Where: calne, wilts
When: 03 may 2015
Organiser: events logic
Course details: common-garden pool sprint
Distance(s): 400m in the white horse pool, 20k bike up and down the a4, 5km mixed surface run
Marshalling: loads, cheery
Facilities: swimming pool for changing, watching the swim from etc
Technical: Chip timing
Freebies: thermal mug, medal, cheap massage option
i done a racing!
after missing out on pretty much any form of racing last year (bath half and 4up tt notwithstanding) it was good to do a tri again, this was my first since the 2013 season ending highworth tri. i've done this event before, although they have slightly tweaked the run since 2012 - bit less grass now.
we were there yesterday to watch vetty do the tristart event (she enjoyed it but it was "very hard" and she might do one again when she is 9 apparently. bless her socks, she did very well and came a creditable not-quite-last. good kid. i checked the start sheet they sent yesterday and i was off at 10.48. handy as i could go for a swim before. as i left chippenham the weather got proper grim - pissing rain and a bit of wind - not what i was expecting for may, but hey ho.
when i got there it turned out my start time had been bumped an hour, so i racked, titted about, and cheered on the early waves while i hurry-upped-and-waited. i was riding the new tt bike and a silly hat in a race for the first time, so i have less places to hide my bad results now. the rain cleared and the sun came out periodically. it was even something like warm when it did.
i bunged down 6:20 for the swim, recently my swimming has been pretty rubbish, but 6:20 should be doable. i came out of the pool 4th or 5th in wave and close up with someone from swindon that i know is a 6min swimmer, so with any luck i was close. i lead the lane but was overtaken by a part-time dolphin after 6laps and then tried to stick on his feet. hooped into transition with my portable support crew (missus, vee, couple of friends) and grabbed all my nonsense in t1.
the bike route is a doddle - out and back along the a4 and up and over labour-in-vain hill (alongside cherhill white horse, hence the tri's name). i tried to be as smashy smash as i could, with only one left from my wave ahead of me i tried to keep in him sight. tt bike felt good but tt lid felt weird, which is a measure of not having worn it before. i ignored the garmin and just rode it on keeping it as hard as possible. my stomach was complaining a lot, but i'd eaten breakfast at 7:30am and it was now noon with nothing put its way apart from nuun. i gave it a gel at half distance to molify it, but i also knew that a whining stomach was probably a good sign i was close to my limit.
i never quite caught the one guy ahead of me from my wave, but he was in sight but not getting nearer. as i headed back to transition the heavens opened and all i could do was get as small as possible and listen to the sound of rain hitting my ridiculous headgear. t2 was quieter (support crew hiding in the dry) and i made a decent dismount grabbed shoes and hat and got going. bloke from wave was leaving t2 as i racked.
this really hurt and at halfway the rain started up again, with it properly hammering down as i came into the last 500m. i did give it all there was at the end, which isn't much given how little speedwork i've done this year. support crew were huddled in the finishing line tent which was sweet.
no idea on time yet, but garmin for the bike suggests 33mins, and run perhaps 20ish. if i can beat my time (any of them) from 2012 then that would be good (1:05:48).
it was nice to be back on the tri waggon, with any luck a good start to 2015, too.
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