Derby Triathlon - September 2006
The Race This is one of the races run by Punishing Events, and the fact that this was my fifth running of the same race says it all. This event is always very well organised, cheerfully marshalled and great fun. I use it as a bit of a gauge for how my racing is progressing, the aim being to do a little better each year.
The Swim As it is a race with a lot of participants that begins with a 400m pool swim, your start time is determined by your expected swim time. This proved to be a different experience this year as I'd put down a faster time than before due to the work I've done on my swimming. Suddenly I was mostly swimming with men rather than women. I was a little concerned about how pushy they might be, but I needn't have worried. I found I was quite capable of holding my own, keeping my rhythm and getting on with the job. There was one guy who seemed to think he was an olympic swimmer, he went off like a rocket, kept it up for one length and then slowed to breaststroke - like those people who zoom past you on the motorway only to pull in front of you and slow right down! I put a bit of a spurt on to get past him and stayed past, then I could swim my own race. The transition at this race is a long run over school playing fields and your swim time includes the time you spend there (just to explain what would otherwise look like a painfully slow swim!). I did what I'd hoped to do and bettered my previous times, which were as follows: 2002 - 14:36; 2003 - 15:04; 2004 - 14:15; 2005 - 12:44; 2006 - 11:35, so a fairly substantial improvement. I was very happy with that.
The Cycle The cycle for this race is a good one too. 18K through the Derbyshire countryside, with only a short section on a busy road. It could fairly be called an undulating course, there aren't hills that are too awful, the scenery is good, it's pleasant to be out there cycling on a Sunday morning. The nature of the race, with people starting all the time means that you are never out there on your own, you can always see another competitor. It spurs me on when I can see I'm catching the person in front, it's always worth making that little bit more effort to see if I can catch and pass them. This time I had a fun ongoing battle with a couple of guys, complete with the banter as we passed and repassed one another as different parts of the course played to our differing strengths. One guy I managed to get past and stay past in the end, the other succeeded in doing the same to me. I also caught and passed several other competitors, which always makes you feel good about life. And my times? Well, here they are: 2002 - 48:50; 2003 - 48:39; 2004 - 47:53; 2005 - 43:32; 2006 - 42:14. So, once again I was reasonably happy with that, a little quicker than I had gone before.
The Run The run is a 5K out and back along the roads. The worst part of it being right at the beginning when your legs are getting over the change from bike to run and you're faced with a steep climb up the school playing fields to get out onto the road - I confess to a small amount of walking at that stage! My running isn't very good at the moment, I definitely need to work on it over the winter, and I was none too pleased with myself for walking, but better that than stopping. Still, I got going after that climb, found my rhythm and kept it until the end then, even acting as a bit of a pacer for another runner for a large section of the course. Unsurprisingly the guy I'd beaten on the bike came past me in the run, but hey! I enjoyed it, but was glad that I was nearing the end of the race as the sun was coming out and it was getting decidedly warm. It's nearly always nice the day of the Derby race! And the time? Well, they won't set the world alight, but at least I try hard: 2002 - 39:46; 2003 - 35:49; 2004 - 33:36; 2005 - 33:02; 2006 - 32:49. So there you have it, I still managed to a go a little faster than before. I never seem to be able to get good 5K times here, and I do mean 'for me' not in terms of other people's idea of good!
So, once again I enjoyed my day in Etwall. I finished the race with a big smile on my face and enjoyed the yells of my mobile cheering committee: Daniel; April; Ryan and this time, Barry and Jeanette too. My overall time was obviously my best to date, so I was suitably pleased about that too. So, for the record, here are my finishing times: 2002 - 1:43:12; 2003 - 1:39:32; 2004 - 1:35:44; 2005 - 1:29:18; 2006 - 1:26:38. And my advice to you? Be you a triathlete or a wannabe triathlete, this is the race for you.