Winter Duathlon, Race 2 – Sunday 21st February

Monica and I joined 100 competitors competed in the Winter Duathlon race 2, covering a distance of 5k/20k/5k.  The weather conditions weren’t ideal with the cold snap remaining,  but with added rain and wind. Monica couldn’t get enough of it, repeating her version of ‘I’m a celebrity’..., ‘I’m Latino get me out of here!’

In a race that usually attracts the ‘runners’ it was good to see a fellow cyclist Ross ‘Mussolini’ Muir step out from his ‘Italian Facist Party’  La Fuga car resplendent in Germanic red and black colours with the Eagle spread across.

We lined up for the start shivering, trying to keep warm, I was dressed like Michelin Man in multiple layers of clothing, while disturbingly surrounded by runners in skinsuits and little else.

The strong runners assumed the sprinters start position and then shot up the road at a pace too hot for me. The field stretched out, with Ross passing me in the first kilometres.  Hugh Mackenzie (Imperial Rowing Club), completed the run in first, in a remarkable time of 15mins for the opening 5k. I finished not too far behind the lead runners in 11th place, 90 seconds down on the leader. Ross gaining 30 seconds on me.

I transitioned well, aboard my bit of speed bling looking Cervelo P2 TT bike (with disk wheel and HED bars) . On the opening lap of six, I surprised to catch all the lead runners bar one. When I passed Ross I shouted at him to follow my wheel, but with drafting banned this wouldn’t have been a good idea.

By completion of the cycle I had lapped all but Ross and the leader. The leader was now exiting transition as I was coming in.  Unfortunately a schoolboy error of running out with Aero Helmet still attached to my head didn’t help and I lost some 30 seconds in transition. Ross I knew would be hot on my heels with a juicy carrot to run down.

The first kilometre of the last 5k run took pain to new levels, with frozen calves, tight and heavy muscles from the cold and bike. I knew I would have to build up my pace gradually. Ross caught me with about 2km to go and I couldn’t match his pace. Turning around the cones for the last leg I checked the position of the runners coming in the other direction. I could see that I had a good gap on the next runners, and my third place was fairly secure. I relaxed and sprinted the last few hundred meters into the finish for a podium position.

 Monica found the race a real challenge. But despite the adverse weather conditions recorded a PB of 22mins for the first 5K run and the fastest bike split among the women. Suffering in the final 2km of the run she was caught by a few of the women, but was pleased with her result coming 76th overall.

Race Results

1 40 HUGH MACKENZIE
M-SEN
SOUTHFIELDS,  01:02:42   
2 53 ROSS MUIR
M-SEN
SURBITON,  01:05:59   
3 21 VINCENT HALPERN
M-VET
ACTON,  01:06:11   
4 47 ANDREW CLARE
M-SEN
HAMMERSMITH,  01:06:41   
5 43 MICHAEL DOWDS
M-SEN
RICKMANSWORTH,  01:07:03   
6 4 CHRIS GRAHAM
M-SEN
BATTERSEA,  01:07:50