Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:06 am Post subject: Galena Triathlon/Duathlon
Well, it was time for me to forget about a horrible Nationals, and there is no better way then to go do the hilliest short race in the Region - Galena. Went out there Thursday night, and realized once I got there what a great place it is to train. Hills are everywhere, and its a perfect place for a team camp. Stayed at Eagle Ridge, which is the best place to ride and run, and not be bothered by traffic. Got to the race on Saturday, and in typic fashion, the duathlon started well after the tri - actually 50 minutes after the tri's first wave. So, we hung out at the duathlon start line around 8:45, with over an hour to kill before we went off. The tri looked like it was heating up, lots of guys coming up the steep climb out of transition, and hitting the bike course hard. Finally, it was time for the Du to start, and the 34 and under took off first. The first run, which was advertised as a 2 mile run, turned out to be a 2.6 mile run, but, don't get me started on the treatment of duathletes. Anyway, 3 minutes later, and the 35-39 men took off. The first run is mainly straight down hill, and then a short, 300 meter climb at 8% to the turn around. I was leading the run for my wave, and catching half of the the first wave by mile 1. I hit the 1 mile mark at 5:25, and felt really comfortable, not, pushing hard, turned around to head up, and got to the 2 mile mark, with about a 30 second lead. I noticed there were only 3 guys from that 34 and under wave still ahead of me, but, there was lots of real estate left, so, I wasn't too worried, plus, they had a 3 minute head start. Got to transition, and basically had to wait in line to get out, mobs of swimmers coming out of transition as well, and the duathletes were put at the farthest rack from Bike Out. Anyway, got on my bike and felt pretty solid. Then the head wind picked up, and the hills started to bite into my legs. I went into conservation mode, and tried to just relax as much as possible on the early climbs. By mile 6 I had lost a couple of spots, but, I tried to stay calm and get around the slower triathletes as I rode. The ride was hillier than I thought, tons of sharp, steep climbs, and with the head wind, I was losing time, and I could feel it. I dug in about mile 9, and tried to hammer as much as possible, trying to stay consistent. The road was packed with triathletes, most of whom were having a hard time climbing, and were swerving all over the road. With no race marshalls, people were riding 3 across, and it was a bit dangerous. Got into T2 and knew I had to make up some time. I hit the first mile, which is a pleasant 6.3% climb for 400 meters, then, you turn and climb at 8% for another 400 meters, and slowly climb to the first mile mark. But, I was making up time, and I knew it. I was cramping bad by mile 1.5, but I ignored my stomach and just kept going. The run basically is a climb all the way to the turn around, but after the first mile, its not really bad. I passed 2 duathletes and kept hunting for more. At the turn around I saw the 3 guys from the first wave, and I was on them. By mile 3, my stomach was on fire, but, I knew I was almost home. The last mile takes you down hill the same way you came up, so, I tried to run it as best I could, thinking I was in good shape. When the results came out, I was a bit dissapointed, 8th OA, and 4th in my AG. The silver lining, the only place I gave up time was on the bike. Admittedly, I'm not the best climber, but, I was hoping to ride at least 5 minutes faster than I did. But, definitely a confidence boost for my running, with an opening 2.6 at 14:56, including a one mile climb, that averaged 7% and a second run that ended up being the 4th fastest overall. The biggest thing I learned - DON'T GET COMPLACENT. When I was riding, and in the second run, I was passing a lot of people and thought, man, I am doing well, I am making up time. What I stopped doing was - pushing. We all have moments like this - we are doing well, things seem like we are in the lead - so, we stop pushing. That's a bad move. And that's exactly what I did. I was passing everyone, but, not realizing I wasn't passing the right people, b/c unconsciously, I wasn't going to redline pace, and that's what I should have done. So, when you are out there - stay focused, no matter where you are in the race, don't start to to let the race get away from you. Especially if you are feeling good, and want a good finish - you need to keep the pace up. Saw teammate Simon Trude and his girlfriend, looked like they had a great race as well.
