Holkham Half 2019 Race report

This has been a long time coming. My last middle distance or half iron triathlon took place at the OSB sister event Outlaw Half back in 2014 where I managed a 5.17 finish.

Leaving triathlon after Ironman Wales that same year, I've mainly kept to training just for time trialling which I've gotten better at year on year. Sure, in that time I chucked in a sprint Tri on a couple of occasions , but it has only been this year where I've committed to Ironman Barcelona at the end of the year that I've returned to Tri. This would be my B race for the year, and this is how it went...

Pre race
Camped from Friday afternoon through to Monday morning on site with electric hook up. If I was to do this race again I would do the same thing. Yes, a travelodge would have been comfier, but with a swim start of 6.49 it was nice to be ten minutes away from the start.

We ambled down ready to get into transition just before six, and the whole thing didn't feel rushed at all. The atmosphere was great, the sun looked like it was coming out, and the day looked like it would be a good one. Silver swim hat in hand I made my way eventually down to the swim start.

Swim 41.42 
Like I said 6.49 start with the rest of the 45-49 male age groupers. I made my way into the lake and remember having a few minutes to acclimatise. the water was lovely to be fair, but a bit silty and I could feel myself sinking into it as I waited to be set off. Once underway, initially it was busy and it wasn't until five minutes in that I settled down and concentrated on both my breathing and my stroke. The course was easy to navigate and soon enough we were circling the island at the bottom and making our way back. I managed to get on to someones legs on the return which saved me a lot of sighting. I did take a couple of glancers to the head, but nothing too serious. Exiting the water in 41.42 was a time I'd take all day long.

T1 - 2.03
Quicker than Dambuster, I swigged some coke from the table on the way up from the lake, put on my shoes and helmet and nowt else, ran with the bike and got on with it.

Bike 2.26.50
We had decided to recce the bike course the day before and all commented on the rolling nature of the course. In time trialling terms I would have called at least the first half of it as sporting at best. I feared a slower time than my planned 2.30, but nonetheless, chose 230-240 watts as a pace target and stuck to it. That pacing strategy worked a treat for me, and despite hold ups on the busier coastal tracks, I never felt like a slow ride, and it rolled nicely for large parts. I maybe could have looked at 240/250 watts, but did not want to push my luck.  Got to the second feed at 46 miles at dead on 2 hours and that was the first time I realised my average speed was 23mph as I only use watts and cadence on my garmin screen. The last 10 miles seemed relatively easy and as I got back into Holkham grounds I span a bit to wake up the legs and grabbed a bit of a breather as we queued through the coned sections to get back to transition.

T2 - 2.35
Well, a bit longer than the first one as I plonked my arse on the floor to put on both calf guards and socks and my comfy running shoes for the half marathon.

Run  1.47.19
This was the unexpected. The course is a three lap run, with the first half being mostly climbing gently and then the second half is entirely enjoyable on dusty tracks and through woodland and finally service roads down to the lake.  I knew I would need to keep to mile splits that began with a 7 to keep pace for the 1.45 finish that I was aiming for, and for the first six miles or so, that went to plan. It was roasting hot, but I was coping, and by stuffing the wet sponges down my tri suit I was keeping cool enough. at the end of the second lap, I was still going well but my mile splits had started to edge into the 8's. as hard as I tried, the third lap became a battle and for most of it my heart rate was near maximum. I new it was going to be close, however, once the 13 mile bleep came up and I was not within sight of the finishing chute I knew the game may be up.  I had run a 1.47 time for 13.25 miles and just missed out on a sub 5 finish overall bu just 29 seconds. It had been a wondeful weekend and the event had been challenging but such good fun as it was well organised and the support was incredible.

Hows the old time trialling and competition record chasing going ?

Can't you tell I've got a day off and have finally decided to catch up on my blog !! ?

This season has had the stuttered start with the accident in December, so there was a gap in my winter training, and with an eye on long distance Triathlon, my TTing has been a laid back affair. I've had some good results though and an appearance in a newspaper !

20.4.19 Shaftesbury CC 25 -  57.54
It was a decent day on the E2, I had Ian, Gaz & Dave with me and it was an attempt at the Tricycle Team 25 Competition record. I seemed to find my level very well, and considering the start to the year, a PB of 57.54 on the day contributed to a succesful team comp record taking start to the year.

6.5.19  TA North East 15 - 37.39

A trike association event, and another crack at our 15 mile comp record. On a day where it seemed windier than forecast, and on a single carriageway course with each of us not at our best, we managed to take some time off the record, strange how sometimes that happens !

12.5.19 Bosworth Half Marathon - 1.38.26
A nice rural Leicestershire HM, and I decided I felt good and would run at around 160-170 heart rate and see what that produced. The course was a one lap affair, and had some nice views in places and some nice slow ascents too. I managed to keep some good consistent miling going to finish with a new PB of 1.38.26 and a finishing position of 161st out of 811 finishers.

15.5.19  Gainsborough Aegir 15 - 35.33
Read all about it. Lincoln wheeler goes over to Gainsborough and rides their 15, wins it out of 5/6 riders and gets a write up in the local paper.

25.5.19  Mapperley CC 10 - 23.24
Trike team attempt 3 for the year and this time for the ten. the course was on the A46 and although each of us put in a decent effort, the headwind on the return leg meant that we were never really likely to do it. Falling short by a minute and a half in the end. Onwards and upwards though, we do have the 50 to go at later in the year.

1.6.19 Tour Of Cambs Chrono  39.25
As I write this, I forgot I did this one. A return to the same course as last year and another crack at trying to qualify. I used my new Planet X tri spoke, and went clinchers all around as a tri tester. Tri spoke worked a treat and although I failed to qualify, I was a little quicker than last year by 14 seconds so I ended the day happy enough. Given that I didn't think I'd race this year I can't complain.

11.6.19 Rothley 10k  43.28
I'll slip this in here, a two lap, minging, wet and entirely enjoyable 10k with my work buddies. A really fast first lap, and held it mostly together to five miles before backing off a little for stitch in the last mile. Probably closer to 43 dead if could have kept going, a nice top 100 result off the back of nowt but easy runs.

A trio of triathlons

Mixed in with time trialling this year has been a return to Triathlon on a semi serious basis. Whilst I'm continuing to train like a dog on the bike, looked after as always by Ruth Eyles cycle coaching, I've mixed in some running at a low heart rate only to ensure it doesn't affect my biking, and my swimming has been basic level effort endurance, without technical drills and tri club sessions etc. Whilst I'm aware that there are gains to be made, well, I can't really take tri too seriously as I could fall out of love with it quite easily if I did.

Lincoln Triathlon - 28 April - 1.07.09

I seeded myslef with an 8.40 swim time, so enjoyed a mid morning start. Whilst my team mates had biffy swims, I enjoyed a no show in my lane and had a trouble free swim. Exiting and getting round to T1 in 8.56, I was well pleased with the effort.  T1 was quick as I don't bother with a lot of kit, and then it was out onto the road for possibly my first TT of the year. I didn't know where to pitch the watts, so took 260 as a target, and largely achieved it. 5th fastest bike of the event with a 35.12 and knowing there's more to come. Out onto the towpath run for a bit of an unknown. A bit giddy with a 6.40 something first mile, but held it together for a competent return to Tri. 19th overall of around 360 solos - I'll take that !

Southwell Triathlon - 2 June 2019 - 1.00.02

A return to Southwell and chasing a sub hour finish.  Started in the next lane to my unhinged buddy Scrappy, and that put me off from he start.  This race would be a tale of marginal losses rather than gains, and all because I was not fully concentrating on my own race.  The swim was a little bit slower than Lincoln at 9.44. A good fast transition of 49s was ruined by failing to mount the bike well at the line when the pre banded shoes had slipped and wedged under the bike. Then on the bike, and I suppose this is not my fault, my chained shipped at the top of a climb and I had to stop, get off, and put it back on the big ring. then I got stopped at the roundabout for two cars, and then slowed for the zebra crossing. I still managed 12th fastest bike, but it could have been so much better. I did put together a really good run of 20.10 to finish 26th solo on the day. I missed that sub hour by three seconds which could have been found in any of the above problems. I'll need to go back next year !

Dambuster Triathlon - 22 June 2019 - 2.25.25

A first open water event since Ironman Wales in 2014 and a first Olympic Distance event since the same event back in 2011 where I managed a 2.53 finish. This time I was nervous as I entered the water for my wave to start. It would be two laps of 750m with an australian exit. there seemed to be a lot of swimmers and I seeded myself toward the rear. We were soon underway and it was a congested affair to the first turn buoy. I settled soon after and found feet, meaning that I could relax about sighting. First lap in sixteen minutes, which was about right , and a decent second lap for a solid 33.35 swim. T1 was 2.05, and then it was out on the bike for a lumpy bike ride of 42km.  I managed my watts well, and apart from some busy roads and a little bit of sitting up, no further problems meant a competent 1.06 bike leg. Just the run to go, and I ran it sockless and in my new Brooks asteria. I could feel a stiffening of the calf with the flat shoes and I just about got away with a 10km of 42.42 to move up to 49th solo on the day. A top 50 finish is a far cry from 2010's last sheet of the results finish !