I went into this race I thought with eyes open and yet everything was far more extreme than I expected. Having not done a major triathlon event for over 20 years and then having missed the Olympic distance race and having to go in at Sprint distance I knew I was going to be in for a speed shock. That certainly transpired, but I certainly was right that the pre registation palaver and the ridiculously long wait to actually get from hanging around on race day to actually doing the event was a total motivation and energy sapper - I kept saying to myself and nonone in particular "get on with it!". But it was awesome to see so many people motivated by the sport and sharing their passion (if you thought some Hibiscus Coast members were extremely into Tri, I think we are quite balanced now by comparison to some conversations I overheard!!) and for me the best moments were being able to stand at touching distance from some of the greatest triathletes in the world and watch them do their stuff. Boy are they fit or what when you see them in the flesh, like extra terrestrials really! I also had not twigged before just how incredibly light they are - hence their amazing speed. So while for me being part of it was the important bit and I had no illusions I would be anywhere near to a podium place off a totally disjointed and "wrong" training programme (long and slow, instead of short and fast) due to an incredibly stressful 2 months at work. Hey but it was still a shock to be badly blitzed by the field when the race itself got underway. Like a rabbit in the headlights!! And I felt like part of a giant tri factory processing plant as we were moved along the wharf in wave batches!!
THE SWIM
You are shitting me right. I get down the stairs trying to head towards the far point to get some space when the official gets really nasty and threatens us all to get in the water RIGHT NOW right where we are or we will be out of the race under the firm instruction DO NOT warm up and grab the wharf as soon as you are in the water. Guess he was doing his job sort of but now I am screwed straight off with starting position in the middle of the one of the biggest wave groups (45-49 with 25-29) and cold swimming muscles to start a 750m fight to the death swim.To make me really confident one of the last faces I see before the goggles go over is Brent Foster and I peak up to glimpse Nathasha Bowyer at the front of the next wave 2 mins behind looking ready to chase us down. 3 secs later the hooter goes and so do hundreds of whirling arms. No lanes here folks and thump, thump punch in the head follows another punch in the head, oh boy this is bad. I try to catch a view of the road ahead and as I look up an arm swipes my goggles to half off. Oh great I seem to have come out of the whirling machine after 100m in the front 20 but what do I do about the goggles. I decide to try and grab them to put them on but half stopping is a serious suicide option as I immediately get swum over and pushed towards the bottom - pretty scary experience. So gotta chuck off the goggles and yes that water is VERY salty - ouch go the eyes as the giant whirling machine starts moving forwards as an ugly group of splashing bodies all desparately trying to grab water rather than someone else. We get to first bouy at half way soon enough but bang, bang, whoops there is an actual queue to come around it! I take a really wide bearth and finally I am swimming in space. Ok try and get a stroke going and head for the big building in the middle. Hmm suddenly I seem to be too alone, but I recheck the bearings and no it is the others who are off course! Phew one thing right! Half way down the home stretch I actually hear them coming they are kicking that hard , here come the 15-19 years speedy girls real swimmers flying at an unbelievable speed. Damn I must be slow I have lost 2 mins after about 600 mtrs. Oh well follow them home, at least they show me the way to the finishing ramp. I touch metal and the whirly machine trip is over! Out into the daylight and into transition.
THE BIKE
I take things very calm through transition as the bikes and bodies fly past and around. I had everything laid out in order and just followed it all step by step OK. So over the line and onto the tarmac. Hmm Iron Man pace transitioning seems to not be the norm as I lost about 20 places in last 30 secs. Then I start cycling trying to find some legs which feel totally cold. Bikes are flying past at an alarming rate. It is clear I am losing ground so better try a bigger gear. No I am not ready for that, middle aged muscles take a while to get going so I settle for something in mid range until I hit the first hill up past the Rose Gardens. I enjoy climbing hills so I wait for the first one to do a strength test. Up we go and out of the saddle I go. Ok things a little better now I stop going backwards and hold my ground and settle into a rythym. Its relatively slow but I feel very comfortable and well within limits. Clearly my race if there ever was going to be one is over. So nothing for it but to enjoy the scenery and watch the action ahead. It is a great course! Lesson learned If you have done no power training you wont ride a TT fast. My main objective anyway is to keep my legs loose for the run now.
THE RUN
Wow at least Sprint Triathlons are over fast - none of the mental and physical trauma with Iron Man distance racing here. In a way I am sad as I was really enjoying the ride and now and I am able to see the finish line already. Transition is uneventful - on go the running shoes off goes the helmet I grab the water bottle and off we go. Ahem as I go off to Quay street there are thousands watching! Thats embarrassing , who would want to watch a middle aged man being run down by faster trimmer middle aged women!! Yup the leaders in the 40-44 women come flying past me. Shit they were about 10 mins behind me on the start line I seem to remember! Luckily I am used to being slaughtered by the fairer sex at the Takapuna Swim/run series! And good for them I am impressed at their speed. I just settle down into Iron Man pace running and relaxing my body. Again - it is a great run course, so I settle in and enjoy the show. Holy Crap some of those 50-54 year olds are sure running fast. Why cant I do that I think and I try to raise the heart beat but NO this is now a race to sit back and enjoy not suffer. I even feel myself smiling. It is all happening so fast and next thing I know I see the Te Wero bridge crossing. Great! 5 kms seems like 3 kms and already the Ferry building looms and boy I got heaps of energy left. I could really burn some people off now (I was a 400m runner in the first place as a kid) but as I look around there are just a couple of seriously older age groupers staggering in so no need for after burners. Down the blue carpet we go and I see the time. Oh crap a quick calculation tells me I did it in 1:25. Oops that is a full 10 minutes slower than target time. Oh well never mind. Time to move over to watching some real athletes perform in the elites!
Posted: Fri 25 Nov 2011
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