Keswick Triathlon

It was worth doing - if only to realise that currently, Wensleydale tri is unrealistic..I have a long way to go....and August suddenly seems too close, with June looming.. and really, do I actually want to do it? Keswick was really quite horrible at times! How the hell I managed Helvellyn last year I don't know. I guess a major factor was the heat - it was 23 degrees - which mostly was ok, but on the fells part of the run was really difficult as there was no shade.



Swim - this year was 800m - at least 100m longer than last year. This was what I was most worried about before the start, as the lake was really low and I had visions of scraping against rubbish on the bottom - having only just avoided a post sticking up last year.. as it was, we went a different route which mostly used deeper water - but finished at the starting point by the boat piers - which meant a trek up the road to transition. I really struggled to relax and find any rhythm or calm my breathing for about 10mins...just kept thinking 'this is horrible.' Part of the problem was not having warmed up in the water first. There were 3 waves if you include the shorter event that went off first - I was in the last - it was all quite frantic. There's not much time between the briefing and the start. In future, I would miss the briefing and get in the lake sooner, just to get calm and moving.

T1 - eventually made it up to first transition - most people had already gone - felt weird! We suit really did not want to come off. Couldn't find Libby's shoehorn donated for the purpose! (it was in transition somewhere). At least extricating the bike was easy - unlike getting it in - they were all very close - and by my reckoning many were facing the wrong way - but those around me insisted they were right. Very little room for alot of gear - especially my pile which included 2 Camelbaks and a drinks belt - yes, I had a 2 small bottles in a belt -Hammer perpetuum fuel - and a camelbak of water - and i used most of it too. Probably could've managed without the Camelbak on the bike. But it does make drinking easier. Also had a bottle of Hammer Heed fuel on the bike. Fiddled on trying to get endurolyte tablets out of packet - to help avoid cramp - which I was already getting after the swim...and number belt...got there eventually, after nearly 5 mins!

Bike - I do like being on the bike. In events this is my favourite section. Wish I could go faster though. Overtook a flustered woman just past Booths supermarket before going through the centre of town - she'd gone the wrong way - taking the left back to transition 2 (the signs did point left, in her defence)(aswell as right!) (but the briefing - notes and talk - had explained it) - she then overtook me again at the start of the long Chestnut Hill out of Keswick. This hill is really pretty long - and quite steep at times - felt more painful than last year. I guess I was fitter last year. But after that, the whole route is amazing. Really fast mostly downhill section on the main road towards Ambleside - fun. Then a sharp left onto the St Johns in vale back road - still some fast sections, aswell as bends and manageable hills. Then left onto the super fast A66, mostly slightly down hill back past Keswick - I caught up with the 'wrong turn' woman and overtook her, fully expecting her to retake me on the hilly section after Portinscales village. By here I was finding the hills easier being more warmed up - even the steep section up to the cattlegrid, followed by the really steep scary looking bit round a hairpin, around the lower slopes of Catbells fell..were ok - and still no sign of 'wrong turn' woman... then it's fantastically beautiful for a few miles along but above the lake, before being a bit messy through Grange village, popular with tourists, especially on a very hot May Sunday. Back along the other side of the lake was a bit depressing as loads of triathletes were already well into the run route, running in the opposite direction along the footpath right next to me. Coming back into Keswick, I swore at a motorist who didn't let me round a small roundabout just before the theatre - had to unclip and stop - right pain - if there's been a marshall there I'd been disqualified for bad language - but then, they might've persuaded the car to wait aswell..the way back to T2 had changed from last year - and now entered the park from he back near the caravan site - so and extra bit of road - and a long haul UP pushing the bike - couldn't run most of it.

T2 - slow again, more endurolyte pills - battle between bottle belt and number belt, new peaked cap, change shoes..

run - settled in ok - a friendly woman chatted to me as she overtook, on her first tri..but then, having run along the lakeside, then up onto the path by the road, it's left up to Ashness bridge - and up, up, up seemingly forever..the road at the start is hard enough, but then it's left and up to the fell top - steeply. I walked all the Ashness bridge road and ascent up the fell. That was knackering enough. Got overtook by a woman who didn't catch me up til later last year - she remembered me and we chatted a bit.. then I caught up with a woman who'd overtaken me in Grange on the bike..she was really struggling...a fellow Northumberlander, who's name I recognised from having registered her at Alnwick tri last week..SO hot - and i was very tired by now. Wasn't smiling or greeting any walkers by now - just teeth clenching..and wishing I wasn't there! Having said that - if the views from the bike along the lake were fantastic, these were even more amazing...shame I didn't get any photos. Almost made it worthwhile! Then it's all down..past the campsite etc - but still a fair old way to go - I was near giving up - but no point - had to get back! Felt daft to be so near the end with no will to keep going - legs had departed to colder climes maybe - they certainly weren't connected to me! Then along came 'wrong turn' woman! Having looked a bit all over the place on a bike, she looked great running - lovely legs! Turned out she'd had a puncture. So that's why she hadn't caught me again before now. A horrible marshall said 'not far now - just that steep hill at the end'. I should've punched her! But as it was, when I got to the hill to the finish I could hear Cath and Char shouting me on - which really helped! Thanks girls, SO appreciated - might've laid down at the bottom of it otherwise!

And I was also bouyed up by the fact that they were really elated by their 'short' event - they'd been really worried the day before, especially by the bike route. I related my experiences of last year - how I'd got off before the hairpin as it looked so intimidating - only to find it flattened out after that - and how I'd tried it since and it was fine...they'd both managed fine, and had shouted my advice to someone else approaching that bit! And they both want to come back next year and do the longer one.

So, I survived the heat well, overall - but don't think I want to do it again! Was slower too - even taking account of the longer swim and transitions...though some of that is due to the heat. And not being as fit. Perhaps I'll come back next year and do one of the 'cycling sportifs' - on the Sat - a choice of routes - with 1, 2, or 3 mountain passes, then support other club members doing the event.