Thompson Talks
Pro triathlete David Thompson dishes on wins, whistlestops and the sad state of duathlon.
Posted Apr. 29, 2008
After finishing one of my favorite races of the season, a feeling of malaise came over me. I should have been excited to win one the biggest duathlons in the U.S., but the troubling lack of professionals in the field seemed to indicate the extinction of elite level racing in this two-sport race. This was my third trip to Birmingham for Powerman Alabama.
When I was there for my first race, it was the Elite national championship and had a solid field of around 14 male professionals, including Tom Jeffrey and Kevin Danahy. The next year the field was even deeper. Josiah Middaugh, Greg Krause, and a few Europeans showed up in addition to the previous year’s field. Tom and I ended up battling it out in a neck-to-neck run, and I was thrilled to edge him out for the win in the last mile.
This year there were only two male pros, including myself, at the Powerman starting line. Tom and everyone else couldn’t make it because of work conflicts, family obligations or injury. The addition of an equal purse for the Whistlestop Duathlon, which is a shorter race held in conjunction with Powerman, split the number of pros that were there. It was bad for competition, but hopefully it generated more interest and participation for the race organizers.
While I was time trialing the Powerman by myself, I was contemplating the possibility of racing Whistlestop as well. Hell, this wasn’t the first race that ended up being a hard workout. Why not extend it 50 percent more.
In the end, I only did the Powerman and tried to stay motivated by trying to catch my wife, Hannah, who was doing the Whistlestop. It didn’t come down to a sprint finish between us. She beat me handily. Hannah didn’t feel like celebrating her win over me because of her handicap. I didn’t feel as excited to win either, but a win is a win. You have to celebrate a victory when you can, no matter how small. In this business, you never know if it could be your last.
Article Tools