Race times

A Duathlon wouldn't be complete without some post race stats - hopefully blogger won't mangle the layout...

2011. 2010. 2009

Run 10K. 56min 56s. 57min58s. 49min 7s (9K)
Pace/K 5.7. 5.8. 5.45

Cycle 20K. 1hr 12min. 1hr. 1hr 20min
Pace/K 3.6. 3. 4

Run 5K. 30min 53s. 32min 49s. 31min 37s
Pace/K 6.2. 6.6. 6.3

So my run times are faster than last year (marginally) but my cycle time was slower. Perhaps unsurprisingly as I hadn't done any focussed cycle training. Additionally conditions were different today - v windy and it rained during the second lap which probably resulted in me slowing up a bit.




Interestingly, I ran in a brand new pair of trainers - you see them in all their turquoise glory in the picture above. In the rush to get the girls over to a friend's (Mr S was away at a conference) and getting the bike on the back, I managed to leave my trainers at home. I had a pair of other shoes to drive in, you see. I realised as soon as I got to Richmond Park, when it was too late to go home and collect them. Initially I was just going to run round in the shoes I'd driven in but as I walked up to the racking area for the bikes, I noticed a stall selling trainers. One pair of trainers later and I was ready to go. It's not ideal but I've been meaning to buy a new pair of trainers since the half marathon in March.

So, a slower cycle ride this year, marginally faster runs and proper transitions - I rant between the sections rather than ambling. Slower ride was partly a reflection of the conditions but also that old chestnut, my lack of dedicated cycle training. For next year, and yes there will be a next year, I need to make my Sunday morning runs a Sunday morning run-cycle.

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Post race musing

This year's splits:

10k Run1 00:57:58 - ave 5.8 min per km
20kBike 01:00:26 - ave 3 min per km
5k Run2 00:32:49 - ave 6.6 min per km

Total 02:35:32.

Last year's splits:

9k Run1 00:49:07 - ave 5.4 min per km
20k Bike 01:20:08 - ave 4 min per km
5k Run2 00:31:37 - ave 6.3 min per km

Total 02:45:20.

Thoughts on the above:

ten minutes faster than last year with an extra km on the first run
in both years I have power walked round the second run. Improving my speed here would be an easy win in terms of getting my time under 2 and a half hours
slower pace in the first run this year. I suspect this is partially down to the extra km, I took a slower pace
VERY pleased to see I've shaved a whole minute off my ave time per km on the bike ride.

So, did I learn from last year's experiences, which can be found here: http://suzesblither.blogspot.com/2009/09/duathlon-success.html ?

Looking back on last year's post race analysis, yes I did, particularly on the cycle stretch.. I was less of a big girls blouse on the downhill stretch and I had treated myself to a new bike which also helped.

What have I learned from this year?

I think the slower run partially reflects that I didn't maintain my running training in the last two weeks before the race. This is partly because I had swapped my run for spinning classes and partly inertia.
I need some longer or at least more intense training runs and a 10K at the start of the summer as a pace setter. I had completed a 10k in April at a time of about an hour (check)
Start my cycling training sooner. I did more than last year but it was all in the last month
Invest in cycle shoes or at least some of those toe straps

A link to the photographer's website to follow....