Marshall Cty Duathlon Race Report

Alright, today I met up with Huntsville's own Zbuck and his pal Russ in Guntersville, AL for a little Duathlon on the infamous Mountain Lakes Triathlon course. Buck and I picked this race for the very purpose of doing a little reconnaissance on the course so come Aug 11th we'd have a leg up on the competition. Speaking of competition, I knew that this would be a small event so I was really unsure about what kind of talent would show up for the race. It took all of five minutes while I was changing out a bad tube on my bike to see a couple of guys roll by that I knew would be bringing the heat. Both are talented athletes, but one inparticular has been a force in my age group. I knew I had my work cut out for me.
The race was as follows: 5K run/ 16.2 mile bike / 1 mi run. The gun went off as scheduled at 7:30. The temps were already rising, but luckily the run path was fairly shaded. I'd decided to keep my pace around a 6:30 - 6:45 pace. The elites would be running their 5:45 pace, and there was nothing I could do but run my race. I stayed between 4th and 5th place for most of the run. I felt fine overall. My pace, breathing, and form all felt in tune. With about 200 yards to go, a kid comes sprint by me so I jumped on his heels and let him know I was there. I would let him finish in front of me on the run, but the bike portion was next. I knew I could get him there. I finished the 5k in 20:28.
The takeover happened quickly as we headed out of the transition area. He had a small lead on me, but there was a small hill which would do him in just after the start. I've always heard when you pass someone to do it with authority. Do it at a speed that breaks their spirit. I was dying on the inside, but I put on my meanest grimace and sped past him. He dropped pretty quickly. I spent the next 3 miles getting control of my breathing and trying to find a good rhythm. It was about this time that I started noticing something. There was no one around me. I could see any of the other guys in front of me, and there was absolutely no one behind me. I was riding strong, but I realized that there was little chance of me catching anyone in front. I knew without a doubt that no one was going to catch me from behind. So after 3 miles into the bike portion I knew exactly where I would finish in the race. If you haven't been keeping, then that means 5th place. I was only racing against myself at this point.
The one thing I love about this course is that it's fairly flat. It has some rolling hills, but they're manageable. Toward the end of the ride, I got within 250 yards of the next guy. I closed the gap to about 150 yards, but I couldn't get any closer. 16.2 miles went quickly. I finish in just over 42 minutes averaging 23 mph.
The only thing left was the 1 mile run. The guy in front had just enough of a lead on me that I knew I wouldn't be able to catch him. There was still no one close to catching me coming off the bike so this last mile run would be easy. So I thought. My legs felt like they were going to explode. It didn't feel like it, but I did the last mile in 6:43. I could have swore I was running an 8 minute pace. As expected, I finished 5th overall in 1:12:40.
Despite an early potty break and some cramping due to the hot temps, Zbuck put in a solid performance. Admittedly he's taken some time off from training, but don't let him fool you. He's still strong.
We finished up the day with the lunch of champions, burgers and beer, at Boondocks. It wasn't the best burger, but one of the best times I've had post race. A good race, great friends, and cold beer.