I started the morning with a yoga session. I specifically did this session to try and ease off my back and hips as much as I could. I also made sure to take the roller with me to the race, planning to do a bit of rollering during my warm-up. Neither helped with a tightness in my right hip that had appeared overnight.
I headed to the race fairly early so that I could get a decent space in transition. Much too early as it turned out. I was the third person to rack my bike, and the other two were event organisers who were out putting signs on the course.
I was off in the third heat of three. It was a fairly stacked heat. A GB International Junior girl who set up next to me and checked her transition run through three times, a GB International Vet Lady who I know is a better swimmer and runner than me, (and was the only other non-teenager!), the kid who has won it for the last 5 years, his pal who I mistook for him at the start, a serious looking kid in a Dundee Uni Athletics top, the kid that beat me in the Hurdles at Inverness a couple of weeks ago, a junior in a swim club training top ... and a handful of others that all looked too good to be in my heat.
I was off first in my swim lane but within a couple of lengths I felt pretty terrible. By the time I reached 75m I got a tap on the foot from the girl from the swim club, she had started 5 seconds behind me but was already wanting past. She was too small so I got no draft off her and she just eased away from me. By the time I got to 150m the hurdler from 10 seconds behind her wanted past as well. He was going too quick to hang on to as well. (Turns out both of them went very close to my target time).
I glanced at the watch at the 200m mark and I was at 3:08, which isn't what I hoped for, but still left me plenty of scope for a 400m swim PB. I really started to drag from there though. Length splits drop from 22/23 secs out to 25/26. I eventually dragged myself out of the water in about 6:40. 40 seconds slower than what I declared, and even 30 slower than what I thought was likely.
I am really disappointed with the time. The official time to the timing mats was 6:53, slightly faster than last year but the Garmin time with just the swim itself was closer to 6:39, which was actually slower than last year. And it wasn't like I hadn't worked hard. I was completely out of breath as I toddled to transition.
First transition was pretty clean and tidy but not very quick. Faster than last year though, so at least it was moving in the right direction. A handful of the faster swimmers were out on the bike, and everyone else from my heat was at least into transition by this point.
Out onto the bike and there were four of us together and trying to shuffle around each other without drafting, GB Vet, swim girl and a young guy with bright red hair. It took me about a mile to recover from the swim but once we got onto a faster section I started to pull away from the girls but the guy was a bit ahead of me. I finally recognised him from before as the kid who was wearing the Dundee Uni Athletics top so I figured he was possibly in my age group and could probably handle himself on the run. So I had to put some time into him on the bike. I closed up behind him just as we approached the dangerous left hander, then I took a rear wheel slide round that and got much too close to an oncoming car. I held it, nearly wet myself, then got straight back into my TT position and went past him.
Then there is a bumpy bit of road that is really difficult to TT along because of the way if rattles the bike. Just as I came off my TT bars to handle that there is a left-hander, and a cameraman who obviously didn't allow for how far you need to lean a TT bike in to the apex to take a corner. I hope he got as much of a scare as I did, I guarantee he felt the breeze as I swooshed past him a lot closer than I want to admit. Here is the photo he took, and a link to their website: www.activnorth.com.
About two-thirds of the way round the course there is a double back section at a roundabout. As I approached it I passed the leader coming the other way, with second and third close behind him. I checked the watch and then went round the roundabout. I passed the oncoming Dundee Uni guy within seconds of coming off the roundabout, having hardly put any time into him. I figured at this point I was within 90 seconds of the leading trio. Last years winner, his pal and the GB Junior. I still hadn't put much into Dundee Uni, but from here the course really suited me and in the last 2 miles I managed to make about 30 seconds on him. I even managed to get out of my shoes on the bike while still keeping the pace up. Dismount was a bit slower than I would have liked but wasn't bad.
Quick check of the watch, I know I have hammered last years bike time, and must have gone close to the fastest time by anyone last year. It turns out I was 5 seconds under last years fastest time, nearly 2 minutes quicker than my own time from last year but the kid that wins had gone another 15 seconds faster than that, and his pal almost a minute quicker. I am still happy with my bike time.
Into T2 was good. I racked my bike, remembered my helmet, right shoe on, left shoe - cramp - try left shoe again - cramp - third time? - ok, shoe is on but left hip is twitching. And out the other end of transition, just as Dundee Uni arrived at the entry.
My plan was to go hard to this point and then see what was left. Turned out to be not-a-lot. I have been running well lately but I knew I was going to be struggling at this one. I gave what I had but I was just empty. Dundee Uni came past me before the first mile and went scooting off into the distance in no time. Then I started catching back markers from the slower heats. I knew I was well clear of anyone else from my heat but last year I lost a place to someone from an earlier heat who had a great bike-run, so I knew I had to keep pushing all the way through.
I ended up running 15:40. Almost exactly what I had predicted and within a few seconds of my previous attempts at this course. Enough to hold on to my 5th spot overall. Dundee Uni did turn out to be a Senior, so I was 2nd Senior. So despite going 2 minutes faster than last year I still ended up in exactly the same position. Less prizes this year though, so winners only, and no snazzy little trophy to stack alongside the one from last year.
Overall I am happy enough. I am disappointed with the swim time, and that lost minute probably cost me the chance to get more involved in a race with GB Junior and maybe get far enough out of sight of Dundee Uni that he might have chased less hard. Happy about most of the bike, but climbs still need work and I should have had smoother effort levels in some parts.
I was off in the third heat of three. It was a fairly stacked heat. A GB International Junior girl who set up next to me and checked her transition run through three times, a GB International Vet Lady who I know is a better swimmer and runner than me, (and was the only other non-teenager!), the kid who has won it for the last 5 years, his pal who I mistook for him at the start, a serious looking kid in a Dundee Uni Athletics top, the kid that beat me in the Hurdles at Inverness a couple of weeks ago, a junior in a swim club training top ... and a handful of others that all looked too good to be in my heat.
I was off first in my swim lane but within a couple of lengths I felt pretty terrible. By the time I reached 75m I got a tap on the foot from the girl from the swim club, she had started 5 seconds behind me but was already wanting past. She was too small so I got no draft off her and she just eased away from me. By the time I got to 150m the hurdler from 10 seconds behind her wanted past as well. He was going too quick to hang on to as well. (Turns out both of them went very close to my target time).
I glanced at the watch at the 200m mark and I was at 3:08, which isn't what I hoped for, but still left me plenty of scope for a 400m swim PB. I really started to drag from there though. Length splits drop from 22/23 secs out to 25/26. I eventually dragged myself out of the water in about 6:40. 40 seconds slower than what I declared, and even 30 slower than what I thought was likely.
I am really disappointed with the time. The official time to the timing mats was 6:53, slightly faster than last year but the Garmin time with just the swim itself was closer to 6:39, which was actually slower than last year. And it wasn't like I hadn't worked hard. I was completely out of breath as I toddled to transition.
First transition was pretty clean and tidy but not very quick. Faster than last year though, so at least it was moving in the right direction. A handful of the faster swimmers were out on the bike, and everyone else from my heat was at least into transition by this point.
Out onto the bike and there were four of us together and trying to shuffle around each other without drafting, GB Vet, swim girl and a young guy with bright red hair. It took me about a mile to recover from the swim but once we got onto a faster section I started to pull away from the girls but the guy was a bit ahead of me. I finally recognised him from before as the kid who was wearing the Dundee Uni Athletics top so I figured he was possibly in my age group and could probably handle himself on the run. So I had to put some time into him on the bike. I closed up behind him just as we approached the dangerous left hander, then I took a rear wheel slide round that and got much too close to an oncoming car. I held it, nearly wet myself, then got straight back into my TT position and went past him.
Then there is a bumpy bit of road that is really difficult to TT along because of the way if rattles the bike. Just as I came off my TT bars to handle that there is a left-hander, and a cameraman who obviously didn't allow for how far you need to lean a TT bike in to the apex to take a corner. I hope he got as much of a scare as I did, I guarantee he felt the breeze as I swooshed past him a lot closer than I want to admit. Here is the photo he took, and a link to their website: www.activnorth.com.
Quick check of the watch, I know I have hammered last years bike time, and must have gone close to the fastest time by anyone last year. It turns out I was 5 seconds under last years fastest time, nearly 2 minutes quicker than my own time from last year but the kid that wins had gone another 15 seconds faster than that, and his pal almost a minute quicker. I am still happy with my bike time.
Into T2 was good. I racked my bike, remembered my helmet, right shoe on, left shoe - cramp - try left shoe again - cramp - third time? - ok, shoe is on but left hip is twitching. And out the other end of transition, just as Dundee Uni arrived at the entry.
My plan was to go hard to this point and then see what was left. Turned out to be not-a-lot. I have been running well lately but I knew I was going to be struggling at this one. I gave what I had but I was just empty. Dundee Uni came past me before the first mile and went scooting off into the distance in no time. Then I started catching back markers from the slower heats. I knew I was well clear of anyone else from my heat but last year I lost a place to someone from an earlier heat who had a great bike-run, so I knew I had to keep pushing all the way through.
I ended up running 15:40. Almost exactly what I had predicted and within a few seconds of my previous attempts at this course. Enough to hold on to my 5th spot overall. Dundee Uni did turn out to be a Senior, so I was 2nd Senior. So despite going 2 minutes faster than last year I still ended up in exactly the same position. Less prizes this year though, so winners only, and no snazzy little trophy to stack alongside the one from last year.
Overall I am happy enough. I am disappointed with the swim time, and that lost minute probably cost me the chance to get more involved in a race with GB Junior and maybe get far enough out of sight of Dundee Uni that he might have chased less hard. Happy about most of the bike, but climbs still need work and I should have had smoother effort levels in some parts.
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