Duathlon? Are you nuts Manny?

Mira Mesa Cycling Club, 2012 Devil Dog Duathlon

My goal weight has come and gone. I'm hovering around 185-190 and I've decided to try and maintain my weight by watching my calories and keeping up the riding and running.

A couple of months ago, my buddy Manny, the same one that talked me into a triathlon, sent out an email to our riding club suggesting that we enter the Devil Dog Duathlon to be held at Camp Pendleton in April. The duathlon is a 5K run, followed by a 21 mile bike ride and then followed by another 5K run. For the second time in a year, I asked him if he was nuts.

So along with about a dozen of our riding buddies, we signed up for another round of dumb-ass self inflicted pain. However, this didn't seem to be too bad; no swim leg which is good, and although my running still sucks (the other day I thought I was running and a lady passed me pushing her baby stroller), I felt it was quite doable. I began to train harder for the run portion where I knew I'd have the most difficulty. About a week before race day, I could regularly do a 5 mile run without stopping. Slow, but possible.

About a week and a half before race day, Manny's brother sadly passed away in the Philippines and he had to travel there from San Diego for the funeral. He was back after a few days, and as a group we decided to dedicate our Devil Dog to his brother's memory. When Manny got back, he got sick with cold and flu symptoms. It looked like he'd have to abandon the race before he even got started. However, he began to feel better a few days before the race and he sent us all an email indicating his resolve to do the race. He didn't tell his wife, who is a nurse. Manny had a heart bypass operation a few years ago, and his wife is understandably concerned about his health, particularly when he exerts himself after being sick.

In good spirits for the time being, setting up transition zone

On race day, as luck would have it, his wife had a late night shift at the hospital, so he was able to scoot away before she could get home to stop him. It was a bit wet and chilly that morning as we headed north into Camp Pendleton for the race. Nine of us represented Mira Mesa Cycling Club. The run course was a bit hilly with a combination of pavement and dirt track, basically an out and back up and down. Not unexpectedly, I lost a lot of time on the run. The bike ride was relatively flat also, with some shallow rollers and only one short climb of any consequence. However the wind was howling that day and it made the course feel like it was uphill all the way. We're not allowed to draft in a triathlon or duathlon and it made it all the more difficult. The last run was the same course as the first.

Tony and his medal!

I started cramping up on the bike ride, but for some reason, the cramping went away after a few miles and didn't return until I got off my bike. I've decided that the transition from running to biking is not an easy one. I find it easier to transition into running from biking. In the end, of the guys in our group, I came in second to last. Manny, who had been sick, brought up the rear. We lined up at the finish to cheer him on, impressed that he finished, considering that he wasn't well enough to race (and probably still wasn't) just a few days ago. Had Manny not been sick, I would most certainly have been last. One of our guys, Tony, came in second in his age group. That's him with the medal in the picture. We had a lot of fun that day. Unlike the Tinsel Tri (my last race) I actually think I might do another one of these. There is nothing like doing a race with 8 of your friends for support, crossing the finish line and hearing them yell encouragement. It's like a drug.

A few days later, Manny shared with us a hilarious text message thread that he had with his wife. She had come home that morning and discovered he was gone, and she texted him to find out his whereabouts. He responded by saying he was designated driver for the race and just wanted to pick up his T-Shirt. She responded by asking why he had to bring his bike! Busted!