Brize Norton sprint triathlon

Yesterday was the Brize Norton sprint triathlon, the first race of the 2009 series. As I'm training for IM Austria, this race was very low down on my priority list, it was essentially a chance to blow out some cobwebs and meet up with a few mates from the triathlon world.

I was in wave 17 so had a bit of a wait until it was my turn to jump in the pool, but when it was time I took it pretty easy and felt quite smooth. I exited in about 7:10, not bad considering I took it fairly steady. I exited the pool and was quickly to my bike, then taking my time to get the helmet on and fastened before I started the bike leg.

Onto the bike and I could see a guy (Jamie Simmonds) about 20-30 seconds ahead of me, he was my target! The legs seemed to spinning fine and my power output was bang on, but I seemed to be making no ground on Jamie. It was a little bit windy (windier than last year) but nothing too serious to cause us any problems. On the straights I could see Jamie away in the distance and he was now putting a few seconds into me every mile or so, I stayed calm and was confident I would catch him early on the run.

I came into T2 nice and smooth, feet out of my shoes and applied both brakes; it was at that point my rear wheel decided to drop out! It wasn't a problem as I was off the bike, I just had to carry my bike to the racking instead of rolling it in. A quick change and I was out of transition with a view of catching Jamie as quickly as I could. I could see him out in front and put the hammer down (so to speak!), I caught Jamie quite quickly and went passed him with a quick word of encouragement. I was blowing hard now, so settled into a nice rhythm and continued with the final couple of miles of the run. I could see a few more people ahead of me (from earlier waves) and I managed to pass another 4 or 5 runners before crossing the finish line in a time of 1:02:44. A little slower than last year, but pleased none the less.

Overall a good race and a great chance to meet up with triathlon friends. Train smart bloggers!