Well, I was up for this one, and feeling good when I arrived at 7am. Pool time was 8:45 so had lots of time to prepare and relax. In fact I was very relaxed for this one. Everyone was very friendly and chatty, and we all lined up for the swim , off in 15 second intervals. They had over 1000 people to get into the pool and out again!! Swim hats were provided for this one.
My swim was excellent, by my standards anyway. I have been working at a 2-beat kick, as used by USA Olympic swimmer Lindsay Benko, and focussing on that really helped to keep me nice and high in the water and more streamlined. Not sure what my time was for 400m, but it felt good and I passed a few swimmers. It was divided into 3 wide lanes, 4 lengths in each lane and then duck under each rope at end of 4. It was a 33.3 metre pool.
Exited the swim feeling great and got to bike. And it all went wrong from there on in!!!!
Bike fell off the rack, as I was getting my helmet on. Didn't hit the floor, I just managed to hold onto it, but it just threw my concentration a bit. Then I ran with bike to mount line and there was someone right infront stuck on the line and I tried to get on my bike befopre the line(without realising) and just managed to avoid a penalty by stopping quick. Then mounted and when I rounded the bend to the next straight, I couldn't get my right foot in my shoe! I forgot I hadn't opened the velcro fastening wide enough! So I had to stop to get it on. By this stage any hopes of a fast time seemed gone. That said, I got back on and started to ride hard. Now soemthing just did not feel right, and after 2 miles I thought I had a slow puncture.
I was coming up to slow bikers just too slow myself, whereas I'm usually flying past. It was a nice flat course, quite a blustery wind but I'm strong enough to get through the wind. But I just could not get the bike moving, and it was such hard work. I couldn't understand it. Not until mile 11 and a downhill section could I get any speed up. And then even on flat smooth surface I just couldn't get up to a decent speed. Something was not right. That said I persevered and got off the bike and was quick onto the run.
This was a well-organised event but this has to be the dullest run course ever!! Difficult to describe but it was a T shape loop, done twice. 5km. And what a nightmare I had to stop to pee!! I needed to go as soon as I started the swim, but just couldn't, and in the end I was that fed up with my performance so far I nipped behind a bush!! The run was all off-road, and a little wet and muddy underfoot. Brooks are not good in the wet and I was skidding around a fair bit.
That said, I ran at a reasonably good pace and tucked in behind someone. I didn't go hard and felt really fresh when I finished. 400m swim, 14 mile bike, 5km run - 1 hour 14 minutes. Slow! Felt like I could have gone a lot faster, but then again, we all have days like this one!
So I showered and refreshed and recovered well in the car and went to put my bike back into the car, when I at last discovered what had slowed me down on the bike. My rear brake block was tight against the rear wheel! Arrrgghhhhh!!!! And I must have taken off a fair amount of rubber, as there was a sizable chunk of it hanging off one end of the block!! No wonder I was so slow, and found it hard work! I felt somewhat relieved in a way because I thought it was my legs that were the problem. That said, I was the problem, because I should have noticed it before racking my bike, or at least one final check in transition! I reckon without a shadow of a doubt that's cost me about 5 minutes. On that course today I would have averaged around 25mph, and not the 20.8 that I did. Plus I would have been more positive on the run, and maybe shaved a couple of minutes off that time. Very disappointing as this was the last race before Half Ironman UK. But then again, good that it happened today and not on 17th June, because I would not like to cycle 90km with the same problem!!!
I'll put that down as good practice and a good training session.
It's all good experience, and I'll put down today's race firmly in that category.
Lesson of the day, double check and triple check bike!!
1 comment:
Some you win, some you don't !, however the positives are there. Your OK, the bikes OK and you managed to overcome the the small set backs on the race and got to the finish, perhaps not in the time you wanted but still good. Don't forget winners face many setbacks, but tackle them head on - and win ! (they also look for positives in everything). It is good experience, something you can only get from doing it. Well done mate, I would say this has been your best tri yet - cos you really had to work for it mentally, mental strength which you will need on the 17th.
Swim coach..
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