I maintained a very conservative effort and closely monitored my (rt) Achilles. It was sore, but it maintained it's level of soreness. Because it never got any worse and the soreness was moderate, I knew that unless something weird happened, I would at least be able to start the second run.
I ran very comfortably was happy with the how my Achilles performed.

Nothing. I think I did what I had to do. Pushing the pace might have upset the delicate balance I was achieving. It wasn't terribly fast, but it was what it was.

Yeah...it was taking me longer than I would have liked and Ryan was standing just outside the fence, so I said something to the effect of, "I couldn't think of anything else to make this slower."
At this point I pulled my bike off the rack and my backpack followed me. I then said something like, "Oh, well, there's that."
I detatched my backpack and a bunch of my things fell out. I started tossing them back and my glasses case slid across the pavement.
"Could you get that? There are actually glasses in there. Thanks."
Finally, I was able to jog over the the mount line and...well...mount.

Make sure my bag isn't attached to my bike.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I worked hard, passed a fair amount of people and set myself up for a possible nice finish, regardless of my run pace. It was a confidence booster to be able to ride that well, particularly on the heels of the 56 mile ride I rode the day before, and still not being dialed into my bike.

Nothing. I feel really good about my performance on the bike today.

This went much more smoothly and as far as transitions go, this was about par for the course for me.

Nothing, it went pretty well.

My Achilles felt good right out of the gate, but I didn't press the issue. I started out conservatively again and without realizing it, I gradually increased my pace. I kept it steady after I realized I was working harder because I didn't want to blow out my Achilles.
However, with about 3/4 of a mile to go I passed two gentlemen and increased my pace slightly because I knew if it came down to a sprint finish, that I wouldn't be participating. I eased by them and widened the gap simply by maintaining my new pace.

Nothing, this run was WAY beyond my expectations. I was prepared to either not start the second run or possibly drop out half-way (where it doubles back on itself). Thrilled.

After hanging out with Ryand and Scott, and eating the food that was provided, I did some light stretching while I waited for the awards. After this I rode the 8.5 miles back home...into the wind.


I would have liked to have raced this with a strong Achilles. I think I could have been in the top three. Having said that, I am absolutely thrilled with my result. It was a real confidence booster for me.


This is a solid beginning of the season race. It's pretty low key and it helps set the tone for the season. This was the last year at this venue, after 13 years of having it here. It's been a good ride Grand Duathlon. Thank you 3D for keeping it alive.
Next year it may be at Kentwood H.S. which is just down the road. I suspect they may use portions of the existing bike course, but this remains to be seen.