I competed in the The Vitruvian triathlon last weekend trying to get some more racing done before the UK season comes to a close.It was a tough day for me. It started off OK and even a 4am wake up time on a chilly September morning and a swim in the murky waters of The Rutland Water were not as bad as they may seem. I was off in the water at 6:40 in the mens AG35-39 wave and had a reasonable good swim. As soon as the gun went off I found some clear water and got to the turn buoy with the leaders. Unfortunately I lost them at the turn and swam the rest of the 2 lap course on my own exiting in 32min 40sec, which I was happy with.
I went off reasonably hard on the bike hoping to catch some people. Surprisingly there were a few tough hills on the bike which I didn't account for and after the first lap the wheels came off. I must have lost about 10 minutes on the second lap and was not able to raise my effort, heart rate or power.
On the run I immediately felt that my legs didn't have anything more to give so I just cruised through the 2 lap course walking through some of the aid stations to get some drinks and gels on board. It was great to have the support from Alex and Jim's wife .... In the end I finished in 4:33, in 21st place in my age group and 53 overall - disappoining result. To top it off I had some alergic reaction after the race - not quite sure what caused it.
Jim went like a rocket and won his age group with a speedy bike and a fantastic run. Very impressive.
Now it's time to recover and change things for the Florida IM, although I'm not to hopeful now...
Onwards...
