2013 ETU Challenge Middle Distance Championship

Race Report

Before this race I thought I was in shape for a Top 10 performance. Unfortunately for me I didn’t manage it, I had a really bad swim as we swam about 200 meters out to a buoy and then about 1500 meters straight into the sun where I just couldn’t see a thing. I ended up swimming with a group which were too slow, I tried a couple of time to go on my own but as I couldn’t see the buoys I was just wasting energy so I stayed with the group and could tell it was slow as I was easily able to stay with them. My normal tactics in the swim is just go full gas, and limit my losses.

Onto the bike and at least I can’t use going to hard on the swim as an excuse! Nah to be fair I actually had quite a good bike and managed to get myself up to 14th from 23rd out of the water. I think 1m 30 to the top 10 at the start of the run.

Not much happened on the run really, I dropped a guy who I started the run with, lost a place to a Spaniard at the start of the run, overtook someone with 3k to go and then got beaten by some cheeky sod in a sprint finish. I didn’t even realize he was there and he came past me by surprise in a twisty section with about 150 meter remaining.

On the official results they have me as 13th which I will take if they want to give it to me. On reflection from the race I think a top 10 was definitely achievable if I had swam to my ability, in races like this you can’t get away with giving away free time and expect to make it back up.

The bike, I was pretty happy with I can’t really criticize that much apart from not being in 100%  fitness but that’s just as I’m aiming to peak for UK Ironman.

The run I think I’m going to wear my garmin next time I race as I use it in training and it’s really good at giving me a kick up the ass if I see the pace drop off. I thought I would try racing without it for a few races to see if I ran better but over a half ironman I don’t actually think it does for me.

No Comments

Be the first to start a conversation

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)