So the Result: 2:16:40 Sixth
in age group in Europe, 2nd Brit in age group and 144th
overall for the Olympic distance out of … I have no idea, but I would guess
about 600, of which probably 400 were Brits.
And the Conclusion: Overall pretty happy with the result at
my first GBR age group representation at an International event. I was second
out of the 14 Brits who qualified in my age group and as I remember, with my roll
down spot from the Bala triathlon of last year, I was actually the last but one
qualifier who came out to Turkey. So I think that’s a good improvement on last
year. Although it wasn’t all great as I didn’t really perform on the run which
on reflection I could and should have done better, maybe even enough to not let
that pesky GBR Mark Elliott pass me in the last sector of the last lap to take
the first British guy home.
But hey, it was a fantastic experience. To be able to get
involved with serious age group triathlon, watching (and mixing a bit) with the
elite juniors and seniors of the sport, the paratriathletes and racing with the
best of the age groupers was great. I had a fantastic time.
Once I found out I had qualified for these championships
(see first ever blog) I had planned it all out. Upping the training was the
easy bit; the hard bit was fitting everything around work and family. Luckily,
as soon as I was advised I had a roll down spot, Alysia thought it would be a
good idea to make a trip to Turkey as our summer family holiday. My in-laws
are based in Germany and also thought it was also a great idea and joined in the
party, making a bike touring holiday of Turkey based around Alanya. This was in
training for their “family” bike tour around the Black Sea in August – crazy,
yes. But this is the family group of 10 - 20 who have over the last few years
cycled from Northern Germany to; Morocco, Moscow (via the Baltic countries),
Prague, Poland and Splott (that’s in Cardiff, Wales if you didn’t know). We
found a cheap house to rent via AirB&B
in the area in Kargicak, about 17km east of Alanya and settled in for two weeks
around the event. By luck the house was
just what we wanted. Alanya is a bit of a German/British/Russian tourist trap
something akin to Benidorm or even Blackpool (not that many German/Russians
holiday there). We ended up in this huge house, with a pool, lovely garden on a
hill about 10 minutes’ walk from a really nice beach and, thankfully, well away
from the touristy bits.
The swim start at Alanya looking from the Castle across the harbour
Arriving seven days ahead of my race day I had a bit of time
to acclimatise and swim, cycle and even run the courses ahead of any official
course familiarisation, so on that front I haven’t any complaints. In triathlon
preparation is everything. The Olympic distance start was on the Friday,
starting at 7am and my combined wave start for M50-54 & M55-59 was at 8am. So I had decided a long time previously that the house was too far out to
travel in for the day of the race. I managed to book the Thursday and Friday
nights in GB team hotel in Alanya (directly and cheaply with the hotel, rather
than through the official travel agents). All the family came into Alanya
during my hotel stay and availed themselves of the facilities, especially
Scarlett & Gethyn who loved the kiddies paddling pools.
Thursday was registration followed by the GB race briefing
and then down to the start for bike check-in and tri-suit check. I hope it
wasn’t going to be an omen but my chain came off on my way down to transition
for the first time since I’ve had this bike. In the evening there was the
official Parade of Nations. This was actually a bit better than I thought it
was going to be – led by the Officials in Suits followed by two men in Bananas
(official emblem of Alanya), the Turks, the Swiss (I still don’t know why), a
Turkish ethnic band and then everybody else in a procession through the streets
of Alanya from the Culture Centre to the Harbour. Scarlett was fascinated, but
also scared a bit, by the Bananas! A
good pasta based pre- race evening meal with the family followed and then early
to bed.
The Parade of Nations at the ETU European Triathlon Championships
A good night’s sleep then up early for a muesli and banana
breakfast (what else) and onto the bus to take us down to the start. I’m
normally the perfection of organisation and awareness. However on this day I
had a total fail. I had decided to take all the gear I needed plus my track
pump in a mesh bag and the goodie bag that the organisers had given us at
registration, containing the timing chip, swim cap etc. I don’t know how but I
managed to leave the goodie bag on the bus. I was only made aware of it when
the team manager, Ian Kitchen, came through transition asking who had left it
on the bus. My first thought was who could be that stupid. Then realisation set
in that, in fact, that idiot was me. In the end no harm done but if some kind
person had not seen it on the bus and given it to Ian it would probably have
meant no race start for me.
I’d noticed from the earlier waves that there was a bit of a
bun fight in the wave assembly area (the “competitors lounge” as the organisers
had called it). Athletes mulled around only to be then told to line up in
single file against a low wall. What happened then was something similar to
musical chairs with guys trying to find a gap in the line, or having to go to
the back of the line. This was quite important as you got to choose your
starting position on the pontoon for the swim from your position in this line.
As there was a definite distance advantage to the first buoy from starting on
the right of the pontoon and I breathe to my left I wanted to start as far to
the right as I could. So I was already there waiting in the reception area for
the wave in front to move off. As soon as they did I moved against the wall,
second in line. The photo below taken by Alysia shows the line-up. Remember
there were over 50 in this wave. I don’t think it is any coincidence that the
first 6 out of the water (and four of the medallists) are in this picture at
the front of the queue and all of us lined up to the far right on the pontoon in the same order. My swim was ok. As I mentioned the leaders of
the swim all started in an area together and soon pulled away after the start. I
drafted for a bit but was soon left by a group of four (3 Swiss and a Greek)
who pulled away. I was left swimming with a fellow Brit from the other age
group (Stuart Robinson I later found out, who came 3rd in his age).
I drafted off him most of the way out, and then he off me after the turn buoy
until about the last 400m when we swam parallel. It would have been nice to
been in that first group but on reflection they were faster than me and I would
not have made it. They ended up 80secs ahead of us. It should really have been
at least another 20secs but they screwed up on their direction and went way
right off the course line.
Swim line up for men's 50-54 and 55-59 age groups
T1 was ok for my standards, but in the scheme of things of
an ETU championship it should have been better. I again did not attempt a
flying start with my bike shoes clipped into the bike. And again I lost about
40secs in T1 to the leaders. That is the last time I will do that. From now on
I’d rather crash & burn putting my shoes on the bike rather than get such a
crap T1 time recorded. After that the bike leg went well being 3rd
fastest with only about a minute or so behind the two best. T2, due to not
getting out of my bike shoes before transition was also slow compared to the
leaders.
Then the run. Oh the run. Oh, how I hate it. I’m now
thinking it’s psychological. I really can see no reason or have no excuses as
to why I’m so slow. If I can do a 21mins 5km why can’t I do at least a 45mins
10k? Why do I do a near 50mins 10km when the first three do a 40min 10km. I
feel pain on the run. I feel it very hard. I feel if I try and go any faster I
am going to die. Then it is over, and hey, it’s fine. I have no pain, I didn’t
die and immediately I wonder why I didn’t run any faster. OK it was hot and I
had pushed the bike leg hard but still no reason why I was so slow. Anyway what
happened happened. I can’t change it now. I just must work much harder on my
running, and running off the bike if I’m going to improve. For the record from
timing splits around the run course I was in third place up to the second of
four laps. Then a Russian passed me, followed by a Swiss who went on to take 3rd.
Then finally the first Brit, who passed me in the last 400m.
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Feeling the heat on the run
I’ve got lots of thinking now to do before the London World
champs in September. At the moment I’ve qualified for the aquathlon on the
Wednesday and the sprint on the Friday. Should I do both? I’m racing the
Liverpool tri Olympic distance qualifier 13th July so I might be
able to qualify for that, which is on the Sunday in London. That would give me
a couple more days after the aquathlon. I also really have to think about my
training and especially the running bit.
Again I will say it was a great experience and well worth
it. I can admit that I had a few (all inclusive in the hotel package) beers in
the afternoon following the race. I then went to the awards ceremony as I was
quite intrigued to see the guys who won and the guys who won the age group
below. Then a few more beers before tiredness took over. I was up early the
next day to see the sprint races. I met up with the other two Cardiff Tri guys
who raced on the Friday and we watched and supported the three from the club
who were racing the sprint. I hypothesised that if I had entered the sprint in
my age group with my current times and comparing it to other GBR triathletes I probably
would have been in contention for 3rd, but then there were three
triathletes with very close times and no doubt they would have all run me down
in a sprint finish before the end!
Here are my splits for the Olympic distance race.
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