Soldato
Being in that first wave should be great! Don't worry about the lake, cold is good! Rolling hills are the perfect ride imo Good luck for this weekend, and above all enjoy yourself 
Triathletes
- Thread starter [DOD]Asprilla
- Start date
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Well that was an unmitigated disaster. More details to follow.
Soldato
That does not sound good, hope you didn't pick up an injury!
Nothing that bad, just a bad day at the office for me and the organisers. On my phone so will fill in details when I get to a PC.
Edit: Ok, here's how it went.
Arrived in good time, registered and everything, all good. Ended up in the first wave so racked bike and what not. First problem was that the transition area was set up on an area of cracked and broken concrete and gravel. There were a load of carpet track rolls off to one side and we were promised that they would be out by the time we hit T1. Great, but that does't help us have to walk back barefoot to the swim start. Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy.
Quick swim / course brief and we are into the water. It's bleedin' cold. We are making out way to the start when the starter gun goes off and the guys at the front start swimming. Someone on the bank shouts that it's too early and everyone stops and starts making their way back to the line when another bang goes off. We all stop where we are and after about 5 seconds the starter shouts at use to get a move on. Hmm, brilliant skills, half the folks were still making their way from the entry steps and the other half were across the start line already.
I swam badly. I've neglected my swimming of late and it shows, but I'm still out of the water in the middle of the pack with my mate about 30s behind me. We run up the hill to the transition area and the carpets have been laid. Unfortunately they stop about 15m short of my bike, so again I have to run across gravel to get to my area. Not only that but having wet feet means that small stones and grit are transferred on my feet into my cycle shoes and I'm not wearing socks. Good job it's so cold that I can't actually feel my feet. The experienced guys who have their shoes already clipped in to their bikes are worse off because they have to run the 100m out of T1 in barefoot before they can mount, at least the rest of us can run that bit in out shoes!
Things don't improve. I get 100m on my bike and I realise I've punctured my front tyre on the gravel. I pull over and watch the rest of the wave go past as I change a tube. I manage to snap a lever and bend the valve in my haste. I also don't manage to find what caused the puncture so I actually end up with a serviceable but slowly softening tyre for the ride. Apart from that the ride is uneventful; I don't see many people but overtake a few since I'm a bit in no-mans land between waves. Couple of guys on TT bikes (a P3C and a Slice) from wave 2 I presume, breeze past me like I'm standing stil though.
I found out later that I wasn't the only one to get a puncture in T1
Run was uneventful, caught and passed my mate. Did see a few people lose their footing on the uneven ground though.
Finished in 1hr 24mins, nearly 15 minutes outside my target time. Looking back on it I had fun, especially since it was clear early on that I wasn't going to be setting any records, but I certainly shall not be parting with money for next year's Hever Castle Tri.
Edit: Ok, here's how it went.
Arrived in good time, registered and everything, all good. Ended up in the first wave so racked bike and what not. First problem was that the transition area was set up on an area of cracked and broken concrete and gravel. There were a load of carpet track rolls off to one side and we were promised that they would be out by the time we hit T1. Great, but that does't help us have to walk back barefoot to the swim start. Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy.
Quick swim / course brief and we are into the water. It's bleedin' cold. We are making out way to the start when the starter gun goes off and the guys at the front start swimming. Someone on the bank shouts that it's too early and everyone stops and starts making their way back to the line when another bang goes off. We all stop where we are and after about 5 seconds the starter shouts at use to get a move on. Hmm, brilliant skills, half the folks were still making their way from the entry steps and the other half were across the start line already.
I swam badly. I've neglected my swimming of late and it shows, but I'm still out of the water in the middle of the pack with my mate about 30s behind me. We run up the hill to the transition area and the carpets have been laid. Unfortunately they stop about 15m short of my bike, so again I have to run across gravel to get to my area. Not only that but having wet feet means that small stones and grit are transferred on my feet into my cycle shoes and I'm not wearing socks. Good job it's so cold that I can't actually feel my feet. The experienced guys who have their shoes already clipped in to their bikes are worse off because they have to run the 100m out of T1 in barefoot before they can mount, at least the rest of us can run that bit in out shoes!
Things don't improve. I get 100m on my bike and I realise I've punctured my front tyre on the gravel. I pull over and watch the rest of the wave go past as I change a tube. I manage to snap a lever and bend the valve in my haste. I also don't manage to find what caused the puncture so I actually end up with a serviceable but slowly softening tyre for the ride. Apart from that the ride is uneventful; I don't see many people but overtake a few since I'm a bit in no-mans land between waves. Couple of guys on TT bikes (a P3C and a Slice) from wave 2 I presume, breeze past me like I'm standing stil though.
I found out later that I wasn't the only one to get a puncture in T1
Run was uneventful, caught and passed my mate. Did see a few people lose their footing on the uneven ground though.
Finished in 1hr 24mins, nearly 15 minutes outside my target time. Looking back on it I had fun, especially since it was clear early on that I wasn't going to be setting any records, but I certainly shall not be parting with money for next year's Hever Castle Tri.
Last edited:
Provisional times are out and they have put someone else's name against my number and time.
Premium price; terrible organisation and a very disappointing event.
Premium price; terrible organisation and a very disappointing event.
Soldato
That event sounds truly awful mate, sucks when you are so focused on your plan, yet some organizers mess it all up - just throws you completely off!
Glad you wont be doing that again. Still, you gained some experience and can take away points on where you need to improve (swim).
Are there any half-ironmans within reach for you? How well the Ironman was organized was what impressed me the most, talk about above and beyond!!
Also glad you didn't pick up an injury
Glad you wont be doing that again. Still, you gained some experience and can take away points on where you need to improve (swim).
Are there any half-ironmans within reach for you? How well the Ironman was organized was what impressed me the most, talk about above and beyond!!
Also glad you didn't pick up an injury
Sorry to hear that Asprilla. All counts as experience...or something.
Just kicked the **** out of myself in the gym. Have started my winter routine, which will consist of, not counting my tues/thurs/sat/sun training, a 30 minute 5x5 (Squats, Olympic lifts, Bench Presses, Deadlifts and Leg Press) weights session, and a 1hr30min brick session alternating between 45min/45min and 1hr/30min bike/run sessions. Should give me a bloody good base to tackle iron distance next year.
Just kicked the **** out of myself in the gym. Have started my winter routine, which will consist of, not counting my tues/thurs/sat/sun training, a 30 minute 5x5 (Squats, Olympic lifts, Bench Presses, Deadlifts and Leg Press) weights session, and a 1hr30min brick session alternating between 45min/45min and 1hr/30min bike/run sessions. Should give me a bloody good base to tackle iron distance next year.
Hi guys, just read through this thread and thought I'd join in.
Me and two mates have signed up for the 2011 UK 70.3 at Wimbleball. It will be the first triathlon for all of us and I'm really excited. Anyone else doing it?
I'm starting from a position of no strength and low fitness and I've discovered that Wimbleball is the toughest 70.3 on the circuit!!! Talk about going in at the deep end.
I am off on holiday next week but from mid-October I will be into training.
I am looking forward to the training and my commitment will be there. My only concern is that my body holds together. I've recently had tendonitis in my knees from cycling so I'm going to get the quads built up with some squatting as a first priority.
I have never cycled on a road bike, I don't own any running trainers and I've only ever been in open water when messing about at the beach so I really am starting from the position of nothing. Can't wait to get started!
Me and two mates have signed up for the 2011 UK 70.3 at Wimbleball. It will be the first triathlon for all of us and I'm really excited. Anyone else doing it?
I'm starting from a position of no strength and low fitness and I've discovered that Wimbleball is the toughest 70.3 on the circuit!!! Talk about going in at the deep end.
I am off on holiday next week but from mid-October I will be into training.
I am looking forward to the training and my commitment will be there. My only concern is that my body holds together. I've recently had tendonitis in my knees from cycling so I'm going to get the quads built up with some squatting as a first priority.
I have never cycled on a road bike, I don't own any running trainers and I've only ever been in open water when messing about at the beach so I really am starting from the position of nothing. Can't wait to get started!
I did Wimbleball this year. It's a tough race for sure, personally I think you're mad to enter it as your first. I'd recommend you do at least one sprint and one Olympic distance event in the spring before hand. Regarding the course, the bike is tough, there's a lot of climb and a couple of really steep hills. The run also has quite a lot of climb but it is all off road which I prefer.
Make sure you book your accommodation ASAP if you haven't done already, there's not a lot down there. Also little to no cell phone reception.
Associate
I've just entered this with one of my mates as well. We got 2 of the last few places. It's also the first we have entered but we are planning on doing a couple of shorter ones before the 70.3.
Started my swimming training yesterday as this is my area of weakness. It's the first time of been swimming properly for as long as I can remember and it hurt!
I think I'll be ok for the running and bike though. I run a few Half Marathons each year, run for a running club and have also done the C2C over 2 days on a bike.
Hopefully if the 70.3 goes well I can think about doing the full Ironman in 2012.
Just paid my entry for Windsor Olympic. Wondering what others to do next year.......
Just thought I'd check in here to see what events people are planning for next year. I see that the Windsor Olympic in June is already full!
I did my first event at Dorney lake in September and just wondering where to go from there. Any recommendations?
I did my first event at Dorney lake in September and just wondering where to go from there. Any recommendations?
Well, I'm going back to Dorney for the half Oly tri challenge in May and then I'm doing the Windsor Oly.
If I were you I'd look at the same Dorney event you did this year (to see how you've improved), Thames Turbo Series (spring / summer bank holiday Mondays) and possibly Hyde Park.
If I were you I'd look at the same Dorney event you did this year (to see how you've improved), Thames Turbo Series (spring / summer bank holiday Mondays) and possibly Hyde Park.
I'm considering the Forest Middle Distance in Sept.
Associate
Thought I'd resurrect this thread as there's nowhere else to spout my spiel.
I have entered a duathlon in April, only a short distance one (4k,24k,4k) around Goodwood Circuit. Started my training in earnest 3 weeks ago now and things are going OK. Really enjoying the cycling so far, I bought myself a Boardman Hybrid (using it for commuting too) and it's great - I haven't cycled for years. Last Sunday I did 18k on the bike followed by a 2k run practicing my transition in the garage
Once I'm confident I can go the distance I will be working on getting my pace up - I really want to finish the race sub 1h30m. I know this will be put me near the back but we all got to start somewhere!
Depending on how the event goes I may enter another longer one later in the year - although I will also be doing some local road (running) races and prob. the Great South too.
I have entered a duathlon in April, only a short distance one (4k,24k,4k) around Goodwood Circuit. Started my training in earnest 3 weeks ago now and things are going OK. Really enjoying the cycling so far, I bought myself a Boardman Hybrid (using it for commuting too) and it's great - I haven't cycled for years. Last Sunday I did 18k on the bike followed by a 2k run practicing my transition in the garage
Once I'm confident I can go the distance I will be working on getting my pace up - I really want to finish the race sub 1h30m. I know this will be put me near the back but we all got to start somewhere!
Depending on how the event goes I may enter another longer one later in the year - although I will also be doing some local road (running) races and prob. the Great South too.
Excellent stuff Badger. Be careful though, it's pretty addictive.
Associate
haha yeah - I hear you there. Already I am becoming pretty obsessive about my training and it's only a short event!
Have you entered any races Asprilla, looking back at this thread it seems you're a decent triathlete already?
Have you entered any races Asprilla, looking back at this thread it seems you're a decent triathlete already?