Most entered as solos but we also had a relay team and altogether there were 147 people in the solos and 23 teams in the relay. Both the running and mountain biking routes were very hilly but 'what goes up most come down' and everybody had a fabulous time, helped in no small measure by the world's best hot chocolate with marsh-mallows in the cafe afterwards.
Lots of photos of mud, sweat and pain to follow but here is how we all did - there is no hiding when you go racing but that's the challenge!
Run 1 Trans1 Bike Trans2 Run 2 TOTAL Overall Class
Mike 29.05 2.24 55.05 2.09 32.10 2.00.53 14 M
Simon 29.33 1.13 61.07 1.02 34.46 2.07.41 24 M
Paul 29.47 2.00 57.09 1.50 41.17 2.12.03 43 M
Ben 29.27 1.33 65.36 1.43 33.53 2.12.12 46 M
James 32.35 2.01 60.46 1.50 38.30 2.15.42 56 M
Wayne 35.42 2.09 63.33 1.46 38.34 2.21.41 74 M
David 0.59 58.11 0.47 2.27.12 20 MV Relay
Kay 42.17 0.59 0.47 44.58 2.27.12 20 MV Relay
Mandy 33.35 1.56 76.49 1.34 37.19 2.31.13 93 F Vet
Debs 41.24 1.59 75.35 1.14 47.36 2.47.48 121 F Vet
http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2010/WhinlatterDuathlon/
The numbers hide a lot of individual stories - can you see which girl had to carry her bike, who got lost on the second run and who is the most experienced tri-athlete?
Insight From First Time Duathlete Mike Aitchison
As a newbie to the world of Duathlon I was more than a little bit nervous at the prospect of a couple of runs of 5.5km each, both climbing over 300m!! The 15km biking bit in the middle was going to be familiar territory but the transitions either side were going to prove more than a little bit tricky!!
Registration saw an electronic timing chip tie-rapped to my wrist that I had to "dib" in to a control box at various points on the course, and after a race briefing it was time for the start.
Lining up we pushed our way to the front - a bit cheeky I thought as this was my first ever event - and all too quick we were off. My plan was to pace our more established multi-sporters and see how long I could hold on as I knew we had this run to do again at the end. Feeling good I pushed a bit harder only to find the trail ramp up in gradient to 1 in 3 at one point and there was a lot of walking at that stage but not me - I don't do that it's a run and that's that!! Over taking a few of the walkers the top was in sight and after dibbing at the control point it was back down again. Now running down hill is to prove a skill all on it's own, not too fast not too slow, open the stride and let gravity help you all while trying to stay in control - no easy feat!
Transition is a skill I have to improve if I'm going to continue with this sport. I thought it was fairly quick but looking at the times you'd be forgiven for thinking I was taking a nap! How long can it take to change your shoes, put your lid on, stuff your pockets with a couple of tubes etc grab the bike and run for the line again. Well in my case my newbie status was clear as I took the longest out of all of us at 2.5 mins.
The bike was something I'm not new too. I launched out of transition and stormed the first techie section only to run in to traffic!! With little room for overtaking on the singletrack I found myself standing on rocks waiting for the obvious runners to walk over sections my 13 year old son had rode over the night before when we recky'd the route. Clearing the traffic on the doubletrack I quickly found myself back at the top of the climb dibbing before heading down. If you've ridden Whinlatter before you'll know that the 2nd half of the north red is all down. It has some great flowing singletrack with jumps, switchbacks, berms etc that you can really rail, and I did. All too quick I was on the last section before transition 2 and time to spin my legs before the next run.
Again the transition 2 step, drop the bike, change the shoes, dump the lid & tools and go. Running the wrong way out of transition and then having to go round the right way wasn't the best start to the second run, again novice errors :( Dibbing again on the line it was back up that hill. This time I was in clear air with only a few runners ahead I pushed as hard as I could slowly closing on the guy in front. Half way up the first climb I passed him as he was throwing up in the bushes at the side of the course, Christ, I thought, this must be hard but just dug in and pushed to the top. Cresting the summit for the last time I stretched out my legs and just went with gravity. Always on the edge of control I knew I would pay for this over the next few days but just kept pushing despite my hips telling me otherwise!!
At last there was the line and I knew this would all end. Dibbing for the last time I walked towards the timing table. I thought I might be in the top 20 but was astonished to find I had finished in 14th!!!
Not bad for a newbie I thought!!
Check out the photos and see if you can spot some familiar BBB team mates on here - http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/gallery.html
As with all the stuff that we do you are very welcome to come along with us and have a go. We've all got to start somewhere, there's lots of help and advice but only if you want it and why not be one of those that has a go rather than one that spectates? After it all it's not going to kill you - probably! For any event information, just email shop@bigbearbikes.co.uk or call us 01751 474220 or drop into the shop for a chat. DB
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