Hello athletes and friends! This past week was a fun one! I participated in The Family Y Cloverleaf Duathlon held at Riverwood Plantation. It was my first multi-sport event and it was quite a production! There were close to 200 entries, both experienced triathletes and first-timers like myself. It started at 8am and the weather was perfect - just a little on the cool side. The race consisted of a 2-mile run, 10-mile bike ride and then a 2-mile run (Whew!) I got there around 7am to warm up and watch other athletes preparing for the race. I needed to learn about the transition area - how to hang your bike, where to place your equipment, etc. Talk about a fish out of water!

I completed the race in 1 hour 19 minutes. The first two miles were run in 6:45 then a transition time of 1:50. The bike took 61:00 followed by 2:30 for the second transition (the bike rack was falling so I had to hold it up until some help arrived!) and 8:20 for the second run. I was pleased with my times, and was able to track them on the new Garmin watch I got from Fleet Feet North Augusta. We'll talk more about the equipment needed for Ironman next week, but I love the Garmin!  It will record your times, and when you log on to the Garmin website and place the watch next to the computer it charts your time, miles and even the route and calories you burned! It said I burned 1400 calories during the duathlon! (Told ya it was cool!)

Thanks again for reading, and as always I’d like to thank my sponsors: Rick’s Paint & Body, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory and Trucks & Moore.

See you next week,
Frank

The Marshall Branch Family Y held their Cloverleaf Duathlon on Saturday, March 13 in Evans, Georgia. The 2-mile run, 10-mile bike, 2-mile run race began at the Publix on Washington Rd. at Riverwood Town Center, then snaked its way through the upscale Riverwood Plantation, and finished back at the Publix. The race was on the verge of extinction in 2008 after consistently posting small participation numbers, but saw a surge in participants in 2009, when the event went from 40 athletes to approximately 140. If the 2010 race is any indication of the event's future, the Cloverleaf Duathlon should have a long, successful life.

203 competitors showed up on the start line for the race this past weekend. The participants ranged from absolute beginners to some our best local talent. And the feedback, by-and-large, has been highly favorable. Perhaps most importantly, the developer of Riverwood Plantation, Wayne Millar,"got it", which means the deceptively difficult run through the neighborhood is secure for the future. Considering multi-sport athletes represent one of the most desireable demographics, hosting the event makes great sense.

The Family Y event staff are to be commended for their efforts, and the sponsors that made the event possible are greatly appreciated. I'd like to offer a special shout out to our ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta race director, Bill Burke of Premier Event Management, for providing two comp entries for the Augusta 70.3, as well as providing Power Bars and Gels for the athletes. Also, special recognition goes to my friend SFC David Norgard and the men and women of the 551st Signal Battalion for providing a strong crew of volunteers. 

Following the duathlon I packed up and headed over to Langley Pond for the conclusion of the Augusta Invitational Regatta. Gusting winds and white caps brought a premature end to the 27th annual race, which meant the only action I saw was an Augusta Rowing Club coxswain being ceremoniously dumped into the pond. To the victor, the spoils, right? Hats off to the Augusta Rowing Club for another great event! From Aiken County I moved on to Newman Tennis Center to visit one of my old bike racing teammates, whose son was competing in a 14U tennis tournament. The blustery weather that plagued the duathlon and regatta showed no sign of letting up, so I headed home as the skies opened up.

On Saturday evening, TriAugusta, the newly created local triathlon club held their first social at the Event Center at Enterprise Mill. Over 50 people attended the event, and 35 new members signed on to wear the local colors. All of the local bike shops were represented, as well as Frank Gibbs, Jr., our ASC president and resident blogger. Bill Burke (again!) provided comp entries for the Augusta 70.3 race, which were raffled off to two lucky winners.

And finally, on Sunday members of SORBA-CSRA met at the Augusta Canal mountain bike trail to build a 90' "boardwalk" on a particularly muddy section of trail. Due to its inaccessibility to vehicles, the lumber was actually brought in by boat, courtesy of longtime Sports Council supporter, historian, and all-around great human being, Dick Fox. Dick has had some serious health issues recently, but he has never backed away from supporting a number of community projects. He is much-loved and greatly appreciated!

Funding and support for the boardwalk was provided by Event Management Specialists and Mulherin Lumber. EMS is a local event organization founded by Fred and Theresa Russell. For eveyone that knows the role the city admistrator and chief deputy of the Marshal's Department play in local government, it should be known that they contribute to the community greatly in their private lives as well. The same can be said for Michael Grady, president of Mulherin Lumber.

Michael was an omnipresent fixture throughout the whirlwind of activities on Saturday and Sunday. We first met up on Saturday morning, where he took the start for the duathlon. Despite an unfortunate slide across the tarmac, taken with characteristic grace and humor, Michael finished way high (top-3?) in the overall placings. On Saturday evening he was a key fixture for TriAugusta at their social, and on Sunday, the lumber he provided at a deep discount, became a welcome addition to the canal singletrack.

A lot of activity took place this past weekend, which was a harbinger of things to come in 2010. And despite the disparate events, there seemed to be a common thread - community. It's what makes things happen, and Augusta is all the better for it.