Loch Lomond Highland Games Triathlon
Jul. 16th, 2007 10:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andygates"It's really very, very pretty," that's what I kept thinking between the gasps, gargles and shrieks, "you don't often get a chance to race in scenery like this. Ooh wow, look at that view-aiee!"
This was a Highland Games race and that seems to mean solid competition and grassroots organisation. A friendly but competitive field of thirty got briefed by Malcolm and all bravely declared that the loch wasn't that cold really (about the same as New Forest back in May) before we were lined up and given the off - and I entered Swim Hell. Low, random chop killed my rhythm and I had a nightmare - the way back was better, at least, but I still finished the 600m out-and-back course a full ten minutes behind the first man out and two minutes behindravenbait.
T1 was steady, and out onto the bike course. I've decided that my least-favourite places in a tri are 100m into the swim, and on the hill out of T1. There is always a hill out of T1: in this case a nice switchy wall and of course, my granny ring didn't engage - what works on the stand doesn't always work on the road. So I had to walk that bit, and then ride like a bat out of Hell for the rest of the short-but tough bike leg - 7 miles that felt like fifteen.
You know you're pushing your skills envelope when you try bike manoeuvres you've only done before in video games. All hail the powerslide. Look ma, still gots my teefs! Halfway round the bike I passed RB (who was having difficulty with the terrain) and bombed back down to the loch with only a slight nav error into a kiddies' playground. Oops. A couple of finishers came off the bike leg bloody, and there were a couple of mechanicals - and that in this small field.
T2 was leisurely. My energy drink had turned bad so I needed to neck the spare Nuun running bottle, and don the kilt - I feed on crowd noise and figured it was a good way to get a cheer at the end. Sport Kilts go on in about 18 seconds, and frankly I needed the breather before the hard cross-country run. Found my stride on the second lap and dammit, got passed by two guys a hundred yards from the arena. Alas, despite the yell of "See if you can catch 'em, laddie!" from the side, I couldn't put in any more speed, and finished pretty darn spent, on my knees puffing like a steam train.
It was a tough little race. The run was a beast, the bike was hard work, the swim was horrid. 18:13 for the swim ("Mah bukkit, I swims after it!" - not last but nearly); 34:57 for the bike and T1 (middle of the field despite being an offroad newbie and riding a rigid - that was good); 18:14 for the run and T2 (lumbering). I'm trying not to beat myself up about the swim, because without the problems I had, I could have got in a good couple of minutes earlier and been fresher for the rest of it.
And to wrap it up we got to watch a little grass-track bike racing and the heavy boys while ganneting stovies (sloppy beef and potato hash) and tea. Embarrassing photos and video, doubtless, to follow. And RB's going to be after me like an Exocet when we next race together. Grudge match much? :)
Now, where in the South can I find a heavy games club?
This was a Highland Games race and that seems to mean solid competition and grassroots organisation. A friendly but competitive field of thirty got briefed by Malcolm and all bravely declared that the loch wasn't that cold really (about the same as New Forest back in May) before we were lined up and given the off - and I entered Swim Hell. Low, random chop killed my rhythm and I had a nightmare - the way back was better, at least, but I still finished the 600m out-and-back course a full ten minutes behind the first man out and two minutes behind
ravenbait. 
T1 was steady, and out onto the bike course. I've decided that my least-favourite places in a tri are 100m into the swim, and on the hill out of T1. There is always a hill out of T1: in this case a nice switchy wall and of course, my granny ring didn't engage - what works on the stand doesn't always work on the road. So I had to walk that bit, and then ride like a bat out of Hell for the rest of the short-but tough bike leg - 7 miles that felt like fifteen. You know you're pushing your skills envelope when you try bike manoeuvres you've only done before in video games. All hail the powerslide. Look ma, still gots my teefs! Halfway round the bike I passed RB (who was having difficulty with the terrain) and bombed back down to the loch with only a slight nav error into a kiddies' playground. Oops. A couple of finishers came off the bike leg bloody, and there were a couple of mechanicals - and that in this small field.
T2 was leisurely. My energy drink had turned bad so I needed to neck the spare Nuun running bottle, and don the kilt - I feed on crowd noise and figured it was a good way to get a cheer at the end. Sport Kilts go on in about 18 seconds, and frankly I needed the breather before the hard cross-country run. Found my stride on the second lap and dammit, got passed by two guys a hundred yards from the arena. Alas, despite the yell of "See if you can catch 'em, laddie!" from the side, I couldn't put in any more speed, and finished pretty darn spent, on my knees puffing like a steam train.
It was a tough little race. The run was a beast, the bike was hard work, the swim was horrid. 18:13 for the swim ("Mah bukkit, I swims after it!" - not last but nearly); 34:57 for the bike and T1 (middle of the field despite being an offroad newbie and riding a rigid - that was good); 18:14 for the run and T2 (lumbering). I'm trying not to beat myself up about the swim, because without the problems I had, I could have got in a good couple of minutes earlier and been fresher for the rest of it.
And to wrap it up we got to watch a little grass-track bike racing and the heavy boys while ganneting stovies (sloppy beef and potato hash) and tea. Embarrassing photos and video, doubtless, to follow. And RB's going to be after me like an Exocet when we next race together. Grudge match much? :)
Now, where in the South can I find a heavy games club?
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 08:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 08:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-18 09:06 pm (UTC)I shall pack the wettie as usual when I'm next up!