This is an outstanding race. Different than anything we have ever done, but full of the same enthusiasum for the sport and the Southern Hospitality you always hear about. Pat and I had superb time in Natchez, Mississippi. We went to try and break the record..with the river and weather cooperating, we managed to do so by just under 13 minutes...
This shows the last 8-10 miles of the river where it finishes below Natchez.
The two extremes on the Mississippi. Above Tom McNeese(?) having a smoke. Below, Winner Ed Joy...someone send him a Mocke PFD.
We knew from the race organizer that the river was flowing well. Calculating in Kms we figured we had to average 17.6km to break Steve Wood's record from last year. Seemed daunting, but with a river flow of about 6 km/ave we knew we could hold 12km for a long time..having trained well together in double. The only questions were.... where is the fast water, would there be a headwind and could the singles work together drafting and riding each other to pass us in the end.

Keith Benoist had told us to follow the buoys(red and green, spaced down the river) and keep to the fast side of the river in turns...high banks and the longer turns. Pat had not raced a river since 1987 and I had never been on one, so seemed logical that we would follow his advice. Turns out Patrick never comitted to the one side or the other(I complained a little back there, but I was nervous to change course too) and the buoys were so far apart and hard to see that it became a laugh between us to see who could spot one first.

So we ran the mighty Mississippi right down the middle..keeping our speed just about 18km most of the way. Honestly I have to say that our effort for the distance was around 70% physical, but the true challenge in this challenge was maintaining metal focus, trying to find the currents and keeping the gps above the average to break the record. I sang a few verses of my son's Ipod songs in my head...Hannah Montana what else. Even spent some time with my eyes closed just feeling the rythmn of the double..haven't tried that on the ocean.

Reading our GPS at the finish we went 67km, average speed 17.9km and max speed 20.5km. We came in well under the course record at 3:41.52,(record was 3:53 something) but without any real push from other doubles, we got lazy. So with some competition, even wake riding allowed by singles, I am guessing we could have gone 10 minutes faster. BUT......the river was fast and no head wind emerged, so we were thrilled to get the record and the win.

Here's extending a huge thank you to everyone....Keith Benoist and Melissa for their hospitality and Dave Lloyd for his driving and sense of humor. This is truely a fun, well run, unique event and with the course record always up for grabs, this is one of the challenges y'all should put on your race calender. We heard it a few times...y'all come back ya hear..Yes sir, we are going back and 3 hours 30 minutes is the goal.

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1. Yeah !
   You guys smashed the record.
   Race sounds like fun, and what a wonderful landscape !
   Great job
   ~Noah
   Posted by Noah Hawk   on  10/13   at  07:40 PM

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