Better start a new thread: IM Hamburg, road or TT bike? 
Ha, this isn’t IMJ
I did Clitheroe sprint in April 2019 (400/30/8.4), before that was ITU Worlds in 2013.
Quite a lay-off then not including that sprint!
That’s a solid time!
2013 was my first tri 
Alright, quit showing off now!
Cheers @Adam 
I think that @Jorgan may have been right all along, damn him!
Something about fitness gains coming quick and fast coming back, then you hit a plateau, think I have found mind pretty quickly! I’m sure there are some small swimming and running gains to be made, but these will probably be at the expense of cycling…hmm???
I lost 3:09 from the two stops (checked the speed graph, from dropping from 38.9kmh to zero, then getting back up to speed) Oh well, I’ll have a tri go 100% right one day…
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It’s kind of logical though, otherwise you’d be a Pro within 2 years at that rate of improvement!
Of course, you don’t know people’s circumstances, but the guy who came 3rd OA has won it before over the ‘slower’ bike course, in a time just over 4 iirc. Anyway, I actually don’t believe this flat version to be any quicker than the normal route with the short hill, as you lost momentum more on yesterday’s route. Certainly, no-one really seemed to have quicker times that I’ve seen do it before. I rode that at 196NP which is the highest NP I’ve done since the course changed in 2016, and yet it made no difference to my split really. In reality, it’s because I rode it pretty much alone this year, no pace lines.
So we need to wait for the race photos to come out now, so we can start the beauty contest
My number belt kept rising-up during the run and was at the back, so apart from the finish, my run ones will be hard to locate.
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Well, yeah - duh!
I didn’t realise it’d be so damn quick, especially as I feel a bit “fat” compared to my old racing weight.
10kg heavier, but it doesn’t seem to affecting my speeds at all (as my half marathon PB and much better cycling proves)
It was very lonely on Lap 1, I saw how far ahead first place was, coming up to that second roundabout (the one where it was “uphill” to it, then a nice downhill on the way back).
Then literally just saw people coming the other way.
Lap 2, I saw how congested it was going to become on the way back and boy was I correct!
Lap 1 of the run was super lonely - I saw two up ahead of me, caught and passed one, the other ran off.
Lap 2 was getting a little busier, especially when someone came past me like a hare! (Alistair something)
Lap 3 was nuts. Frapwell (printed on his behind) came past me like I was stood still, just on the concrete part through the village on the way back to the finish (about 2-3km before)
I wonder if the guns ask for a later wave to use the “slingshot” effect to their advantage?
Having something in front of you is always a nice target to aim for/pace off.
Normally the results tell you what wave people were in, but not this year. At least I wasn’t lapped on the run by the winner this year! Neil Eddy passed me near the end of my lap 2 a year or two back. He did win the overall AG at the ITU LD worlds this year mind.
Tbh, I’m not sure how good the slingshot effect is if it’s heavy traffic. One year though, when there were 8/9 waves, I was starting lap 2 of the bike when people were starting lap 1 - and the effect there was great, as you’d get a good pace-line from people with fresh legs! I sat behind a huge dude, looked like a second-row, he made a big hole in the air even at 4 bike lengths. I didn’t see him after the hill though, unfortunately.
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They do. Only three of the Top 10 were in the first wave.
I had counted myself into 9th place at the end, but knew it’d drop like a stone.
Frapwell passed my on the run and he was the only person I can recall passing me during the whole race and me not managing to pass back
My splits (excluding relays and TTS) were;
Swim 47th
Bike 30th
Run 10th
If you look at overall, accumulative position from start, I made up 16 places in T1!
As in, if it was a mass start, I exited the swim in 53rd place, then left it in 37th.
Worked my way up to 25th place on the bike, lost one place coming out of T2.
Made up ten places on the run up to 15th.
After my usual mediocre swim I was enjoying the flat and fast bike until the pot-holed right-hand turn about half way through the second lap when I flatted. Was on tubs, didn’t have a spare (!!!) so rolled on in very slowly. Run was so-so, all thoughts of a nice time out of the window and was happy to finish just inside 6 hours. Nicely organised event, weather made a fantastic turn around from the couple of days beforehand. Now going to spend a couple of relaxing days camping with the family. Well done to everyone.
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Very pleased / surprised to see a time of 4:3x, not sure I could have done much more – certainly sub 4:30 was out of reach without some serious upgrades to me or my kit! For the pre-race dramas thread, my usual Sunday morning “get up and ride” alarm went off about 2sec before the hooter, so was unsure if I had started my watch properly. As we all know if it’s not recorded it didn’t happen, did a quick check at the 1st buoy before just settling in and following feet. Deliberately didn’t push the swim, only minor issue was when I lost the feet towards the end I didn’t swim the straightest!
T1 was a nightmare to get my wetsuit off. Somehow the pull cord got stuck in the arm and it wasn’t coming off. Thought I was going to rip the suit at one point. The bike was pretty uneventful. Spent the whole time trying not to go too fast. Was pleasantly surprised to go sub 2:30 and fairly consistent lap1 / lap2. Started running easy, and was comfortably below 7min/ml. I knew this was probably too quick, and sure enough started to slow from halfway, then really struggle on the last lap. Was really worried through the twisty sections that I was going to cramp and that log! Nearly stumbled heading onto the lake path for the final 400m, lost one place in the finishing shoot, but stayed up right!
Good to see you Jorgan. Not sure I’m sold on the long distance stuff. Much like a marathon you spend all day holding back from your best pace until eventually the easy pace you started at becomes too hard as well. Didn’t feel like I was racing at all, have to let the faster guys go on the bike for fear of overbiking, then the run pace is what it is.
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I fantasise about taking a chainsaw to that log! I have been over that thing dozens of times in the last 6 years. Five times on the 226, and my legs lit up like Fukushima on lap 4 after I went over it 
Anyone use their granny ring? 
I recall changing between my 14 and 15T sprocket approximately four times. 55T upfront 
Well done everyone some great times. Didn’t get chance to track yesterday but enjoying the morning after dissections.
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According to that, I gained 22 places in T1; seems like a lot to me! I’m not sure transition looked that busy when I was there! That said, it says I arrived in T2 in 67th and left in the same position which tallies from memory. Then ran up to 47th OA.
Of course, the split waves mean you don’t actually see all your indirect competition.
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Those numbers are a hypothetical one - as if it was a Mass start!
I could’ve (or tried!) ran Al down…if I’d have seen him
You were in the same wave as Al, but of course by that point, the course was very busy.
There’s a guy I would loved to have gotten the better of in a later wave, who was less than 30s ahead in the end, and he ran slower. Pretty sure head-to-head I’d have found the gas!