Sometimes it becomes a drudge doesn't it. Working, training, racing. Working training racing. Blah blah blah.
Some times you find yourself lined up at a start line and the result is too important.
That's fair enough if you are a professional athlete. Not if it's your hobby. And it's something I'm wary of. That 10k I did last weekend left me gutted. Luckily the tri I did on Sunday picked me up again. But training this week was rubbish. Circumstances left me feeling awful. Didn't even go to work on weds.
However this meant that I would feel good on Saturday for the PruHealth Tri. When the lottery opened for this event I couldn't sign up quick enough.....a chance to do a tri in Hyde Park the same weekend as the world champs? YES PLEASE!!!!!
When I didn't get in I was gutted :( I really wanted to do it, so impulsively signed up for a charity place, not something I'm keen on doing because I appreciate that my friends aren't made of money.
However I had to pay £100 to enter so it wasn't like I was going to ask anyone to pay for my entry and in the end I know that I have very supportive friends and Marie Curie Cancer Care is a worthy cause that people can identify with :)
So I was in.
Erm I forgot my point from earlier didn't I. What I wanted to say was that I booked a few weeks of tris to get out of the race race race grind. I'm no amazing triathlete but I love doing them. And this was the biggie.
I decided not to train on the bike at all cos that's cheating innit! I did swim in open water twice as extra special prep for the swim.
The thing I was most worried about was getting the bike into town.
Oh you say? Really? Why don't you ride your bike there?
Don't be so fucking stupid. I'd die!!!
No I found out we could take the bike on the district line to Sloan square then walk a mile to Hyde park. Perfect. First we stopped at Barking Park to marshal parkrun. New ladies course record 20.08.
Need to get my arse in gear!
Anyway on train. Really quiet. We have 20 stops. All very quiet so no problem with the bike...... For 18 stops. Then the whole bloody world gets on! I start to panic about getting off and start to melt down. But luckily people were really nice and moved out the way so I could get the bike off. Phew!
Then a nice walk down Sloan St looking in the posh shop windows. Bloody nice underwear shop there, all looked a bit kink to me :-D
Into Hyde Park to find we are not too far from the action. Elite women have finished and open hasn't started yet so we are ok. Spot Fat Buddha in transition on our way round and he points me the right way to check my bike in and make transition ready.
Gosh there are loads of racks. Still doesn't take long. Then off for a cup of tea and quick spin round the expo where I spot a lovely purple transition bag :)
Before I know it it's time to get into my wetsuit and go to the assembly point. Quick briefing and we are sent off onto the pontoon. The guy commentating keeps calling it the podium. Really gets on my tits for some reason!
I feel like a proper athlete as I walk along to my place, I've seen this on tv. We aren't allowed to dive in though. We are instructed to sit on the edge. Feet go in, fuck! That's cold. No time to think though, we are told to drop in keeping one hand on the pontoon and 10 seconds later the hooter goes. Blimey!
Swim wasn't too bad, the only problem I had was with a couple of breast strokers, it's very hard to swim next to them but they won't let you get away! Got one kick to the stomach but that was all and actually was quite pleased with how it went. Getting out was easy up the ramp, then a bit of a run to transition up on the grass. I managed to throw my goggles away but never mind.
Had a mild panic attack in transition as I couldn't find my bike. I knew my number started 19 but couldn't remember the rest. Ran around like a headless chicken for a bit then finally spotted my blue helmet. Phew! Fought my wettie off, shoes and helmet on and I was off for a fairly long run out, past FB who told me to get a move on :)
Off out off transition and o to lap one of 5. Luckily the ground wasn't that wet so you could give it a bit, there were some tight corners and a hairpin at the far end of the lap that scared me a bit first time :/
Coming to the end of the first lap I made a bit of an error.......there were signs saying keep left for laps keep right for transition but as I came up to them some fast guys were coming up behind me shouting at me things like INSIDE, LEFT, OUTSIDE, RIGHT.....and I was so fecking confused I ended up cycling towards transition.... I knew I was wrong so I just stopped. Some spectators leaning on the barrier told me everyone else was going the other way so I turned myself around and put myself right. As it happens it was quite confusing that bit with another hairpin coned off where for the next 2 times I actually had to put my foot down as I'm rubbish at them! Still I was ok now, I knew what I had to do and concentrated on trying to keep focused and enjoying the 'go pirate!' Shouts. Saw Mr H at his cheering point twice per lap which was nice. Met a forumites who tried to high five me on the bike but we missed :-D
Finally got to do the cycle back to transition thinking that I still felt fine :) got shouted in by FB and Petal which was nice and ran my bike all the way round transition to my rack.
Bike on rack helmet off, shoes on, visor on, number round, neck gel, gulp of water then away!
As you may have predicted I loved the run. I felt strong and the support was amazing. 4 laps of 2.5k. I concentrated on picking people off because tbh I was running faster than lots off them. Any places I gained were on the run. We had our names on our numbers and getting shouts of 'go Amanda' was brilliant. The first time I passed Mr H he held up the bag I had been wanting that he had bought for me:) superstar!
We passed the finish on each lap and the clock there was the actual time so I amused myself trying to think of how long it had been since I started and was I going to beat 2.50 which was about what I did at BRAT tri a year ago. I wasn't sure but I was bloody going to try. I ran hard but I had fun too high fiving the kids leaning through the barriers. One did make me smile as he had his sleeve pulled down over his hand. Wise child I thought!
Running towards the final turn onto the finish carpet was fabulous. Mr H was in the stands cheering me on and I felt like a superstar, whatever time I had done I had a fabulous day and got a really nice medal :)
These are my splits I won't be sure if you can see them til I publish this. So I will do it now!You can't so I took it out! Here is a pic of me with my medal instead!
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