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