Two Wheel Blogs

Countdown to the Tracks 'n Treads Biathalon: 6 days

I feel better now. The day after I signed up for next Tracks 'n Treads biathalon, I went out to the course to run and ride it. I wanted to see what I could do, just to get an idea of what I might be able do to race day. I just wanted to know what to expect. After running the course in a reasonable time, I got on my cyclocross bike ready to try out the single-track trails -- only to find them a ribbon of sloppy goo. No trail ride that day.

Since then, I've been alternating, running one day and riding the next. On a few occasions, I would go for a ride after I ran, but not on the trails where the race would be held. I knew I needed to get back on the course, but circumstances (weather, commitments, etc.) prevented my doing so.

Today was just going to be a run day. The forecast was for a cold afternoon with a chance of showers. When I got up, it was relatively warm, and the sun was more out than in. So I figured, "What the heck? Let's see what next week will be like!" So I loaded up the cyclocross bike and headed out to the course.

I ran the course in 25:33, a respectable time. I still can't climb hills worth a darn. As I start the ascent, my strides tightens up to the point it can't accurately be described as a "stride" anymore. It's more like a series of quick, jabby steps. Still, after enough of these, it gets me up the hill ... eventually.

Once I crossed the Finish line, I spent 2:30 putting on my riding helment, shoes, and gloves -- too long, I know. I rode what I believe to be the alternate route, or as close to it as I come. It starts out by retracing part of the course we've just run, then heads down the Delyte Morris bike tails towards parts of the campus where I've been doing all my cyclocross training rides. I probably strayed from the route at points, but I stayed as true to it as I could. (And I stress: it's the alternate route they will use if the single-track trails are too sloppy.) I ended up riding for 47:44. So my biathalon benchmark breaks down like this:

25:33 5K run
2:30 Transition
47:44 Ride
------------------
1:15:37 Total

An hour and fifteen minutes -- I can live with that. It was only a practice run, so I wasn't going all out. (At least, I hope I wasn't.) Assuming that we ride the alternate route and that I was close to it today, I hope to break the 1:5 mark next week.

And the forecast for Saturday has improved greatly. Today, they say it will be mostly sunny and headed for a high of 60. I'm liking that number.