Race Report: Off Road Duathlon Weert

I completed my first race in the Netherlands today in Weert, a small town about 27 km south of Eindhoven. The course was a 5km trail run (2 laps of 2.5km), a 26km mountain bike ride (4 laps of 6.5km), and a second run of 2.5km. The weather report was for 55 degrees F with a chance of rain. So in typical Dutch fashion it rained all morning and into the afternoon.

I don't have a car, so my plan was to take the train from Eindhoven to Weert and ride my bike from the Weert station to the race site. The trains allow you to travel with your bike if you buy a bike day pass for €6. My race didn't start until 1:00pm, so I got to the station in time for the 11:32 train. The trip is only about 15 minutes, so I was hoping to have over an hour to arrive, check in, get set up, and warm up. When I got to the train platform there was a train, but no one could board. The train pulled away with no one on it. Then another train pulled in and the same thing happened. I saw a group of three women and a man with mountain bikes and asked them if they were also going to Weert. They were, so I just followed them. We finally got onto a train at 12:02. We were pretty crammed on...the bike area isn't huge.

We arrived in Weert close to 12:25. I followed them as they stopped at their hotel and dropped off their overnight bags, then we rode towards the race site. We arrived about 10 minutes later and I went to pick up my number from registration. I finally got to the transition area (parc-ferme) at 12:44. I set up quickly and was ready for the start. A short time later we were off.

The run course was a mixture of surfaces - dirt (mud) trail, crushed gravel, deep sand, and wood chips. The first lap went by without incident. I felt good and felt like I was exerting myself - just a little bit uncomfortable. Throughout the first lap there was passing and repassing...alot of position changes. By the end of lap one I was in a familiar place between groups and running alone.

The second lap was a little more difficult, I developed a stitch in my side and tried to breathe it out and press it out - neither worked. I just pushed through and hoped it would go away on the bike. I got into transition with a 7:35/mile average.

T1 was fairly quick. I got my shoes changed, put my helmet on, and put my CamelBak on for the bike ride.

The very first section of the bike route sent us through a thick sand pit...not great for the transmission. The trail was pretty typical singletrack - similar to my home MTB course - Kickapoo Park near Danville, IL - although this was more flat. There was a mixture of surfaces similar to the run course and a couple of areas of ups and downs, but mostly flat. The rain was a big factor, I was muddy from head to toe. The first lap of the bike was similar to the run with passing, re-passing, etc. but again I rode most of the four laps alone, between groups. Towards the end of my 3rd lap I was passed by some very fast riders...the head of the race, I think. My back started to hurt during lap 3 and lasted through the end of the ride. I finished the ride in about 1:21.

T2 was pretty quick...I didn't time it, but I was in and out pretty quickly.

I was feeling the effects of the ride as usual, but was moving pretty well on the second run. As I went up and down a couple of the small hills on the run course I felt the familiar and unwelcome beginnings of my hated nemesis, the hamstring cramp. I pushed through, but knew I would have to ease up to keep myself from seizing up. Normally it strikes my right leg, but this time I was feeling it in both legs. Towards the end of the run there was an uphill section with a switchback to a downhill section. Just before starting the uphill I felt my legs start to seize. I walked the uphill and half the downhill, hoping to save myself the agony of a full on cramp up. It seemed to work, although I hated losing the time.

I hit the finish just after the clock ticked over 2 hours. Overall I was satisfied with the day. I didn't know the course, the competitive level, or what to expect. So I felt good to get started with racing in a new country.

A few differences from US races:

- No post-race food.

- No shirts.

- No goody bags.

- No splits in the results...you only get your total time, overall place, and age group place.

- Much broader age groups: 18, 20, 24, 40, 50, and 60

- Coed post-race showers