A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Rockaway….
There was a duathlon (run, bike, run) held next to a time trial bike race (ride, ride, ride) starting in opposite directions on the same flat, straight, cement boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean beach of Queens (New York). I got there at 6:30 for a 7:30 a.m. start and virtually the only other person there — other than 5 guys waiting for direction to set up the starting line and the transition area — was another 60+ athlete named… Mike Kauffman.
(Poor guy. Living his whole life, unable to spell his name properly.). They eventually set up transition in a long, covered bus stop, where we checked in after dozens of others showed up at 7:00ish, and the race started after 8:00 a.m.
In prior duathlons, I had been told to run 3.1 miles as fast as I can; ride 12 miles as fast as I can; then run 3.1 miles (you got it) as fast as I can. THIS race, Coach Steve suggested low to medium effort for Run 1; hard but not maximum for the Ride; for Run 2, get used to walk/running again, then hard for first 1.5 miles, harder for 1.5 to 2.5 miles, and fast as possible for the last 1/2 mile.
And that’s pretty much what I did. Ignored the watch for Run No. 1. The younger men tore away, pretty much in the order in which they lined up at the starting line,
10 of ‘em shooting past me as I approached the turnaround… Pretty humbling. I dug into feeling solid, relaxed, trying hard not to try too hard. 3.1 miles: done!
Ran down to the transition area — bike racks set up in a long, covered bus stop. It had been COLD, with a lot of wind coming off the ocean, but I had warmed up a lot and didn’t need an extra layer for the ride. Hopped on the bike, shouting out my bib number to a race official, who input the info into his laptop (since we didn’t have any computer chips on the bibs to track us), rode up a short ramp and back onto the boardwalk, this time heading north.
Ah, heading north, with a tailwind… I hadn’t put my watch on the front of the bike (deciding with Steve that I didn’t need the data for such a short ride, and I was working off relative perceived exertion, right?) but kept peeking at my wrist for the speedometer: if I was too comfortable, speed dropped to 19 mph but when I focussed I averaged 22, sometimes 23 mph, which was FUN! Of course, turning around at 3 miles for the each of the two loops, I’m heading back into the wind, and my speed dropped to 18 mph, 17 when I tried to drop to an easier gear and pick up the RPMs (don’t get comfortable! This is a race!).
This was a 2-loop course, and almost was wiped out as I turned around — someone dressed in black (who I later realized was the guy who came in 1st place) didn’t want to slow down or properly pass me on the right side of the road so he went on the left side and almost hit me as I came around the cone…
Looped again, gone with the wind, then turning around back into the gale and towards the Start/Finish.
Back down to the bus stop, racked my bike, helmet and bike shoes, grabbed those carbon-plated shoes and visor again, and hobbled up the ramp to run south again. And… after getting used to running, I was able to kick it up to a faster pace! Running towards me after the turnaround is the next guy — far, far ahead of me (“Hello, Number 10!”), and I get to the turnaround and it’s tough to work, and hard to push because whoever’s behind me is WAY behind me and the guy ahead of me is WAY ahead of me
but I’m here to do all that I’m able and with a mile to go I start going as fast as I can, but that was a little early, half a mile from the end I’m starting to flag but I manage in the last .1 miles to hit a 6:43 min/mile pace. For a whole 1/10th mile.
And I smile for the camera.
Bottom line: First 3.1 mile run in 24:28 (7:48 min/mile); 11.7 mile ride in 35:23 (19.6 mph; 20 mph seems to be my white whale…); 3.1 mile run in 23:37 (7:37 min/mile). 1/3 AG, 12/19 OA. More importantly, a good race: in control, built up and maintained as planned, felt strong and managed to do a negative split (finished faster than started).
Alas, too small a race to merit age group awards (as it is, I won the “55-99 Age Group”!) and I could have left earlier. But it was fun to watch the winners enjoy the podium.
