This Week at TNT and Apple Duathlon This Saturday

I was really happy about my TNT (Tuesday Night Time Trial) results, until I read Steve's post about it (see Steve in a Speedo at www.iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com). He emailed the race director and apparently there was a timing "glitch" due to people not showing up at the start, and the results might be as much as 90 seconds off. I really wanted to believe I went as fast as I did. My initial results showed 23+MPH.
I went back to the results for the TT this morning and they were corrected, so my real results for the 11 mile TT are as follows:
Time = 29:21
Speed = 22.44MPH
Overall = 58/80
Actually, I am really happy with this result. It is over two minutes faster than two weeks ago. I would be willing to wager that some of the improvement is due to weather. Two weeks ago it was windy, in the low 50s/high 40s, and raining. This Tuesday it was in the low 90s/high 80s at the start and the wind was pretty mild. By the time the race was over, it was in the low 70s and some rain, with thunder and lightning, had started to fall. Luckily, I was done before the weather turned.
After the TT, I did a 25 minute run. I felt a little out-of-sorts during the run. Just felt awkward.
I suppose this is normal considering that I am still getting used to the whole bike to run thing.
I am not much of a wordsmith, so I really need to take some pictures of this TT course and post them so that someone who has not seen the course can get a better idea of what the course is like. It is by no means a flat course. When I do this TT I try to balance, so I don't blow my wad on the first half and have nothing left on the second. The killer hill at the beginning requires some patience, in my opinion. Anyway, the next one is in two weeks and I will see if I can drop some more time.

This weekend, Saturday, is the Apple Duathlon in Sartell, MN. It will be my 2nd time in 3 years doing this race. Last year I volunteered, again due to the stress fracture. I looked at the list of participants and it appears to be the smallest field in the 3 years I have been at the race. It is not a qualify race for Worlds, so that is probably the reason for the small field.
The run course (3.1 mi and is the same for both runs) starts out with short, steep climb, and the rest is relatively flat and on pavement. It is basically through a residential neighborhood.
The bike starts out going up the same hill you had to run at the start, goes mostly north, jogs east, and comes back south. In the past, the wind has been bad on the return ride south. The bike is 20ish miles and the return south is pretty much 10 miles flat.
Here are my results from previous years
2007
R1 (3.1 mi) - 23:41 (7:38 min/mi)
T1 - 1:19
Bike (20.46 mi) - 1:02:07 (19.8 MPH)
T2 - 1:14
R2 (3.1 mi) - 25:35 (8:15 min/mi)
Total - 1:53:54
Overall - 135/255
AG - 14/23

2008
R1 (3.1 mi) - 22:11 (7:09 min/mi)
T1 - 0:59
Bike (20.46 mi) - 1:00:22 (20.4 MPH)
T2 - 0:56
R2 - 24:14 (7:48 min/mi)
Total - 1:48:41
Overall - 100/261
AG - 10/26

2009 - DNS due to stress fracture, but volunteered

As was the case with the Gear West Du, my goal is to go out nice and easy on the first run. I would like to be closer to 9min/mi for the first run and under 9:30min/mi for the second run. I would like transitions under a minute. I am shooting for 21MPH or faster on the bike. I think how fast I go will definitely be a function of how much rest I am getting this week, which is not a lot.