Not quite first, but still on the podium…Doughman Wrap-Up

It was an early morning as we arrived at Foster’s at 7am to register. On the car ride over we made a few tactical changes- the jeans shorts were out due to possible chafing issues, the Motley Crue mesh tops were also abandoned because of slightly cold and wet conditions in favor of European soccer jerseys, and we shifted our race order around to maximize efficiency (and for some reason I woke up in the mood for some bacon cheese fries). The pre-race parking lot had a Darwinian feel as teams huddled and exchanged stares while everyone sized up the competition.

We were certainly confident in our abilities but worry set in as a few bikers looked like they were a little too comfortable in their spandex and helmets. When I noticed that one in particular had a tattoo of a bike on his arm, I knew that Aaron was in trouble. Fortunately, when the horn sounded Aaron’s strategy of attacking the biscuit first before moving on the the ham, eggs and potatoes paid off. He was first (by 45-60 seconds) to get on the bike and we hoped it was a large enough lead to make up for the inexperience of not having ridden a bike since age 13 (Due to camera difficulties, we were unable to capture the highlights of stage 1).

We patiently waited at Nosh for the bikers to arrive and Charlie mentally prepared for the challenge ahead. As the first biker came down the hill into view, we realized that Aaron’s early lead had been erased and biker number one was indeed the tattooed ringer. Minutes passed until the next rider arrived and Aaron finally pulled into Nosh in fourth place. He was noticeably winded and although we’ll never know for sure how he went from first to fourth over the 6 mile course, he had clearly put everything into his efforts.

What looked like a relatively easy eating obstacle at Nosh was made much more difficult by the density of chicken, greens and mayo in the tomato wrap. The potato chips didn’t help matters as Charlie tried smashing and dousing them in water but still struggled to keep them down. He took off from Nosh still chewing a mouthful of food (I’m not sure it went down the hatch) and trying to make up some lost ground.

Outside Luther’s, the chilidogs and hushpuppies were neatly arranged and Charlie held the team’s position in fourth as he finished the stage. In less than a minute, Peter downed the dog and puppies and actually asked if he could get one more for the road. He moved into third over the course of the run and quickly shed his shirt and shoes, picked up the inner tube and hopped in the pool. His form wasn’t stellar, but he made it across the 25-yards and I took off to catch the second place team.

At Dain’s, I was welcomed by a fresh basket of fries that was smothered in cheese and bacon and weighed much more than expected. It was a messy job, but it had been a few years since my last serving, so I dove in with enthusiasm. The mound of cheese whiz eventually disappeared and with my face and hands still covered, I took off to see if there was any hope of catching up to first place.

The team was waiting for me at Locopops and we realized our ambitions of gold were an unlikely prospect. We avoided any brain freeze by taking our time with the popsicles and finished off the race with a half-mile dash to the Farmer’s Market. Our final time was around 1 hour and 25 minutes, a solid second place finish about 5 minutes back of the frontrunners.

After the race, we had a chance to meet a few of the participants in the SEEDS program who came over after a morning of gardening, weeding and harvesting. Overall, we raised $205 and the Doughman race brought in a total of $1200. Not bad for an inaugural event.

The Raleigh News & Observer covered the race and included a good photo gallery of a few teams and stages along the race (the journalist also has a blog with some photos and insight into the intricacies of the Doughman).

We were satisfied with our efforts and second place finish but were left wondering what could have been. If we had a real road bike (or professional racer like the first place team) or had flown in Kobayashi for an eating event or had spent more time perfecting our uniforms, would things have turned out differently?

Overall it was a wonderful event and we enjoyed eating and competing with Durham’s finest in order to benefit SEEDS and the Durham Inner-city Gardening project. Thanks to all who donated and the race organizers, Emily and Pae, for starting what will certainly be a great annual tradition. I think we were all surprised with the relative ease of running, biking, paddling after having eaten, so we’re advocating for double portion sizes in next year’s Doughman! You can bet that in a year’s time we’ll have trained a little harder, raised more money, and will accept nothing less than a finish atop the podium.

Aaron exhausted from his ride

The wrap is no match

Multi-tasking- chewing and running

Appetizing…

Peter chokes down a hushpuppy

Three bites and gone

No floaties needed

Trying not to fall out

An extra side of cheese

Mmmmm that’s good…

Mingling with the SEEDS youth

Soccer jerseys and silver marshmellows

A little too racy?

With less than 10 hours until the eating and racing commence, I wanted to post a quick update on the day’s events. This morning I dropped by Nosh to find out what they were planning on serving in stage 2. The owner, Piper (also of Piper’s in the Park), reassured me that it would keep the runners fueled well beyond their 2-miles.

The exact stage routes were released by the Doughman organizers and it turns out that stages 3 (chilidogs, run and paddle) and 4 (two runs and cheesefries) were longer and more trying than expected. Fortunately we have two strong digesters up to the task.

Peter and Charlie tapered their out-of-state training sessions, and arrived back in Durham to join Aaron and I in deciding on proper racing attire. We went back and forth among different ideas- retro jerseys, children’s superhero pajamas, and a few that are perhaps too outrageous to mention. In fact what we ultimately decided may be a little too racy to publish and there are concerns that we may get disqualified upon arriving at the registration desk. Hopefully our donation to SEEDS will warrant our participation regardless of outfit.

Thanks to those who have supported the work that SEEDS is doing in Durham- click if you’d like to contribute. Check back in as we’ll capture some interesting race photos and hopefully will have good news to report!

Deciphering the Nosh menu options

Charlie busting out of his Bumblebee pajamas

A refreshing treat before hitting the finish line

Tour de Durham

With only three days until the Doughman is set to commence, Aaron and I decided to head over towards Ninth St. to get a better idea of the challenges that lay ahead on Saturday. Two members of the team have been out of town over the last week, and while this could damage chemistry or morale, our confidence in one another’s abilities to prepare are beyond all doubt. In fact, Charlie has been keeping me updated on his training sessions, having recently sent a photo text of himself in a classic Rocky pose on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum (I’m not sure if he paid a visit to Pat’s to grab a cheese steak beforehand, but knowing Charlie I would assume so).

Our first stop was Luther’s. Although it was closed and we were greeted by a ‘No Trespassing’ sign, one look at the place was enough to form a solid impression- this is the type of place that is either really, really good, or just plain awful. Unfortunately that won’t be determined until after the chilidog and hushpuppies have been consumed and one of us (aka Charlie) is battling the currents and competition in an innertube. We walked off the mileage from Luther’s to the pool- just under 1 mile- with a nice hill just over halfway that’s sure to test the lungs (good thing he’s been running those steps!).

From there we went to Dain’s (about 8/10 mile- just long enough to work up an appetite) to inquire about the portion sizes of their bacon cheese fries. There were plenty of patrons enjoying a basket of fries but none were smothered or covered. Dain summed it up nicely by answering our question with “there will be enough”- “enough” to sample or fill up or share with 3 friends? He also mentioned that this stage will easily be the most difficult. Peter, I’m not sure where you’re reading this, but if there is one MVP on Saturday, it will be you- most of which is dealing with the mental pressures of a mile run, bacon cheese fries, two more miles, a Locopops popsicle and then a sprint to the finish.

It turns out the Doughman organizers were discussing pre-race strategy over a burger at Dain’s so we introduced ourselves and announced our intentions for victory. They didn’t outright dispute our plans, but instead devoured their burgers in what was a strange, yet effective intimidation tactic. They also gave us a few details on the competition- 14 teams in total with most having some Duke affiliation. Although we shun any type of (unfounded) arrogance, this was clearly good news!

Our last stop of the evening (besides a quick run-through of the Dollar Store in search of uniform ideas) was the SEEDS garden in downtown. With a few wrong turns, we quickly became subject to some curious stares, but avoiding eye contact we eventually found our way to what turned out to be a true oasis. Despite my long term Durham residence, I had never been in this part of the city, mostly for good reason. Although it certainly wouldn’t be considered prime real estate, the blocks around the garden appeared cleaner, quieter, and safer than its surroundings, providing an excellent escape and learning opportunity for the youth involved in the DIG program.

There are still a few details to be worked out- getting a bike, practicing proper baton hand-off etiquette to avoid disqualification, picking sleek uniforms, etc. so check back in for updates before Saturday. If you would like to donate a couple bucks to SEEDS- see the link in the sidebar. Thanks for reading!

I wonder what’s “Beyond”

Saturday’s wild card obstacle

It’s nice to see the price of food isn’t going up everywhere

Safe ground

Doughman organizers Emily and Pae ignore all manners

Growing fresh produce in downtown

Aaron considers some uniform accessories

Inner City Gardening

Farmer’s Market Saturdays

I wanted to start this post by commenting how Saturdays in Durham are known for something unique (besides Bojangles breakfasts, occasional Durham Bulls games, or springtime trips to Duke Gardens), but even after two decades of Saturdays in the area I struggled to come up with much. Google didn’t help either as a few minutes searching turned up Durham Senior Games training sessions and singles drag bingo at the Durham Armory.

Weighing my options, I decided to head down to Durham Central Park on Foster Street to check out the Farmer’s Market. The 40-50 vendors and hundreds of people surveying flowers, plants and produce made me realize that this just might be a legitimate Saturday Durham activity. But I didn’t want to lose focus of the reason for my visit. With the Doughman exactly one week away, and the finish line of the race at the SEEDS booth, I came to get a better understanding of the terrain (similar to Lance Armstrong’s famous reconnaissance bike rides in the Alps and Pyreenes prior to the Tour de France). While there were a lot of dogs, small children and strollers, no major obstacles seemed to pose a serious threat to a team of four determined individuals (as a side note, trash cans were strategically placed around the grounds in case of emergency).

After finding SEEDS, I had the pleasure of meeting three young men that have been volunteering their time with Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG)- Markyse, Ricardo and Fabian. The spokesperson of the group, Markyse, explained how he’s been working with SEEDS for a few years and spends the majority of his time teaching other youth the process of planting, weeding, harvesting, etc. For four hours every Friday afternoon they harvest their crops in preparation for the Farmer’s Market and then from 6am-2pm on Saturdays they gather in the garden (706 Gilbert St.) to get their hands dirty and make sure there will be something to pick the following week. They rotate working the Farmer’s Market booth so that everyone gets a little face time with the customers and I have to say that I was extremely impressed by the maturity and professionalism of these young men. In addition to gardening lessons, I think fundraising 101 must be a part of the curriculum at SEEDS because Markyse was quick to give me a rundown on the history of DIG and how it’s positively impacted his life and the others in the program.

It was great to make a personal connection with SEEDS and DIG prior to the race and after explaining how I was hoping to help them raise money (click here) and would be expending years of built-up competitive energy in trying to cross the finish line first, they seemed much more interested in asking if I could bring them a chilidog from Luther’s. I guess some things aren’t meant to change, and even being surrounded by home-grown produce doesn’t erase the allure of a mystery food whose origins are impossible to identify…

SEEDS workers Fabian, Ricardo and Markyse muster a smile.

There weren’t banners like I expected, but Doughman fliers were scatttered about and there was a buzz in the air.

T – 9 days…

While flipping through the Independent, a local weekly that keeps readers informed of the best in arts, music, dining, events, etc., I noticed a blurb advertising the fusion of two things in which every male feels a tinge of innate superiority- athletics and eating.

Apparently there have been various incarnations of this idea recently- two 2-mile runs with a dozen Krispy Kremes in between, or a similar sprint with a pint of ice cream at the turn. Raising the bar in combining a relay of biking, running, and inner-tube paddling (as well as dining opportunities at five Durham eateries) “The DoughMan- A Self Propelled Culinary Tour of Durham” was launched.

Exact distances are a little unclear, but the general outline of the race is as follows: Stage 1-Racer 1- Eat Foster’s breakfast and bike to Nosh. Stage 2-Racer 2- Eat a Nosh sandwich and side and run to Luther’s. Stage 3-Racer 3- Eat Luther’s chilidog and hushpuppies and run to the Duke pool. Paddle across the pool. Stage 4-Racer 4- Run to Dain’s Place. Eat bacon cheese fries and run to Locopops. Stage 5- Racers 1-4- Eat popsicles and run to the finish line at the Farmer’s Market.

Obviously, this is the type of competition that is hard to pass up. With just two phone calls I was able to secure a trio of relay partners, each bringing a unique strength to put our team (according to the local quadrathlete buzz) in early contention for a finish atop the podium.

The Participants:

Aaron Moon- Renowned across Durham County as a “sleeper” intramural athlete, Aaron has recently been competing at the top of his game and will be looking to cement his name amongst the amateur elite. Bonus- When he was 8, Aaron once ate 14 pancakes and a bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup.

Matt Crawford- Matt appears to be a wildcard after battling back from multiple hip surgeries, but his mental strength coupled with a long-awaited return to the competitive landscape will serve to shake the confidence of opponents. Bonus- Matt claims to have an iron stomach with his last ‘mishap’ occurring after a jarring ride on the titl-a-whirl at the NC State Fair in ‘89.

Charlie MacIntyre- With frisbee golf the focus of his recent cross-training techniques, Charlie’s versatility will make a perfect match for the discipline required in the aquatic event. Bonus- It just happens that next to popcorn shrimp his favorite food is the chilidog.

Peter Moon- Fresh off lacrosse season and about to pick up his college diploma, Peter has consistently shown the endurance and composure to deal with adverse conditions far more demanding than running while digesting bacon cheese fries. Bonus- Peter recently took training trips to Myrtle Beach, SC and Atlantic City where he has been pushing his body to extremes through bouts of sleep deprivation and excessive food and beverage consumption.

While we are all willing to put our bodies on the line, the Doughman has increased the incentives by organizing the event as a fundraiser. Entry fees and all money raised will go to SEEDS, a local non-profit whose goal is to teach people to care for the earth through garden-based programs. The proceeds from this event will be directed to their youth gardening program, Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG), where teen members learn about, then cultivate fruits/vegetables/flowers/etc. to sell at the Farmer’s Market. If you would like to help support SEEDS’ mission, please contact one of the participants or click on the ‘Donate to SEEDS’ link in the sidebar.

This blog was created with the idea of increasing awareness and raising money for SEEDS (as well as to give you a sneak peak at the type of preparation necessary for high level competition in such a grueling event). Check back in with us frequently as we will be updating the site with posts and photos over the next 9 days as we visit the different eateries, consider strategic race-day attire, take reconnaissance tours of the course, and make last minute preparations to ensure success.

About

Matt Crawford. Charlie MacIntyre. Aaron Moon. Peter Moon.

Four Durham natives with aspirations of glory will put themselves to the test on Saturday, May 24th for the benefit of SEEDS and most likely at the expense of their own pride.