The lead up to the race weather-wise had been truly abysmal - lots of rain and cold weather for a month or so. I try not to complain 24/7 about the cold, but I have very poor circulation and do really suffer. Consequently when the swim was called off 20 minutes before the start I (as did most others) breathed a very big sigh of relief. Regardless of the water temperature, the air temperature was still only 6 degrees and raining so to get on the bike after a swim would have been extremely tough.
So a 1900m/92k/21k race turned into 5.3k run + 92k/21k - a lot of running. I had't set any particular hopes for the race - just to put a stake in at the start of the season and identify current weaknesses. The lack of a swim gave me the chance to add an extra pair of socks - big bonus. The first run went off at a pretty crazy pace - leaving me in the latter half of the top 10, but happy to hold back 30 seconds in a 4 hour race.
Coming into transition I decided to take off my jacket - leaving me with trisuit and long sleeved top, a decision I really shouldn't have made! Out onto the very flat bike course and it was just a case of getting settled in for the 56 miles. I got through into 3rd/4th within the first 30 minutes but after that it was a lonely ride. By 40 minutes in my hands had frozen so much that I could get my bottle out of the cage but couldn't squeeze it, and my jaw was so cold I couldn't suck the drink out! Still had half a litre on the bars though and could get to my Stoats nutrition so it was enough to get me through.
Rolled into T2 at a smidge under 2 1/2 hours - not fantastic but looking at splits for the other guys it wasn't as bad as it felt. As soon as I went to change my shoes my body just seized. I'd long since lost feeling in hands/feet/legs etc, but as I tried to get my run shoes on a muscle completely locked up in my neck - evidently an effect of being in one position on the flat bike course. I managed to pick up my gels with my locked in position arm and ran/walked out of transition.
It took close to a mile to unlock my neck and actually get the gels into my pockets (and a further 2 to get the feeling back in my feet). The run really was just a case of grinding it out. There were no sort of distance markers or reference points of any sort - so it was just a case of running for 90 minutes and hoping I'd been running 7 minute miles! The story of the run: started in 3rd, got overtaken to 4th, overtook someone into 3rd. The end. It was as bad as I'd felt on any run in any race, and once 3rd was safe I actually walked a couple of aid stations just to hoover up coke and jaffa cakes (surprisingly easy to choke on while running I found...)
Over the line in 3rd, but due to a DQ and the winner Joe Skipper being an on the day entry I got the winners prize. A very tough race due to the conditions, and a real kicking at the start of the season - onwards and upwards has to be the way from here....
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