LionHeart Adventure Race

Matthew M. Dougherty

Race Report #1 Lionheart 24 Hour Adventure Race

Location: Ohiopyle, PA

This was my second adventure race of the season and looked to be an incredibly hard challenge in the Southern Mountain of Pennsylvania and a race director known for creating courses that kick teams butts… the race was sure to be a challenge.

The race morning actually saw a three hour delay due to a Tornado in the area, the race started the first leg a 30 mile run, with over 7000 ft in elevation gain in a downpour. We ran conservatively for the first 30 miles and finished into TA 1 in second place.

Unfortunately this is where our first error of the day happened, as we were loading into our 2 person whitewater raft. The race officials checking our mandatory gear, one of my teammates states “Dude I forgot the throw rope”. A mandatory piece of safety equipment and something that would cost us a HUGE time penalty later on, forgetting it was understandable as we were packing and setting up our Transition in the midst of a tornado so to say things were crazy is an understatement.

We proceeded onto the paddle where posted the fastest paddle split and toke over the lead going into the ropes and mountain bike section. The final bike section would take us well into the night transitioning to the Orienteering section at 2:00 am. We had been wet and covered in mud for hours already and had to set out into a tough, o-section wet, and hungry.

We finished the race around 8am after suffering through a cold, wet night on the O-Section and a brutal bike leg to bring us home. We finished in the lead of the race, but knew we would be further back in the pack for our costly safety gear violation.

We finished with the fastest paddle section and the fastest mountain bike sections. This was some consolation for our demotion. In the crazy weather and conditions of this race my outstanding equipment kept me in great shape. Unfortunately this race brought an unwanted guest into my life, as Tuesday after the race I began to feel very ill, and a later trip to the Doctors discovered I had picked up a parasite during the white water rafting section. I spent the next four weeks sick and in bed, I lost 12 pounds and have just started training again. Unfortunately it has caused quite a drastic change in my racing as I was set to defend my Double Musselman Triathlon title next week, and can only have a new goal of finishing the race.

The Longest Day Adventure Race

Race Report #1 NYARA (New York Adventure Racing Association) The Longest Day 12 Hour Adventure Race.

Location: Schawangunks, NY

This was my first adventure race in over a year and early in the season, racing with some old and new teammates. It is always a bit of an unknown starting with new teammates luckily they turned out to be the best!

The race started with a 3:00 am wake up to a bike drop, and then loading onto buses for an undisclosed race start. The buses were rolling and suddenly stopped and we were instructed one person from each team had to get off the bus at this location, and then the next two were dropped off handed the maps and told to wait for their other team member.

The race started in freezing cold temperatures, and very muddy wet day. We traversed the first section with only one or two little navigation snafus … we blame them on the early morning! The race consisted of a total of 6 different sections with our gear being transported from spot to spot, but also a twist all of the checkpoints were not mandatory and worth different points, the team with the highest points and fastest time wins… meaning you have no idea if the team next to you is winning or not!

We knew we were flying in most of the race and that we had to be in contention but there is just no way to tell… The key for this race would be racing your guts out and trusting your navigation. The race consisted of Trekking, Mountain Biking, River Paddle, Back to the bike for a grueling 5000 feet of climbing, and then trekking high in the Catskill Mountains.

In the end our team finished an amazing 2^nd Place in the C0-Ed ELITE division just behind the defending National Champions. Not bad for our first race, and it qualified us to race at the USARA National Championships.

Married!!!

Mary Gibson and I were married on March 22, 2008 in Detroit Michigan!!! Check out our wedding blog for more info... www.maryandmatt.blogspot.com ... Here is a pic ... more soon : )

Summer Sizzler F1 Triathlon

Grand Island, NY www.score-this.com for results... and pictures.

This was an amazing race... the only F1 Triathlon in the United States! If you do not know what an F1 Triathlon is its an interesting play on the masochistic nature of triathletes, as you do the traditional swim, bike, run but you then repeat the entire race again. Thats right swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run ... and it is actually a ton of fun. (Sorry about the alliteration).

So this would be my last major race of the season, since the cross-country team I coach at Houghton College would be returning in a few days for pre-season. I wanted to go out on a good note,

The race started with a really good swim for me about 6th out of the water and quickly out of transition, there were three men in front of me at this point and here is my only error in the race. I held back thinking I would catch them on one of the two runs, unfortunately the bike was a little to long and I was alone and they drafted for 15 miles each leg. (Drafting was not illegal, but no one told me this till after the race as the pre-race meeting noted the usual USAT ruels but apparently that was for the people only doing the race once... arghhh)

I spent most of my race alone in 4th place overall, I left the first run in 5th place and headed back down to the beach, it was over 90 degrees out and hitting the water for the second time was the best feeling ever! I caught and passed 4th place and exited the swim ready for the bike, I nailed the second leg of the bike averaging over 26mph and nailing back much of the lead of the breakaway but apparently not enough of it as I was never ever to close the gap down on the run to anything less the 75 meters.

I ended up fourth overall, and first for the Male 25-29 age group. I was really happy with the result as I had NO IDEA how to race an F1 and I was only beaten by three professionals. It was a nice way to cap the season.

I also found out the by way of my win at the DOUBLE Mussel I have automatically qualified for the 2008 ITU Long Course Championships to be held in Holland next August and am planning to return for 2nd attempt at this race hoping to improve on 15th place finish last time!!!!

More information soon!!!!

Musselman, Sprint, 1/2 IRONMAN. DOUBLE!

WOW What a Weekend!

The Races Started on Saturday with the Mini-Mussell Sprint Tri it was a 500m swim, 16 mile bike and a 5k Run. I had a decent day but the bike was not the best there were too many people in front from previous flights to be ablt to get in a good rythm but I finished 6th Overall and 1st in the Male 25-29 age group. Which was about where I wanted to be going into the 1/2 Ironman I had a 4 minute lead in the Double Mussell Competition.

* The Double Mussell is a competition for athletes who are racing in both the sprint and the 1/2 Ironman the next day. The best combined time will win the Inagural Double Mussel.

Sunday started off with a bit of a panic.... Somehow I miss read the start time so Mary and I arrived at 6:55 and saw evreyone getting in the water... somehow We were able to get evreything ready and get me in the water on time. (What a stupid mistake!)

The swim was rough I had no idea where the course went, and my wetsuit tore my neck apart and my right arm went numb after about 500m... why would it do that ? I had a good T1 and was off on the bike in just over a minute.

The bike was good although the roads were wet which makes corners tricky, it stayed cold and cloudy during the bike which was ideal... I forced myself to hold back till mile 25ish and then I started racing hard... I had a good bike leg but think I may have held back too much ... I left the bike leg and the sun had come out and it was getting hot.

I had another good transition just under a minute into T2 ... and out onto the 1/2 Marathon.

The Run course is very hilly with the athletes climbing the first 7-8 miles and gradually coming back into town on the return. I was a bit apprehensive about the marathon since i have not run since Outdoor Track Nationals due to tendonitis in my big toe. However it went exceptionally well. I negative split the marathon and ran the last four miles at sub 6 minute pace... for a 1:30 half marathon.

I ended up 26th Overall and 1st in my age category .... and
1ST PLACE OVERALL IN THE Craft DOUBLE MUSSELL ...

ReCAP of the Weekend.
Mini-Mussell ~ 6th Place Overall ~ 1st Place male 25-29
Mussel 1/2 Ironman ~ 26th Place Overall ~ 1st Place male 25-29
Double Mussell ~ OVERALL CHAMPION!!!!

Results can be found at www.musselmantri.com

Look at these Sweet Pictures by Mary Gibson
at www.flickr.com/marydaph and click on Mussel Tri

A TRI IN THE BUFF!!!

Matthew M. Dougherty ~ Racing Results

Race Update # 1

My season has already been an interesting season and I am still looking at my best races ahead! I had been training all winter and spring with one race in mind the “Raid the North Extreme” a 9 day expedition length adventure race. I had limited my racing preferring to train harder for this event. Only competing in two races prior to this event… (See report below on these two races). Unfortunately days before we were to start this race one of the four members found out she had two broken metatarsals and could not race. Our team had to make the decision to take on someone new or not start. In the end our captain decided to not start and re-coup some of our $8,000.00 entry and not risk racing with an “unknown”.

I was devastated and so so sad… I was so excited and fit and ready to race so I started scrambling to find races and decided what to do. So I started paying entry fees for Triathlons hoping the training would transfer from one sport to another… and so far the answer is a resounding yes!!!

Race #1 ~ Paul Smiths College Adirondack 5k ~1^st Place Overall this is annually one of the first races of the early summer in the Adirondacks and since it is hosted by my old employer I decided to show up and race. Surprisingly thinking my speed may have left me with all of my over distance training, I won the race placing first overall in very enjoyable race.

Race # 2 ~ Dirty Duathlon ~ 1^st Place Co-Ed Team (3^rd Overall)~ I teamed up with my significant other (Mary Gibson 5x NAIA Track and Field All-American: Not a Bud teammate in a run bike run) This is the premiere multi-sport series in Western New York with a grueling mountain bike section on IMBA Epic Ride. We placed THIRD OVERALL behind two All-Male teams and devastated the competition in the co-ed division winning by over a half hour!

Results and pictures can be seen at (click on buffalo photos to see the pictures) http://www.heartrateup.com/DD2007/DD2007info.htm

Race # 3 ~ A TRI in the BUFF: 2^nd Overall Male (Fastest Bike and Run Splits)

This race takes a little set up before one can fully understand its importance to me. Four years ago I lined up on my home course to race in IRONMAN Lake Placid with hopes of a top 20 finish. Unfortunately my dream ended seconds before the starting canon sounded. I stepped on a broken beer bottle getting into the water for the swim and severed my pinky toe on my right foot. I watched Ironman Lake Placid from a hospital bed in the surgery ward. (Fortunately my toe was reattached)

It toke me 9 months to rehab from that injury actually relearning balance in my right leg as well as balancing my muscle strength in that leg as well. I gave up on triathlon though and separated myself from the community of triathlon. I was afraid of racing afraid of coming back and not being the same athlete I once was.

Until this past weekend when I lined up for the Buffalo Tri in the Buff sprint, which was an 800m swim a 20k bike and 5k run. I stood on the start line of that swim as nervous as I have ever felt, and the huge waves on Lake Erie were not helping my mood. As the gun started I felt pummeled in the water and quickly thought to myself I should have never tried this sport again, but then reflex toke over and swimming became routine. I excited the water having no idea what place I was in and started hammering the course!

Having conquered a small demon in completing my first swim since my accident and finishing 4^th in the swim, I dominated the bike leg completing the fastest bike leg of any racer, as well as the fastest run leg too!!! Unfortunately I gave up a little too much on the swim and finished 2^nd OVERALL but at least taking home the fastest bike and run splits on the day! I crossed the finish line and was happy to be home, racing again in triathlon.

Results can be found at: (Look for the sprint results)

http://www.score-this.com/2007races/multisport/070107ATITBAgeGroup.pdf

Tri in the Buff ~ 2^nd Place Overall (Wearing the Hammer Jacket)

What is Next? Well I am planning to race the M2X Xterra in Ellicottville NY

(If I can get over some serious tendonitis in my foot) and then the big race will be the MUSSELMAN where I will be competing in the double which consists of the Sprint on Saturday and the ½ Ironman on Saturday… check it out at www.musselman.com

Or check out my blog at www.mattydracing.blogspot.com

I got HINCAPIED.... check it out

Check out the broken handlebar.... I was riding on thursday and went ripping around a corner and all of a sudden SNAP... and my carbon fiber bar was broken... I felt like George Hicapie at Paris Roubaix although at least I had half of my bar left... ouch... I had to ride out 5-6 miles with only one hand it was fun!