National Duathlon Champs

With just under a month to World Champs and only a week before heading to our pre worlds camp in Gold Coast i was in need of a good hard race to remind the body of what it has to go through in a months time. National duathlon champs seemed to work in well with the plan and although not quite ideal without being a tri it was the best we could do. Plus there was the added bonus of getting to spend a week at home before heading away, something i haven't been able to do a whole lot this year.
Leading into the race my coach, Silas Cullen, was doing his best to smash me, the Monday before i was starting to put myself into a bit of a hole with training which isn't the most ideal.I'm quite a fan of  heading into races feeling tired and a bit overdone a week out but this was pushing those limits.

I had it drilled into me for the race that it wasn't important and there was no pressure what so ever to perform but once you get to race day it somehow becomes World Champs and all you want to do is go for the win.

Conditions in Taupo were not the best resembling something more like the tropical Dunedin that i had been hoping to escape.
Standing on the start line with only a small piece of lycra covering the body was a wee bit chilly to say the least. I held off taking my jacket off till the 1min to go call. It was now game on!!
The gun went and straight away 2 guys broke off the front taking it out in a rather smart pace. In my head i had fugured out that anything faster than a 3.06 to start was just too fast for me so i took my time to try and run up to them, catching them just before the first km. From there i was quite keen to sit on and not get any wind in my face till at least halfway through the run but they started looking round at me to do some work and i somehow found myself on the front.
Coming up to the top end of the course where we picked up a tail wind our little group was down to two and i was starting to stretch the other out. I let the legs go down the back straight and managed to pull away running my 3rd km in a 2.50. Not quite the place i wanted be, i was looking much more for sitting in and breaking last lap or so but i was committed so went for it.
I found some good rhythm and kept working away, by the end of the run coming 2mins clear of 2nd and going through the 10km mark in 32, was after a bit quicker but considering the conditions and course was a good hit out.

Out onto the bike and i immediately started to push hard knowing the others would be after me. I was doing well not losing much time but by about 9k into the bike my calves decided they weren't going to play ball cramping up on me. I started stretching before all the corners to try nurse them. Still not conceding too much time on the 2nd lap i had my fingers crossed i was going to get away with but as the calves got worse my power dropped significantly and the 3rd lap the wheels started to fall off.

Coming into T2 i had been passed by 2people one individual and one team. Transition was slow as i tried not to put my legs into any funny positions that would make my calves go again but as i started the run my calves had got so tight that i couldn't get any spring in my step and i mars well have been running backwards.

Coming away with 3rd overall, bit disappointed being the 10km wonder and not much else but it shows i'm on track for worlds and coming into some good running form the fact my 10km run is at the end should help the cramping on the bike issue.

From here i'm off to the sunny Gold Coast for 2 weeks for our pre worlds camp to try and find that little bit of something to help me on my way for world champs