Another hit out

For me it has been off seson since Tjørn last weekend in august. Not much training done at all. My 2010 season starts 1st october i guess. But have not decided what races to to yet. So I have some work to do, and stuff to schedule, before i start my 2010 season.

But last thursday I did get a last(?) race of 2009. The XC-ski part of my club has organized a duathlon for several years. But they have only done bike-run, which I dont find very interesting. But this year they changed it to a 4-21-2 duathlon. Done in the XC-ski slopes and on gravel road. So this year I just had to do it, even though I`m not at my best on thesse surfaces...

From the gun my competitors ran very fast over the ski stadion, on some very wet and muddy slopes. "Damn! I`m already in trouble" was my first thought. But when we got to some harder surface, and uphills, I felt more comfortable and got back in the game. But it was hard running this first 4ks up and down. 2 guys got away from me with 30sec, so I was 3rd into T1. Had opted for my road tricycling shoes, to have fast transitions, so I overtook one guy in T1 and was 2nd starting the 21k MTB ride. 3 laps of 7k with 2 technical parts on trails, rest was on gravelroads. 1 long climb on each lap. I got company from behind on the first tecnical part (no surprise, I suck as a MTB rider) and we where 3 riders chasing the leader going out on lap 2.

I decided to play it cool on lap 2 and let the 2 others do the work to catch up to the front. It worked out well! One gouy had enough going out on lap 3, so we where now again 3 in the lead. I tried to break away on the uphill, but could not get a gap. Was a bit worried, cause 1 guy was riding in runningshoes, which would give him a very fast T2. The former runleader was in MTB cycling shoes, so I was not to worried about him. I made the decission to get out of my shoes, and ride barefoot on topp of them, before the last tecnical part heading to T2. Was a bit wooried how it would go, but managed to hold me feet on the pedals, and hammered into T2.

The guy with runshoes was quicly out, but I jumped in my Newtons and did not take time to tighten them. He was about 50m in front heading out on the last 2k run on the slopes.

It tok me about half way to catch him. And it hurt! He was a long limmed man, so I ran faster uphill, but he ran faster downhill. On the 2nd last steep hill I gave it everything, and dropped him with 10m. As I entered the stadium with 150m to go I could hear his breath coming closer and closer, but managed to hold him off by a meter or 2 :-)

First and only win of 2009:-)

Nice to have in my belt going into 2010 training.