Folly Beach Splash N Dash 2011

The 1st Annual Folly Beach Splash N Dash was held last Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the Folly Beach Fishing Pier. This was a biathlon, consisting of a 750 meter ocean swim and a 5k beach run.

I'm happy to report that I came in 1st place overall. I'm not happy to report that there were only 10 participants.

Where was everybody?
I was blown away at the lack of participants. This event was put on by Setup Events, which always does a great job producing races. The race was advertised on the Charleston Triathlon Club's homepage, not to mention the Setup Events website. It's a short, very doable race, even for beginner and novice athletes. Why only 10 participants?

Instead of trying to figure that out, I'm going to focus on getting the word out for next year's event, that is of course, if they do it again. There used to be a Folly Beach Biathlon years ago, but that event was cancelled after participation dropped below 20 racers. I don't want that to happen again. We need variety. I like having a biathlon option here in Charleston. I love it when new races come to the area. I know we have enough local athletes to support this event, so pencil this race in for next year's race calendar.

And on that note, Setup Events is putting on a new sprint triathlon on Daniel Island August 27. The official name is the LOCO Sprint Triathlon 2011. It's a 750 meter swim (Wando river), 14 mile bike, and 5k run. I believe they have a team division. As of today, there were only 15 or so registered. That's crazy. I know it's a first-year event, but if they don't get the numbers, it will be a one-time race. Let's support these new events and at least give them a chance to gain some traction.

You can register for these events on the Setup Events website.

Recommended Cycling Books

There was a time in my life (during college and just after) that I read veraciously. I was an English major and read everything ever assigned to me, and then some.

Someone would compile a list of the "100 Greatest Classics" or "Books you must read before you die" and I would attack. Post college, I would pick an author and read every title I could for one year (Wolfe, Hemingway, Poe, Dickens to name a few). I even collected books for a few years and built up a nice little collection. I have first editions Conroy, Steinbeck, Clancy, Faulkner, Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye,' and even a signed copy of Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

Now, all I read are triathlon/running magazines and cycling books. I don't know what that says about me, but it is what it is.

If you like cycling, or if you're looking for an easy, inexpensive gift for someone who happens to be a cyclist, or Tour de France fan, here are a few recommended titles:

• From Lance to Landis, by David Walsh
• Teach your kid to ride a bike, by Mark Riedy
• Inside the Postal Bus, by Michael Barry
• Chasing Lance, by Martin Dugard
• Tour Fever, by J.P. Partland
• The Death of Marco Pantani, by Matt Rendell
• Bike Racing 101
• The Tour de France Quiz Book

Notice I didn't include Lance Armstrong's 'Every Second Counts' and 'It's Not about the Bike.' Both are great, even if you're not a Lance Davidian. Lots of great insight about racing, the Tour, and other cyclists. But, if you're buying for a cyclist, I'm sure he's read these. It would be like buying Bob Marley's Legend album for a relative because you heard he likes reggae music. Just assume he's read these and select from the above titles.

2011 East Cooper Coastal Triathlon Cancelled

The East Cooper Coastal Triathlon has been laid to rest, officially cancelled for 2011 and beyond. If you're completely bummed by reading that last line, I'm with you, I feel your pain. That was one of my favorite races, and one that I competed in each year since its inception in 2005.

In early January, when I went to the Charleston Triathlon Club website to look at race dates and start planning my season, I noticed this race wasn't listed. I was hoping that race director Paul King had just not found a suitable date, and would put the race back on the calendar once he did, but that is not the case. I live on the same street as Paul, so I see him all the time. I saw him over the weekend and asked if the race was going to happen, and he confirmed that it will not.

We really didn't discuss why, because I could tell he was bummed out as well. My best guess, and this is purely a guess, is that because this race spanned three municipalities, in very busy areas, there were likely complaints from residents. If you've done this race, you've seen how traffic is affected on IOP, and then again on the connector as you near the finish. I'm guessing people complained about the inconvenience it caused them. Again, that is purely speculation.

How did I come to that conclusion? This race was supported by sponsors and had a great athlete turnout. Most races die because one of those two criteria aren't met. In this case, I'm guessing that Bitsy was late to her hair appointment, or old man Cranky was late to his foursome at Patriot's Point, and they called town council, or the mayor, or whomever, and raised hell.

Most triathlons are done out in the country, in a more rural setting, on back roads, with a few police scattered about for traffic control. And there is a reason for that. An urban triathlon is a logistical headache, and everyone, including those who are not racing but live and work in the communities affected, have to be on the same page. Otherwise, it's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. It just won't work.

But whatever the reason, we should focus on the positive and just move on. Last year Paul added a 5th race to the James Island series, which will be held this year on May 22. So really, that void in your race calendar can be filled with another local race.

R.I.P. ECCT, you will be missed.

Training for an Ironman

Ironman versus Adventure Race

Just read an article on Active.com that compared the difficulty of an Ironman to that of a 12-hour adventure race. The author has been a triathlete and coach for 8 years, and participated in adventure racing for over 5 years. Having competed in both events, and having a strong opinion on the matter, I was very interested in what the author had to say.

I definitely like how he broke down the various aspects of each event and really tried to analyze the differences. But in the end, I felt his conclusion was all wrong. Here is the author's closing statement:

The Ironman is certainly more physically demanding, but ultimately the 12-hour adventure race is the tougher sport owing to the higher degrees of risk, skills and mental demands it places upon its athletes.

Wrong answer
He's got the first part right - the Ironman is more physically demanding, so much so, that you could really stop the comparison right there. But he thinks the risks, skills and mental demands are much greater in a 12-hour adventure race, therefore giving it the edge in toughness.

Adventure races are fun. They can be grueling for sure, but by and large, they lack a competitive atmosphere. Yes, there are always a few teams who are in it to win it, but most racers are in it for the 'adventure,' not time driven goals. I could gather a group of my friends, and with little training, make a weekend out of an adventure race. We would be tested and tired, but in the end, win or lose, finish or not, we would have a blast. I cannot say the same thing about an Ironman event. Not even close. If you aren't prepared, you are not going have a good time.

In terms of skills, adventure racing isn't much different than triathlon. Run, bike swim, versus trek, kayak, bike in some order. Sure, you might have a repelling section on the course, and there is always a compass/navigation component, but these are easily learned skills. It might take a while to hone these skills, but you could get through a 12 hour race with a few weekends of preparation. And really, these aspects of adventure racing are what slows down the pace and levels the playing field in my opinion. Heart rate comes down. Everybody can recover at times. These skills aren't stressful, and if anything, are the very reason racing 12 hours is doable by people who are not super fit athletes.

And the mental demands? The mental demands are more difficult in an Ironman. Like I said, an adventure race is a party, a social event. An ironman is an individual event. You have to be focused and in tune with your body the entire race. Going too hard for an hour on the bike can have serious ramifications on the run. The thought of not finishing an Ironman, after months of preparation and training, is a nightmare. In an adventure race, who cares? The course, terrain, path, special events are different for every race, and sometimes within the race. An Ironman is a set distance. It's the same race for everyone. It's truth, and there is nowhere to hide.

Ask yourself this. Why do so many people get the Ironman tattoo after completing the race? Better yet, why doesn't anyone have a 12-hour adventure race tattoo?