Buzzard Biathlon - Biathlon (run/bike)

I think I had a good run. I came in under 9 min/mile pace again so I am really happy. Last year my run time was 27:53 so I took off approximately 1 minute.

For whatever reason, my calves are still really tight (not sore) ever since the 5 mile race last weekend. I did loosen up some in the middle, but there is a long downhill at the end and my calves were complaining. Going to have to get my massage guy to fix this.

Nothing. I didn't want to push any harder knowing I still had to bike.

Eventually I need to start running some hills. Just as comparision, my home 3.5 mile route I do has 33 feet of elevation gain/loss. Can you say flat as a pancake?

I am really happy here. I took about 50 seconds off of last year's time. And I changed into bike shoes this year which I didn't do last year. I must have taken a nap in transition last year.

I did have some fumbling with my bike gloves. I had this bright idea to carry them in my jacket pocket on the run. Then I was going to put them on before I got to transition. I forgot. Duh! They are easy to slip on, but did cost me some time. I need to either run with the gloves on or forget them all together.

Plus I forgot to hit my lap button on my watch when I came into transition. The race is manually timed and they only give a total time. It was when I started to put my gloves on that I remembered my watch. I was near the entrance to transition so I am figuring I was there about 10 seconds before hitting my lap button.

Last year's time was 1:01:37. My goal was to do the course in under 1 hour. This meant I had to do each mile in 4 minutes. Knowing that really helped push me through the course as I passed the mile markers along the route. Wind was around 15mph. Since most of the course is wooded and hilly, I only noticed the wind in just a couple places.

My legs were really blah coming off the run, but it didn't take long to get into a groove. My pace was starting to fall off some on the uphills on lap 4 and 5. Knowing that I didn't have to run afterwards, I just pushed as hard as I could the last lap.

One thing I did try that worked well: I grabbed a chewy granola bar and started eating it as I ran through transition. Finished it before I even reached the first bend in the road. It settled just fine in my stomach and that is good to know.

The biggest blunder was my jacket. I had it mostly unzipped for the run. I was planning on zipping it up before I got on the bike, but this was just one more thing I forgot to do in transition. So I tried to zip it up while biking. The zipper got stuck and I gave up. I am sure that having a partially open jacket is not very aerodynamic. Plus I wasn't pedaling very hard while fiddling with my jacket.

I need to learn how to drink better if I am going to progress to a duathlon. I was fine on the bike, but would have been hurting a little by the end of the second run I think. This course made it hard though because it is up, down, up, down. Very few "flat" spots to take a drink. I did drink some, but could have done better.

Walking around. Ate a banana, a bite sized brownie and drank Gatorade.

This race doesn't have a formal awards ceremony at the end. They hand out any awards as you cross the finish line. I got a trophy for 3rd overall female!!!! WaHOO!!!!! Ok, only 10 women in the race, but still, kind of cool!

AND I won a door prize. I won a free duathlon registration for another NCN duathlon this year. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Doggies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The usual being middle age excuse. I still don't feel 100% after the achilles injury from last year. I'm still riding the ol' faithful steel framed touring bike with toe clips. I really like this bike though. I might cry when I finally progress upward to a new bike, but that won't be happening any time soon. I just don't take this racing stuff seriously enough I guess.


This is a low key race. Even though they don't have fancy swag or chip timing, everything is organized and on time. The course is beautiful! There is also a duathlon and a 3 mile run as part of the whole event.