or, Race Report - Cyclopark Spring Sprint Duathlon 25th Feb

Having had a sciatica-ravaged Winter 16-17 in which I did almost no swimming given my dislike of chlorine, this year I am determined to hit the start of the season stronger than ever.  As I don’t have (and really can’t face the idea of) a Zwift or turbo I use our HHV session for my hard riding and have signed up for a brutal swim course in Mile End on Wednesday mornings.

Roll on 10Deg in Brockwell Lido – hopefully Mid-March – which I have decided is my threshold swim temperature given my absence of sub-cutaneous adipose tissue. At that temperature I can just about cope, wearing wetsuit, 2 hats, booties and winter gloves.

So, Spring is Duathlon time and this is my first season. 

I’m targeting a GB Tri-suit (Du-Suit I guess!) which I can earn in 2 weeks’ time at Bedford in the Sprint. Given the drafting, no disc wheels, no sperm helmets, no TT bars etc, it massively favours the runners, especially ones who don’t yet own a TT bike! The plan is to run 18:30 or so, tuck in on the bike and then it’s a question of whose legs recover the best for the second run.

Sunday was a super low-key warm up sprint down on the Cyclopark in Gravesend where the main challenge was going to be getting the layering right given the freezing conditions so as to not get too warm on the first run, have enough feeling in the hands in Transition & not needing to stop and add layers for the wind chill on the bike. I went with 2 pairs of gloves, 2 base layers, a trisuit and then a short sleeve cycling jersey on top. Pants under the trisuit were definitely a good idea for the nethers.. I also strategically parked my car about 100m into the run route so I could sling my cycle jersey under it heading out onto run 2 if I was hot.

The sun was shining as I jogged round the track to get an idea of the wind which was whipping into our faces on the home straight as we came the long climb under the bridge and past the café – it was so strong that the canvas signs up outside the car park advertising a forthcoming event were taking off!

With some good-natured ‘F it’s cold’ banter during the briefing and on the start line we were off. The first run was horribly slow – just too cold and trying to get moving so my split averaged about 6:25 overall. I was in a solid third but with 4^th just behind me. One of my cycling shoe boas had popped out meaning I lost a few seconds in T1 and so came out on the bike in P4. Although my transitions are improving I still have a way to go... Having said that, the guy in P3 had his shoes clipped in so I passed him about 400m into the bike as he fiddled about tightening his shoes.

HHV is clearly paying off. With the wind behind me and on the flat I raced away from him grinning. Unfortunately he must do more hills as he was right behind me again as we crossed the line. And then, onto the top and off I went. And back he came, and off I went, and so on. For 8 laps we were never more than 10m apart at the top of the hill at the turn. Must do some hillwork on the bike!

Into T2 with him right on my heels and thinking, well I got him on the last run so I have 3^rd in the bag here. Only for him to again massively out-transition me and find 10s out onto the second run. (my hands were rather numb by this point so it took 2 attempts to get my shoes on). Off I went with the Av Pace on my watch showing at 7:00 and him stretching away I started to panic.  Then, about 2k in my legs decided they had finally recovered and I set to catch the 50m gap he had, slowly initially and then quicker and quicker. 

We exchanged a brief chat as I passed – him managing a crack about ‘being bored of staring at my back from the bike!’ and then mercifully the downhill final 2k. in mind he was right on my heels, breathing down my neck so I of course refused him the mental knowledge of weakness, didn’t look back and went as hard as I could, ending with a pleasing ~5:50 final mile.

So, P3 overall, first Vet, and an amusingly large trinket given the tiny field size.

Roll on Bedford!

Lloyd Collier, 3^rd, 1:20.54

Run 1 : 20.14

Bike: 38.38

Run 2: 20.40