World Run/Paddle championships

Run & Paddle “World Championships  07/19/18: I heard about the World Run Paddle Biathlon championships while at one of the NHTI races.  I was interested in trying something different.  I had done a kayak race last year and know that I’m very slow (and that my recreational kayak is not made for racing).  I enjoyed the race and figured that this would be fun and an opportunity to at least do some fast running prior to getting my ass kicked on the water.  I contacted the Contoocook kayak rental to see if I could get a somewhat faster boat, they set me up with a somewhat narrower and 2’ longer set-up than what I had.  It’d be faster but nothing like some of the racing craft people would be using.

I took off a couple of hours early from work and was at the NHTI boat launch about 2 hours prior to the race.  That gave me ample time to scout things out and especially a chance to check out the kayak.  It was a lot more “tippy” than I was used to and wow was it heavy trying to lug it to the water and back.  I was worried about getting hurt trying to carry it as part of the race involved lugging the kayak from the exchange zone to the water and then also taking it to the finish line.  I was happy to find that it was okay to drag it, and since it was a rental that would work for me. I had a bit of a challenge keeping it going straight as it did not have a rudder, otherwise it seemed comfortable.

An hour before the start I headed out for a longish warm-up.  I don’t like night races I’m just not programmed to run after 4pm.  At least this one wasn’t too late.  My hope was that I’d feel better if I did a longer warm-up.  It was pretty warm (mid-80s) but dry.  The course was a double loop on the trails around NHTI.  It was much nicer in the shade!  The course was basically flat and the footing was excellent, no rocks or roots just grass and some dirt.  I was hoping to run around 6’s during the race but was feeling crappy warming up.  My hip was still bothering me from last weekend’s trail race and my ankle was also not having a good day.  Pretty much a typical day so I wasn’t worried about how those would feel once I was racing.  I switched into race gear and did another mile before pre-race instructions.  After another ½ mile of easy running it was off to the start.

Part one of the race: The turnout was about the same as last year (15-20) and there were a number of categories (canoe, kayak, SUP) along with some doing it as a relay. I shot out into the lead right away with two guys right behind me.  It was so dry and I had cotton-mouth right away.  Ugh. At ½ mile my watch beeped and I was 3:01. Close to goal pace.  I still had company right behind me and knew I’d need every second I could get before we hit the water. I passed the mile in 6:01 (3:00) and started to hear the footfalls behind me fading.  I kept pressing as I headed into the second loop and reached 1.5 in 9:03 (3:02). Soon after I reached the “Sycamore Loop” which would add on ½ mile and had a pretty good lead by now as I hit 2 miles in 12:04 (3:01).  I mustered a bit of a kick and reached the exchange (2.4 miles) in 14:09 or 6:02’s. Pretty close to what I hoped for.

Part two of the race: I wished I had left some water at the kayak as I was still very thirsty. It took me 51 seconds to gather up the kayak and drag it to the Merrimack River and launch. I hit my Garmin watch again to get a separate time for the kayak.  I had no real goal pace as I wasn’t experienced enough to have any idea.  I could hear the announcer calling out 2^nd place (and even third place) so I knew I only had 30 seconds over second and 1:20 over third place.  I tried to settle into a rhythm but just a few minutes in and I was feeling my arms and chest burning.  I’m really not built for kayaking and not training at all probably didn’t help!  At the Stone Dam kayak race last year, I’d done 7:45 per half-mile (upstream) and 6:30 per half-mile (downstream) so somewhere around 7’s seemed reasonable for this quiet section of the Merrimack.  I hit the ½ mile in 6:55 and soon after the second-place guy came flying by in his racing kayak.  I watched where he went on the turn (we’d loop twice around the island) and that helped me to avoid the shallows.  The downstream side of the island was really nice, much cooler in the shade and very scenic.  I was happy to increase tempo to a 6:28 half mile and soon after could see the end of loop one.  Just before I entered the second loop a racing canoe came by in a blur.  The guy in the canoe was flying!  He was part of a relay team so he hadn’t done the run part.  I was glad to be heading around again and could see a few people up ahead who were heading out on their first loop.  My next half-mile was 6:32. I navigated the shallows without running aground and was again on the nice part of the course.  Another racing canoe went flying by, this one with a team of two ladies in it.  They were hammering.  I dug in as I reached another ½ mile split in 6:24. Despite how tired I was, the pace was increasing.  I “kicked” it in and covered the last ½ mile in 6:11. I almost fell in the water getting out as my legs were wobbly.  The last 50 meters dragging the kayak up the hill was not easy!  The announcer had something to say about how I’d done Mt Washington and was working this hill (I don’t know about that, I was pretty wiped out).  It took me 41 seconds to reach the finish.  No one else had passed me so I ended up finishing in 4^th place overall.  I won my category (Individual Kayaker 50+) and was the first finisher in a recreational (rather than a racing) boat. I guess I can say I won a World Championship!

This was a fun event!  They had hot dogs and hamburgers afterward and plenty of ice cold drinks.  All funds raised went to the NHTI XC team which is a great cause.  I hope to make it back again next year.

World Run Paddle Biathlon Championships - Concord NH - July 19, 2018 (2.4 mile XC race & 2.5 mile paddle)

Place Div/Tot  Name                           Ag S Category                                     Time   

===== ======== ==================== == = ==== =====

    1   1/3    CROSBY TAYMORE           25 M KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 18-49          42:40

    2   1/2    DAVE DUGAS                   65 M CANOE TEAM 50+                      44:59

    3   1/2    HANNAH RUBIN               20 F CANOE TEAM 18-49                     46:10

    4   1/2    DAVE DUNHAM             54 M KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 50+      48:12

    5   1/2    DENAE DOSTAL                36 F CANOE TEAM COUPLE 18-49       49:43

    6   2/3    JOHNNY SANCHEZ            23 M CANOE TEAM 18-49                    50:21

    7   2/2    AMY THORNTON              31 F CANOE TEAM 18-49                     50:23

    8   2/2    KEVIN PASCOE                 53 M KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 50+             51:41

    9   2/2    PETER HEED                    68 M CANOE INDIVIDUAL 50+            53:23

   10   1/1    DAVE KENNEY                 44 M S.U.P. TEAM 18-49                     55:59

   11   1/1    JONATHAN MCDONALD   13 M CANOE INDIVIDUAL 13-17          1:00:16

   12   1/1    EUGENE CONN                32 M CANOE INDIVIDUAL 18-49          1:06:58

   13   2/2    RACHEL KEAN                 19 F  KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 18-49          1:14:01

   14   3/3    THOMAS KEAN                21 M KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 18-49           1:14:02

   15   1/1    JULIE NICKNAIRKEAN      51 F  KAYAK INDIVIDUAL 50+             1:14:20

   16   1/1    BECKY MCDONALD          49 F  S.U.P. INDIVIDUAL 18-49           1:17:28