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!

Dirty Duathlon

A couple of race updates for you....

1. The Adirondack 5k Trail Run Race ~ at Paul Smiths College not a bad race... 1st Place Overall with Paul Smiths Colleges #1 runner the course is pretty slow but it was a good fun first race.

2. Dirty Duathlon...
Mary and I teamed up to win the Co-Ed division and finish 3rd Overall behind two all-male teams. Check out the results at
http://www.heartrateup.com/PDF/DD1%202007%20RESULTS.pdf

and pictures can be found at
http://buffalop.server207.com/DD_07/Slideshow.htm

Next up will be a couple of shorter Tri-athlons including the Tri Buffalo, and the M2X Xterra, and then the big race... the Musselman!!!
Mary will be racing in the mini-mussel and I will be doing the double which means racing the mini mussel on Saturday and then the 1/2 Ironman on Sunday ... check it out at www.musselmantri.com

Out of the Raid :(

SAD AND BAD NEWS....

Due to various factors our Team has had to pull out of the Raid the North Extreme. Our femal racer has a serious injury and given the timing of the injury it would be impossible to find an adequate replacment for such a hard race.

I am quite devestated and sad at this time... I was sooooooo looking forward to this race but it is out of our hands and at least the team could re-coop some of our entry fee. It is hard to see your team name still sitting on the Race website and to know you will not be racing there.

However I am attempting to put a good face on and fill my summer with other races. In fact I think I will be racing in the Musselman Double which is an Olympic Distance Race on Saturday and 1/2 Ironman Sunday ... yippie :P

Thats all for now from a very Sad ... Matty

The RAID

Raid The North EXTREME

The Raid the North Extreme is approaching quickly... those of you who know I have been "Crash" training for about a month now and feel nearly ready for this EPIC race. I need a few long 4-6 hour runs and a couple of long long rides and I should be all set!

Check out the Information for Raid the North on http://www.raidthenorth.com/rtnex.html or follow the link on my blog links...

Keep watching my blog for updates on the race etc... !!!!

Time to catch up....

Its been a long time since I posted so I thought I would.... The fall has quickly passed by and Winter break was simply too short... but here is the low down on what has been happening...

I spent another 10 days in the Bahamas with the track team, conducting a sports camp for the local kids... and diving a bit too :)

We are three weeks into indoor track season and the season looks good the Houghton Mens 4x800 and Ryan Fadden, and Rachel Rhodes allready punched their tickets to Nationals ...

Mary and I headed to NYC this weekend for the New Balance Invite she is running hte championship 1000m at the Armory so taht should be fun!

More soon I promise....

What'cha Lookin AT!!!!

JEEP 12 Hours ~ Cornwall Bridge CT

Race Report

Saturday August 12, 2006

Jeep 12 Hour ~ Cornwall Bridge, Ct.

The Beautiful Early Morning Paddle


It was really good to get back to racing after a month of “bad luck” with injuries. To catch everyone up the injuries started with an accident with my bike, a dog and the cement. I tore up my foot pretty good (see photo). I was off my feet for a bit but was able to ride most of the time. Shortly there after I was out for mountain bike ride on a rainy day. If you ever have ridden in Western New York you know our soil is clay onto of more clay. Needless to say I had a bit of slip on the bike, I fell perfectly the body going limp but somehow my pinky got wrapped in the bike levers and well. I got up to see my finger pointing in several different directions. (No picture of this but it was gross). I instinctively reset the bones myself and rode home. So it was a couple of weeks without swimming, or paddling, I could ride the road bike with my fingers tapped up, but bumps in the road really hurt. So needless to say I was really motivated to race!!!



The icky foot...

This 12 Hour race was loaded with great competition and some fun, and challenging course obstacles. The race started with a paddle in a shallow but rapid filled river. It was a challenge to stay in the boat for most of the race but it was absolutely beautiful. With the sun rising over the fog covered river, I almost got lost in the scenery till we would hit a rock, THUD!

We came off the paddle with the leaders and transitioned to a quick memory O to the top of small mountain and back. Where we mounted our bikes, for a very hilly few hours on the bike mainly on paved roads (sorry but where was the mountain biking?) We made only one navigational mistake and we got to the O-section in good position.

The O-Section proved challenging for most teams with a large number not completing both loops of the O. Our team suffered from serious bonking on the O, first I bonked hard and struggled through it to get back, the Larry Bonked, then Jim that we all had taken our turn at the BONK. Thank goodness for my E-Caps, Hammer Gel, and that cold spring we found. The E-Caps brought me back to life enough to Wolf down a PB&J and a number of hammer gels, the cold spring literally shocked me back to life!

We completed the O-Section and headed back to the last bike section a long descent followed by a long climb back out of the valley. Our altimeter readings have us covering more than 9000 vertical feet during the race …. That’s a lot for the East Coast! We finished the race with a nice relaxing descent into the finish area where Pizza and Coca-Cola were waiting for us… Thank Goodness!

We finished in 2nd Place, and found that this time around we were significantly closer to the winning team which had beat us by near four hours in the first race, limiting that to only 1 hour this time around. We look forward to the series ending race in the near future where we can again improve our performances!
Full Race Report with some pictures can be found at http://mattydracing.blogspot.com
Again all my equipment came through for me this race, given the varied temperatures my CW-X clothes really helped me be able to race without worrying about being cold or too warm. The Recover-Ease helped me come into the race feeling fresh even after last week’s torrid training. The Rudy project sunglasses and their interchangeable lenses were invaluable given the varying conditions throughout the day! The Hammer Nutrition is simply the best … amazing that combined with Recover-Ease and I am all set! Thanks so MUCH!

More Soon!

Matty D.

Pictures from the Whiteface Race...

Did Something just explode inside of me???

The Start... who's going to ride whose wheel here?

A pre-race laugh with the Biathlon Boys while Duncan Douglass talks smack...

Made it up to the top... but not feeling so good

King of the Mountain ... almost....

Surrounded by Olympians!!!

Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race and Combined King of the Mountains…

Today was the conclusion of the Whiteface Mountain Challenge King of Mountain race. I went into the competition in third place after the run segment of the race and in 1st place for my category. The bike portion of the race was on the same exact course as the run and it should prove even more gruesome than the run. The weather was not ideal low 90’s and 80% humidity.

I had hopes of racing well and being in the top twenty considering the competition would be great. The competition included three Olympians (Tim Burke US Biathlon, Lowell Bailey US Biathlon, and Duncan Douglass US Ski Team, as well as several Cat 1 Road racers). It was great to race against the Olympians since I grew up running High School Cross Country with them …but man did the push the pace.

The race started out incredible high paced… and shelled the pack within a half mile. I stuck with the pace until the pitch increased and I realized an error early on … I had not put a climbing specific compact crank on my bike and was unable to spin a high enough cadence. I pushed the high gear as long as I could but the leaders simply spinned away from me.

The only problem was that I had four miles to grind out this high gear… man did it hurt. But I had to keep pushing if I wanted to keep my 3rd place position in the King of the Mountain contest. Somehow I ground my way to the top retaining my 3rd place in the King of the Mountain contest and my 1st place for my age category. Ouch did that race hurt like crazy.

Results can be found at http://www.whitefacerace.com/

Thanks to all my sponsors …. But on a sad side note… I have had to rearrange my racing schedule for the next few weeks due to a freak accident with a dog, my bike, and a visit to the Emergency Room in Grosse Pointe, MI. I will miss all my scheduled races until July 9th, when I will return for the 6 hours of Endorphin Race.

Side-lined a bit...

Welp ... I spent the week in Gross Pointe Michigan hoping for a great week of training ... and ended up in the Hospital with some wonderful stitches in my foot ... thats over 200 lifetime stitches over 100 in my feet alone.... So it was three days off the feet and I rode yesterday for 20 miles and should be good to go on the bike but not running or swimming for a bit...

Having Fun In Lake Placid... A bike Race and other fun stuff ... (like a NEW BOAT)

What a great weekend... Race in the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race trying to obtain the elusive King of The Mountain Title versus 3 Olympians (more on the race later)
...after that a night of mini golf and "Nacho Libre"

Mary beat me in putt-putt.
I owe her $1,000.

Words that are spelled the same forwards and backwards...

The New Boat .... some pics from the maiden voyage


Playing in the Brand New Boat Courtesy of Mississippi Kayaks ... www.mkayaks.com

A Nelo Razor ....

Lessons Learned ... and other stuff from the races...

Cold Spring, NY ~ NYARA Longest Day Adventure Race
June 10, 2006.

The morning started with a shock to the system all night long we listened to huge thunderstorms roll through wondering what the weather would leave for tomorrow’s race. When we wok up and drove to the race start we saw the HUGE swells on the Hudson River and knew it would be a rough day. We had no idea how rough….

This fifteen hour adventure race was supposed to start with a long paddle on the Hudson River, normally a fairly easy task but the race started in rough conditions with white caps over two and three feet tall. Most teams struggled to keep their boats upright before the race even started. My team made it safely through the wind and to the first CP in Second place and feeling confident about the paddle. Behind us lay the shattered fragments of the rest of the racers boats over turned, spread all over the river. Nearly half way home and things turned for the worst for our team.

The swells started getting big really big capping at over 6ft at times, controlling the boat was nearly impossible and paddling forward was something totally different. The waves were hitting us from behind so we had no idea when the next huge rouge wave would come. Unfortunately one of our teammates rolled his kayak, and we rescued him, got him to shore and somehow got the boats out on the water again… it did not end though the waves got bigger and our teammate rolled his boat again three more times…. Even for an experienced paddler I struggled mightily in the waves. Our team ended up having to abandon one of the kayaks on course and received a penalty. Yet we remained one of the few teams to finish the paddle.

We toke off on the second section of the race and quickly regained our top position. Flying through most of the bike and being glad we were back on solid ground and no longer in the horrible Hudson. The bike flew by and a few short hours we found ourselves transitioning for the trek… But we had a new problem… one of our teammates was sick. He attempted to continue but was unable to weak and lethargic we were not sure what was wrong with him. Was it the hundreds of gallons of water ingested in the Hudson during the paddle? Who knew but it was obvious he could not go on anymore.

Jim and I continued on as an unofficial unranked teams cleaning the final trek section and having some fun along the way. Opting twice to wade through ponds versus hike through the dense brush which was great idea except for the leeches …ewww

We came into the finish of the trek section, unofficially ranked but as one of the top teams. We loaded up on newspaper for the cold ride back to the finish (an old roadie trick of throwing newspaper in your jersey to keep you warm in the cold). … Although we did not officially get ranked we had a great time … and were recognized at the awards ceremony for being the only team to lose a member and still finish the race.

I guess this race can be chalked up to lessons learned in Adventure Racing…

I have to say I was very pleased with all of my new sponsored gear this race. The Recover – Ease has made a notable difference in my racing and training allowing to race and train harder and recover faster, sweat deal! Racing in tough races back to back and feeling great is something I can only attest to as the power of Recover Ease. I am also totally happy with all my Rudy Project gear the glasses were superb in all the conditions. I loved my CW-X pro top it regulated my temperature oh so well; it worked great as my base layer for the race. I also loved racing in the Brooks Cascadia Shoe it added just enough kick to help and it was super light weight my favorite thing in any piece of gear!


Full Results and information can be found at http://www.nyara.org/

Please visit my blog while I continue to update it with racing information… and bear with me as I just started it one month ago J

http://mattydracing.blogspot.com/

Whiteface Race and Frozen PARTS!

Race Update # 3

Lake Placid, NY ~ Whiteface Mountain Uphill Footrace
June 4, 2006.


This would be my first major “footrace” since I sliced my toes off at Ironman Lake Placid over a year ago. Since then I have not done what I would consider “Run –Specific training”. I assumed I would be able to be competitive considering my running history but guessed a finishing time around 1:15. I was also a little bit leery about the race considering I had been on the road for over two weeks for my job and had little time to train.

The morning sky was an ominous portent into what might be for this day. The sky was grey and it was raining quite hard. Considering the race covers over 3500 ft in elevation gain and this was spring in the Adirondacks. A light drizzle covered the runners at the start. I started slow and towards the back not too confident in my form. By mile 1 I had cracked into the top ten, and continue to move up the ranks as the miles passed by. At the three mile mark the slight drizzle had changed into a soaking rain.

By mile 5 the race started to creep past tree line and the decreased temperatures plus the wind made for a grueling finishing three miles tempartures dropped into the low 30's and snow could be seen!!! I managed to continue my upward progression in the race realizing I had started to slowly to catch the leaders. I fought through the last mile where I could hardly feel my legs or arms and my head pounded with the freezing cold.

I finished 5th overall and 2nd in the Male 20-29 Age group with a finish time of 1:10:10 beating my goal time in these conditions. Yet the time was nowhere near my high school time of 59 minutes but then again I don’t just run anymore. I will be back on June 18th to finish the second leg of the Whiteface Mountain Challenge Double. The uphill bike race, on the very same course hopefully conditions will be a bit better.

I have to say I was totally “stoked” on all of my new sponsored gear this year. The Recover – Ease has made a notable difference in my racing and training allowing to race and train harder and recover faster, sweat deal! I am also totally happy with all my Rudy Project gear the glasses were superb in the rain. I loved my CW-X pro top it regulated my temperature oh so well; it worked great as my base layer for the race. I also loved racing in the Brooks singlet it added just enough warmth to help fit the cold and it was super light weight my favorite thing in any piece of gear!


Full Results and information can be found at http://www.whitefacerace.com/

Please visit my blog while I continue to update it with racing information… and bear with me as I just started it one month ago J

http://mattydracing.blogspot.com/