East London Ultra
Not quite the race I would have liked to be my first triathlon. Being a newbie to the sport, I still had a lot of questions I needed answers to and not having my coach at the race did not make it any easier.
A few days prior to the event I got my race strategy, which I probably read like a hundred times, just trying to visualise each scenario, trying to imprint each zone for each discipline.
I knew I had put in the hours, missing a session here and there and hoping that those red blocks were not going to come back and bite me on race day.
I have spectated a few races before I had joined Richard Lawrie and the MTD crew, and have witnessed what one can achieve by sticking to the program and being consistent in one’s training. I had to keep reminding myself this as the day grew closer.
Finally the day had arrived!
The first task at hand: Setting up in transition. Running through the whole motion over and over again hoping I hadn't forgotten anything. Lets do this!
Sitting on the promenade suiting up I could feel the nerves starting to make them selves present, and the fact that things were not running to schedule didn't make it easier.
Then standing on the beach at the start line over looking the sea realising things are about to get real.
Off we go!
First task at hand was to get through the waves and get into a rhythm to the first buoy. I got comfortable very quickly, a little too comfortable. The conditions where not the greatest and neither was my swim at the end. Out the water and up the long run into T1. Getting into T1 I saw some faces that I should have beaten in the swim.I did managed to pass a few of them in T1.
On the bike I got my legs moving, and started to settle the heart rate. 'Stick to your strategy' is all I kept reminding myself as I got passed by a few athletes. The bike course was very hilly with a simple out and back. Heading back, the wind had picked up and started to make things a little more interesting, but with the last 5km of the bike the legs were feeling good and I managed to pass a few riders.
Getting into T2 I needed to get out as quickly as possible. The run was a two loop course. I took my first few km's easy, settled in and started to push on. Bunkers!!!! Surprise surprise! And then realising you have to do it twice! Damn! The temperature was rising and was making things tough, but as the run progressed I started passing more and more athletes.
Crossing the finishing line, I was feeling surprisingly good. I did not realise that I had worked myself into 2nd place in my age group!
BIG thanks to my coach Richard Lawrie for all the insight and advise and for always being willing to share info with us. I couldn't have asked for a better Coach!