White Caps and Thunderbolts!!
Triathlon Number 3
300m swim
10km cycle (odometer reading 11.50km)
2km run
Time taken: Approx 50mins (have to wait for official results with splits)
Cycle time on odometer: 26mins
Average speed on bike: 27.2kph (against the wind)
Max speed: 40kph
Comments: When we arrived to rack our bikes and collect our race numbers and timing chips it was very hot, the lake was like a millpond and we were bemoaning the fact that it was going to be very very hot out there especially on the run. Mr B made a last minute decision to enter the tri too which was an unusual scenario for him.
Ten minutes before the first wave started (I was in the last wave for women 35+ and teams) the wind picked up and the lake went from a millpond to swirling white caps resembling swirling surf at the beach. It didn't stop there, in the distance there was the roar of thunder and the blue sunny sky changed to a dull grey with black threatening clouds coming ominously closer. By the time Wave 7 of the swim leg (mine) those white caps were looking very scary and the lake was looking very rough with the rescue boats rolling round and some of the swimmers out there already hanging on to boats. There wasn't a lot of time to feel scared. The whistle blew and we were off on the undulating waves. It was a decidedly slow swim but fortunately I breathe to the left and although we were battling a head wind from the East which is where we were heading I didn't actually swallow any water although my head went under the breakers a few times! I did see a few people hanging on to canoes and at least one person was taken ashore on the canoe so I wasn't quite last out of the water and I did survive the swim leg!
Out of the water, off with the goggles, a quick sprint to transition, on with the helmet and shoes and off on the bike and back to battling the wind. It was a two lap course turning left all the way. It was a bit hairy out there, the traffic was heavy and over the bridge there were a lot of idiots in cars yahooing and driving very close indeed. As I cycled along I could see flashes of lightning in the sky and hear the thunder rumbling. I was looking forward to the finish! Fortunately the rain held off during the course of the race. The tri had been advertised as an 8km cycle but they changed it to a 10km cycle which turned out to actually be 11.50km according to everyone's odometer readings. However I'm sure it will be called a 10km cycle when giving us our official times which will indicate rather slow times.
Back into transition after the second loop, rack the bike and off on the run. It was a bit tough for the first km but after the turnaround I was in my stride and felt quite comfortable especially as the temperature had dropped considerably since the storm threatened and it made it more pleasant to run. Overall, it was a tough race because of the difficult conditions but I'm glad I faced my demons (that nasty lake) and completed the challenge. Thank you CJ for your support and being our photographer!
Ten minutes before the first wave started (I was in the last wave for women 35+ and teams) the wind picked up and the lake went from a millpond to swirling white caps resembling swirling surf at the beach. It didn't stop there, in the distance there was the roar of thunder and the blue sunny sky changed to a dull grey with black threatening clouds coming ominously closer. By the time Wave 7 of the swim leg (mine) those white caps were looking very scary and the lake was looking very rough with the rescue boats rolling round and some of the swimmers out there already hanging on to boats. There wasn't a lot of time to feel scared. The whistle blew and we were off on the undulating waves. It was a decidedly slow swim but fortunately I breathe to the left and although we were battling a head wind from the East which is where we were heading I didn't actually swallow any water although my head went under the breakers a few times! I did see a few people hanging on to canoes and at least one person was taken ashore on the canoe so I wasn't quite last out of the water and I did survive the swim leg!
Out of the water, off with the goggles, a quick sprint to transition, on with the helmet and shoes and off on the bike and back to battling the wind. It was a two lap course turning left all the way. It was a bit hairy out there, the traffic was heavy and over the bridge there were a lot of idiots in cars yahooing and driving very close indeed. As I cycled along I could see flashes of lightning in the sky and hear the thunder rumbling. I was looking forward to the finish! Fortunately the rain held off during the course of the race. The tri had been advertised as an 8km cycle but they changed it to a 10km cycle which turned out to actually be 11.50km according to everyone's odometer readings. However I'm sure it will be called a 10km cycle when giving us our official times which will indicate rather slow times.
Back into transition after the second loop, rack the bike and off on the run. It was a bit tough for the first km but after the turnaround I was in my stride and felt quite comfortable especially as the temperature had dropped considerably since the storm threatened and it made it more pleasant to run. Overall, it was a tough race because of the difficult conditions but I'm glad I faced my demons (that nasty lake) and completed the challenge. Thank you CJ for your support and being our photographer!
Not a problem! I enjoyed the spectating/camera duties...and the capuccino I managed to sneak in while you were out on the bike leg!
ReplyDeleteYou did well - congratulations!
Well done! You look to be smiling as you're running along - surely not!
ReplyDeleteHow I miss swimming in the crystal clear water of LBG - especially on these idyllic summer days.