Bedford Sprint Triathlon
2nd May 2010

 

Official Results

 

Swim
400m

Bike
24k

Run
5k

Total

 

Gill Fullen

7.16

48.40

20.19

1.18.39

2nd lady, 1st in cat.

Richard Piron

8.08

48.20

20.23

1.20.59

1st in cat

Paul Holmes 

9.55

48.44

20.38

1.22.10

 

Steve Turner

9.23

40.45

22.59

1.24.31

4th in cat.

Karen Robertson

8.25

59.31

23.11

1.33.51

4th in cat.

Ralph Ward

11.36

59.17

22.40

1.39.50

 

Paula Blizzard

9.45

1.08.40

25.15

1.46.41

 

Michelle Watt

9.31

1.05.02

28.45

1.47.31

 

Katarina Darcy 

16.52

1.33.19

29.47

2.25. 44

 

Richard's report:

This sprint Triathlon is the 1st in a series of 3 based at Robinson Pool this year.  The conditions couldn't have been much worse!!.  Many competitors suffered badly with the cold and coming out of a near tropical swimming pool into a biting northerly wind and driving rain wasn't pleasant - so much respect must go to our first-timers!!  (hope it hasn't put you off Katarina!).  split times above do not include transition times - once again I failed miserably especially in T2 as someone had put their bike right over my plain white running shoe bag and it took me getting on for 2 mins to locate it!   Anyway well done all. 

Richard

Katarina's report:

What a great day to attempt my first triathlon... thunder, lightening, torrential rain and wind in the night before and the rain and near to freezing temperatures in the early morning start! I could have had three choices; to stay at home and wimp out, to begin the triathlon and pull out when I had had enough or to completed the triathlon no matter what.
As it was my first triathlon I wasn't going to go out and spend x amounts of money on a tri bike  however good they look and work. But I had several bikes to choose from at home and the one that I chose in the end had covered more miles than the others (still not very many though as my cycling has been worse than my swimming and have greeted many ditches in my time, only these times I had been completely sober with a cycling helmet on!) My hybrid was originally bought to get me from A to B, to work etc. but still weighs a ton without the paniers which sit on the back. Still, at least I no longer need stabilisers!

The 6.15am registration was quick and simple enough. Give your name, number written on your hand and then collect your goodie bag. At this point I could have gone home, after all, it was the goodie bag I was doing it for!
For the swim we had to line up in number order, slowest being first. I was a little confused as to why I was not the actual first person in, especially as I just knew I was going to be the slowest. But I managed two lengths of front crawl before my chip slipped off my foot, luckily I was at the end of the length so I was able to retrieve it and fit it tightly around my ankle. I then swam one more length of front crawl before changing to breast stroke as I was losing concentration due to the amount of swimmers swimming too close and the choppy waters. (It is completely different to practising in a pool) I was really tempted to do backstroke to finish quickly but the thought of being smacked in the face from a swimmer going in the opposite direction on the next length did not appeal so I ended up doing some breast stroke and alternated to doggie paddle. My time recorded me as having the slowest swim, although the chip mat did not 'clock' us leaping out of the pool but at transition area so in fact I did swim a bit faster as I was on pool side for a few moments.

Having practiced my transitioning before, I knew the order I was going to take although I did rack my bike the wrong way so had to duck under the rack when coming out of transition! 

I was glad that it was early Sunday morning for the cycle part so that there would not be a lot of traffic, one speeding car zooming passed me would sure to send me off in to a ditch! I took the whole of the route very easy as I had heard about the hills and had seen the route. I am not keen on running up hills, cycling up them was even worse particularly as the weather was against us. Going down the hills was even more of a problem as I felt like I was going too fast despite other triathletes zooming past me but I kept my brake on most of the time. There were a few occasions when I had to hop off my bike due to one thing or another and I had also managed to go into three pot holes but no ditches. I must remember next time to make sure that I have my gloves on the correct hands and my fingers in the correct holes, I had two in one!

I was expecting the 'jelly legs' that people had told me about after dismounting but all I had was 'jelly arms'. The transition from cycle to run was quick although I did struggle to get my helmet off as my fingers had gone all numb but fortunately I was not the only one as the guy next to me also had the same problem.

I felt fine doing the run although a little thirsty as I my last drink was before the swim. I felt like I did not have time during the cycle part or transitions. There were quite a few runners on the course when I was running but they soon petered out after my first lap and a half so I was expecting everyone to have packed up and have gone home by the time I had finished. I only stopped once in the run due to an itch but after a good scratch I carried on and it was great to have finished. The marshal tended to my chip and gave me a banana as I think that my legs were still in running mode, at that time I could not stay upright and walk without looking drunk. Strangely enough my time was quicker than many of my other recent race times and that is despite the swim and cycle beforehand. I also discovered that I had been quicker at run than quite a few others.

I was expecting to be last overall, which I had psyched myself up for due to it being my first triathlon and very slow in all disciplines but I wasn't. Several people did not finish the event and some did not show (they were wise enough to stay in their warm dry beds!) Thank you very much to Tony and Elise - my support crew! 
I think that if I had been anyone else competing in this event as a first-timer it would have been the weather that would have put me off for life, however, for those that really know me... you know exactly what I am like!
 
Katarina
 

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