Sylvan Beach Duathlon Race Report

I think the one thing that I walked away from today's Sylvan Beach Duathlon is that there is a group of people out there in our sports that could care less about how you do.

They're genuinely glad that you're there.

Other than the people today, I find that I actually enjoy the duathlon - for something different.

That is, well, other than the first mile off the bike on a warm day.

Today there were 17 more finishers than last year (96 to 79), and while I'm not concerned about it, I slipped a little bit from 2:24:16 a year ago to 2:29:38 today.

Almost exactly the same on the bike, but a little slower on the run. Probably up a couple of pounds since the same time last year, but not too much.

The bottom line, though, is that I had fun. Can't beat that, especially since I couldn't quite beat today's heat.

I actually thought last year was hotter, but I was 53:54 in the last five-mile section last year compared to 58:47 today.

Then again, I probably didn't run 95 minutes on Friday and a 10K on Saturday a year ago.

I took a page from Rocky Raccoon earlier this year and took two S-caps before the race and another two as I exited T-2. Therefore, no cramping whatsoever.

Oh, the drafting penalty. Seriously. Me? Riding a Cannondale road bike, with the original pedals and with my running shoes. Drafting?

It was in the first three to four miles of the 30-kilometer bike course. There was a woman in front of me, but I didn't think that I was that close for that long (which is what the official said).

Actually, I had started to make the pass and moved to the left to start going around her and had another rider come up on the side of me and kind of thwart that move. And right as that happened, the official came up on the left and I could see her writing my number down.

Oh well, an extra three sentences for this report!

Two-mile run was 20:30.68 - my 10K pace exactly from yesterday.

T1 and T2 - 1:11:06 and 1:39.13 - a little better than last year. Was deliberate. There was nobody for me to beat.

30-kilometer bike was 1:07:32. It was less belabored than last year and I didn't look at my watch until after we crossed 146 to head back to Sylvan Beach on Fairmont Parkway.

The five miles on the run looked like this: 11:38.36, 11:25.21, 10:59.06, 12:36.50 and 12:06.81. I thought that three might have been short as there were multiple markings for it - and four long, but therein lies that runner mentality.

It was my fourth duathlon ever - and the second year in a row for Sylvan Beach. Love the events that Kevin and Jana Landry put on and, of course, I look forward to finish line announcing their Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon in January 2013 after a year's absence while I attempted the Rocky Raccoon 100 last February.

I used the words "low key" and "no frills" in a Facebook commment, but that would imply less quality.  And that's certainly not the case.

They just put on good races -- for the sake of good racing.  And that's a great thing.