The race was a 10K - followed by 38K Bike - then a 5 K run
This was the USAT Duathlon Nationals. If you made the top 12 in your age group you would qualify for the "Worlds" at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Sept.
I have never done a duathlon. I fractured my foot at the end of Jan and I just started running 2 weeks before Oceanside. As of this race, I have spent 1 run doing speed work so I was not sure how I was going to do.
Starting out with a 10K was interesting. I got smoked by most of the woman I started with.......The first 2 waves were men over 55 and woman over 55.
I was OK with that - I just needed to find my pace and run my race. At about mile 3, I passed a bunch of ladies that went out a little too fast................................ oops.
About a 1/2 mile from the end of the 10K, one of the girls that I had passed at mile 3 and had been using me for a pacing partner, decides she is now going to pass me. Y-E-A-H, that did not go over well with me and I used my cadence drills Strauss trained me on to pick up the pace and then a slight down hill to really pick up the pace -- I could hear her fall back - then I passed one other lady in my AG about 500 feet from the finish.
There was 1 turn around and I counted the women ahead of me -- there was 16 - so when I came in - I was 15th of the group.
Got on the bike. Legs felt like lead. That was LESS than pleasant!
About mile 2 - the girl that was pacing me - passed me.............UGH! But then she made a wrong turn and went off the course to who knows where ...............S W E E T !
About 4 miles into the ride - I am thinking - how am I going to finish this race??? I was dead.......!
OK - what has my coach, Rich Strauss, taught me? I need to do something because "dead" is just not what I wanted to deal with.
Rich has a video called 4 Keys - plus he gave a talk on these in Oceanside. One of the keys is race "in the box" -- don't deal with anything else than what is happening. This puts the race in a compartment and you deal with what needs to be fixed NOW and do not worry about mile 10 or 20 or the end of the race.
That worked --- took some Gu - took some endurolytes and within about 10 minutes I was good to go for the rest of the bike. I really paid attention to taking some Gu and drink every 25 minutes. Before I got off the bike I took half an Espresso Gu. The bike course was a little hilly in some spots --- but that was fine with me!
I was told that the 2nd run was a bit----! Especially after you have already run a 10K.
Got off the bike - got on to the run - did not feel that bad until about mile 2. I walked the aid station and then finished the race! It was an up hill finish -- that hurt!
I came in 9th out of 21 in my age group - total Time 2:49:40
10K 54:52 38K bike 1:24:54 3 K Run 27:05
This was a fun race. It was tough.
Yes I would do a duathlon again -- they are good training for Triathlons.
Lynda
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Race Report – Oceanside 70.3 2009
I never wanted to do this race because I was told it was very cold. I hate cold. I had signed up for it a couple years ago and never went.
But this year...there were so many Pasadena Tri-Club guys that were going that there was no way I was not going to be part of the group.
The couple of days before the race were a bit cool – but race day looked to be good weather.
David Piper arrived at my room around 5:30am and we headed down to transition, about a 4 minute bike ride from the hotel. David was doing well despite the fact that bon Tuesday he had a 103 fever with bronchitis!
It was a bit chilly at 5:30am, but I had throw away flip flops, throw away socks and gloves – so once I got my wet suit on – the cold was not bad.
They did not do the usual get out of transition routine @ 6:30– which I thought was odd. We could have not been in such a rush to get out.
The swim was in the marina – it was an “in the water” start. There were no waves and the water was smooth with the exception of the turn around which was near the entry to the sea. The “in water” start was nice because it gave me 3 minutes to get oriented in the water before I started. The water was about 60 degrees but did not seem that cold. They were allowing us to wear booties...which I forgot in my room.
My swim was around 54 minutes – that is not a bad time for me.
Once in transition, I put on my short sleeve under armor, singlet and windbreaker and gloves. I was unwilling to be cold on the bike – and the only thing I took off were the gloves.
The bike course was beautiful. I felt great on the bike for the first 40 miles – then I do not know what happened…………could have been the lack of time on my tri bike before the race…..but, my ass hurt, my back hurt – I hurt…….. and was not having a pleasant time at all!
A note here – I fractured my foot at the end of January and could not run until 10 days before Oceanside – and then I had to take it easy. By the time I arrived in Oceanside I had done 4 runs, none of them more than 35 minutes.
Plus, in the month of March, I was out of town 3 weekends and Sundays are my “on my tri bike for 50 miles” day. So, going into Oceanside, I thought I would just use it as a practice day and not do the run.
But…..you know how it is when you get into race conditions. I already had a plan if my foot was killing me – cause I really did not want to DNF.
My bad time on my bike was due to lack of “time on the bike”. Although I had spent many hours on my road bike between Tour of CA and various club rides and the 3 day prelude to the Mullholland Challenge, the road bike position is very different than tri position.
Got done with the bike – got into transition and then had to take off ALL the extra clothes I had on – that took some time.
Started the run and I felt better than I had ever felt on a run???? That was odd – especially since I had not run in almost 2 months.
At about mile 2 there was a hill – I thought maybe I would take it easy and walk it – but decided not to. THANK GAWD for that --- because at the top of the hill was Rich Strauss, my coach, and I would have been MORTIFIED beyond belief if he saw me walking that hill!
As I went on – my foot was giving me no problems and things were going well.
Then came mile 8.
Rich had given a talk 2 days before the race and he talked about the 4 Keys. One of the 4 keys was to race in the “box” This means you only deal with what you need to at THAT point. This was VERY helpful to me because looking at another 5 miles was a bit overwhelming.
I took it one mile at a time. I knew I could make it to mile 9 and then 10 and then 11. I was walking the aid stations and I stopped and walked for 2 minutes on mile 12.
This gave the lady in my age group a chance to pass me and come in about 40 seconds ahead of me. But that was OK. For as not prepared for this race as I was – I was going to finish! I was blown out!!!!!
Total time: 06:53:15
Swim 53:05 T 1 7:30 Bike 3:25:55 T2 2:56 Run 2:22:51
And last but not least……………it was soooo much fun seeing other PTC friends on the course and then had a blast hanging out with Sue, Greg, Darrell, Lenny, Jesse, Jeff and Thom after the race in Darrell”s condo.
What a pleasant end to a great race!!!
And also want to mention – the weather was perfect. Sunny but not too warm with a nice breeze on the run!
It could not have been a better day!!!
Lynda
But this year...there were so many Pasadena Tri-Club guys that were going that there was no way I was not going to be part of the group.
The couple of days before the race were a bit cool – but race day looked to be good weather.
David Piper arrived at my room around 5:30am and we headed down to transition, about a 4 minute bike ride from the hotel. David was doing well despite the fact that bon Tuesday he had a 103 fever with bronchitis!
It was a bit chilly at 5:30am, but I had throw away flip flops, throw away socks and gloves – so once I got my wet suit on – the cold was not bad.
They did not do the usual get out of transition routine @ 6:30– which I thought was odd. We could have not been in such a rush to get out.
The swim was in the marina – it was an “in the water” start. There were no waves and the water was smooth with the exception of the turn around which was near the entry to the sea. The “in water” start was nice because it gave me 3 minutes to get oriented in the water before I started. The water was about 60 degrees but did not seem that cold. They were allowing us to wear booties...which I forgot in my room.
My swim was around 54 minutes – that is not a bad time for me.
Once in transition, I put on my short sleeve under armor, singlet and windbreaker and gloves. I was unwilling to be cold on the bike – and the only thing I took off were the gloves.
The bike course was beautiful. I felt great on the bike for the first 40 miles – then I do not know what happened…………could have been the lack of time on my tri bike before the race…..but, my ass hurt, my back hurt – I hurt…….. and was not having a pleasant time at all!
A note here – I fractured my foot at the end of January and could not run until 10 days before Oceanside – and then I had to take it easy. By the time I arrived in Oceanside I had done 4 runs, none of them more than 35 minutes.
Plus, in the month of March, I was out of town 3 weekends and Sundays are my “on my tri bike for 50 miles” day. So, going into Oceanside, I thought I would just use it as a practice day and not do the run.
But…..you know how it is when you get into race conditions. I already had a plan if my foot was killing me – cause I really did not want to DNF.
My bad time on my bike was due to lack of “time on the bike”. Although I had spent many hours on my road bike between Tour of CA and various club rides and the 3 day prelude to the Mullholland Challenge, the road bike position is very different than tri position.
Got done with the bike – got into transition and then had to take off ALL the extra clothes I had on – that took some time.
Started the run and I felt better than I had ever felt on a run???? That was odd – especially since I had not run in almost 2 months.
At about mile 2 there was a hill – I thought maybe I would take it easy and walk it – but decided not to. THANK GAWD for that --- because at the top of the hill was Rich Strauss, my coach, and I would have been MORTIFIED beyond belief if he saw me walking that hill!
As I went on – my foot was giving me no problems and things were going well.
Then came mile 8.
Rich had given a talk 2 days before the race and he talked about the 4 Keys. One of the 4 keys was to race in the “box” This means you only deal with what you need to at THAT point. This was VERY helpful to me because looking at another 5 miles was a bit overwhelming.
I took it one mile at a time. I knew I could make it to mile 9 and then 10 and then 11. I was walking the aid stations and I stopped and walked for 2 minutes on mile 12.
This gave the lady in my age group a chance to pass me and come in about 40 seconds ahead of me. But that was OK. For as not prepared for this race as I was – I was going to finish! I was blown out!!!!!
Total time: 06:53:15
Swim 53:05 T 1 7:30 Bike 3:25:55 T2 2:56 Run 2:22:51
And last but not least……………it was soooo much fun seeing other PTC friends on the course and then had a blast hanging out with Sue, Greg, Darrell, Lenny, Jesse, Jeff and Thom after the race in Darrell”s condo.
What a pleasant end to a great race!!!
And also want to mention – the weather was perfect. Sunny but not too warm with a nice breeze on the run!
It could not have been a better day!!!
Lynda
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