Participants in the 4th Annual Delaware Diamondman half iron triathlon, held on September 12, 2004 at Lums Pond State Park, faced an unexpected challenge.  As a result of a nasty sewage problem occurring near the swim course, race director Neil Semmel was left with no choice but to replace the swim portion of the event with an 8k run.  The impromptu run bike run format (8k run, 55.3 mile bike, 13.1k run) created an interesting dynamic at the race, which served as the USAT Mid-Atlantic Regional Long Course Championship.

The 23^rd Annual Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, one of the oldest and well known triathlons in the country, was held on Sunday August 8, 2004.  In addition to its hilly, challenging run course, the draw of this international distance event (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 11k run) is its historical appeal.  Back in 1988, for example, Lance Armstrong raced at Wilkes Barre  as a teenager before gaining fame and fortune in the pro cycling world.  “It was cool knowing that Lance competed [at]  . . . the same race,” noted Valerie Kuhns (Emmaus, PA), the third overall female finisher in this year’s event.
 
Taking advantage of cool temperatures and low humidity, Fiona Docherty (Chadds Ford, PA) dominated the women’s field, with an eight minute margin of victory. 
 

The Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon took place on the scenic Virginia Beach oceanfront on September 5, 2004.  Haron Torotich (Kenya) won the men’s race with a time of 1:01:50 and Nuta Olaru (Romania) won the women’s race with a time of 1:10:50. Torotich and Olaru each won a $12,000 cash purse.  Torotich won an additional $25,000 for winning two Elite Racing Musical Marathons in 2004.  In addition to winning the half marathon at Virginia Beach, Torotich also won P.F. Chang’s Rock n’ Roll Arizona Marathon in January 2004.
 
For complete results, please visit www.rnrhalf.com. 

“Diverse” is perhaps the best word to describe the 4^th Annual Lums Pond Triathlon & Duathlon, which was held on August 15, 2004 at Lums Pond State Park in Bear, Delaware. Triathletes raced alongside duathletes; almost seventy first timers competed against professional and age group veterans; and eighty-two year old triathlete Bill Schweitzer gave fourteen and fifteen year old competitors a run for their money. 
 
Race participation at Lums Pond increased significantly from last year, with 412 triathletes and 126 duathletes finishing this year’s event.  The event simultaneously served as the USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Regional Sprint Championship; a USAT Mid-Atlantic Duathlon Series Race; and a qualifying event for the USA Triathlon National Age Group Championship in Shreveport, LA on Sept. 18, 2004. 

The science of speed combines two expert perspectives on seasonal triathlon testing, training, and racing and is sponsored by ELITE Testing (a division of ELITE Health & Wellness) (http://www.elitetesting.com), located in Philadelphia.
 
In our last article we covered some physical pre-race “rituals”.  This month we will take a look at mental preparation and strategies before your next big event.  You can be the most physically prepared and/or gifted athlete toeing the line but if you are not calm, confident and focused you likely ruining any chance of performing close to your potential.  
 

The Mid-Atlantic Monthly Web Site
http://www.midatlanticmonthly.com
 
USAT Mid-Atlantic Web Site
http://www.usat-ma.org
 
USA Triathlon Web Site
http://www.usatriathlon.org
 
Mid-Atlantic Region Rankings
http://www.lin-mark.com/usat_rank/index.asp
 
Mid-Atlantic Region Club Directory
http://www.lin-mark.com/usatclubsma.htm
 
World Triathlon Corporation (Ironman)
http://www.ironmanlive.com
 
Duathlon.com
http://www.duathlon.com