Good luck to anyone racing Dambuster Saturday, Quality event, Quality Age group field should make for some interesting racing, just hope the weather holds.
It was a challenging, race report as follows: Windy 20 mph and gusting, swim reduced to 1000m as water temp 11c
1000m swim: Water chilly, choppy and windy; 19:34, minute under expected time.
T1: 200m run to T1 blood draining from head, sat down to stop falling over. Got sorted and off.
42k bike: First 2k caught a group, boing, drink bottle and GPS eject onto the grass. Stop, sort it, minute later, bottle shakes about, stop, readjust, group I had overtaken pass me, not for long. 30m descent over 2k, crank it up past them at 61kph.
Leading group of girls now amongst us. Rutland Ripple, 3 ascents over 4.5k. First a 45m climb then 55kph into a drop the second about 20m, third can’t remember, then 56kph, slow to 33kph at Uppingham. Average 37-45 kph on A47, gusty, soon hit 51-54kph, play cat and mouse with the girls for the next 10k.
Superb fun through speed indicators flashing frowny faces as we pile through at 31-33mph, chase into Ketton, bit naughty 20 mph limit and I clocked between 37-45kph.
Steadfold Lane, 45m climb over 1.3k, after a few minutes grinding road flattens for 1.5k, cranking it up again peaking at 47kph before the left turn onto the A606. Very gusty between 33 and 34k into a drop and chickened out, gripped the top tube with my knees and rode the gusts out at 56kph. The girls lost me again on the climb through Empingham and finally back into the Rutland Water centre; 1:24:09. Woohoo, 30kph average, get rid of the two stops and I cleared the 42k route in 1:22
T2: Clean dismount, pleased there were plenty of empty spaces.
10k run: Straightforward plod. Wind was draining. Last 400m giving it all I had, no sprint, everything I had was left out on the course; 50:46. As expected, my PB for a straight 10k is 43:29 and average 46:30 these days so 50ish after a swim and bike is what I expected.
Total 2:40:13 Happy boy, even got a hug and a kiss from one of the girls
looking at your finish time against the race results I see that we are both in same AG.
I didnt think the water was too bad. I'd raced coniston MTB Tri the previous week, Coniston lake was 14 degrees, I didnt think Rutland water seemed any colder than Coniston lake.
I didnt see any of the ladies until the run on the dam then I upped my pace a little to try and hold them off which I just managed to do even though we had a 10 minute start on them!
I honestly didnt think the water was too bad, personally i didnt have any problems with the cold, however i know a few people who struggled a bit in T1.
The only problem I did have was getting my bike to fit into transition, the bar was way too low for my saddle!
Managed to do a 17 min swim, 1.13 for the bike (10 minutes quicker than last year) and 36 mins for the run.
Something like 123rd overall, but it was our RAF champs which I finished 9th in. Chuffed with the top 10 finish and massive improvement from last years race
Comments
Windy 20 mph and gusting, swim reduced to 1000m as water temp 11c
1000m swim: Water chilly, choppy and windy; 19:34, minute under expected time.
T1: 200m run to T1 blood draining from head, sat down to stop falling over. Got sorted and off.
42k bike: First 2k caught a group, boing, drink bottle and GPS eject onto the grass. Stop, sort it, minute later, bottle shakes about, stop, readjust, group I had overtaken pass me, not for long. 30m descent over 2k, crank it up past them at 61kph.
Leading group of girls now amongst us. Rutland Ripple, 3 ascents over 4.5k. First a 45m climb then 55kph into a drop the second about 20m, third can’t remember, then 56kph, slow to 33kph at Uppingham. Average 37-45 kph on A47, gusty, soon hit 51-54kph, play cat and mouse with the girls for the next 10k.
Superb fun through speed indicators flashing frowny faces as we pile through at 31-33mph, chase into Ketton, bit naughty 20 mph limit and I clocked between 37-45kph.
Steadfold Lane, 45m climb over 1.3k, after a few minutes grinding road flattens for 1.5k, cranking it up again peaking at 47kph before the left turn onto the A606. Very gusty between 33 and 34k into a drop and chickened out, gripped the top tube with my knees and rode the gusts out at 56kph. The girls lost me again on the climb through Empingham and finally back into the Rutland Water centre; 1:24:09. Woohoo, 30kph average, get rid of the two stops and I cleared the 42k route in 1:22
T2: Clean dismount, pleased there were plenty of empty spaces.
10k run: Straightforward plod. Wind was draining. Last 400m giving it all I had, no sprint, everything I had was left out on the course; 50:46. As expected, my PB for a straight 10k is 43:29 and average 46:30 these days so 50ish after a swim and bike is what I expected.
Total 2:40:13 Happy boy, even got a hug and a kiss from one of the girls
looking at your finish time against the race results I see that we are both in same AG.
I didnt think the water was too bad. I'd raced coniston MTB Tri the previous week, Coniston lake was 14 degrees, I didnt think Rutland water seemed any colder than Coniston lake.
I didnt see any of the ladies until the run on the dam then I upped my pace a little to try and hold them off which I just managed to do even though we had a 10 minute start on them!
Another great event from Pacesetter.
I honestly didnt think the water was too bad, personally i didnt have any problems with the cold, however i know a few people who struggled a bit in T1.
The only problem I did have was getting my bike to fit into transition, the bar was way too low for my saddle!
Managed to do a 17 min swim, 1.13 for the bike (10 minutes quicker than last year) and 36 mins for the run.
Something like 123rd overall, but it was our RAF champs which I finished 9th in. Chuffed with the top 10 finish and massive improvement from last years race
Gaz