Team Paragon athlete Kathleen O'Shea knows what it means to embrace challenge. The State Duathlon Championship was held this past Sunday, hosted by the Texas Tough Duathlon and the UTSA Triathlon Club. Texas Tough supports its name, with a 5k run, 16 mile bike, and 2.5k run out in the Hill Country. O'Shea decided she wanted to race just a few days before the event. But she needed a bike. With the help of Coach Mark and Ride Away Bicycles, she walked out of the store on Friday with a new tri bike, just two days before the race. While most people might be afraid to so quickly start racing on a new bike and in a new position, O'Shea fearlessly tackled such a grueling course. O'Shea was thrilled and shocked by her performance, and while she may have been tempted to stop after a hilly 5k and nearly 1000 feet of climbing in just 16 miles of the bike, she continued to face the challenge during the second run of the race. O'Shea earned herself the title State Champion Runner-Up for her age group. We can congratulate O'Shea on her second place finish, but even more commendable is her fearless attitude and positive example. She laughed: "I do need lessons on shifting! The good news is I burned extra calories with the gear I was in going up hill."
O'Shea is also very supportive of the UTSA Triathlon Club, who put on this race. "The UTSA Tri Team proved to be as Texas Tough as the duathlon! How many college students do you know arrive at 5 am to prepare for a for a party of 130 intense athletes at 5 am on a Sunday morning?!" Texas Tough is a huge fundraiser for the tri club, and it helps them pay expenses for USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals. They had a volunteer team of over 25 athletes helping out at the race and in the months leading up to it.
In addition to O'Shea, Team Paragon athletes swept the State Duathllon podium. Coach Mark Saroni won the Overall Champion title. Carlos Torres won the Masters Championship title. Ildar Mannapov was an Age Group Champion.
Miami Man 70.3 National Championship
Also of important note, Diana Rudderman and Raul Correa competed in the Long Course National Championship last weekend in Miami. It was a tough day for athletes. This was the first year the lake swim was not wetsuit legal, at 78.8 degrees. Winds were steady between 20 and 25 mph. Despite the challenges, Ruderman won third place in her age group.
Sunday, Nov. 19 - Texas State Duathlon Championship
Mark Saroni - 1st Overall Male
Carlos Torres - 1st Overall Masters
Ildar Mannapov - 1st Male 25-29
Kathleen O'Shea - 2nd Female 55-59
Sunday, Nov. 12 - Ironman 70.3 National Championship
Diana Ruderman - 3rd Female 45-49
Raul Correa - 19th Male 45-49
Make sure to send your pictures from training and racing to: racing@paragontraining.org so we can showcase all the rad stuff you guys do.