Not telling you, as you’ll put me one more place down the rankings! 
Roadford Lake, the other side of Okehampton. 2 mins off the A30
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You’ve dropped one there, I’d have sent him the link to Weymouth 70.3 or something
Have you seen his training paces 
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You make it sound so attractive!
And they have a standard distance, camping available. Not the best weekend as I have a work trip the next day. Not the worst idea though.
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With your cycling prowess you’d eat the bike course up. Flat lake swim and you’re a super strong runner too! AG win in the bag buzz!
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Phew… those hilly swims are a 'mare.
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Well that went better than expected after an 8-year hiatus. Ironbourne Middle Distance marking my comeback or maybe swan song. Full race report to follow.
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Well that’s an ambition fulfilled - the Cairn Table hill race today 17/7/24, with weather nice enough (not raining) to bike to/from the race… I’ve been weather watching for 3 years!
Bike 24 miles, 1724 ft ascent. Tailwind, about 1h30.
Run 5 miles 1180 ft ascent. 42nd out of 65 finishers with a time of 49.38. What I can’t believe though, is that I was only 4th in v60 category… bloody 4th, f me, there’s some really fit fossils out there 
Bike 24 miles , 2300 ft ascent. Headwind, 2 hours… nearly crying as I reached the brow overlooking the village at 2140 hours - it was cold, it was nearly dark and I was completely knackered 
Tops of about 16 today, but felt like about 10 when I got home. Twas nice cycling home cos after the first 30 mins on main road was done, in the next 1.5 hours between 2010 and 2140, about 10 vehicles passed me on the road both ways! That’s 1 vehicle every 9 minutes…bliss!
Saw some massive hares on the way back, gawd blimey some of them seem to be the size of large dogs. Also saw quite a few harebells roadside which was nice.
I think that my fortnightly 45 x 1min odd hill reps are really paying off, as are the sprints in the other fortnights.
So after a full day’s work, 4.5 hours of cardio…beer…and breathe 
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Oooh forgot to say, great format, chip timed time trial ish - start when you want anytime between 630 and 730. Just go. I liked that.
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Nice work Clive 
Had to look up what a harebell was 
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Buckle up, this could be a long read as befits someone who’s been out of the game for a long time.
Background context, ie. Where have I been
My last bimble in triathlon was a DNF at the Enduroman (remember those epic threads) Triple in 2016. I thought I’d give that a go after completing my Enduroman Double in 2015 yet going on to DNF in 3 other big races that year.
Unfortunately my obsession with endurance almost destroyed my marriage.
A self indulgent year long separation followed with JOGLE and several ultra runs and preparation for the inaugural Brutal Deca Triathlon. Hamstring injury meant there would sadly be no Deca for me, but it brought me to my senses and I’m back with my very lovely and long suffering wife. 
Five year hiatus next including COVID which gifted me early retirement and I move to a countryside village in Hampshire. Here the village pub has swelled my 61 year old belly to even larger proportions.
I have managed to keep up some running with 4 or 5 marathons most years and recently a couple of ultras have fired up my enthusiasm especially now that I am retired and apparently have so much time on my hands . Most notably 220km in the Wadi Rum Desert last October with Ultra-X (great events team who encourage young people into endurance with VERY generous cut offs, WNTL
So back to my race report. Warning: I’m not sandbagging when I say that I expected to be last. My sub-4 marathon and 12 hour Ironman days are a very distant memory. Ultra running has slowed me to a snail pace, forever chasing cut offs.
A winter spent trying to reacquaint myself with the turbo and a few 30 mile bike rides around the flat-ish Hampshire countryside does not constitute 70.3 training 
. Trouble with my groin also restricts me to run walk strategy even on a Parkrun!
I did however recce part of the bike course in between two half marathons (obvs not the hilly bit at the end). I also enjoyed my first OW swim practice to check that I could squeeze into my wetsuit 
.
I must confess that I had originally entered the Ironbourne Full, having taken a deferral/ crewing the bike in 2023. But utter lack of prep and common sense found me switching to the Middle.
Racking my bike was quite bewildering after such a long absence. Back in my campervan (retirement present to myself; so handy for racing/crewing) I had to mentally go through the whole race day routine, transitions, kit changes etc to acclimatise my brain.
Race day got me out of bed at silly o’clock (shock for us pensioners) and into Transition way too early . Back in the day I’d be dashing to the swim start wetsuit around my ankles. I was transfixed by the whole transition pre-race scene; caught between excitement at being back in the thick of it and feeling like a fraud. It didn’t help that this was the British Middle Championship so I was surrounded by testosterone fuelled pros. If I mentioned once, I must have bored people a thousand times with my admission “It’s 8 years since my last triathlon”
The barefoot walk to the swim start was about 1km and we all gathered at the end of Eastbourne pier for the iconic jump into the sea. The one at a time leap start with waves going up in age meant I had about an hour’s wait for my turn. Plenty of opportunity to bore a few more in my own age group. It also gave me a chance to catch up with our legend that is Anthony Gerundini - TC
Once in the water I checked myself, goggles survived the entry, and swam away from the pier. The first turn was only 150m but enough for the proverbial panic attack of wtf am I doing here. 2nd turn by the shore and having resisted the very real temptation of clambering out onto the beach to become a spectator, I headed for the pier. A right turn and 3 bouys later you are back at the pier head turning for a long leg in deeper water making for a tougher stroke rate. After my earlier wobble I was genuinely happy to be back in the game. I even managed to sight pretty well and read the current correctly. It’s a lovely swim course. In the Full you re-enter from the beach and go again, but since they started an hour ahead of me, they were all done. So just like old times my bike was easily spotted in T1
Processing: IMG_9119.jpeg…
Pleased with my 49:55 swim all things considered. Not so with my 19 minute T1 faff🫣
The bike follows the seafront then dual carriageways out of town with a short out and back where I actually saw two other competitors ahead! I was racing my TT bike which I had bought for the DNF Deca and had only ever taken out on the road twice. I’m not terribly comfortable on
tri bars but the course is largely flat - you guys call it a fast course. By the end of the race I was having pain peeing and the medic suggested it was chafing on the Old Man. Explains why I don’t use the tri bars🤣
I’m not bike fit so my race had moments when a slight incline felt like a hill yet there were stretches when, by my standards at least, it felt as though I was flying along. I had the glory of overtaking 4 other, younger riders. Ultimately they all caught me on the run but I trumped them at the end of the race because of my later swim start.
Then it was time for the hilly last 5 miles. I had driven this section on the way to the venue the day before, so I sort knew what I would be in for. Look away now if you can cycle. With virtually no hills in my legs for years I was okay with stopping. Twice up Friston and twice again up Beachy Head, although tbf I could have avoided the last stop, but couldn’t resist a pic. At least I didn’t walk my bike like one of the competitors I overtook.
The downhill into Eastbourne was technical. Coming into T2 I almost felt like a triathlete again. Did I mention 8 years. 3:47:56 sounds poor but I am actually pleased with that. Once again T2 was embarrassing at 14:04 but this did include a pit stop.
The run is two out and back loops along the promenade. Boring pavement munching except for the good interactions with tourists who are kept separate by cones and barricades. The organisation of Ironbourne is some of the best. You also get to see plenty of other competitors which allowed me to chest pump TC a few times, even though he was on the Full.
I could have lifted my pace, but I just wanted to soak up the whole atmosphere without pain.
Run time was 3:10:43. I know this is goddamn slow but I’m just happy to be back.
Overall thoughts. Event was perfect, iconic swim start, fast bike with a little kick at the end, fun run course and top class organisation. Am I happy with my performance: swim and bike probably as expected but should have pushed on the run. Am I glad to be back: HELL YES. How long can I go on for …
#curryisback
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Club reverse aquathlon this evening. Having never done an aquathlon seems a bit weird doing one in reverse.
5km run followed by 432m swim - interested to hear the finer details as in my head it’ll just be a bunfight getting into the pool to swim your lengths?!
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NOICE 
At least you look better than @Toyota_Crown
(Due mainly to the Lack of denim shorts)
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great report and love the T1 picture
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Great report that, and from one 61year old to another, keep going
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Fantastic write up - made me chuckle 
Great return to the fray
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A cracking report of a course I know well (ex-resident of Eastbourne) and event I have been a TO at since it’s inception (although not last 2 years since move to Wales).
But can I just say that helmet fit is shocking - those straps!!! 
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sandbagger!!! YOU WEREN’T LAST 
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I’ve done a couple, and the run-swim-run variant?
Presume it’s wetsuit optional? Can’t imagine the ballache of getting that on in transition.
In an outdoor pool so I’m just going for a trisuit.
Assuming a very basic transition to dump trainers and pickup goggles
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