With zero duathlon experience, Randall Maddox set his sights on Short Course World Championships
In the fall of 2008, shortly after my 59th birthday, I committed to compete in the ITU Short Course World Duathlon Championship at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) in Concord, NC on Sept 26, 2009. Never mind that I had never done a duathlon or run competitively. The race would be10K run/40K bike/5K run.
I first needed to qualify at Nationals in Richmond in April.Following Nationals, I prepared for 20 weeks, rode about 3,200 miles, ran about500 miles, did about 44 break through workouts(high intensity intervals) andraced 12 times. I wrote a 14-partjournal of my experience. Here is the finish.
Friday – 9/25: Team USA dinner. Steve Ruckert, the National Champ in my age group was at our table. I overheard Steve say his lifetime mile PR was 4 minutes and 7seconds. 4:07. When I was young, I did a4:07 mile once in a ‘66 Mustang with a cigarette in my hand.
Saturday/Race Day – 9/26: This is it. I am not even excited? No arousal. Is there something wrong with me? The rain is an advantage because I am a good bike handler. As for the lack of nervousness and anxiety…how do you have anxiety when you have already done something 1,000 times in your mind?
1:30 – Last meal – Granola and fruit as always. Teenie (my wife) made me a PBJ.
2:30 - I set up in transition. Raining lightly.
3:00 - Warmed up on the LMS track.
3:30 - All 50+competitors were at the line. The horn sounded and it was ‘game on’. OK, slow down. Find your pace, watch that puddle. Can those guys maintain this speed?
3:47- Waldrop… he is good… stay with him. Two miles later: Let him go, your HR is above redline.
4:02 - Where are Sagor and Callahan?? They must be ahead.Forget it. Maintain pace.
4:14 – Into Transition (T1) – No problem. There are a lot of bikes here. I wonder how many are in front of me? Now it is your turn…do what you do best…ride.
4:16- Hey, Mogren is passing?? How is that? Man it’s raining hard, I am cold. Should I have worn arm warmers?
4:23 - Gail Kattouf (Greenville native and possibly the greatest female endurance athlete in the Southeast) passes and yells encouragement. Man, she makes me look like I am standing still! How long did she start after me? How did she catch me this fast? Forget it and ride.
4:40 - My calves are cramping and I have a long way to go… .another hour. This curve is dangerous, you can pass these guys. Go for it. Oh, somebody is down. That is EMS and the stretcher. Keep the rubber side down, dude….you have gotta take chances to have a chance.
4:52 - I wonder where Callahan is? Pedal with your upper legs,you need to get rid of these calf cramps. You never cramp? What is this?Look at the water running across the road. This is dangerous. The young guys are out on the course now on their first lap and whizzing past me.
5:08 – That’s Bob Sagor, I’ve got him. I knew I could beat this guy. Now where is Callahan?
5:23 – In Transition (T2) - This is a long way to run in your bike shoes,you should have taken them off? OK, just get your Brooks on and get the heck out of here. Oh wow, my thigh, why is it cramping? Just run, it will be OK.
5:25 - Starting the run: The legs lie. Joe says the legs lie. Just run.
5:31 – Before the turnaround - There is Callahan, you were gonna beat him and he is too far ahead. You can’t catch him.
5:34 - It’s Sagor, I can’t stay with him. I was going to beat this guy.
5:38 - Coming over the walkway over the freeway: You can pass these guys. You kill people going uphill!
5:42 – Entering the tunnel into LMS: Run proud.
5:48 - The Finish Line: 2:18. You’ve done it, where is Teenie? Where are the kids? Where is Super Dave (Finholt, my best friend)? Lots of smiles and high fives.
This is what it was:
Steve Ruckert (1st Place – 2:05:23) – Maryland track coach and life long runner. Life time mile PR of 4:07.
Dennis Kasischke – (7th place – 2:11:14) – #1 ranked US duathlete in 2008 and member of the San Diego Track club. Did Race Across America in 2007.
Don Callahan (12th Place – 2:15:28) – Father of Triathlon in Boston………Founder of Psycho Racing Team. Worked for New Balance and Saucony. Now with Keiser, a fitness equipment company. Veteran of World Xterra Championship in Hawaii and 25 years in triathlon/duathlon. A real nice guy.
Bob Sagor (17th – place - 2:17:33) – Lifelong runner and Lake Placid Ironman veteran. Did 3:30 at Boston Marathon last year. A real nice guy.
Gail Kattouf (2nd Female overall – 1:58) - One of the greatest endurance athletes in the country, heck… world.
Randall Maddox (19th place - 2:18:11) – Six months induathlon. Eight months of running experience. Life time mile PR of 6:12. Three years of competitive bike experience.
I usually think mostly about the things that went right but here is the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY:
Good:
Preparation, both physical and mental, was great.
I cut down the time gap between Ruckert and I by more than 8minutes in this race compared to Nationals. He hasn’t heard the sound of my footsteps, YET.
Paced a very, very good race.
Kept the bike upright.
BAD: Failed to finish in top ten.
UGLY: Sagor ran past me in the last 2K.
The Next time: I will finish in the Top 10 and NOBODY in my age group is running by me in the last5K, ever. In the last 5K, I run past other people. They do not run past me.
The Road to the Worlds was a wonderful journey for me… one of adventure, self discovery and love. I guess this is the end… or maybe the beginning? Gee, is the date up yet for 2010 Nationals?
