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For the third year in a row, the National Duathlon Championship was held in Oro Valley. Of course that makes it convenient for locals. People came from all over the country to compete and were so impressed by our beautiful majestic area! I competed in the stanrd distance which consised of a 5K run/35K bike/5K run. There was also a sprint distance race.
The best part of these events is meeting like-minded people. I have been competing in duathlons for 5 years now and look forward to reuniting with friends as well as meeting new ones who share such an active lifestyle... especially the older athletes as there is a special bond among us! We do not think of ourselves as "old!" In fact, during the first run, I heard someone yell, "Go OLD ladies!"... I felt like clobbering him!
This year the race was held in the fall (at the request of many people who found the spring duathlon difficult for training as many do not have the luxury of being able to train outdoors year-round). As a result, the level of competition seemed even higher this year.
I had been away visiting family all summer so had less on-course training that the previous two years but still, I was able to train on the course with some Tucson Tri Girl friends (Kathi, Eve and Kandy) as well as friends who arrived early for the race from Pennsylvania (Barb & Dick Morgan whom I've come to know through these events). This made the training much more fun! Also, I know the course well as it is a regular biking area. I had to laugh at comments from others who did not live here about the hills on the bike course!... Yes, there are some rolling hills and steady climbs (but you can make up time on the downhill sections). Most locals do not consider this really hilly.
Here is a summary of the race:
Packet Pick-up - At the Hilton El Conquistador went smoothly and fun seeing volunteers whom I knew (from TriSports.com, TriGirls, Grasky Endurance, neighbors/friends and families of competing athletes.
Race Day - Glorious morning, little wind, cool temperatures (low 50's) - arrived at transition about 6:45AM and had fun seeing friends as I set up. We wished each other well. A gal sang the National Anthem (well-done, too) and we headed out to the Starting Line.
1st Run - Women over 50 and men over 60 were in the 2nd wave right after the elites. The run course began with an uphill, then a right turn, U-turn, and back downhill passing transition and continuing down a somewhat long steep hill to another turn-around and back to transition. I managed to stay ahead of all my competition whom I recognized except wasn't able to spot one other whom I did not know. I heard a lot of people calling my name and cheering me on! It helps to be a local and know many of the volunteers!
Bike - The bike course went uphill then turned left where it continued to go uphill and then some rolling hills to a turn-around and then some great downhills where you could pick up speed. The bike course consisted of two loops for the standard distance. Biking is my strong suit and I was happy to be on a course that I knew well. I passed quite a few people on the bike. I also saw about three people with flats and hoped I didn't get one (I didn't)!
2nd Run - This is the real test. Did I leave enough in the tank to have a decent second run? The 2nd run seemed harder, longer and steeper. but the crowds kept me going... especially Debbie and Susan from TriSports.com and also Barb & Dick who were cheering me on as they waited for their sprint race following the standard distance race... in addition, there were Tri Di & Len, Brian, Stephanie and others from Grasky Endurance, Estelle Maes, some Tucson Tri Girls (including very pregnant Chrissy the President), Laurie, Joan, Ted, Jack, Dave, Gerry and many more out there cheering. Once again I realized I was still ahead of the gals whom I knew in my age group but kept looking at the calves of people ahead of me trying to spot the one other gal listed in my age group (only finding out after the race that she did not come)!...but the thought that she might be out there kept me pushing harder as I really wanted to defend my National Duathlon Champion title having won last year.
As I was running down the Finish Chute, I heard the announcer say that there was a TriGirl catching up to me. I figured it was Eve because I had passed her on the bike, but I knew she was a faster runner... so my last goal was to not let her pass me!... and I succeeded but it was close!. Congratulations to Eve, too, because she had a great race and this was only her second duathlon.
When I cross the Finish Line, the announcer called out that I was the National Champion in the F65-69 age group... but I didn't know if he meant this year or last year. When I picked up my results print-out, I found out it was both!... as I had won again! Woo-hoo!... I wish my husband could have seen me race but he was in Maui for his first time competing in XTERRA World's!
That evening at the Awards Ceremony, it was so exciting to see such a large crowd including the mayor of Oro Valley (Mayor Hiremath) who presented the awards. He said the town of Oro Valley is going to miss having Nationals here. I told him we are going to miss having it here, too!
The top 18 in each 5-yr. age group qualified for World's in Spain!... Interestingly, I will be competing at World's in the next age group (F70-74) as I age up in 2014.
Many thanks to the town of Oro Valley, the Oro Valley Police Dept who did an outstanding job of controlling traffic, the Golder Ranch Fire Dept., TriSports.com, Grasky Endurance, USAT, Tucson Tri Girls, Tucson Sports, Gatorade and all the wonderful sponsors and volunteers without whom this even would not be possible. A special "thank you" to my friends who trained with me (Kathi, Eve, Kandy and the guys with whom I regularly cycling who make me push hard to keep up with them)!
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