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First tri race report from dorney lake

Bit overdue but here's the race report for my first tri at dorney, goes on a bit so sorry

My race really started on Saturday at Conehead's rookie day, which gives serious bang for buck. Coaching by Rick Kiddle, bike setup by Mike from Bridge Town and of course Mr Conehead himself with endless advice. I won't labour the point but if you haven't been on one of these days, I'd highly recommend going. Obviously I'm no expert on tri courses but I doubt I would have posted a time of 1:12:46 for my first tri without the transition advice. Annoyingly my chip must have been faulty as I didn't get split times so don't know how long transition was, but it felt fast.

So on Sunday it was up at 7am (for a leisurely 11:30am start). Had usual weekend training porridge (laced with honey, walnuts and seeds) and threw all the kit in the car that I must've checked over a billion times the night before. Already hot at 8am... Double check sun cream is in bag.

Arrived at the venue and straight into the Tri and Run tent to get lock laces (to take locks off for fitting to my own laces as per Conehead's advice).

Faffed like a preening duck for 15mins setting up in transition while I got everything just so. The only bugger for me is wearing glasses so had to leave specs in helmet and wander around like a loon in my prescription goggles- tho by that time I was in the tri suit so past caring about looking silly- function over form everytime for me

Waited around in the shade with the future Mrs Chappers and was surprisingly calm... Time came to put the sweatsuit on and the butterflies started. Applied voltarol to dodgy shoulder and zipped up.

Getting into the water was such a relief in the heat. Stayed at the back out of the way while the marshal gave the briefing, during which someone asked something about the first bouy and the answer was the quote of the day "the big yellow bouy is the first marker, how you get there sir is up to you".

Uneventful slow and steady swim apart from monster pond weed and someone grabbing my ankle, but managed crawl all the way and my shoulder held up. Watch time out of the water was 18:30- even managed a little verp in T1 (sorry for the details- too much SiS I think). Used the patented technique learnt on rookie day  for removing the sweatsuit, which worked a treat (I think I'd wake up with my steed's aerobars on my pillow if I said any more, so I won't).

Onto the bike, the setup and aerobars fitted by mike on the rookie day worked a treat and very comfotable. Only got passed by one person on some kind of uber machine- could hear the drone coming up behind me, the seed of a future purchase has been well and truely planted . Nutrition plan on the bike was to wait til lap 3 of 4 to chug the smart gel Conehead kindly gave to us all on the rookie day- which I'd taped to the top tube... But it'd fallen off (crappy tape I'd used prob melted in the heat).. Either that or the tri gods were punishing me for having no red on my bike. Had a backup sis gel in my suit tho so had that. Lap 4 over and into T2.

Lock laces were great, zipped out of transition and onto the run (bike time by my watch including T1 and T2 was 34:17). 

run was again uneventful but hot, passed a few people and got passed by someone on a flier.    

Crossed the line (run was 19:30 by my watch and 1:12:46 official time overall), straight to the lovely fella with the hosepipe and off to the massage tent as a treat.

All in all a fantastic intro to tri and I'm well and truely hooked. Next one is on 11th July (Ripon OD) and I can't wait!
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