Iron Girl Duathlon -Bloomington, MN

[northstar]

I had my first multisport event today - the Iron Girl Duathlon in Bloomington, MN. I signed up as part of a deal with a girlfriend (I'll do it if you will!) back in April. I had never run beyond a mile at that time, so I really had to work at getting a decent amount of mileage under my belt so I could feel comfortable with this! It's a women's only event - 2 mile run, 22 mile bike, and another 2 mile run around a lake.

Then...on Friday, my friend backed out. But I wasn't going to...funny thing was, the girl next to me in transition had the same thing happen!

I got up around 5:00 and had coffee, scrambled eggs, and some yogurt with granola. I was really nervous about getting an upset stomach, so I really took my time eating. Got DH up, headed out around 6:15. It was a gorgeous morning - cool and crisp, even though it's supposed to get up to 80 today! Got set up in transition, hung out with DH and met a few people before the race began, and then we were off...

Run 1 - 2 mi.
I was super keyed up, but tried hard not to get swept up and wear myself out on the first run. Fortunately, the gals around me started out relatively slowly, so I was able to ease into it and then pick up the pace. I felt good...was passing more people than I anticipated I would. Still, I was glad hear the loudspeaker as we rounded the lake to go into T1. Total time: 16:29.

T1 -
Lucked out...I was assigned to the rack right next to where we came in from the run. Found my bike easily (with my sassy hot pink towel as a mark). Had a sip of gatorade, got on my bike gear, hopped on the bike and got out. Total time: 2:12.

Bike - 22 mi.
It felt nice to get on the bike. I caught myself smiling a lot of the time...the air was cool and I was able to give my legs a rest...until the hills began! The first 3 miles of the bike loop were pretty much all slow climbs. On the first loop, my thighs were SCREAMING at me on those climbs! After that, we had nice rollers, and I was able to relax and enjoy the ride. The only real problem with the course was that at the midpoint/turnoff of the bike route (we had 2-11 mile loops) there was a massive construction zone that was not well marked for the event, and it was particularly dangerous because it was at the bottom of the biggest hill on the course. Total time on the bike: 1:10:49.

T2 -
Easy! I felt good...my main goal was to finish in under 2 hours, and I realized was well ahead of my goal. As I made my way out of transition, my Mom and Dad were lined up along the chute, cheering and giving me high fives. Total time: 2:19.

Run 2 - 2 mi.
This was the part of the race I was most worried about. I really wanted to be able to do the runs without any walking. Fortunately, as I made my way out of T2, I realized that my legs felt really good - no awkward clunkiness...just warm muscles, which let me just focus on breathing and keeping things steady. As I passed the mile marker, I realized I was going to make it without walking, and a big smile spread across my face. With about 1/4 mile to go, the woman next to me tripped and fell. I heard her say "I fell AGAIN!" She was ok, thank goodness. (Perhaps they should have marked the uneven sections with paint?) It felt great to cross the finish line and have my DH, Mom, and Dad there ready with hugs. Total time for run 2 - 17:11.

Total race time: 1:49:00.
Age Group place - 17/89 (Yahoo!!!)
Overall place - 118/727 (Double Yahoo!!!)

I would highly recommend the event for first timers...it was very organized, and a very nice course! I plan to be back next year!

[redrhodie]

Great job! You finished 10 minutes under your goal?! That's fantastic!

[Tri Girl]

Holy smokes you kicked serious tail out there! 10 min. under your goal, and some smokin' times on the runs and the bike. Sooooo proud of you!!!! Proud that you went and raced. Now you can brag to your friend who backed out. She'll be upset she didn't show.
You really placed well! You should be VERY proud of yourself!

So are you hooked on multi-sport yet?

[shawnada]

Well done! I'm glad you followed through with your goals and succeeded so well. Nice times. Are you planning anymore and are you hooked? I did my first in July and I have to tell you, even though I placed well I learned that I am a short distance sprinter and long distance recreational runner. I do not enjoy duathlon runs. I have gone back to my cycling more than running.

[northstar]

So are you hooked on multi-sport yet?

The bug may be biting...I am definitely interested in doing another duathlon. I don't have much experience swimming, and don't really have the funds to pay for a gym membership, so I don't think I'm in the running to do a tri anytime soon. Fortunately, there are a lot of du's around the area.

Thanks, everyone...I am pretty proud! Especially since I had been pretty sedentary for the past ten years, until I started riding and running this spring.