Couldn't have tried harder!

It was my first full triathlon of the year, an Olympic Distance one in Coniston. The good bit was that we were camped pretty close to the start line so it should have been a totally relaxed morning.

I was a bit nervous as all my planning for the bike had been done, taking into account the wrong course profile……Hmmm, I suspect how this happened but will not say publically. The result was that I had my time-trial bike for a very hilly course when my road bike may have been optimal.

It was a 2pm start so we wandered into town for a coffee and a snack beforehand. To cut a long story short, we walked for miles, took longer than expected and I had less time to prepare than I would have liked. Certainly, another 10 minutes to get my wetsuit on and focus would have helped.
There was a little confusion in the briefing insofar as we were told it was a one lap swim. The website said it was two. Grrrr….the whole field looked confused but it was soon confirmed that it was a one lapper! Then another competitor told me that it was a clockwise loop rather than anti-clockwise. Double grrr....he had tatties in his ears! It was definitely anti!

Soon all the ore-competition anxiety was over and we were heading down the lake. I managed to get a good draft on the side of a fellow competitor (drafting is quicker). Our line choice was closer to the shore than most others but it was definitely the most direct line to take. Maybe the majority was thinking the deep water was faster but I suspect they were being sheep and following the person in front.

I was loving feeling relaxed, a key to swimming fast and I was pleased to reach the shore in a tad under 25mins for the 1500m. It was a split transition, meaning we had to run 800m to our bikes. The first mishap was that I couldn’t see my bright orange trainers, panicked a little and struggled getting my wetsuit off! Fortunately, R pointed me in the right direction and I was soon on my way. Losing 15sec isn’t of much consequence unless you’re gunning for the podium!

The bike leg was toughly undulating, with never a second to get into a rhythm. With a ‘diesel engine’, confounded by the fact that I descend like a big Jessie, I’m never going to do a fast bike on such a course. All my losses to other competitors were on the technical and downhill bits. That won’t be an issue on my targeted race in a few weeks time. It has few corners and even less hills, influencing why it’s a target race!

Through the 2nd transition I was soon into my running and passed lots of people. I was definitely running within myself but it was still hard due to the heat. Never mind, I’d get some water at the turnaround point. Or so I thought. At the 5km point, no drinks table……..it said there would be on the race briefing notes! “Kirkland…cage the chimp and save your anger for the end” I thought.
There’s scientific evidence to show that people with my complexion (hint of ginger) are less good at thermoregulation. So it was to prove. I managed to keep my pace going but, as Rosemary noted, I was foaming at the mouth and feeling that my head was cooking inside. On the final very steep hill, my legs nearly buckled and I was forced to walk. Four people passed me in the next 100m which was frustrating but I had buried myself and was 95% satisfied with my performance. I was less satisfied with the race organisers, who although did an OK job, forgot how important the small details are.

It was a pub dinner and I was a moany git due to hunger and tiredness! Rosemary even had to buy me a can of coke to get me as far as the pub! I needed sugar! Typical that the beer I wanted went off tap and the barman insisted on changing the barrel even though I said an alternative was fine! It took ages, then he f**cked up the food order which meant that I was close to eating the table leg by the time it came! Grrr, I was being very grumpy! However, the landlady was delightfully apologetic and helped end the day on a positive.