Coed Y Brenin off-road Duathlon
Run and Ride in Coed Y Brenin
Andy Mitchell / 03.11.2007
After deciding I'd spent enough nights racing this year, and with no takers to partner me in the OMM, I found I had a free weekend looming at the end of October. After a quick trawl of races I found the Coed-y- Brenin off road duathlon. As my swim was weak at the xterra perhaps this was the race for me? Unfortunately it was full but the organisers were very accommodating and soon had me off the reserve list and into the race. The format was elite and teams starting at 09:30 from the old vistors centre for a 5km run loop, a 20km cycle (an out and back with a 3 loop course in the middle), and the same 5km run to finish. Everyone else set out at 11:30 over the same course.
I had a bit of a panic when I got into Wales and discovered I'd forgotten my front wheel, in the end I hired a bike from the centre and only used the wheel, which fortuitously had the correct size rotor for my bike.
The torrential rain I left home in had stopped by the time I arrived in Wales and we started in weak sunshine on a long 2.5km climb to the top of a section of the Karrimor singletrack, which we ran back down. I was constantly easing off trying to stay within my planned heart rate band but soon gave up and upped it as I was still feeling well within myself. I overtook a few people at the top of the hill to hit the singletrack with some space in front of me which was good. It was strange running down a rocky bike course and they're definitely much easier to cycle! The rain had also turned parts of the course into a river which required some risk taking to maintain pace while having no idea what was underfoot.
In transition I was cursing the Klets knots in my fell shoes, they certainly aren't designed for quick release (note to self switch to elastic laces for short races!). I lost a bike glove trying to extract my fat MTB tires from a rack made for tri bikes, so started the bike a bit dishevelled. Once off though I rapidly picked off the runners in the race climbing up a long fireroad. As I finally topped out and swung round to the swooping downhill I was relieved to pop out halfway up the hill to start my second loop. Thankfully the trail stayed 2 bikes wide almost all the way, making overtaking easy, particularly as my last loop coincided with some people's first. I was overtaken for the first time halfway round my 2nd loop and stayed with the rider until a steep section. Unfortunately my chain was levered off by a bit of bracken I'd picked up while going a bit offroad trying to clean my glasses, by the time I'd cleared it he had opened up a gap that I couldn't close. See All Event Posts
