Verna Burgess reports on cracking performances by son Stephen and herself in round 3 of the Eaton Dorney Duathlon series:
Stephen and I returned to Dorney Lake today for the last VOTWO duathlon in their Spring Series – we were both doing the supersprint again which is 2.5k run/10k bike/2.5k run. We were both competing as Hillingdon triathletes (although I was in Vegan Runners kit) and it was great to see Sandra Mogan, a friend from Hemel Hempstead CC on the start line and Annie, an ITU volunteering colleague from Hyde Park last September.
I was excited about this race – the first with new wheels on my Dolce and a much lower stem position to try and get me more aero. So would it make a difference to my mediocre bike times? Stephen too was trying out a more aero position too, following a bike fit and had a new aggressively angled bike stem.
It was a gorgeous morning again. Nippy at first but it warmed up nicely with intermittent sunshine. It seemed a more competitive field this time or does it always feel like that? Lots of bike bling about too.
Both the supersprint and sprint races start together so it is hard to know where you are as you run out altogether to the turn point but I could see Stephen was well ahead and shouted lots of encouragement.
Into transition and I was quickly out on the two lap bike course. The times immediately seemed good for me – I was pleased with my average speed of 18-19 mph and up to 22 mph down off the bridges. As usual a few guys on TT bikes passed me like I was not moving and disappointingly one lady rider, also on a TT bike.
Back into transition , run shoes on and out for the second leg of the run. Michael shouted that the first lady (TT rider) was 90 seconds ahead . I tried to relax into my stride pick off the runners in front. One by one I passed the guys and I began to make a move on the leading lady. It proved too much of a gap though and she finished ahead by 19 seconds. I repeated my March positions of 2nd female overall and 1st FV50. Stephen moved up overall and finished 2nd male and 1st junior.
More telling however are our times compared to March. I improved my bike split by 1:33 and Stephen by 1:36. Overall, I was 2:27 quicker and Stephen was 1:29 quicker. Two guys bantered with me in the results queue and said that I had passed them in exactly the same place in the March race and he had told his mate to watch out for the vegan lady as “she is fast” 🙂
