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Amazingly only 5 seconds between you even though you were in completely different races over different bike routes.
Swim Bike Run Total
Ian Merrington 32:28 1:10:28 43:26 2:32:52
Bryan Avery 24:08 1:16:15 47:48 2:32:57
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Doh - that sub 2hr 30 was so close!
Swim - It's probably 1000m out to a turn round and 500m back, I started out far right (turn on the left) and cut across to avoid the crowd and that worked well, but at the turn around I was swimming faster (probably more evenly) and caught the back of the 'crowd' with just no way through, so I could have gone quicker, but would have been smashed to bits! 32 min 28. My watch got stopped from a number of kicks, so had no idea of the actual times during the race.
The first T was a run of the length of the centre for me, I ran and quick change in 4min 35. As an observation those who had shoes on the bike were much slower getting away once they got on {and faffed putting feet in] they were also quite a danger as they weaved all over. I think unless you are good then perhaps better to have shoes on and get going than to try to put shows on while cycling along....
Bike - as you came out the centre the wind really hit you, it was awfully hard work. I had two loops of this - great with the wind behind though!. Lots of people with bike problems and a few bad spins as well - there were a number of tight/narrow turns. Interesting that on the uphills I was a tad slower than others and much stronger/faster on the flats/down. I would normally think of myself the other way round.... two loops at 35:13 and 35:16 for 38.7km [good even pace!]
T2 - where the hell is my kit? Hmm well if my kit is gone then I must be in the wrong place.... Nip under a couple of rails to get to my kit... silly boy!
Off for the run and I felt strong - I had two gels on the bike and 1 bottle of drink which I hoped would be more than enough. I did have a bit of tummy ache for the first bit of the run and had to work hard to open up my lungs. Two loops again - first in 22:46 and then I really pushed for 20:40. Pleased with a 9.8k in 43:26. Then wind was again hard work and it started to rain - lucky for me I only did about 500m in the absolute downpoor - I think I'd have gotten cold if I'd had another loop of that.
Pleased with my time, the real high for me was being so strong on the run and seeing Bryan smiling [relief?] as he finished.
Lows - none really, a good race for me, smiled all the way. At the end I felt great, fine - in fact I do wander if I didn't push hard enough for that sub 2:30 grrr!!!!!
Ian
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My yearly truant to The London Triathlon comes around again. This year I go up an age group, so as I'm now in the lower end of my age group I have a chance of getting a higher ranking than previous years.
Four weeks before the race I received an e-mail from the organisers of the event, with my start time, 6:30, WHAT! 6:30am, it reminded me of the Nice Ironman start time. So I have four weeks of getting my body out of bed earlier and earlier each morning to get my body ready for the early start.
Luckily I had got booked in to Novotel hotel, the closest hotel to the Excel centre, so it was a case of waking at 4am, eating my breakfast, banana, tinned peaches, yogurt, Alpine and some milk, then jump back in to bed for 30 minutes before I needed to get ready.
Transition entry opened at 5:30am, but they did not open the gates until 5:45, so it will full of competitors waiting to rack their bikes. Managed to get a good bike position on the racks and then checked, double checked and checked my bike again. I was sure I had forgotten something. Wet suit in hand, goggle and my duck I headed over to the swim start. Only to remember what I had forgotten, I went back to my bike and reset the trip computer. With over 400 men in the swim start and watching several men putting their wetsuits on back to front was quite funny for 6:30 in the morning.
Off and in to the water, like lemmings jumping off a cliff, all the men jumped in to the water and swam to the start, I decided to pick 3/4 from the inside as this would give me clear water from the start. Then we were off. First 200 meters is just getting in front and settle down. then it was time to see where I was going, I looked up and could see nothing, the turn point was about 600 meters away and you just could not see it. This would be fine if you are not a front runner as you can follow the group. Finally got to the turning point, which seemed to take for ever, on the swim back it was in to wind so quite choppy, so quite a struggle when I had to sight.
During my swim I had someone tailing me all the way, and at the end he decide that he wanted my position in the swim, he over took me, but I had him on exiting out of the water :-) I was in fifth place, wet suit off and in a bag and then the flight of steps up to the transition area, oh how I hate those steps. Then about a 500m run to collect my bike, socks on, glasses and helmet, and I was away. Off to Bike out, not too many people around which was good.
There was a little rain on Sunday morning so the road were a little wet, but then came the shock turned left to head towards the City of London, the wind hit my face, of sh1t I thought! I had set myself an average speed to maintain, and it was falling badly, upon turning about 10 minutes later I was bliss the wind behind you, time to sit up right and act like a sail in the wind. But I knew I also had a long cycle to West Minster in to wind to come. Three quarters of the way in to the cycle and I knew I was falling behind my target time, no matter how hard I pushed on the bike I could not increase my average speed. I knew at this stage I was not going to break my BP and get under that 2:30 mark. Knowing that leg were going to hurt in the run and got out the Nerofen gel and rubbed it in to my legs.
T2 was next, and I was in and out like lighting and off on the run, the run felt good, and I passed someone too, oh how pleased I was. It took about 3k for my legs to settle down and I started to pick up speed, watching to K markers pass and my time getting faster with each kilometer. I could see the end in sight and I had just passed the 9k mark and my watch ticked just over 2:30, so close I could see the end. I pushed hard again up the final ramp in to the Excel centre and I caught sight of Ian, so I ran over to him for a high five, costing me about 5 seconds in my overall time. Crossed the line, loads of photos, and a video ending, which I have not seen yet.
Highs
Coming out 5th in the swim
Feeling good on the run
seeing the leader on the cycle ride going the other direction, but he was not too far in front
Coming 73 in my group, the top 21%
finding I done a negative split by almost 2 minutes on the run.
Lows
The wind in my face
knowing I would not beat 2:30
Although there was over 400 people in my heat, it was very well orginised, both at the start and in transition.
I've already entered for next year, so I'll have a few weeks off then back to planning my training plan, to see how I can improve for next year.
position
73 Bryan Avery
Swim 00:24:08
T1 00:03:03
Cycle 01:16:15
T2 00:01:45
Run 00:47:48
Total 02:32:57
Bryan
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