Resetting - 5K Fitness Baseline Race

 Hello folks. It’s now 4 weeks since the European Duathlon Champs and I’ve been resetting by reducing the intensity and bringing back a strength focus by having a mini strength build. It’s been quite successful - I think! It feels like I’ve had permanent aching legs. Last Sunday I decided to baseline my run fitness by racing at the Port Vale 5k. I raced this event last year under similar circumstances - reset after peaking. I clocked 18:39 on the lumpy twisty course. I had no idea what was possible this year 

I certainly did not expect to run faster - slower was expected. So to clock 18:05 was a bit of a shock. I don’t feel great; the legs still heavy with a mild fatigue feeling. But I guess I was running fast regardless. The course was changed slightly and I did wonder if the course was a bit short - but not by much if at all. So even if it was short I reckon I still ran faster than last year. Happy days. 

7th overall. An age group win and a time close to sub-18 min. Game on then! Some further 5k races planned and attempt to break 18 min when I turn the big six zero on 2 September 😮😵‍💫🫡

European Sprint Duathlon Champs

 

The main 2024 goal has come and gone - the European Sprint Duathlon Champs in Coimbra Portugal. 

The Journey & Prep

My daughter Jess (will always be JJ to me 🤗 ) came with me and we flew out to Porto on 12 Jun 24. The race was on 15 Jun, so we had a couple of days to recover from travel and for me to register and get an idea of the event and course. The hotel was about 2knout of town, which was good in some ways but not in others. But we managed fine - even though there was no kettle in the room🤔

After registering and seeing most of the run course, I was hyped and nervous. The transition area was incredibly long and I’d figured when to mount and dismount my bike at the cobblestone transition entry and exit. 

My plan was to use 2 pairs of trainers; the Nike Alphafly for the first run (they were assessed as fasted for me) and the Puma Fast-R for the second run because they were quickest to get on in T2 but still a fast shoe. The race distance of 5k/20k/2.5k would mean transitions would be important - oh little did I know how important! 

This race was draft legal so getting a good first run in the bank was key to being in contention for the bike. 

Race Report

The start was frantic but I’d placed myself in the front, ready to be clear of folks at the first right turn into the bridge. 

As we ran over the bridge onto the other side of the river I tucked in with the lead group of around 8 runners. A Portuguese chap was pushing the pace but I felt comfortable at this point. 

This was pretty much the format of the first run. He pushed more and surged but I stayed with him, along with a Spanish and an Italian. A couple of Brits also hanging in.

The Portuguese, Italian and Spanish guys somehow got through T1 incredibly quickly. They were gone up the road as I mounted my bike. I knew that I had to catch them to stand any chance of getting a podium finish. So head down and work the bike. I found myself alone doing this but I was mindful that a group able to move faster than me would swallow me up. 

But I actually caught them reasonably quickly, though I’d red lines it flat out to do so. It appeared that they weren’t pushing that hard. So I gestured that we should work together to avoid being caught by a groups behind. No matter how hard I tried to get them to work they wouldn’t. The Spanish guy did try but it wasn’t a constant effort and we stayed together as a group of 4. But at one point we almost came to a stop as nobody wanted to pull. I tried to break away some but they all managed to draft me. Afraid of being caught from behind I pushed on. I ended up working harder than my new buddies for sure 

We entered T2 together and I knew that we had a sufficient gap to fight it out for the podium. One of us would lose out in 4th place. I focused on being slick and controlled for a fast T2. My bike fell over which frustrated me but it was quickly rectified. I had to make sure that all equipment was placed in a basket next to my bike - avoid a penalty! The Pumas went on quickly and I was off on my second run. But it was a shock to see my 3 competitors again gone after taking 15 seconds out of me in T2! My transition was actually good for me and 5th fastest overall! So what’s the secret of these mega quick transitions? Flat pedals 😵‍💫

Yes, same trainers on for the entire race using flat pedals - no shoe changes at all.  I’d worked harder than these 3 on the bike too. I pushed as hard as possible on the second run but I was isolated in 4th place, unable to close the gap to the Spanish guy I could see ahead. 

As I approached the finish line I knew I was frustratingly in 4th place. The Spanish guy was visibly exhausted and we’d ran exactly the same time for the second run. I wondered what could have been if we had been able to fight together on the run! Of course the whole flat pedal realisation thing occurred after the race and I was at the time both happy with my finishing place as first GB finisher but also frustrated at being so close to a medal

I had ran well on the first run but felt like I’d struggled in the second run. Only the Portuguese and Italian guys were quicker on the second run though, so I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I just feel that the outcome could have been different - but hindsight is a great thing!

I am now testing flat pedals and straps to use when racing sprint distance duathlons 

This will be really interesting as not only will transitions be faster but also won’t have the Norman problem of sore feet running barefoot through transition! Something I’ve always struggled with. 

Onwards and upwards 👊😎