It was great to be on the bike – really felt great at this point, as I took my first few peddles, saw the support staff, and was off up Broad Haven front – I took on some liquid and overtook a couple of people along here I was flying, then the hill came.
The hill out of Broad Haven isn’t massive, but it was today – down a gear, keep it spinning, down a gear, down a gear – no more gears… But I was catching a couple in front which helps with your mental-ness, but I was also passed by a couple who just breezed past me. After a while we were out on the open road and I really got down to it, luckily the roads were being marshaled and it was great to not have to stop at junctions, the pace was quick(ish) and the up and down was going well. I overtook a couple along here, but also a few overtook me. In all it was quite forgetful, I rememeber being 8 miles in and at half an hour so was outside of a 1:30 at that point, but I kept things spinning and really felt quite good for most of the cycle.
The hill up to Herbranston was a killer, but after that there were hills but nothing too terrible. I found the supporters at Tiers Cross, parked up at Stodds Tires, they really gave me a lift, and I nearly took their heads off by throwing my used water bottle at them. Before long I was back at Haverfordwest and at the turning up past the race-course the cheerleaders where there again, brilliant!
The road back into Broad Haven is usually a 20+ mph run, but today the wind was at me, and I was tired anyway, so it was a real effort to keep 16-18 mph, but the clock was ticking and I wasn’t going to make 1:30 which I had hoped. Eventually I got to the hill back into Broad Haven and could relax a little – as I got to the bottom of the hill, the winner of the tri was just coming out at the *end* of his run – he looked like a greek god as I cycled passed, the Adonis and the troll as we headed down to the beach together.
This transition should have been really speedy, but I felt a little weird at this point, and did a little day dreaming, then I couldn’t find the way out of the transition area, but after a couple of minutes I was slowly jogging down towards the beach.
RUN:
The start of the course was on the beach, passed the supporters again here, they were doing an excellent job, but the run started hard. I was barely moving across the beach, but after 500 meters the going got really tough.
The route took us out towards Druidston on the coastal path, which was narrow, and rocky, and steep. It was totally mental. To finish a race running 3K upwards along an awful clifftop path is just completely nuts – I was exhausted – I could barely jog. AT one point the path was so steep there were steps, which I had to walk up (there were only 4 mind). After a while a couple of people had passed me, and I managed to pass one bloke, it was his first tri also, and as he fell into step behind me he started to chat. I couldn’t so drove on and away from the nutter.
First water stop came and went, I managed to throw the entire contents of the cup down my neck – and I actually mean down my neck to attempt to cool me down. We were on tarmac now and the run started to feel okay, I was passed by some fresh faced folk, who may, or may not have been in a team, and passed a couple myself – some of these were really suffering. After about a mile the road turned off towards H’west and the hills start again – I could not believe how hilly it was – there must have been 6k of up and 3 k of down – although that probably doesn’t work out – but there was a lot of up I can tell you. At the second water station I paused for a drink and one on the head and the breeze came up – which was nice.
Final 3k now, and I knew from the timings that I had around 25 mins to complete it. Easy I thought, well I got to the last 1k and had around 10 minutes to finish, I was quite tired at this point ;o) Final hill up was short, but a killer, then I was in Broad Haven and running down to the beach. You turn back on yourself at this point, which is quite soul destroying and you have to run back to the end slip way before you can run the final 500 meters or so on the beach – it seemed never ending. The finish post never got any bigger, or closer. Keeping an eye on the time, I felt I had 5 minutes to make it – I knew I could walk it in that time, but the seconds were flying passed. Then I saw Kate, and she skipped alongside me for the last 100 meters, really putting me to shame, but I got there 3:22 – chuffed to bits.