Both Rob and Neil qualified directly for the European Championships with Rachael as 1st reserve Steve is also a reserve on the waiting list with the other all fairing very well and flying the club flag but being just outside of the selection group but may get in on the roll down.
A race that is well worth doing if you are in the area or are happy to travel the distance.
Bedford - it's a pleasant kind of place - or so it seemed in the small amount that we were exposed to. Nestled in between ring roads and out of town shopping centers lay the embankment, a park with a clean straight river with limited weeds, friendly fowl, lots of green areas, a tarmac covered path around the perimeter and men in shorts and compression tights. Almost a perfect setting for a triathlon.
So seven of MSTC's finest and Colin set of in search or glory or humiliation in a field where over half of the competitors were to finish in less that 2hours 30 minutes.
Lawrence was unfortunately unable to start, being a fine family man Lawrence decided to bring his family and after an unfortunate family accident followed by an afternoon in A&E Loz was not able to start, but child and dad are ok. (post event note - Loz chose not to take his family to the Worthing Tri and managed to start the event)
Tents were erected and advice was sought from two of MSTC best know members as to how to best to prepare for the most competitive race of the season - off to the pub is the unanimous retort, yep it may be counter intuitive but bladder and intestine loading is the way to go.
A question arises; Should you take your family to a triathlon (so far it would seem the answer is one vote for no and none for yes) - when this is asked of you what goes through your mind, will they:
(a) cramp my style
(b) get in the way
(c) affect my preparation
(d) result in an afternoon in hospital and a DNS
(e) cost too much
(f) affect my performance
(g) prevent me from sharing a tent with three fit members of the opposite sex who have just downed a load of beer, are testosterone loaded and hyped up for the race of their year.
Rachael considered the options very carefully! - 2-0 in favour of leaving the family at home.
It was an early start, so late to bed - yep counter intuitive again. Neil chose a remote location away from Tent de Rachael worried that too much noise may keep him up and ruin his race.
He was quite right - Robs flatulence was thunderous as methane bazookas echoed around the campsite accompanied by teenage laughter from the blokes and telling off from Rachael - it was going to be a long night for us all.
As the three bladder and intestine loaded men were shepherded and zipped into the holding pens located at each end of the tent Rachael monitored the door and the emergency escape route, a good idea - or was it.
As the noise subsided all were gassed into a restless sleep with the odd groan of 'get of' and 'yes of course I love you, now go to sleep' coming from one of the holding pens.
Two hours later it dawned on the blokes - not the sunrise - the bladder, gently sloshing as it was pressed down on cold hard soil or spiky vertebrate.
What to do?
Tough men are turned to pulp at the thought of having to wake a sleeping woman in the middle of the night - so they lay there zipped in their pens trying to ignore their bloating and expanding abdomens as the exit continued to be guarded by slumber. 'You will not pass' Gandalf's staff pushed gently into the bladder 'You will not pass' another jab from the staff as stars of pain appeared before our eyes.
Sh----------t sh-------t I can t take it any more, I am sure Terry Waite's captivity went quicker than those few hours lying there wide awake with a pulsating melon in your pants expanding as it sucks up moisture from a hidden oasis of beer.
'Is any one awake' a voice as puny as a baby smeagol on horse tranquilizers gently filters through the nylon of the holding pen, the sound came from a creature so rancid, its body pulsating with pain, devoid of testosterone and scared sh---tless of the possible consequences of waking the guardian of the tent - once more just in case 'is any one awake'
'Yes'
'What?'
''Yes'
It wakes -
A butterfly fluttered somewhere in northern Uzbekistan - the holding pens were ripped apart as three grown men trampled uncontrollably over a helpless prostrate female, flung themselves in to the open air entered Modor, scaled Mount Doom and threw their precious (it was that colour) into the crack of doom of shiny porcelain urinals - Middle Earth was safe or so it seemed.
Five hours later the race was to start, four hours of which consisted of Steve refusing to leave the campsite until his bowels moved. And move they did - a couple of times at the campsite followed by a few more at transition. The battle of the bowels has passed
Preparation was complete.
The veiling shadow that glowers in the East takes shape as the battle of transitions continued.
Colin won the battle of T1 with a glorious time of 1.11 a full 5 seconds in front of Neil who just sneaked in front of Rob by one second.
T2 was not so good for Colin who had gone over to the dark side and ran down the wrong aisle, Steve was determined to gain back his transition crown and put in an incredible 57 seconds a full two seconds in front of Neil, this is attained by carrying your shoes our of transition and putting them on past the timing mat, Colin trailed out of transition some 27 later to rue his orienteering skills.
The swim was wet, the bike consisted of putting out a constant 400 watts, the run hurt.
by Colin Chambers
Results (in finishing order)
|
|
Swim |
T1 |
Bike |
T2 |
Run |
Overall |
|
Neil Giles
|
24.48 |
1.16 |
1.03.58 |
0.59 |
37.14 |
02.08.14 |
|
James Dear
|
28.12 |
1.23 |
1.03.15 |
1.19 |
39.16 |
02.13.22 |
|
Robert Hoodless
|
26.29 |
1.17 |
1.09.14 |
1.09 |
39.53 |
02.18.00 |
|
Colin Chambers
|
27.11 |
1.11 |
1.06.55 |
1.24 |
42.05 |
02.18.45 |
|
Steve Alden
|
28.06 |
1.22 |
1.09.35 |
0.57 |
40.23 |
02.20.21 |
|
Rachael Baker
|
28.30 |
1.42 |
1.15.00 |
1.09 |
44.18 |
02.30.37 |
|
Hazel Tuppen
|
28.08 |
1.52 |
1.20.05 |
1.27 |
45.43 |
02.37.13 |