Said to my brother after the race that if the swim had been 100 metres longer I probably would have drowned :) Was patting myself on the back mentally for the fact that my endurance has improved to the point where I don't need to breaststroke at all anymore, until a guy doing breaststroke passed me :(

Just the usual of needing to train more.

Made the right decision to put the shoes on the bike and ride up the hill with the feet on top because the mounting area had quite a steep slope. Checked three times before the start of the race that the gear selected was the lowest because I'd seen the people doing the sprint really struggling with the mount. Got the feet into the shoes no problem once I was at the top and then was away.

Nothing to change here. All went smoothly except for a gel dropping out of my tri top but didn't take long to pick it up.

Found it hard to pace myself because I wasn't used to the up and down. It's hard to know what speed to be sitting on compared to when you are used to working on a flat section. I also lost my water bottles going over the speed bumps which impacted upon the amount that I drank on the bike.

More secure bike biddens. Put some vaseline between the legs to cut down on the chafing.

Again nothing to change as a quick transition.

Had stitches from the start of the run and couldn't shake them. Had to walk through the water stations. Did the first 5 in 27 which was disapointing enough but then finished it 'strongly' with a 31.

Try some of the tips for getting rid of stitches which I read after the race such as bilateral breathing, pushing in the spot or situps (in that order of ascending silliness)>

Started straight back into the beers and then attended the post race awards where we picked up a prize for the 'best' dressed curtesy of the lime green budgie smugglers my friends and I wore.


Stitches on the run, the rest was good and overall the time was 10 minutes faster than the one I did 6 months before so can't complain too much.


As Hotrunner mentioned the organisation prior to the race was diabolical and I was really nervous because I had three friends travelling to compete from Taiwan and Australia. However the organisation on the day couldn't be faulted, the course was interesting, scenic and challenging. They had organised activities for the children such as face-painting, a bubble pool and an elephant visit. For a 40 year old father of three this was probably the ideal blend of racing and family fun in a beautiful spot.