Race Result

Racer:	David Glover
Race:	Duke Blue Devil
Date:	Saturday, September 14, 2002
Location:	Durham, NC
Race Type:	Triathlon - Ironman
Age Group:	Male 30 - 34
Time:	8:57:19
Overall Place:	1
Age Group Place:	1
Comment:	Awesome race!

Race Report:

FYI....these articles were posted by Inside Triathlon on their Web site for the Ironman-distance race I did this past Saturday. As you will read, this race had a very special meaning for me...

Pre-race:
http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/1150.0.html

Post race :
http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/1154.0.html

My own race report:

What a day! This was the inaugural Duke Blue Devil Iron-distance triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) to benefit the Duke Cancer Center. Some races it just all comes together: no flats, no crashes, no bonking on the bike, etc. This was one of the days.

I drove down with Jennifer, my fiance, and Mike Guzek (aka "Iron Root"). It's about a 4.5 hour drive from NOVA which took away the stress of having to deal with a bike case, a rental car and a plane ride. Mike and I did the typical pre-Ironman routine: register, easy swim/bike/run, rack our bikes, check in our transition bags, and drive the bike and run courses.

The race started at Beaver Dam recreation area on Falls Lake about 10-15 miles east of Durham, NC. Race morning was overcast, sticky and humid. I did not sleep well the night before, waking up about every 1/2 hour to check the time. We arrived about 5:45 for the 7:00 am start, got bodymarked, checked our equipment (e.g. inflated tires, added sunglasses to S to B transition bag, dropped off special needs bags, etc.).

Swim was a mass start. The course was two loops of an elongated rectangle. There were a little over 300 participants so it was not that crowded, but the first few hundred meters were intense as everyone scrambles for position. After that, I settled into a steady pace. I felt comfortable throughout although I threw up the instant oatmeal a few times that I had eaten two hours previous. I did not really have anyone to draft off of mostly because the swimmers either slowed down or were swimming erractically. I exited the water after the first loop around 25 minutes so I figured the swim course was probably a little short. Final swim time was around 53 minutes.

The bike route was a two loop "lollipop-shaped" course. The stem was about 8.5 miles out, followed by two loops then back to the lake. I passed four or five people in the transition area, hopped on my bike, and took off. At this point, I want to give a special "thanks" to all of the NOVA triathletes who I've trained with this past year (Mark, Steve, James, Tom, Jim, Maarten, Rob, etc.). It has made all the difference in the world having such a strong triathlon talent base in this area.

The course itself was mostly rolling hills. Nothing too steep but lots of climbs and turns which slowed things down. I used my heart rate monitor to gauge exertion shooting for a target heart rate of 165bpm (~85%). I started catching people right away and by the end of the first loop caught everyone but the leader.

I learned last year that I need to eat a lot more. I took a gel about every 20 minutes. As a result, I did not bonk or "crash" late in the bike. There were a few hiccups with the aid stations. At one point I had to double back to get gel and another time I asked for Gatorade but was given water.

At the start of the second loop, it started to pour buckets (Tropical Depression Hannah). I had a difficult time seeing since my glasses fogged up and was worried about being hit by a car, missing a turn or hitting a pothole due to poor visibility. At this point, I did not feel cheated by the slightly short swim. I backed off considerably on the downhills and turns after my bike started to shimmy (hydroplaning?). The rain continued throughout the rest of the day although it was lighter at times.

At the end of the bike, I was about 4 minutes back from the leader in 2nd place overall having made up about 6 minutes. I left the transition area in around 5 hours, 48 minutes into the race so I knew I had to run around a 3:10 marathon to break 9 hours.

The run was point-to-point from the lake to the finish line at the Duke Chapel. Most of it was very rural. The run course was also very hilly (nothing too steep, just lots of hills) and one of the tougher marathon courses I've run.

As usual, I felt good at the start of the run so I decided to push the pace and run just under 7 minute miles. I caught the leader at about mile 5, wished him "good luck" and never looked back. At the point, I had the benefit of a bicycle escort [and somebody to talk to]. My pace was pretty consistent although I started to lose some time on the long up hills. Jen kept driving by to see how I was doing and to tell me how far back the next runner was.

I drank coke and water at every aid station and took gel about every other aid station. The coke was not defizzed so I threw it up half of the time. Throughout the run it continued to rain. My shoes were soaked after the first few miles.

I felt strong through the first half of the run, keeping my heart rate around 160. The last 13 miles hurt. The last 6 miles were pure hell and I had to reach very deep to keep going. The last 2 miles I was delirious as I was "bonking." I crossed the finish line in 8:57 then promptly went to the medical tent for two IV's of saline.

Overall, a great experience, great volunteers, a great race and a great cause. I'll be back next year.

Cheers,
David