When: 29.09.13
Organiser: Just Racing
Course details: Fairly flat bike and flat run
Distance(s): Distances 413m Swim, 20km Bike, 4.5km Run
Marshalling: Loads of cheerful and helpful people
Facilities: Burger van, trade stands, lots of space for the kiddies
Technical: chip timing
Freebies: Finishers T-shirt, water, bananas, USN samples
Cost £35 with BTF licence
So last tri of the season for me. Up to now its been pretty good. Big pb on Vit and PBs on many of the sprints that i have done. Unlike previous seasons i have continued training after the Vit although not as intense. It is also 27 days without a fag.
2nd outing at Roade, last time in 2011 I raced Tim Don here in a time of 1.09.04
Swim, when I entered I put down a swim time of 9.15 I think, which for me was hugely ambitious as it is 15/20secs faster than my pb and also the swim is 14m longer (not to be ignored when you are a s slow as me!) As a result my start time was a very lie-in-able 10.51am, starting half way through is a new experience for me, normally i start with all the novices and non-swimmers.
Lined up at the pool and it looked absolute chaos. The lanes were fairly narrow and in each i counted no less than 5 swimmers. Anyway in the pool, countdown and off, fortunately clear water for first few lengths. Then it got busy and some giant cock decided to start overtaking people whether there was a gap or not, resulting in me having to stop a few times. Did the 18lengths pretty comfortably though. Out of the water, chip time 9.31 (2011 - 10.51) I cant remember where the timing mat for that is but wherever it is i was well chuffed with that.
Short run into T1, gear on and out. 1.09. Having left T1 it is quite a long run to mount point (80-100m?) Onto the bike which for the first mile or so is through a housing estate, very narrow lanes cars parked, cars coming towards you etc so caution needed. Then out on the course for two laps. Its not hilly, but it is far from flat. A couple of points there are blind left turns so very hard to keep much speed on, with one of them being at the bottom of a big downhill. So all in all it is not a fast course. And its bloody windy! I feel pretty good and was a bit concerned that i have put too much into the first lap. Second lap seems fine but unfortunately get held up with about a mile to go with a long queue of traffic that is waiting for some cyclists ahead. Dismount line long run to T2, Bike time 36.51 (2011- 36.45) so a bit disappointed with that as I am on the TT compared to PX roadie in 2011. T2 47secs and start of the two lap run. Its only 4.5k so its quite short and pancake flat, so i am going to push for a quick time. I run hard, really hard and rather than just running until it hurts, i am running telling myself to push harder, as its the last race and in one or two others this season i have finished and questioned myself as to whether it was as hard as i could go.
Cross the line, run 18.45 (2011 - 19.35).
9.31
1.09
36.45
.47
18.45
1.07.10
PB by nearly 2 minutes.
86/513 - in the 17th percentile - far and away my best result ever.
6/42 in AG.
Positives
All the above
Negatives
Churlish i know, but despite the wind and the traffic, the bike should be better.
.