Monday, May 19, 2014

It's all becoming Crystal clear...

Crystal Palace Triathlon - 18 May 2013

The Crystal Palace Triathlon is one of the most popular triathlons and sells out within hours of entries opening. I guess this is because it's a pool swim, closed road for cycling, really good for supporters and a good start for beginners. 

I entered because a lot of my friends had and I'd never done a pool swim triathlon before.  Here's my report.

I arrived just after 8 on the morning so I was there in good time (didn't need to be in the pool before 10!) and unpacked my bike (which I'd had to take the wheel off to fit in the car) and took it and my things towards the start. This seemed to involve an awful lot of carrying the bike down the stairs (remember the stairs for later). On our way in we'd been warned that there was a Mini rally. What I didn't know was that the rally was also starting in the grounds of Crystal Palace itself, so we ended up wheeling our bikes past some amazingly classic Minis - beautiful cars!

I registered, took my bike off to transition and then found a good spot next to a fork in the bike rack - I like to put all my stuff between my bike and a fork. The transition area appeared to be full of sand - I guess the volleyball courts next door had travelled some of their sand over. In racking up and sorting all my stuff out I managed to get sand all over my hat and goggles. I was looking out for my fellow Tritons, and finally figured out the guy a rack away from me was John from the group. 

Once I was ready, I went into the pool area. I was amazed at the breadth of Crystal Palace and the facilities on offer - pretty much any sport you might be into is catered for here. A lovely 50 m pool, with people already swimming in (they started just after 9). I went up to collect my chip and was told to hang fire, so I watched the current swimmers to see where they were swimming and then decided to go back out to transition to see whether any of my friends had arrived. By this stage they had and were setting up their bikes. Thea bless her was looking distinctly nervous, this being her first triathlon, so we were trying to encourage her. My nerves were jangling too! We walked back inside and cheered Thea on as she started. 

Soon it was my time to start. I hung around the start, received my timing chip and got into the diving pool for a quick practice swim. That helped to ease the nerves, it was good to be in the water again. I don't know how people who don't really like the swimming bit can do triathlons - I love to swim and being in the water makes me feel relaxed (most of the time!).
Getting ready for the swim
 Alex went off a few people ahead of me and then it was my turn. I quickly got myself into a rhythm and started swimming. The swim went OK. I spent a bit of it feeling a bit sick and hoping people wouldn't overtake me. I had to overtake someone and then I could see people coming up behind me. One woman overtook me and then slowed down as she had to take on the full force of the water without streamlining behind me. This was frustrating as I was pretty much on her toes all the way after that, to the point where I wanted to overtake her but I just wasn't fast enough to get past her and it was too much effort. At least it distracted me from my nausea! At the end we got out, and after being strictly told no running, walked out of the building to transition. 
Transitioning without a wetsuit on is a lot easier and a lot faster so I was two minutes faster than normal getting out of transition. Off out on the cycle course I went. The cycle course comes out of the stadium and almost immediately straight up a rather nasty hill. We would have to climb up this hill nine times to get round the course. The hill's not long, just very steep, and I could see everyone struggling up it and we all bunched up as we heaved ourselves up it every time. There were loads of people round the course, a few of them friends who were cheering me on every time I went around, which was great impetus to keep going. Of course going uphill means going downhill and to be honest I don't know which one I dislike the most, and I'm sure I shouldn't have been braking down the hill but I didn't feel very safe coming down it!!
Cycling around the course
 As I went round the course I decided that the socks I'd put on in transition were uncomfortable and baggy. I also noticed that a few of the other cyclists had very sandy bottoms - I guess a few of them had put on cycling shorts for the bike leg or perhaps had sat down to put their shoes on. I lost track of the number of trips I'd taken around the course so had to use my Garmin to try and figure out how far I'd gone. When it got up to 19 km I reckoned I must be on my last lap, thank goodness. Looking at my times now it seems I was pretty much consistently about 5 minutes 30 per lap, so at least I'm consistent.
Coming into transition 2 I decided to take the socks off
Off on my least favourite section, the run
 as it was getting hot and I knew the socks made my feet get too warm. 
The run is always going to be the hardest part and it being hot didn't help. I was determined to run the whole way and not walk, as I saw a few people doing, so I started back up the hill (again! that blasted hill!) only to be greeted at the top by people brandishing water. Oh, that water was good, but trying to drink while running is always a bit of a struggle for me. I made it round, to be cheered on by the Tritons telling me I was looking relaxed (is this a good thing?) despite the fact I had a terrible stitch and was suffering and then I had to go up the hill again. There was also a rather evil car park that we had to run up and down again which felt a bit daft! I'd guessed that I'd managed to get some sand into my shoes as they were rubbing quite hard on the way around, but the second time round was easier than the first (I almost felt like I could go round again!) and finally I came into the stadium (where some racing greats have run) to do my final run. I was tired, but having everyone cheer me on gave me the impetus to try and get a bit more speed up round the final bend and come in... at 1:45. 
 I was dehydrated, sore and almost boiling from the heat. Then I decided to take my shoe off to inspect the damage to be greeted by a large popped blister... that almost brought me to my knees. Being hot and injured almost always makes me pass out so it was a good thing that Carol was there to feed me water until I felt better. 
Finished at the end... relieved it's all over!
Everyone was standing around in the hot sun, but I felt like I'd had enough exposure for the day, so I went off to sort out my transition area. I was very grateful that I'd brought my flip flops so I didn't have to put my shoes back on over my horrible blister. Taking the bike back to the car almost felt like a workout itself - we had to carry them back up the stairs we'd carried them down earlier, but this time in the blistering midday sun. We waved goodbye and discussed maybe meeting up later on in the day. By the time I'd got home, had something to eat and a shower I realised I was not going anywhere and was completely exhausted! What a day, although I don't think I'd do it again - I think I prefer open water events.

P.S. Thanks to Nadja and Thea for the great photos!

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Are we having any fun?

I'd decided that this year was going to be the year I went for an Olympic distance triathlon. In order to work myself up to this particular crazy feat I felt like I should do a couple of sprint distances to start off with. My last triathlon of last year was Leybourne. So it was due to be my first of 2014. I'd chosen it again as I knew it was a nice mostly flat course that would be a good start to my year.

Leybourne lakes lie near Maidstone in Kent and are where we go to train for open water swims. The water is clean but very murky at this time of year. I'd gone down to the lake a couple of times before the race to get myself acclimatised to the temperature - a shocking 11.5 degrees on my first trip out, enough to make me seriously consider running out of the water again, but didn't as I had people watching me! I was very grateful for those practice swims as it meant I was used to the distance and the temperature before I started.

The day started as it meant to go on for the next couple of hours. Rain, cold and miserable! I picked up Nadja and Jennice on the way to the race and unfortunately got caught in a bit of traffic on our way to the lake. This meant we were one of the last to rack up and I didn't get a chance to grab my favourite area next to prop spaces. Didn't really seem to affect me much really. As it was so cold the difference between the air and the water (which had now risen to the heights of 13.5 degrees) wasn't so bad. They'd also managed to get some timing chips so we didn't have to shout our number out to someone. We were set off in the water. At every buoy I turned to look and figured I wasn't at the back, which was good. I also missed the sunken car which I know is there on the way back in but had still given me a fright the first time I'd gone out.


Waiting for the off - I'm the tall one right in the centre with the blue cap on.

On your way out of the water the Leybourne race gives you a real help I've never seen anywhere else: they unzip your wetsuit and pull one shoulder down. Brilliant for transition! I ran to my bike and sorted myself out, teeth chattering. I even put a long sleeved top on to try to keep me warm. Out on the bike course it was chucking it down. This was not helped by the giant lorries and trucks spraying water over us as we went round the course. My top got soaked and so did the rest of me. As I came around the first time I recognised a familiar plait and as I passed Jennice I said,  Are we having fun yet? We had a fun few minutes jostling for position before I managed to pull away from her, then I managed to manoeuvre round a lorry and get round the roundabout for the second lap, I could see her still stuck behind it. I guess that's where commuting into town and back really has its advantages!

Coming back into transition I couldn't really feel my quads or even my feet. I was numb from the cold. There was even a volunteer offering to help unclip our helmets!  I soldiered on John Wayne style and started out on the run, conscious that Jennice might catch me at any moment. About five minutes into the run I realised I must have picked up a stone in my shoe in transition and if I didn't take it out I'd get a blister. So I had to stop to sort my shoe out. It had almost stopped raining, but because it was cold my glasses had steamed up - I couldn't figure out whether it was worse with or without them! Near the end of the first lap Debbie came up the track having finished her race. I called her a few choice words for finishing already but she kept pace with me and let me know that Jennice hadn't passed me yet.  She also geed me on by saying I was running really well and to keep going at the same pace for the second lap. Thanks Debbie.
 
Having gone past everyone cheering me on for my second lap, I dug in and tried to keep at the same pace. It was quite lonely for the second loop given most had finished by that stage so I spent most of it trying to decide what my Strava title would be and whether my glasses were helping or hindering my run, as well as trying to avoid the odd dog and pedestrian. I also saw a lady with a fluorescent jacket who I mistakenly thought might be Jennice on her first lap. Finally I got to the end and I simply didn't have anything left to sprint finish. I ended up doing a time of 1:42, which is pretty much the same as last September, which I was a bit disappointed with given the training I've done. Looking at my splits it looks like the bike was slower - probably due to the weather - and I made up the time in the run leg, which is great.

Jennice never did pass me to my surprise and she came in a couple of minutes later running the last few metres with her daughter which was really sweet!