Where do I start…
Triathy was a double Olympic(3k swim, 80k bike, 20k run).. I got through a bit of it..
Racing for TBUK Primera I was looking forward to this race.. I wanted to get the season off with a win.. But for once performance was to come before results!
A race with all emphasis on my run off the bike. A training day to see “where I was” in terms of the numbers I’ve been putting out in training.
SWIM
Wearing my new Sailfish G range wetsuit I had no excuses with the apparel!! This suit is snug and top class and i felt fast.. The 3k effort was always gonna be tough. 900 upstream,600 downstream and then repeat that. I tried to concentrate as much as possible and felt I did a decent job given that I haven’t been back in the water long. I cramped in my calfs a bit in the last 800 which slowed me slightly and my shoulders were ready to fall off on exit but all in all I was happy.
There wasn’t too many in our race so I exited near the top end. Mind you first out of the water had 12 mins on me. Not to worry the bike is where I’m most comfortable and where I eat some time into everyone. ( I was eating alright but not time, gravel does give a crunch on the aul teeth)
Bike
Plan was… Do not force the effort..DO NOT FORCE EFFORT!!!!! Ease into it and build.. Forget who’s up the road, just concentrate on myself!!! I did all that, the perfect student.. For once I listened to the game plan.. I was ridiculously comfortable and was just waiting for the second lap to apply some force on the peddles.. I was in 3rd inside the 15k. Not bad I thought.. Didn’t know who was number 1 but I knew I was gaining fast as we passed at a turnaround. Just after that at 18k the front tire blew as I was going round a bend. Lucky to stay up I quickly tried to change it. Tire off, air canisters out, valve thingy out.. Bollix it didn’t fit the my front 3 spoke.. (bad prep)Game over.. Well not really.. I got a phone and rang my dad and we got my spare wheel out to me 20/25 mins later… I wasn’t really that bothered… I knew the race for podium was gone but I still wanted to see how I was going to run.. So back on the saddle and back to the original plan..
That plan lasted all of another 40 km. I was moving well.. Power was there with no real effort but disaster… I had the biggest fall to date on the bike. The roads werent great but I’m long enough around to know that if you go round corners down on the bars where there is gravel your gonna get hurt and eat some dirt!! I skidded all of 10 yards on my left shoulder…my nice Trek Speed Concept from Tommy the bikes let me take the rap.. I fell that hard I think i hurt the ground!!.. A farmer picked me up and asked ” were you going to fast son??”.. :-/
Well if the race wasn’t over before it was over now.. A lift back in the ambulance and a wipe down I was good to get out of athy!.. Not until I had some feel sorry for yourself food!!.. Apple crumble and some homemade banana bread hit the spot and me and pat headed for the louth hospital!
The rest is history… I haven’t been injured in years.. I certainly will use this as a big lesson learned.
I love mothers.. They always see the good out of any situation. “it could of been worse pet… We could be bandaging your head!!!” true but not what you want to here straight away. Mammys do know best..
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