Trivic Duathlon Series 2010 Race 4

Race 4 - MTC, Kew Boulevard, Kew results
No PB overall 1:22:32 about 10 seconds slower than last year, but the course was not only different, it was also more challenging and longer (second run was long). Still ended up 5th again in category (equaling my best), but being the Victorian Duathlon Championships, it was double points in the series. This put me as second in the series (series results as at race 4) whereby (I think) I cannot win, nor lose my series position (assuming best 4 results count).

Kew Boulevard is the most challenging course location going around; it's not flat! The run course was a lot different to last year, so no direct comparisons there.

1. Run 1 - Cross country style, Slow, hard, 2 times up "the goat track".
   
2. Bike - Again new bike showed faster average speed, but much of my "improvement" seemed to come for the bike course being some 1km short. It rained in the last lap of the bike, but it was nice and dry before then, so I did have good speed, and the "older little guy in grey" didn't pass my until the 4th lap rather than the 2nd (I passed him back on run 2:) Fastest (nominal) 20km bike ever, including triathlons, of 36:03 and that includes T1 and T2!
   
3. Run 2 - 13:00 a 25 second improvement over race 1.

Not bad considering I have a sore neck/shoulder, and there still an issue with my left calf.
Garmin Connect details Race 1: Run 1 T1 Bike T2 Run 2

Yarra Valley Grape Run 2010

Saturday 5 September 2010, 10AM, Healesville to Yarra Glen, 13.2km - results
Another PB of 57:27, for a 13.2km hilly course, which I had done twice previously (distance with hills), Grape run 2009, and Puffing Billy earlier this year.
6th in category (down from 3rd last year) and 27th overall (up from 37th). My results online and Garmin

Last year I ran the inaugural Grape Run, which was in the opposite direction, from Yarra Glen to Healesville. In my memory it was pretty flat for the first 5km or so, then there were a couple of "undulations" and then a straight 1km long hill starting around the 10km mark, ending with a turn and more climbing, and then 2km winding descent before a flat 1km to the finish.

This year the course was in the opposite direction, and there was a flat, and fast (3:30) 1st km, followed by a "big" hill (or two), and then my memory must have romanticized the course last year. Those "undulations" felt much more like hills in the direction, and there was no flat section until the last 1km or so :( . But I took almost a minute off my time, so I can't complain can I.

As a side note, last year I drove to the start at Yarra Glen, ran to Healesville, and caught the free bus back to Yarra Glen. But there was quite a long wait for the bus. This year I drove again to Yarra Glen (early), but this was now the finish location, and caught the bus to the start. This worked out much better, no bus waiting (in the rain this year), and warm clothes close by in the car (although I did wear a jumper, and left it at the clothes drop-off at the start).

A good run all up, except for the rain.