ITU's "Pay-to-Play" Age Group Duathlon World Championships Recap
I usually try to avoid writing about myself. But after racing last week, I wanted to take some time to reflect upon my experience at ITU's World Championships. But first, let me explain what happened last year... Last year was a son of a bitch (I'll give a cookie to whoever gets that reference). It started well -- I raced well at the Kickstart Duathlon in Georgia and the Mount Rainier Duathlon in Washington. My fitness was good heading into Long Course Duathlon Nationals; I had set several PB's for 10-30:00 power on the bike and run some good track workouts. But after the Mount Rainier Duathlon, I had a sharp pain in my low back. Despite rest and chiropractic treatment, the pain persisted for two weeks leading up to Long Course Nationals. And during the race, the shit hit the fan. I got off the bike and struggled to start running. I had a really sharp pain in my back/glute with every step. I contemplated dropping out several times in the first mile. Somehow, I managed