No doubt you have heard of the film Nightmare On Elm Street, welcome to Nightmare at Wimbleball.
The day started at 06.00 with the putting on of the wet suit ready
to be walked down to the lake at 06.30. It was overcast and windy
but at least it wasn't raining, like Saturday!!! Eventually all
1600 competitors were in the very cold water having waded through
the mud!! No "God Save The Queen" this year, not that "she" will be
too worried! The gun goes off at 07.00 and we're off, not exactly
at a gallop more like a massive washing machine on fast
spin!! My swim was okay, got kicked a few times but isn't that
what triathlon is all about!!
I exited the water on 55 mins 17 sec , about 30 secs down on last year. T1 went okay at least i didn't get interviewed like last time! I was a bit unsure as what to wear for the bike as it was still a quite cool and very windy, anyway i opted to remain in my tri suit and put on arm warmers. The bike course is two laps and very hilly and although it remained cool, overcast and windy at least it didn't rain until about ten minutes before reaching T2 but luckily it was only a short shower. I had no problems on the bike, unlike a lot of others who suffered punctures and broken chains etc. and completed the ride in 4:03:51. T2 passed without any hiccups and the sun had come out by then, it always shines on the righteous!.
Hope you are covering your eyes because this is where the nightmare begins, during the first lap i could feel the underside of my right foot starting to niggle where i had injured it at work a week ago! Even being passed and encouraged by John Webster [we met by chance at the race briefing the day before] couldn't help and by the end of the first lap i had been reduced to a hobble and for a split second i thought maybe i should call it a day!!! But it's an Ironman event, so there is NO GAIN without PAIN!!!! How i got to the finish i don't know, but i dragged myself over the line after 2hrs 42 mins 4sec.
My overall time was 7hrs 53mins 15 secs, about 30 mins down on last years time. I was gutted at the time as i had wanted to try and finish first in my age group,
You're not going to believe this, i have just
checked the results and even with a shit performance i
came FIRST in my age group!!!! Mind you i was the only ONE !!!!
Obviously i shall be looking for the MSTC to sponsor my trip to Las
Vegas later in the year for the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! Ha!
Ha!
Cat Pos
Total
Swim T1
Bike
T2 Run
Jon Webster 29
05:57:32 37:54 07:40 03:25:28 01:48
01:44:44
Derek Hastings 1 07:53:15
55:17 08:59 04:03:51 03:07 02:42:04