So this will be a short one.
I can assure you. Just a short race report. Something that shouldn’t
take too much of your time.
Before we start though; I must say a huge thank you for your
continued support. Your feedback has been fantastic.
BUCS
Early May; things (temperatures) are heating up. If only in
a proverbial sense. Dissertation done; final Coursework deadline’s approaching
and the increasing stress of looming final exams. Not to mention the flood
gates of races were rapidly approaching.
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| Training Hard - Weather getting warmer - May 2015 |
To use the cliché “it’s the same for everyone” would have
been a lie. It seemed to drag on and get worse just as my wave was about to
start.
SWIM
Never mind. I had to get wet at some point I suppose. I set
myself a fast swim time; something potentially out of my depth (no pun
intended). The format meant that there were approximately five people in every
lane, each starting 10 seconds after the person in front. After a good start, I
settled in quick, judging the speed of the lane and more importantly the man in
front. Conserving myself I managed to hold my rhythm and sit on feet.
Fantastic. One of; if not my best swim. 750m soon disappeared and the real race
began.
BIKE
Out into the storm. With a pause in
the rain, it was in and out of transition as quick as possible finding
puddles in my shoes and helmet. Everything was sodden. But hey, that’s part of
the sport. I started well, and gathered some good momentum early on and managed
to get to the front of the wave after only a mile or two. The weather didn’t
hold off for too long. About five miles into the ride, the heavens opened. I
was smashed with heavy rain and sleet. Super!
Trying to focus on the race, I continued to try and find a good rhythm over the
fairly familiar course.
Heading back towards transition was tricky. The water had
started pooling, making roundabouts, potholes, white lines and the whole road
in general a tough place to be. Not to mention the lack of visibility from the
sheer battering from the weather. Having negotiated the tight turns it was back
in, dismount and bike racked.
RUN
The weather was so on and off. It had now changed and
producing a glimpse of the sun. Having remained at the front of the wave on the
bike, it now became tricky. It was a time trial. The strong athletes and
swimmers were yet to race, and I knew I had to lay down as best time I could.
This is something I feel I struggled with on this occasion. Not that I knew at
the time.
I felt I was running well. The twisty run course didn’t hold
many surprises or challenges. A relatively simple out and back. After making
the turn point, I knew I needed to press on. Trying as hard as possible, I
fought to find a rhythm. Something that I didn’t quite find on this occasion.
Finish line in sight and done.
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| Ready to Go! - BUCS Sprint Triathlon 2015 |
BUCS Complete
As others posted their times, the race became faster and faster.
Some great athletes had posted some incredible results. I finished in 30th
place. I was very happy. My last race, I had improved year on year and this was
no different. It was tough, but I enjoyed every single minute; maybe minus the
rain.
YouTube - sambrandtri
Thank you all for reading.
As always a
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As always a
NEXT: Nottingham Triathlon (World and European Championships Qualifier)
Cheers,
Sam
To keep up to date, follow me here:
Twitter - @samnbrand
Instagram - samuelnealbrand
