Ripon Olympic.

[jonathon.e]

Where: Ripon
When: 13/7/13
Organiser: NYP Tri
Course details: Lake swim, rural and A roads, mixed run
Distance(s): 1500/40(+)k/10k
Marshalling: Marshalling, lots, at practical every road junction
Facilities: Campsite, car parking, showers( well the horse showers as it was at the race course)
Technical: chip timing, £57 for BTF, £62 for non BTF, kids races, expo, massage.
Freebies: Race belt.

My Race:

Pre amble.

I like this race, it is the biggest club run Triathlon in the country, Human race may have a strangle hold down south, but up North, in the fair county of Yorkshire there are still a number of big races, such as the the biggest pool based triathlon, (Skipton), and Ilkley perhaps the best short course triathlon going, ok maybe biased and digressing.
Fourth time in doing this race, when I first did it, it was a single wave start with about 250 competitors, now they have five waves each consisting of about 150, the race has a policy of allowing entries on the day, and they have never had to say no, and turn people away, the race capacity is approx 830.

Following the tragic incident last year, medical personnel and emergency services were very noticeable.

Due to various intrusions, this year I have opted for a 'non competitive' race policy, fun and experimentation this year, just go out and try to achieve something, anything. But to complete and learn, time is immaterial.

Prior to starting, I give Mrs.J a list of my times so she can be at various points and see a soggy wet mess go past, shouting encouragement.
List duly given. We then learnt that it would be a none wetsuit swim, ok, just add on another five minutes to the time for the total, couple if minutes for the swim and the run, list amended and off to the briefing.

Met Shadowone1 in transition, said hi, first time I have met Steven, we should have met at The Tour of the Peaks a few years ago but, that was just one if the many things that didnt go to plan that day.
We had a chat, discussed the swim being non wetsuit, thought how strange that numerous swims at the start of the season were cancelled due to the cold, and now it is non wetsuit swims, really. The race directors were obviously playing by the book, rather than going for the wetsuit optional plan, after last year.
Listened to the usual briefing, except for the manner it was given in that there were a number if slight double entendre's.
'Ok keep the big boys in your right' (snigger),'and then as you come towards the end if the swim, there are some little boys ' ( snigger), ' come passed these little boys , keeping them on the left', ( more school boy sniggering), ' you may during the swim pick up some weed' ( snigger, hope dope control aren't here), ' this weed isn't strong, and shouldn't cause you any problem '.

Well it amused some of us.

The Swim:

Release The Kraken.

Five minute intervals between wave starts, myself and Steven off in wave two, and I would also discover as I waited with the other white hatted individuals two guys from my local Tri club, Chris and Dave, so had a quick chat with them and a new club member who was off in the third wave.

As we filed down to the start, a team of drummers were beating away, a rhythmic thud, thud, thud. Constant beat, almost primeval, the constant heat beat of being lead to your impending doom.

First wave off, and its into the water, for a deep water start. Tactics were simple, when the horn sounds, count to five, a clockwise swim denotes me starting to the left, the arrow head forms and I can drift slowly into the group, as it seeds itself, no fighting, no fists being driven into the ribs. Aim to swim about three metres to the left of the buoys (boys- snigger), avoid any altercations.

The drumming stops, fifteen seconds, I start the Garmin.
Five seconds, the horn sounds, I count to five treading water, the wave is off, three, four, five and off we go. The water is warm, I miss the wetsuit, I am a lazy swimmer, I drag my legs, letting the buoyancy of the neoprene hold the legs and only the occasional flutter kick for stability. Non wetsuit and I am kicking all the time to maintain a body position . Slowly fatiguing my legs.

Quick sighting, and I am running true, can see the far buoy, but I can see swimmers to my left, who must be bad at sighting as I started on the far left.

As I near the far buoy a swimmer to my left is converging, twenty metres and he will be on top of me, so to avoid any unnecessary body contact, I ease back and slip into the slipstream of the swimmer to my left, no contact, around the turn buoys and head for home, there is a slight kink in the home straight as it goes around the island, so I swim slightly wide to go for a straight line rather than curving around the island.

I sight and see the finish Shute, soon at the ramp and jogging into transition, Chris from Grimsby Tri is just a few seconds ahead, I congratulate him on a fast swim, and go to pick up the bike.

T1:
I put on my Vorticce and shoes.

Bike:
And I heard a voice from amidst the Four beasts, and I saw a Pale horse, and the rider that sat on him was De'ath and Hell followed with him.

The distance from Transition to the mount line is about 250 metres. It also crossed a gravel path, so putting shoes on prior to leaving T1 was wise.

Out of the race course and its a left turn, down to a roundabout.
We all have our bug bears that annoy us during races, I can pretty much sum up mine in one sentence ' those that impede the others '. As I turned into the road, I see a number of riders trying to slip on their shoes whilst riding, two abreast, this caused a tail back, I get stuck behind a car and fire truck dawdling along at 10 mph, ho hum, at half a mile we turn left, the fire truck turns right and I can start to open the taps.

On a side note, as Mrs J was watching the exit at T1, she remarked of a competitor leaving and running around the corner to the mount line, and returning thirty seconds later without his bike, he runs into transition and returns shortly after, carrying his bike shoes and runs off.

Although, generally flat, the first five miles slowly wind their way uphill along closed rural roads, I am slowly passing other riders, any riders that overtake me are soon overtaken again, this action leads me to think that there may be some drafting going on. Seven miles in, there is a junction, the marshals call that it is clear, I look to make sure and catch sight if what might have been mistaken for the TdF peloton if it was 2014.

In a couple of miles time the route joins the A road that runs parallel to the A1, good road surface, the wind has picked up probably about 15mph gusting 22mph, headwind up to the turn around.

Plenty of draftbusters about, whether they caught anybody I know not, but a race of this size it is going to happen.
The peloton goes fast, how do we know they were drafting, as soon as the got in front I had to brake, they had under estimated the wind, thought they could easily cruise past, not so, I am now going slower and dropping back out of the draft zone.

OK, I am out for some fun not racing, lets play. There is a group if ten in front, I slowly ease past them, not too quickly, the front rider doesn't drop back, I get to the front, and slowly pick up speed, glance behind and a nice echelon has formed, the wind is making its presence felt, turning the screw I slowly pick up the pace, hopefully it will split the group, another glance and there are only about four riders left. Only half way in so don't want to over pace it, looking ahead the road becomes more exposed, Another turn of speed for thirty seconds as we hit the exposed and I am temporarily free of my free loading colleagues.

They soon regroup, but I can play my little game and try to punish them, simple things to amuse and prevent the boredom, at least I am playing by the rules.

Reach the turnaround and a tailwind to utilise for a few miles, still playing, let the group form and slowly stretch the elastic, the wind and heat which is pushing towards 30 degrees will provide a nice healthy tan. I spot Shadowone1 near the turn around but he is gone before I can shout words.

The route leaves the A road for some more closed rural roads, the surface becomes rough and rutted in places, as it winds its way back to the race course.
About one mile to go, the route filters onto the main road, this would be a single file section due to safety reasons, so no overtaking, I trundle behind another cyclist, who is trying to remove his feet from his shoes, well at ten mph I may as well take on fluid, as I bimble along, remember what annoys me. I dawdle upto the dismount line, pass the one who is dismounting gingerly before running on gravel, and into transition.

T2:
One removed my hat and changed ones foot wear.

Run:
Least said, soonest forgotten.

Run, walk, hot, run walk still hot. Out if the race course and onto rural roads, making use of the shade where possible, a great atmosphere, the locals were out with hose pipes, one house had a band playing, decent quality too.

Run/walk upto the turn around, water station, and back to the race course, just another 5km to go.
The route leaves the road and follows the canal tow path, enjoyed a bit if banter with the boat owners as I go past. Walk, jog still hot, knee is holding up but the Achilles is giving me trouble still, one kilometre to go, as we enter the race course.

Time to play again, I feel obliged to provide some entertainment for the spectators who have been stood out watching runner after runner after runner jog past to the finish, everyone likes a sprint finish to add some excitement for a few seconds.
First pick an unsuspecting triathlete, preferably one that has just gone passed me, about 400 m to the finish, pick up speed, glance across and say ' fancy a sprint finish', due to their competitive nature they want to stay ahead of someone they have already passed. Then pick up speed, if they race ahead then hey I tried, the ideal sprint is to get them to sprint all the way, If I race ahead they will naturally ease up, and I look stupid sprinting across the line with no one around. So, I try to push them slowly up to a full on sprint. Put a frog in boiling water and it jumps straight out, put a frog in cold water and slowly heat it up, it will stay in.
So suspect found, asked if they want a sprint, and game on, three hundred metres out and we crank the speed up, not too quickly, not letting him drop off, ease up slightly, 100m to go and we are going for it, if he gives up now he will have a few hundred spectators watching him give up, 50m and I am a fraction ahead, I ease up to lull him into thinking he can take me at the line, he eases ahead, ' aha, duped', cranking it up I stride ahead of him and the sprint is mine, I shake his hand as he collapses to the ground. That was fun, Hopefully he thought the same.

Quick sit down, and off to see Mrs.J.
Quick chat and race debrief, and than catch sight of Steven, looking remarkably cool. Really gutted to discover of his DNF though mechanical problems, no doubt he will write up his escapades if the day.

Before the race I gave Mrs J my expected times, then with my re evaluated times due to it being a non wetsuit swim. Finish time was within 60 seconds of my predicted time.

Great to meet Steven at last, great race, don't just take my word for it.

[Tritans]

What a great report.

I do hope however I never bump into you towards the end of a race.

[S11]

Yes Jon it was good to me and good race report. There was, as always some serious drafting going on.

Can't really say too much about the event other than its a great event. Its a shame more peeps from the club don't give it go

[IanM]

Great report - and really sells the race. One for the future me thinks.

[Sir Jibbenstein]

Great read. Well done on coming in on prediction.

On a side note, as Mrs J was watching the exit at T1, she remarked of a competitor leaving and running around the corner to the mount line, and returning thirty seconds later without his bike, he runs into transition and returns shortly after, carrying his bike shoes and runs off.

Superb! I bet that was quite an amusing moment.

I ease up to lull him into thinking he can take me at the line, he eases ahead, ' aha, duped', cranking it up I stride ahead of him and the sprint is mine

Like the tactics!

[Worrying Will]

Another Cracking read. Love the finishing idea

[kfjatek]

Nicely done! Loved the take-it-easy, I've-got-nothing-to-prove racing attitude. Must have eliminated tons of pre-race stress.

[sonofsammo]

Excellent and entertaining race report.
Machiavelli would be proud of your finish 8)
I loved this race last year. There was a lot of drafting going on then too.

[jonathon.e]

Love the finishing idea

Ssshhhh don't tell anyone else, keep it a secret, but it doesn't always workout how I intend it too.

A couple of times going too fast too early has seen me doing a ' Bambi on ice ' impression, legs and arms flying around as I go base over apex in front of the watching,I would say crowds, however by the time I finish it is generally the marshals putting the finish Shute away.

But, the piece de resistance had to be at IMCH, moment of glory, two hundred metres to go, runner ahead, this is the moment, the crowd is watching, bounding past the runner ahead, turn left into the finishing Shute and run upto the finishing gantry, hands in air, photo taken under the time next to my name, ALAS, no,

In order for the system to work, the chip timing registers the competitor as it crosses over a mat approximately 150m from the finish,so it can display the name on the gantry, not knowing this fact, by dutifully overtaking the runner ahead after the timing mat, I have a lovely finishing photo of me under the delightful name of Karl Huggerfeld,or something, and I am sure he has one of him with my name on it.

But keep it a secret.

[kfjatek]

I have a lovely finishing photo of me under the delightful name of Karl Huggerfeld

Now, what an exciting name for a nightlife alter ego; fancy adopting, Kev?