11 days 21 hours , who's going to Wimbleball ?

Eleven days to go and flitting between excitement and that familiar feeling that I've done way to littleimage Two years ago this was my first half distance and it nearly killed me ( 7 45 ) but the race and atmostphere were fantastic. Training  was poor over the winter with bad weather and whooping cough. Am still just in it to complete but now almost feel obliged to go quicker than last time given similar weather.This is probably a mistake as every race is going to be different, this one particularly because I will have the benefit of the inevitable pirate supportimage. So am going with my new phrase seen on another triathlon thread, '' training is cheating''

Comments

  • Hopefully getting down there to cheer and support image

  • looking forward to meeting one and all

  • Hi there...I'm doing it !  I did it as my first Tri last year...I vowed it would be my first and triathlon, but got hooked !  You're right about the support - its fantastic (and much needed !) on the run.

  • See you there , pirate flag on display in jeep!

  • Hi all, I'll be there.  First time of doing this one, but people I've spoken to have said it's great.  Tough course, weather is anyones guess, but the atmosphere is great.

    See you there!!

  • see you there, last time I looked it was looking like rain, won't make any difference to the atmostphere though

  • I'm on the bike feed station, I'll give you all a  and a mars bar

  • it's a dealimage, can you chop it up into small bits and then somehow reattatch them all to make it easier to eat?image

  • Yeah, what about skewers ? just watch your eyes image

  • I will be wearing glasses to provide protection in all eventualities, including hiding the tears on the tough bits.

  • Where did the Summer go, was hoping for the feel of racing abroad

  • you really didnt think through the title of this thread did youimage 

     

  • no , no indeed not, it's not like I have a history of such things..........

  • Just got back from marshaling, I had a great day, started off in the lead car watching the elites then marshaled on the bike course on the really steep downhill, we had a few casualties due to the rain and blind corner, I saw a Pirate and shouted at him, who was it ? we had a couple that could not continue due to severe cold one broken wrist and a broken collar bone, aside from the casualties it was a great day, I finished off my stint in the finishers tent helping return the transition bags.

    That bike course looked a real killer, a small handful missed the cut off time and I really felt for them, well done to all those that competed image  

  • That sounds tough, one of the people who goes lake swimming with me was doing Wimbleball and on a loan bike having had her bike stolen a couple of weeks ago. Hope she made it.

     

    Pretty tough marshalling too.

  • JP....thanks to you and all the other marshals and helpers...it was a tough day, but you guys make a MASSIVE difference with your support and encouragement.

  • It was my first time marshaling, I really enjoyed it and will definitely do it again, it is a tough day, one of the guys said he would rather do an IM than marshal it, its easier image

    But the friendship and camaraderie with the marshals and competitors was amazing and sharing the emotions through the course and at the finish line was amazing, every one doing the race was amazing, it was really tough conditions and I saw a lot of people really hurting, but everyone had time to smile, thank us either during the race or after.

    Anyone doing this course next year, take some warm kit for the bike and good gloves, a lot of people were complaining they couldn't feel there hands to break, which was a huge problem on some of those downhills, and the amount of people shivering down those slopes teeth chattering etc made us really feel for them, I gave my hoody to a girl that couldn't go on due to cold and she found me in the finishers tent to return it image 

  • i have to say yesterday was a great day for all. I cheered on my brother in law and it must have been really tough on the people who competed. Tough conditions on a tough course.

    Well done to everyone who started.

  • Did the race yesterday, second time at WImbleball, last time was 2010.  A grim day, cold swim, wet and windy bike, muddy and wet run.  20 minute PB though.

     

    Bike was hard, as you couldn't really make any benefit from the dwonhills, as the roads were treacherous in places.  Run, expecialy the uphills on the grass was difficult, expecialy with road shoes.

     

    All in all another good IM event, well organised, excellent supports, and marshalls and volunteers are excellent.  Good confidence boost ahead of Challenge Vitoria next month.

  • JP thanks for all your support marshalling; some of the marshalls stood on junctions freezing cold and wet for hours yet still shouting encouragement at us.

    I managed to complete the race but never felt my feet from getting in to "warm up" for the swim to the 2 mile mark on the run.

    The swim was cold but little current and it was easy to navigate so the swim was fairly uneventful - in at 40.41.

    Soon after the start of the bike it started raining heavily although there was little wind.  As JP stated, the cold meant I couldn't feel my hands and was struggling not only with the brakes but changing gears.  The course is 2 laps with multiple climbs and tough in normal conditions but the weather made it harder and at certain points a little dangerous.  Met up with Citizen and exchanged "pleasantries" - hope you made it ok.  Arrived at T2 at 4.19 freezing, numb and not looking forward to the half marathon.

    The run is 3 laps of up then down on grass, dirt track or gravel.  The grass was muddy and slippy but this added to the "fun" of it.  All the competitors supported each other as did the marshalls and crowd, particularly on the stretch around the lake.  My aim was to run 3 evenly paced laps, which I nearly managed, I slowed on the final lap but didn't walk which I was pleased with.  Finished the run in 2.27 with a total time of 7.42:40 which on that course in those conditions is pretty much was I expected.

    However, one bad point: it took us nearly 2 hours to leave the car park after the race and on arriving on Sunday there were delays on getting to the car park - athletes were walking 1-2 miles to transition just to be on time.  This issue does need to be addressed by the organisers, but other than that, if you're looking for a tough half, this is one to do.

     

  • heh, thanks to all the volunteers and JP , that was probably me on the bike as my wonderful pirate ''winter bike jacket'' came into it's own!

    Nice one Sue, lovely to meet you , your time was my time from 2 years ago , this year was slower (just made the cut off for many reasons,) will hopefully write a ''race report'' either tonight or tomorrow when I have a moment,   for now thanks to all the marshalls and volunteers, and all those who shouted out for the pirates even the lady who said ''your not poison I will still shout for you''!!!!!image    ........back to work.............

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