9/22/2018 Scott Orlando Ledges To The Lake Adventure Triathlon Hinckley, Ohio

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9/22/2018

Ledges To The Lake Adventure Triathlon

Hinckley, Ohio

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  1:18:42

Overall Finish:  7th Place

Division Place:  1st Place

Race Review By Scott Orlando

This was the 7th year for the annual Ledges To The Lake Adventure Triathlon in Hinckley, Ohio.  The race consists of a 3.5 mile run, 5K kayak, and 9 mile bike.  The run is on done on the trails around Hinckley Lake that change between paved, gravel and dirt.  The course has lots of hills and turns as it makes its way around the lake to the boat house to the kayak leg.  I was a little slow on the run but I knew I could make up time in the kayak so a conserved energy and stayed at a nice easy pace.  I chose to use my Stellar SR Multisport for the kayak leg.  I had a fast transition into the 19′ surf ski and quickly started passing the runners that had gotten ahead of me.  The speed of the SR was not match for any of the slower recreational boats and I quickly got back to the front of the race.  I have to admit that I enjoyed the look on the faces of the kayakers in the slower boats as I flew past them with ease!  Another clean transition to the bike and I was off to tackle the 3 laps of hills.  I was back and forth the entire bike course with a much younger but very fast competitor.  My only advantage was my faster triathlon bike compared to his basic hybrid.  I would pass him on the flat and declined parts of the course and he would catch me on the hills.  The last lap I really dug in, got the lead, and held on to the finish beating him less then a minute.  The race was well organized.  They provide an award for 1st place overall (no 2nd or 3rd overall)  and age groups are configured strangely.  Awards were a little lacking in quality but the shirts were nice and I did when a nice raffle prize of a free entry to next year’s race.  I always enjoy this race and look forward to returning in the future.

9/15/2018 Scott Orlando Capital City Challenge Adventure Triathlon Charleston, WV

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9/15/2018

Capital City Challenge Adventure Triathlon

Charleston, WV

4.2 mile run, 4.2 mile kayak and 16.8 mile bike

Scott Orlando

Finish Time: 2:12:39

Division Place:  3rd Place

Race Recap by Scott Orlando.

The Capital City Challenge in Charleston, WV continues to be one of my favorite races.  This was my 5th time competing in the race.  What was thought to be a weather challenged event due to the pending path of Hurricane Florence ended up being a very hot, sunny, and humid day.  Although the run course was very flat and without a single turn, it ended up being the most challenging part of the race for me due to the extreme heat and humidity with little or no shade to hide from the sun.  I started with a fairly fast pace but ended up backing off from the effects of the sun.  I completed the run leg in around 10th or 11th place.  My transition to the kayak was a little slow as I tried to recover a bit from the run.  I didn’t waste time but my movements were very deliberate as to not make a costly mistake.  The kayak leg was my happy place in this race.  I chose to race my Stellar S16 Multisport kayak over my faster but less stable Stellar SR Multisport surf ski.  I chose to make the trip with the smaller and slower boat because of the uncertainty of the weather.  I felt I would be safer and more comfortable with the more stable boat if the weather did make a turn for the worse.  In the end the river conditions were fine for either boat.  I was able to pass a few kayaks in the water while only being passed by one person in a surf ski who ultimately finished 3rd overall.  I had a fairly smooth transition to the bike although still being a little cautious of the heat.  The bike course was two loops of a little over 8  miles each.   The weather leading up to the race made it difficult to get out and train on the bike the way I wanted.  I would have liked to have been faster in the bike leg.    In the end I finished 8th overall and 3rd in my age division.  This was the first time I had broken the top ten in this race and placed in my age division so I am proud of both of those accomplishments.

8/11/2018 Loretta Harland And Scott Orlando Goodyear Half Marathon And 10K Akron, Ohio

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8/11/2018

Goodyear Half Marathon

Akron, Ohio

Loretta Harland

Goodyear Half Marathon

Finish Time:  1:58:00

Scott Orlando

Goodyear 10K

Finish Time:  47:15

Overall Place:  69/1296

Division Place:  7th place.

Race Review By Scott Orlando

The Goodyear Half Marathon and 10K is the second race in the Akron Marathon Race Series.  The race starts and finishes at the Goodyear World Headquarters in Akron, Ohio.  The race begins by completing one lap of Goodyear’s famous “Proving Grounds” track before heading out to the community roads.  Weather was a little humid but the temperatures of the early morning race start made for enjoyable running conditions.  I wasn’t crazy about the 6:30 am start time but seeing the sun rise above the early morning fog on the Proving Grounds made it worth getting out of bed at 4:00 am.  The course was flatter and faster than I would have thought for the 10K.  I started fast thinking that hills in the later miles would slow down my pace.  The hills did not feel as bad as they looked on the course elevation chart.  I did slow down some but not as much as I thought I would which was a little surprising.  My goal was to finish the race under 50 minutes so I was very happy with my 47:15 time.  Racers were greeted at the finish custom finisher medals, Swenson’s hamburgers, ice cream sandwiches, and a selection of craft beers.  Usually the thought of eating a hamburger at 8:00 am would make my stomach churn, but after this run I was ready for a Galley Boy!  The race was very well organized and a lot of fun.  I highly recommend this race be on your calendar next year!

 

8/5/2018 Scott Orlando Pittsburgh Paddle Sports Championships Pittsburgh, PA

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8/5/2018

Pittsburgh Paddle Sports Championships

Pittsburgh, PA

6 mile Canoe, Kayak, and Paddle Board Race

Scott Orlando

Men’s Touring Composite Class

Finish Time:  59:26

Finish Place:  15th Overall

Division Place:  5th Place

Race Review By Scott Orlando

The Pittsburgh Paddle Sports Championships was a new event this year added to the weekend long celebration of the Three Rivers known as the Pittsburgh Regatta River Festival.  The Pittsburgh Regatta is one of the largest in the country with a weekend full of river and land events drawing hundreds of thousands of people  all centered around Point Park and the Three Rivers area.  For a new race I must say it was very well organized by the fine people at Performance Kayak and the American Heart Association.  The race course consisted of 2 loops around the Three Rivers area.  The course was challenging with up river and down river sections but might just be the best river course I have ever raced.  Feeding off of the energy of the spectators at Point Park was a real pick up after a tough up river stretch.  We even paddled directly past a decommissioned submarine!  What I liked about the course besides the scenic views everywhere was that you could see the entire course and field of racers.  Often on river races all the participants spread out early and you spend a lot of time alone on the river.  This course was wide open making you feel like you were part of something great and not out there alone.  The entire race course was closed to power boat traffic and patrolled by the coast guard and police keeping the waters smooth and all of us out there very safe. I raced my Stellar S16 Multisport touring kayak.  Racers came from all over PA, OH, VI, and NC many of which used the race as a tune up for next weekend’s National Championships.  I finished 15th overall beating several longer faster surf skis.  Any time you can beat the surf skis in a shorter touring kayak is a good day.  I finished 5th in the composite touring kayak division.  3 of the top finishers in the division did have surf skis so I am left a little confused on the classes and boat definitions.  I can only conclude that they either combined composite boats into one division or the specific surf skis used did somehow classify as touring kayaks.  Either way I am not complaining as this race probably rates in my top 3 all time kayaking experiences.  The huge extra bonus for me is that I actually won the raffle of a brand new Stellar S16 Sport Fiberglass Kayak!  Thank you to Performance Kayak, Stellar Kayaks, and the American Cancer Society for donating the kayak and all of their time and effort putting on this amazing event!