This event was carried over from 5 April, obviously due to the lockdown (up yours Corona!!!).
We didn’t have to get up mega early because I was in the swim at 9:07:45 (very precise) & as we could only arrive an hour before our start time, it didn’t give me a lot of time to do all of my normal procedures. However, I arrived on poolside for the 400mtr swim 15mins before my start time (as previously advised) but the man organising the swim wave said if you are ready then you can go, so put my hat & goggles on & off I went to do 16 lengths of the pool. I decided to leave my Synergie long sleeve shirt at the pool side to put on before descending the flight of very slippery metal steps. I then had to run round the side of the centre to the new position of transition & had already decided that I would put on socks, gloves & my lightweight Synergie bike jacket as well (I wasn’t going to get cold for anyone 😊).
I then headed off onto the one lap 21K bike course which proved to be quite eventful.
The first two roundabouts were OK but when I got to the mandatory foot down at the next roundabout I had to wait for a couple of cars to pass. I then headed onto the gradual climb to the T-junction with a cross tail wind which was a little bit tough going. I then turned left towards Beaulieu with a nice tail wind but had to stop for the 11 donkeys in the road (I know there was 11 as I spent so much time waiting for them to give me a gap big enough for me to pass safely (sorry, no pictures). They were rather cute though.
I then turned left again into Beaulieu & as well as a very strong head wind I then had geese & ducks crossing the road by the river. The next major roundabout I had to wait for nine cars coming from my right so more time wasted (rubbish!!!!!).
As I was heading to the dismount line I threw my gloves at Coach 2 & then into T2 for a quick transition & then, as per race arrangements, Coach 2 was 200mtrs on the run course where I discarded my bike jacket & T-shirt with her & then I got on with the one 5K lap run, which was in reverse this year because of the change in transition. I had a little bit of a stitch a quarter way through the run but eventually the runs legs did arrive & carried me through to the finish.
My splits are as follows: Swim – 7:32; T1 – 1:19; Bike –37:38; T2 –0:58; Run- 21:02
Overall time – 1:08:31; Overall position – 11th & 2nd in my age group
Gra