The results are in.

Swim – Wha-hoo!!!

Bike – Yayy!!!

Run – Could have been so good if it weren’t for the typo – have to add 10 mins to make the numbers add up (and bring it into line with what I was expecting).

Out of the starting blocks

Hooray, at last. After two aborted attempts so far this year, my triathlon season has finally started. I had booked the Windfarmer but, due to cold water temperatures (in June), it became a run-bike-run and I’d booked the Bexhill Lions triathlon and that, due to high winds and choppy seas, also became a run-bike-run. Well, we’ve all seen my run times and what is the point at putting yourself at such a disadvantage so early on – I don’t mind the loneliness towards the end of a race but there’s no fun to be had in starting with such a handicap.

Yesterday evening we went out to the lake where Mike (Velocity Events) had laid on a free (yes, free, no charge, voluntary donations to Great Ormand Street Children’s Hospital) sprint triathlon for any one who had entered either the Windfarmer or the Marshman. Considering it was mid week, windy and mostly grey, there was a pretty good turn out – 40 entrants.

At 7pm we were all bobbing about, with lightening flashes in the near distance, waiting to be started. Not sure what my splits were as the results have yet to be posted; a pen, some paper and a stop watch may not be quite as efficient as timing chips but at least they always work. I hobbled in after 1h40 (I think) of which I’m guessing the run took more than 40mins.

I stayed right at the back for the swim start; I can’t be doing with all that frenzy which sends me into hyperventilation mode and I must have swam reasonably well as, by the time I got to the first buoy, I was contending for space amongst other swimmers. The out and back bike route, although flat, was into a strong head wind to start and I was keeping myself pushing on by imagining the easy ride home; how can it be that some days, the wind can feel as if it is blowing in two directions. Unusually, I was still in the race (normally coming out of the swim to an empty transition area) and before I knew it I was into a game of tag. Had it been any other day, I’m sure the girl I was vying with and myself would have been disqualified for drafting as neither of us could get away into that wind. We both arrived back in transition, her a couple of seconds before me, and that is where the race ended. I started the run slowly; the sole objective to finish it running and not walking. Everyone I had overtaken in the swim and on the bike came past but that was OK – I was still jogging along. Until…. crap, crap, CRAP!!! Sure enough, aroung the 4k mark my knee went. At least I had the victim of an asthma attack to keep me company; obviously a reasonable athlete, the poor guy kept running and stopping and running and stopping and it was really inspirational to see his determination. Taking a leaf from his book, I broke into a hobble, deciding that it couldn’t make things any worse and limped home to the coach in my life standing at the finish line.

Slightly frustrating but not as bad as not starting the race at all and at least I felt I had earnt the free barbecue afterwards.