My First Duathlon (since 1990!)

With minimal training and not sure exactly what to expect, I completed my first duathlon and I am totally hooked.  My last duathlon was probably in 1990 and I did it as a relay with someone else doing the run portion.  My preparations consisted of two twelve mile rides to make sure I could cover the distance on the bike.  I figured that if I can run 12 miles I should be able to ride twelve miles.  And I was correct in that assumption because I finished strong.  

The first run section was out and back and upon finishing it was clearly obvious that I was almost last.  There were a couple folks behind me but at the speed they were moving it appeared that they were just late to the starting line.  The bike section was the best, even with the road conditions and the head wind on sections.  It was a two lap course and it felt so good to push a big gear.  It also felt good to pass a bunch of folks.   The course made me so grateful that I chose my mountain bike.  It was bumpy and had lots of patched spots in the road that made the ride less than enjoyable in some sections.  I was also so happy that I made the last-minute decision to switch out pedals and opt for toe clips to avoid changing shoes.  The decision was not exactly last-minute though.  I had decided to make the change at least a week earlier but with school year ending and all the preparations that took, I unfortunately waited until the last minute to make the pedal switch.  By last-minute I mean it was 8 o'clock the night before the race.  It was a good thing that I didn't procrastinate much longer because I was only able to locate my left pedal with toe clips.  My right pedal was nowhere to be found!  After a while looking and knowing that the local REI store closed at 9 pm, I made the drive to REI and bought another set of clipless pedals so I could have a matching pair.   I do need practice on my cornering abilities but managed those safely and without interfering with anyone else.  Back to the transition and the next run.  The transition went smoothly.  I only had a slight feeling of deadness in my legs and they quickly adjusted to using different muscle groups.  By this time, there were a lot of the triathletes running and moving fast.  That helped keep my going.  My run wasn't especially fast but I maintained my walk/run intervals and finished with a personal best!  (The PB is a default but I can't wait to improve it next year!)  In the meantime, I'm looking for more duathlon events for my race calendar but unfortunately they conflict with other running events I have planned.  For 2013, I want plenty of duathlon events on the race schedule.  With my continued running progress and with actual cycling training, maybe even with my road bike, I can expect great things.