2 race reports, 1 blog
Not for the first time I am sitting looking at a keyboard and thinking about blogging. I have two race reports to write and a retirement from duathlon to explain. The delay really has been about if the retirement is worth its own blog.
So now it is wait and see, I shall start writing the race reports and I am sure by the end there will either be the retirement with explanation or a statement that says the retirement blog will be a day or two behind this one.
At this point the blog also does not have the name you saw at the top if you are reading this.
Race 1 – AG Sprint duathlon – I am not going to mess about with prep beyond telling you that I actually took a total rest day a few days before and the day before I did some stretching. I wanted there to be no fatigue in my legs.
Run 1 – the moment my race ended – we went off at a solid pace and for reasons I don’t know I slowed down. I let the back and the hamstring get in my head, through the last few years I have always committed to the first run not necessarily right with the leaders but close enough that I could get to the group. Was it arrogance about my belief in cycling, blind panic or just bloody day dreaming, whatever it was I gave up the best part of a minute on that first run. I ran 5.47 pace with an average HR of 162 peaking at 170 which is like a tempo run. Perspective is that ILL in Romania I averaged 170 and peaked at 180. Funny enough I felt fine as I hit T1, the worst bit was knowing I hadn’t run hard enough!!
T1 – very straight forward, shoes off and grabbed my bike, it was a good length run and I am not the best without shoes but it went ok.
Bike – I had not given up and I left T1 hard and fast, the mount was perfect and I was quickly away. I shot past a couple of riders and a Spanish lad jumped on, we exchanged dialogue and he soon dropped off. I was in no mood to have my time wasted. Training had gone well and I knew how I was going to ride the climb, it all gets a bit Team Sky here but yes I climbed to the numbers and very effective it was as I moved rapidly through the field. I had caught 4th before the top of the climb, sadly the first 3 Spaniards were working well together and at worst matching my efforts. I took the two Brits(well done lads) back down the hill with me and just tried to keep it pinned in the hope of a strong finish. I think I lost too much time at the end of the bike removing my feet from my shoes.
T2 – The above said, I had removed my feet from my shoes with no issues and hit the ground running, has been a long time since that happened. The work with Vicky using the Bowen technique has definitely improved things(with more time who knows what may be possible). I got into my running shoes and set off out of T2
Run 2 – Promising signs turned to exasperation and a little distress about a KM in when I felt the leg start to tighten and at this point there was no racing for 4th or 5th as it became about getting home. I was still running a reasonable pace and not shipping places, 600 metres to go and I lost 10 seconds having to stretch. I can’t reiterate the progress made and maybe if I had another 6 months of work I could beat this. I crossed the line running and in 6th place.
Reflection – I was remarkably ok with it all, knowing that my pacing mistake on the first run cost me more than the leg was strangely satisfying. Yep it seems blaming incompetence is far nicer than being injured!!
If you want to understand how good I felt that afternoon I did a 2nd recce of the MTB course with my newly fitted Dropper post. I cannot thank the chap at XTREM ZALLA enough for the work he did in fitting my dropper inside 3hours as I could not get the cable to route.
On Sunday the best laid plans had another recce of the MTB course planned but I also wanted to run the 1st part, oh dear oh dear, that turned out to be a bad idea. I have no interest in courses that are so steep you have to walk for ages added to that the more serious issue as the old right knee let go big style on one of the very steep descents and from that point onwards I was in trouble. Did another lap of the MTB course anyway, discomfort on the steep parts of the climb but largely I could ride. By this 3rd recce I was pretty confident in how I could ride the climb and where I was going on the technical sections. Got home and started to worship at the temple of Ibuprofen and paracetamol while wishing for divine intervention.
Rested on the Monday except for stretching and 30 mins on the rollers, sadly this hurt and I really did consider not racing on the Tuesday.
Race morning for the Cross Duathlon(it’s a run Bike run but you use an MTB) and I had reached a point where I was going to start my last duathlon, concluding DNF would be easier to live with than DNS. Headed down to the race with swollen ankles, a sore back(both things I can live with) but with the added bonus of the knee and zero confidence I would make the end. I am not sure how many Ibuprofen I had taken but I have had none since the start.
Run 1 – walking with jog breaks pretty much sums up my run for the first 2 miles, the descending was painful but where I could I ran solidly, not as fast as I would have liked but I was running and when I finally found tarmac although a long way behind the leaders I was running.
T1 – Mr Relaxed, didn’t really think I was racing so took time to put gloves on and pick up my gels that were in my waist pack I wear running, perfect flying mount CX style bowed for the crowd and went.
Bike – Rode out of town quite steady trying to see how I felt but it wasn’t really until I hit the steep part of the climb that I knew I could ride, it hurt but it was manageable and once over the initial part I was sore but ok. Chatted to John as I went past, he had some bad fatigue, told him I hurt but was still pedalling. I had set my garmin up so I could see lap power and yes again I ignored all others and put my Team Sky power meter head on(perspective is I did 2 effort on the climb with 2 watts of each other. I cocked the first single track descent up AGAIN and had a little off at a random point but that aside it was a good lap. Turned out onto lap2 and powered past someone on the steep part of the hill, that was silly as it hurt and I needed a moment just past the drinks station to compose myself. Climb as said, on the numbers, I did have to stand a few times as my back was getting quite sore, cocked up the first descent again and then the fun started. Traffic , oh a nightmare of people struggling to descend or climb or get through rock gardens. Somehow I made progress still with no idea where I was in the field. In my head I wasn’t last. Coming onto the road I went like a train down to T2, the thought occurred to me here that maybe I should have climbed harder as I had a lot of fitness.
T2 – video shows it was efficient and the fact that I left my gloves on tells me I was trying to race the Portuguese lad who came in with me
Run 2 – Oh tarmac how I love you, I wasn’t going fast but I was running ok so when the Portuguese lad past me I tucked in and went with him, quickly kicking past before the 500 metre hill walk. Not sure why I passed him, just the racer in me wanted to be first. I just wanted that one place, I didn’t know his age cat or anything I just wanted to beat him. I was really surprised to see Keith at the top of the climb, he had cramped badly(I know how that feels and how it ruins a race, I felt for him). So now I am thinking oh I must be in the top 6, suddenly I was racing, I saw people ahead I wanted to pass them, the descent hurt I am sure I sounded pathetic as I winced and moaned as my leg hit the ground but I caught them. Entering town all I wanted was not to give up places when I felt the leg finally starting to go. I composed myself and just kept running, 50 metres to go and I was Jake the peg but I wasn’t stopping. Home, the pain, the relief, the emotion of finishing my last duathlon. It took me a while to move and all this time with no idea where I finished and frankly not that worried as I was just happy to finish.
Afterwards – I went to transition, I loaded my bike and then I walked back into town to socialise, bumped into Michelle and Keith again and they said I was 2nd. I was don’t be silly but hobbled to the recovery area and there it was on the table 2nd !!! I admit I sat down on a bench and took time to compose myself. I lost silver in Romania due to my failing body but today that same broken body had moved through the field and come 2nd, turned out the Portuguese lad was 3rd and I really was racing. I actually stood at a medal ceremony and was happy to be there.
I’m at a services 2hrs or so from Paris as I write this and I am still in shock. Ok, so through this blog I have mentioned my retirement from duathlon on more than one occasion but I think it deserves its own blog to explain the decision and why it is from all duathlon and no longer just from age group.
Looking out the window towards the Eiffel Tower doing the final proof read and publish. I wouldn’t go up it but it does look impressive on the Skyline.
Chase your dreams !!
Gobi
Dark Lord Speaks 
Sometimes when you least expect it, the magic is there. Well done on your silver 👍