The Olympic distance triathlon was held on 23/07/23 at Lake 62, along with aqua bike, duathlon and aquathlon, plus a triathlon team relay. I have raced here a few times , and it’s a beautiful private lake venue finishing with a run (7 times) around the lake on grass. The bike course is slightly undulant but there are definitely no big climbs and the potholes were few and far between. Darius (triathlon 16th place overall, but may have run 8 laps so who knows where he might have finished) was also competing, as well as Hannah Randall (aquabike), so there was reasonable representation from TTG.
Lining up with the other wave one swimmers, there was scary talk of fighting through the weed in the lake, which proved unfounded – there wasn’t any that I saw, and I visited most of the lake sides as I wobbled my way around twice. At one point I seemed to be completely on my own in the lake which was both pleasant and a little disconcerting at the same time. My joint first wave starters had long since left and I hadn’t quite been caught by waves 2 and 3. According to a young triathlete I overheard, wave one was reserved for the ‘old’ competitors. I gave her a piece of my mind, I can tell you.
T1 was ‘managed’, and I debated not fighting to put the socks on but thought better of it which added a few more minutes. Once on the bike, I overtook 2 people in the first mile, but thereafter was steadily overtaken by everything on the road with more than 1 wheel. That may have included a wheelie bin taken along by the wind.
T2 was possibly my best yet, being under 2 minutes. Once on the 7 lap run course, I felt more in control and did actually go past some people, just not the tall young ones who were sprinting the whole way. I finished without the pain and exhaustion of the 113 event, for which I am still receiving counselling from an untrained therapist – my wife, who just says I’m mad. Some therapist!
This is a very friendly event which like a lot these days, needs more support. They had only half the entries compared to 2019 and, according to the owner, are just hoping to survive this year and looking forward to better times ahead. Road Marshall’s were noticeably fewer, perhaps due to financial constraints, and some TT bikers missed the signage and took the wrong course. Cant say I’d much sympathy…
My actual numbers – 93rd/127. More importantly 1st/3 M age group. There were no N age groupers – I think it stands for No longer alive
Time overall 2.59.23 – under 3 hours! Yeah!
As my school reports often read – could do better
