Carsington Duathlon - October 2007.
I found that I wasn't much looking forward to this race as it drew nearer, a feeling no doubt compounded by my confusion about what was happening with the course. In the lead up to the race the website stated that there would be roadworks on the course and that as a result the cycle route would have to be altered and lengthened by about a mile and a half. Admittedly that's not a vast amount, but in a long hard race it sounded like a big addition. So, I spent time considering whether I would do the race at all, but decided against pulling out. Once again I subjected the kids to a 'horrid o'clock' getting up time, not so bad really, but earlier than their usual, so we could drive down there on Sunday morning.
When I got there, thankfully in plenty of time, it was to find that a different change had to be made to the route after all. This change actually made it short of the 30K, and took competitors up a different killer hill to the usual Middleton Top. We'd driven up the new hill to get there, and what a hill it was. A very long steep drag up out of Wirksworth village - ugh! So, I got my bike racked, listened to the briefing and generally got myself ready for the race. In all honesty, I was facing it with some trepidation. As I'm sure you already know, running isn't my strong point, so a race that begins and ends witha run isn't best suited to me. I felt decidedly unenthusiastic as I faced the start and the prospect of being left in everyone's wake once the race began.
The race began with a 5K run around the edge of the lake, undulating but generally okay. as I'd expected the other competitors ran away from me at the start. I am beginning to find this a little demoralising. I was at the back for a while and then slowly managed to reel in one gentleman who had been in front of me. His pals kindly called out that I could beat him - with friends like that! Anyway, my first run actually felt pretty good. I've had a couple of okay runs (for me) recently. The conditions were pretty good, grey and cool. Quite pleasant running weather. So I finished my run in 28:02 and returned second last to transition to mount my bike. Easy to find it at least! My time is very similar to previous outings for this race of 28:00 and 28:06. I was pretty pleased with that for a start.
The bike should be 30K, so I think it was shorter than that this time. So my times can't be directly compared with previous runnings of this race. I found it hard. My legs appeared to remember all too clearly that they'd raced the week before and I found myself feeling very tired. Getting up the big hill proved too much for me. Whether it was harder than Middleton Top, or I just wasn't in good enough form, I don't know. Maybe I just talked myself out of it. I was getting slower and slower and slower, with recurring visions of just running out of momentum and keeling over sideways like the competitor I saw at Ironbridge. So, sad to say, I bailed out before that could happen. I've never had to walk up a hill in my life before, but there I was, pushing my bike and walking! So, needless to say I wasn't expecting a stunning bike time after that. I completed the bike section in 1:11:18, previous runnings (on the usual route) were completed in 1:12:09 and 1:16:35. Oh, and I stayed on my bike those times!
So, with tired legs, I headed out for the final run. I had at least one person behind me and the guy I'd overtaken in the first run just in front of me. I didn't know if I'd be able to catch him again, but I kept an eye on him. Someone to aim at helps to keep you going. Slowly over the first half of the 5K, a repeat of the first run route, I reeled him in and had passed him just before I reached the halfway point. Boy, was I feeling tired. Still, I plodded onwards and managed to complete that run in 30:58, as opposed to previous attempts of 30:03 and 29:16. My legs had had enough. I was just glad to be getting to the finish.
So, I completed the race in 2:10:18. This was okay. Mind you, I must have been too slow, there were only enormous t-shirts left by the time I got back and they were already dismantling the bike racking! Still, my thanks to punishing events for a well organised and well marshalled race - as ever. Good bits of encouragement as I struggled my way around. I don't think it was really my weekend and I take a couple of lessons away from all this. The main one is not to do two races in two weekends, especially not when the second one is the harder of the two. I just didn't have enough oomph in my legs. Secondly I've come to a decision concerning duathlons, namely, they aren't for me. My running is pretty rubbish and there is something all together too off-putting about being left for dead right at the beginning and hardly seeing anyone else from there on in. My meagre talents are better suited to triathlon. So there you have it, decisions to help me make up my mind about what to enter for next year. And time now over the winter to try and improve my running - and yes, I do know I've said that before, but maybe I'll actually do it this time!
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