Thursday, July 2, 2009

Energy2Action Duathlon

Having run the Flying Pig Marathon three weeks before, and the Geist Mini marathon seven days prior, and doing nothing, including stretching, until this race, I think I did okay. It was a small race (95 people), and with ten people in my age group, I placed 3rd. The first run felt good, the transition very slow (I never once practiced it), then the bike... Well it felt really good, but this was the third time I rode my bike in 2009... This is the place to be strong, and where I can really improve, as I can pick up another 2mph avg with less effort than shaving 1 min off my run pace - and the value is far greater. Legs heavy after bike - 1/2 mile to get in the groove. Again, last brick was summer 2008. Race was well-organized, especially for their first one.

Geist Mini Marathon

Hoping for 1:43, but lolligagging mid-course didn't help. Not a strong run for me. I was feeling good, and as I passed mid course, I looked at my watch and woke up... What had I been doing the past couple of miles? My pace was way off, and I realize my perceived effort was low. I wasn't even breathing as I might on an easy zone 3 run? Sheesh. Had I been sightseeing? Worse, having gone so slow wasted an opportunity to take advantage of the long shallow descent I had been running. In another mile the climb starts. Well, time to get moving. The rest of the race was catch-up, as I tried to make up nearly five minutes in about six miles, with one of the miles being real hills (for Indiana). Okay, it didn't happen. I made up about two minutes or so, finishing two minute slower than my "normal" time, and three more than my goal. Lesson learned. Race organization was great, with only two issues: A mix-up at packet pick-up had me with the correct chip, but with the bib for someone else. I had even looked at it and made the same mistake as the volunteer - the two middle number were reversed. I realized the error at 10pm, found an email address at the race website, and sent a note with my information. The next morning I went to the race trouble desk as soon as it opened, and voila, my correct bib was already there, as my note had been forwarded an hour earlier. I was quite pleased, and though the remedy would have been simple if they had not found my bib, it showed good organization. My only other issue was the challenging navigation of the post-race area. It was hard to find anything - okay I had a beer ticket and I couldn't find the beer tent. The chocolate milk (sponsored by the dairy lobby) was spot-on, and a reasonable substitute.