The Dhaka Triathlon Club

The DTC is signing off

2010-01-29T02:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right. The DTC is officially going off the air. So, this is the last DTC blog post.

Many of you know that when Dave and I came to Dhaka over 2 years ago, we started the Dhaka Triathlon Club so we could find other like minded multi-sport athletes to train and compete with. We have been lucky enough with our training to compete in the Chiang Mai & Khon Kaen marathons, Phuket and KL half marathons, Mt. Kinabalu Climbathon half marathon and the China 70.3 Half Ironman. We have had a blast swimming, biking and running with all of you!

We have really enjoyed planning road races & duathlons, donating money to charity, organizing training runs and rides, informing the community of athletic related resources such as Re-Fit gym & local PTs and lastly our biggest joy of encouraging newbies to try their first 5K, 10K, marathon and triathlon! It has been well worth the time and effort and sacrifice of Dave and I never getting to run one local road race with you! :)

Now it is the time to pass on the torch and we are reaching out to the athletes (multi-sport or otherwise) in Dhaka. You are the ones that train and race and compete and have (hopefully!) gotten some benefits from the Dhaka Triathlon Club and so we hope that you to continue what we started.

What does this all mean? Well, it means agreeing to keep the spirit alive however you can! It might mean hosting a road race in Baridhara, duathlon in Bashundhara, or triathlon from ISD or AIS/D, inviting others on your weekly long runs (let’s face it-it’s easier with others!) and/or talking up good races in the region.

So to close the loop on the blog, I have decided to post Dhaka’s TOP 20 athletes and sporting resources. If you are surfing the web looking for multi-sport or running resources in Dhaka, this list is the place to start! Just click on the table to be able to view each of Dhaka’s top 20 athletes and their contact info.

Now, depending on when you check, these people may have moved on from Dhaka, so try someone else on the list and no matter where I am in the world, you can also contact me for information on running/triathlon training in Dhaka.

Good luck and happy running!
Robin Martz
rmartz@umich.edu

Dhaka's TOP 20 Athletes
Athlete Email
Amy Friedman afriedman@ais-dhaka.net
Greg Friedman grfriedman@ais-dhaka.net
Duncan Brown dawnandduncan@yahoo.co
Mark Forward 'Foz' fozziebd@hotmail.com
Janice Twartz j.twartz@gmail.com
Milko Van Gool milko.van-gool@ec.europa.eu
Zsuzsa Barta zsuzsanna.barta@gmail.com
Gary Jon Julian garyjjulyan@gmail.com
Ken Ford ken4ord@yahoo.com
Mike Galligan magalligan@ais-dhaka.net
Bob Goldman zgoldman1@yahoo.com
Diane Lindsey diane.lindsey@gmail.com
Kelly Stevenson kstevenson@savechildren.org
Lorinda Wishart lorindawishart@gmail.com
Chris Hesse christopherhesse@yahoo.com
JR Rinfret jrrinfret@gmail.com
Mark Gillepsie poodlemark@hotmail.com
Syed Sunna 'LBH' syed@agni.com
Christine Marie George hikachica@gmail.com
Emily Hillenbrand emily.hillenbrand@gmail.com

Robin's last SLR!

2009-12-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

SLR WILL BE TOMORROW 7AM FROM IN FRONT OF THE ARA!

There are lots of holiday and going away parties Friday night, so let's get our long run DONE. Since many of us are running long this week-end, please meet us FRIDAY morning at 7AM in front of the ARA. We will be going 18 miles at/around 10 minute/mile pace.

This could be your last chance to say good-bye to the DTC!

Co-founder, Dave Martz, will not be running.

Wednesday, December 16th Victory Day 8K & 4K Run and Walk

2009-12-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

Please click on the flyer to see the details. Come out for this fun event! With a short and fast course, this will likely be the fastest 8K you ever run!

SLR DAY & TIME CHANGE next week-end

2009-12-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

First of all, congrats to all the runners that ran SIXTEEEN MILES today! Doesn't it feel GREAT?!

Great job Emily, Christine Marie, Robin, Kelly and JR. Next week is a step back week for most

and an important time to let the body recover. Because many folks will be participating in the annual Splash and Dash next Saturday morning, we will be doing SLR Friday morning December 11th and leaving at 7AM from the American Club gate. Join us for an easy 7-10 miles.

SLR

Friday, December 11th

7AM

Spash and Dash*

Saturday, December 12

9AM

*You MUST pre-register for this event. See last post for details.

Splash N Dash

2009-12-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

Don't miss this annual event put on the by the American International School of Dhaka. A fun thing for the whole family. Relay teams welcome! Make sure to sign up by the date listed. Click on the flyer below to view it larger. See you there!

Dear multi-sport athletes,

2009-12-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

The time is fast approaching that Dave and I will get on an airplane with the girls and move to Bhutan! We are looking forward to this new adventure in our lives, but are also sad to leave Dhaka and our friends here (otherwise known as training partners!).

When we came to Dhaka over 2 years ago, we started the Dhaka Triathlon Club so we could find other like minded multi-sport athletes to train and compete with. We have been lucky enough with our training to run the Chiang Mai & Khon Kaen marathons, Phuket and KL half marathons, Mt. Kinabalu Climbathon half marathon and the China 70.3 Half Ironman. We have had a blast swimming, biking and running with all of you!

We have really enjoyed planning road races & duathlons, donating money to charity, organizing training runs and rides, informing the community of athletic related resources such as Re-Fit gym & local PTs and lastly our biggest joy of encouraging newbies to try their first 5K, 10K, marathon and triathlon! It has been well worth the time and effort and sacrifice of Dave and I never getting to run one local road race with you! :)

Now it is the time to pass on the torch and we are reaching out to the athletes (multi-sport or otherwise) in Dhaka. You are the ones that train and race and compete and have (hopefully!) gotten some benefits from the Dhaka Triathlon Club and so we need you to continue what we started.

What does this all mean? Well, it means agreeing to keep the spirit alive however you can! It might mean hosting a road race in Baridhara, duathlon in Bashundhara, or triathlon from ISD or AIS/D, inviting others on your weekly long runs (let’s face it-it’s easier with others!) and/or talking up good races in the region.

Please watch this site for more information on the future of the Dhaka Triathlon Club.
Thanks for everything!
Robin Martz
rmartz@umich.edu

An update from the DTC!

2009-12-03T01:18:00.000-08:00

We are still doing SLR (Saturday Long Run) leaving at 6:30AM from the American Club.

Robin & Dave leave for Bhutan December 20th, so come out and join us for only THREE more SLR's! December 5, December 12, and December 19. More details on blog coming soon about future of the DTC.

Pictured: Robin and Christine Marie running 13 miles.

Photographer: Lorinda (also ran 13 miles that day!)

DTC Halloween 2009 5K

2009-10-30T04:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the racers in today's 2nd Annual DTC Halloween 5K with a start and finish at Re-Fit gym on Road 63. Congrats to Marc and Emily, the overall men's and women's winners and for all the age group winners. The men's winners were: Fred (<19), LBH (30-39), Mark G. (40-49), and JR (50+). The women's winners were: Felicity (<19), Lorinda (20-29) Carla (30-39), Chaunpit (40-49) and Diane (50+).

Emily-1st female (23:21)

Marc-1st male (20:03)

The Martz and Rinfret family.

Congratulations again to all the finishers/racers. Sorry to those of you that got lost! As I mentioned Dave and I will be leaving Dhaka soon and would love to see the DTC stay active. Please email me if you are interested in carrying the torch for the club. Email me at rmartz@umich.edu Thanks again for coming out and racing.

SLR this week-end & Halloween 5K

2009-10-15T00:55:00.000-07:00

Please join Robin for SLR this Saturday morning 6:30AM in front of the American Club.

We will head to Basundhara and over the bamboo bridge. Last week-end it was really muddy, so don't wear your good shoes. I will run out to the BIG bridge (7 miles) and back. Pace will be slow.

Please join us!

We will be gone 24 October so SLR is on your own! We will back for SLR on Halloween 31 October.

There WILL be a Halloween 5K on Friday October 3oth at 3PM with start and finish at Re-Fit on Road 63. Stay tuned for more details.

DTC race proceeds go to ICDDR,B Hospital Patient Welfare Fund

2009-10-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

DTC hosted an Eid-ul-Fitre 5K to raise money for the ICDDR,B patient welfare fund. There were 26 runners that braved the poring rain to run. A total of 13,000 taka was raised and the DTC donated another 2,000 to bring the grand total donated to FIFTEEN THOUSAND TAKA.
THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED AND DONATED!

Glitter ball run

2009-10-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Remember Glitter Ball last year? If you do, then you remember it can be a night of eating, drinking and just staying up late. SO,
If you would like to SLEEP IN SATURDAY MORNING, then come and join me for a slow long run (alternate SLR) on FRIDAY morning 6:30AM leaving from the American Club. I will head towards the bamboo bridge-hopefully its not under water already!

Dave will still be doing SLR Saturday morning for those wanting to come to the regular SLR. Please join him for between 5-8 miles.

After a step back week last week, I will be running 13 miles Friday morning. Please join me for some or all of it.

So, to recap:

GLITTER BALL ALTERNATE SLR FRIDAY MORNING 6:30AM
AMERICAN CLUB FRONT GATE

REGULAR SLR SATURDAY MORNING 6:30AM
AMERICAN CLUB FRONT GATE

SLR report: 26 September

2009-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

We had a nice group of runners Saturday morning. Thanks for coming out! Our route was a familiar one. We headed towards Basundhara (still no bamboo bridge!) and ran down 'the' nice shaded street near the kids playground.

Don't let the barricades slow you down on this street. The secruity guard usally only manages a half-hearted 'madam, problem' as I cruise by. I like to wave and say thank you on my return, though! Some folks did just over 6 miles, others about 8 miles and another 11. We all ran nice and SLOW as it was a HOT one out there! We were sorry we missed JR and Kelly-our marathon training faction that left just after us, keeping their own SLR pace. Sorry we missed Irina coming into town, Andrew heading out of town, and other runner friends that decided to either run on their own or decided it was a good day to sleep in! Hope to see you back running with us soon!
Join us this Saturday at the same time and same place as we 'step back'-we will only be running between 5-8 miles. See you then!

****If anyone is interested in running another road race, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu with your thoughts on race distance, course, etc.

EID 5K RACE A SUCCESS!

2009-09-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for coming to our Eid-ul Fitre 5K race on Monday. Kudos to all the runners that braved the rain to run for a good cause! 12,000 taka was raised for the Patient's Welfare Fund at ICDDRB hospital.

Congratulations to Greg/Zollie and Mike, our top male finishers and to Lorinda, Emily and Bela for crossing first for the ladies! Sorry no official results for this race, folks. If you know your time and place, feel free to email me, otherwise we'll get you next time!

Stay tuned for info on our next race...either an Oktoberfest or Halloween run. Send Robin your ideas for other races, charities to donate to or any comments to rmartz@umich.edu

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR SATURDAY LONG RUN (SLR) AT 6:30AM THIS SATURDAY IN FRONT OF THE AMERICAN CLUB GATE. WE WILL HAVE A GROUP RUNNING BETWEEN 6-8 MILES AND ANOTHER RUNNING 12 MILES.

SEE YOU THEN!!!

Eid-ul Fitre 5K race Monday 9/21 10AM

2009-09-16T02:03:00.001-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club is hosting a 5k fundraising race on

Monday, September 21st at 10:00am

The 5K course is 2-loops around Baridhara and will start at the intersection of United Nations Road and Road # 10.

Prizes for the fastest male and female finishers!

100% of race proceeds will go to the ICDDR,B Dhaka Hospital “Patients’ Welfare Fund”.

The objectives of this fund are to purchase blood for transfusion, medications, clothes, life saving diet for persistent diarrhoea cases, attendants for very sick patients without a companion, transportation costs and admission fees for referral cases to other hospitals.

Please come out and run and even if you can’t, please consider making a donation or giving your “zakat” money to the hospital’s “Patients’ Welfare Fund” c/o Md. Ramzan Ali, Manager Hospital Administration.

500 taka race fee due at sign in (9:45AM)

Please pre-register by emailing Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

September 12th SLR-a great turnout!

2009-09-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we missed certain people at SLR this morning (yeah, you know who you are!) but we saw some new faces, which was great! We welcomed SIX runners this morning to SLR. Jaden, Dave, Nanou, Sabiena, Robin and Kyla.

Dave and Jaden ran into Baridhara for a nice easy 5-miler. Also in Baridhara, Dave ran into JR and Kelly, (who we hope to see at SLR next week!) both in training for the Khon Kaen marathon in Thailand in January.

The ladies decided to go with Robin to Basundhara for an 8-miler. We ran down a beautiful tree-lined street with a huge rising sun ahead of us. Just beautiful. If not for the heat and humidity, it would have been perfect. We were so comfortable chatting away, that we had to call Nanou and Sabiena back as they ran right past the 4-mile turn around point!

The 8 miles was a stretch for some and with the heat and humidity it was a tough run, even with the great company. The group ran back to the ARA and was advised to drink lots of water and gatorade and add some salt to their food today. :)

We will run next week, same place and same time. Dave will likely lead any runners who'd like to run 6-7 miles and Robin will be doing 10. Please join us!

Make sure to bring water or gatorade with you!

SLR resumes at new time: 6:30AM Saturdays

2009-09-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful holiday in Canada. The DTC is back. We will resume SLR this Saturday. New time is 6:30AM. It is still dark at 6AM now and it is starting to cool down a bit. We will start with short-ish long runs (~6 miles/10K) and then slowly work up to our regular 10-13+ mile range(15-20k). We meet at the front gate of the American Recreation Club (ARA) located on Rd. 67 in Gulshan-2. See you Saturday!

ARA front gate 6:30AM: 6 mile/10K

We are considering hosting a Eid-ul-Fitre 5K. Let us know if you are interested. Email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

Dave and Robin finishing the Golden Trails 1/2 marathon last month in Timmins, Ontario.

The Dhaka Triathlon Club is still on vacation!

2009-08-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have been so silent. Things (as they always are) were quite busy before we left on holiday in early August. We will be returning to Dhaka in about one week's time. We look forward to the fall and some group training and roadraces.

We will continue the following activities and welcome you to join us: morning and Masters swimming at the American School (AIS/D), spin classes at Re-Fit, early morning week-day road rides, week-end mountain bike rides hosted by Ken, running tempo and speed workouts and our signature "Saturday Long Run".

See you soon!
The Dhaka Triathlon Club
Robin & David Martz

PS Here is a link to the race results from the Golden Trails 1/2 marathon we ran in Timmins, Ontario last week-end. How about the local kid beating the Kenyan? Gotta love a small town race!

http://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=45356

SLR on 20 June 2009

2009-06-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

Please join Robin and Dave and the rest of the Dhaka Trathlon Club this Saturday! We will leave at 6AM from the ARA. We will be 'stepping back' to 10 miles, but AS ALWAYS, runners can run any distance. Lorinda is just over a week away from running the KL half marathon! So, lets come out and join her as she tapers and wish her luck!

SATURDAY 6:00AM ARA 10 miles

Will Smith’s Race Report: WestPoint Lake Sprint Triathlon

2009-06-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

600 yard swim (20:29) + 15 mile bike (50:57) + 5K run (28:17) = Final time of 1:43:06

My primary motivation for giving this a shot was to have another opportunity to have a good time with my brother (he has done several of these). My goal for my 6 months in the States was to run a marathon and do a Sprint Tri. I’m happy to report that mission has been accomplished, plus a half-marathon trail run! I am so blessed!

I just barely pulled it together in time for this Sprint Triathlon. First of all, my nutrition and training really dropped off about a month ago. The thought of returning to South Asia has us all busy trying to fit in fun experiences and over indulging in fun foods. My swim training has also been very irregular. I think I did four mile long workouts of easy freestyle in preparation (no open water training). I got my bike about two weeks before the race and fit in one 18 mile ride. My clip-in bike shoes arrived the day before the race! O’well, besides just spending time with family, I just wanted to experience a Tri to learn, not so much to compete (good thing!)

The swim was an out and back that went around two bois and skirted a small island. In the excitement, I started out way to fast. It wasn’t long until I was feeling the pressure of people swimming up beside me. Then the water got really choppy and my mouth filled with water a couple of times when turning to breath. I really needed a few good breaths and ended up having to dog padel to get them. When I stopped, I felt like a rock and had a brief, and private, panic attack. I was actually looking for a boat to call out to for help, but none were around. I just started easing toward the island and seriously considered quitting. When I got to some shallow water, I noticed several guys walking to catch there breath. I did the same and managed to pull it together. I headed out with a slower pace and found a comfortable rhythm. On the final stretch, I felt pretty strong and felt great when I hit land.

Transition 1 was uneventful, but not really fast (1:52). More room for improvement.

The bike was a blast! Yes, I managed to get clipped in. No, I did not fall over when I came in for T2 (by God’s grace!). I could tell the clip shoes were giving me more control and power on each rotation. A lot of folks passed me on their 2-5K bikes, but I did overtake a few folks myself. It felt good to be racing.

At T2 (1:37), for some idiotic reason, I decided to run without socks. I know… stupid. I had never trained without socks. What made think this was a good idea? I dun’ no. Anyway, it didn’t take long before I felt a holes being rubbed into both of my arches. Ouch! By the end of the race I had some fat blisters. Before that, however; I experienced to joy of running like a man who’s legs felt like they were just run over by a truck. BRICK training would have also been a good idea. Even with the pain of hot spots, after the first mile I got my legs back and started to feel much stronger on the run. I was pretty pumped when I finally smocked a 65 year old guy I had been trailing for half of the run.

Despite the fact that I had no open water experience, very little bike training and such a painful run; I really had a great time and would love the chance to do it again. We need to do one of these in Dhaka!

Joyfully in Christ,
Will

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN DHAKA!

2009-05-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Joey Delacruz 0172 769 1383 joeden15@yahoo.com

Physiotherapist (certificate), fitness instructor and masseuse
Requires doctors referral for first consultation
Specializes in musculoskeletal injuries and sports rehab/management
Consultation and treatment (one visit) = 1500 taka
60-90 minute therapeutic massage = 1500 taka
Does home visits

(Currently working on getting: licensed to practice in Bangladesh and ultrasound equipment)

ANOTHER PT RESOURCE:

At Apollo hospital, Dr. Araf is a board-certified rehab medicine specialist who evaluates patients, designs PT programs and has a staff of 4 physiotherapists that carry out the rehab.

Their group has gotten good reviews as people have been pleased with the treatment and the cost is minimal.

***The DTC provides this information for the benefit of its members and does not endorse any specific provider***

SLR NOW STARTING AT 6AM!!!

2009-05-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY LONG RUN WILL NOW BEGIN AT 6AM!!!

Due to the intense heat, please join Robin, Dave and the other DTC regulars at 6AM (instead of 6:30am) for the Saturday Long Run leaving from the ARA front door. We will have folks running anywhere from 10-20K. Please bring plenty of water and electrolyte drink and wear a hat and sunglasses!

See you then!

Will Smith's Granite Grinder Half-Marathon Race Report

2009-05-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

On April 19th, 2009

Since I am planning to return to Bangladesh in July, and will have few race opportunities (except for DTC races, or course!), before I had even completed my first marathon in March, I wanted to have another race on the calendar.

The Granite Grinder is a trail run that meanders through miles of trails at the Centennial Olympic Horse Park (the location for all of the 1996 Olympic equestrian events) in Conyers, Georgia. The fun of the race was the diversity of the course. We ran across large open fields and many different kinds of wooded trails. Since the paths where narrow, I really had to surge forward in open areas and make quick passed in the wood. The steep dirt hills, stream crossing, and mud patches where added hazards that kept things interesting. Perhaps most unique, and the reason for the races name, were the vast patches of granite moonscape we traversed several times during the race.

Being so soon after the marathon, my goal was to attempt my marathon pace (10 minute), not whip out, and enjoy the outdoors. As an added treat, my daughter Katie (11) decided to come along to cheer dad on. She jumped right in as a volunteer at a water table, made new friends and had a great time.

Before the race, I was reading Jeff Galloway’s marathon training book and was fascinated by his advice about walk breaks. There are all different kinds of walk/run ratios for different levels of training, but the idea is that by giving your muscles a break early and regularly during a race, one can avoid leg soreness and run faster longer, more than compensating for lost time in the later part of a race or long run. This certainly made sense, especially after my marathon experience, so I decided to give it a try.

I probably didn’t rest as often as Jeff would recommend, but from the beginning I would run 10 minutes and walk 1 minute. As I pulled to the side to walk, I actually got comments from people like, “hey, don’t give up!” and one lady said, “Hey, don’t walk. I’ve been trying to catch up with you.” But when my one minute walk break was over I would take off and almost always pass whoever passed me during a walk break. Sometimes they would pass me later, during my next walk break, but I would usually pass them again and eventually not see them later in the race. This is probably because I was able to maintain a faster pace for more of the race than most other folks could with continuous running. At least that is what Galloway would say and that sure seemed to be what was happening. This walk/run method helped me keep a comfortable marathon pace and complete in 2:08:00 over some challenging terrain, so I will probably us it in the future to help me go further on long training runs and future races.

Joyfully in Christ,
Will

2009 ING Georgia Marathon Race Report by Will Smith

2009-05-21T01:56:00.000-07:00

I had always considered myself an active person, maybe even athletic, but after several years of pursuing degrees, raising a young family and adapting to the environment of our new Dhaka home, I suddenly realized that describing myself as athletic was really a distant memory, not a present reality. My re-entry into the running lifestyle began with a couple of DTC SLR’s, but really took off after the Habitat for Humanity race on April 25th. That race did it for me. After that I was on my way back to regular running.

It wasn’t long before I felt the need for a formidable fitness goal. Since I was looking forward to my six month state-side assignment in Atlanta and was looking for something fun to do with my brother (who competes regularly in Sprint Triathlons), I called him up and talked him into signing up for the ING Georgia marathon.

Making the commitment, putting it on the calendar and actually registering for the race (non-refundable) did wonders for my running, but I still had a lot to learn about training. Since I didn’t want to admit I was a “beginner” or “novice” I started out with a training program that was way too aggressive, but worse than that, I really did not appreciate the training process and the time required for one’s body to develop the endurance necessary for a marathon distance. My mentality was, “the more miles the better, run through the pain, push, push, push!” I remember my SLR buddies talking about taking it easy and giving time to recover, but I just wasn’t hearing them. I had a big goal and my aggressive type A personality was just love’n it.

In my zeal, I was breaking all the training rules, but my biggest mistake was simply over training. This all came to a head in November, when 2 miles into a run, I experienced a sudden sharp pain just below my left lateral knee. I could walk, with discomfort, but running was unbearable. After a couple of weeks of this pain, I finally got it scanned and discovered it was a stress fracture. Treatment? You guessed it. No running for at least six weeks. Oh well, there goes the marathon idea; but maybe not. After 6 weeks, I was back in the States, well rested and all geared up for some cold weather running on some delightfully quiet American roads. In this three month period before the March 29th race, I had steadily increased my long-run distance to a whopping 22.5 miles! This was the closest I was able to get to marathon distance before it was time to taper for the big show.

Talk about nervous. I tossed and turned the whole night before the race. It was a relief to hear the alarm go off that morning. My brother and I ate some oatmeal and a banana and headed for the subway. Not trusting the clothing drop-off system at the race, we about froze to death waiting for the race to begin. Rusty and I exchanged some final encouraging words as he split off to find his 3:40 pace group (which he stayed with for the entire race! His first marathon! Wow!). I, on the other hand, joined the 4:30 group, but not for long.

The energy of the crowd, the excitement of the endeavor and the amazing urban atmosphere (especially in contrast to Dhaka) was so exciting for me. When the gun went off, and the crowd began to creep ahead, even though I knew most of the folk around me were doing the half-marathon, I decided not to resist the urge ease ahead to a faster pace group. My goal was 4:30, but before I knew it I had passed the 4:20 and the 4:10 groups. My spontaneous new strategy was to see if I could shave at least 10 minutes off my goal but start in the 4:10 group just to create some buffer.

For the first 8 miles, I felt awesome. The city was beautiful, the crowd was fun and I was just pumped to finally be on my way. My first pang of reality hit when I approached a huge sign that read “Half-Marathon, Turn Right”, and I watched 90% of my running companions leave me with a slightly slower and much sparser field of runners. The intensity of these runners was noticeable and sobering. I could tell from determination on their faces and the cheers of admiration from the spectators that this was going to be a long and tough journey and I had better find my rhythm and settle into my own pace.

The beautiful homes, parks and the interesting people made it easy to occupy my mind, but at mile 13 the strain on my legs had become a persistent ache and I was almost startled when the 4:10 pace group seemed to blow right past me. I tried to keep up with a couple of surges, but came to my senses and returned to my rhythm. My breathing was great and my body temperature felt perfect (55F outside), but the muscle ache was there to stay. I stayed fueled up with Power Gels and sports drink and gave myself some 60 second rest breaks at the water stations.

From this point forward, I just kept those doggies move’n. Several times, especially toward the end, a simple thought would dominate my mind “this hurts and I want to stop”, which was followed by “well then stop, dummy”. Then I would think “Wait a minute! This is what you spent all that time and energy training for, so don’t stop, it is supposed to hurt”. I remember me regularly asking myself “Is it physically possible to keep running?” “Well… yes.” “Then don’t stop, just make it to that next corner and reassess.” And that is exactly what I did. I kept negotiating with myself over and over, until I finished the race with very minimal walking.

Some of my friends know that I have my own personal cheering squad. They are my 12, 11 and 6 year old daughters, my 5 year old son and my amazing wife, Carol. It was such an encouragement to be greeted by their cheers. They managed to see me again at two other spots on the course and met me shortly after my finish. As I approached the end I was determined to finish strong, for them. I also stopped thinking about how many miles I had already done. Instead, I would pretend I was just stepping out for a 6, 5, 4, etc. mile run. I can do that! In fact, it felt kind of like the beginning of my runs when I was over training. Been there, done that, so press on! You get the idea. Just more mind games that got me to the finish.

My finish included a little surge to get past a guy I had my eye on for about 3 miles. My final time was 4:20:58 and I was thrilled to realize I had achieved all of my goals. I finished, I had fun, I spent some good times with my brother, I took minimal walk break, I felt “good” at the end, my kids got to see their Daddy follow through on a challenging goal and I finished with a desire to do it again some day. I could not be more pleased.

I really want to give a special thanks to Robin and Dave (Guys, you better include this if you use this report!). If they had not started the DTC I probably would have never found the motivation to pursue my dream of running a marathon. Every time I seemed a little discouraged and would say during a steamy SLR “Man, I just can’t imagine running a marathon”, they would always encourage me to just keep at it and be patient. Thanks for investing in people. I thank God for the pleasure of knowing your family.

Joyfully in Christ,
Will

Ironman China 70.3 Race Report: The Toughest Race You’ll Ever Love!

2009-04-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

by Dave Martz, Born Again Triathlete
(For Robin's race report see... http://bangladeshmartzes.blogspot.com/2009/04/ironman-china-703-race-report.html)

Whether it was swimming like a salmon up stream in the strong current of the Nandu River, enduring a stiff headwind and slight up-hill climb for the first 20 miles of the bike, or battling the +42C heat and humidity of the brutal mid-day sun, Ironman China 70.3 was race a of survival. Out of the over 200 participants that started the swim only 130 or a little over 60% crossed the finish line. For me this was one, if not the, hardest things I've completed enduring for over 7.5 hours in the elements. To put this into perspective, this took more than 2.5 hours longer than my previous 70.3, of course that race was under much better race conditions.

There were many points during the 70.3 that I seriously contemplated dropping out. However, I had many positive and motivational thoughts to keep me going. On the swim, I decided that I would continue to swim even though at some points it seemed like I wasn’t making any progress because of the current. Note that the Ironman China website describes the swim, which was changed from last year, as “a sheltered swim course in the clean, slow moving waters.” Needless to say, this was a major understatement. When I finally stood up out of the water, both my legs started to cramp up from the extra hard kicking that I used through/against the current. This of course was not a good sign since I needed to get on the bike and ride 90k, and then run 21k.

After the extended swim in the endless pool where I probably swam long enough to cover 600 meters more than the required distance, I walked into T1 and again thought about dropping out. But then I remembered all the trouble that we and others went through for us to bring our tri bikes to Dhaka. To give you a sense of what it took, I had researched and bought a durable hard, double travel bike case and had it shipped to my dad where our tri bikes were being stored. My dad then took our bikes and the travel case to have the bikes broken down and packed in the case. He even bought Robin two new rims for her bike when the bike shop found a crack in her front rim. He then paid to have them shipped to where we would be staying in Dallas. We then carted the bikes/case back from Dallas to Houston (back of Honda Odyssey), from Houston to Dhaka (on two long-haul BA flights) and then from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur to Haikou (on two Air Asia flights). Not to mention the fact that we had to pay excess baggage charges for the over-weight bike case, which of course had two bikes. When I thought about all this during my walk to T1, I realized that I had to get on the bike and ride hoping that this would help loosen up the leg cramps.

After spending nearly 10 minutes in T1 carefully pulling on socks and putting on bike shoes in such a way to avoid cramping, I walked to my lone bike (there were maybe 10-20 bikes left out of 600 that started both distances that morning) and walked out the TA. I got on my bike and started to ride, unfortunately I wasn’t able to ride very hard trying to keep my heart rate (HR) low and to avoid my legs cramping. The first 20 miles were in a headwind and slightly up hill, two negative forces which slowed me down. A number of 140.6 triathletes cruised by me on their second lap. While no 70.3 participants passed me, not many were behind me to pass. I was able pass a handful of 70.3ers on this stretch despite the wind pushing against me either as a stiff headwind or crosswind. Despite these challenges, I kept positive thoughts like “you're on an open road with a wonderful surface, enjoy it because you can’t do this in Dhaka!”

As I chugged along at a slow to moderate pace, the wind continued to whistle by me. About the time I started to get in a rhythm, I was brought back to reality. The grassy median that the divided 4-lane highway was roped off with pink police-like tape to keep our lanes closed to traffic. Well one of the pieces of tape had broken free and started whipping wildly in the wind just as I was rolling over it. However, instead of running over it as I had planned, it got caught up in my front wheel casing, cranks, and rear derailleur. I went another 10 feet or so before my bike came to a grinding halt.

I got off my bike to assess the situation and concluded pretty quickly it was just fubarred. Just then two bike course marshals stopped to ask if I was okay and assisted me with untangling it. After a couple of minutes of trying to untangle the mess, I realized that it would be much simpler to take the wheels off and get the tape off. This speeded things up. In the end, I probably was on the side of the road for 5-7 minutes, which was much longer than any time penalty. I realized that the handful of people I had passed, had now passed me back.

Soon after this unplanned pit stop, I came up to a km marker and thought I feel like I should be halfway. However, the sign read 30km mark or 1/3rd the course in about 1:16. At this rate I would finish the bike course nearly 1 hour slower than my Eagleman bike time. Once I got to the midway point, the course changed took us through some small villages. While the road quality wasn’t as nice as the tarmac on the highway, this was offset by the wonderful villagers who came out to cheer us on. Also, it was during this stretch of 10-15km that we were able to climb some short yet welcome hills, which forced me out of the saddle and allowed me to ride in a different position than aero bars. After a rather nice descent, we headed back towards Haikou on the wonderful highway; however, this time the wind was either at our backs or neutral at worst. Once I accepted the fact that my biked time was going to be a PW for me, I just tried to enjoy it as much as possible. I even stopped for a couple of minutes at an Aid Station to fill up my bottle with Gatorade. Things were going okay until I reached the 85km mark, and my left quad started to cramp up so I slowed down even more. Eventually, I made it back to the TA and took another 10 minutes or so in T2 to carefully change my socks and shoes and replenish my nutrition.

I then walked through the TA and embarked on the 13.1km slog. I started out running, but quickly realized that something wasn’t right when my HR shot up to 160, and I should say I wasn’t running very fast to justify this. So I started walking till my HR came down to 130. After walking for about five minutes, I started running (at best maybe 10 minutes pace); however, my HR shot back up again only after about two minutes. I continued this run-walk-run approach for the first few klicks before I realized I really needed to get my corps temperature under control. At the next Aid Station, I loaded up with cold sponges and chunks of ice blocks in my shirt. This seemed to work as my HR didn’t spike up when I started to run, really jog. It was a little after the 5km mark that both my legs started to cramp up. So back to the run-walk-run approach I’d been using. However, I noticed that when I walked I still had the cramps and when I ran they didn’t get worse, at least not yet. I then focused on a new strategy, run to the next Aid Station, which were about 1.5-2km apart, stop and load up on Gatorade, ice and sponges.

I should mention something about the run course here. They designed it so that you ran out 5km, turned around and ran back 5km to the TA, and passed it at the 10km mark. While this made managing logistics (e.g., Aid Stations and Medical Tent) easier for the race organizers and volunteers, this really tested whether you wanted to continue on with the run. For the people doing the 140.6, they had to pass the TA three times as they had to complete two loops of the course. Imagine having to run by your bike and keep the idea out of your mind that you could just stop, pick up your bike and things and jump on the bus back to the hotel. For me, I had to fight the urge to stop running and again drop out. Even though I wasn’t even to the halfway point, I started saying the mantra “just get to the finish line” when I started to see the TA and began to run by it. Fortunately, my mind and will prevailed, and I ran past the TA only stopping at the Aid Station to refill my shirt with ice and cold sponges, as well as get more Gatorade. I think it was about this time that I started dowsing my head and face with cold water.

I have to say that the second half of the run is a bit of a blur. I just slogged along from one Aid Station to the next. There were points later in the race where I saw Robin, who I’d been chasing the minute we stepped into the water. The last few km were designed, again to torture us with out and backs. While it was nice to see Robin a few times and have an idea how many minutes I was behind her, it’s very unsettling to know be within sight and earshot of the finish only to have to turn around and run away from it. The last five km were definitely the most difficult part of the race. I was drained from being out the sun, and the cramping in my legs was getting worse. Even though my gait probably looked more painful for the spectators to watch, I get going. However, just as I felt that I was getting closer to the finish and could even hear them announcing finishers, my bubble burst when one of the course volunteers said, “you’re almost there, just ONE MORE KILOMETER.” This coupled with the fact that I heard Robin’s name being announced at the finished really took what little steam I had left in my engines. As many endurance athletes are familiar with the idea of hitting the wall, this was the most profound of the many walls that I’d hit that day. At this point, I thought let’s walk for a few minutes. This little respite was just enough to allow me to run the last little bit and cross the finish line!

I look back on the day and am amazed that I was able to overcome the physical and psychological challenges that confronted me. It also made me realize that our training in Dhaka either would need to be adjusted or the distance and race conditions we do are reduced. At the end of the day, I’m satisfied with the accomplishment of being 124 out of the 130 to finish the race.

My Quick Stats:
Swim: 01:13:34, 155 out of 162 who finished the swim
T1: 8:05
Bike: 03:26:11, 112 out of 160 who finished the bike
T2: 10:00
Run: 02:39:55, 82 out of 130 who finished the run
Overall: 07:37:44, 124 out of 130 who finished the 70.3

Hello DTC'ers!

2009-04-09T02:21:00.000-07:00

We are still running every Saturday morning, 6:30AM from the American Club. Please join us for a run at ANY distance. We have runners going from 5-15 miles these days.

It is getting HOT, so please bring water and/or an electrolyte drink, sunglasses and hat.

This will be our last SLR before Ironman China 70.3! That race takes place in Haikou, China (Hainan Island) on April 19th. Wish us (Dave and Robin) luck!

Stay cool Dhaka runners and triathletes!!!

Race Report & Results - St. Patrick's Day 5K

2009-03-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

On March 20th, the Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted the St. Patty's Day 5K. For an event that was organized in just a few days - based on demand from club members - there were nearly 30 participants, which is a good turnout.

While the overall race times were better compared to runners previous race paces (8K Turkey Trot and Halloween 5K), Greg ("Red") and Amy ("Fern"), out local dynamic duo, were the male and female first place finishers. It is worth noting that Fern was just a few seconds behind Red and looks to be on a trajectory to take be the overall winner in the next event.

We'd like to thank all the runner and walker participants for coming out and congratulate them on finishing. We also extend our appreciationt to JR for volunteering his time and helping make it a safe and fun event for everyone. BTW, the large arrows he used to mark the course are still there in case anyone would like to host a 5K, 7.5K, or 10K this weekend.

Regarding the next event, please email us if you have any suggestion on possible dates, distance, format, etc. and would like to volunteer to organize/support.

Since we are the Dhaka Triathlon Club, we are very keen to organize a sprint distance tri (swim: 400m, bike: 10k, run: 5k) very soon before it gets too hot. Please email us if you're interested in participating (individually or relay) or would be willing to volunteer as a signup, bike safety checker, lap counter, timer, etc. Also, it was mentioned that not everyone interested in doing a sprint have a bike. If this is the case, I'm sure that we could help arrange loaners for people.

St. Patrick's Day 5K

2009-03-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club is hosting a St. Patrick's Day 5K race this Friday at 8AM in Baridhara

Race begins on the corner of Road 10 and UN Road at 8AM sharp. Cost is 100 taka. The flyer will be posted at the ex-pat clubs today, but please help SPREAD THE WORD!

Email Dave at dmartz@umich.edu if you are interested in volunteering. I will be on a plane to the US and will not be around to help.

Thanks and have a great race!

Dhaka Tri is still running!

2009-03-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long silence. The DTC founders took a quick trip to the USA. While there, Dave and Robin ran in the Texas Half Marathon in Dallas. Weather was great but the bowls of chili and multiple helpings of cornbread the night before did not help the runners get a PR! OH well, it was fun!

Saturday Long Runs continue. We start at 6:30AM in front of the American Club. March 7th we had a group run 6 miles, another runner ran 8 and two more did 10. Please join us for any distance you like.

Swimming continues at the American School. Pool is open all week day mornings from 6-7AM. Masters swimmers are also there 9:30AM-11:30AM on Fridays.

Is anyone interested in running a St. Patrick's Day 5K or 10K? if interested, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu. We are EXTREMELY busy, but if there is enough interest, we will plan a race! Hope to hear from you soon!

Marathon Madness

2009-01-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

Marathon Madness
By Jonathan Dunn

January 28, 2009

This past week took me to Laos to visit friends, followed by a drive to Khon Kaen, Thailand, where I ran my first marathon, and a quick trip to Bali via Singapore. It turned out to be a perfect way to experience my first marathon. The run itself was part of a busy week, which helped me not to focus too much on the crazy pursuit I was staring in the face in Khon Kaen.

I’ve concluded that Laos is a fantastic place to visit, even though I was there for only two days and did not leave the capital Vientiane, so missed much of what the country has to offer. The contrast with Dhaka could not be greater. Vientiane is a city of around half a million, dead quiet (what a joy) with no air pollution to speak of, full of sidewalk cafes with excellent food and shops selling Lao handicrafts, and host to the brewery producing the highly respectable Beer Lao, which is easy to enjoy when sitting at ‘The Deck’ on the north bank of the Mekong River. Aside from enjoying the city’s pleasures, I received royal treatment from my hosts Mathilde, Stefan, Christoph and Leonard. My first morning there, I emerged from my room to find the table spread with a breakfast of fresh mango, passion fruit and cantaloupe; smoked salmon and ham; fresh, warm baguettes and cinnamon rolls; and fresh coffee and juice. Life does not get much better.

I took advantage of my visit to Laos to pursue my textile hobby. Mathilde and Stefan found a number of workshops that are busily reviving the Lao silk industry and weaving culture, from the planting of mulberry trees and the harvesting of silk from cocoons right through the production and dyeing of silk yarns and weaving of traditional and modern textiles. Some weaving takes place in the workshops themselves, though the majority is farmed out to weavers at hundreds of looms in villages throughout northern Laos. I came away with something old and something new. The textile places I liked most were Mai Savanh Lao—run by a couple from Alsace focused on rebuilding the whole chain of Lao silk textile production—and Carol Cassidy’s Lao Textiles, where modern textiles are woven using Lao motifs.

After two relaxing days in Vientiane, on the second of which I did my last 2-mile training run, Stefan drove me to Khon Kaen. As we entered Khon Kaen from the north, we made our way to the Golden Jubilee Hall on the campus of Khon Kaen University (KKU), where I picked up my race pack. Stefan dropped me at my hotel downtown and began his journey north for a bit of Home Depot style shopping in Udon Thani before reaching home that evening. I spent the remainder of my pre-race day eating a large late lunch with Robin Martz (and her unbelievably cute daughter Caroline), also there from Dhaka to run the marathon, and then a more moderate dinner with Robin, Lauren Moriarty, and Lauren’s friends Ismail and Nadia Asmal, in from Bangkok and Hanoi, respectively. Lauren and Nadia were there to run the half marathon, and Ismail came along as the support crew.

Prior to getting on hotel shuttle to go to the start (3:30AM)

I managed to sleep about 4 hours and then rose to my usual routine of instant oatmeal and a banana before a long run. Robin and I met in the lobby at 0330 to catch the hotel shuttle to the start/finish line adjacent to the Golden Jubilee Hall at KKU. In the lobby we met up with a Malaysian who runs marathons without shoes! He told me later that he finished in 4h 5m, and I would say he has at least a decade on me.

I was ready for the race to start at 0430. That stage was exciting, perhaps because I did not know what lay ahead. A large number of Kenyan runners were milling about and warming up, one of whom completed the race in 2h 13m. I am not sure what one can say to put that time in perspective.

Robin and I started the race together and kept a decent early pace—at least I thought so as a first-time marathoner—up through mile 10, at which point Robin picked up her pace. At the course’s 21-kilometer sign, after running for about 2h 15m, I became grateful that I had come to my senses a week earlier and abandoned my fantasy of completing the marathon in 4 hours—if I had run at that pace up to the halfway point I doubt I could have finished the race. Carrying my own bottle of half-strength electric blue Gatorade, I could sip whenever I wanted rather than waiting for the water and hydration stands set up along the course, though I used them regularly after the halfway point.

Since I was feeling pretty good at mile 13, I picked up my pace. My GPS showed I ran at an average pace of about 9.5 minutes for the next five miles. School kids, bands, and neighborhood groups—out of bed before dawn to cheer on a bunch of runners they don’t even know—entertained us during this stretch with dancing and music. The support teams thinned out as we headed out of town. Perhaps my favorite was a group standing along a lonely stretch of highway, gongs and brass raising a racket while cows grazed just behind them in the early morning sun.

Things went smoothly up to around mile 18, when I started to wonder what I was doing on this cool, beautiful Sunday morning in northeast Thailand. Passing the 20-mile marker made this the longest run of my life. Unfortunately, I also knew I was about to head up a long, gradual hill to the northern gate of KKU after what had been a flat course up to then.

I can hardly describe miles 22 through 24. I kept going only by talking to myself (“Yes, we can”). My pace dropped off to something well over 10 minutes per mile as I dragged myself up a 2.5-mile uphill stretch. I have done some mountain climbing, and that stretch felt like climbing a steep snow slope with a 15-kilogram backpack at altitudes above 5,000 meters. Each step was a struggle as my run became a primarily mental exercise. As I crested the hill and entered the flat spot leading to the KKU Gate, I suddenly knew I would be able to finish.

The last 2+ miles of the Khon Kaen course wind downhill gently along a shaded road through the KKU campus. Large groups of students, with another band playing music with gusto, cheered us on along that stretch. In normal circumstances that tarmac would be a pleasant place to run, but I was not soaking in the beauty of the campus at that point. I was especially grateful to my Gatorade security blanket because I could not bear the thought of breaking my pace to drink from a water station.

When Stefan and I had driven into the KKU campus the day before, we happened to drive down the last 2 miles of the racecourse. As I rounded what I knew would be the last turn before seeing the gates around another corner, I saw Robin ahead and heard her cheering me on. I have rarely been happier to see anyone in my life. Just before I crossed the finish line I glanced up to see a time of 4:31:11 on the clock above the lane next to me. I went immediately to the timing chip return station to collect my medal, at which point I burst into tears. I doubt anyone can accurately describe the emotional rush after that first finish—it would be like putting words to the experience of driving through Dhaka. You have be there to believe it.

Post-marathon and back at the hotel (9:30AM)

After eating a large and healthful breakfast with Robin around 1030, I took a break in my room. Soon food beckoned from the shopping mall across the street, where I gorged on fried pork dumplings, a chocolate-filled waffle, and a Dairy Queen ice cream cone. ** I then had the best full-body massage of my life. After I enjoyed some blueberry cheesecake and a café latte, Robin and I joined up for the ride to the airport. We topped off the evening with delicious cheeseburgers, cold beer, and chocolate milkshakes at 2200 in the Novotel at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport.

Post-post marathon bliss

JR, I missed you very much at the marathon and wish you could have joined us. It’s a small consolation, but I did bring back some nice wine for us to share. You may have company for the Phuket marathon in June—at least along half the course and, most importantly, for cold beer afterward. Karen and Mathilde are thinking about training for the half marathon, and I can see doing that as well. Robin, you cannot imagine how grateful I am that you were in Khon Kaen—I would not have enjoyed the experience nearly as much without you and Caroline there. Nadia and Ismail, it was a pleasure to meet you in Thailand. Lauren, I look forward to seeing you soon in Dhaka and thank you for your support and for introducing us to your friends.

** Robin asked me later if I had my cone dipped in chocolate. I responded that I am of two minds about the dip. It tastes good, but it interferes with that indescribable combination of melting DQ vanilla ice cream mixing with a crunchy light cone, so no dip for me.

Khon Kaen marathon race report

2009-01-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

A healthy contingent of runners from Dhaka ran in Khon Kaen, Thailand this past week-end. Lauren ran the half marathon; Robin and Jonathan ran the full-marathon (his first race longer than a 10K! Look for his own blog on the race to be posted here real soon!).

Travel to Khon Kaen, Thailand
I left Dave and Catherine in Dhaka and traveled with baby Caroline, now 4.5 months old and still nursing, to Thailand for this race. I had a babysitter through the hotel to watch her during the actual race. We took the Friday Thai flight, spent a quick overnight in Bangkok and then took an early flight to Khon Kaen. We were delayed in Bangkok and sat on the tarmac for over 2 hours, but baby Caroline was a little sweetie, not bothered at all by the delay. We arrived in Khon Kaen, checked into the hotel and ventured out to find the expo and pick up my race bag. I decided against taking her in the sling and opted for the stroller, trying to save my lower back and legs for the next day’s race. I ran into Lauren and her good friends, Ismail (#1 spectator) and his daughter Nadia (also running the half marathon) on my way out of the expo. We made a plan to eat an early dinner at the hotel that evening.

Khon Kaen marathon super supporters, Ismail and baby Caroline

Night before the KK marathon
This was going to be my 3rd night in a row of VERY little sleep, so I planned to get to bed early! I got to talk to Dave and our friend JR, who had planned on running but had to drop out when he got injured on his last 20-miler on New Year’s Day. I finally got baby Caroline to sleep and then set out all my gear. The last thing I HAD to do before I could go to bed, was pump, so Caroline had milk while I was at the race. I had a problem with my breast pump and after trying to problem solve it for a long time including paying a bell boy to run out and buy batteries, I finally ended up giving up (after NOT pumping!) and hitting the sack at nearly midnight! My wake-up call was for 2:45AM. Good times. I TRIED not to stress. Yeah right, I was beside myself. I fell asleep with visions of a beautiful baby screaming of starvation while I tried to run 26 miles with engorged breasts, rising fever and impending staph infection. I thought of not doing it. I slept fitfully.

Lauren & Nadia enjoying a pre-race carb loading meal of Pad Thai!

RACE DAY: early morning
I woke Caroline up at 2:30AM to feed her. Thankfully, she did. I then HAND expressed for about 20 minutes and got ONE ounce. The babysitter arrived at 3:15AM. I wished her luck with the one ounce and headed downstairs to catch the 3:30AM shuttle from our hotel to the race start. I snapped a pre-race photo of 1st time marathoner; Jonathan and we hopped on the bus. The shuttle was full but quiet. We met an older Thai (?) man that was going to run the full marathon with NO shoes! (We saw him afterwards…he ran a 4:05…faster than both of us!)

The Dhaka runners in Khon Kaen (Lauren, Robin, baby Caroline & Jonathan)

Just before the start
We arrived at the start with plenty of time. There was not ONE portapotty as they relied on the public restrooms at the convention center (about 10 stalls in the ladies!). The race was only a few hundred for the full, more for the half and even more for the 10K I think. Under a thousand runners in total, I was told. We ran into Lauren, Nadia and her dad. They had just arrived from their hotel for the half marathon which began at 5:45AM. We wished them luck and headed for the start. Jonathan and I entered the starting corral (after seeing Spider-Man stretching), started our Garmin watches and waited for the gun. It was pitch dark but there was a buzz in the air.

Marathon begins!
The gun went off at precisely 4:30AM. We started off slow (the plan, of course) and ran into a couple of American women-one from Boston, just graduated from BU who was traveling around the world and running a marathon on every continent. This was her 3rd marathon, I think, in a few months. The other woman was from San Fran area and had completed a 50-miler recently.

Jonathan and Robin just before getting on the shuttle (3:30AM-race day)

Start to Mile 10
Jonathan and I ran together for the first 10 miles (about a 10:30 pace) and then I realized that we were much slower than our hoped for 4-hour marathon pace. I hadn’t looked at my Garmin because it was so dark and I didn’t think it had a light (thanks Jonathan for pointing out that feature!).

First time marathoner, Jonathan, before the race

Mile 10
I decided to pick up the pace at mile 10 and so I wished Jonathan luck and tried to speed up. I dropped to a 9:30 pace and still didn’t arrive at the half way point until almost 2:13. Clearly this was NOT going to be a sub 4-hour marathon day. I spoke to a few people along the course, mostly Thais. One man asked where I was from and when I said “America” (the most understood response in this part of the world, I have found), he raised his fist and yelled “O-ba-ma!” over and over again. The sun came up when I was about mile 14. I was hoping it wasn’t going to get too hot. Running in the dark pre-dawn is the only way I have run in Asia and it is AWESOME! I’m convinced that I would be happy running an entire marathon in the dark.

At one point along the course, there was a row of elliptical trainers and other workout equipment sitting in a long row right on the banks of a nice lake. I ran with a Thai English teacher who was a gentleman with a huge head of dark black hair and a great spring to his step. When he told me he was 57, my mouth visibly fell open. He was in great shape. Even better was when he said his brother (60 years old) was up AHEAD of us somewhere! He carried a traditional Thai flute and played it often, mostly for the volunteers, police and other spectators. There was music (traditional Thai with drums) and spectators sporadically along the course. There WERE plenty of water stops, which I was thankful for. All I ate was one pack of shot blocks and that was before I hit the half-way mark!

Mile 20
I continued to check my overall time and pace and realized I went from a projected 4:36 finish time to a 4:20, then 4:14. I hit the 20-mile mark and still felt good enough to try and make up even more time. I had run from mile 10 to mile 20 at a 9:30 pace and then at mile 20, I picked it up to an 8:30 pace. Well, you can imagine, the people were either moving really slowly at that point or were walking, so it felt good to really cruise pass people that last 10K. There was a large bridge to run over (our first real hill of the day) and then we climbed up a large hill to the entrance to the University of Khon Kaen, where the finish was located. The University was made up of rolling hills which made the last 10K for many very difficult. I just barely met my goal of reaching the 40km mark by 4 hours. I think the last 2-3 miles were nearer to an 8 minute pace (currently my tempo pace!)

The finish
I passed a couple of people the last 100m and finished strong in 4:09 and change. I was disappointed not to have broken 4 hours, but I felt good about how well I ran the 2nd half. I ran the 1st half in 2:12 and the second half in 1:57. I collected my medal, turned in my chip and went in search of some liquids. The sun was really up now and it was getting warm!

Khon Kaen marathon start (14 of 15 top male finishers were Kenyan)

Cool-down
I walked and got some fizzy orange drink and pounded 3 cups. I grabbed some water and started walking towards the finish line. I re-traced my steps until I saw Jonathan approaching (about 200m to go). I cheered and cheered for him! He looked really good for mile 26, he smiled and kept running. He finished and got his medal and THEN looked at his watch to see a time of 4:32. It was probably more like 4:30 and change. He looked as stiff and sore as I felt. We decided to get a tuk-tuk back to the hotel ASAP, get showered and hit the breakfast buffet before it closed! Plus, after no pumping, I REALLY needed to get back to the hotel and to feed baby Caroline!

Post race
“We finished” was all we could say to people that asked how we did! I found Caroline awake and cooing in the babysitter’s arms when I arrived back to my room (guilty mother’s *sigh* of relief!). The one ounce was long gone and she was hungry, but no worse for wear. We met Jonathan for breakfast and shared some marathon stories over a sumptuous breakfast buffet. Remember we had only run 10 miles together, so there was 16 miles of fun-filled excitement to catch each other up on! After breakfast I proceeded to have THREE massages which took most of the rest of the day! Caroline slept through 2 of them right in the corner of the room and the 3rd was a foot massage, so she sat on my lap and played and nursed. I did feel like that might have been the closest thing there is to heaven on earth…someone expertly massaging my sore feet after a marathon while I nurse my baby!

Robin's Splits (roughly)
5K in 32:00
10 miles in 1:42
13.1 miles in 2:12:40
20 miles in 3:20
40K in 4:00
Marathon in 4:09:11 (I think my chip time will show 4:08 and change as I started my watch about 20 seconds early)

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAUREN, NADIA AND JONATHAN FOR RUNNING GREAT RACES AND ESPECIALLY TO NADIA, RUNNING HER FIRST EVER HALF MARATHON AND JONATHAN FOR RUNNING HIS FIRST EVER FULL MARATHON. EXCELLENT JOB!!!

***Stay tuned for Jonathan’s race report coming soon!

Good luck runners!

2009-01-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

Good luck to the Dhaka runners running in Khon Kaen this coming week-end. Lauren and a friend will tackle the half-marathon course and Robin and Jonathan will run the full marathon.

JR will be sorely missed! We know he will bounce back quickly from his calf injury and be in tip-top shape for Phuket in June or any other race he chooses!!!

Dave will be in town and host SLR this Saturday at 6:30AM and will likely run about 10 miles. Join him for more or less miles.

One hour swim challenge-January 30th

2009-01-19T01:39:00.000-08:00

The American School is holding a one hour swim challenge to raise money for charity. The form is attached here. Click on it to enlarge. Find a friend to count your laps and sign up!

Masters swim class sign-up

2009-01-19T01:23:00.000-08:00

Master Swim class is being offered at the American International School/Dhaka (AISD) starting Feb. 1st. The class normally fills up quickly, so sign up soon if you want a spot! The required forms are here. Cost is 2, 000 Taka.

TRIATHLON in DHAKA: An update for 2009

2009-01-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Running updates:
SLR is still going strong. We meet Saturday mornings 6:30AM at the ARA. You can go any distance you like with the group, we run anywhere from 7-20 miles. The group is now tapering for the Khon Kaen marathon in less than 2 weeks! This Saturday we will only run 7-8 miles.

Biking updates:
Ken is leading group rides on Friday mornings. The group leaves from the Aussie club at 7:30AM. I haven't seen that Peter is back yet, but when he returns, his rides will likely continue to leave from theAussie club at 8AM Saturday mornings. Stay tuned.

If you prefer to stay inside, join Re-Fit for spinning classes Sunday, Tuesday or Thursdays 5:15PM or 6:30PM or Sundays 10AM.

Swimming updates:

Robin and Dave began their training in earnest TODAY for the China Ironman 70.3 race on April 19th in Haikou! Please join us for swim workouts Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the American School. Workouts will be between 1-2K. You must be a member of the school community to gain access. Workouts are from 6-7AM. Sign-ups will begin soon for the Masters swim program, also run through the American School. Stay tuned for details.

DTC's last update of 2008!

2008-12-31T05:37:00.000-08:00

SLR on Saturday, December 20th was quiet as most DTC'ers were away for the holidays. Robin ran a 3-mile stealth run and met Dave at the ARA at 6:30AM. Together, they ran 17 miles. It was REAL slow and hence no real soreness, just extreme HUNGER (big surprise there)! Breakfast was taken at the ARA where Gilbert sandwiches were promptly ordered!

Bike ride on Friday, December 26th led by Ken with Robin, Dave and Lauren in hot pursuit. We had nice weather, although a bit foggy at the start. We explored some nice trails and were gone about 4 hours.

SLR on Saturday, December 27th was another quiet long run with Robin and Dave. Thankfully, it was a step back week and they only ran 12 miles.

Join us for a New Year's SLR on Saturday, January 3rd at 6:30AM in front of the ARA. Dave and Robin will go 20, but join for any distance you like!

Vicotry Day Fun Run

2008-12-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

The Gulshan Youth Club is organizing a Victory Day Fun run on December 16th at 8AM. There will be an 8K run and 4K run/walk beginning at the Youth club playground located behind Wonderland on Road 109.

Entry fee is 200 Taka and 400 Taka the morning of the race. There will be 2 water stops during the race and refreshments afterwards.

The proceeds will benefit street kids.

PLEASE JOIN THE DHAKA TRIATHLON CLUB IN SUPPORTING THIS RUN/WALK ON VICTORY DAY!

DTC NEWS

2008-12-10T00:22:00.000-08:00

SLR change in day and time-ONLY for this week-end!!!

Due to the upcoming Duathlon, SLR will be run this FRIDAY morning at 6AM. Note that is a change in day AND time! There will be a group going 14 miles and one running 20 miles. Please join us for either distance or something shorter if you like.

The duathlon is being hosted by the American International School of Dhaka (AIS/D) and will be a 400m pool swim and 4K run. YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER BYTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 11. Please see previous post for more details.

EID mountain bike ride
We had a great nearly 4 hour ride led by Ken yesterday afternoon. Not too much blood and guts in the villages. In fact, it was nice seeing the shamiana’s up and hearing the blaring upbeat music. It kept us riding hard. Ken really knows the trails and took us on some new ones even for him. Ken is a super strong rider and while you are huffing and puffing to keep up through the sand, along the brick paths and rice paddies, he is way out in front pedaling like he is on a beachcomber cruising along the beach boardwalk! Dave thinks his nickname should be “Gonzo” because no matter how hard the terrain is and how hard you are pedaling, Ken is just Gone!

DTC hopes to begin an official Friday morning ride that would begin around 7 or 7:30AM probably from the Aussie club (FYI: there is another group that leaves from there Saturday morning at 8AM). Stay tuned for details. A Friday morning ride and Saturday long run would be great additions to anyone’s training regime!

SLR reports: November 29 and December 6
11/29-The group headed to Basunsdhara and over the bamboo bridge for an out and back run of 12 miles. I think this group could find and run across the bamboo bridge BLIND FOLDED! Someone asked me the other day, “About how far is it to the Basundhara playground?” I replied “3 miles”. They said “oh, okay, about 3 miles?” and I said “no, it is exactly 3 miles!” we have covered the ground enough times to know! (for those who don’t know WHERE the famed bamboo bridge is…it is just over the hill from the large basundhara playground, which sits in the NE corner of Basundhara).

12/6-A contingent of 2 runners opted for the stealth run today of 3 miles and met the others at the ARA at 6:30AM sharp. We finally made it over the BIG bridge (7 miles out from ARA) and turned around at the 7.5 mile marker. So, two runners logged 15 miles, while the early birds logged 18! Dave and Robin could not keep the 18 miler folks in their sights as they dropped the hammer a mile or so BEFORE the bamboo bridge. Great job JR and Bob for getting in such a super long run. Maybe that should be the new name of SLR? Join us for a SUPER long run! (note to newbies: super fun, NOT super long!)

PHOTO: this is not OUR bamboo bridge but is very similiar. Our bamboo bridge is the 'bridge' that we run and bike over to get into 'the country' in Dhaka.

EID mountain bike ride

2008-12-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

For those looking for a little relief from the 'slaughter' come and join us for an EID mountain bike ride.

We will be leaving from Road 79, House 1/C (Eastern-Seventy-nine) at 1:30PM on Tuesday, December 9th.

We will be gone 3-3 1/2 hours, so please bring plenty of water. Not sure the condition of the backroads vis a vis the animal carcasses, etc. so wear some old clothes! See you then!

Splash and Dash December 13th

2008-12-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

The American International School of Dhaka (AIS/D) is hosting a charity Swim/Run Duathlon!

The event will be on Saturday, December 13th at 9:00AM and includes a:

400 meter pool swim and a 4 km run

Pre-Registration is REQUIRED. No registration allowed on day of event. You must pre-register by noon on Thursday, December 11th.

ENTRY FEE is 500 taka per person.

Pick up a registration form at AIS/D in Baridhara and submit the form with money to the AIS/D Activities Office NO LATER than 12 noon on Thursday, Dec. 11th.

Meet in Gym C on Dec. 13th for pre-race organization 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Pre-race meeting at 8:40 a.m. Pre-registration REQUIRED.
Event begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Registration form includes the following:

Check One:
Individual________
Two-Person Team ________
Email: ______________________________ (to receive results)
Person #1: _____________________________Gender: ■ Male ■ Female Age: _______
Person #2: _____________________________Gender: ■ Male ■ Female Age: _______

Combinations of two-person teams are unlimited. Some examples are: boy/boy, girl/girl, girl/boy, man/man, woman/woman, man/woman, mother/daughter, father/son, etc.
Groups will be assigned according to the types of responses we get.

Must be at least 10 years old to compete in this competition.

Estimate your anticipated times (be as accurate as you can):
Person #1: 400-meter swim: __________4 km-run: ____________
Person #2: 400-meter swim: __________4 km-run: ____________

DTC 8K Turkey Trot race report

2008-11-29T23:49:00.000-08:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted an 8K Turkey Trot on Friday, November 28 at 4PM. There were lots of new faces and these new faces turned out to be FAST! A total of 26 runners completed the 8K course that started and finished at the American Recreation Club on Road 69 in Gulshan. The runners ran around Gulshan park and then over the Rickshaw bridge for a quick tour through Baridhara before turning around near the Chinese Embassy and French school and heading back to the finish.

The top male finisher came in in 30 minutes and 33 seconds and his lovely wife was hot on his heels running a smoking fast time of 31 minutes and 12 seconds!

The top male and female finishers generously donated their prizes (a pumpkin pie each!) to the 2nd place male and female finishers. The pumpkin pies went to these equally deserving and super fast runners: Matthew Aris and Sabiena Feenstra.

Top age group runners received Power Bars for their top finishing times. A special thanks to Dave Martz for taking the lead runners out on his bike, JR Rinfret, a SUPER race volunteer and to Emily Gurley for assisting the race director in a HUGE way!

Thanks to all of the participants and family members that showed up. We aim to make our races family friendly! If you would like to raise some money for your favorite Dhaka charity and help host a race, know of a good running course for training or a race, or have any feedback for us on how to make your club better, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

Thanks and we’ll see you at the next race!

8K Turkey trot

2008-11-24T04:15:00.000-08:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club is hosting a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot!

8K Run Friday November 28th 4:00PM

Start is outside the American Club front gate, Road 69 in Gulshan-2

Fastest male and female finishers receive their own pumpkin pie!

Top age groupers also will take home prizes!

100 taka race fee due at sign in (3:30PM-3:50PM)

Please pre-register by emailing Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

SLR report: November 22

2008-11-24T04:06:00.000-08:00

We headed into familiar territory by going over the bamboo bridge and out into the country for this week's SLR. 2 folks in high gear for marathon training did 14 and 16 miles respectively and 2 triathletes in training ran a mere 12 miles. A newcomer to SLR and to long distance running toughed out a 12 miler after having only completed 6 miles at any one time. Brava Irina!

NOTE: We do encourage all abilities to join us for SLR, but ask that you have run no less than 2 miles shy of the distance we are covering. (i.e. anyone attempting a 12 miler should be able to cover 10 miles comfortably). Of course, folks can join us and turn around at the playground in Basundhara (6 miles RT) or at any other point as we often run out and back routes.

As always, we will leave Saturday morning from the ARA at 6:30AM and becasue the triathlestes are tapering, we will only run between 8-10 miles.

DTC Member Spotlight-JEAN RENE (JR) RINFRET

2008-11-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

The DTC Member spotlight will be posted every few months and our first spotlight is on one of DTC's first members and shining stars, JR Rinfret! Enjoy the interview with JR below and some photos showing his great finish at the recent Halloween 5K and his wonderful sense of humor! 1. What do you do for work in Dhaka?
I’m an engineer. I work at the Local Government Engineering Department in Dhaka, in the water resources development sector.

2. What do you do for fun in Dhaka?
Our family has been here 5 years now. During our first years, we explored Bangladesh quite a lot, but somehow we are now happy with our “regular life” in Dhaka, dinners with friends, events at school, etc, spiced up with short trips outside in the region. Our family also has this thing about inviting friends over for spaghetti…

3. How long have you been swimming or biking or running?
I ran a little all my life, but I only started running a bit more “seriously” in 2007. I started long bike rides in Dhaka in 2004, with my buddy Robert K. We must have done 100 rides between 2004 and 2008.

4. Why do you swim or bike or run?
I run because I thoroughly enjoy it and it’s good for my health. Improving my time on different distances also gives a great feeling of accomplishment. I also feel good after a run, when I return home, and get insulted by my two teenage kids. Ice hockey is still my favorite sport, though, but options are rather limited in Dhaka.

5. What is your strongest/weakest discipline?
Difficult question. I am equally weak in all disciplines.

6. What are you training for right now?
Khon Kaen marathon, Thailand, 25 January 2009.

7. What is your most memorable race experience (best or worst)?
My first (and only) marathon, at the age of 50, in Khon Kaen, last year. I had no idea that pounding your body for 4-5 hours could be so fun. I am now trying to convince friends to do the same stupid thing.

8. What are some of your PRs?
My PRs are so large that they won’t even fit on this page. I did 23’48” on the DTC Halloween 5K last week, and I am quite proud of that. My only marathon was 4:37:01. That’s what the certificate says, but it must have been a mistake as I am sure it was below 3 hours. I checked Boston, and I would qualify in the “75 years and over men” group. Feels great.

9. What are you goal PRs?
I would like to run a marathon below 4 hours. I think I can get there “shortly”.

10. What is your favorite running and/or biking route in Dhaka? Outside of Dhaka?
For both running and biking, crossing the “bamboo bridge” north of Bashundara leads to the Isapur road with tons of nice trails and villages. Yesterday on the long run, the newly marathon converted Jonathan and I had Expresso GU on the Isapur bridge at mile 7…. Italian bistros don’t serve better espresso….

11. What advice would you give to a newcomer to Dhaka that is interested in beginning or continuing to swim or bike or run here?
Joint DTC! Also learn to run in the mornings… cleaner air, no traffic; you get the whole town to yourself! Join one of the biking groups, it’s a great way to get out of town, meet people, and have fun. If you like tech stuff, get a GPS… with the new Google Earth high resolution images around Dhaka, you can see where you got lost. For swimming, don’t try the Gulsan lakes.

THANKS TO JR FOR INSPIRING OTHER MEMBERS (AND NON MEMBERS!) OF THE DTC AND FOR BEING A REGULAR FIXTURE AT DTC'S SATURDAY LONG RUN (SLR)!

GOOD LUCK IN KHON KAEN, JR!!!

DTC to host TURKEY TROT!

2008-11-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

The DTC will host a Turkey Trot race on Friday, November 28th at 4PM. The race distance will likely be an 8K.

Please stay tuned to the website for more details and check the ex-pat clubs for a flyer to be posted next week.

SLR reports: November 1st and 8th

2008-11-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 1 SLR
Trying to catch up on SLR reports! November 1st a small-ish size group headed to the "beach" for a 12 miler. The beach is located just past the playground in Basundhara. We planned to run to the playground (3 miles) then the beach (another 1/2 mile) along the sand and then around Basundhara for a few miles. Robin had some GI issues and had to cut it short (THANK YOU BOB for running with me!) The longest 9 miler I have EVER run. Running 6 miles with goose bumps dreaming of my bathroom at home is not a fun way to experience a long run! JR and Dave ran strong and JR was the only one that ran the 12 miles...great job!

NOVEMBER 8 SLR
We had a great size group today! We welcomed Becky and Stefan to SLR! Both excellent runners that ran 6 and 7 miles with us respectively! Bob, Dave and Robin headed across the bamboo bridge and out to the 6.5 mile marker. With Robin and Dave running the 6.5 back to the ARA and the .1 home, they logged a half marathon today! GREAT to be done and set a new record at the ARA ordering FOUR (yes, four!) Gilbert breakfast sandwiches post run to eat between the two of them!

Please join us this Saturday, November 15th at 6:30AM in front of the ARA for our next long run!

DTC Halloween 5k results and top finishers!

2008-11-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the final results from DTC's Halloween 5K held on October 31, 2008. Thanks to all of the runners for coming and supporting the club and a HUGE special thanks to Gary from Re-Fit for hosting the race and providing gift certificates for massages for the male and female winners.

Halloween 5K runners finish strong!

2008-11-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the runners from this week-ends Halloween 5K. All runners finished strong. As Robin stood at the finish line calling out the official time, more than one runner picked up the pace down the home stretch for a great time! Runners picked up the pace enough to be able to break 20 minutes, 22 and 25 minutes! We even had a canine/human team sprinting across the finish line!

Congratulations to all of the runners!

The 5K racers are off and running!

2008-11-01T00:21:00.000-07:00

The runners take off and Dave leads the way on his mountain bike! Everyone keeps an eye on his yellow jersey.

There is a reason Amy was our first female finisher and second finisher OVERALL...she can fly! Look...her feet are not even on the ground! Amy crossed the finish line less than one minute behind her betrothed and beautiful babes.

Greg was our first finisher overall, although technically Zoellie and Bela crossed the finish line first, Greg accepted the 1st place prize on their behalf.

Thanks to re-Fit for sponsoring the prizes---a free one hour sports body massage to both Amy and Greg! What a GREAT gift!

DTC Halloween 5K pre-race activities

2008-10-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted a first annual Halloween 5K. Dhaka runners were encouraged to come and run 3.1 on the 31st! We had a nice size group of runners and even a few walkers (canine and human!). The race was hosted by Re-Fit gym and owner Gary located in Gulshan-2. Pre-registration was done via email and race registration was done beginnning at 4PM. Not too many cars at this race, so it was evident the race location was a convienent one as many participants decided to either run or walk to the start from home.

Because this was a Halloween race, runners were encouraged to wear costumes and a prize was awarded to the best costume! DTC founders and race organizers, Robin and Dave dressed up as King Tut and Cleopatra for the festivities. Dave made a quick wardrobe change as he was also the course marshal and led the lead pack out on his bike. Dave explained the 3.1 mile loop course contained entirely in Gulshan-2. His bright yellow Tour jersey was a welcome sight for runners as they wound their way through the streets of Dhaka.

Cleopatra (aka Robin) was the official timer and started the runners with a 3-2-1-GO!

Halloween 5K THIS Friday!

2008-10-27T03:36:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club invites you to run 3.1 miles on the 31st!

5K road race Friday, October 31st at 4:30PM

Start and finish are at Re-Fit Gym, Road 63, House 34, Gulshan-2

100 taka entry, prizes for first male and female finishers and best costume!

Kindly email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu to secure your spot and pre-register for this race.

SLR October 25

2008-10-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

A small crowd, but a great run. The rain held off and the morning was nice and cool. Robin and JR ran past the mosque and out of town for a total of 10 miles. They picked up the pace past the US Embassy (the last 1.5 miles) and then really kicked it into high gear the last half mile. As always the runners felt fabulous, especially when they were done!

SLR report Oct. 18

2008-10-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

The group ran to the airport and back for a scheduled 9 miler. This was a new road as the group could not locate the one that we ran on last Spring. The 'new' airport road was long and shady and quiet and a wonderful find! We will definitely return.

As usual, discussion focused on upcoming races, training schedules, nutrition and other running/triathlon related topics.

Memorable moments include: Robin (and Will!) nearly tripping over tied up goats in the road and a retired Army fellow runner that joined us for a short bit and was curious enough about us to strike up a conversation with Robin as she squatted in the bushes for a bathroom pit stop. Ah, the Bangladeshis are friendly, aren't they?!?!?!?

Join us at 6:30AM next Saturday in front of the ARA for a 10 miler!

WE ARE BACK!

2008-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus away from Dhaka, the Martz family has returned and is ready to train!!!

But first, let us introduce baby Caroline born September 1st and pictured here.

Dave and Robin are gearing up for the Phuket Triathlon on December 7th and welcome anyone to join them in their training!

Thanks to some die hard runners (JR, Bob, Will and Irina!) SLR has continued through the summer and still is running strong (no pun intented!) This past Saturday the largest group ever showed up and ran a respectable 8 miles. Most were pleased to complete the run with a strong surge at the end.

Upcoming events of the DTC include:

*HALLOWEEN 5K (more details coming SOON)

*Fall mini training triathlon

*Turkey Trot race (distance TBD)

Please join us soon for Saturday Long Run (SLR), morning swims at the American School, evening spin classes at Re-fit and DTC hosted races!

We are currently looking for some assistance in getting access to the Army track and pool on Airport Road. If you know of anyone that could help the DTC get access to these great, local resources, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

Thanks and happy training!

SLR report: June 28

2008-06-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

It was a small group heading out from the ARA, but that was okay for a short post-race run. The group ran to the airport and back and logged 5 miles. One of our runners is playing/practicing with the Bangladesh national baseball team! Way to go athletes!

Join us this Saturday, comme toujours, for another short-ish long run (6-8 miles) depending on how far the group would like to go. 6:30AM in front of the ARA.

SEE YOU THERE!

The DTC is in Asia Runner magazine!

2008-06-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

In the current issue of Asia Runner magazine is this article! (You can click on it to read it) Check out their website and get your subscription today!

www.asiarunner.com

Phuket Half marathon race report June 15, 2008

2008-06-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

The half marathon started at the reasonable hour of 6:00AM. Dave and I had planned to walk the half mile or so to the start but as soon as we exited our hotel there was a hotel shuttle ready to take us to the staging area. We were the only ones on the shuttle bus and traffic was light on the darkened streets of the Laguna Phuket resort complex. We arrived to a buzzing but not over crowded start area. There were a few hundred runners milling about the various stalls which included a massage tent, gear check area, coffee and croissants stand and more than a dozen port-o-potties. The finish chute was carpeted and marked off with banners of sponsors lining both sides. English, Thai and Japanese could be heard alternating over the microphone and the announcer clearly had had his cup of coffee, because the guy was energized! For the lack of anything better to do in the 10 minutes until the race began, we opted to stand in line for the port-a-potties.

We decided to use our Kuala Lumpur (KL) race strategy and start LAST. This race was also using chip timing and so we would be able to see how many people we could pass during the race. Irina was up ahead as we started at the back of the pack.

When the gun went off and we hung back and although Dave has Yankztees shoelaces (they never need to be tied) he leaned over like he was tying his shoes, so we could use up a little more time before crossing the starting mats. At 28 weeks pregnant, I was unable to bend over to do this as I had done in KL! We started a mere 55 seconds behind the gun!

We began the race running in a fairly large crowd. We traveled the flat road out of the Laguna Phuket resort area and into the surrounding village. Dawn was breaking and allowing us to see easier as we both wore sunglasses even in the dark, as they are prescription.

Water and Gatorade started showing up on the course a few km into the race. I had not had one SIP of anything to drink since last night at dinner in efforts to curb the frequent pit stops required by the pregnancy. I opted to take some Gatorade at that first water station and poured water onto my head. No sooner had I swallowed the last drops of Gatorade did I feel an overwhelming urge to pee! Rats! Luckily (for everyone but me) there were frequent water and Gatorade stops on the course. My first bathroom break was at about the 5km mark and the second at about 10km. Though I had to go later in the race, I opted to just get to the finish line!

At about the 9km mark we crossed the mats to turn around and head back. Right before the turn around, we ran down a hill (the hill went completely unnoticed until we had to run UP the hill!). We wound through some country roads with next to no traffic and/or people. It was quiet and the views of the mountains and rising sun were peaceful and serene. All we could hear was our breath and the sloshing of our running shoes, which at this point were completely water logged from all of the water poured over our heads.

There were bananas and watermelon on the course but best of all, was the ice-water logged sponges that were handed out. Boy, did those feel good!

We had a few runners that seem to be leap frogging us (they would pass us and then either slow down or stop and walk and then we would pass them, only to have them pass us again soon after that). We *enjoyed* some rolling hills around km 12-16. Dave surged ahead and I wondered if I would have to wait and see him at the finish.

At the 16km mark or so (yes only a little more than 3 miles to go!) we started into the Laguna resort from the opposite end where we had begun nearly two hours ago. Looking off to the right side of the road, we could see woods, the beach and then the Andaman Sea. I kept spotting Tsunami warning/evacuation signs and kept thinking about the Tsunami that hit here on December 26, 2004 killing thousands. The resorts and town have done an amazing job as you would never believe that a tsunami ever hit the place, as it couldn’t be more gorgeous.

We ran right past our hotel and wondered if Catherine was awake and hoped she was still asleep, given that we told the babysitter she might sleep until nearly 8AM. We knew we were close, but the race course veered off the road and onto a path through the woods. We ran past the wedding chapel that sits on the lagoon, through the woods past where you catch elephant rides and along a dirt/sand path towards the finish. A marathoner passed us at this point moving a good pace and I decided to try and stick with him so I could get to the finish line even quicker! Our goal of 10 minute miles (or a 2:10 finish) was a success as Dave and I finished in just over 2:09!

RACE RESULTS:
Irina 1:53
Robin & Dave 2:09

Irina’s 1:53 was good for 2nd place in her age group out of 17 ladies! She was honored up on stage after the race and presented with a trophy! Way to go Irina! Out of 430 half marathon runners, Irina was 107th…what a great job!

Dave and Robin were 200th and 201st out of the 430 competitors, and because they started last means they passed over half of the runners during the race!

There were 36 Americans that ran the Phuket half marathon. Irina was 8th American, Robin and Dave 15th and 16th respectively!

Here are some photos from the post race party. It was held in a huge air conditioned tent right on the beach! The photo on the left is one that was taken of me (Robin) right after the race. It was submitted to the marathon photo contest and won 3rd place! The race director presented the photographer with an award on stage and explained the photo like this: Here is a photo taken of one of the runners this morning who ran the half marathon 28 weeks pregnant! She ended up finishing the race and not with a bad time either! This is not her first half marathon pregnant, but this was her fastest. Congratulations!

This photo is of Catherine and I with the Editor of Asia Runner magazine, a great new running and multi-sport magazine for the region. She is doing great things promoting running and triathlon all over Asia. Check out their website and get a subscription...even if you don't live in Asia, its a great magazine!

www.asiarunner.com

SLR report: June 14

2008-06-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

Last week's Saturday long run or SLR was led by local running favorite, Syed LBH. He enjoyed a VERY quiet 5-mile run...must be that everyone has gone on holiday! Thanks SO much Syed for hosting SLR while Robin and Dave were in Phuket running the half marathon. (race report to be posted SOON).

Please join us this Saturday June 21st at 6:30AM for a slow and easy 6-8 miler. For those having trouble getting motivated to get out of bed that early on a Saturday morning....remember that if the pregnant lady (28+ weeks and counting) is getting up to run, then LET'S GO! :)

MINI-TRIATHLON POSTPONED

2008-06-18T01:31:00.000-07:00

The mini-triathlon scheduled for Friday, June 20th at the International School has been postponed due to low registration. For those that did register, thanks and keep training as the DTC will very likely host a triathlon in the early fall when a better turnout is expected.

The DTC still hosts its weekly saturday long run (SLR) starting from the American Club at 6:30AM. Please join us!

Mini-Triathlon coming up on June 20th!

2008-06-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

SPOTS ARE LIMITED, SO SIGN UP NOW!!! DETAILS ON SIGNING UP ARE BELOW.

The Dhaka Triathlon Club (DTC) is hosting a mini-triathlon Friday June 20th 10:00AM at the International School of Dhaka (ISD)

Distances (in swim/bike/run order) are:
SWIM: 300m
BIKE: 15K
RUN: 5K

A little about the race:
The race will begin with a pool swim in the ISD 25m pool. The transition area will be directly outside of the pool and near the back gate to the ISD. Athletes will exit the ISD grounds for the 15K bike around Basundhara, return to the ISD, rack their bike and leave through the same gate for the 5k run. Water and snacks will be provided as well as prizes for top finishers. Athletes should bring their own electrolyte drink and necessary items for each event.

Pre-registration is required! NO EXCEPTIONS!!! The field is limited to the 1st TWELVE slots (a slot can be one person or a 3-person relay team). DTC members including anyone that has participated in a DTC training event or race will be given priority.

To pre-register email Robin Martz at rmartz@umich.edu with the following information:
Full name and mobile phone #
Individual or relay team entry?
*If relay: names of all relay team members with leg they are completing and team name.

Sign-in, payment, body marking, bike and helmet check begin at 9AM. Race begins at 10AM sharp! Race fees are 200 Taka per person.

Sorry, but due to safety concerns, NO headphones will be allowed on the bike or run.

SLR reports for May 24th and May 31st

2008-06-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

May 24- A small group of runners left the ARA at 6:30AM sharp to run an 8-miler out and back course. This was a step back week for the folks training for the upcoming Phuket International marathon and half marathon on June 15th. Check out the details at: http://www.phuketmarathon.com

The bamboo bridge is still not under water, so the group decided to head out of town via Basundhara. Bob, an avid distance runner and a recent welcome addition to the DTC, brought along his camera so we could capture the famous “Bamboo Bridge” that we are constantly using to get to quieter, less traveled roads outside of Dhaka! Thanks Bob for thinking to bring your camera and taking these candid shots of the runners!
May 31- It was time to step the mileage back up this week and though the turnaround was at the 5 mile mark. Half the runners opted for an ‘add-on’ around United Hospital, along the lake on the brick path, through the ladies park, past the Australian Club and back to the ARA. The other half opted for 10 miles only, but with a couple of wrong turns, Melinda ended up running nearly 11 miles as well! With a 4-mile Hash run later that evening, Melinda and her nearly 15 miles of running in one day in Dhaka wins her the RUNNER OF THE WEEK AWARD! Great job, Melinda! We will miss you when you leave, but way to leave Dhaka in style…running!

Join us on this Saturday, June 7th at 6:30AM for a nice slow run!

Distance will be between 8-10 miles and even those going shorter distances are encouraged to come and run a few miles with the group!

Top men at DTC's first duathlon

2008-05-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Peter accepts the award for fastest men's relay-he had the fastest bike split on the day and his partner, Ken, had the fastest run split of the day! They were unbeatable with that combination!

Here are Ken and Peter enoying some down time after they completed the DTC's first annual duathlon. Ken was the top runner and Peter was the top biker. Great job guys! They MUST have been kidding with that relay name- "the out of shapers"!!!

Dave (not pictured here) was the overall men's winner. As co-founder of the DTC, friendly hecklers could be overheard yelling "fixed!" when he accepted his award! Dave had the 2nd fastest bike split of the day and ran a solid 3rd place in the 5K run to come out as top individual competitor. With bib # 1, how could he NOT win?!

Strong Women show up for the DTC Du!

2008-05-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Shown in the pink shirt and black pants turning to complete her second lap of her 10K bike course is Adriana, our fastest female bike split of the day and 3rd fastest bike time overall! Great job, Adriana!

Here is Lori completing in her first multi-sport event! Despite the high temperature and humidity, she finished a 5K run followed by a 10K run with a smile on her face! Great job, Lori!

Zandra, another first time multi-sport athlete, enjoys a strong finish to cheering fans! Great job, Zandra!

Annette, a local biker and marathon runner, accepts her award for the overall femal winner for the duathlon. Annette displayed her quick thinking skills (no wonder she's a teacher!) by managing to borrow a bike from a local Bangladeshi and still complete the race, despite getting a flat tire during the run to bike transition. Her photo finish was accentuated by her screeching brake pads, to the delight of many spectators! Annette also had the fastest run split of any of the women. Great job, Annette!

DTC hosts its first DUATHLON!

2008-05-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted is first ever duathlon on Friday, May 16th. The du was pitched as a ‘training event’ rather than a race, to ensure everyone’s safety and in an attempt to attract some first timers to the excitement of multi-sport racing. The event was a huge success! Despite the intense heat and humidity, there were no casualties on the bike or the run and most impressively, about half of all participants had never competed in a duathlon before!

Race registration ran smoothly with the help of two AMAZING volunteers, Leigh Robertson and Melinda Hennessey. They ensured that each athlete signed the race waiver, paid their entry fee (200 TKA) and had their bike and helmet checked before getting body marked. The DTC was lucky to have an expert on hand (Thanks, Peter!) to carry out the bike check and helmet check and several participants commented that it was great that he was able to help them fine tune some trouble spots with their bikes and helmets.

Melinda and Leigh also managed to get every single split of every athlete during the race; including run in, bike out, and finish time. They awarded prizes to the top finishers in each category; individual males, individual females, men’s relay and women’s relay.

Participants had family members at the finish line cheering them (and others) on and there was plenty of water and even some goldfish crackers to snack on post-race. It was a great event enjoyed by everyone! The DTC would like to thank the athletes and their families, with a special thanks to the Smith family for handing out water at the finish line! Huge thanks goes to all of the volunteers that made the event run so smoothly! Thanks again, Leigh, Melinda, Peter and LBH!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

The DTC hopes to co-host a triathlon next month with the International School of Dhaka. Stay tuned to this website for details on the date and further details.

The DTC continues their Saturday Long Runs (SLR) every Saturday starting at 6:30AM from the American Club. Please join us!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE DUATHLON IN THE NEXT BLOG!

SLR report from May 3, 10, 17

2008-05-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

May 3- Decided to run the bamboo bridge before it is underwater soon when the monsoon season begins. A nice easy 4.5 miles out. A fellow runner came towards us and he was finishing up an 18-miler! We also ran into another group that was mountain biking. A great day to be out exercising in Dhaka! Picked up the pace on the way home and the last 2 miles was a kick to the finish! Good negative split 9 mile run today.

May 10- A good turnout for the 10 miler today. Ran JR’s new country route past the US Embassy. Some folks turned around at 4 miles, as they were responsible for setting the hash a few hours later! A few miles into the run the sky turned black and the dust really kicked up. Then half way into the run the heavens opened up and it absolutely poured rain! It came down sideways! The runners laughed and joked about being BEYOND wet. The temperature dropped what seemed like 20 degrees Fahrenheit in a few minutes and runners reveled in the cool fresh air. NO way to pick up the pace on the way back as everyone’s shoes were so wet, they felt like cement blocks! The runners agreed that they felt like ‘real runners’ running in the pouring down rain and overall, a great run!

May 17- A light turnout likely due to the well attended duathlon yesterday and the plethora of going away parties held last night! Robin and Dave ran JR’s country route. The runners ran out past the US embassy, then on Airport Road nearly a mile and turned at the Mosque. Another few miles and the chaotic city streets turns into a quiet, country road. Out and back in sweltering heat and high humidity. Slowest ever 10 mile run either of them had EVER clocked.

2008-05-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club (DTC) is hosting a Duathlon!

5K Run & 10K Bike

When: Friday, May 16th 8:00AM sign in, race starts at 8:30AM

Location: Basundhara Children’s playground

What: 5K run followed by a 10K bike
200 taka due at sign-in
Relay teams are allowed.

EVERYONE MUST PRE-REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT!

Please register by emailing dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com by 8PM Thursday, May 15th.

More 4-mile race photos...

2008-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry this has taken so long, but here are a couple more photos from the 4-mile race. The DTC organizers, Robin and Dave and the Habitat for Humanity staff, Imelda and Pierre in the photo to the left.

Below, Dave gives the first place male, Greg, his prize-a special painted Habitat for Humanity Brick.

Irina, the first place woman and overall race winner making her strong finish-way to go Irina!

Thanks again to everyone for coming out and supporting the DTC and Habitat for Humanity!

DTC and Habitat for Humanity Charity Race photos

2008-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the recent 4-mile charity race hosted by the DTC to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. A great pre-race photo of most of the runners. Volunteers not pictured as they were heading onto the course at this time.

A lovely shot of our super-duper registrar, Leigh, who was busy getting folks registered, taking money, providing guidance to runners about start times and of course, body marking (shown here)!

DTC news and upcoming events!

2008-04-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

1. Multi-sport calendar coming!

DTC will be compiling a calendar of weekly running, biking and swimming opportunities in/around Dhaka, so please stay tuned to the website for more information on how/where you can get involved! If you are leading a small group on local runs or bike rides or have a great place/time you swim locally, please let us know! We will ask leaders permission before posting their event with their name and contact information.

2. Mark your calendars for the next DTC event!

DTC will host a duathlon May 16th in Basundhara. Start time TBD. Format will be a 5K run followed by a 10K bike. If you are interested in only running or only biking, please post here so we can facilitate a ‘partner’ match as relay teams WILL be allowed, but no one doing single events, please. Also, if you would like to participate but do not have a bike here in Dhaka, please post here so we can help facilitate a temporary loaner from a generous local mulit-sport athlete.

SLR report April 26th

2008-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

A small but dedicated group started out at 6:30AM and ran over the bamboo bridge from Basundhara for an 8-mile out and back course from the ARA. Runners ran nice and easy on the way out and picked up the pace on the way back, with all the runners running negative splits despite the heat and humidity. Runners enjoyed hearing about the charity race from the day before and planning upcoming DTC events.

Next SLR: May 3rd 6:30AM meet in front of the ARA to run 9 miles

RACE REPORT: 4-mile Charity race for Habitat for Humanity

2008-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

April 25th at 8:00AM, about 30 runners eagerly awaited their pre-determined start time (based on their age and gender) for the Age-handicapped 4-mile race that began at the ARA. The format for this type of race aims to even the playing field by allowing older runners to start first and younger runners to start last. Runners enjoyed a scenic out and back course through Baridhara with cold Gatorade at the turn around point. Runners paid 500 Taka and each received a commemorative Habitat for Humanity brick at the finish. A fun race with lots of refreshments and food afterwards ensured that everyone had a good time! All of the proceeds from the race, which totaled 16,000 Taka, went to Habitat for Humanity®- Bangladesh.

Congratulations to all the runners who participated and the top finishers for running so well in the heat. Kudos to the first female finisher, Irina Niederberger who was also the top finisher OVERALL. Nice job, Irina!

The top male finishers and their net times were:

1. Greg Friedman 25:13
2. Syed Sunna LBH 26:08
3. Duncan Brown 26:59

The top female finishers and their net times were:

1. Irina Niederberger 29:36
2. Jane Crowder 31:45
3. Mandy Northcott 32:01

The complete results can be seen below.

The DTC would like to thank all of the volunteers for Friday’s race! Thanks to Wisam Babar, Joy, Paul Roy, Rocky Roy, Kelly Koch, Prince Sanjay, Timothy Halder, Emelda Mullick and Mashrur Afsar, Leigh Robertson and Adriana Barel.

SLR report April 19

2008-04-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Melinda Hennessey for hosting the Saturday Long Run for the DTC on April 19th! Per Melinda’s report, the Saturday run was great! The group consisted of the tireless threesome of Melinda, JR, and LBH and they decided to do ‘the airport run’ which was nearly 9 miles (8.81 according to the Garmin). They ran together for the majority and left the last 3K to pick up the pace a bit. The weather was clear and quite hot. Overall good run!

Great job folks and we will see everyone for SLR this Saturday 6:30AM in front of the ARA for an 8 mile run. Please join us even if you will not be going the entire 8 miles! See you then.

NEXT SLR APRIL 26th 8 miles: MEET AT THE ARA 6:30AM.

Last reminder for the DTC and Habitat for Humanity 4-mile race TOMORROW! Registration begins at 7:30 and the race begins at 8AM sharp near the front entrance of the American Club on Road 69, Gulshan-2. Entry fee is 500tka and includes a Habitat for Humanity commemorative brick. See you there!

SLR report from April 12, 2008

2008-04-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

Despite the absence of a handful of regular SLR attendees, we had 8 runners show up to run 8 miles this past Saturday morning! There was a good mix of old and new faces which made the conversation on the run even more interesting. There were even a couple of visitors from Chiang Mai that heard about the club and its weekly Saturday run! The word is getting out!

The runners set out for Baridhara via Road 13 and doubled back on road 11 to run along the lake. We took the UN road down to Embassy road and turned left. This is a great, shaded street with not much traffic. We ran back north towards road 13 to complete the ‘lap’. We ran a total of three laps and then back to the ARA. This was a great course for people wanting to run various distances. Some runners ran one lap, others opted for two laps and a few of us ran the full three. The total distance for 3 laps was 7.5 miles.

Come join the group next Saturday in front of the ARA at 6:30AM!

Dave and Robin will be away for the week-end, but are looking for a sub-leader for Saturday, April 19th. If you are able to lead the group for a 6-9 mile run, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE UPCOMING DTC AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RACE ON APRIL 25TH!

100 RUNNERS=100 COMMEMORATIVE BRICKS PURCHASED=A NEW HOME FOR A BANGLADESHI FAMILY!

Mark your calendars for the next DTC race!

2008-04-10T02:44:00.001-07:00

The Dhaka Triathlon Club & Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh are teaming up for a 4-mile Charity Race!

What? A four mile age-handicapped race to raise money for Habitat for Humanity! A fun way to set a Personal Best! Older runners start first and each age group gets their own start time, with younger runners starting last.
Official time will be kept and prizes for the top 3 male and female finishers. Water & Gatorade will be provided!

Where? The course will be marked this week-end and will be anounced SOON. Check back here for details on the start location.

When? Registration begins at 7:30AM and the race begins at 8:00AM on Friday, April 25th.

Why? Because it's for a GREAT cause and age-handicapped races are LOTS of fun! 100% of the race registration fees will go towards raising funds for Habitat for Humanity’s “Buy a Brick for Bangladesh” campaign! Each registered finisher will receive one official Habitat for Humanity – Bangladesh commemorative brick. With as few as 100 bricks, we can build an entire home for a family!

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS RACE!!!

LET'S AIM FOR 100 RUNNERS=100 BRICKS =A HOUSE FOR A BANGLADESHI FAMILY!

Email dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com with any questions or post here.

2008-04-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

The SLR on April 5th had a good turnout with decent weather. The group ran the airport route and took off from the American Club and headed past the International Club towards Road 13. The runners turned left and ran through DOHS and then just like the old frogger game safely crossed the Airport Road! Luckily we were off the airport road quickly and on a nice paved, quiet residential street. We found a dirt path and made our way to a quiet road that parallels the airport runway. After turning left onto this road, we ran until we hit the magic 3.5 mile mark [there IS a tree there for future referenceJ] and then turned around.

On the return, runners picked up the pace as we entered DOHS and really pushed each other to get back to the ARA. Runners finished what MUST have been a great negative split run (if only we had not been so busy chatting that one of us had checked our watch at the turn around-we’d know for sure!). A great workout and a nice new route for SLR!

This week’s SLR will meet at the same time and same place (6:30AM at ARA) and we will run 8 miles. Please join us for some or the entire run.

If anyone has a running route they really like, please email me at dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com or just come to SLR!

KL HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT

2008-04-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Three DTC members ran the KL half marathon on Sunday, March 30th in Kuala Lumpur. Start time was 6AM and the race conditions even at that hour were HOT and HUMID. It was a chip timed race and for whatever reason (maybe it was the darkness and heat getting to them) Dave and Robin Martz decided to be the LAST runners to cross the start (better than the last runners to cross the finish!) Dave and Robin started 3 full minutes behind the official race clock and thought they would see how many people they could pass during the race!

Without a GPS (silly-Since there was not ONE accurate mile marker the entire race!) all three DTC runners held a very respectable pace (about 9 minute miles) in the high heat and humidity. There were some rolling hills and very few water stops. In fact, DTC runners passed the first water stop at the *supposed* 5K mark in over 41 minutes! Must be the slowest 5K known to man! The only other mile marker seen was with a few km to go and that one said 25km! Tough to follow that since the entire race was only 21km!

Robin (aka slow pregnant lady) made 2 pee stops in the first 5K but other than that ran smoothly! Dave and Robin ran the whole way together and came upon our 3rd DTC member around the 19km mark. She looked strong and we all finished feeling good. All 3 DTC members enjoyed cooling off in the tents with cool mist fans and baby pools! Dave and Robin also met the # 2 finisher in the men’s marathon, a sweet guy from Kenya. He said he didn’t run that well and finished in…2:16!!! All DTC runners collected our finisher medals (only the top 900 finishers received one) and headed back to our respective hotels. We all really enjoyed the buffet breakfast post race!

DTC runner results:

Dave ran a 2:03 and this time was good for 78th out of 317 men in his age group.
Robin ran a 2:03 and this time was good for 20th out of 109 women in her age group.
Irina ran a 2:07 and this time was good for 23rd out of 109 women in her age group.

Dave passed 1726 out of the total 2019 male runners! Robin passed 227 out of the 266 female runners! Together, Robin and Dave ended up passing 1953 runners out of the 2285 total ½ marathon runners!

Great job runners!

Complete KL marathon and ½ marathon race results can be found at:

http://www.klmarathon.gov.my/result_2008.php

For more on what some of the runners did for fun in KL check out:
www.bangladeshmartzes.blogspot.com

SLR report March 29

2008-04-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

JR Rinfret was the super kind soul that agreed to host the March 29th SLR while the regular club leaders were away in KL preparing to run the ½ marathon the next day.

JR ran about 5 or 6 miles that took him from the ARA to New DOHS around to the Radisson Hotel to Kemal Attaturk Avenue and finally back to Gulshan. With several DTC club members in KL running the ½ marathon and various others injured or tired by the step-up relay race the previous day at the American School, it was a total surprise that JR ran solo for this SLR. He does have a great 7 mile route that we will use for the April 5th SLR that will take us “to the end of the runway and back”.

KL ½ marathon race report to follow shortly.

SLR this Saturday at 6:30AM at the front of the ARA for a 7-miler.

GREAT BIG THANKS AGAIN TO JR FOR HOSTING SLR!

Last SLR before KL half marathon!

2008-03-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

A good size group left from the ARA at 6:30AM to run the scheduled 12 mile route. One runner opted for a shorter run and hoped to join the group on longer runs soon. The group ran nice and easy out to the 6 mile turn around and then the pace quickened on the way back. The goal of a negative split workout was achieved by all! Runners were getting excited and ready for the race this week-end. The group discussed what they will likely do over the long week-end in KL leading up to the half marathon with talk of runners relaxing by the pool, eating great food, taking in the sites, including the Petronas Towers and Chinatown, and just enjoying the week-end getaway! Race begins at 6AM Sunday morning, so wish the runners luck if you see them this week.

WE NEED A SLR SUB FOR THIS SATURDAY. THE COURSE AND DISTANCE CAN BE THE LEADER’S CHOICE AND I RECOMMEND BETWEEN 6-8 MILES. PLEASE EMAIL dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com if you are able to be SLR leader for the day.

Discussions are ongoing for our April event and choices are the following:

1) Rickshaw time trial
2) Duathlon (5k run, 15k bike, 5k run)
3) Predicted time 8K race (no watches-closes to predicted time wins)
4) Age-handicapped 7.5K race (runners begin race based on age and gender-women80-85 begin first…men 16-20 go last)

PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR THE DTC TO PUT ON ONE OF THESE RACES IN APRIL AND/OR IF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS FOR AN EVENT IN APRIL.

SLR Report from March 15

2008-03-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

A small but dedicated group turned up to run the longest SLR yet….ELEVEN miles! This is in preparation for the KL half marathon at the end of March. The group was so busy chatting and enjoying the near traffic free countryside that the leader forgot to give the turnaround signal at 5.5 miles out and we ran until 5.7 miles out! Even with the added mileage, the return trip was nearly 5 minutes SHORTER than the outbound run and everyone felt good afterwards.

This week, March 22nd, we begin again from the ARA at the earlier time of 6:30AM. Please join us for our LAST run before KL! We will be running 12 miles in preparation for the half marathon in Kuala Lumpur!

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO/CAN NOT RUN 12 MILES, PLEASE COME ANYWAY! WE USUALLY DO AN OUT AND BACK ROUTE AND YOU CAN RUN A FEW MILES WITH THE GROUP BEFORE TURNING AROUND AND HEADING BACK TO THE ARA!

For anyone NOT running KL, could someone step up to be our volunteer ‘leader’ for SLR on Saturday March 29th? The distance can be the leader’s choice, preferably something in the 6-9 mile range. Please email dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com if you would be able to lead SLR for the day.

Thanks and see you Saturday!

SLR March 8th

2008-03-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

The group had a step back week and ran 7 miles Saturday. The rest will hopefully provide the needed energy for next week's schedule SLR where we ramp up the mileage and run 10 miles. The course will be measured and cue sheets will be provided.

Due to the weather getting warmer, the run will begin at 6:30AM instead of 7AM. All Saturday Long Runs, therefore, will now begin at 6:30AM until further notice. Meeting location remains the same: in front of the ARA (American Club) front gate.

Please come out and join us, even if you don't want to run the entire distance!

Saturday March 15th 6:30 AM ARA-10 miles!

Tour de Baridhara

2008-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

SLR cranked up the mileage once again and ran a pre-set 9 mile route called the “tour de Baridhara”. It ran down EVERY street in this local neighborhood (twice!) and also introduced some runners to a great new footpath in Gulshan that runs along the Lake. It was a good size group that was a mix of both veteran SLR attendees along with some new faces. The group kept a great pace with the back of the pack finishing in about 1:25! There was discussion after the run of moving the start time earlier as the weather begins to heat up. Suggestions and inputs welcomed on this topic.

This week the schedule calls for a 10 mile run, but sensing the need for a ‘step-back’ week in our training, I am inserting one here. So, those who are feeling up to it, please run the scheduled 10 miles Saturday. For those who need a little bit of a break (like me!), let’s step back the long run this week to 7 miles. Your body can recover and rest and we will continue our ascent the following week.

Stay tuned for a NEW (and earlier) start time for our March 15th SLR where we will run 11 miles in preparation for the KL half marathon at the end of March.

Please join us Saturday March 8th at 7AM in front of the ARA to run 7 miles!

DTC

*** Note: there is a charity road race on Friday, March 7th from the BHC. For more information check the boards at either ARA or BHC club.

AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

2008-02-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

No, your DTC has not turned into a religious fundamentalist group! However, the pacer and leader for our last SLR was a local high school junior (okay not a child), who will compete as a long distance runner on his track team at school this spring.

It was a light turnout for the 2nd ever SLR, as many people were enjoying a long holiday week-end outside of Dhaka for Shaheed Day. The route was similar to last week and the runners even picked up one more runner on the way back to the ARA. The run set out at a nice, easy pace until about ¾ mile from the American Club, when our young runner decided he would pick up the pace a little. He took off and we never saw him again! This is great training, as he aspires to run a marathon while attending college in the States. We hopefully will see him back this Saturday for SLR as well as some of you other runners out there!

Please join us as we run as scheduled this Saturday, meeting in front of the ARA and leaving at 7AM sharp. There will be cue sheets for a pre-measured and accurate 9 mile run.

REMINDER TO REGISTER!
Remember that the KL marathon and half marathon early-bird registration ends TOMORROW or February 28th. So, get online and register!
http://www.klmarathon.gov.my/

See you Saturday!
DTC

SLR-same time, same place

2008-02-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

The DTC's first ever Saturday Long Run (SLR) was scheduled to run 7 miles at 7AM and so it was no surprise that the group run had a good turnout when SEVEN runners showed up! The pace was relaxed and the group of runners stayed together for the entire run.

The course took runners along Road 13, across the airport road and into Basundhara. From the Apollo Hospital road, runners turned left and headed for the convention center. After turning right at the convention center and weaving their way towards the large playground that is tucked away back in a corner, runners gingerly stepped (not ran!) across the famous 'bamboo bridge'. The course was an out and back and as the bridge is about 3 miles out, runners only ran for a few minutes past that point to get the 3.5 distance one-way.

Runners varied in age and ability yet the consensus was that the time FLEW by and one runner even remarked "I could have run for two more hours!" Well, that is the beauty of group runs, folks! It can be SO much easier than slogging away the miles alone or on a treadmill for that matter!

Please join the group as they set out this week for an 8 mile run. Course yet to be determined. Post here if you have suggestions for that distance.

Happy running and please do join us!

DTC :)

DTC begins SATURDAY LONG RUNS in preparation for KL half marathon

2008-02-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Let’s start training! There are lots of races coming up and the DTC has chosen the Kuala Lumpur (KL) half marathon as its target race for the spring. Join the club for group training starting with a weekly Saturday Long Run (SLR) THIS Saturday! Don’t be intimated by the LONG in Saturday long run. This Saturday we will follow the DTC half marathon training program schedule (email us at dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com or post to this site if you would like a copy) and run a nice easy 7 miles. Some of us have been injured, not been running much and/or are recovering from a recent marathon. So, I cannot reiterate enough that the pace will be NICE & EASY! You can think of SLR as a SLOW long run if you like!

SATURDAY LONG RUN (SLR)

Saturdays 7AM American Club entrance

We will meet outside the American Club (ARA) front gate just before 7AM Saturday, February 16th (and will meet each Saturday thereafter unless posted here otherwise) so we can leave on the run at 7AM sharp. The route will be measured for 7 miles. Cue sheets will be provided so the group is not required to stay together the entire run and so that people can choose to add on or cut the route short.

KL INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON

SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH 6:00AM

The KL half marathon will be held on Sunday, March 30th and the race start is a leisurely 6AM. Take advantage of reduced early bird registration fees by signing up before February 28th. You can pay more and register online between March 1-20. Online registration closes on March 20th. Register at: http://www.klmarathon.gov.my

Even more photos from the race!

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All runners seemed to have great, relaxed form and whether running alone or with a friend had a good time!

More photos from the DTC 5K &10K race!

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Runners enjoy themselves during the Dhaka Triathlon Club 5K & 10K races over the week-end.

DTC 5K & 10K winners

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Don't the winners look like they are having fun? !They led the pack of 35 runners for the 5K and 10K. More pictures will be posted soon!

DTC 10K Results

2008-02-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE COMPETITORS AND WINNERS OF DTC'S 10k RACE IN BARIDHARA!

DTC 5K & 10K race report

2008-02-08T04:07:00.000-08:00

February 8th at 8:30AM the Dhaka Triathlon Club (DTC) hosted a 5 and a 10K road race in the Baridhara neighborhood of Dhaka. After a short introduction on the mission of the DTC, 35 runners shot off the starting line to race in the mild winter conditions. Runners ran a loop course (2 laps for the 5K and 4 laps for the 10K) and were responsible for avoiding cars, trucks, rickshaws and CNGs as the course was not closed to traffic. A founder of the DTC paced the lead runners for the first lap so runners could be comfortable with the route. There was a water stop available during the race with splits being called out for each runner. Gatorade was provided after the race as well as chips, bananas and cookies. Awards were given to the top finishers.

Club announcements included: upcoming group training opportunities for the Kuala Lumpur marathon and half marathon at the end of March (more details forthcoming). The next DTC race will be in March and will be posted on this site. Another local race (charity 4K and 8K hosted by the BHC on March 7th) was also announced.

DTC 5K Results

2008-02-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE COMPETITORS AND WINNERS OF DTC's 5K RACE IN BARIDHARA!

2008-02-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

THE DHAKA TRIATHLON CLUB

is hosting a

5K & 10K Race

What? 5K & 10K race for FUN! Official time will be kept. Prizes for top male and female finishers at each distance and water/gatorade at the finish!

Where? The race will start in Baridhara at the intersection of United Nations Road and Road # 10. The race will be run entirely in Baridhara.

When? Friday, February 8th, 8:30 AM

Why? To meet other runners/triathletes, have some fun and get some exercise on a Friday morning!

Email dhakatriathlonclub@yahoo.com for more information or post your questions to this blog.

See you at the races!

DTC