Dambusters Duathlon 10th March 2012 National Championship and World Qualifying Race
10k run, 42k bike, 5k run
Starting with a 10km run around the lake and across the dam it is important not to be deceived by the flatness of the run section. The fact that you can see the competition for much of the run means this is a psychologically challenging course.
The bike — a slightly long 42km around the spectacular Rutland scenery — is a good testing course and well suited to strong bikers. Best described as undulating, the Rutland Ripple is not the only test of endurance on the course which offers little in the way of flat but does offer good road surfaces and is a well established and clearly signposted route.
After a testing bike the final 5 km run will see who has ‘what it takes’. This is a straight out and back affair which leads you back over familiar ground.
I had a steady first run trying not to over do it, 45 minutes was some 5 minutes down on last year. A good start to the bike saw me pulling back places as we reached the Rutland Ripple, but unfortunately my breathing was now starting to struggle and I felt I could not really take advantage of the back section which is normally the fastest part of the course. Leaving t2 I got into my running pretty quick but once again I couldn’t really push too hard as my chest began to tighten.
My finishing time of 2.25 was some 13 minutes down on last year but with two weeks of antibiotics trying to get rid of a chest infection maybe this was the best I could have expected. It was nice to get back racing and I know things can only get better. – Tom MacDonald
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