BALLBUSTER DUATHLON
8 miles Run – 20 miles Bike – 8 miles Run
It all started with my naivety or I would say English is not my first language to realise what Ballbuster actually meant. Couple of days before I found out from my team mates at Thames Turbo Tri Club, that Ballbuster is probably the most difficult duathlon in the UK.
This was my first race of the season as my hunger for racing was getting bigger day by day. I didn’t really include any tapering as it was considered by my coach as training race. Well it turned up as fantastic occasion for training and planning mainly my technical equipment preparationJ.
Oh Lord, the first run was so painful. Thankfully passing through the transition thinking, it will just get better after the warm up, usually bike is my strength.
It all went well after about 3 miles riding on an uneven surface of Boxhill roads when I had an issue for the entire bike course with my rear wheel.
Well to be honest, my own fault and also lesson for the future. I had my rear wheel rubbing against the inner side of the frame as the wheel kept changing angle after bumping into every little hole due to screws not being glued on the right spot.
I had to stop 5 times to try and fix the problem, so I did but only until next hole on the road. My mind told me, just stop the race, those hills are already hard enough (on TT bike with 404/808 wheels…) and plus breaking the whole ride.
Well I decided to race my own race, forget about the competition and consider this race as a fantastic strength training session on the hills.
The second run felt so much better after my legs were big time warmed upJ and I was glad to call a day in the finish line.
I finished 4th in my age group, 9th overall Female. Nothing impressive with mechanical failure, however for me this race has a different value.
The good thing is, my bike is now well fixed by fantastic team in Sigma Sport and I am just heading for a week of solo training in Lanzarote.
Alena Stevens 