Race Coverage

Solo Dolo...

Tuesday, 08 May 2018 23:10

By Wade Cruser

CINCO DU MAYO RACE REPORT - "Solo Dolo."

That title is the same title of a Kid Cudi song from his Album “Man on the Moon: The End of Day”. Great album, top to bottom, give it a listen.  It also applies to my race at Cinco Du Mayo. From start to finish, just my shadow, myself and a head full of over-analyzing nonsense. 

For folks that don't know, Cinco is a very hilly 3/19.5/3 course. After the usual pre-race announcements, Judi got the 2018 Long course Cinco Du Mayo started right on time.  Unlike a triathlon, I get to wear running shoes and sprint to the front from the start (in a triathlon, I get to “sprint”, and watch the pack actually sprint away). For the first half mile or so, I heard foot steps behind me, and that is when it became solo dolo. At the turnaround of the 3 mile first run, I had about a minute gap.  They start the short course race 15 minutes after the long course. This year they started 15:30 after the long course, which meant I was running back into the park as the herd of short coursers were running out. Luckily the entrance/ exit road was coned off so I had plenty of room on the left to glide down the hill and take the right into transition just after the last short courser passed.  It’s always a little weird being the only person in transition.  I’m a pretty introverted dude, and not a huge fan of attention, but when I’m the only person in transition I can feel all the eyeballs on me as I try to buckle my helmet strap and pretend I’m not destroyed after running way too hard. ...

Jump on, pedal up the hill, slip into the shoes, bite down on the aero bars, and go.  I love this bike course, the pavement is perfect, the hills will test even the strongest riders, the scenery is spectacular, and they have so many volunteers on the course you’d have to be riding with your eyes shut to get lost.  It took a good 20 minutes or so to get the legs in biking mode, but after that I was in a groove and feeling good.  

Coming into T2 is better because some short coursers are coming in as well so its easier to blend in. Slip on the shoes, grab hat, grab belt, start running, put on hat, put on belt, and start to hurt.  Now, if you’ve ever done a Duathlon, the second run is always when you ask yourself why you’re doing a Duathlon.  Don’t get me wrong I love the Duathlon and wish the multi sport community embraced them like they do the swimming-required, longer, more popular, more expensive, non Minnesota races, but the second run of a du is so much more painful than the run OTB of a Tri.  Then do it on the Cinco course where the only flat part is the finish line. Anyways, I made it through and managed to shave a little over two minutes off my course record, which I set last year.  

This was my third year in a row racing Cinco and in those three years I have zero complaints.  Judi and her crew do a great job. I already mentioned the large number of volunteer support but it’s worth mentioning again because without them a race wouldn’t happen, so if you are reading this and you were out there in a blaze orange shirt, thank you so much for helping.  I hope the multi sporters of MN keep supporting the great races this state has to offer.  

So, get your ass to the 2019 addition. RESULTS