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PSOF 10th Anniversary Champs
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Great race reports ISB and BYF it was nice meeting you all out in Klaggers, looking forward to seeing come of you at Outlaw soon
Inspirational as always
Game on for Lake Tahoe this September, and IM CH in July next year before Mallorca
Will that put you on minus 0
YES
Barlos did you get in the legacy on your first entry
Pre-race
All went as well as could be expected up until early January and then things kind of took a downward turn, but apparently shit happens and you have to play the hand you're dealt, the hand I was dealt mainly involved not cycling or running or anything-ing until the end of March.
By early April I was beginning to think about joining the endurance elite after completing a 15 mile bike ride. Long distance running soon followed and I was up to completing a parkrun mid-April. Swimming was put slightly, actually, fully on the back-burner, based on a history of getting round the IM swim around 1hr 40 on the back of no more than five pre-race swims, I figured I should concentrate on getting into the 20s (miles not mph) on the bike first.
Through May and into the beginning of June I got more miles under the belt and decided that it was worth turning up at the startline and seeing how far I could go rather than just having a roadtrip holiday. Even with the events of the year I'm not sure I could have watched everyone else racing knowing I once had a place in the event.
Fast-forward to the Friday before raceday and I went for my fourth swim of the year, all went well for the first three or even four strokes and then water started filling up the right side of my goggles. A few stops and tightening of the straps made little or no difference, that being said I couldn't tighten too much as it was to say the least a tad painful. A pre-swim purchase on Saturday from the expo and I had got the much-needed 'try something new on raceday' item. Gave them a test and minor leakage but nothing too off-putting, all set.
Raceday
A very relaxed beakfast and drive down to Minimundus followed by a stroll to transition to make sure I forgot to put my cashew nuts anywhere near the bike and a walk over to the bar at the Strandbad for a bit more relaxing, being off in the final wave meant we had to be out of transition over an hour before the start. Feet up and dropping off to sleep was going well until my coach, Mrs S, told me to get my shit together and if I didn't mind too much at all, maybe putting on a wetsuit? I duly complied, after all a sulk for a day and a flight home is easier to deal with that a sulk for a day then three more days on the road (I'm not saying which of us would be in the sulk though).
Swim
I think this is my favourite swimming pool I've ever had to swim in, I almost, very almost, enjoyed it at times! Our wave set off with little or no feeling of the mass start washing machine and I guess we've all reached the age where we just can't be arsed with the biff and so we all got along really nicely. At one point while breathing to the left it almost looked like I was moving forwards in comparison to the jetty, very odd.
Nothing much to report in the first 15 minutes until shock of shocks, I caught someone from the previous wave, I soon dismissed the shock and reasoned it must have been one of the ladies from the wave in front of ours got to the start late and joined in with us. Ten minutes on and it seemed that a few ladies had missed their start as I passed them too.
Onwards we went an as we reached the canal I found a few people from other waves as well, things were clearly going very badly for them. Things were going nicely for me though and a couple of minutes later I received the greatest compliment I've ever received since being involved in tri, someone grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me back, I was still laughing about that when I got out a few minutes later, a quick look at my watch and cue more laughter, a 1.28. I know to most people that is crap, and I was reminded of this by Meldy later on in the race but it reperesents my fastest mass start IM swim, so there.
Bike
Straight off things didn't feel good, not a lack of energy but certainly a lack of power, I had nothing other than an old casio watch on so no idea of speed but it wasn't high. Trundled along and picked a few people off but nothing like the usual progress I make, I actually stopped at one point to make sure the brakes weren't binding and was disappointed to find they weren't. Swapped a few words with Podds and Meldy and had a full-blown conversation for some minutes with Trogs as we took in the rather bland scenery.
Spent most of the bike being a little bit lonely though, starting in waves causes all sorts of issues for those of us in the final wave as I found previously in Roth, after a point there's so few riders out there and most of you are keeping up relatively similar speeds that you can go for some miles without seeing anyone else to either overtake or be overtaken by, motivation to add extra power to the pedals isn't as great as if you are constantly swapping places with people. That being said, us back there are far more honest tri people than the peletons which flew in the opposite direction on the approach to Egg.
Spent most of the end of lap one waiting for the inevitable overtake from Mr Voonenhoackererhoonringhack and when he did finally approach, heralded by four motorbike outriders and a helicopter I tried to get on his wheel, managed to get within about 5m but for some reason he stretched away from me fairly quickly, and sadly too quickly for a referee to spot me and hand over what would have been a top drafting penalty.
Apart from a conversation with Garr where we compared the problems of him being over-geared and me being slightly over-geared but largely under-legged, there's not a lot to add as far as commentary of the rest of the bike. A continuing lack of pace/power/people/support, everyone had left the climbs of Egg and Rupert by the second visit and the village/street parties were dwindling, can't say I blame them, who really wants to wait for a 50+ bloke in ill-fitting lycra cycling past at 12mph, going downhill?
Run
How hard can it be?
Very, it seems. Bounding out of T2, is probably what Mr Voonenhoackererhoonringhack wrote in his race report, I however kind of jogged slowly out and kept this pace up for all of 1km at which point it became very apparent how long an afternoon/evening this was likely to be. Raised my pace and spirits around Pirate corner and then slumped back into the soon to become familiar saunter.
First 5km was covered in just about 30 minutes, happy enough with that but over the next hour the average dropped to 7 minutes and then 8 minutes per k, not to worry we've got until midnight. Stomach wan't great but slightly more interesting was the growing headache, I may have understated the pain slightly when I next saw my coach, grabbed a couple of Ibuprofen and set off for the bright lights of downtown Klaggers.
Second lap of the run, see first lap but with a marked deterioration in pace and spirits and headache. The evening was livened up by meetings/conversations with Barley and Garr again and chance encounters with lots of happy Piratey people and thank you to them all for making an otherwise unpleasant experience mildly palatable, oh and I also briefly saw that sandbagging git Garr's Mate Nige.
Traditionally in Austria after two laps you finish, so that's what I did, I enjoyed pretty much all of this part of the day, overtaking a few people who I didn't want getting in my way on the finish line photo and waving to the adoring fans, sadly I was unable to recognise any of them due to my retinas being burnt out having gone from near pitch black parkland to 20 gazillion watts of lighting.
And with that it was done, another piece of metal round my neck and a completion of an event which 12 months earlier seemed as though it would be a PB attempt but which nearly never happened at all.
Time taken 14h 25-ish - I honestly don't know.
All-in-all I'm beginning to realise what I did wasn't too shabby, I certainly wouldn't recommend doing an IM based on 9 weeks training, it hurts, a lot, but I guess it can be done if you can box off the bit of the brain that say stop.
Thanks
Clearly one person deseves massive credit far outweighing anyone else, yep, me. Other than that it's over to the person who made sure I got to the start line and did a damn fine bit of nursing throughout January and February, I know in the contract it says in sickness and in health but there was a fair bit of above and beyond back then. The encouragement and belief beforehand and the supply of drugs during the event certainly helped so thanks to Mrs S or Jane as some of you know her, and sadly there is no need for a Train Jane thread, apparently she's sticking to running - clever girl!
Going back to the joy of the start of the year, thank you to all for your support and good wishes, once I was able to open my eyes again and read what was sent/posted it meant a great deal.
Here's to the next one, IM that is...
Nice report for a crap swimmer
Great report Symes.
It's not the lycra that doesn't fit; it fits perfectly. It just doesn't fit you any more.
Symes - you had me giggling ... trying to get on Marino's wheel
. Excellent time too considering the training you did!
Great report Symes.
Good work Mrs Symes support crew.
Woo fab report and fab effort. You certainly inspired me out there and I'm sure many could say the same.
Great report Symes, and all the others. Well done all.
Was thinking if that is why my swim was 10 mins slower than expected as I started at the back with no real racing rush!! Or is it i am sh1t?
Mrs9 and daughter9 took pics of the Pirates they saw, so is it best to put them onto farsebook? so you can get them?
Have pics of - Happychap / Robbie / Bob / Cougie / Symes / Garr or his mate? / Meldy and a couple of others on the run (sorry if I can't place your pic to names)
I can cut Cougie out if you like
Great report Symes - Just been hearing all about your injuries earlier. What a massively brave thing to do after that. Just getting back on the bike must have been hard. Your wife is I'm sure very proud of you
Ha Ha, but don't think you could ever call Cougie fat?
Ha..Ha..only messing.
I can email the pics to you and cougie too if you like?
None of Fe Fe (sorry) - must have been going to fast....
Symes great report well done out in Austria
Love you too Symes x Great report mate, well done!
If you have photos I'd love to see them 9Iron - you've got my email haven't you?
By the way - I looked through some of the "Lost & Found" FinisherPix photos from Austria, and there are quite a few Pirates in there. An especially good shot of Barlos eating what looks like a pasty at the start of the bike leg!
Aww fab report Symes
I reckon boy done good - the awful start of the year and then the knock on effect on the training and you still posted a time many would be chuffed to bits with
And as others have said, getting going again psychologically in addition to physically isn't always easy 
And thanks for the words on the bike - as you say it can be a lonely place and although very early on it was good to chat to what would be the 1st of many pirates over the day
If it was a pirate eating a pastie then you can be assured in was Barlos!
Thanks folks