Guelph Lake 2 Duathlon

Last Duathlon in the Suburu Triathlon Series. It was the last duathlon that I signed up for.
I wanted to have a goal of doing 4 races so I could accumulate series points in order to attend the end of year banquet. Mission completed. Check.
It was great weather, honestly, couldn't have asked for better.
I'm actually at a point where I realize I really don't love racing. To which you might be confused and ask why I do it then... I could ask myself the same.
I felt like I was just going through the motions of pre-race prep. I have learned so much over the years. I have a lot to be thankful for, especially when I consider what I raced with 6 years ago at the same location.
Spandex, carbon fiber, and aero helmet has become norm for me.
I mentally tried to focus on the positives, the things I was thankful for, the gift that it is to even be able to race.

I was a bit horrified when I discovered my race number was 666, it seemed like a bit of a cruel joke. It was hard not to think about it when people where commenting on it throughout my time at the race. No one wants to have the number of "the beast". I wondered why they didn't simply not use that particular number... that's what the Chinese do... they simply omit unlucky numbers from apartment buildings etc. But I don't particularly consider myself a superstitious person (I believe in God not superstition), so I consoled myself with the fact that it was just a number and it did not define me. I would just make sure I had a hell of a race!
There were a lot of people out for the race. I think they had the most duathletes I've raced against yet this year (137 ppl). They started us in two waves (not used to that either).
My wave started at 9:13am with a 2 km run. It's just enough to start getting stomach cramps before hurtling myself on my bike. The bike is the best bit. It hurt though, my bike it built for speed but I need to power it with my muscles. I somehow didn't feel like my body was happy with me. I swallowed a gel (which I had tapped on my top tube ready for use) and made sure to keep drinking.
I passed droves of people out on the bike and hung out in the large chain ring for the bulk of the 30 km ride.
The result of my efforts where that I had the fastest bike split of the Duathletes (averaging 37.6 km/hr). I guess in a way that's what matters to me, to be strong where I can be. I peeked at the triathletes bike split results and noted that they had a couple guys averaging 40 km/hr!!

Then I made an error. As I ran with my bike through transition I unclipped my helmet. Big no no which I totally did not realize. The referee came as I racked my bike and took my helmet off yelling for me to put the helmet back on and clip it up. I questioned why, feeling confused, then obeyed. He seemed super pissed off, and stalked off telling me it would have costed me a 15 second penalty. Now I was started to feel a bit pissy myself, but I put my runners on (with the elastic laces it takes no time at all) and headed out of transition.
 I was sweaty and breathing like a freight train. I needed to find my running rhythm, but it took a bit for my body to adapt to the new demands I was putting on it.
 Being out there on the run course was hard. It hurt. I had to convince myself to keep pressing on, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to run the race marked out for me despite the overwhelming urge to stop asking so much of myself and putting myself in such discomfort. Maybe what makes running so hard is because it takes so much more bodily effort to go fast and it's like my body isn't built to run (fast).
God was gracious and held me together (no knee trouble!!), He helped the 7 kms pass. I crossed the finish line at 1:31:14. I felt like if I stopped moving I'd seize up, so I walked around, got my post race food, walked into the nearby lake and waled around in the water not caring that my skin suit was soaked. It felt so good. It was so beautiful. I felt like I had been awakened through suffering to the natural beauty, the good in what God created. I admired the clouds, the water, the trees. I just soaked it all in.
Got changed, put my bike back in the car (I just take the front wheel off and stick it on the backseat).
I was top female overall (by 6 seconds!!, and I was 7th overall. Cool.
Okay, moving on with life :)
My legs are dead. And it's long weekend. I hope I can recover enough to ride with my friends still. Another price I pay for racing... I'm thinking I may be done with the tri/duathlon world. Maybe I just feel tired of how much I put into it and how little I really get out of it...