7/14/15

Race Report: 2015 Maryland Olympic Duathlon

start

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!

 

…and I knew it was going to be an awesome race for me after I crested the first big double climb at the 3 mile mark, powering over the top; passing 2 ladies.

 

I didn’t stop grinning the rest of the race.

If your happy and you know it, up your cadence.

If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, up your cadence!

I tend to always #RaceHappy, but Sunday was exhilarating for me!

So, here is what I’m all giddy about…I knocked 20 minutes off of last years time. 20 MINUTES!!! (10 on the bike, 10 on the second run). GTFOOH!!!

                  Run              T1      Bike                    T2         Run                     Total

2015     26:18 (13:09)    2:44    2:03:48 (12.6)    3:45      1:02:42 (15:41)     3:39:19

2014     26:08 (13:04)    2:26    2:14:43 (11.6)    3:49      1:12:07 (18:02)     3:59:15

2013     25:52 (12:56)    2:25    2:18:31 (11.3)    3:43      1:16:09 (19:02)     4:06:42

 

I also think it would have be 25-30 min improvement, if the RT97 portion of the course had been paved. I wasn’t taking any chances of blowing a tire – again – so, I took it real slow on this portion. And (SHUT IT) I would gain another 5 min if I didn’t piddle around in transition. Whatever…I’m still not going to suddenly podium by cutting out a pee or snack break. Jill caught me watering the grass in transition…when you gotta go, you gotta go. You can see that I wasn’t about to be like 1st or anything.

Transition

RUN: 2 miles 26:18

I set the metronome on my Garmin 920XT to 165bpm and tried to keep up. That pace was comfortable, maybe RPE 3, and I knew I could hold it. The volunteers were awesome and I came into transition ready to go (bathroom and bike) IJS. See pic above – I’m not having a damn sandwich, folks.

 

BIKE: 26 miles 2:03:48

Bike

Thank you, Roy, for taking this picture.

 

The Duathlon course is challenging. Steep hills, rolling hills, gradual climbs – not a lot of straight runs. You gonna WERK! and do it twice (2 loops). Plus, this year, about 3/4 of a mile is unpaved and scraped to lay down new surface. It rattled your teeth if you went to fast.

 

Once I was off the rough patch, I took off. After I passed one racer, it was on and poppin then. I set a goal to start picking whomever I could off one by one. One the first look, I over took 4 and on the second loop, I took out 5…and never looked back. 4 years of cycling and I have NEVER passed someone and held it. EVER. Cheshire Cat Grin. I thought for sure I could get it done under 2 hours, but that last 2 mile climb to transition just didn’t cut it for me. I was trying to spin it out and get the legs ready to run 4 instead of mash it out, so it didn’t happen, but damn! 10 minutes off last year. Yeah. I’ll take it!

 

RUN: 4 miles 1:02:42

It just didn’t matter. I was on cloud nine! I felt good. The metronome was back at it but I also…shhhh…had my “Run to Cadence” mix this time and…C140 rolling down the strip, airborne daddy gonna take a little trip. Left right on your left right left. IT WORKS. I was moving out with a quickness…in my mind. Then there was KimS at the water station with her crew of military volunteers who hung with me up and down that big hill (in my mind it was a mountain). LIFE GIVING. There was ShawnC with his GoPro making sure I get it done. There was the legion of racers that has already finished but waited and cheered as I came in to the finish. EXHILARATING!

Finish

 

…and then there was my Coach, Suzy. She was there at the finish…with the BIG A HUG!

Coach3  Coach 

I don’t know  if the day could have gotten any mo betta!

 

What did I learn?

- Improvements take time (health, no injuries) and WORK!

- Breakthroughs can and will happen. Enjoy the moment. Capitalize on it.

- You ARE enough and awesome at whatever speed.

 

#RaceHappy My Friends