This was my first ever triathlon last year, so todays race would be the first time I've repeated a race. None of my equipment has changed (OK, new bike helmet), the weather is pretty much the same (almost perfect) so it would be a direct comparison to last year... (though transition was across the road this year, a bit further away than last year so not exactly the same). If only I hadn't had the shits since Friday evening, and my right shoulder hadn't been so sore!

I was in the last of 4 waves at 8am, but we were up at 4:45 to ensure we got there in plenty of time and got registered etc, then it was several trips to the portaloos as the squits kept on coming, though they had calmed down since yesterday, when at one point I was considering not racing at all, I felt terrible, stomach craps, sore arse, tried etc. I carried a roll of bog roll around the whole morning just in case.

My right shoulder had been hurting for several days, I think from lifting the bike with Mikey in it when I reached Dan's after school club. It was particularly painful when I slept last nice, and was a dull ache before the swim.

After the first wave went off at 7:30 I got changed into my tri suit and wet suit and got ready to go. As the 3rd wave went off we in the last wave entered the water - not too bad! certainly warmer than it had been a few weeks earlier when I swam here for training. It wasn't warm, but it didnt have that numbing chill to it. I quickly got a few short swims in, bilateral breathing etc, then headed back to the start. I decided to start off to the left of the main group, so give me some room without getting bashed.

Swim

When we were all lined up the horn went as we were off. I was a little surprised and fumbled to start my watch but quickly got going. I didnt get jostled or hit at all, and was swimming fast, probably too fast to start, but was breathing OK. I felt like I was going too far left so tried to head right more. As we came to the first marker buoy, which is a 140-odd degree turn I knew it was going to be busy, and it was! There were arms and legs everywhere and I made a bit of a mess of it. I think I then aimed slightly wrong and had to correct again to get to the second marker. That one wasnt so bad, but shortly after I rounded the 3rd marker and was on the home straight I nearly swam straight into people who were still to round it - I was too far left again! I corrected, tried to clm down a bit and headed to the final marker. By this point I had settled into the swim and was overtaking quite a few swimmers.

I aimed for the finish and when I felt sand I stood up and ran up to transition. I was a bit dazed I think and forgot to start taking my suit or even swim hat off.

My right shoulder was sore all the way round but I dont think it slowed me down.

T1

 It was only as I reached my bike (no probs finding it) that I took my hats off (I had the fr110 under my own hat) and started taking my wetsuit off. After I had it down to the waste I again sat down to get the legs off - I really need to improve this! It came off easily enough, I got my shoes on (no socks this year) and put my glasses and hat on. I got a gel between my teeth and wheeled my bike out. I think I hesitated slightly as to which was to roll the bike but got to the mount line. 

Not the best transition ever, still wasting 20-30 seconds.

Bike

I got on the bike OK, and got clipped in reasonably quicker and set off. I simply rode pretty hard the whole way. I don't think I stopped pedalling once. There were no stoppages at all. After a few miles I started swapping position with another rider. I'd overtake him, and within a minute he'd overtake me, only seemigly to slow down a bit so I was forced to re-overtake. I certainly wasn't drafting him, and I don't think he was drafting me, we were just racing each other.

I think I was overtaken maybe just two or three times by other rides, and I overtook a lot of people. My breathing was quite hard, and my hr was up, but on the outward leg with the wind behind we must have been averageing 28+ mph. As we turned around the wind was in our faces and it slowed us down, but the average speed of 22.7mph for 17 miles is a new record for me. 

I had the gel after a mile or so, and drank 750mm of water during the ride (I annoyingly carried another 750mm full bottle the whole way round!). I felt good on the ride, would struggle to go much quicker with the pending 5km run after.

T2

I skidded to the dismount line, and had to jog the bike quite a way around transition but found my spot easily. Racked the bike, helmet off, changed shoes and I was out. It didnt feel slow, nor fast, but 89th for both t1 and t2 out of 350+, need to get better!

Run

As I set off on the run I thought I'd overdone it on the bike, as I felt heavy and tired. After a few 100m though I checked my pace and it was sub 7, so that was encouraging. After 0.5 miles the path rises over a train track and you feel it, but I thought to myself that on the way back it would be all downhill for the last half mile. The first mile stayed sub 7. I had a gel at some point in that first mile, and felt like I was running pretty well really. 

At the turn around mark I was still sub 7. I poured a bottle of water over my head and drank a little of it, it perked me up. 2nd mile was slightly quicker than the first - great! The thired mile, with the rise up over the train track was tought, but after that I could see the finish. Someone had overtaken me early on but then stayed only slightly ahead, so in the last 100m or so I sprinted like a twat and overtook him with a few meters to spare. There wasn't much room at the finish so I had to stop running pretty abrubtly.

Overall it was a good effort. I'm a bit dissapointed with my swim, thought I'd be placed higher, but the bike was brilliant, and the run was average to good.