Xterra Duathlon

Chugging up the steps at the back of Blue Lake, I decide that at the top I'll have to stop to rest.  Because, really, why suffer so much?

Thighs burning, chest heaving, face sweating, I stagger out of the forest at the top of the steps and pretty much fall on the Aid Table.

"Great stuff, you're the first female though!"

"Wait, what???"

"You're the first female duathlete, you need to keep going!"

Oh shit.  &&%$##$.  Arrrrgghhhhhh.  Not a position I've been in much, certainly not at an Xterra event, but I guess I've found the small pond in the new Duathlon event.  Because, why suffer through that swim really?  Why suffer running around this lake now?  Well, I guess because first sounds pretty good doesn't it - and we all know my running speed is really not going to be doing me any favours right now...…….

So I head off, sort of run/waddling down the road, with 1.5 laps of Blue Lake to go.

A couple of hours earlier, I sat on my bike at the Start Line, looking around at the other Duathletes and pure MTB event competitors milling around.  I was pretty pleased that a season of Summer Series has me pretty confident that I can rock it with the big kids on the start line.  And I've learned the hard way, that every 20 seconds you give up at the start by being behind another rider, stretches out to 4-5 mins at the end of the first single track, and that's bloody hard to make up.  So, I'm right near the front, avoid the start line crash, and hit Tangaroamihi single track in a good group.   I get the whole way through this trail, only needing to pass 3-4 people, and being passed by about 2-3 behind.  

Out on the width of Tikitapu Road, the shit is sorted from the shovel, and solid trickle of 15-20 riders overtakes me.  Although being passed sucks, mostly I'm just pleased knowing that most have them have been caught behind slower riders through the single track, and have had to work harder than me just to catch up.  

I really enjoy the Xterra ride - I could do with more single track, and maybe more downhill, but generally I know I do pretty well.  I spend a great half an hour trying to stay on the tail of a lady, a little older than me, who is pretty much shredding.  As we start hauling in and overtaking riders ahead, some look back and see us but seem certain they'll be able to go faster, despite the fact we have obviously caught them.  A couple of times I call out "She's nailing it, make room!" and we fly past with a smile.  

Up the road into Pondy, I have a disaster when the rider in front of me, without clips, slips a pedal and goes down - with me following shortly after.  Bloody knee and sore elbow and hip, but mostly a bit embarrassed!

I ride through the back trails along Tarawera Road, slowly catching another female I can see in front.  We transition together, and I decide to stay on her tail for as long as I can.  We've only gone a few hundred metres when she slows down so much, it would be awkward to stay behind, so I overtake.  If you're going to overtake, you better do it well and not give them anything to hang on to, so as we duck back onto the lake trail, I push fairly hard, enjoying the technical footwork.  

Then the stairs, the decision to pull back a bit, and finding that the other women who finished the MTB in front of me mustn't have been duathletes!

So, what follows is 1.5 laps of Blue Lake toil, wishing I'd done more run training, getting lapped by Tom (hate that!!) but somehow, managing to stay in front of the chasing runners.   2nd Place came in only a couple of minutes after me, after running 10 minutes faster than me.  Good thing I had some legs on the bike!

Pretty stoked with an Xterra placing medal!