Presque Isle Duathlon

Race: Presque Isle Duathlon
Date: August 26, 2017
Location: Presque Isle, Pa
Time:
Overall Rank: X out of XX
Age Group Rank: X out of X
Results: http:

The triathlon turned into a duathlon due to poor water quality. This was my first run-bike-run race and I would do another. I started out with the 2-mile run and based on my competition, I ran fairly slow. However, my pace was 8:18, which is pretty good for me. I'm not sure I could have gone faster; I was breathing hard. Dan was able to do better (8:09 pace), and Geoff, well, he's in a league of his own (7:32). Geoff went on ahead but Dan and I stuck together for a mile or so. I appreciate his effort to run with me in the beginning and keep up the conversation. Note to self: warm up before a race. The second run, 3.5 miles, was at a similar pace (8:20). I did not feel overly tired and felt pretty good through the whole thing. I kept pace with those around me; it was rare for me to pass anyone.

I'm always disappointed in my bike segment at Presque Isle. Dan and Geoff both beat me by 1-2 minutes. I can't speak to their level of training, but for me, I train on the hills around my neighborhood. That makes me good at hills. However, the race course at Presque Isle is flat, and I apparently don't have the muscle endurance to maintain high speeds for extended periods of time. I stayed in aero position for most of this race, with the exception of a rough patch of pavement, where I cycled more upright. I watched my speedometer and saw that in an upright position I was actually able to go faster. This is very curious. Perhaps I was using different muscles and got a burst of speed from them.

Deciding on my next big race

Will I be an IRONMAN at Cambridge, Maryland (Oct 7, 2018) or an IRONMAN Louisville (Oct 15, 2018)? I've narrowed my next big race down to those two. The Maryland course would be easier but it is flood-prone and could get cancelled. It takes place within a wildlife reserve, so it would be a beautiful ride. I'd be able to visit my aunt and uncle, and it's an hour less each way in terms of getting there by car. I'd have to take two days off from work. There are no hotels near the race site, so getting there on race morning would mean an even earlier wake-up time. The Louisville race would be a little more physically challenging, it would not involve visiting family, the route is more urban (not so pretty, but maybe less boring), take a little more time in the car to get there, but only require one day off from work instead of two.