The Halesowen Triathlon 2015

This was my second time for the Halesowen Triathlon and I was determined to beat my time from last year of 01:28:06. It shouldn’t be difficult to beat, as I have improved quite a lot since last year, so I set myself the goal of 01:15:00.

This year I was also joined by Scott ( tritriagain.uk ), who was doing his first triathlon.

The weather this year as warmer, drier, but very windy!

The Swim - 00:07:19

The swim is a pool swim, 400m in a 33.3m pool. A pool length that my garmin doesn’t think exists! you can add a custom pool length, but it will only accept whole numbers.

The first length was too quick and I did a “fumble” turn on the first turn, which was rubbish, so I decided to open turn from then on. Every length was slower than the last, but I finished 1 second faster than I predicted.

T1 - 00:01:27

T1 was a bit odd; the route from the pool was down some very slippery stairs, out of a fire escape and onto an access road, then round the back of transition.

I slipped, but didn’t fall coming out of the stair well and there was no matting on the road, which didn’t even look like it had been swept!

When I got to my bike, I remember just staring at it, for a few seconds, then put my helmet on and got on with it. Weird.

I opted to put my shoes on in transition and not attempt a flying mount, as it’s an uphill start. That was a bit of a disaster, it took a lifetime to get clipped in.

Cycle - 00:46:31

Finally clipped in and I’m away, round the first corner, to the first junction and I have to stop for a bus to pass! what a way to start.

Then straight away I’m held up at the first set of traffic lights!

Round through the town was fine, Thankfully the pedestrian controlled traffic lights were green.

At this point I have already passed loads of people, but they were all pretty slow.

Up the hill, right at the roundabout and pushing to the next set of lights, which are at the bottom of a big hill. I gun it down the hill as fast as I can go and I can see the lights are on green, as soon as I can pedal, I push and push then disaster! red light, so slow to a stop and wait for a full cycle of the lights.

GO! and I’m in the wrong gear! garrr! I get back up to speed and see that the next set of lights are on red. The very second I put my foot down, the lights change and I get passed my number 40 who didn’t need to stop.

The red mist descends, I push and pass him again.

The next part of the route is a gradual climb up a dual carriageway, then a short decent, left and onto narrow country roads. This section is where the steeper climbs are and I found that I was running out of gears on the hills.

Just near the top of the climb, I could hear panting behind me, it was 40 and he passed me, but I just couldn’t push any harder, I kept him at about 10 meters and as soon as we reached the summit, I was able to shoot past him again. I didn’t see 40 then until after the race.

The rest of the route was quiet, pretty much riding on my own. I blasted down another big downhill, then its back though the town to T2

I unfastened my shoes quite early, so that I could quickly slip my feet out, dismount and run to the dismount line. I took my right foot out first and I couldn’t feel my toes, I struggled to flip my shoe up to stand on it, same with the left. But, I managed to get out of my shoes and cruise to the dismount line and run into transition.

T2 - 00:00:55

My feet were freezing cold, I couldn’t feel my toes and I really struggled to get my running shoes on.

I felt like I had a bit of brain fog here too, it seemed to take for ever. Also, I forgot to pick up a gel.

Run - 00:20:37

The run was pretty uneventful. I defiantly think I could have pushed harder, especially at the start. Maybe it was my cold feet.

Pace was fairly consistent, It was a bit quicker on the return leg which was all downhill.

Result - 01:15:40

22/140 - AG, 10/45

A PB for this race (although the bike course was different) and only forty seconds off my predicted time.

I was hoping to be higher in the rankings, but I do think I could have pushed harder and I have lots of things I can improve on. So all good

First race of the season done.

Nutrition