Gear West Duathlon EQUALIZER!!!!!!!

If you haven't heard, local pro-triathlete Devon Palmer called me out for a relay-on-relay race at the Gear West Duathlon coming up in about a month. Then Devon announced elite runner Ben Kampf as his teammate. There was no way Pete and I could win. NO WAY.

Twitter erupted with a call for an "equalizer."

And by "erupted," I mean there were 2 tweets.


Ouch.

A week later, I saw this:

Yes, yes we are.

Here's what I sent to him about a month ago, and this is what Ben was talking about with the time gap:

...Here's my math on creating a fair handicap:

It's easiest to compare Ben's times and my times. Ben and I both did the Get in Gear 10K last year. He finished 16th in 32:07, and I finished 86th in 36:47.

- Ben = 1929 seconds
- Steve = 2207 seconds
- Difference = 278 seconds
- 278 / 10 = 27.8 seconds (the difference / kilometer)
- Expected difference at the total of 9K of running at the GW Du = 250.2 seconds (4:10.2, which is 27.8 x 9)

* * * * * * * * * * *

Pete and you both did Buffalo [Olympic Distance Triathlon] 2012. You did the ride in 55:33 and Pete did it in 1:11:45.

- Devon = 3333 seconds (really, try to do THAT again)
- Pete = 4305 seconds
- Difference = 972 seconds
- 972 / 24.8 = 39.19 seconds (the difference in time / mile)
- Expected difference at the 17.40 miles of biking at the GW Du = 681.9 seconds (11:21.9, which is 39.19 x 17.4)

* * * * * * * * * * *

So I'd be expected to lose 4:10.2 to Ben over the course of both runs, and Pete would be expected to lose 11:21.9 to you over the course of the ride. That's 15:42.1. That is NOT taking either of the transitions into account where your team should be faster if not simply for the fact that Ben will literally be running faster through transition.

So I propose that if Pete and I can finish within 15:42.1 of your team, we are declared the winners. Not OFFICIAL winners, but winners between the 4 of us.

Kevin at Gear West Bike and Tri even checked with the timing company for the race. They're making an OFFICIAL "EQUALIZER" for the “Gold Gopher Guys” (Devon and Ben's Team) and Team “Itchy and Scratchy” (Pete's and my team). FIRST TEAM TO THE FINISHLINE IS THE WINNER!! (Well, the "winner" between our 2 teams.)

That means I'll be going off in wave 1 which is the "competitive" wave (or so Kevin tells me). So I'll be surrounded by lots of speedsters to (hopefully) pull me. Ben will be going off in the "55-59 women" wave... well, actually 42 seconds behind them. I won't be back to transition by that time, but it'd be great fun to see Ben FLY by that wave shortly after he starts.

This equalizer has just made things a LOT more interesting!! Pete and I are pumped!!


Trash-talk timeline:
• #1: Being called out to have a race.
• #2: My history at the GW Du, and realizing Pete and I are toast.
• #3: Devon announces Ben Kampf as his runner.
• #4: Me fighting back.
• #5: Trash-talking tweets - I think I won that battle. Maybe.