Race Reports

Where do i begin? When i first got the email informing me that i had been selected to represent GB i just could not believe it! So i sent the BTF an email asking if they had made a mistake!! NO they said we haven't!!

I arrived in Eilat via Tel Aviv on Weds. 18.4.12. On the coach between airports in Tel Aviv i saw a sign for Jerusalem, it made me think of all those thousands of years of biblical history.

Wednesday was basically a free day after putting my bike together and setting it up. There was a swim recce at 17.00 and most people swam without a wetsuit as the water temperature was 21c. Most people after the swim were discussing the pros and cons of wearing a wetsuit.

Thursday and it's my BIRTHDAY!! Up early and out on the road at 06.00 to recce the bike course. Good road surface but very windy and open, lots of steep inclines on the way out. On the way back the traffic was starting to build up, luckily on race day the roads will be closed. Once back at the hotel it was out again to walk and jog 1 x lap of the run course. Only one incline which was on the way out of T2 against the wind, otherwise a flat course mainly on tarmac surface and gravel track. Then it was back to the hotel again for breakfast. At 09.00 it was registration time, then at 16.00 it was the race briefing and team photo. 17.00 it was bike, helmet and race kit check and racking of the bike in T1. I let some air out the tyres so that they didn't explode in the heat overnight!

It was all sinking in now, the enormity of what 1 would be taking part in. It was time then for the evening meal, plenty of pasta!!

It's Friday RACE DAY!!! Up at 05.00 and had two pots of porridge that i had taken out with me [good old Tesco ] At 06.00 i made my way to transition, luckily i was staying in the Team Hotel which was only 5 mins. walk.

Once in T1 pumped up my tyres and laid out my kit. By now i had made the decision to wear a wetsuit for the swim. Obviously NOT for the BIKE and RUN!!!! 
The majority of the age groupers had also decided on a wetsuit as the water temperature had dropped a few degrees. The organisers were very strict about what you could leave in transition, any excess clothes, track pump etc. had to be placed in a bag in an adjacent hotel. We had to leave transition by 07.00 with our wetsuits half on and make our way to the swim area approximately 400m away.

At the swim start there were huge crowds and music playing over the loud speakers, great atmosphere. At 07.50 our wave was called forward and you had to line up on this long matting that was laid out on the beach. Suddenly the music stopped and all you could hear was this really LOUD heartbeat over the speakers. As if i wasn't nervous enough!! Then on your MARKS and then the claxon. We're off!!!

We had been advised before the swim that there was a strong current moving from left to right so kept to the left side of the pack. I managed to keep a pretty good line out to the turn around buoys even though the water was a bit choppy and then it was back to the beach and the swim exit. The run from there to T1 was hard on the feet even though they had put matting down covering most of the tarmac surface.

My T1 time was a bit slow due to the run from swim exit and taking off the wetsuit. It was another 50m run with the bike to the mount line, then it was down on the tri-bars and go!!!

The ride out to the turnround point was extremely hard against a very strong wind and undulating inclines, average speed out was between 14 and 16 mph!!! The return leg was fantastic with the wind behind and averaging 30mph. Heading towards the finish of the bike i removed my feet from my shoes and performed a good dismount!!  [ i had been practising at home in the local school playground !!! ]

Into T2 a quick turnaround and out on the run, the first 500m was up an incline against the wind and then settled into my pace.The run was 4 x laps and by now the it was pretty hot but i dug in and even managed a faster last lap. 
What an amazing feeling as you run up the blue carpet towards the finish gantry and you hear your name called out over the loud speakers and the crowds are cheering!! I've got a lump in my throat just writing about it!!!

I may not have won a medal but i did bust a gut trying!!!

Swim  : 1500m              39 mins 42secs [ a PB my previous time was 47mins 23 sec !!]

T1      :   4 mins 42secs

Bike    :  40k                    1 hr. 22mins 50secs

T2      :   1 min

Run    : 10k                     57 minsOverall:  3hrs 4mins 14secs

Overall Position : 10th

Hi guys 
  
After a 5 hour drive I arrived at registration on Saturday in the pouring hard rain and wind!!! Welcome to Wales!!! Once i had registered i thought i would check out the swim course. Standing looking at this huge expanse of water, which resembled the Atlantic Ocean with white horses everywhere, i asked the guy next to me " where is the lake we will be swimming in?" He looked at me and laughed and said, "that's it there!" Oh shit, i thought let's hope the weather changes by tomorrow!!! Well it did!

Sunday morning arrived and the weather had changed, but for the worse, more rain and stronger winds!!! At  09.30hrs i watched the first wave go off and within a few minutes people were being pulled out of the water, very encouraging!!!! The next few waves were the same as swimmers were struggling against the elements!! Now it was time for my wave, with my heart in my boots, well in my feet, i made my way down the slippery slope and into the freezing cold water!! The first 750 metres was going to be out against the wind and some guy stood next to me said," you will need to swim fast otherwise you will make no headway". "Thanks mate", I said, " but i don't do fast swimming!" "Oh well, best of luck then", he said. By now the wind was so strong the waves looked like the side of houses and you could hardly see the marker buoys and i was bloody freezing!! 10.00hrs and  the hooter goes and we are off. Trying to get into some sort of rhythm i found almost impossible due to the waves, every time i tried to sight i was smacked in the face with what i saw was a huge wall of water!! Eventually after what felt like hours i made it to what i thought was the turnround buoy, only to be told by one of the rescue boats that it wasn't!!! I had to dig really deep at this point as i was feeling very cold and i knew i was struggling. From somewhere i found the self motivation to crack on and eventually i reached the REAL turnround bouy!!! I thought the 750 metre swim back was going to be easier with the wind behind but i found i was still struggling against the elements! After what felt like hours i could see the finish of the swim and remembered that we had been warned of the very rocky approach to the slipway. Suddenly a very friendly arm pulled me up out of the water and said " well done mate", i then managed a sort of run into T1 and was cheered on by the crowd and i heard the race commentator say i had taken 52 mins but i had done it!!!! I then had problems getting my wet suit off as i was so cold but at least the rain had stopped. After about 6 mins i was ready to leave transition. The bike leg was an undulating out and back course, on closed roads, and the first 12.5 miles was against the wind which was so strong that it was like cycling against a brick wall!!! By the time i had got to the turnround point i had overhauled several riders and on the return leg was able to make up more ground with the wind behind me. Arriving in T2 i decided to shed my thin long sleeve top i had put on for the bike as the sun, yes the SUN, was breaking through the clouds!!After 1min 35secs in T2 i was off on the run which was a 10k out and back undulating course on closed roads and, although the first half was against the still strong wind, i managed to overtake a few more and eventually crossed the finish line!!!

My Results:

Overall position: 461st out of 492 finishers [47 failed to finish and 28 of those were pulled out of the water!!]

Overall male position:                   374^th

Age group position [over 60's]:   7th

I was trying to qualify to represent GB next year but due to the adverse weather conditions, which really affected my swim, i failed!!! But I have entered next year's race, so hopefully the weather won't be any worse and maybe I might JUST qualify for 2013 !!!!!

One consolation i suppose if I survived THAT SWIM I can at least call myself a swimmer!!!

Author: Del Hastings

I was quite excited about this event, taming the Olympic course and mixing with the stars so a couple of days before the event I checked the web sites instructions on getting to the event. The suggested travel method was to bring your folding bike by train, cars should be avoided at all costs and buses would not allow your folding bike on.

So I got my trusty hacksaw out to cut up my bike and gaffer tape it back together when I got to Hyde Park, as an afterthought i checked the train time and the first train arrived a few minutes before my start time and an hour after my registration time. Bums - there was nothing for it, I would have to ignore their advice and come by car.

Driving through London at 4.00am is a strange experience watching people crawling along the road but I managed to manoeuvre past the re creation of zombie invasion to park outside Lancaster gate at 4.30am in a free parking zone - result - life is sweet.

First to register, first in to transition - this is looking good.

3 hours later! And I'm in the water, trying to ignore some strange American on the loud speaker system - its lovely swimming in the Serpentine, fortunately I could not see further than 2mm in front of my goggles, but a lovely single loop swim - very weird as no one was around and I did not see anyone for virtually the whole swim because the course was so wide so I just got in to a steady rhythm to the tune of 'I could be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky' as recommended by David Walliams - it really works - try it, but I could have gone faster if the likes of Rob, Steve and Dave were around me for the swim as in the MSTC Olympic.

Out I pop and limey it's a long run from the swim exit to T1 which was about a km from the exit (the elites are about 10m from the water exit which is much more civilised) - 3 minutes 51 sec later I arrived at my bike (I was one of the quicker transitions, most were about 5-6 minutes). By eck I was knackered and my feet were sore by the time I got on to the bike.

Ok this is it and what I've been looking forward to, fast and flat and the Olympic course - well first realisations it is not the Olympic route taken by the elites (they kept that quite) it is totally different although we do go past Buck House and it's not fast, there are so many bends and corners (over 100 corners), speed humps, bad surfaces, people on the course etc that it became a real stop, stop, oops, ouch stop start affair, but i managed to get to nearly 60kph past the barracks (just the once mind)

Half way through the bike I hear my name shouted - bugger - wots up. Turned round and Marc was pretending to be a Marshal on a notorious corner that shall from now on be named Jordan's corner due the high number of accidents on this particular greasy bend. I went on to lose at least 5 seconds on each lap as I cheerily waved at what seemed to be the only happy person in the centre of London at the time.

Good the bike is over which turned out to be 42 point something km rather than the perfectly measured course I expected   - no crashes, fillings are still in my mouth and I wasn't taken out by a dog, tourist or slippery speed hump.

After another transition expedition I'm out on the run in the footsteps of Brownlee et al - ur no not quite! The run follows a totally different course in the opposite direction for four laps, well at least it is flat - ur no not quite - a long drag up an incline for about 1km before a short steep downhill, long flat bit, another short sharp downhill then back to the grind uphill.

By this time I had done my usual of going out ok on the swim, flat out on the bike racing some tattoo covered rough looking skinny chap who was half my age and stuffing up the run. (The tattoo covered chap ended up being the technical director of ITN news). So I struggled through the run (which Emma Snowsill referred to as a school cross country course) which finished nicely running up the blue carpet where young Mr B finished a mere few hours later in a slightly quicker time - and what nice chaps they are - they even had their photo taken with me?

So actually a thoroughly enjoyable day with a nice swim an interesting ride and a hard run finished off with watching the world champs at Jordan's corner with the man himself. I would recommend this race even though it is quite expensive; it's not on in 2012 but is back in 2013.

Results:

                                  Colin                     Alastair

Swim                 0.26.09              0.18.09

T1                     0.03.51              0.00.37

Bike                  1.06.52              1.01.01

T2                     0.02.08              0.00.34

Run                   0.47.30              0.29.50

Total                  2.26.28              1.50.09

Unfortunately I was not third and taking of my transitions Alistair only beat me by half an hour - so not so bad

Author: Colin Chanbers

Having lived in Milton Keynes for a fair old time, participating in the Big Cow Milton Keynes triathlon (also the standard distance age group championships) is a good excuse to go back up and meet up with some old friends. (I decided to register on the Saturday, thinking I'd have a bit of a lie in on the Sunday (race day). Unfortunately I cut things a bit fine and only managed to get to transition with 5 minutes to spare. Having been kicked out of transition I then realised that I didn't have my race chip; it was back in the car. Queue a frantic barefoot rush back to the car to get it, and then a mad dash back to the swim start with about 5 minutes to go before my wave started.

Now, as everyone at MSTC knows, the swim is definitely my Achilles heel and today was no different. I got a fair bit bashed about in the swim which had a technical 'W' route which made sighting quite critical. The back straight was directly into the sun which made sighting of the last buoy almost impossible until it was about 20 yards away.

A pedestrian T1 and off on the bike section. It was at this point that I had realised that I had cocked up my Garmin 310XT multisport mode - having forgotten to include transitions it thought I was now on the run rather than on the bike leg. The cycle was s short 39Km, although the course was quite undulating.  This year the course was a single large loop, so only one trip up 'heartbreak hill' where it joins the A509 main road before looping back to Emberton. Entry back into T2 was interesting as I overshot the entrance slightly, turning back I got a tri bar up my bottom from the competitor behind me, I'm sure not quite the wind tunnel effect he was envisaging when he fitted them.

The run leg was the standard 3 lap loop of the lake with a drinks station at the start of each lap. Water or High 5 could be obtained, although when the kids that were helping were offering High 5's I had though they meant high 5 slaps rather than energy drinks. Doh!

Unfortunately no other MSTC members were at the race. It not being a BAR event I found it difficult to get motivated to push myself to the limit. It makes a big difference when racing against others for those coveted BAR points.

Results:

Finishing time of 02:22:57,     position 161 out of about 470 starters.

Swim:  00:29:27

T1: 00:01:52

Bike: 01:07:26

T2: 00:01:06

Run: 00:43:08

Author: Anthony Grey

It was also perfect weather which was great after such a damp week. It was a bit of a rush getting transition sorted out, but we were away by 7.30.

The water was about as perfect as lake swimming gets, with the temperature spot on and totally clean. Steve Mac got out first in 25m45s with Phil Couch just 15 seconds down, and Robin a further minute down, after that everyone came in small groups until the last one Callum who still swam a creditable 42m27s. He has a different view of his swim and what happened next and his superb report is at the end of the sheet.  Martin managed to breast stroke powerfully most of the way round, and is now gaining more confidence in the swim.

Then everyone was through T1 and onto the challenging bike course.  I certainly did not make it easy by having an unfixable problem with my rear tyre which caused the feeling of the brakes being on whenever I went uphill. Luckily it was a flat course so there was no real problem. Although, as everyone found - it really is relentless hills especially when you are trying as hard as you can. When I checked the bike afterwards it was clear I was lucky not to have exploded the tyre as it had worn away so much.

Naturally James Dear was the king of the bike with a seriously impressive ride. He started 5m50s behind Phil and started the run 4m25s ahead - an incredible 10m15s gain! And Phil had the 6th fastest bike split even though he found it tough. James did 69m41s including both transitions, and only 6 people broke 80mins. There were plenty of races within the race on the bike. Colin actually tried to keep up with James (downhill!) and even overtook him, but the effort caught up with him later.

The women's race was interesting with Fiona having to start her chase down of the others from way behind after the swim (in 8th place ) to start the run in 2nd place behind Hazel who was out of the water first, and then had the second fastest bike split after Fiona. Sharon started the run third after quite a battle with Fiona. Lucy was about 3 minutes further back.

On this sort of course the run becomes quite difficult after the demands of the bike lap. The fact that the fastest run was 42m45s (Phil and Bob) on an accurately measured 10k shows just how much had been taken out of even the fast boys. Only 5 people even broke 45 minutes. Phil Couch recovered from his bike leg to regain 2nd spot from Rob, but even though he gained a minute on James it was not enough to catch him, so James took the victory with 3 minutes to spare. Rob remained very comfortable in 3rd place with a 6 minute cushion over Colin. At this point there was a lot of competition with 8 places being separated by a mere 4 minutes.

In the women's race Hazel started the run with more than 6 minutes in hand but Fiona gave it all she had to finish the day with fastest bike and run splits (her run was an impressive 46m43s) and was barely 3 minutes behind at the end. Lucy also charged through the field, having come out of the swim in her customary position as last lady. She finished the bike in 4th spot and then reeled in Sharon on the run after starting some 3 minutes behind. Sharon was suffering however, and felt she had run her slowest ever 10K. Lucy meanwhile took advantage of Callum feeling dreadful to also sneak past him, which she was secretly quite pleased about.  Actually she wasn't that secret about it. She was delighted!

I have to mention some of those who were doing this distance for the first time. Robin shows huge potential. He had a super quick swim, a comfortable bike and enough of a race spirit to push himself harder when he knew I was breathing down his neck towards the end. Pete Harris was a picture of pain on the run but I have a feeling he will learn a huge amount from this race and then become a very strong triathlete. Carl faded on the run after a storming bike leg, but clearly has a lot of talent.

Of the other athletes it was amazing seeing Tim finish his first Olympic. This was a man who never thought he would do any triathlons, and I am sure I heard him say afterwards that it was easier than sprint distance. I look forward to seeing Tim at the middle distance race in 5 weeks, as that should be even easier! Nikki and Jean also did incredibly well. Nikki had her baby just over 6 months ago. Nice to see Dave doing the baby care. Jean just seemed to be enjoying every minute.

Dave Lashbrook deserves a special mention. He is just coming back from injury and was clearly way off his normal form. Nevertheless he turned up and pushed himself as hard as he could in the circumstances and still finished 10th. Hopefully he will be fully fit for the middle distance soon.

Author: Steve Alden

Callum's view from the rear
 
My first Olympic-distance race and my first competitive open water swim.  Gulp.  After about 100 metres of the swim I start to panic and have to consciously try to calm myself down, despite all the open water practice this year.  That's the first time I think seriously of abandoning.
 
By now, there are already three of us adrift at the back and, amazingly, I make it to the turn buoy first of the three, but only because the other two- Jean and someone in a silver cap - head too far off to the left and, while they're re-orientating themselves I slip in first.
 
On the way back to the pontoon I just about stay in touch, but by the time we reach the turn buoy again, and after a brief inadvertent tussle with the swimmer in the silver cap, I am undeniably in last position and beginning to struggle.  I am very, very thankful to the two canoeists - Mat and Paul - for escorting me on the final, interminable section towards the slipway as I begin to feel, frankly, a bit weird.  As we approach the pontoon, I again think of abandoning, but decide I'll struggle on to the slipway and then pack it in.
 
Guided to the slipway by the fluorescent jackets of the marshals, I find to my surprise that I can stand up, but announce that I'm abandoning, so just go on standing there for a bit, still feeling weird.  Then I think I might as well head for transition, pulling down the top half of my wetsuit as I do so.  I try a tentative jog down the grass and find, again to my surprise, that I can manage a kind of run-hobble type of action.
 
In transition, there's obviously only one bike left, and Steve Birchall has unhooked it for me and is urging me to get on it.  So, unwilling to disappoint him, I do and I'm off on the bike leg.  How has that happened?  Didn't I abandon?  Oh well, I think, at least I can just turn left when I get to Ardingly and freewheel back to the reservoir.
 
But on the way to Ardingly I overtake one or two others and begin to think maybe I'll at least finish the bike leg.  Then, past Ardingly, I overtake one or two more and am beginning to feel a bit more normal.  At the roadworks I see someone who has been held up by the lights and catch up with them about the Duke's Head roundabout.  It's Lucy.  I overtake her going strongly along the bypass past Copthorne, but as I head off up the road over the M23 she's right behind me and overtakes me as the road gets steeper.
 
Then it's nip and tuck, cat and mouse for the next mile or so, with me in front on the flat bits and her in front on the hills until she finally shakes me off on the long slog up towards the Cowdray Arms from the crossing back over the M23.  Strong riding, Lucy!
 
Still, I'm going quite well now and allow myself to think for the first time that I could actually finish this bloody race.
 
Back in transition, running shoes on and I'm off on the run, turning down the offer of a water bottle as I go through the kissing gate.  Bad move, but I've had a stitch throughout the race and only managed to get through about half of the energy drink in my bottle on the bike, and don't want to make it worse on the run.
 
Going over the causeway for the first time I'm beginning to run quite well and catch up with Lucy, who has the time and breath to discuss the incentive to keep going offered by the rear view of the runner in front (a male club member who will remain nameless).
 
Enough of this levity, and I eventually manage to overtake Lucy and reach the turn point going well - well enough that I even catch up with Dave Lashbrook heading back towards the kissing gate (except he's on his second time around and I'm only on my first).  At some point I also overtake Sharon.
 
Then just ahead of the kissing gate, a great wave of nausea and faintness overtakes me and I think (yet again) that I'll have to abandon, but I reach the gate, take a drink of water and feel slightly better.
 
So I head off back up the track and reach the turn point without further incident, spurred by shouts of encouragement from Clare Parkinson. But on the way back again, the waves of nausea come more and more frequently and I have to slow down and, guess what, Lucy overtakes me again, shouting to Claire Cresswell, who's coming the other way: "I'm ahead of Callum, I'm beating Callum!"
 
And she does, with a tremendous finishing sprint down the grass which I can't even think of matching.  It's all I can do to stagger over the line, fall over and get cramp so badly in one of my legs I have to ask someone to stretch it for me.
 
Oh well.  It's not glorious.  It's not fast.  I took on a woman and lost.  But I finished, and that in itself is a minor miracle.
 
And the swimmer in the silver cap?  Turns out that was Lucy as well.

 Download results here