So, the good news about doing a duathlon for the first time is that you’re guaranteed a personal best. This “classic” distance consisted of loops around Prospect Park, so slightly goofy distances: 3.3 mile run, 13.2 mile by bike (4 loops), 3.3 mile run. This was a very local race (for Brooklynites): I knew in advance that only 85 people had signed up for the three, different distance races, maybe 25 in mine. I had to do better than win my age group – because I thought I was the only one in it! And I knew that my sons would mock me for winning in a category of only one person.
That pouring rain before the start took some effort; we all huddled under a roof area held up by fake Greek columns, torn between doing warm-up drills and just staying warm.
10 minutes before race time, they tell us the course, I strip down to my Rivertowns Racing tri suit and arm warmers, see that folks are holding back so I get in the very front of the wave. A very informal “ready set go” and we’re off.
Three of us quickly start to be the lead pack, and after getting into a comfortable groove it’s relatively easy to “race my own race” because the other two guys are really really fast. For a minute I’m next to young Mr. shaved-head, and a kid passes us – but I had seen him hanging with his dad, who was wearing an aero helmet, before the race. I said to mr. shaved-head, “don’t worry, he’s doing the relay. And he’s, like, 19 years old. Screw ’em!” Soon, the three of them get one block, then two blocks ahead of me, and eventually out of sight, but I’m still trying to minimize the gap. Up a slight hill, down another (skipping the water stops but thank you!), and that last mile always sucks, but Coach Debi said to treat each leg as if it’s the only race I’m doing, so I pour it on and finish in 22:02 (6:53 min/mile). Which is frankly among my best runs ever.
Ok but not great T1 – 1:11 is 8/25 (that’s right, only 25 in this race..) trying to keep from stepping into mud before putting on bike shoes (pretty dumb). A Gray-Haired Guy (most likely, my age group!) scoots out of the transition ahead of me! (Later, I learn he beat my run by 3 seconds…).
On the bike, I take some time getting into a groove (ah! Finally drinking from the sippy cup between my aero bars!) and I pass Gray-Hair but a few minutes later he passes me and I am scared of losing my place in the hierarchy and pick up the pace and leapfrog him. It’s only the first loop but my fear of him catching me again keeps me pumping as hard as I can the rest of the race. The rain has mostly stopped, and the roads don’t seem too slick, but I’m not exactly using my brakes. This is like keeping track of laps in the pool (I’m working on my 2nd loop, now going for my 3rd…) and it’s hard to know who I’m racing because (a) not all the race numbers are visible; (b) there are folks racing the shorter sprint and longer International distances, and at one point I actually pass some guy with a disk wheel (I’m kicking butt!) but later learn that he was on his 7th or 8th loop to my 3rd or 4th so of course he’s more tired, and (c) as the rain subsides, more cyclists and pedestrians and dogwalkers and strollers come out to enjoy the park, and I have to keep shouting “on yer left!” Or just as frequently “on your right!” And increasingly dodging accidents slows down my loops, from 21.3 to 20.1 mph. But I finish in 40:15, and not many guy are den yet.
Lousy T2. 1:03 – 11th out of 25. My feet are so cold and wet I can’t squeeze them into the running flats!
Yet one advantage: my feet are so numb, that I feel like I have a faster turnover – I don’t feel the pounding, so I pound harder. By now, the park is getting pretty busy, and I don’t see ANY racers, so I assume I am still ahead of most everyone. Except those three badass runners (one in the relay). So the hardest part is now: going as fast as I can without the sense of a bunny to chase. Or a monster to run from. I slow down here and there and have to remind myself to go faster, don’t get comfortable, Gray-Hair might be catching up…
It’s over quickly, again the pain of the last mile (plus .3 on this goofy course) but I see the inflatable FINISH line and I give a final push and I’m DONE, thank you. Run 2 is in 23:55 (or 7:15 min/mile); the complete race is 1:29:26; and I take 3rd place overall in my first Duathlon!
