Get it posted or shall we wait for the next edition of 220?
Get it posted or shall we wait for the next edition of 220?
ha....yeah right!!Originally Posted by Ady In Accy
ok well don't say I didn't warn you!!
Race report.....
Doing an Olympic distance triathlon as a first seemed a good idea at the time of entry, especially given the bigger and longer events to follow in the year. However in hindsight...oh don't we love that old chesnut...choosing an exceptionally hilly one was probably not the brightest of ideas!
After a couple of gin and tonics on the saturday night to calm the nerves....(well the tonic is good for cramp I'm led to believe!) sleep was sound enough only waking 5 minutes before the 5.30 alarm. It's sunday, it's 5.30....the first reason to start questioning my sanity.
Now all the praying/dancing and weird mantra's clearly hadn't worked as weather wise it was a far cry from saturdays glorious sunshine.....absolutley pouring and yes..WINDY! Great...!
Due to pre race obsessive complulsiveness the car/bags/boxes etc were already loaded up the night before so it was a case of wash, dress, eat and out...registration opened at 6.30 and of course there was the time taken to get there.
Arrived at race HQ a complete bag of nerves...no spit whatsoever, yep the "we're gonna need a bigger boat moment" going through the head the whole time - (Jaws for those not old enough to remember!!) I was in swim wave 3 but as soon as all the race gubbings came through the post knew I'd way over egged my swim time!! WHY I'd said 16 minutes I've no idea can only assume it was another moment of sheer madness.(or wishful thinking!) So best mascara on and the perfected look of feebleness was gonna help me get in the wave for slow swimmers right?? Not a cat in hells chance - can't blame me for trying though! Wave 3 it was...an 8.20 start time...
Back to transition after registration with a bit of time to spare to set my bits and pieces out - which toughly translated meant putting my little towel on the floor and try and make sure the lid on the box was shut given the precipitation that was still coming down in abundance!
The pool was about 50 yards away and across a main road so we were advised to take trainers to put on after getting out of the pool to run the distance across the road. Walking across the road in nothing more than a trisuit in the pouring rain at 8am on a sunday morning felt somewhat 'odd'
Back at poolside the events coordinator annouced it was the 2nd toughest triatherlon in the north west aside from hellvelyn - this information really didn't do my nerves any good! There were 6 lanes, 3 people in each going off in 5 second intervals. Someone in our lane obvioulsy had their sensible head on, looked at the weather and thought "sod that"! With only 2 of us in lane 4 I felt a little bit less anxious and explained to my 'laney' that I'm really quite crap...sorry...if you want to pass just give me a whack!! Thankfully he only did the foot tapping thing and didn't actually whack me!
Once the swim was underway I was actually quite suprised that the nerves settled relatively quickly, kept telling myself last out wouldn't be so bad and noone will laugh! Mind you having conversations with yourself doesn't do wonders for counting! I'd only learned to front crawl in September hence the swimming part being the major worry, the pool though had a deep end! It was quite weird as I'm used to a 25m pool 1.2 m deep the whole length so seeing the ledge for the 1st time was a bit unnerving and the deep end wall kept moving! No honestly! My perception of where the wall was was altered I think by the depth of the water it just seemed to be there then wasn't so this cost a fair bit of time on the turns as spent most of the time flailing around for the railing only to whack my head at the shollow end as the wall there just 'appeared'!! Kept hazarding a guess as to how many I'd done (really need to work on the counting thing!) and was pleasantly suprised thinking I had 4 to go when a big black 2 appeared in the water! No idea of time a shade under 18 minutes I think...kept forgetting to look!
Well, out of the water...eventually...after slipping back in...ahem. trainers on and a tootle across the road. It was still pouring down so the little towel was well neither use nor ornament to be honest but still made use if it.....had a bit of a talc fest as had already put some in the socks but figured a bit more wouldn't do any harm! Went with the sound advice of working your way up from the bottom so socks, shoes, top (given the rain and wind) number belt, gloves, buff, glasses, helmet. Out of transition and off on the bike.
It being a local course knew the bike route quite well which I have to say was beneficial. The route goes straight up and was a particularly hilly one. The first climb is long and deceptive but had already decided to save a bit in the legs and not rush off as knew there were a lot more hills to come. The wind was awful and it was truly chucking it down, my glasses kept steaming up and using tri bars for the first time on a race may not have been ideal but found I quite got on with them, well on the straight bits!
The only agenda I had for the whole event was to finish but as far as the bike leg went I just didn't want anyone to pass me....it was a given it would happen on the run as my running has been really affected by all the IM training given I've spent most of my time in the saddle. So with this in mind it was legs spinning all the way.....managed to clock a pb speed wise 48mph! Pleased with that but reckon it was down to almost riding blind given the foggy specs!
Made it back to transition without any major catastrophe managed to remember to dismount at the right place although the marshalls were in abundance on the whole course and very helpful also very happy that noone had managed to zoom pass - result acheived!
By the time the bike leg was done everything back at transition was soaking, slipping soaking feet into soaking trainers with the biggest squelch again questions ones mental stabilty! Now having done this run route I knew what was in store and the first mile is straight up....it's absolutley horrible...just up, up and more up!! I ran as far as I could and in the past have made it to the top without stopping but on the back of a swim and a bike ride it was a different story. Figured walking with a purpose would save more energy for what was to come than me flogging my guts out and causing premature blow up! Walking with a purpose it was then!
Reached the 'summit' on the run and I gave myself a good talking to, was flagging a bit but refused to walk anymore....head down and bloody get on with it...sooner I got back sooner it was done right! Slogged it out for the rest of the course which was pretty much all off road with only one tricky descent - usually initaiting a "wheeeeee" but given I was on a rocky slippy gully in road shoes was more of a "whoaaaaa" Onward and downward, then a bit more upward and downward again the end was almost in sight.... had a kamikazzi moment with an oap in a micra who decided indicators were for wimps and almost careered into me as I was half way across the road so gave him the usual 'salute' then carried on for the final uphill to the finish....what kind of sadist puts a hill at the finish?!
So.....all done....all in all really enjoyed it.....yes I could have run faster, I could be a better swimmer, I could speed up in general but the point of the exercise was to get from the beginning to the end and that I did...with a smile! No idea yet what my time was as I said the agenda was to finish think I'd put enough pressure on myself than to add a time target on top!
It was a well organised event and well attended and given the conditions quite well supported. Thanks to all the marshalls an horrendous day to be stood out in that for ages.
Well done that pink pony.
Thanks Ady....
Well done emmi, which was more tiring, the triathlon or the Stolly sized race report
Hills and Guinness!
Very well done Emmilou. A very brave PINK PONY Enjoyed the race report, now where's the pics?!!!
48 hours and they'll be available to allVery well done Emmilou. A very brave PINK PONY Enjoyed the race report, now where's the pics?!!!
Not a pretty sight!
Aah, I bet you brightened the day!!!48 hours and they'll be available to all
Well posted Emmilou; if the forum can take my weekly trollop (with out too many cutting pm'sI've done a report but it's REALLY long and not sure you hardened fell runners wanna read about about it!!), they surely can take a one off from you.
Error!
Last edited by Mountain Goatess; 04-05-2008 at 06:31 PM. Reason: Error!
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