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Swashbuckler 2011 is open
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You tell 'im iMac!!
Forgot earlier - Congrats to Jodly on her AG 3rd place trophy
Taking the liberty of putting Jules race report link in.
She's an honorary pirate (she just doesn't know it yet). Linky doodah
good effort there meface, it must ahve been you coming out of T2 just as I was coming in.
Doozer - dont feel too smoked (comes from having too much endurance and not enough speed I guess), but legs ache from the run, shoulders from the swim and ther rest of me (esp my ribs) from rolling around on the floor at over 20 mph.
what happened that made you fall off, TR?
well Doozer, all i can say is that i felt much better after Roth last year.
I heard someone crashed when the cyclist in front of them stopped and turned 90 degrees into their path to collect a fallen water bottle.
Was that you TR?
Brief race report. I found the race tough.
Long race report.
3am - up, tea, cereal, load car, set off in pouring rain and find the windscreen wipers had perished, so white-knuckle 45 min drive with my nose pressed against the windscreen. Don't think I hit anything.
Atmosphere was of grim determination as everyone got set up in transition in the dark and rain - nice, mindless chat with girl next door.
Rain stopped as it got lighter, and felt fairly relaxed and comfortable hanging around for the start. I haven't seen a live swim start before, and it was rather scary watching the men go off!
Swim felt OK to start - the return first leg was about what I'd anticipated, though second time around was an increasing struggle and it took forever just to go the final length of the jetty.
Ran up to T1 trying to warm up but failed and was a shivering mess trying to get organised for the bike. Gave up trying to put on clothes, which was a mistake, and spent pretty much the whole bike freezing.Wondered if it was a good thing I couldn't feel my legs as maybe I was pedalling hard without noticing. Garmin HRM had packed up so that didn't give me any clues. Passed by 1 pirate, otherwise saw none during the bike. I must have been doing a different course from some of the rest of you as I was cycling into a gale most of the time. Fairly pleased to come in about a minute faster than last year.
A bit less faffing in T2 but decided to make use of a long wee to put on my Garmin watch and have a gel - to the surprise of the poor bloke who burst in on my unlocked portaloo!
Almost as soon as the run started, Jezza Feather fell into step beside me. Actually, it was his brother who is the antithesis of the "all the gear" philosophy. Apparently they'd let him do the bike in his mother's riding helmet/deerstalker, and his kit was an ancient and very unflattering (but revealing) trisuit. He was good company though, and we spurred each other on to the finish. Don't have a true run time as this Garmin packed up as well, but I think a fraction quicker than last year. Lack of heat helped, v strong winds hindered = no net effect of the weather on the run.
Overall time 10mins faster than last year. Felt suitably rubbish at the end but really enjoyed meeting piratey peeps again. I wasn't sure about staying for the prizegiving as I didn't want to be disappointed - but this year, 3rd LV45 was all mine! The only frustration was that 2nd LV45 turned out to be 35secs ahead....
Great event, wonderful Pirate company, awful start time. Well done to all, and see you next year.
joddly - nice one on the prize
no one knocked me off I managed it all be myself. On the reurn from Brockenhurst I think I was belting it down a sweeping bend that got too tight for me (might have been eating or something and not realised where I was going - cant rightly remember ), there was loads of gravel on the road and i didnt want to turn sharply (cos I might fall off !!!), but I got too close to the lip of the road and the front wheel dropped off the edge dragging the rest of me with it. I did a commando roll still clipped in and then got up to find out that I hadnt broken myself. I had to free the brakes to be able to put the chain back on front and back and collect up my bottles and then set off again. I got a bit disillusioned by this for a while thinking I had lost loads of times but then I told myself to stop being a pr"ck cos it was probably only 2 mins at worse.
Lucky escape I reckon to be able to carry on. Felt a bit battered but nothing that stopped me running.
Need to come up with a master plan thats gets me to the stage where I can ride a bike at a level that works my strong aerobic engine. I think the answer is probably "ride a bike hard lots "
Dozer - looks like we should have raced today instead. Would have been a fck of a lot closer. I feel fine today - even managed to call Bingo! There seems to be a big dent in my pride but nothing else is hurting. My new motto shall be - Don't go hard, it hurts ;o)
As you were.
CRAB - I could have told you that years ago mate. Let me know if you need a mentor I might be able to slot you in son
Aside from the official evopix photos, there are some more here;
http://blog.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk/Clearly he has only published photos of some of the lesser pirates racing on his blog...
but he has some other photos of Pirates available at reasonable rates if you contact him directly. In particular he took some nice pics of racers crossing the moor like this;
If he can find me I think its a pretty good memory of the race, with the panorama and racers snaking away in the background... I might even buy it!
Just thought you'd like to know, dont know him / not on commission / usual caveats apply etc.
It's a really good spot for a photo. PM me your email TR and I'll email you over a couple of other ones of you at the same point in the race that you might be interested in buying? (I only have them as I told Eamonn I was in a Pirate top and blue helmet on the bike and he found you rather than me!)
I made the blog! I'm nearly famous.
And hopefully I will be able to confirm shortly that Garmin are all round good eggs. Initial refusal to cut me any slack but they have had a rethink and I can have refurb for £105.
I have some sympathy for them as it is impossible to prove failure of the watch strap as the cause of loss. But equally some sympathy for me as it wasn't my fault and there have been a number of strap/pin incidences. So a 'cost' price refurb is a reasonable compromise. Probably the fairest solution for both and I would struggle to get much of a replacement watch for £105.
<Waits on delivery>
Meface
saw your pic on the blog meface, looking nice and relaxed!
Gladys - none meant but thanks but no thanks, I’m not really into photos of myself in action.
Couldn’t get a new watch for £105 ! I noticed that CDave sports the same ~£20 Casio on race day that I do.
What blog?
This one...
Blog
Given my impressive for me result at the Swashbuckler I am tempted to race without a watch again. Not knowing what the time was meant I constantly pushed on. If I'd known I was on for sub 5:30 I might have backed off and come home a happy 25 minutes quicker. Not knowing meant I did 5:18.
And OK I could get a watch for less than £105. But I would get a polar or might just get a bottom of the range GPS for that money.
So watchless for Windsor? Certainly won't wear the Garmin in the swim, unless I come with a better solution like under the wetsuit, and won't leave it in transition either.
But even if I do race without a watch it would be nice to see the data track afterwards.
but so much for me being a fore foot runner now
OC, did you have the same watchstrap manufacturer as meface?
I can confirm that Garmin are all round good eggs.
Picked the new one up from work today. Not that I was in the office but took the opportunity to bike there and back this evening to pick it up especially - another 33 miles done on the bike.
Thank you Garmin.
Meface