2up duathlon

2up Duathlon is a great early season friendly opener. Me & Sanj got there early enough to get on the car park register then head back to the car to keep warm and get changed.

It was good to be with the team good to see everyone and being on the start line with everyone also good to see friendly faces volunteering. The run is awful the first mile is just straight uphill so heart rate goes through the roof. After the first mile it settles down and also smoother trails under foot. It drags on a bit on the flatter section before down hill to the transition area.

Slower transition as me and Sanj decided jackets would be a smart idea. (We were right). Down the road settle the legs into the ride just enough time for the legs to feel ok before the first major climb of sheephouse lane. Easy gears spin the legs Sanjay tucked in both taking it easy until the bastard tree. He came round me there and went on the front for a bit. The next bit is the best of the course down the hill to the pub sharp left turn where we had a tailwind pushing us all the way down into wheelton 40mph just chatting switching places taking it in turns freewheeling perfect.

At the round about left turn and bang headwind gone from 40 to 8mph struggling pushing up the hill. Follow the road round to the dual carriageway and then into smaller roads and up anglesark it’s a strange climb as you know it’s coming just not sure when and it’s in stages. You climb then it’s flat turn a corner and goes up again. Next is the scary bit of the course you could smell the breaks of people infront before you as you go down the steep hill then a sharp hairpin bend full lock on breaks and not slowing down trying to avoid the wall. Back out onto faster roads past the reservoir onto the drops and just time trial it into transition.

Out of transition and onto second run same as the first slower up the horrible hill walk the steepest part. Then down the hill over the stile couple behind us chatting and giving us banter saying we were the target the ones to beat. It was unspoken but me and Sanjay picked up the pace and made sure they weren’t going to come past us. Really happy with how we paced the whole race both took turns when we needed just a really great day. Even better that wife was waiting at the finish with cake.