So the 2010 triathlon season is underway and so is my blog again! I decided to have 6 months off from updating it due to not having time, otherwise known as laziness!
So, after a couple of weeks of beautiful sunshine while there were no planes in the sky due to the ash cloud, the weather decided to get a lot colder and wetter again just in time for my first race of the season! I should’ve known better really, bank holiday weekends are usually cold and damp. But I needed an early season run out, so the Tadcaster triathlon seemed perfect. A 500m swim, followed by a really short bike of just 14k and a 7k run.
I started in the last wave at 11.30am. I found myself in a lane next to fellow Leeds masters swimmer Stuart Hoyle, and after starting 5-seconds in front of him, we were soon swimming side by side. With 75m to go I put in a cheeky kick, and gained half a body length. But knowing that Stuart can leave me for dead in the pool in training, I was expecting him to come back, which he certainly did, putting in a burst of his own in the last 25m and leading me out of the swim by a body length. Stuart’s a pure swimmer though, who enjoys a bit of biking but hates running!! I passed him on the way to transition, after a brief exchange of friendly banter!
The bike course was technical in places and undulating without any real hills in it. I usually have a shocking bike leg in the first race of the season, but with it being only 14k before I knew it I was back at transition putting on my running shoes. I was off to tackle the half road, half river path route. The river path section was pretty picturesque in places but I was actually quite relieved to see the not so picturesque face of Mark De Ruesne shouting at me 400m from the end! The finish was an even more welcome sight after running past the bearded face of Mikey Walker who was also shouting at me (and taking photos!)! My first triathlon race of 2010 had been completed in 59.04. I was fairly chuffed as wanted to go somewhere around an hour.
Mark and Mikey had travelled up from Leeds to watch which was great. It’s always nice to have some familiar faces shouting at you to go faster, it definitely helps! Cheers boys!
The results came out about 45mins later and I found out I had won by 14 seconds which was a nice surprise! It was definitely time for food though so after the presentations and loading up the car, it was off to a local pub with the boys for a northern pie and chips to celebrate!
So, the first triathlon of 2010 is done and the first blog of 2010 is done! The season is underway with my second race only 4 days away, in Taunton, with the race report to follow shortly after……maybe!!
Enjoy the sun when it finally comes back out.
It’s all good.
Hocks.