20/20
Sorry for the delay with the blog post about the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon Series Race #2. I’ve been without a computer for a week. Do you know the feeling? I sure some freaks who check Facebook and Twitter like it’s a compulsive drug would shutdown. Thanks to the good folks at the Apple Store in Aspen Grove for hooking us up with everything.
So, if I recall correctly, it was a semi-cold (28degrees) day for mid January at Cherry Creek State Park. The weather left a few sketchy ice patches remaining on the bike course, and the mild sun wasn’t able to burn the snow packed mess off of the run courses. Perfect conditions for the few schmucks (234 entries) crazy enough to enter such a race. The format of the duathlon was far more insane: 1.5mi run – 3.6mi bike – 2.5mi run – 7.2mi bike – 50m run. Imagine if you can – the chaos in the transition zone. You can’t. Unless you were there. Sound crazy? -Wait for it – Their were three different waves. And if that’s not enough; it’s also okay to ride you bike in transition either way in cross traffic. In my opinion, I think this format needs to be done away with. SIDE NOTE: Please don’t listen to your iPod when you are in a race. The only thing more STUPID than listening to your iPod when you are in a race, is a race director who doesn’t enforce such rules. They are called rules for a reason people.
I split the difference in the field by starting in my assigned Wave B. I lead the first leg of the race through the park, not knowing how the other waves were forming. One person off the front. A pack working as one against the elements. For my wave, I thought the pace was mild considering the snow we all had to negotiate through. I was being closely followed by at least one individual. Into transition, and I mounted my cross bike like it was a steed on the pony express with late parcel. That’s right. My cross bike with 50psi on a broken 10.8mi time trial. I opted for the cross choice because I knew I wouldn’t have slowed down for those icy patches. It’s just not worth dumping a $10,000 time trial bike over. However, I wish I had more than a 42t on the front crank. 130+rpm is not ideal for a time trial. I was holding my lead, but I knew that others in their respected waves had their disc wheels pumped to max and would roll the gradual downhill in their 53×11. Too late to swop bikes now. No computer, so I did’t even know what I was averaging. RPE: Rating of Perceived Exertion. Back to the madhouse, a.k.a. transition. On to the second run and I was feeling decent. Shortly coming out of transition I noticed footsteps plowing the snow behind me. “Who is this guy?” Come to find out, it’s some guy who can run faster than me. I wasn’t terribly nervous, but definitely concerned. I gave him about ten seconds on the run, but I figured I would make up the time in transition, and I did. Round 2 on the bike with the BMC cross machine and I saw that Lonac was aboard a Cervelo road bike. I was happy it wasn’t a P3 with a disc wheel. We battled it out on the first lap and I was thinking how this race is going to come down to the last 50m. Endurance prevailed on the second lap as I pulled away from competition and the finish came closer in sight. 50m sprint and I finished first in my wave, but I still didn’t know how I did overall.
Race #2 down and in the books, although I didn’t find out that I had won the race until my friend Jared, from my sponsor KompetitiveEdge, texted me to congratulate me at 7:30 that night. If your sponsor is checking the results page for updates at a race you just completed more often than yourself; your in a good place.
Race #3 is February 26th. Check back to see how I finish in the series.
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