My First Duathlon Experience
(apologies for the lengthy report, turns out I type as much as I talk!)
Well, after 6 wks of training on my bike, today I had a go at my first duathlon! Am sure there will be a general report of the day but just wanted to share my experience in case anyone out there is still wondering whether to have a go at the next one or not.
I’ve been on bike rides before, but only on my 22yr old mountain bike , which apparently looks like it’s been ‘salvaged from the Titanic’ (thank you Gary S!). Any bike riding I’ve done in the past has been purely for pleasure, just to get outside and taken at a very leisurely pace so I was pretty much starting from scratch with the training.
First ride was at the brick sessions with Bob and a few others, enjoyed the 6mile ride but was totally shocked and bemused at how hard it is to run after getting off a bike! Your legs feel like jelly and it feels like you are towing a really heavy weight behind you…very bizarre! I only managed a 1 mile run at the brick sessions as it was just so hard to run.
Once the brick sessions ended, I decided that I’m never going to improve my running so I’ll concentrate on improving my biking. I began doing 10mile bike rides 3 or 4 times a week, going as fast as I could (met Simon Ford on one of his runs during one session and had the rare pleasure of actually being able to keep up with him!)
Also had a few go’s at cycling the duathlon course, liked the downhill and flat bits but really struggled with the hills on my 10 tonne mountain bike with dodgy gears. I nearly came to a total standstill several times going up North Lane I was going so slow!
Anyway, several weeks and a pair of much needed padded shorts later I decided I was getting really into this cycling thing so it was time to get myself a road bike! Several of you have been involved in my mithering you to death asking stupid questions about bikes, calling spokes ‘spikes’, having the gears and cogs explained to me 100 times (still don’t get it!) and I’d like to say thanks for all your help – this club is a mine of information and expertise! Colin Rigby kindly lent me his road bike to have a go on which was fantastic and I could really tell the difference a good road bike makes in comparison with a sheddy mountain bike. After much faffing around, most of you will know I’ve bought a bike off John Lee (thanks John!) and I totally love it! Only been on it twice but is fantastic to ride and the hills are sooo much easier, I can actually keep moving!
So all set for my debut today! Woke up and it was totally chucking it down! Eek! Never ridden a road bike in the rain!
Got to Daisy Hill at 8.30am to meet the other committed nutcases! Stood around in the rain discussing how much it was raining for a while and then we were off.
The course was 9.5 miles for the ladies (2 laps) and 3 mile road run (uphill I might add!) and 13miles for the men (3 laps) and a 4 mile road run. There was a staggered start of 30seconds between people with the women going first which was really good. I’m used to being overtaken, lapped, left for dust so it was good to just be racing against the clock rather than being conscious of people overtaking or watching them disappear off into the horizon. As soon as I got started on the bike it was easy to forget about the other riders because I was too busy being battered by rain and concentrating on trying to understand my gears (not quite got hang of them yet!). This staggered start really made a big difference to my enjoyment of the race because like I said you felt as if you were against the clock rather than other people. That being said, I still got overtaken and lapped several times but there was the usual cheery ‘well dones’ as they passed me which always spurs me on!
North Lane proved to still be very long and very hard but I got round and didn’t stop or fall off which was an achievement in itself for me! As we came down the final hill of the ride back to the car park I caught up with Michelle Fuller and we dismounted together. I thought I’d go for an athletic jump off my bike and run with it across the carpark…I did the athletic jump but as I landed my jelly legs gave way and I crashed into Michelle and nearly ended up on the floor! (need more practice on this transition thing!)
I was totally soaked, don’t think my feet have been as wet in all my life, my legs were like jelly as I set off on the run. I was hoping to just plod slowly up to Chequers but the jelly legs beat me and I ended up having to walk a few lampposts on my way up! The run was hard but still exhilarating and again because I was pretty much on my own it still felt like I was racing the clock, didn’t matter if people were passing me (and they were) because I was just doing my own thing.
The downhill run was great, my jelly legs has recovered and were just feeling worn out, got to the finish the same time as Pete Chan! (wow – how fast am I? Lol) Was great coming into the car park with some people waiting and others still to come in, wasn’t like a usual race where the fastest runners are first in.
Coffee and nougats awaited us in the car park, a great atmosphere as we stood in the rain like a bunch of drowned rats!
I drove home soaking wet, freezing cold and totally exhausted but chuffed to bits with myself for having a go and getting round!
If you’ve never done a duathlon before and are a bit nervous, don’t be! The whole experience today has been nothing but fun, a good laugh, a new challenge and very friendly and low key – get your entry forms in for the next one !
