Before I start all that however there's just enough time for me to remind you about the GOLDCOAST BEACH AQUATHLON next weekend. Click on the link to find out more. A race with a Festival thrown in as part of the shwag bag, what more could you ask?
Back to the race reports then and the big one of course was IMUK 70.3 where in his first full year of triathlon Damian Railston was taking on the distance in memory of his son Nathaniel (Please click here to find out more about his story). Racing alongside Damian were Alan Ward, Tony Read and many other friends of the club. Also out there making a HUGE amount of noise were the NDTC support crew, so apologies to any athletes returning from the race with damaged ear drums :-).
DAMIAN'S WIMBLEBALL REPORT
First of all... Thank you to everyone who supported and sponsored me! You got me through the run... without that motivation lap one might have been the only one I did!!
So the day... Misty on the lake so the start was delayed about an hour and a half?? I wandered out to the lake when called, following Toasty to the left hand side of the field. He was in the water and away like a fish and I got battered!! The swim was the proper distance and I was out the water in about 31 mins on my watch. The run to transition was a 'mare! Out on bike feeling good. Stuck to my feed strategy all the way round and it worked. Got overtaken by gizillions of people - stuck to my strategy and beat my beat time by 10 mins. Think I took the wrong bike - but hey ho - no flats or mechanicals. All good. Happily wound my way back to transition and changed for the run.
So with injury and wot not I've not done enough training for the run... and it showed. The first lap hurt badly... The second was better... and I felt ok on the third. A nightmare split but I did it.
I was running down 7 hours and it flicked by on my watch. I was a bit gutted but kept pushing for the end. Turned the corner to the finish line and saw I was going to be under my target of 7 hours. I remembered that I started my watch a few mins before the start and locked the keys... lapping it when the gun went off.
Doh 6:58:24 I'm a (sort of) Ironman!! Again... thanks to all who shouted for me today... It made such a difference.
Green Army!!
COACH TOASTY'S (ALAN WARD) REPORT
Well as Damo said a very delayed start which led to a second breakfast of a slowly munched Powerbar and some Gatorade provided by organisers.
Got in swim and started far left front row, staightest line is quickest and figured I would only get kicked on one side. I swam straight for the first buoy and everybody else went off to right to have a fight, lovely jubbly. Got to first buoy feeling a little groggy in tummy and then around and into sun. Some feet came past as we reached halfway to final turn so jumped on and stayed there til last 100m, palms against feet most of way, bit more comfortable and eased stomach. Probably should have gone round but figured there was plenty of time to make up a minute or two.
Run up to T1 buggar! Steady T1.
Very relaxed on first lap able to talk comfortably going over the big climbs, maybe too relaxed. Support from Team towards end of lap was excellent much appreciated! Passed here feeling good. Finished lap 1 in 1.35 so time to up pace a little for second lap, decided to race a little here and pick some riders to stick with. No talking up big climbs this time. But still felt good coming past support crew to finish Bike. 3.05 Bike measured it at 57.75 miles.
Took my time to dry my feet off in T2.
Out onto run and feeling very good for first 20mins then on long out and back at North end of Lake started to feel rotten and took me 15mins to sort it out, walked for a footstep on steep hill at start of Lap 2 felt horrible, no more of that! Hard to pace not knowing course exactly, is difficult to work out the whole thing before the day! Jan and Dick were awesome down by Dam made me smile every lap.
Lap 1 in 33min even with rubbish bit shows how good I DID feel. Lap 2 went quite well in 39min, ankle starting to feel sorer and sorer. Start of Lap 3 felt ok still, gravel section was felt like even deeper sand on this lap but go through it with some very short strides. Out and back at North end of Lake got me again though, longest section without aid station and the heat started to get to me and before I know it I am walking up last hill like a drunkard, eyeballs rolling in my head stuff. Mince / Jog up to line though for 5.44:52 Lap 3 46min ish 2.02 for run happy with that considering problems I have had this winter.
Put simply I need to be a stronger runner. But overall very happy to finish and pretty much pull off the plan, especially on the Bike.
Well done to Damo a well executed race I think! Tony Read as well who was very nervous beforehand especially with delay. Ross McDonald had a cracker as well finishing 10th overall, in first Pro and Half Ironman Race, I think it was with 4.45ish. Only beaten by one Age Grouper..... Kit Stokes.
Supporters Legendary couldn't have done as well without you,
ThankYou.
Away from Wimbleball there were Triathlons at St Ives and Burnham-on-Sea this weekend. A Burnham report will appear on my blog soon so I won't use up club space with it. Sue White's report from the St Ives Sprint Triathlon is below.
St Ives Sprint Tri.
Carbis bay looked like the carribean at 7 am, sun shining, warm, golden sand and turquoise sea, and barely a ripple on the water.
It was very chilled out race, only 45 in sprint and 45 in standard. I was on my own which was a bit strange, but soon saw a familiar face in Helen Dyke, who introduced me to her new fella, Tim McDowell, they went on to win 1st male and 1st female in the standard distance race. Helen looked really happy with him, and he is a good-looking fit young man who is into sport as much as her, good luck to them!
Anyway 8am we set off, an hour after the standard race started. The water felt very cold but soon felt warm with the effort and was pulling strongly and siting well, came out fairly high up, with two other gels. had a bit of trouble undoing my neck as hands a little numb, but reasonalble t1.
Then straight out and up the very steep hill.. thank god for granny rings, didn't find it too bad. 22.5 km bike with hills and poor surface meant a slow bike split and as i didn't have jan there to race against (or Fi!) I pootled along, much too comfortably. But my legs were still sore after thurs TT and friday 6km run at woolie. stayed relaxed as came into t2,
Walked up the footpath steps at start of run and then gradually wound it up. picked off 3-4 runners on way round and then back to the beach where we had to run the length of it 1 and half times on soft sand. Pleased to see Steve who had foregone climbing to come and support me and he ran alongside me ( very comfortably) as i picked off two more women in the last 200 metres.
So slow time, but so was everyones, sw 16.29, bike 1.06, run 29.51, plus trans =1.54.59.
4th woman, 1st vet woman but very small race!!
Congrats to everyone.
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