Off-Road Duathlon National Championship

April 25, 2009
Richmond, VA
by Mike Hebe

The Duathlon National Championship Festival took place in Richmond, VA over the last weekend in April. I competed in the off-road event. This race would be my first full test of running competition since 1991. Yes, 1991, you read correctly. This day also saw a record heat wave settle in over the Mid-Atlantic area, bringing 90-plus degree temps at race time.
The event was billed to be an 11k run, 30k bike, 5k run. Due to some bridge construction and poor measuring the distances ended up 12k, 22k, 7k.

The race started well, as I kept the leaders in sight on the run and tried to get out steady. After a couple of miles I moved up from 15th to 7th, then caught another to hit the first transition in 6th.

The bike was a mix of awesome trails and some connector roads. I steadily moved up to 2nd place on the bike with the leader in my sight, when I took a bad line and flatted. After finally getting a spare tube installed, I dropped back to 6th place. Some hard riding an my awesome Cannondale 29er put me back into 4th right before the end of the lap. A quick change brought me up to the 2nd and 3rd placed racers as we exited for the final run. Thanks to lots of practice on prime PA singletrack and my sweet Cannondale bike I still managed the 2nd fastest bike split, even with three minutes spent fixing a flat.

At this point I knew the race was pretty much one of survival. Could I run with the fastest two runners from last year? Would the heat be too much? I started great and one mile into the final run I was still holding tight. Then I started to fade. I wanted to stop at someone's picnic for food and water. I tried to take off my top as I felt like I was in an oven. I am not sure how many times I repeated to myself, "right foot, left foot, I think I can..." as I crested the wooded climb. Then someone said 3rd place is just in front of me and he is walking. There was no response, verbal or physical. I just wanted to finish. With one very tough last climb to go, I could see 3rd place so tantalizingly close. That day it was not to be. I finished "strong" and secured 4th overall and the 40+ National Championship.

Without the great support from visitPA.com, Cannondale, Cadence Cycling and my coach Mike Kuhn, that result would not have been possible.

I look forward to returning to the same venue in June for the XTerra Triathlon Regional Championship. Hopefully I will earn another age group win and a spot to XTerra World Championship in Hawaii.

Thanks to our sponsors:

• visitPA.com
• Cannondale Bicycles
• Suunto Rudy Project
• Deuter hydration packs