POWERMAN ZOFINGEN RACE REPORT JUAN VERGARA
ITU LONG DISTANCE DUATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (10k run - 150k bike - 30k run) - ZOFINGEN, SWITZERLAND.
http://www.powerman.ch/en
OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Vergara Juan 1959 BRA
ENDURANCE NATION (222)
Run 1: 45.21 5.¦ (Plan: 50.00)
T1: 2.08 4.¦ (Plan: fastest in AG)
Bike: 5:09.50 4.¦ (Plan: 4:40.00)
T2: 2.30 3.¦ (Plan: fastest in AG)
Run 2 2:53.21 4.¦ (Plan: 2:35.00)
Total time: 8:53.13,2 4.¦ (Plan: 8.15.00)
Race summary: certainly my hardest race ever in the most stunning "postcard" venue. Very good organization. Run courses are "BRUTAL"!
Run 1: two 5k loops begins with a steep 700mt tarmac uphill and continues uphill in a beautiful trail through km2. Then it's pretty much all trail downhill to a loop in the arena. Repeat. (Only 1 aid station at km5). No surprises in this run as I had trained in parts of the course a couple days earlier.
T1: 30' slower than expected making sure nothing was outside the blue box.
Bike: Also trained a couple days earlier in most of the 50k loop therefore no surprises in the bike course. First 75k executed EN ninja style, flattening the Swiss hills as much as possible with patience and discipline at 0.75 IF (watching many go by uphill and flying past them all in VERY FAST downhills). Somehow QUARK and I have a very "weird" relationship when it comes to race day and this time around it was no different: halfway my watts went crazy (700+ and I knew I was in the 220 neighborhood). Recalibrate on the fly and back to normal for a few minutes when they went in the other direction (65 watts on the screen while still doing the same 200/220). Then zero!!! From there on I went into my box and concentrated on "feel" and heart rate. I did execute 0.75 IF on the dot until "going blind" and was 10 minutes faster on the second half so I guess I pushed "a bit" harder from there on.
T2: again 30' slower than expected. Grabbed go bag and onto Run 2
Run 2: this time the run did not begin uphill .... for the first 200mts or so .... then it's 3k uphill (steep) initially in a tarmac bike path and then into the woods for an up and down test of will (basically no flats). With aid stations every 2.5k, walked all stations and remained hydrated. Temperature was not an issue all day, actually it was "chilly" for me and raced with a base layer which kept me from feeling cold when it began to rain halfway through the second run. And if QUARC did its part on the bike, it was time for GARMIN to play games with me. Running with heart rate rather than pace, my HR went to zero, halfway into the run. I knew I was not dead (though my legs were) and again went by feel. I thought I had felt pain in other races. No I had not!!! This was real pain and despite my very low pace I knew I was giving it all. Not sure what hurt more during the second loop - between uphill and downhill - but I knew the Swiss guy was 3 minutes ahead and I had to keep on trying to enter podium territory. I did leave it all on the course ... all the way to the end (but gained no time on the Swiss and missed the podium by 3.5 minutes).
As should be expected at any World Championship Race, AG rivals were tough and fast but still I'm happy with my 4th place.
Key learning: training for a hilly RUN course of that nature for sure requires a "different" type of race prep. Other than that, EN's IM race prep (adapted to Duathlon) is perfect.
Thank you Paul Hough for all the great tips based on your own Zofingen experience. As I told you on the private channel, the race is not as tough as you portray in your race report. It's much much harder and definitely one I would recommend to all. Quite an experience. But as Brenda Ross alerted me: Duathlons are hard!!! Oh yes they are!!!
Highly recommend this race.
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Comments
There is an active threat by myself & John Withrow to get a big EN group to do the AMZOF this year.. watch for an upcoming race selection thread.
So what's next for you?
Fantastic race, Juan. Sounds brutal. Looking forward to your next adventure.
sounds fun.
am due a trip back to Switzerland.