Delaware Valley Duathon Race Report

Delaware Valley Duathon Race Report – April 19, 2015

Going in to this race I told myself to be happy with 7:30 pace on the run given the limited running I’ve done in the 6 weeks leading up to the race due to injury -   8 minute pace has been tough the last few times I ran.  This should be an easy day on the run.   I figured I could always just hammer the bike if I was feeling good.

I tried to figure out where the bike course left the park and came back in so I didn’t make a wrong turn during the race.  Unfortunately a race volunteer put me on the run course which was clearly marked with orange arrows.  Absolutely nothing marked the bike course, so I ended up only doing a 2 mile warmup on the bike instead of my usual 5.

I racked the Shiv in transition and put on my Hokas.  Hokas are not good racing shoes, but I didn’t want to re-injure myself.  The warmup run felt like shit.  I was over dressed and hot running 8 minute pace – legs felt uncoordinated and slow.  Whatever.

Run 1: Ready, set, go and we’re  off...  Something kicked in and I was running well!  I tried not to overdo it and watched the top 4 guys in the 50+ category pull away while I was running low 6 pace.  Maybe I can catch them on the bike.  Mile 1 in 6:14 – holy crap, that’s way better than 7:30!  We are already catching the young guys in Wave 1 before we finish mile 1 – they had a 3 minute head start.   Mile 2 in 6:12 – SWEET!  Mile 3 had a shit ton of climbing, so I was happy with 6:48.  The last .11 was all uphill and took 47 seconds (7:25 pace).  So Garmin had me at 20:01 for the first 5k. 

I flew through transition and I swear I passed 2 guys in my AG in T1, leaving me as the third old guy getting on the bike course. 

Bike: Oh shit, my legs felt like complete crap.  Not sure if it was due to zero run/bike bricks or my shitty bike warmup.  I hit the lap button a little late, so don’t have an accurate bike split time, but let’s just say I didn’t make the 23 mph club today.   I’m looking at my average pace and it’s like 18.x and I’m working hard just to bring it to 20mph.  My HR is pegged at 150+.  Must have been more uphill than I thought because my normalized power was 240 in mile 1 and my legs were loaded with lactic acid.  I’m passing people left and right and I recognize one guy in my AG that I pass like he is standing still – I don’t think I’ll see him again.

The next mile must have been all downhill, because I averaged 29.3 on less than 200 normalized power.  The winds were blowing old Kona around like a rag doll, but he stayed focused and upgright.

I get to the first turn around and am surprised to see 3 guys working together not far behind.  About mile 8 at the top of a hill I get passed by a guy that I saw at the turn around and he looks like he means business.  His name is Willard Sauer, he is in my AG and has a USAT score for duathlon of 101. I drop back and have to stop pedaling to keep my distance because we are going downhill.  Good thing I dropped back because a motorcycle ref comes by about a minute later.  I let him lead for less than a half mile and then I drop the hammer with a 27.2mph mostly downhill mile.  By the time we get to the next turn around at mile 11.6, I can see I put some space between us – probably 200 yards, but he is working with a couple of guys to claw back.  

I try to stay strong, but the legs are fried after that damn run and just do what I can.  Over the next 4 miles, I reel in another guy as we turn into the park.  His name is Sean Casey and he started the race in the earlier wave, but ends up winning his AG 45-49.  He is a strong, but conservative rider, which means he is slowing a lot on any slight bend of the road or bump in the road and I pull away easily.

Wrong turn: Sensing I am close to the finish, I take my feet out of my shoes and start pedaling on top.   I see signs with big arrows to go right and so I make the next right turn and hear a bunch of volunteers yelling that I turned too early.  SHIT!   So now I’m in a big gear, have to turn around and go uphill with my feet out of the shoes – CRAP!   As I ride up the hill to get back to the course I see Sean, then Willard pass me with .2 miles to go. 

I have great dismount and enter t2 with both guys.

Run 2: I get through T2 quickly and leave with Sean Casey.  He is running just a tad too fast and slowly pulls away.  About 1.5 miles in I realize that I’m being hunted and sure enough, at mile 2, Willard passes me.  I try to stay with him, but I have no power on the hills and don’t want to re-injury myself, so I let him go and we finish in 1-2 for the AG about 8 seconds apart.  

Turns out Willard was ranked #7 in the nation in 2014 - USAT duathlete.  So not a bad day.