Action Watersports Standard DistancePosted by Conehead on September 28th, 2009
Race report for the Action watersports Standard Distance Triathlon (Lydd, Kent)
Mark Donnelly
Well I arrived with one hour to go, registered and proceeded to transition and set the bike up. There was quite a mist over the lake at that time and i hoped the start wouldn’t be delayed but couldn’t see across the width of the lake let alone the length of it. I decided the best thing to do was to get ready for the expected 8am start anyway and then see what happened. The mist cleared really quickly and as the first wave set off the sun was starting to shine – looks like it would be a nice day! I started at 8:10 in the second wave and as i entered the water was surprised at how warm it felt compared to the air outside…until i got into the deeper water which was not warm at all. I had a few minutes to warm up and get used to the water, and as i did i realised my wetsuit wasn’t on as well as i would have liked – it was restrictive at the throat… I was just about to get out when the countdown started so i though that i would just have to deal with it. The klaxon went off and there was the usual melee – except this time instead of watching from the back of the pack i was right in the middle of it – my wave had about 50 people and i was clawing clubbing and scrapping in the mix with the best of them. After several smacks to the head and an alarming elbow in the neck I soon found my natural place and pace – back of the pack and started to sight. I have really improved my sighting as i found the corrections to course were much less drastic than normal and less frequent.
As i turned the first buoy i heard the wave behind start…i was only about 500m ahead at this time – i knew the front runners of that wave would catch me – still i relaxed again and carried on. It all went well and it was about 200m from the end when i was caught and overtaken by the first of the next wave. I jumped onto their feet to start drafting and just as i did they stopped! So i cruised past only for them to fix the leaky goggle and fly by me again – i decided not to draft this time. As i clambered out of the water i checked my watch and though b*gger, how slow was that – i took my goggles off and realised that I had in fact set a new PB by 7 minutes leaving the water in 26′30 (or there about)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was slightly slow in transition as the cold air and struggle to get the wetsuit over my feet – Rookie day here I come – but started out on the pancake flat bike course. The bike was flat and fast – with the early stages averaging about 33kph (which is fast for me over anything more than about 2k). I then realised that i had to pee. and i really had to so at about 15k i pulled over by a bush and relieved myself. checking the watch the whole time i watched the seconds turn to minutes – 2 minutes for a pee? I think it was a mixture of nerves and the second cup of tea with breakfast.
The bike was good and as i rounded camber sands i remember thinking of a childhood holiday there, i sped up considerably! Then i was on the home stretch getting back into transition in about 1′18, as i started out on the run with 1′50 on the clock k I though to myself that i was on for a (just) sub 2′40 finish – well up on what i expected of 2′45/50. I started out at 8min mile pace, aiming for a 25min first 5k then to speed up as i ran back along the out and back course. I had come into t2 with a group of about 6 riders and over the first 1k i picked all but one off and eased away feeling good and full of energy.
My nutrition strategy of a get before, 2 on the bike and one in t2 plus 2/3 bottle of water and 2/3 of sports drink on the bike seemed to be working (but may explain the toilet break). Just before the 2k marker my left quad started to twinge, i realised that i was slightly up on the target time so eased off, and then it happened, i got a cramp in my left quad just above the inside of my knee. I was less then 2.5k into the run and could barely move. I struggled on to the water station at 3k with a run/hobble strategy. Walked through the water station and then stopped to stretch out. I picked up the run again managing about 500m before the twinge came back and i had to hobble again. This cramp was a persistent one. I kept this going until the 6k marker where i decided to try and run a little slower but further…i managed about 700m and then had to walk. I stopped to stretch out and all the while seeing my time slipping away. I then decided that i would run until the cramp physically stopped me from doing so. and managed almost 1k before i had to stop.
I persisted and made it to the last 500m, then i saw the finish and thought that I would not stop again until i had crossed the line. There were just too many people about it was embarrassing so i ran and my leg cramped to i ran with my leg kept straight and looked like i had club foot but i ran. As i crossed the link and fell over (note to self – cramp doesn;t stop just because i have!) i looked down to see that i had hit my target time finishing in 2′47…i was elated, but crushed at what could have been without the cramp… next year I am going to be back, and I am going to smash the course!
I also want to say how well organised this was, very friendly, brilliantly marshalled and just one of the best races (if not the best) I have been to in my (so far short) tri career. I would highly recommend any of the velo-city events races to anyone. I’m going back in May for the half iron distance ‘Marshman’ which i understand is equally flat!
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