Before I even write a word in this month’s race preview (granted I’m already 13 words over that quota, but play along, okay?), I have a confession to make:  I did not race the Inaugural Blackwater Traverse Duathlon last year.  I really thought about doing it long and hard, but then my friend Mark Markley reminded me, “You?  A Duathlon?  Bob, you hate to run, remember?”
 
Oh, right then.  I decided to save my efforts in the refuge for the Blackwater Eagleman a few weeks later, and leave the Run / Bike / Run stuff to the folks qualified for it (as in, you nice folks that blow by me off the bike and generate enough wind to keep me cool every few seconds).
 
However, this doesn’t mean I’ll be pulling stuff out of thin air to fill this month’s race preview (I save that sort of hocus-pocus thing for my real job).  Through some correspondence with folks who did participate last year, my four-years of experience at the Blackwater Eagleman, and a Magic 8-Ball for when I get really stuck, I think I can give you an idea of what to expect at the Blackwater Traverse.
 
Things you need to know:
 
·        RACE DATE: April 21, 2002 – 7:30am.  (More details below).
·        Website – http://www.tricolumbia.org/bt_infor.htm
·        Unlike last year, the 2002 edition will NOT feature two races – the long course event has been dropped so the only race is a 10K Run, 41K Bike, and 5K Run.  Just like the Columbia bike course, race director Robert Vigorito has found a way to toss in a bonus km, since I reckon 40k is so .62 miles ago.
·        Traverse is one of five races to be used to select Team USA to represent us at the ITU Short Course Duathlon World Championships in Alpharetta, GA October 19-20.  If you want to qualify for the team, you need to place in the top four in your age group.
·        If, like me, you’re a Clydesdale or Athena, the ITU is looking our way with a slightly curious eye:  This year Clydes and Athena’s have been given “exhibition status” for all short-course qualifying races.  That means if enough of my big brothers and sisters show up and race, there is a serious chance of gaining full medal status for the 2003 World Championships.  For now, we are just there to show the ITU that we WANT to be included – so make it count!
·        This race is a product of the Columbia Triathlon Association, which means the organization is going to be solid, the aid stations will be stocked, and before you can ask a question at the pre-race meeting, RD Rob Vigorito will have covered it.  If you’ve never raced a ‘Vigo’ race, then prepare for a treat.  If you have, then you know what I’m talking about already.
 
If you were paying attention, then you already know that this year’s race will take place on April 21, at 7:30am.  (If you were skimming and this fact caught you by surprise, why not review those handy bullets above just one more time?  We’ll wait).  The normal reaction to this time is, “Wow.  Why start so darn early when it isn’t summer yet?” 
 
If you have to ask that question, allow me to describe just how much shade you’ll find on the course:  None.  Nada.  Zip.  Trying to find shade in the Blackwater Refuge is like trying to find a straight-shooting Enron suit these days – it simply doesn’t exist ANYWHERE.  If it’s a sunny day the earlier this race starts, the happier you will be, trust me.  Do not forget to apply lots of sunscreen for this race, or else you’ll be explaining those numbers on your arms and legs all summer long.
 
The start-finish and transition area is located at Cambridge South Dorchester High School (which is also the location of packet pick up, and the all-important mandatory pre-race meeting Saturday, April 20 – 6:30pm).   If you’ve raced Blackwater, this is a bit out of town but not too much – just don’t head to Sailwinds this time!
 
THE RACE:
 
The Swim:  Weren’t you paying attention?  Or were you busy skimming again?  This is a Duathlon, so there is no swim.  Should you decide to run a Soloman Eagleman, be prepared for a 4 mile run to the start line…and some strange looks from folks when you get there.
 
Run #1 (10K):  The Run Course will use the same route for both segments.  You will run through the parking lot of CSDHS on Parking Lot Rd, and then take a left to head down Egypt Rd to the turnaround at the 5k mark.  Since the bike and run courses only share the same pavement headed towards transition, you will head out and return always on  the LEFT side of the road, clear of any inbound, two-wheeled traffic. 
 
During your first run you could potentially notice two things:  (1) The sun, and (2) the wind.  These two factors combine to give Blackwater its fearsome reputation.  Perhaps at first it won’t seem too hot, and it might not seem too windy…but be patient – they rarely fail to arrive. My simple and almost obviously obvious advice – Drink early, and drink often: You’ll need it later on.
 
The Bike (41k):  So, you’ve made it through the first run.  You’re warmed up, ready to hit the bike and tear this course apart, right?  After all with no real hills to break up the flow of the ride, how tough can it be?  You’ve probably torn off your Front Derailleur and installed that monster 56-Tooth chainring you’ve been waiting to use since you saw Paula ride one in 1992, but before you do anything rash, you may want to think about it.
 
Don’t be seduced by this course’s profile: Where it fails to burn your legs with gradient, it will fry your concentration through boredom and repetition.  To stay at 100 percent throttle on a course with utterly NO changes in rhythm is much harder than most people think. 
 
NOTE:  The bike course has been changed from its 2001 design, so the following will be based on a map of the new route.
 
As you head out onto Route 16, stay focused. Stay on the power.  Chase the wheel ahead of you. Set your heart rate monitor alarm if you wear one and listen to it. Do not allow yourself to back off.  After a few miles it is the natural tendency, especially if the wind is in circular mood. Those of you that have raced Eagleman will recognize this stretch from miles seven through 19).  The bike turn-around comes up at Smithville Road (the 21km mark), and you’ll simply turn and head back towards Cambridge on Route 16.
 
If you’ve been fighting the wind all the way to this point, don’t get frustrated.  Remember, everyone else is riding against the same invisible hills as you.  Keep your cool, and try to think like Natascha Badmann. Don’t see the wind as something to slow you down:  Think of it as how you can ride into it strongly and make a difference against those that struggle against the elements. Mental focus will be rewarded here, and that’s how you make a difference on a course devoid of climbing.
 
As you ride back along Route 16, you will bear right onto Rock Road, away from the cyclists still headed out towards the turnaround.  The same rules of focus apply here:  Don’t fight the wind, flow with it.  Stay focused, and continue to hydrate.
 
Run #2 (5k):  Once you get back to Egypt Rd, it is only a short spin back to the transition area at the school.  As you head out to face the last 5km you’ll be on the same road you already blazed during the 10K, so it’ll be familiar.  Despite the shorter distance, this can be the real sting in the tail of the Traverse.  Chances are the wind will be blowing harder, the sun will be higher and hotter, and everyone (I mean EVERYONE – even Todd Wiley, even though when I’ve seen him he’s NEVER sweating) will be feeling it.  If you find yourself struggling within those moments, just keep up the focus and hang in there. 
 
If you can stay tough, hang on, and make it around that last turnaround with 2.5km to go to the finish – knowing that the pain won’t last too much longer. Then bring it home strong. You will know you’ve raced well with a tough course when this day is over. Better still, if you can do it without having the medics riding their bikes on the course always turn around when they see you, without puking up a few gels, or without getting so delirious with heat you start inventing your own language on the run, you will do better than I have each time I’ve been chewed up and spat out by the Blackwater
 
I think that’s enough rabble from me.  What do people who have actually finished the Blackwater Traverse have to say about it?  I bribed some friends with cash (and some strangers with beverages of their choice) to give me the highlights of their initial experiences in 2001. 
 
Mark Smith of Bonzai Sports in Fairfax, VA replied, “I'd consider it to be a great training race to gauge how winter training is going.The race will draw some very good competition so be prepared for a fast, fast race.  I don't know that much about it, but I assume that the race is a qualifier for Nationals.” 
 
Thomas Smith added, “We had a good day weather wise, but it can be very windy on Maryland's eastern shore.  The course is flat as a pancake, rural, with out and back run(s) and bike.  Generally, considering it was the inaugural year, the race was well done, well marked, good food, and strong competition.”
 
Lastly, I heard from Jane Lewis who seemed to have felt the essence of Blackwater, indeed: “The course is flat, an out and back 10k, an out and back bike (with a slight modification at the end) and then an out and back 5k on the 10k course.  Flat does not necessarily mean fast, however, as there is always wind there.  Last year I was cranking into a headwind and just kept saying to myself, work to the turn around, and then you'll have a tail wind and can sail home.  No such luck.  I hit the turn around and was sorely disappointed. The wind was still there!!  Great race, it's a Rob Vigorito, so well organized, plenty of volunteers.  One thing to keep in mind is hydration. It’s early and not so hot, and with the wind you lose more water than you think you are.  I remember wishing I had more water on the 10K.”
 
So there you have it in a nutshell (or simply from a nut).  One last thing:  Even though this is an ITU Qualifier, don’t even THINK about drafting for even one lousy second. Other than that – keep it clean, shiny side down, and I’ll see you next month for a preview of a race I’ve actually competed in before, The Columbia Triathlon.
 
Bob Mina is the monthly columnist for Xtri.com – The Home of Draft Free Triathlon Coverage on the web.  If you were offended, bored, or put off by any of the above material, whatever you do don’t go to http://www.xtri.com and click on the link for “Hurricane Bob” on or about the last Tuesday of every month.  He can be reached at bob@bobmina.com - complaints are welcome; compliments are encouraged.