Did the Du

Okay, time for a little recap of the duathlon. The weather was perfect. Absolutely perfect. When I left the house at 6am the temperature was 60 degrees and there was no wind. And sunrise is a beautiful time of day. I always tell myself I should better aquaint myself with this time of day, but it never seems to happen. I biked at a leisurely pace along the river road into downtown. I found a good spot for the Brave Arrow in the transition zone: Georgia. This was the name printed on the large banner above the bikes in my section. When participants enter the transition zone, they use fifty state banners to help locate their bikes. After a short warm up I joined the first wave.

It wasn't long after the start that I found myself in the top ten. The first 5k was very relaxed. I should mention that I didn't take splits during the race, which is unusual for me. I like to go by the watch but this time I went by feel. The first 5k was probably a little too relaxed, at 18:41. Nonetheless, I came through in 5th place. My first transition was smooth and quick.

I felt good on the bike and was able to maintain a slightly faster pace than I anticipated, about 21 mph. Three people passed me right away. I wasn't passed again until a lone cyclists passed me at mile 8. Then a large group passed me at mile 10. This was enough to induce panic and despair - and rage against the chain ring. I cranked away in a vain effort to hang on. The group soon disappeared. I wasn't passed again until near the end of the ride, when three more people passed me. The second transition was going well until I realized I had identified the wrong exit. I asked a volunteer for directions and then I was on my way out of the parking lot. It was still a quick transition.

I passed nine people in the first mile of the run. After that point, the runners from the first wave were interspersed among the crowd of runners from later waves who were running their first 5k. It was difficult to pick out those I needed to chase. The mind needs targets as motivation when the body is tired. I would have prefered an open road with only those from the first wave. Then I could have squeezed out every ounce of energy. My second 5k was 17:48.

My total time was 1:28:12. I didn't know where I placed until I looked at online results later in the day: 5th place. Better than expected. It was fun to try something different. It was good to race and feel competitive. Could I have gone faster? Maybe. The first 5k could have been faster, but then it may have been detrimental to the bike.

So who does duathlons? Runners. Cyclsits. People who think triathlons sound exciting but don't like to swim. It seems like duathletes are predominantly cyclists. I have never had the impression that many runners cross over into the cycling scene - with notable exceptions of course.

On a final note, here was my brunch meal after the race: breakfast burrito, tall stack of buttermilk pancakes, one Bell's Two-Hearted Ale.

5k - 18:41 (5th)
T1 - 1:34
bike - 48:38 (61st)
T2 - 1:34
5k - 17:48 (2nd)
Total - 1:28:12 (5th)

Is there an Indian way of thinking?

I just finished reading India Calling. It led me to this.

Last few deposits

Saturday one week ago I did a 27+ mile bike ride at 19.2 mph and then hopped off the bike and ran a 17:40 5k. The legs have been a little fatigued for the past week. Yesterday I simulated the duathlon again: 18:41 5k, 1:54 T1, 18 miles at 20.0 mph, 1:37 T2, and a 18:13 5k. So that's it. Now I will let the legs recuperate and hope for a good showing next Sunday. It's a pleasure to be fit, mostly because I really enjoy the scenery of long runs. Of course, it's also nice to go at a good clip without feeling strained. Back to yesterday's workout. I just remembered that I ate Indian buffet for lunch on Friday and started my Saturday workout at 7am. Nothing bad happened. I will not try my luck again this week. As for race strategy, I would be happy with the splits above. But even with the self-awareness to know what is best, I can see myself getting caught up in the competition. I will probably run the first 5k too fast. Then lots of people will start passing me on the bike, which will enrage me. I'll attempt to dance on the pedals and the last 5k will be a crawl. It will still be fun.

Duathlon Training

I signed up for the Minneapolis Duathlon just before Memorial Day and my training started with a 10-mile run over the windswept and sun-baked rolling hills in Omaha that holiday weekend. Hot. Parched. Enervated. My fitness has since progressed. In general, I run three days per week and on the fourth day of training I run and bike. I also bike to work, which has to count for something, right. Here's a look at last week.

Sunday - long run of 14 miles
Tuesday - run over lunch, 3 mile tempo + 4 x 200, total 6 miles
Thursday - run home from work, 2 x mile tempo, 2 x 1200 interval, 4 x 200, total 10 miles
Saturday - run, bike, run duathlon simulation

This summer has been incredibly hot by Minnesota standards, with many days in the 90s. But the accompanying humidity created an overbearing, oppressive heat. MSP set a number of records: for consecutive hours with a dew point above 75 degrees (over four days), for the highest dew point (82 degrees), and for the highest heat index (118 degrees). Usually there is relief for a few days or at least at night. This summer there was no succor. For weeks runners were left slinging pinky sweat at the sunset and greeting the sunrise with gleaming thighs. Canada, why have you forsaken us! Well, at last the cool air has come. Low 80s and 60s. And what a difference it makes, especially for me because my weekend workouts are from 1:30-3:30pm while the little guy naps.

Here are the splits from my last du workout (84 degrees, 57% humidity, ahhh).

5k: 18:52
T1: 1:55
18 mile bike: 53:30 (20.19 mph)
T2: 2:05
5k: 18:27
1:34:49

My running is finally showing some improvement. For the longest time, perhaps because of the heat, my breathing felt taxed. I was working too hard for too little. My obvious weakness is on the bike. I just don't have enough strength to really crank it. I don't think I will be able to go much faster than 20.2 mph. During the race I won't have to stop at stop signs or stop lights, so that should shave off a little time. On the other hand, my transition will probably be slower on the real course. And the 7am start time will add at least 5 minutes. August 28 is fast approaching.

Ideology

"Ideology is inevitable; we all have an ideology, whether we are aware of it or not. First of all, ideology is about values, and we can't decide how we wish to solve policy issues without having a firm grasph on the values we are seeking to advance. Second, the world is too complex for us to make informed judgments about all of the issues that confront us. We need a philosophy to serve as a north star. One way I've been enriched by reading the great works of conservatism is that I've come better to appreciate how central ideology is to thiking about matters of governance and public policy."

Buckley: William F. Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism
-by Carl T. Bogus

Conservative Books
The Unmaking of a Mayor by William F. Buckley
The Road to Serfdom by Hayek
God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley
Witness by Whittaker Chambers
The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater
Freedom and Capitalism by Milton Friedman
Memoirs of a Superfluous Man by Albert Jay Nock
Edmund Burke: A Genius Reconsidered by Russell Kirk

Liberal Books
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
The Other America by Michael Harrington
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
Unsafe at Any Speed by Ralph Nader
The Vital Center by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith