Race #2 of the Season: Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #3

Getting to this about a week late, but eh. I had other priorities.

About a week and a half ago was the final race in the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series. As with every race, I had been keeping an eye on the weather. It snowed some Thursday after they did the final course update, but I drove the vast majority of the bike course on Friday and it appeared fine. I was riding.

I was also flying solo, as my race photographer had to work. Silly husband. Silly jobs.

The Bike:

We went off in mini waves of varying abilities; I think there were around 20 waves and I went off about halfway through.

As I still wanted to pace the bike steadily, I didn't hammer as much as I probably could have, knowing that no matter what, my lungs were going to hate me when I got off the bike (as they do). That being said, when I saw some of the super speedy guys in waves that were after me, I made mini goals - like, get to x point before he passes you. For the most part, I was very successful with this strategy.

I also rode the course about two minutes faster than back in January.

Time: 39:32 (6th division, 15th gender, 59th overall)

Trans:

I think I fell over at one point trying to swap out my shoes. Silly frozen fingers.

Time: 1:53 (6th, 24th, 59th)

The Run:

First of all, this four mile run? Was totally over four miles. The four mile marker was even a good tenth of a mile (at least) away from the finish. So I declare shenanigans on that.

That being said ... Not my fastest four miles, not my slowest four miles. I did manage to unintentionally negative split the whole thing (progression run?), so that's a plus. I rarely ever manage to speed up like that in a race, particularly a multisport race, so yay for that. It also means I hit my pre-race goal of smooth and steady on the run, as I posted that I would like at a faster run or at least a better-paced one, and I totally call that better-paced!

The one "negative" (if you even want to call it that) was that I was hoping to make it to mile two before my friend Jeannene caught me (given where she was behind me on the bike and our differing runs ... she's much faster) ... but I didn't quite make it. The mile two marker was almost in sight though.

Time: 46:08 (10th, 28th, 79th)

Overall Stats:
Time: 1:27:35
9/12 division (F30-39)
24/34 gender
72/91 overall

Quite a bit slower than last year (by about eight minutes?), but I was also essentially two months into Ironman training last year, which I am definitely not now. That, and, you know, the extra weight and all. Whatever, I had fun during it which was pre-race goal #3, so that's the most important thing.

And that I went straight to the gym after to get that day's swim workout in.