I’ve been thinking about the Kincardine triathlon that’s coming up. It’s a short, speedy, fun race. And it’s probably the event I’ve done most often in all its many variations.
Here’s the distances, swim 375m, bike 12km, run 3km. For the duathlon it’s run 3km, bike 12km, run 3km.
Starting way back in 2007, I did the full thing! I swam, I actually swam, and I finished in 1:10:01. 29/34 out of my age group. Not great but it felt speedy to me. Last out of the water of the people who didn’t require rescuing. 🙂 I actually had to talk people out of rescuing me. I’m fine, just slow. And then I got to pass lots of people on the bike and that’s always fun.
Swim 15:57, Bike 30:58, Run 23:07
In 2008, I did the relay. My daughter Mallory did the swim, my sister in law Susan did the run, and of course, I biked. That was truly speedy. We finished in 52:57, coming in 2nd of 7 relay teams. To be clear, it’s such a short course there’s not much interest in the relay option.
Mallory’s Swim 11:18, My bike 24:33, Susan’s run 17:07.
Go us!
Note: There’s also much less time taken up with transitions in a relay. The cyclist and the runner are ready to go.
And then in 2013 I did the duathlon: run, bike, run. No swim. It took me 1:18:55.
Run 23:17, Bike 29:23, Run 26:16
Mallory also came in at 1:18, but she was faster on the runs, slower on the bike. She’d been planning on doing the triathlon but was disappointed when the event got turned into a duathlon for everyone due to water temperature.
This year I’m back for the duathlon. I don’t think my run will have improved at all. I’ve been injured running wise for most of the two years between. But my bike time should be considerably faster. My fastest bike was in the 24 minute range (though with no swimming or running before) and I averaged just under 30 km/hr. I think I should be able to average 30 now. I do some longer rides at that speed and while they’re with a group, they are longer.
I’m also getting speed laces for my running shoes to make the transitions easier. And I’ve done a little bit of running right after a bike ride to make that feel less weird.
I’ve been thinking recently too about what I like about this event. Why I am drawn to it? Like the Pride run, this event sells out. It sells out in hours. Partly it’s for similar reasons. There’s a great party atmosphere, lots of community support, all ages and abilities racing, and like the Pride Run it does a great job for all sorts of participants, striking a good balance between the competitors and the completers, between those who aim to win or place, and those who just aim to finish the distance. I feel like there’s room for me no matter how much I’ve trained, no matter how fast or slow I am.
I used to think I could do it an hour even as a slow swimmer if I did a 15 minute swim, a 25 min bike ride, and a 20 min run. But then there’s those pesky transitions to worry about…
Oh, and I love that it begins with bagpipes.
Hi Sam, like you, I’m a slow swimmer and a fast cyclist. You can make up a lot of time on the bike, especially during sprints. And, if you practice transitions, you can save 30 to 60 seconds there also. Small things like skipping bike gloves, or running with your bike gloves, skipping solid nutrition bars or gels (because it’s short) in favor of liquid energy drink on bike. Focus on the party atmosphere after the race, don’t let it distract you from a fast pace. Good luck! Can’t wait to read the race report.
I’ve never worn gloves for this and I don’t eat anything But I like your idea of energy drink on the bike. That’s not a bad plan. I also think it’s great advice to skip the party thoughts for post race. I wish I was faster getting bike shoes and helmet on and off. I might practice that. The change is pretty easy for the duathlon, swap bike helmet for hat, swap bike shoes for running shoes but I’m still slow at it.
Good luck! I’m targeting doing a triathlon next summer- I’m working on my running…