5 seconds
I did the Andover Triathlon today and came third in my age group! Only 5 seconds down on the second placed person.
Not sure of the overall time yet, I think that they said 1:41 when I went to pick up my prize (a free swim at the local lake, which is actually useful to me).
In overview:
- I swam hard but not all out. My left goggle leaked after a bit. I didn’t get any sense of speed because of my hat but I think I slowed a little in the middle bit.
- T1: fine – if only I could get the shoes-on-the-bike business sorted.
- Bike: very windy, with what felt like a headwind for most of the first half of the course. I over took one person at T1 and two people overtook me just before half way. I stayed in sight of them all of the way around, and gained on them in the last 5k (up a steep hill). I think I took it a bit “less hard” (not “too easy”) in a few places. I was also scared sometimes with the wind and having deep rims – I got pushed around quite a lot.
- T2: fine
- Run: very hard, overtook someone in the first 200m. Then a long drag up a hill where I overtook someone else. I felt like I was going to be sick at this stage. Then the next 3k were pretty flat and I think I eased up a fraction because I felt sick again. Then a right turn up a long hill and I saw two people way in the distance. I overtook one who started walking after a bit and gained on the other. A quick downhill, another uphill, turn right and then another hill. I overtook the person I’d been chasing and then another two people. Then it was a sprint to the finish.
I’ve no idea of the splits – hopefully the results will be out tomorrow.
As I was one of the last ones to go, I waited for the prize giving, having never ever been to one before. I wasn’t expecting anything (I’d been talking to someone who did 1:31 and I thought I was closer to 1:50) and I didn’t know what age group I was in. So it was incredible to hear that I got third place in “Veterans 1″.
Even better was for someone to tell me that it looked “effortless” when I ran past her. She obviously didn’t see the pain etched on my face!