Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Bala Middle Distance Tri
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Some great reports there folks!
Huge well done to all the finishers, it was tough this year. Huge commiserations to the DNF's.
Not much of a race report for me (thank God I hear you all say!)
SWIM - this was much better for me this year, probably knocked about 8 mins off, and I REALLY enjoyed it this year. Faffed in transition, Meldy and I dried our hair and re-painted nails and I eventually got to the mount line and off I went, just as the fecking ice-cream van was coming in! Boy how I wanted a Mr Whippy
BIKE - decided I was going to 'take it easy' as it was all a bit too soon before Nice really, and I was going to errrr.... 'enjoy' the ride! Actually, it was okay, I did sort of enjoy it but it was so hot and those bliddy hills on the way back! Grabbed a bottle of water, drank some, poured a bit into my podium bottle then tipped the rest out onto the road before the last big hill to save weight.... then promptly ran out of water! Back into T2, hoorah, but slower than last year.
RUN - wasn't looking forward to this, I knew my foot would be agony the next day, but I was determined to get on with it. First half was okay... I was really surprised to see people coming back the other way looking like they were really suffering, and Hollywood advised me to take it steady, 'it was hell out there' or something! Eventually got to the turn around and started back again, then started getting pain in my leg each time my heel struck the floor on my bad foot. This got worse and then progressed into the side of my knee, and by about 8 mile in I could't really run, it felt like I'd been shot, so I shuffled/walked back to the finish.
The last mile I was cursing myself, thinking I'd done something really bad to it, and how stupid I was this close to Nice. I managed a smile and a clap for the fab Pirates who waited for me at the end, thank you guys, you are all stars, and then back to my gritted teeth grimace!
THANK YOU TO ATOM for getting me some ice and strapping up my leg.
Oh well, another Bala, another year..... I'll train 'properly' for it next year COS THIS IS MY LAST IRONMAN.
Thank you for the support, and a great time with friends old and new.
AND PLEASE CAN SOMEBODY SEND MY WETSUIT BACK OTHERWISE I'LL BE WEARING YOURS IN NICE AND WEE-ING IN IT!!!
Time to start dope testing ! Either they've got too much, or I need to change my dealer ...
(speaking as someone who has witnessed many a female Pirate derriere zoom past at one race other...)
just got back
my thoughts...
See most of you in ten days, I cannot wait!
I was being very sensible and even went to bed early and cooked breakfast this morning..............................
and I'm going to miss all the pirate support on the 22nd when I'm doing the Welsh championship Oly and will feel very lonely all on my own in my pirate kit whilst your all sunning yourselves in nice
And that tent was so amazing...........................
Congratulations on a cracking performance...you'll go really well at Nice
While I'm on, well done to everyone, whether fast or slow, svelte or fat (that'll mostly be me TBH
), male or female, finished or DNF, relative success or otherwise; it was 'all for one, one for all'...'tis the Piratey way!
here are my pics
(not in order of appearance and sorry to anyone I didn't catch on the run after camera battery died... was a long day for the battery too...)
Hello everyone - I've been reading all your reports with interest and a huge well done to all of you for your fab achievements. I stand in awe of you all as I'm still wetting myself over my first Oly Tri in August...
Anyway - its all hugely inspirational and gives me hope for the future. If the Middle Distance is as hard as this then God only knows what the full Ironman will be like
Kk - your report made me LOL with regards to the mistake over Melli.. ...t
Good to see that kk stuck to her pre-race plan of 'not pushing it and just using it as a training session for Nice..', or words to that effect....
Great race reports
Well done everyone......... perhaps I'll join you next year!
Oops - rambling ahead!!
Entering this really was a last minute decision for me – although I had done a couple of sprint tris before so had a vague notion what it was all about. Thanks to a knee injury I had done a fair bit of swimming in the lead up to FLM, so as soon as that was out of the way I only needed to worry about the bike. Luckily for me, just before the marathon, I managed to wangle a fancy road bike out of work through something called “cycle scam” – the paper work took ages but by the end of April I was ready to start training. Fast forward about six weeks and I’m sobbing in the racking area because my tyres are flat and I’ve forgotten how to use the bike pump. Er, ok I never knew how to use the bliddy thing. Someone takes pity on me, fixes up the bike and I’m ready to go. Waiting for the start I distractedly rub in a bit of sunscreen – too bad I didn’t think of putting any on my arms or legs!!
SWIM: The water felt so cold on my face but having done a practice the day before I quickly got my head together and started swimming through the murk. My goggles were a bit clammy so sighting was a nightmare until I found some lovely white feet to follow. Drafting felt like cheating but was the only way I could swim steadily and in the right sort of direction so that’s what I did. It seemed to go really quickly and despite falling over a lot when I tried to get out it was over in just 43 minutes.
T1: Wetsuit wouldn’t come off until I rolled around on the grass swearing. That eventually worked except I stopped my new cheapo stopwatch in the process and couldn’t work out how to restart it. Got socks and shoes on, garmin etc, food into pockets. Slurp down some water. Chat with pirates. Sunglasses on. Faff..... and I’m off.
BIKE: Up the hill and round the houses – here we go at last. Start garmin – bah! – garmin set to run mode – faff wobble bleep – garmin now in bike mode. Stopwatch stuck on 43 minutes, 12 minutes elapsed on bike computer er... er... b*llocks – whatever – just ride who cares.... And suddenly, it’s a beautiful day, I’m out on my bike flying through gorgeous countryside and loving every moment. The route was a lot like what I’m used to at home – lots of up and lots of down with the odd flat bit to eat and drink on. The course was brilliant – so good to see the first few guys coming back the other way followed by an endless stream of pirates waving and calling out. It felt fantastic to be part of the pirate crew. I was a bit worried about getting a puncture (having left my pump in transition) and after about 30 miles I was feeling a little tender in the unmentionable department – but other than that it was a beautiful ride and I loved the whole thing. I hadn’t really noticed the first long climb so the lovely long descent to the finish was a very pleasant surprise indeed. Not sure how but I did it in just under 3.35........
T2: Okay quite burnt now so reapply sunscreen to face and arms – why not the legs – why?? WHY!!
RUN: This was always going to be hard – but I was hoping once I got into my stride things would calm down. The first 3 miles were awful. It was flat but I was run/walking. My calf muscles ached, I was burnt to hell and dying for a wee – and there was nowhere to hide!! Eventually I found a tree to crouch behind and things were immediately looking better. I had stuck to my plan on the bike – getting through two energy drinks and a bottle of water and lots of food – and felt pretty good. TBH I was probably a bit too kind to myself on the run. I walked all the hills and various patches of shade because I was hot and others were obviously struggling on the return leg. I spoke to loads of people on the way round and again the support and camaraderie were brilliant. After exchanging news and views with Oxy around the 10 mile mark I shuffled off to the finish and a fantastic reception from the pirate massive.
Total time 6.32. Wahooooooo. Thanks Pirates!!!
jeez that was long
Here's my contribution.
First of all a big thank you to ATOM. for checking my ankle and neck on Saturday and giving me the confidence to even attempt the race.
Great to meet some more Pirates and others I already know. Apologies for getting my Saturday meal order delivered 30mins before everyone else (not my fault, honest).
Swim - The best bit of the day, I knocked 8:23 off my combined swim+T1 time from last year
I was out of the water in 43:07.
I did have a few small 'issues' during the swim however, at the turn around it suddenly started to freak me out how deep the water was under me, this has never happened before and after telling myself to forget it as 'what's the difference between 3m and 30m?' I calmed down again. Then after 2/3rds of the swim I started to feel slightly 'seasick' which seemed a bit weird in a flat calm lake and finally with a few hundred metres to go the pressure on my eyesockets from my goggles was starting to drive me nuts.
Bike (still no where near a good enough biker) - It was very hot and sunny, being way too fair skinned I don't really get on well in that combination (the biggest and probably only reason why I'm not doing an IM). Did the first half in 1:31:53 which I was fairly happy with, the trip back was where all my problems started. I noticed on one of the climbs back that if I stood up on the pedals both of my inner quads tried to cramp, this slowed my climbing speed down drastically. The 2nd leg on the bike took 1:45:37. Total bike+T2 was 3:20:09 which was about 18mins more than last year, but last year didn't include going back up that hill again.
Run - I wasn't sure if I was going to complete this because of my ankle at the start, however it wasn't my ankle that nearly stopped me dead in my tracks. I started out on the run knowing my legs were a bit stiff but thought they would just run off after a mile or so, instead a mile into the run both thigh seized up completely. I was just stood there in the middle of the road unable to move either leg!! After a minute or so they relaxed and I was able to start to walk and then run again. Things were going ok until about 5miles when I seized up again, this time it was also enormously painful, after ATOM. had helped me release my muscles I made it to the turn at 1:07:52. The return was just as bad and after a few more sudden stops in the middle of the road (with cars having to drive around me) I made it back in 2:14:48 eight mins more than last year .
Overall 6:22:10 about 19 mins more than last year, the swim was a big improvement but with my quads giving way left me feeling disappointed with the rest.
Thanks kk - have been trying to read back and unpack and eat and write report all at once - should get my act together tomorrow. Loved your report - makes me feel a bit better about my cheery "go pira...... er.., ah....." so some random bloke in yellow.
Special mention to seren for her amazing hospitality and cooking - and a pretty snazzy performance on the course too!
My race report:
Swim - shit. Battled like I have never battled before - felt like a complete beginner who couldn't get breathing right, my legs had FAR too much bouyancy (getting a suit made) and basically swum like a wingless, featherless, dumbass bird
Bike - shitter. No energy and then had this momentary thought of "I am on sick leave. My doctor said to rest. Not sure this is the way forward."
Eh. Vitruvian... Hopefully