I'm going to have to try and find some feet especially in adverse conditions like this. Swimming is not my strength so if I can draft someone and reduce this impact why not. Up till now I've been staying wide because I like being in the clean water but it probably cost me time and energy on the weekend.

Quite a long transition up from the beach over a bridge which had been built to cross the bike route (kind of cool).

Slowed up for the last two and a half km's to sit up and start deep breathing in an attempt to stave off the stitches which got me last time.

Went to put my bike up on the rack and it fell over which was annoying more than time consuming. Went the wrong way out of the transition but only for about 20 metres before the volunteers kindly showed me the way.

Damn stitches. Spent the whole time breathing on my left foot, sticking my hand into my liver to try and allieviate them. Was better than Bintan as I was able to control them to painful rather than debilitating.

Going to try some hard long bricks with different eating and drinking combinations to see if I can nut this out.

4 beers and pizza at a friends place near to the race. Had a swim with the kids and then stood under a hot shower which felt really good even though I know it's bad.


Stitches on the run again


Not sure why but the event seemed to lack atmosphere for some reason. The organisation was good but perhaps it was because the starts were so staggered there wasn't a great concentration of people there at any one time.