This race was never going to be that much fun, what with the heavy legs from the racing on the Saturday. It must be an age thing when you are not able to recover as quickly as you used to. I have been to the Redmon season opener for the last 4 years I think so it would have been a shame to break with tradition.
I had set the Garmin's virtual partner to do my best ever time on the course and the plan was to just see what would happen. I thought I would blow up at some point around the course, until that time, I planned on just seeing how hard I could go.
We started straight in to a bit of head wind which just made the legs feel even more tired. It was only when we turned after about 5k to head back down the nice country lanes that it was possible to really get some speed up. At about the half way mark, I was on target with the virtual partner but at the back of my mind, I knew I had a long drag back up to the dual carriageway to contend with and the another few drags on the DC. By the time I hit the DC I was down by about 30 seconds and then I proceeded to lose another 20 or so on the DC. I think that in the last few k's, my legs had pretty much packed their bags and left. I think I even tried a sprint to the line, but this probably just ended up looking like a slow motion replay.
So, home in 55:26 for me, but thanks to fellow Dynamos James and Martin, we were able to pick up the team prize and the biggest trophy of the day. The £5 prize money meant I was still awash with about £4 after tea and cakes.
I am never sure why I end up doing duathlons, they almost always have way too much of my least favourite discipline - running. The Ful-On duathlon formed part of the annual round of London League races so thought it may be a good time to do my first brick session and also ride the TT bike for the first time since Jekyl & Hyde last year.
The structure of the race always meant that it would be tricky for me, there was a 6k run at the start, followed by a short and relatively technical 18k bike course and then another 6k run. The only way I was going to have any hope of a good position come the end of the race was if I had a decent go on the bike section. I was not quire sure how well I would ride though, my riding of recent has been minimal to say the least, very few turbo sessions and only the occasional long ride - not great pre-season preparation anyway.
When we got going, I was instantly shocked at how fast people go out on these duathlons, I was quite a way back at the end of the first km. For me, I was running quite quick though, round about 16kph. I knew that was within my range so decided to run steady rather than blowing up. I would wait for the bike - it is all about the bike after all. Finished the run in about 15th or so I think and then headed out on the bike. It was good to be back on the racing wheels, not so good to be going round paved corners, dodging structures in the racing line and jumping on mats to cross the all weather track - all in all, not a great course. Still, I think I managed to work my way back up through the field and by the time we came in to T2, I think I was in about 3rd place.
The second run was always going to be a case of damage limitation for me. Having ridden quite hard, my calf instantly cramped but it wasn't bad enough to stop. I got round the second run in sub 4min/km's which was not bad for me really. I could have perhaps gone a bit faster, but at the back of mind, I was all too aware that on Sunday I would be back on the TT bike for a 25 and I wanted to at least have a fairly decent ride.
In the end, I finished 9th, which I was quite pleased with - especially considering all that running. Annoyed to have missed out on the fastest bike split in the results. Personally, I think it is a lap miscalculation by the holder of that title, that's what I am consoling myself with anyway.
