Alexander from Spokes Etc got me up at 5:45am this Sunday to go hammer out 76 miles through the Northern Virginia county side. We met at 6:15am and headed over to Ida Lee Park Rec Center to catch up with the 6 others. Tracy Killmer had mapped out a great 60 mile ride which took us up into Maryland and back across Whites Ferry.

I used this ride to get a brick training session in. After the ride I racked the bike and headed out for a 13.5 mile run. This was my last big training session for the Patriot half ironman in 2 weeks.

Here is the course map and I would put this ride in my top list.

I rode my Trek Madone instead of the Trek TTX. As when you ride with roadie's you bring the road bike.

My Sunnto training log shows the 76 mile, 5hr bike followed by the 13.5 mile, 2hr run.

JonathanFit

  It was a great weekend for my first Duathlon of the season. I completed the USAT  National OffroadSaturday, 11k trail run, 26k mountain bike, and a 5k trail run. I had done this event last year but did the Sport distance. I finished the championship distance using it as a tune up for the Florida Half Ironmannext month. I could not have been happier with my performance. I will need to make some adjustments for the heat. It was 98 degrees in Richmond and I was not fully prepared with fluids and nutrition. I did not have enough fuel and going from the bike to the final run, I was fighting leg cramps most of the way.

This was my first opportunity to race on the Trek Fuel Ex 9.8. It was amazingly fast and the climbing ability made a huge difference. When other racers were stalling on the uphills, I was able to ride past them. It seemed like all I had to do was turn the pedals and hold on! I can not wait to get some more ride time on the Fuel Ex in hopes of doing even better at the Richmond Xterra.

I used the Suunto t6cand Comfort Belt to track my run, bike, run duathlon. The Foot POD was clipped on my trail shoes and the Bike POD mounted on the Trek Fuel. It seamlessly tracked my speed and distance switching between the runs and bike. I did not check my heart rate during the race but will review it using the Training Manager software to better understand my performance.

The heat did take a toll on me. I will let the finish line picture tell the story. I told myself I would still rather be running through the woods of Browns Island in 98 degree heat then weighing 355 lbs. It was a great day and a great race.

Results:Finish - 2:59:31, Overall - 25 of 94, Men - 24 of 72,  Age Group 9 of 20

USAT Offroad Duathlon 26k Mountain Bike Course Map. This is much of the same course for the Xterra Richmond

I am excited to announce Trek will support my training and racing cycling needs. I will continue to use a Trek Madonefor my road bike and I will use a Trek Fuel EX 9.8 for my mountain bike. Both bikes are made in the USA at the Wisconsin Trek Factory using OCLV Black Carbon. Trek's high-performance carbon fiber, OCLV Black employs intermediate modulus carbon fiber and time-tested lay-up schedules.

The Madonerepresents the most technologically advanced road bikes Trek has ever made. They're designed to meet the demands of hardcore racers, weekend warriors, speed-junkies looking for the fastest, most balanced performance road bike on the market.

The Fuel Ex 9.8 carbon-framed transforms an already light and nimble machine into a lighter, stiffer, more agile bike with Trek-engineered technologies. Whether you need an epic multi-day race machine or just an all-around trail bike, the latest technologies, including ABP, Full Floater, EVO link, E2 and "XV" canister shock, allowing you to ride in comfort and push your limits.

I started mountain biking the second year of my weight loss adventure after losing 50 lbs with my diet going from 355 lbs to 300 lbs. I was feeling confident in my progress and wanted to add exercise. I can honestly say "biking saved my life". I found something I love to do and as a result I continued to lose weight. Biking made me want to go workout and be involved in the cycling community.

Trek is people committed to changing lives through cycling. Who strive to enhance the riding experience worldwide through innovative products, dynamic partnerships, bicycle friendly development, and exceptional dealer and customer care.

Trek changed my life!