The weather in 2003 has tested every outdoor fitness athlete. A cold, snowy winter left only the most dedicated exercising their outdoor training options. The harsh winter has been followed by a cool spring with deluges that suggested the wisdom of changing our triathlons to ark, bike, run (the deck) competitions. It made it difficult for many. Take, for example . . .

The Columbia Triathlon
This is the 22nd running of this prestigious event that has provided the venue for two USA Triathlon Age Group Championships in the last decade (1994 and 1997). If the nearly 1400 registrants had shown up, it would have been a record field on the popular 1.5K (0.93 mile) swim, 41K (25.48 mile) bike, 10K (6.21 mile) run course. As it was, there was an eyelash short of 1000 finishers under difficult conditions that saw more than a dozen people go hypothermic in the frigid (low 60s) lake waters of Centennial Park.

The women's race was won by last year's runner-up, Christy Underdonk (34). The Kensington, MD resident had a 2:21:13 clocking which was 48 seconds behind her time of last year. She had called that event "the coldest conditions" in which she ever raced. Her effort included the third-speediest 10K run for women. This year Underdonk did well enough for 38th place overall (15 places ahead of last year).

Although second-place finisher Kristen Ward (28) of Arlington made up more than 1:20 with the second-fastest run among women, it was not enough to overcome the large deficit with which she had started the run. Most of that deficit was conceded in the transition area. Ward finished in 2:25:30, 1:03 ahead of third- place Jill Riblett (31) from Virginia Beach. Lisa Dunn (41) of Wilton, CT turned in the second fastest women's bike split (over 20.25 mph) on the hilly course to take the women's masters title in 2:33:06. Top grand-master (>49) Diane Sharp of Asheville, NC finished in 2:50:21.

The amateur men's race was won by Arlington's James Bales (23) in 2:05:59. His 37:29 time on the tough 10K run was second- fastest among the amateurs. Christopher Martin (27) rode the sixth-fastest bike split to second place in 2:07:36. The Princeton Junction resident staved off the hard-charging Ryan Jones (23) of Paoli, PA who made up 36 seconds of the 40 he needed to run down Martin, leaving him four seconds short in 2:07:40. Two pro competitors, both past Columbia winners and locals, had faster times than Bales. Kevin Carter (29) of Timonium, erstwhile course record holder, won the pro race besting last year's amateur winner (now pro) Otho Keller of Baltimore. Carter (formerly of Springbrook High in Silver Spring and the University of MD), who has gone well below two hours on the course, finished in 2:00:58, 3:27 ahead Keller (25).

Chatham, NJ's William Kelly (40) bested Annapolis's Bill Kvetkas (41) by 2:08 for the male masters division title with a time of 2:18:20 (27th overall). Hometown favorite John Elliott (64) took the male grand-masters (>59) title for Columbia with his 2:48:44 clocking (380th overall).

Breezy Point Triathlon
The Breezy Point Triathlon took place (as it always does) on the grounds of the Norfolk Naval Station. Approximately 700 triathletes competed in the sprint-distance (sic) event. The 1K (0.62 mile) swim, 20K (12.43 mile) bike and 5K (3.11 mile) run contest took place under partly overcast skies and a near-ideal air temp but less than comfortable humidity for running and biking. The tri lived up to its name as gusty breezes caught the attention of the swimmers and bikers.

Richmond's Tim Morris (30) overcame a one-minute time penalty to edge Chesapeake's Mark Cockrell (26) by 13 seconds. Morris was credited with a time of 1:05:25. Cockrell had the fastest bike split of the day as he averaged more than 23.8 mph to finish in 1:05:38. Blacksburg's Dan Peairs made it a Virginia sweep of the open men with his 1:06:36 showing. Peairs, the owner of the fastest swim (13:41) and run (17:55) splits of the day, could have taken this event with a little more work on the bike leg. Norfolk hometown-favorite John Dill was the first masters finisher, crossing the line 19 seconds behind Peairs in 1:06:55 for fourth-place honors overall. Seaford's Virgil King (60) continued the VA sweep as he was the top grand-master in 1:31:31 (341st overall).

Richmond claimed the top woman as well, as Karen Holloway (30) parlayed the top swim and bike splits to a nearly four-and-one- half minute win (in 1:09: 37) over Virginia Beach's Jill Riblett (who had taken third at Columbia). Riblett had the fastest (20:53) 5K to finish in 1:14:01, just edging town-mate Diane Haupt (37) whose one-minute time penalty left her at 1:14:37, exactly five minutes behind Holloway. Debi Bernardes (41) of King George, VA improved on her third-place masters finish at Columbia by taking top honors at Breezy Point with a 1:18:56 time, good for 131st overall and 2:12 up on her closest rival, Virginia Beach's Dale Browning (41). Marilynn McAteer continued to acquit Richmond well and completed the Virginia sweep of top honors at Breezy Point. McAteer (52) ran down Reston's Mary Delaney who started the 5K with a lead of more than two minutes on McAteer. McAteer finished in 1:29:13 (301st overall) and Delaney came in 1:05 later in 319th place.

Notes and News
Team Du2R has assembled a team of top duathletes to compete in duathlons around the region. Most have already qualified for the World Championships . . . The Flannery Duathlon at Sugarloaf continues to be among the few events in counties close-in to Washington . . . See the Triathlantic schedule (www.triath.com) and the Reston Triathlon for others.