Desert Classic Duathlon - DuathlonStandard


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Phoenix, Arizona
United States
45F / 7C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 1h 56m 36s
Overall Rank = 50/195
Age Group = M 45-49
Age Group Rank = 6/20
Pre-race routine:

Cup of coffee to wake up and head for the McDowell's. Event location was about 1 hour from the house. Knew this event would be tough as I rode and ran all three courses in the weeks leading up to the event. 24 hours of rain prior would not help. Fortunately, the rain stayed away for most competitors.
Event warmup:

20-30 minutes running easy. A few short sprints to get things rev'd up.
Run
  • 26m 8s
  • 3.5 miles
  • 07m 28s  min/mile
Comments:

Challenging run course. Sticky mud caused pea gravel pick-up and had several rocks deposited in my shoes. Felt pretty good about it at the time...but disappointing looking back. I did tweak my left calf on one of the steep downhills, so I was a bit cautious after that.
What would you do differently?:

Not much...except go faster! The course and conditions pretty much dictated how I approached the run.
Transition 1
  • 01m 1s
Comments:

No issues. Don't really remember T1...I only seem to mentally log negatives...so must have went smooth. I think I had the 4th fastest time in Age Group.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Bike
  • 1h 04m 47s
  • 21 miles
  • 19.45 mile/hr
Comments:

I thought I did better than my time showed. I passed many and only got passed by a few. I got passed more on the downhills and passed more on the uphills. Goal was for a 1:00 bike time, so disappointed with the 1:04.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder....especially on the downhills.
Transition 2
  • 00m 55s
Comments:

A little slow as I decided to change to a new pair of shoes that weren't already muddy. Stopped for a few seconds to take a few more drinks from the aero-drink system on the bike before I took off.
What would you do differently?:

Have back-up shoes more ready. Had to fumble around a bit to get them on.
Run
  • 23m 47s
  • 3 miles
  • 07m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

Tough run. Heavy shoes and zapped legs combined to make for a very long tough slog back to the finish. The parking lot (finish area) never seemed to get closer. The left calf was sore so I was favoring it as I did not want to injure it further. Did I mention...tough run.
What would you do differently?:

I really need to work more on my muscular fitness and nutrition leading up to events. This is the longest duathlon I've ever done as the prior longest was 5K-30K-5K.
Post race
Warm down:

Ran slowly back to the parking lot to get a Muscle Milk.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Muscular Endurance. Period. My training program has been calling for some gym work, but I have been neglecting those workouts. Not anymore.

Event comments:

This is the toughest Duathlon I've done and very glad I did it. A very good mental and physical test to start the season.




Last updated: 2011-02-21 12:00 AM
Running
00:26:08 | 03.5 miles | 07m 28s  min/mile
Age Group: 7/20
Overall: 0/195
Performance: Below average
I wanted to maintain a 10K pace for the first run and keep the HR just under LT. I guess I was a bit too conservative as I was about 2 mins off of my goal pace.
Course: The first half of the 3.5 mile course was uphill and on fairly wide and stable track...only a few mudholes and soft spots. The second half was downhill and mostly on the single-track "sport loop" mountain bike trail. Very narrow, winding and had some steep up-downs.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
T1
Time: 01:01
Overall: Average
Run with bike? Average
Jump on bike? Below average
Getting up to speed and into shoes: Average
Biking
01:04:47 | 21 miles | 19.45 mile/hr
Age Group: 6/20
Overall: 0/195
Performance: Below average
HR was below my target for this leg. Couldn't seem to keep the HR up...particularly on the downhills.
Wind: Little
Course: Rolling hills and a fairly rough surface....especially in the park. I must have seen 12-15 cyclists either trying to fix a flat or walking their bike back to the transition area. Not sure what was causing all the grief, but I've never done a race where I've seen more flats.
Road: Rough Wet Cadence: 90
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 00:55
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
00:23:47 | 03 miles | 07m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 8/20
Overall: 0/195
Performance: Below average
HR was way below my normal range. Aerobic fitness is good, but legs had nothing left. The quick, steep uphills (about 5-6 of them) really zapped me. Passed many people and got passed by several people, but nobody seemed overly strong so I didn't feel too bad. Tried to step on the gas pedal at the halfway point, but had nothing left. The heart and mind were willing, but the legs were not.
Course: Course was the toughest run course of any event I've done. The first 1.5 miles was very technical with steep up-downs and winding, rocky (and muddy too) terrain. The second half was on a lightly travelled service road and was better.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4