First open water swim ever! The course was counter clockwise around two bouys so I went as far to the right as I could and got some clear water. I figured that as I was not going to be troubling the selectors at this this point I may as well avoid getting a kicking. Did pretty well and crawled for the whole of the first leg, only breastroking when I needed to navigate a bit better.

Came out of the water and sprinted down the beach before the second lap and faired a little worse due to there now being a bit more congestion. Got passed a few times but that was ok. I didn't drown so mission completed.

Learn to swim properly.

The advantage of being able to hold your line, swim within the rails and keep up with (if not be faster than) the pack is clear. The fastest out of the water was 11.38. If I could have shaved off five minutes I would have been in the top fifteen getting out of the water. A huge difference.

I had a cunning plan to keep ny trainers on the beach and change into those when I got out of the water thus saving me vital seconds as I wouldn't have to do the same thing again at the transition.

Beach=sand. Beach+water+sand=about ten minutes of pratting about trying to dry feet, get sand off and get into spare pair of trainers.

Forget about cunning plans! If I ever have to do this dual transition again, get a pair of running sandals and use those.

Absolutely bloody torture. Leaving the start point I jumped on my bike and pedalled like crazy only to have to get off within about 50m to carry my bike up the side of a drainage ditch. Jumped back on at the top for another 50m mounted sprint before having to jump off and carry my bike down a nearly vertical rock face. This was the pattern for the whole lap.

There were two bits of note. The first is about half way round the lap when, after fighting your way through a dense bit of jungle you come out to a right turn onto a wide open track. That goes up and up and up. A four hundred and something metre climb in the blazing sun. I tried to pedal up it but within about 20m I got off and pushed up to the top. Absolutely knackering. About half way up on my first lap I was lapped for the first time by the eventual winner, pedalling and not even sweating. Oh bugger.

The second was the only downhill section. Dropping back into the transition zone it was a long gravelled section intersected by storm drains. No signs about the storm drains and when I hit the first one (at about 40mph) I lost both my water bottles and most of my ability to reproduce. I got off but could only find one bottle so resigned myself to being a bit thirsty for the rest.

Incidentally, PJ O'Rourke once sadi that the best car in the world is a rental car. By extrapolation, the best bike in the world for one of these events is a rental bike. My temporary steed was bashed and banged in a way that I would have never have done with my own bike. I hit rocks and through it down slopes that made me think I would be picking up bits of it at the bottom. It did however hold together nicely.

Preparation. I have never raced off road before so it was all a bit new to me. I would practice, practice and practice some more. Learn what I can do and do it. I went at the downhill sections like a big girls blouse (put off somewhat by the amount of blood around) but I know that I could have gone faster. I would also do more spin classes as that was just what was need to get up the hills. About the only thing that gym prep is good for methinks.

Quick. Too quick. Forgot to rehydrate properly and ran straight out.



Take time. Invest in the run properly. I knew that it was blazingly hot so why didn't I drink enough.

Swelteringly hot. I ran the first chunk and then just gave up. I guess I binked as a result of not hydrating myself properly on the bike. Absolutely not fit enough to do this kind of race with any degree of ability.

Leaving the jungle (where I was running) and coming out into the sun was enough of any excuse to simply stop putting any effort into running although at the time I felt that I couldn't run at all.



Train harder. In a sauna.

None. Sat down and drank about three litres of warm water. Felt like a camel.


Ability.


Inaugral race. Very challenging place to organise a race and very challenging race. In hindsight I enjoyed it hugely and any negative feelings are purely as a result of my own inability and frustrations with those.