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2002 ITU Duathlon World Championship
October 19-20, 2002  Alpharetta, Georgia U.S.A
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The Race:
Mentally, it was the probably my best race ever.  I stayed tough and fought through all the adversity thrown my way.  For this, I am extremely pleased.  The race was a true test of mental toughness, and I got an A on the test.  However, due to a mechanical problem on my bike, I was not able to produce the result of which I am capable.  For that, I am extremely disappointed.  Unfortunately, there is no way I could redo this race.  I must simply use it as the great learning experience that it is, and look forward to redeeming myself at Worlds 2003.

The 10K run, 40K bike, and 5K run were all on moderately hilly terrain, certainly NOT a PR-producing race course. Upon careful review of the race course, my strategy was as follows: 

  1. Be conservative on the 1st run and not make the common error of going out too hard too fast. Given the hills, my goal was a 43-44min 10K.
  2. ATTACK the bike! I've made serious breakthroughs in my cycling this season and this would be my opportunity to demonstrate it! The 3 lap bike course with numerous technical turns (both 90degree and U-turns) would be my chance to put to use all those hours of hard work on bike handling skills and technique with Coach Phil! I studied and memorized every turn to ensure flawless execution during the race.
  3. Completely empty the tank on the 5K. Taking into account the hills, my goal time was approximately 21min. My track workouts and long runs with Coach Tom gave me confidence that these were very realistic goals for my run splits.
What actually happened:
Our race started at 7:30am. The temperature was a surprising and bone-chilling 43deg (F)... in Georgia!!!  Especially given my recent recovery from hypothermia and flu, I had a tough time keeping my body warmed and primed for the start.  I ran an overly-conservative first 2 miles of the 10K, followed by a strong 4.3miles at target pace. The result was a 44min 10K, slightly slower than my goal. But my legs were feeling great coming off the 10K run. Both my body and the air temperature had risen to a more comfortable level, and I was ready to hammer the bike!

Perhaps due to the great disparity in temperature between the afternoon when I put my bike together and test rode it, and the chilly race morning, the seat post binder bolt was not tightened down enough, and my seat began gradually sliding down as soon as I began the bike.  I stayed tough through this and still attacked the bike course exactly as planned.  I am very pleased with my execution of each and every corner on the course as well as my anticipatory gear-shifting and alternating climbing in and out of saddle.  I am especially pleased with my aggressive yet controlled speeds of 25-30mph through some of the more technical corners on the bike course!  My total bike time was a respectable 1hr16mins. However, I am confident that I could have produced a sub-1hr10mins bike split, which would have been stellar, given that the fastest F25-29 bike split was 1hr12min, and the fastest overall women's bike split was just 1hr9min.

Unfortunately, riding the 40K "BMX-style" burnt my legs out.  Both of my quads were cramped up as I began the 5K.  I hobbled along replenishing fluids during the first 2 miles of the run, and was able to regain my stride before the final mile. With the cramps gone, I picked it up to a 6:30minute mile pace for the last mile, glad to be done with a big smile on my face as I crossed the finish line. 

I placed 12th in F25-29. Although this is respectable given that F25-29 was the most competitive age-group, I know that I am capable of much better and eagerly look forward to next year. Fortunately, I am only 25 and have several more years to reach my personal best with the help of the most challenging age-group competition!  :-)

Highlights from the trip:
  • Arrived Wednesday evening and visited good friend and triathlete Scott Brady, who graciously put me up in Norcross, GA for the night. Got to meet his 3 beautiful children. Soooo cute!!
  • Thursday AM, picked up from ATL airport my fellow SF athlete Nikki Galvan (congrats to Nikki on a phenomenal first Worlds!) and my great friend Filipino Elite Arland Macasieb (freshly recovered from a major car-bike accident with multiple bone fractures). The 3 of us shared hotel accommodations for the week and had a great time exploring Atlanta and Alpharetta. Pictures will be posted next week.
  • Reviewed the race course and participated in the Parade of Nations Thursday PM; climbed up to the rooftop of the 50-story Atlanta Marriott hotel for a gorgeous panoramic night-view of downtown Atlanta.
  • Reunited with friends from 2001 Worlds (Rimini, Italy) and made new ones. Amongst them were Canadian age-grouper Aaron Webb and pro Brian Barkhouse.  Much fun!
  • Met and obtained autograph from Andre3000 from my favorite hiphop group Outkast at a restaurant in Atlanta!!!!  Andre and his friend were very friendly and gracious and made some good recommendations on ATL nightlife!  Thanks Andre!