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 Run
Comments: There were two waves to start the first run, one 39 and under, the second 40 and up. I did my best not to start out too fast and let the rabbits do their thing; I was here to teach people a lesson about cycling, not running. Andy joked at the start line that that was as close to me as he was going to get all day but he sprinted out ahead of me and did a good job of holding his pace the first leg. The small crowd quickly thinned out as we made our way around the stadium. I started running with another guy and used him to pace myself. I was running hard but could still control my breathing. As a test I asked him what age group he was in to see if I could still hold a conversation at this exertion level. Thankfully is was in the group ahead of me. Ran up a small hill a quarter mile past the one mile marker. After that it was all flat and striaght with two turns until we could get on our bikes. About a half mile from transition the guy I was pacing with said, "Thanks for helping me keep this pace." And here I was thinking that I was trying to keep up with him. I decided then that it was time to catch up to Andy. Sprinted out and a few seconds later I was asking him how his day was going thus far. A group of 4 or 5 of us came into transition together. What would you do differently?: Not much. I was planning on doing 7:30 miles but didn't go too much faster and felt fine.  Transition 1
Comments: Was extra careful to make sure my socks didn't touch the wet group. Jogged very slowly to avoid slipping and falling in my cycling shoes. What would you do differently?: Could have gone faster. Also could have fallen and busted my ass if I rushed.  Bike
Comments: Carefully clipped into my pedals and took the first corner very easy. I haven't done much riding in the rain or on wet roads so this was all very new to me and I was worried about wiping out. Luckily it didn't take long for me to get over my nervousness and get into the fun of things. A full off-season had done wonders for my cycling. I was at the front of the middle of pack and I had every intention of joining the leaders. I quickly got up to speed and then found out that "up to speed" on fixed cranks now meant 25+MPH! I came to the first straight away which had a nice tailwind and easily powered up to 30MPH. Of course since this was a circular course around Texas Motor Speedway I eventually came to a straightaway with a stiff headwind, but I still managed to pass a few people here. Second loop was just as good as the first and I was feeling great. The slowest runners were just now getting onto their bikes and I gave what encouragement I could to them as I passed. I felt alot more comfortable this loop and just tried to enjoy myself and mentally get ready for the second run. Slowed down to a crawl to come around the last corner and gently stopped in front of the timing mat to ensure my safety. What would you do differently?: Slow mount and dismounts hurt my time but it was worth it to be safe. Transition 2
Comments: Slow jogging and being careful. Accidentally put half my sock-covered foot and the ground and got it soaking wet. I was excited to see that there were very few bikes in transition when I got there so I had moved up pretty far in the pack. What would you do differently?: Not get my sock wet. Run
Comments: Lonely run for the most part. I was all by myself this time and had no one to pace with. I knew I had to run a slower pace this leg in order to be fresh enough for the second bike leg. I took a shorter stride and ran with a faster cadence until I found my groove again. I haven't done a brick in a while so it took some getting used to. Got passed on the first mile by 3 people and 4 people over the second mile. No matter. I'll see them again on the bike. It started to sprinkle a bit as I got towards the end of the run. Told myself that I didn't matter since it was barely even a drizzle. What would you do differently?: Given the conditions and the fact that this was the 3rd of 5 legs of the race, it's about as well as I could have ran it. Transition 3
Comments: More of the same. Slow jogging and being careful. What would you do differently?: Nothing. Bike
Comments: As I clipped into my pedals and looked up I saw Haley coming in from her first bike leg. Felt good to see a familiar face. Got up to speed and was back to the same antics as the first bike leg. Within a few minutes I had passed up three people who had caught me on the run. But remember that drizzle I mentioned on the 2nd run? Well it was a full fledged downpour now. My socks were soaking wet and there was nothing that could be done now. The winds had really picked up compared the first leg and it was taking a toll on my speed. I shifted into an easier gear to keep my cadence up and all I could do was hammer away into the wind and know that everyone else had to ride into the exact same thing. Somewhere on the second lap the rain finally stopped. Towards the end I caught up to what I assumed was the first place female. Passed her with less than a mile to go and we both went very slowly into T4. What would you do differently?: Rode as hard as I could but the wind and rain wouldn't let me go any faster. Transition 4
Comments: Jogged slowly and looked around at the other bikes. It was hard to tell where I was because bikes were still there from people who were only on the second run. Didn't bother trying to keep my socks dry since it was a lost cause by now. Everything was the same as before except for my flag. :) What would you do differently?: Nothing. Run
Comments: Ran out of T4 and the girl I had passed caught me within a few seconds. We talked for a bit and then she was off and running to preserve her lead. The winds were alot stronger than the first two runs and I had to fight the flag to keep it steady. About half a mile in I got passed by a guy, Jacob, who stopped to tell me that he sees me at every single race he does. I asked him his AG and he said he just turned 20. DAMN IT! Oh well. I knew I was doing well so I'd still get some hardware for the day. It took about one mile for me to find my legs but after that I felt great. Got passed again after the small hill. I could hear the guy splashing in every puddle as he got nearer. It was one of those moments where I wanted him to just hurry up and pass me so I wouldn't have to hear him get closer and closer. Rounded the corner to the last straight away and I could see the finish line. Got a nice cheer from Jack, the RD, as the finish line came into view. From the group of people standing around who had just finished I could tell that I had finished with the front of the pack. RESULTS: 14th overall! Way better than I thought I would do and that was still only good enough for 3rd in my AG. More importantly though I was 1st in my AG and 5th overall on both bike legs! What would you do differently?: I can always run faster! Post race
Warm down: Stood around talking with the other finishers. Jacob (the guy who passed me on the 2nd and 3rd runs) told me that he was on the bike pushing 22 or 23 when he heard this strange noise. Moments later I went flying past him. He was just in shock that I could move that fast on the bike and especially with the wind. :) Off-season cycling focus is fun! Put my Sunmart jacket on to block the wind and joined Andy at the bike finish to watch everyone else come in. One woman wiped out as she was trying to unclip from her bike. She was fine and we helped her up but it was a scary moment. Not long after that Haley came in and was excited to start her last run (she didn't look like she liked the bike very much). After that I went to pack up my transition area and get my camera. Stood at the finish and talked with Andy. I got my camera out as Haley came around the last corner but as I turned it on it malfunctioned and the shutter wouldn't open. DOH! So no finisher photos of her to post and no group BT photo either. :( Oh well. Loaded up the Jeep and stood around waiting for the awards. By then I was freezing cold and really wished I would have planned better for the after race weather. At least I won't forget next time. What limited your ability to perform faster: Tapering down for IMAZ so I didn't push the run as hard as I could have but I still did well, especially on the bike. Event comments: Great course but horrible weather this year. I love the F-1 duathlon format so I'll definitely be back next year. Profile Album Last updated: 2006-03-05 12:00 AM
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United States
Ironhead Race Productions
Precipitation
Overall Rank = 14/84
Age Group = M20-24
Age Group Rank = 3/3
My alarm went off with 3 hours until the race start. I looked outside and it was a torrential down pour. At least there's plenty of time for the rain to pass over us. Hopped in the shower for a second to wake myself up. Got dressed in my race stuff and stepped outside to check the weather. It was cool but tolerable so I decided to leave my tights and cycling jacket at home. Didn't bother bringing jeans for afterwards either.
Had a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, double checked all my gear, loaded up the Jeep and it was off to the races!
Got to the race site with plenty of time to spare. It had rained overnight and poured early that morning so alot of people didn't show up. Got out of the Jeep and was by a wall of wind. Uh oh, it wasn't like this at home. Now it felt cold. Well... at least it isn't raining!
Unloaded my gear, pumped my tires and went to setup my transition area. I was a little surprised that there was no body marking. Oh well. I set up my transition area and as I turned to go get my timing chip I ran into Andy(apw0397) and Karen(KSH). Got my chip and then stood around with Andy and Haley(Comet) as we BSed to kill the time. I decided not to clip my cycling shoes onto my pedals since the transition area was soaking wet and I didn't want to run in wet socks. I actually had to keep my shoes on a plastic bag to keep them dry because the rack I was on was over a huge puddle.
Finally Jack started the pre-race meeting and a few minutes later we were lined up at the start.