Powerman Alabama Thoughts

What is it about this race that drives the weather Gods crazy? This race has become notorious for being COLD. How is it that on Tuesday I run with my shirt off, Wednesday I ride in a tank top but Wednesday night, I unpack my cold gear in preparation for this weekend. Oh yeah...it is time for Powerman.

This will be my third running of this race. Each year has been miserable. You would really think I would give up by now and spend the morning sipping cocoa in front of the fire. Nevermind, it is nearly mid-April. The bipolar weather needs to move out. Last year was horrendous. Mid-30s, strong wind, rain and sleet. With the exception of that race, I have never contemplated quitting a race. There were times where I not only questioned my sanity (quite often) but my safety. 25-30 mph winds can push around a bike. Not to mention that my hands were frozen solid and my bike handling skills were average at best. Fast forward another year, the cold weather returns. As long as the winds and moisture stay away, I will be pleased. Cold. But happy...in a sadistic way.

Powerman isn't a priority race for me this year. It is a long course duathlon. The format is run 5, bike 33, run 5. I typically use it as a tune-up race for the season. It helps me get mentally prepared while pointing out a few deficiencies in training. Here are my splits from last year:

Run 1: 43:30 (8:45 pace)
T1: 1:09
Bike 1:50:20 (17.9 mph)
T2: 1:51
Run 2: 43:48 (8:49 pace)
Total: 3:20:40

I am fairly confident that barring a catastrophe that I will beat my time from last year. My running is much better. My bike probably has a little to be questioned. Ideally, I would love to get my time sub-3 hours but I don't think that will happen this year. Instead, I think I will put together a 3:05-3:10 race.

Without giving it much thought, I am aiming for the following splits:

Run 1: 40:00 (8:00 pace)
T1: 1:00
Bike 1:45:00 (19 mph)
T2: 1:30
Run 2: 40:00 (8:00 pace)
Total: 3:07:30

Again, I don't plan on blowing it out in this race. And as it stands, my training for the week will be the most I have done all year so I am going into the race with heavy legs. I just hope for calm weather!