Outlaw Half
Travel to race expo to register and do briefing (this Ironman thing can be annoying with this all weekend shit). Venue look amazing and I try not to look ill but feel shitty. Early to bed (8.30pm) and up at 3.45am (FFS what is this all about!!!)
Actually feel OK when I wake up but hate not knowing how it's going to translate on the race course. Grrrrr
Usual fucking about at the start with Mr T and say hi to a very nervous Mr Jenner in transition. Shit boxed, shit ready, shit is on!!!
Boom, into the swim and feel OK. Get shit kicked out of me but problem here is my goggles are about as useful as a copy of the Nuts magazine to Stevie Wonder. I can't see shit in front of me. Just try to draft of people but basically swim a bit left then a bit right. Not going particularly well here! Miss the turn (amazing) and get swam the fuck over, eventually turn out of the sun and we're heading home. Get on some feet and just generally become annoying. Cannot get this swim done quick enough. Out the water in 37.30. Bollocks.
T1 (crys a little at the though) aim is to get outta here quick time. Run miles to my bike, faff about for eternity getting wetsuit on. Look at my kit like I have never seen any of it before and get my stuff on. I could have had a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits by the time I get out on the bike 5 mins and 5 seconds later. Yup, over a minute slower than last time. Work out in my head I'm between 5 and 7 mins down on where I wanted to be. Fucksake.
I am one of the last of my wave onto the bike course, actually I get passed by someone from 2 waves back before I mount my bike!
On the bike. Feels good. Start passing people EARLY round the lake at 25 mph and it's all road bikes so far. Feels good to be free of that wetsuit.
Bike course feels much faster than it looked. Back off to 21 mph avge and keep passing people non stop. First 20 miles feel relaxed just a little aggitated like I want to get it over already. Hit the big hill (it's seriously not a big hill and that's from me) and take quite a few people. Kona legend Devoniain is just in front of me and I pace off him until he rides off. Fast downhill drag and avge speed creeping towards 21.5. Couple of serious fast bikers catch and pass me. Start to feel strong now and just keep the pace going. Passed Mr Jenner having a good one at 14 miles, he was talking to the guy next to him so gave him a shout and he looked happy as a pig in shit.
On to the smaller loop and we had a good section with wind behind. I fucking smashed it to pieces taking a huge group of drafters then another bunch having a cafe stop at the feed station. Stuck to my nutrition strategy of 2 power ride bars and 1 speedfill which worked out bang on again. Last 16 miles into a big of a headwind. People in front too slow to join pace line so ploughed on overtaking. Started to loose a bit of power into the wind and starting to feel like I need to get off the bike. Last 7.6 miles (didn't fancy a nice round 56 eh guys) were OK apart from the building site off road finish into transition.
Finished up with a 2.37 bike split which I averaged 22mph by my Garmin (although I didn't stop it until I racked my bike #knob). Seriously happy with that.
T2 was a fuck long run (I don't do that leave the shoes on the bike shit) to my shit and put trainers on like I had 2 fingers. Quick gulp and were on the run course.
Pacman time. Few quick starters but I'm hovering people up like they're on a moonlight stroll. No Garmin signal but guessing 7/mm. Comes in at 6.30 pace and settle every mile between 6:36 and 6:50/mm which is what I told my body to do (if it listened in the water we'd be laughing).
Run goes well, didn't kill myself - don't seem able to bury myself yet but strong enough to be competitive.
Finish strongly and surprised to see 4.49:25 on the clock. Crazy plane the finish and the crowd goes wild (well, think they just assume I'm special or something whooping like a twat at the end of a 5 hour race).
Finish up anywhere between 34th and 49th depending on One Step Beyond promotions sorting out their shitty results service. Fuck me for £120 a pop you might want to invest more than £4.50 a year in website services. Think I'm 34th and 7th age group which considering how far I was behind on the swim is pretty good going.
So, swim needs sorting. Nothing new there. Also a pair of goggles which don't leave me snow blind may help.
Bike is where it needs to be. Nothing more to gain just get used to the bike position (do more on the TT bike) and keep up the hours.
Run is where it is at. 1.27 for a half today feeling good. I need to work that down to 1.21 pace I reckon (not a huge ask surprisingly) by more run focus. That should make my marathon split at Zurich dangerous as my run isn't good enough to make up swim loss over a half.
So there we are. I am an Outlaw and I've raced multiple triathlons in my career (2)
Huge well done to Mr T who killed the bike course again (or is just cheating Dick Dastardly style) and made everyone else look like they were on trikes for the day. Also to Mr Jenner for getting his first Half nailled and looked like he was enjoying the day out there!
Biggest thanks again to my beautiful family for putting up with my annoying sport, dissapearing acts at weekends and my grumpy pre-race nerves! Love you guys xxx
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