Races are a funny thing, you spend a shedload of time training for one day, pinning your hopes that everything goes smoothly, yet at the same time putting all the necessary plans and backups in place should anything unexpected happen. You may spend a few hours going over what ifs in the build up, maybe a few hours tossing and turning in bed worrying about a particular fear only to find out that they either don't happen or you're thrown a curve ball. Well, guess what happened to me this weekend...
The first race of the season and with the pending arrival of a future King of the Mountains (KoM baby grow purchased in multiple sizes when in Paris earlier in the year.. yes, I'm obsessed), the Old Man of Coniston HIM, was looking like a potential A-race for the season given that training is likely to go down hill fast once the little schlek arrives. The Old Man Tri is billed by the organisers as the toughest in Britain and it's easy to see why as it takes in a cold (11-12degC) 2km swim in Coniston, a 45mile bike ride on some very dodgy roads with pot holes at the bottom of descents that could swallow a cow (the smaller ones are ok as they've been filled in by clumsy sheep), the descents aren't trivial either as the 30% warning signs at the bottom of Hard Knott and Wrynose Pass suggest. About 4800ft of climbing on the bike. After a quad busting bike ride, you're treated to a 12mile "run" up Wetherlam and The Old Man - about 3300ft of ascent.
On race morning I drove to Coniston from my favourite B&B, down the Struggle overlooking Ambleside bathed in glorious sunshine. It didn't last long though as the weather turned to grey and overcast the nearer I got to Coniston! Still, the weather reports had said as much so I was mentally prepared for a potentially cold day out.
A visit to the portaloos armed with one of 18 rolls of toilet paper from a bizarre "buy two 9 packs of toilet rolls and get 5p off petrol" the day before and... oh good Jesus, these are the same toilets from yesterday's OD race.. AD race more like! No toilet paper left from the day before, so I had good news and bad news for the next customer - the good was that I'd left the toilet paper behind, the bad I left him to find out.
A very small number of competitors made for a very relaxed atmosphere - the kind of folk who know what they're letting themselves in for and have probably done the race before or worse (I overheard a conversation about tales from the Norseman). I love these races as there aren't many of the preening, look at me, types you get at a lot of other tris. Just a friendly bunch with a common love for the Lakes and being out and about in fairly tough conditions.
With 15mins to go before the off, we had a briefing from the organiser who, as a nice touch, had prepared his notes on the back of a beer mat... sheer class. The briefing was straightforward, a few jokes about not drafting up the hills and a childish grin when it came to the run route description... "there are signs through town but navigation is up to you once you get to the hills"... yep, they weren't kidding either.
So into the water and for once I was confident that I could put in a "good" (by my standards) swim time after a few 1.9km TTs at Thorpe Park. For once was looking forward to the swim, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to feel my feet until maybe the run... or even in the pub post race. The small field combined with my new found confidence found me at the front of the start line just behind the lead canoe. Ok, I didn't stay behind it for very long and after the first of two 1km laps, my feet had gone numb, I got calf cramp that cold water seems to bring on, meaning I had no choice but to trail my feet like anchors in the water and I couldn't feel my hands so my catch slowly died. Still I came out of the water in a little over 36mins, which gave me a huge boost!
Into T1, cramp from the cold started again and I fumbled with various bits of kit (v poor circulation in hands and feet) and shared banter with people around as I put on a long sleeved jersey and trusty Team Laws cycle jersey. Out on to the bike and immediately started spotting people to pick off. After 6 miles I'd picked off 5 people, before we turned off the main road sign posted for the Little Langdales, meaning the start of the BIG hills. Right-o, into the 28 it is. Just as I changed, a weird noise came from the drivechain somewhere then I lost all power and "oh crap my chain just popped off the small ring". So I stopped to unclip and looked down to put the chain back on and... OMFG, the chain had snapped! Luckily the week before I'd bought a new multitool which had a chainsplitter and I thought I may as well complete the set by getting some quick links
Unluckily, I hadn't read the relevant chapter in the Park Tool Blue Book I'd bought to help me fix dodgy shifting on the front derailleur that was probably the cause of this mechanical (I seem to remember the chain getting wedged at a funny angle). Nuts.Many people passed me as I was effing and jeffing, most asked if I was ok and one bloke even stopped to give me his chain splitter after I mumbled something about not knowing how mine worked
got the first link off, quick link out then noticed I'd bent the next good link so had take to take another out. With that done, I threaded the chain through the derailleur, put the quick link on half way and turned the peddles ready to engage the quick link. F*ck, I've threaded the chain the wrong way! bast@rd! Spent another 5mins trying to get the link off, which of course pinged into a pile of leaves, f*ck iiiit! Link retrieved, chain threaded correctly and link back on. Ok, looks like the DNF and early pub visit is off the cards.. by this time no one had passed for 20mins or so. I was dead last. Time to time trial as I had maybe 3 hrs to make the run cut off. Hammer well and truly down!! Well, as much as you can nail it with the odd 30% incline to tackle I lost count of the times I stopped for tourists in cars passing each other being careful not to take out the side of their car on a rock and the other side on the other car. Wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't on a 10-15% incline in most cases... track-stand city. At one point I had to unclip on the hardknott incline as two cars were in a particularly sticky spot, but a walker grabbed my top tube while I clipped in and gave me a shove ... what a star
Now, as some people know I'm well known for my Nibali-like descending skills
so the crazy hairpins were not going to be an issue (yes I'm being sarcastic) 
"scary" doesn't come close. Not only was it steep, but the road surface is bad and the centre has some lovely gravel to avoid in places. You have to see it to believe it.The bike was just a matter of gunning it to get back to T2 before 1:30pm and the cutoff, about 5miles away I realised I was just going to make it so stopped for a nature break and OMPF. There is some nice new tarmac on the run into coniston so a last bit of TT'ing saw me in with 20mins to spare and a "go on Chappers" from Mrs Chappers (who was under orders to have a lie in and arrive for T2 with my parents if she felt up for it). Bike done in 3hrs28mins which when taking off the mechanical is about what I expected, so I was very happy
T2 was very relaxed and I had a chat with the bloke who have me his chainsplitter as I'd arrived just after him. Refilled with gels, grabbed the GPS from my bike (uploaded the run route) and bum bag with compulsory kit and off we go.
At this point I figured there was little point in going balls out on the run and risking injury as it was only about 7-8weeks ago I started running after a stress fracture, so took it fairy easy. though as the run progressed there was no other option other than to go slow as it was a brutal climb up wetherlam. The organisers it seemed had been kind and marked some sections but they must've done it weeks ago before a last minute route alteration as both old and new had been marked. So even with the gps I took wrong turns and switched back a few times as I was worried I'd miss the checkpoint at the top of wetherlam.
On reaching the checkpoint the markers vanished but it's an obvious route to the second checkpoint on the Old Manand once at the checkpoint the only way is down but still a few potentials for wrong turns if not concentrating.
An uneventful run but fairly hard going all the same, no where really you can let fly on the descent as its either rocky or very steep and rocky. Only when I was nearing Coniston did I manage to drop down to a more familiar 6:30 pace.
I crossed the line in just under 2hr30mins which considering the leisurely pace, terrain, wrong turns and that I hadn't set foot on a fell since last year wasn't bad. The fastest run time was 2hrs.
I finished in 6hrs41mins, 36th, not bad considering was last at one point
Taking the time off the mechanical would have meant 11th spot and 7th fastest bike split, though that's only a what if that everyone does Very happy with the result and even more happy that I now know more about bike maintenance
I'd definitely recommend the race as it was a great experience and one I'll never forget, but I don't think I'd do it again as although I love fell running, it's not a 'fast' fell run like say Helvellyn where the descent is awesome.By the way, I realised after the race that the bike cutoff was 3pm, not 1:30pm... doh!!
. The run looked very comfortable given the amount of practice and the still delicate nature of your foot.
.