HIMUK 31 August 2003

[Dan B]

Well, a crap weekend.

I had a cracking swim (under 30 minutes) and was holding an incredible pace on the bike (thanks to Monty's aero bars, Nick @ GB's positioning and Ibbo's Nimble Fly tubs) but at 30km I suffered chain suck on an upshift. After 20+ minutes of clawing at the chain a draft marshal pulled up and in five minutes of gouging and grinding managed to prise the chain free.

By taking outside assistance I was DQ'd. I didn't care at that point as my competitive fire and hopes had dissipated by that point. True to form I managed to have my breakdown about the furthest point from Sherborne possible. It was a long, cold ride back from Giants Head, humiliated by the applause of the supporters lining the roadside who didn't know.

My wife - remember she who hates triathlons? - couldn't stand being there, hated my quiet choice of B&B north of Yeovil and was conspicuously absent from the morning start. But once I called her from 15 miles out she rallied to get me out of there and find a place to wash the grease, salt and lake water scum off me. Singing to a Tom Jones CD in the car at the top of your lungs is very cathartic: "Daughter of Darkness, get out of my life - my life ..."

If you've heard any of the scuttlebutt on Sunday's HIMUK it was by most accounts a bit of a disastrous first go in Dorset. There was only one access road to the castle area, which resulted in a 2-mile traffic queue. A lot of competitors were still in their cars by the time the original start time came and went. Fog on the lake meant that there were three 30-minute delays to the mass swim start.

The BTA and WTC managed not to brief or feed the race volunteers who had been on site since before 5am. Signage and fences obstructing the bike entry/exit hadn't been moved, so at least a half-dozen cyclists came off the bike there. Kids who were drafted in to shift bikes at T2 were clueless where they should go. And there were 20 portaloos in transition for 1600 nervous athletes. I wonder how many had 'accidents' waiting in the queue.

One of the volunteers, an American NCO from the naval base not far away (and, like me, married to a Brit and a resident for years), told me he tried to correct one of the local drafted-in Rotarians who was making a hash of crowd control and was told by same to "F**k off back to America where you came from." The crowd assembled nearby joined in and there was more slanging. So much for the friendly surroundings.

To top it all off, I still don't know who won!

p.s. A few positive nuggets: most of the folks there were really understanding and there was a lot of good karma passed round. I've spent the past four months focussing on the race and lost 9 lbs of fat - I feel and look fit and fast. GB's and ACC have been instrumental in getting me to where I had to be physically and mentally on race day. I'm looking forward to doing my first Ironman next year (probably on the continent) and it was good preparation for what madness is in store.

Dan B

[siwickm]

Hard luck Dan, I think we all have to learn to take these kind of things on the chin. I have had a couple of races which I have not finished now and although it gets you down a bit, you can always have another go in the future. Look on the bright side as you have been and take in the fact that you are probably now fitter than you ever have been and it was only because you had a Mechanical that you did not complete.

[Maria David]

That was a bit unlucky, Dan. Once when my chain came off in a duathlon a draft buster helped me to get it back on again but I didn't receive any time penalty.....probably because I was no where near being in contention.
Anyway better luck in your next (half)Ironman.

By the way, the race was dominated by Scandinavians with Bjorn Andersson being the first one home, in 3hrs 51mins and Lisbeth Kristensen winning the women's race in 4hrs20mins.
Steve Bayliss did 4hours 7minutes. Well done.

[Dan B]

The chain suck happened as I was cresting a hill. I had been spinning up in the granny and shifted to the 42 to gain speed on a small descent to a flat.

I tried pedalling both slowly forwards and backwards to loosen it while coasting for about an entire kilometer - no joy. The chain was tight to the bottom bracket and any attempt to prise it free with my fingers lodged underneath the infrastructure of the granny ring. The draft official had a hell of a time as well, even with a screwdriver and other bits.

Pete at GB's had warned me that the teeth on the chainring (mostly the 42) were a bit worn but should have been all right. Unfortunately I don't have any dosh for repairs or replacements or I would have had a new set put on long ago.

[Dan B]

I've had a scan of the results that have been posted and Tom Ulicsak finished the race on Sunday, completing the course in 5:57:45. Well done, you broke 6, like you hoped! Hope to hear more soon ...

And at the bottom, with all the dropouts (me and Spencer Smith) I officially came out of the water 229th in a time of 29:56. C'est la vie!