The race went well, we were sent off in four waves at 5min intervals but, newbie as I am, I thought all the categories were mixed and that it would be impossible to tell how you’d done until the results would be published. As it was, someone told me after the finish that each wave had all similar age-group participants. We were branded with a letter on our calves (having strategically put on my compression socks I only got one on the arm for extra stealthness).
First run was 7.7km and we started pretty fast (looked at my watch at 5km and saw just over 17’07, new 5km pb!), all on tarmac except last mile on grass, I couldn’t hold onto the leaders but came in I think 6th of our group in 26’35, losing places to a couple fast-moving Army guys, and about 12th overall. Then onto the TT bike with aero helmet, lovely warm day with a fair bit of wind. Despite fiddling with my rear gears till dark the previous night I couldn’t get them to stay in anything else than the bottom four or five on the day, which was annoying on the long drags into the wind.
Course was 2.5 laps for 40km, with a mix of everything from people on seriously fast (looking) full-on TT bike and plain road bikes. On second lap I got quicker and somehow managed to get into one of the easier gears which was a relief for the legs. I had one Army guy in sight a long way up, but never managed to get back onto him. The blind turn where you had to put a foot down (with marshalls checking on you) went well and you can have a drink or gel there. I was pushing pretty hard but still was not nearly close to getting under the hour (no-one did), got in in 1”04’22 and into the running shoes again for the same 7.7km lap. Was relieved to not experience the Ballbuster legs again, they were tired but I was only losing 10-15s per km on the first run.
A big guy in my age group whom I’d been to-ing and fro-ing on the bike leg as he couldn’t climb, but got ahead of me at the end when I missed the turn to the finish and lost 20 or so sec, was just ahead and I was also relieved to manage to go past easily. I got caught by Chris Dettmar an older guy, who was going insanely well, and went on to record the fastest second run, overtaking a few more people in the process! That second run was tough but I kept trying to focus on positive things and not the pain. What to eat after the finish was one of them
Finished in 2”00’39 (shame) some 6’30 behind winner Julian Lings (and just 6 and a bit min ahead of female winner Victoria Gill), but most importantly 3rd in my age group – job done : )
Have you booked your flights for Spain?
