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Donner Lake Triathlon
Donner Lake is one of my favorite places on earth. It's a small mountain lake just a few miles northwest of its much more famous cousin, Lake Tahoe. Like Tahoe, Donner is deep, cold and clear. The sparkling water is spectacular for swimming.
It's also home to my favorite triathlon. I've done the Donner Lake Triathlon six times -- I raced the sprint distance once (it was my second-ever triathlon), and last Sunday I raced the international distance for the fifth time. I've come up to Donner every summer since I started doing triathlons in 2001.
The first time I did the international distance, I finished last, in over four and a half hours. OK, maybe one or two people finished behind me. But it sure didn't feel like it. It's a pretty difficult race and the bike course got the best of me. I walked the 6.7-mile run.
The next year I went back with a score to settle and took an hour and ten minutes off my time. The year after that, in 2004, still coasting on the fitness I gained training for Ironman New Zealand, I lopped off another 7 minutes, and that time remains my best for this race. In 2005, I raced Donner three weeks after finishing Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Stupid, I know. My legs were dead, but I didn't want to miss this race.
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This year the race flew by so quickly, I could hardly believe it when I was done. This race is usually a sufferfest. The lake is at 5800 feet of elevation. Way less oxygen than I'm used to. Then the bike course climbs 1300 feet in the first three miles, descends the same amount of elevation over 12 miles, then comes back the same way. Lots of climbing. Thin air. Intense heat.
Around mile 20 of the bike, where I'm usually suffering most on the long return climb, I saw a man walking the last uphill back toward Donner Pass. He pushed his bike with one hand and carried his broken chain in the other. I assumed he was done for the day. That's a fair assumption. So I was pretty surprised to see him run across the finish line a couple hours later. He had walked -- in cycling shoes -- all the way to the top of pass (a couple of miles from where I saw him, and I don't know where he was when his chain broke), coasted down, and headed out onto the run course. And finished! He probably beat my time from 2002, too.
I know this course so well by now that it feels like an old friend. As I soaked my legs in the lake after the race, I shook my head at the thought that another year and another Donner have already passed. This race is the one event I do every year and eagerly, honestly look forward to every year. It is in many ways a highlight of my summer. We get to go up to the mountains, relax by the lake, enjoy the Sierra scenery and get in a great workout.
What races, bike rides, hikes or events do you look forward to every year? And why do they make you happy?
July 19, 2006 9:38 PM
Escape from Alcatraz. Jump off a boat in front of Alcatraz into the chilly often choppy bay and swim to shore, then ride 18 very hilly miles, and then run 8 miles 2 of them on sand the course also includes a sand ladder of around 400 sand steps - even the pros are reduced to walking this.
This year was my 9th time and I love it for several reasons: it is a local race, it kicks my butt, and lastly it is "infamous". This is a must do at least once race! Ariel since you have done it, I am sure you would agree!!
The race looks beautiful.
I shift around races, rides, hikes, etc. from year to year because there just isn't enough time each year to do them all and can't say I have a particular favorite. I'm just happy to be out in the mountains doing whatever, wherever.
I do have a favorite mountain bike ride in Winter Park called Tipperary Creek. I link together a bunch of trails and make a day of it. If I do the long version there's a knee/thigh deep creek/river crossing just to add to the excitement and once I saw momma moose and her baby up close in a pond right next to the trail.