A couple of weeks ago, I had a crack at doing a Duathlon for the first time in One Step Beyond’s Clumber Classic Sprint Duathlon held at Clumber Park near Worksop. It was a very cold morning, complete with that very fine drizzly rain that soaks you through (according to Peter Kay anyway !). This is how things went:
Run 5k – 26.12 (157th)
We were started in waves as there was also the Standard Distance race taking place at the same time, and I think that we were the third wave or so to go. I was in the Senior category and we were delayed by a good 15 minutes and had to try and keep warm and dry in the rain. At about 9.25 we were started and i decided to apply my 10k strategy – good steady starting pace for 2km – before speeding things up a little. Now, if like me , you thought that Clumber Park was flat, you will be surprised to learn that its a bit hilly !!! That being said, I’m starting to get used to ups and downs through various events and no longer find them overly tough. Once the initial couple of kilometres were over and we rounded for home, I did pick things up a bit and started overtaking a few people slowly but surely. At 26.12 not my fastest standalone 5km but not far off.
T1 – 1.21- Tried something new here – I put my bike shoes on in transition rather than leave them on the bike, and I think it was just as fast .
Bike – 20km – 41.43 (110th)
I raced my TT bike believing that the course was going to be flat and in the end this turned out to be the right choice. For the first 20 minutes of the bike I rode as fast as I think I ever had and was fluently overtaking many people whilst only really being overtaken by the fast boys in GB kit and the like. I was riding really quickly, thinking that I only had a 2.5k run afterward, so if I overcooked things I would manage. For the next ten minutes I continued to ride well, but once I was in the last five kilometres it was like riding with treacle on the tyres – I had completely wrecked my legs and slowed considerably allowing some competitors to retake their positions. I’m still happy with the bike time which is my best to date over the 20km distance and gives me some confidence that the coming season will see some further improvement.
T2 – 1.12 – Waddled around in my cycle shoes, legs like Jelly !
Run – 2.5k – 13.22
Legs wrecked, this was very hard work and I’m surprised that the time is close to the opening run pace. I just wanted this to end as quickly as possible for most of it, but as I got closer to the line my legs began to feel a little livelier, so maybe I just needed some distance to wake my legs a little.
End result 1.23.50 (128th out of 198) – My first Duathlon and although a enjoyable day out, I can’t see myself doing any more than one of these a year ! My next event is the first triathlon of the year at East Leake on 27th March.
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