Heel Crank Duathlon - Duathlon


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Huntsville, Alabama
United States
Team Rocket Tri Club
88F / 31C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 01m 24s
Overall Rank = 7/200
Age Group = M 25-29
Age Group Rank = 2/14
Pre-race routine:

Woke up around 0515. Did the usual morning routine. Ate some breakfast and check BT. Grabbed a Gatorade and headed out around 0545.

Got to the race site around 0605. Picked up my packet and got body marked. Set up transition and chatted with a few people on my rack. Then I went and check up on some local guys.
Event warmup:

Around 0700 I went out and rode the bike course except for the big downhill and climb at the 8ish mile mark. Got back to transition and one of the local guys ask, "where they hell did you go?" He kinda laughs, "what did you do ride the whole course?" I respond, "ummm yeah."

Then I proceed to put on my running shoes and head out for a quick jog. I make it back in time for the prerace ceremonies.
Run
  • 15m 40s
  • 2.5 miles
  • 06m 16s  min/mile
Comments:

There was a group of 12-14 of us standing right on the starting line. Everyone else was about 4-5 feet behind us. The gun goes off and the pace is fast. It feels hard, but not blow up hard.

Around the one mile mark the group starts to really splilt up. I picked out a guy and just paced off him. No reason to think about pacing when someone else can do it. So I just sat on his heels and let my mind wonder.

Made it to the short out and back and realized I was in 9th place. Wow, I didn't expect to be here. Coming out of the short out and back I could see 10th place was a good bit behind.

As we close in on transition I start going through my transition routine in my head. They can make or brake you in these short races.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 1
  • 00m 33s
Comments:

Run to rack, kick off shoes while taking glasses off and putting helmet on. Grab bike run.
What would you do differently?:

Notta!
Bike
  • 27m 45s
  • 10 miles
  • 21.62 mile/hr
Comments:

I get up to speed and check HR and Power. Power is good, but HR is 180 bpm. I pull up just a bit to let the HR drop into the low 170s. Around the 2 mile mark a rider passes me. He's smoking it, so I let him go and focus on pacing.

The race was kinda boring between miles 2 and 7. I was by myself, pushing low tempo wattage. Around mile 7 we come up on a Uturn and I'm counting 1,2,3,4,5,6, I was in 7th place. As I make the Uturn I could see to bikers coming on fast.

I know these two guys. One's a great biker, but has slow foot speed. The other tends to go out too hard on the bike and fades late into the run. They pass me, but I keep contact with them.

We hit a steep downhill, make a uturn at the bottom and climb up. At this point I had lost contact with the good biker, but the second guy was 200 yards away.

At this point, I've got a little over mile until T2. It's mostly downhill with a tailwind. My HR had settled into the mid 160's and power is bang on. I decided it was time to pull back the second guy.

I catch him at the turn into the parking lot in which T2 is located.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Transition 2
  • 00m 26s
Comments:

I'm in the process of a flying dismount, I notice the other guy unclips. I kinda smile knowing, I've got him. I jump off bike, helmet off as I run to my rack. Rack bike, slip shoes on, grab sun glasses and run. As I'm turning to run the guy is just taking off his bike shoes.

Heading out of transition, you make a u-turn and head back out the praking lot entrance. As I make the turn I hear one of the volunteers say, dang that was fast. I just smiled, but I really smiled when I saw the other biker who passed me tying his shoes in transition.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing!
Run
  • 16m 56s
  • 2.5 miles
  • 06m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

Headed out onto the course and you could feel the heat off the pavement. I was hurting, it hard to breath. Made it to the mile one aid station, took a cup of water but just poured it on my head. I didn't want to interrupt my breathing.

At this point I could see a racer up in the distance. Another half mile goes by and I can tell I'm gaining on him. Make it to the out and back and I get a good look at him. He's hurting worse than I, but I'm running out of real estate.

Make the uturn and I get a good look at 8th place. He's not going to catch me. I make the turn out of the out and back and decide to go for it. I try to put in a kick, but the engine room room doesn't hear me.

At this point I'm less than a quarter of a mile from finishing. I take a quick look behind me and 8th is about 200 yards behind me. So I just pace it to the finish.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing.
Post race
Warm down:

I walked over to the refreshment tent, where they had tubs of water bottles sitting in ice water. I ask the lady if I could stick my head in it. She laughs and says, "sure honey." I guess she thought I was joking. I grabbed a water and a cookie after my dip and walked over to talk to the other finishers.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The heat. My training is no where near what it needs to be.

Event comments:

This race in the past has taken place in October. If the RD decide to keep it in June, they really need to look at an earlier start time. Like 0700 or 0730.






Last updated: 2010-06-23 12:00 AM
Running
00:15:40 | 02.5 miles | 06m 16s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/200
Performance: Good
Course: 2.5 mile loop through Research Park, one short out and back. Little to no tree cover and cloud cover.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
T1
Time: 00:33
Overall: Good
Run with bike? Good
Jump on bike? Good
Getting up to speed and into shoes: Good
Biking
00:27:45 | 10 miles | 21.62 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/200
Performance: Good
Avg HR - 166 bpm Avg PW - 212 watts
Wind: Some
Course: 10 mile loop through research park. Very little flat portions, alot of slight inclines and declines. One big downhill and uphill at the 8ish mile mark. 3 U-turns and alot of turns.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 00:26
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Good
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:16:56 | 02.5 miles | 06m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/14
Overall: 0/200
Performance: Good
Course: Same course as first run.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5