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Race Report: Wilmslow Triathlon 2014
Race Date: 11/05/14
Race Type: Sprint Triathlon
Result: 6th AG / 20th Overall
Performance: Mixed day 7/10
My swim time meant I started in a wave later in the day at 13:20, so it was a late start for a race. A couple of benefits meant it gave me chance to chill in the morning and have a big breakfast without rushing. I could watch the weather slowly brighten up. And thirdly I had my steak & Guinness pie in the slow cooker for when I got back.
Swim – 400m – 7:33
The time is inclusive of the run out of the pool up to T1, as I was surprised at my time and thought I’d had a decent go. I set off at the front of my wave, everyone with predicted times of 7:10. I overtook 3 people in the 16 lengths, which meant there may have been a few ego times in there, which were far from accurate. I had to sit my final length behind a much slower swimmer, but overall I was happy with how I swam and kept up a good pace without tiring, which has been apparent in my threshold training sets.
Bike – 24.2k – 40::59
It never felt the wind was behind us on the bike! I had another solid ride, backing up my performance from Newby Hall Duathlon. I feel really good on the bike at the minute. This time I held an average pace of 22mph in not ideal conditions this was a good effort for me. I learned one lesson – not to have Lucozade in my Torpedo Mount cage between the aero bars. The first sip I took resulted in spillage and sticky levers, handlebars and hands.
I came into T1 at the same time as my racked neighbour, who in turn knocked my helmet off my bars and sent all my neatly set race belt, watch and sunglasses sprawling across the floor. I lost a few seconds in T1, but I had been practising my mount which worked well, using the elastic bands with the shoes ready clipped in. Something I am gaining a lot of confidence in now is my approach to transition and being far less daunted by the list of things to do in such a short space of time.
Run – 6.3k – 27:33
Mud! The course had been fairly chewed up across the day and I went down a couple of times while negotiating the slippery field out of transition and into the tree covered paths out and back. The run course is actually quite tricky, a few hills and two foot bridges to cross. Very slippery and not very welcome on a tri run route, but you have to play whats in front of you. I felt I was in a race for the first time in a while. I had been overtaken and then kept in touch with a guy on the bike and began to reel him on the run. I was setting up for a late spurt until I slipped up for the second time and the final footbridge broke me.
Overall – 1:17:44 – 6th in Age Group / 20th Overall
I was originally a bit disheartened at the end of the race. There could be a list of excuses – slower swim traffic, shocking drivers out on the bike course on very busy roads, and a few slip ups on the run. A poor T1 didn’t help, but in hindsight when I looked back at the result it was the best I could have hoped for. I was 37 seconds off 5th which may have been attainable on a perfect day, but much further back from the lead group which no added training could have bridged. So overall, I can take away a decent day out and some confidence going into London Pru Health Triathlon on June 1st, my first Olympic Distance Tri.
Race Organiser – Xtra Mile Events
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Note Worthy improvement from when I did this event back in 2011 (the run was 5.6k in 2011). This was my first ever Triathlon and ironically my now coach Paul Savage features on the podium!
Swim – 9:12 / Bike – 48:48 / Run – 26:26.
AG position – 16th / Overall position – 161st
Iron Producer 