Willoughby lions biathlon

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6/14/2009 Lions Biathlon

By Chris

This was the 7th annual Lions Biathlon put on by NCN Racing. I was informed of it about 2 weeks prior to the event by a friend from work who was going to do the Biathlon. The event actually has 3 different races:

  • Duathlon - 5K run, 20 mile bike, then 5K run
  • Biathlon - 5K run, 13.5 mile bike
  • 5K run

I haven't ran since early February but wasn't too scared of just a 5K. This event sounded perfect to mix up the summer with something different to challenge myself with. I really enjoyed doing the Cleveland Tackle the Tower in February so trying something else new seemed exciting.

I set a few goals based on looking at previous results and knowing my ability:

  • 22:30 run
  • 1:30 in total for transition time
  • 34:00 bike (23.5 mph avg) for a total of 58:00.

I drove the course the morning of the event and noted the false flats and corners on the bike course. Overall the course is really flat with a total of 50-60 feet of climbing (per mapmyride.com) for the 6.5 mile loop. I pulled into the parking lot around 6:45 for the 7:30 start. I was surprised in the serious equipment I noticed already positioned in the transition area. This would definitely be a competitive event by the looks of it. I got my bike and equipment ready in the transition area and then did a short warm up jog with a friend from work and the people he came with. I decided at this point to just use him to pace myself since he runs much more than I do and I expected that his pace would match or be a bit faster than I would run on my own. This worked well for the 1st mile but by the 2nd mile I was hoping the run would end soon as I was at my limit. I stayed with him until the last 1/4 mile and then slowed my pace a bit to let my HR drop a few beats as I was around 190 HR at this point.

I transistioned to the bike and headed out for the 2 laps of 6.5 miles each on the bike. The first lap started with me being able to pass quite a few people that beat me on the run. By the end of the 1st lap I started getting a horrible cramp in my left calf. I had to struggle with my pedaling to try and minimize the knots developing. The cramps went away for about 10 minutes and then came back with about 4 miles to go on the bike. Dealing with the cramps kept me from really focusing on my time. I really had no idea how well or bad I was doing.

I came back into the park for the finish and missed the finishing chute along with what the time was reading when I came through, oh well. The volunteers were able to still get me to the correct spot and promptly handed me a gold medal - 1st place in my age category 30-34! I finished 3rd overall for the Biathlon with a finishing time of 57:34.

Results are listed here: [1]

I achieved all my goals for the event:

  • 1st place in my age category
  • Beat my time goal of 58 minutes
  • Had a blast doing it

I will definitely target doing this event again next year and might do another Biathlon this year. The race and volunteers did a EXCELLENT job marshaling, working the drink stations, and all of the registration and finishing areas. Also feels good to support such a great cause as the Lions Club.

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