More a race I didn’t end up doing!
It was the rearranged Dresden 70.3 today and I’m glad I didn’t go back, swim shortened to about 750M due to the cold weather, pouring down for lots of the bike but looks like it improved by the run.
Some photos show athletes with foil blankets and their wetsuits before the start, then almost full winter kit on the bike.
So glad I didn’t go back, although it was going to be 30+ originally.
Nikki Bartlett. ?
Came second after a Dq.
One of the few pros who replies to everyone.
She said it was grim and she looks a proper hard lady
Yeah, I saw it on Nikki Bartlett’s instagram
Looked horrible, well avoided Jeff!
Yeah, I like Nikki, comes across well, bit like Goss
IM Italy saying to Barcelona hold my beer when it comes to drafting.
Jeezo. Is that a consequence of the IM and half being held on same day? With that many all congregated and bunched I guess it the marshall’s would have just given up, if they were ever trying to enforce in the first place…
Not that they’re trying to ride legal but doesn’t look like there’s enough road for the number of competitors.
Yeah as above it could be because the 70.3 and full have been forced onto the same day
Club champs race report
Seeing as the only Tri I entered this year was a dnf my only target was to finish.
Predictions 7 min swim 45 min bike 25 min run with transitions to a 1h20
Swim
Glad to get inside as was a bit chilly out. Into the pool early. Odd pool with weird warm and cold currents but ticked off the lengths, throught I was on 14 but watch buzzed for 16 and I’d miscounted. Out I got and saw 7.07 so right on track.
TQ
Slow af as I battled to get a long sleeved top on. Was far too cold to be riding sopping wet without it. Out the school and left turn, got the right left handed after that so one better than last time when I shot off down the hill.
Bike
Trying to find a rhythm and remembering the route. A left at the roundabout, oops wrong one, u turn and back we go. Ah right there it is. Left and left onto Cooper’s green. Great bit of road to get some speed. Came up to a few clubbers and tried to say hello but it probably came out as haplothhhh between me trying to breath.
Up a bit, down a bit, ugh, lots of hills. Fly down I to Wheathampsted, up The Hill and Coach comes flying by making it look easy. Someone has had their Weetabix! At least I could go down the other side fast now it’s been resurfaced. By this point I could see more riders ahead as we started to bunch up on course. Back into the school for T2. 40 mins dead.
T2
Nowt to report, bike off, shoes on, jog round a cone and off.
Run
Headed Past the quadrant and I spotted a trisuit ahead to try to catch. A quick hello and off we go staving off cramps and telling legs to be quiet. Ooh now there’s Dan again, that was what I needed as motivation to make an effort in the last couple of uphill Kms.
Just caught him before the school, and he tagged onto my shoulder. Bit of a push to make sure I didn’t need a sprint finish, not that it mattered as he started after me anyway but it was ‘fun’.
Into the school and across the line trying not to collapse. That last bit really hurt. Smiles for me as I’ve now maintained a streak of doing a Tri for 5 years running. 24 mins ish.
Lots of people all crossing the line within a few mins, so the staggered start worked.
Official times came in at
7.18
2.08
40.08
1.45
23.49
Total 1.15.08 and 10/17 overall.
Sums up my Tri season, COVID took me out and not had motivation to keep training since Cots but I still had fun.
Nice pic and report.
Well done
I did Canada when they ran both together, didn’t have any drafting at all that I saw. But the roads were wider and it was a hilly route which tends to spread the pack out.
Thanks, should also say that I’m really thankful for being in a decent club.
The race was put on for £2 cost per person (pool hire), old skool clipboard and stopwatch and start was slowest first with the whole club supposed to end at the same time if people were accurate with their predictions.
Some decent performances today too with the winner in 1.02 on what isn’t a fast bike course and run is 5.3km
That is shifting.
The winner for us today was way under the hour I think, but third place was only 1:03 ish and a few hundred there.
Old school event sounds great, I must join tri Preston it obviously works well for Tom Rigby.
£2!
Excellent
Looks like the 70.3 started a good few hours after the full, unless they were joining on the second lap or something.
Trying to cram too many athletes onto small roads and it is actually unfair for some that want to ride through them. I’m guessing it might have been early on and broke up a bit later, but even if they got half of it in a pack that’s some serious energy saving.
Signed up for Hever Gauntlet next Sunday. Last took part in 2018 and was a “just for fun” race. I rode the bike course today (I live locally so I have ridden it 20-30 times, but today I timed a single lap). I was sure my 2018 time was super soft and I could salvage a year of two DNFs with a confidence boosting time at a season ending half. Well, my guess now is that I will get roughly an identical bike time based on the trial ride today. Difference is that I am on a roadie and last time I was on a Speedmax. I guess that is worth something. I will report back next week. Just trying to end on a high note after DNF at Wales.
Fantastic. You finished well and you had fun.
Ironman 70.3 Weymouth for me yesterday.
Couldn’t have started better, stellar swim fit me (32 mins) and out on the bike 3 minutes off the front of my AG. Then that lovely ‘bike legs have showed up’ feeling, and I’m flying.
I caught and passed last year’s AG winner after 25 miles (he swam 1st AG), so I know I’m right in it.
Then hit a piece of debris on the road, flatted front and rear. Worse, one of my replacement tubes has a dud valve so I waste 2 CO2 tubes failing to inflate it, leaving me with 2 flat tyres and one canister left.
90 minutes later finally a roving mechanic showed up, by which time I’m ready to bin it as I know the sweeper wagon will be through soon. It passes, but I decided I might as well get things fixed and roll into T2 to DNF.
Not entirely sure why, but once I’m rolling I decided to ‘race’ again. It’s a training day now, and first job is to catch and pass the sweeper before the next bike cut off.
I do that, and then ride hard to T2, passing loads of probably startled backmarkers. I decide to do the run, and a plan forms to nail it with a negative split.
After a ‘what’s the point, I CBA’d to suffer’ 8 minute mile I do get cranking, post a negative split, and the fastest run in my AG.
Oh what might have been! The guy I passed ended up 2nd AG, and I think I would have been very close to the eventual AG winner.
Mixed emotions to say the least, the missed opportunity vs a very well executed race and signs of good form albeit with a 90 minute rest in the middle!
What a nightmare but kudos+++ for finishing so strong after that👋
Well done, cracking effort on short notice. 
Tough day but well done for getting on it again. 
