Race 5

Race 5 - F3 MAXIFUEL WINTER DUATHLON SERIES 2011 - 23rd January

Hmmm ..... funny how some races are called things like 'Rampage', 'Brutal', 'Kamikaze', 'Grim', 'Beast in the East' - all which gives some indication of the potential suffering to be had.  This one does exactly what is says - F3 (race organiser) multifuel (race sponsor), winter (season it's being held), duathlon (type of race - a run/bike/run), series (it's one of a number) and 2011!  

It was held at Dorney Lake (basically Eton's rowing lake) - site for the Olympic rowing in 2012.  Needless to say its a world class facility set in 400 acres of park land, only a stone throw from Windsor.  It's a perfect venue in many ways as its pretty much traffic free and FLAT!  None of those awkward leg-wobbling hills.  The slight downside is that as it is totally flat there is a tendency for it to be pretty windy with little shelter - so at some point of the race you're running/cycling into the wind.  I've added a couple of photos of the site and transition area (where you change from run to bike and then back to run) to show a bit what it was like on the 'wall' because for some techie reason they wouldn't load here (or, more likely, I was doing something wrong) And lets face it too many photos of me in various stages of suffering is just too much!

Back to the race. Got up at 6am as it was a 9am start - Sunday morning lie-ins might just be a thing of the past!  Got there in reasonable time - well far enough in advance to have a cuppa.  Both our race and the sprint (half the distance) start in a mass start and true to form I started near the back.  There's something psychological about overtaking people that helps me get going.  The downside if this of course is you have a great view of the faster runners disappearing into the distance - and wow - didn't they just disappear!  Being a two lap 5k run meant you saw quite a few of the faster runners returning at pace before we'd even got to the first turn around.  It was at the end of the first lap as the sprint runners were going into transition that the first though of "maybe i should have signed up for that one instead" crosses your mind.  So another lap into transition and on with some warmer clothes, helmet etc. and off on the bike.  

At this point I realised all was not well with the old limbs.  Normally cycling is my strongest discipline and running is a chore, but however hard I tried, I just wasn't going anywhere.  During the first four laps everybody was overtaking me which was a curious (and humbling?) experience - well everyone except those on mountain bikes and a rather upright lady on a shopper - with a front basket! However on the last two laps it was like a switch being put on and I was able to fly round - overtaking many who'd overtaken me - even into the wind!  Don't know quite what had happened - possibly I had eaten well the day before and that had an effect but it certainly was odd.  The drama of the bike leg wasn't quite over though as coming into transition trying to do a racing dismount I managed  to catch and ladder my tights on the rear bottle cage.  At this point I think I should clarify, these tights are the ones that you pick up in M&S near the checkout  with a dernier rating (well I think that's where you get them but how would I know?).  These are technical support hosiery called SKINS - compressive wear and v. expensive (so if there are any commercial sponsors out there....?)  My needle work skills are going have to be called upon I'm afraid and I think the bottle cage comes off.  it seems my aged limbs just can't clear it.

Back in transition - take off some clothes and off.  The winners are just nearing their finish as I start the run! Its a bit of a plod and am overtaken by a few runners but also manage to overtake a few. By this time the sun is peeping out although the wind is pretty cold.  Finish with (not much of a) flourish.  As soon as I get home - onto the web and book the next race in the series (27th Feb) just to prove that the bike leg was a one off.  When the results are posted - find that I did both runs slightly quicker than last year but the cycle was 10 mins slower - in fact the slowest I've ever done a 20k.  Definitely do something about that at the end of February!         

RESULT 63rd out of122 finishers in a time of 1:28:51