Swim Run Race Series - Race 4 - January 2008
This was the fourth in the series of swim run races, but my first foray into it this time around. I did take part in a couple last winter. I also have another couple lined up for this year in the coming months. My main concern in the run up to this race was the weather, it has been absolutely foul. Rain, rain and more rain. Oh, and quite a lot of wind too. Earlier on in the week the forecast for Nantwich was dreadful, so there was rather a lot of finger crossing going on. Driving over the tops to get there the weather was atrocious, standing water, driving rain, horrendous visibility - does make you wonder why you aren't tucked up in bed like normal people on a Sunday morning. Still once we'd gone over the top, highest motorway in Britain and all that, we were literally driving towards the light!
My fan club were very excited today as this was their first chance to wear the sweatshirts that they got for Christmas. The unseasonally warm weather meant they really got to show them off, no coats required today. We certainly attracted a fair amount of attention and the kids were more than happy to play up to that. They did look good though, emblazoned with 'Come on Mummy!' and 'Give it some welly'.
The race went okay, I seem to have a set time for completing this distance, sometimes faster in one area, sometimes another, but always about the same finishing time. I'd really like to improve on that next time. My previous swim times, for the 500m, were 10:08 and 10:29. Today I managed it in 9:46. The swim did feel good, there was plenty of space to swim, especially as the competitor who should have been two in front of me was a no show. Extra space for those of us who did make it - woohoo! The swim followed the usual format for fun2tri pool swims and involved 20 lenghts, with 4 in each of 5 lanes. It sounds complicated but seems to work very well. I did need to overtake a couple of people but managed to without any problems, I only got held up right at the end. There was a guy finishing in front of me doing slow breaststroke but I chose to stay behind rather than to cut him up, then he seemed to take an age to get out too - otherwise a very smooth swim.
I think my transition was reasonable. Then I did find the 5K run quite hard, although I thought I was running okay. The time however tells a slightly different story. My previous run times have been 30:27 and 30:29. Today's came out as 31:05, and there I was hoping that the training I've been doing would show through! Maybe next time. The run was okay though and they had been worried they may have to make it shorter and more laps due to flooding, that didn't happen. I quite enjoyed the running, but it felt harder than that time should have been.
My overall time was 40:51, very similar to my previous times of 30:56 and 40:37. So, as I said earlier, I seem to have set time. I'd really like to break that 40 minute barrier next time, so I've got a month to work up to it. Still, I enjoyed the race. My cheering committee did a great job and enjoyed their role. Oh, and my new tri suit got its first outing, suitably comfortable. So, all in all, a pretty good trip out. That time placed me 6th out of the 10 women competing over that distance, fairly respectable. I'm looking forward to the next one already.
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