Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Gear West Duathlon

Despite encountering ridiculous thunderstorms complete with hail on my way to the race venue on Sunday, the race went on as scheduled.  By the time I arrived at the race site the rain had let up a bit and 45-minutes later it had stopped completely...go figure!
I felt calm and ready to rumble.  My first run felt solid.  Glancing at my watch I knew my pace was around 7:45 for the first 5k. The transition to the bike was quick.  Once on the bike, my heart rate seemed to be high so I consciously relaxed while trying to maintain my pace.  I felt strong.  At about mile 8 of 18 I dropped my chain, meaning my chain fell off of the front chain ring while shifting to an easier gear.  I had been sensing a problem with my chain for about two weeks, but nothing had really happened other than a  bit of slippage.  Now however, my fear was realized.  I remained calm and returned the chain to the proper position.  I was amazed how long it took me to catch the people I had been riding near. My second run was good as well although by this time the mud we had to run through was often above my ankles!


Post race I was disapointed with my time.  Despite feeling fast I was 5 minutes slower than last year...I could not believe this.  Later I looked at the 2012 results and found that most were between 5-6 minutes slower this year compared to last year...I felt better about my time considering a dropped chain!  I continue to have confidence and am injury free!

I'm making a push for Kenya Children's Fund and have recently sent many sponsorship forms to friends and co-workers. This week, I received a very generous donation from my friends David and Dede.  I've only known them for a short while which makes their encouragement even more special.  Thank you! 

I hope you are well!
Lee

   

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