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| Tired, Proud, Content |
As the finisher’s shirt says, “I survived the 2018 Powerman Zofingen ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.”
Age Group Ranking: 11th in the world
Overall Ranking: 96th
Time: 8 hours, 32 minutes, 27 seconds
Distance: 112 miles
Elevation: 7,385 feet
Calories: 5,712
Heart beats: 74,727
Steps: 34,789
Pedal strokes: 25,415
This was the longest and by far the toughest and most rewarding race I’ve completed. Of course it was physically demanding, but it took a tremendous amount of concentration which was mentally and emotionally exhausting. With cobblestones, steep climbs and descents, sharp turns, spectators, photographers, and vehicles to watch out for you couldn’t afford to lose focus for even a second. The first run was a two loop course and had over 700 feet of climbing on a combination of roads and trails. The steep elevation gets the heart rate going and really takes a toll on the legs early in the race. I went out conservatively knowing it would be a long day but still finished the run in 13th place for my age group. After a three minute transition, I headed out on the bike. The course was 88 miles and consisted of three loops each with three major climbs. The descents were steep and very technical. In some areas taking a turn too wide would send you off the side of a mountain. There was a strong smell of hot brake pads in the air on the way down from the biggest climb. My top speed was 46.1 mph. I would’ve liked to reached 50, but as the referee said, “do not risk as much as to lose your life.” I had some minor equipment challenges on the third lap. One of the velcro straps that holds my saddle bag with spare tubes and CO2 broke which left only the strap around the seat post. A referee pointed it out and had me stop and fix it. If the bag had fallen off the bike I would’ve been given a time penalty for littering. I was able to attach the bag to my race bib belt and kept on going. I moved up two places and finished the bike segment in 11th which I would hold onto through the end of the race. I took three minutes to rack my bike and set off on the final run. All things considered, my legs felt strong coming off the bike. The second run was 17 miles with 1,132 feet of climbing. It was a three loop course that went through the cobblestone roads of Zofingen as well as more trails. I settled into a comfortable pace and tried not to think about how many miles I still had left. The Swiss came out in big numbers to cheer everyone on throughout the race. “Hopp Hopp Hopp,” means “Go Go Go,” and I can still hear them cheering in my head. In addition to the locals, Team USA had a lot of support and I even saw a couple Team RWB Eagles in the crowd. I was very fortunate to have my family in the stands and around the course cheering me on too. As I approached the finish line I was handed a small American flag and instantly felt a surge of energy to sprint across the line. I’m not an emotional guy, but when I crossed the finish line carrying the flag with the announcer calling my name and Team USA, the tears were welling up. Finishing the race and representing USA is my proudest moment in this sport. Overall this was a tremendous experience and something I’ll cherish forever. I met some incredible athletes and made many new friends. So what’s next? A couple days of recovery and then on to the next goal... Ironman.
