a minivan to take the 13 hour trek to Greenville while camping in the back of the van on the trip down.  I fell in love with the city of Greenville and will need to make a point of returning next year for this race.  It's always special to be among the best athletes of all age groups and next year is already circled on my calendar.

On race day it was cold.  During the morning race, the long distance event, temperatures hovered around 40 for the start.  Thankfully my heat was not until the afternoon for the sprint distance.  We were running a two loop 5k to start, followed by 18.2k on the bike and then 1.8k to finish the race.  I was pleased with my pace for the 5k (faster than normal but not fast by most standards) and then I hammered the bike.  The course included part of an interstate that was closed down so I pushed the pace there.  I could have ridden that bike course for hours with smooth roads and no traffic.  The final run was one where I was a bit gassed but finished strong because I knew it was a short run.  I was really pleased with the course, loved the fan support and the awards ceremony that evening was filled with hugs, high fives and smiles all around.  

At the age of 40, I picked up my first National Championship.  It was a race I'll never forget.