Cobourg Race Weekend

Race Report
By Roger Hospedales, Team Running Free

Race: Cobourg Duathlons (International & Sprint)

Date: Saturday August 11 & Sunday August 12, 2007.

Location: Cobourg, Ontario

Description: International Du: 10/40/5 & Sprint Du: 5/20/2.5

Sport: Duathlon

Website: www.multisportcanada.com

Prelude
Having pulled my hamstring the weekend before (still don’t know how), and with my ongoing Achilles problems, I did not do anything but ice, stretch and physio from Sunday – Wednesday. With Ironman Canada only a few weeks away this was a huge scare. But things came around and I felt good enough to race on Saturday. I just was not going to push hard. It was all going to be about going at Ironman pace on the run, push a little harder on the bike if I felt good and pick up some points for the overall standings of the HSBC Duathlon Series.

The Races
Saturday - International Du:

The Run (10km) - Like Gravenhurst, I ran with my buddy and Team RF member, Angus Kim (getting married later today). However, this time we ran a bit faster. I wanted to run at my planned pace for Ironman Canada (HR in the 150’s) so Angus (also doing Ironman Canada) and I ran together for the entire 10 km, finishing it in 52:23 (well below our previous 1 hr run at Gravenhurst). My Avg. HR was 155 bpm.

The Bike (40 km) - In previous years my best bike leg at Cobourg was barely 30 km/hr so my goal for the bike was see how much my biking has improved and boost that average speed. I ended up having a good ride and averaged 32.4 km/hr. Could it be due to my new ride this year (Litespeed Saber)? I caught myself coasting a few times so there is still of room for improvement. My Avg. HR for the bike was 171.

The Final Run (5 km) – I surveyed the field and realized that I could be in the top 3 of my age group. I calculated that I had at least a 2-3 minute lead over the next guy so I ran at a slightly faster pace than the first run because I did not want a sprint finish. With about 2 km to go I saw that guy in my age group about 30 seconds back so I pushed the pace a bit and finished just 6 seconds ahead of him. My Avg. HR was 170. When the results were posted I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had finished 1st in the 35-39 age group. Sweet! I think all of the speedsters are showing up tomorrow but you can only race against the people that show up. That’s 150 points to my series standings and that should put me out of reach for anyone to catch me. My Avg. HR for the entire race was 165 and I burned off 2795 calories.

The Stats:
10 km Run - 52:23
T1 – 40 seconds
40 km Bike – 1:14:10
T2 – 40 seconds
5 km Run – 25:05
Total Time – 2:32:56


Sunday - Sprint Du:
Other than my usual tight Achilles, I felt fairly fresh race morning. I just felt a bit heavy from eating way too much food at Angus’ Wedding reception. I weighed in this morning with an extra 7 lbs on my frame.

I checked out the list of competitors and saw there were a lot of fast dudes here today. So I was just hoping to pick up some more points, and race at the upper end of my aerobic zone to make sure I don’t injure myself.

The Run (5km) – Ran a controlled up-tempo pace (for me anyway) and finished the run in 23:24. My Avg. HR was 162 bpm.

The Bike (20 km) – Once again I wanted to average more than 30 km/hr, and despite my chain falling off I was able to do this, averaging 31.9 km/hr for the bike leg. I had the 9th best bike split overall and my Avg. HR for the bike was 164. I definitely could have gone much faster. No excuses other than I was being a wuss.

T1 & T2 – I mention these because I had had the fastest transition times in the field. Gotta love free speed.

The Final Run (2.5 km) – The first 2 guys in the race were in my age group and there was no catching them. So I just ran steady until the end and finished the run in 12:16. My Avg. HR for the race was 164 and I burned off 1352 calories. I was 12th overall and 3rd in the 35-39 age group.

The Stats:
5 km Run - 23:24
T1 – 34 seconds
20 km Bike – 37:38
T2 – 28 seconds
2.5 km Run – 12:16
Total Time – 1:14:18


Other stuff
Congrats to the Multisport Canada crew for putting on another awesome race. The venue is in a cozy park setting, it is close to home, and there is a waterpark for the kids or for you to cool off in. Don’t let the tough bike course scare you, add this race to your calendars for next year.

Congratulations to Angus and Michelle on getting hitched this weekend. Thanks for inviting me to take part in your special day. It was awesome.

Congrats to Marie on completing her first Olympic Distance Triathlon. Now get going on that freestyle.

Great to see Team Running Free out in full force: Congrats to Syd, Kalon, Badith (first overall in the International Duathlon), Prem, Karen, Laurent, and Angus on some great racing in that heat and humidity.

Up next: The Toronto Island Duathlon on August 18, and then Ironman Canada on August 26th.