Conquer Castlewood

June 5, 2005

Conquer Castlewood is a fun little race put on by Ballwin Parks. It's really not an adventure race because there's no navigation and the teams can split up after the paddling. If anything, I'd call it an off-road triathlon. Two years ago, David and I were the only team with two strong members and won easily. Last year was completely different and we took third in a very closely fought race (13 seconds separated the top three teams).

Losing didn't sit well with us. The other teams were certainly deserving, but we felt that we made some stupid mistakes that turned lethal in such a close race. We decided that this year we would try to stay really focused on the little things that gain a few seconds here and there.

The first leg is a paddle on the Meremac River. We'll start heading upstream and then return with the current. We get off to a decent start, avoiding most of the chaos as 60 boats head out on a river only 100 feet wide. David pilots us along the river bank, trying to stay out of the current. This is usually a good strategy on the Meremac, but the river is so low that the teams taking the straight line in the middle of the river go just as fast. We reach the turn around in fifth place, about two minutes behind the leaders (last year's winning team from Mesa Cycles).

We make better progress heading downstream and keep the gap to the lead about the same. As we approach the takeout, we plan which side we'll get out on so we can quickly carry the boat up the beach. The plans go astray when I trip on the gunwale and end up face down in the river. So much for saving seconds.

At the transition, we get the first benefit of our pre-race focus on details. The team ahead of us has placed their transition area further from the boats so we get to our bikes at the same time as they reach theirs. We paddled in our cycling shoes and helmets, so the transition to the bikes takes no time at all. We hit the trail in front of them.

The first mile of the bike is flat and not technical. We hammer along the wide trail and pass another team to move into third. The long single track climb on the Grotpeter trail is very familiar to both of us. About halfway up we catch one of the Mesa riders. This is very encouraging as there's plenty more single track to come. If we can put enough time into him, we won't need to catch their other rider.

Along the top of the ridge, David catches and passes another rider. I catch him, too, but not until we're on the very narrow trail descending off the ridge. With no room to pass, I have to take it easy on the descent. I console myself that at least my legs are getting some rest after the tough climb. Most of the way down, we hit a wider spot and the rider ahead moves over to let me pass. It's a much appreciated gesture and I return the favor by hitting the gas to open a gap so his vision isn't obstructed.

By the end of the bike, David has nearly caught the lead rider from Mesa. We know from last year that he's an excellent runner and will probably beat David to the finish, the question is: how far back will his teammate be? I'm about a minute behind David, with one other rider between us.

Both David and I put lace locks on our shoes this year, so we change shoes very quickly (my pre-race practice indicated that lace locks reduced the shoe change to 13 seconds from 30 for tying the laces). Again, our transition area placement helps us and I get out just behind the third place runner. I pass him shortly so Mesa is the only team that still has a shot at us.

The first mile of the run is the same as the bike. I try to get into a good rhythm, knowing that a brutal climb lies ahead. Running through a large field I can see David and the leader. It looks like the Mesa runner has opened up a good lead on David - maybe as much as 90 seconds.

Once onto the hilly section, I can't see far enough ahead to know how we're doing. After the big climb come two small hills and then the long descent. I try to relax on the descent so I can blast the last mile on the flats. With a bit over half a mile to go, I catch site of David again - I hope that means I'm going fast rather than him going slow. I get to the finish 45 seconds after David and 2:30 behind the lead. We wait anxiously for two more minutes and when nobody comes in, we celebrate.

After the race, we enjoy the BBQ provided by the organizers. Other Carol's Team members have also posted good results: Jeff and Carrie took third among mixed teams and Brad Baum was on the third place male team. While the finish wasn't as close as last year, the competition continues to be very tight. This year's course had excellent balance with each leg taking right around 30 minutes. Now, if we could just get them to add some navigation...