It wasn't raining, amazingly. Had reckied the first part of the run the day before - just to where you can normally see across to Helvellyn - but certainly couldn't see it that day in what was driving rain by the time I reached the Hole in the Wall - Swirral and Striding edges disappeared half way up - just as well, or I'd have been having nightmares as Swirral Edge is pretty intimidating. Was exciting watching a fell race go passed on the way up - they made it look deceptively easy, I was to realise during the event!
All smooth in the lead up...(which is more than can be said for my partner in adventure, who'd forgotten his bike wheels! Luckily he realised the night before and drove 2+ hrs each way to get them!)..though it's a pain dragging bags of gear and bike to transition, even if it was only half mile from the campsite. Must remember to take a rucksack in future. Surprisingly calm, apart from that wobbly stomach lurching on packing stuff up on THurs, and on registering on the Saturday. Got up at 5.30 to drink tea with dippy biscuits slowly, and have fruit n fibre breakfast cerial with blueberries. Haven't been eating generally before events starting early, using Hammer guidelines - but thought 6.5 hrs plus was a long time without any solids. My main other job on the morning, having done transition bag the night before, was making up energy drinks: small bottle of HEED (1 scoop) for 10mins before swim, plus bottle of water to slowly sup in hour or 2 before. Also took couple of Endurolite tablets about 1 hour before (electrolytes, to help avoid cramp)(There's some in the HEED too). Had more Endurolites in bike Camelbak intending to take before riding, but forgot, and more in belt for run - which I ate. Had 2 bottles on the bike - 1 of 2 scoops HEED and water, 1 of 4 scoops Perpetuum topped up with water. I was figuring hour worth of HEED, 2 hr worth of Perpetuum (designed for after 2 hours with protein in aswell as complex carbs). And 1.5L of water in camelbak. 2nd camelbak for run, 1.5L water again - and a Nathan run belt with 2 small bottles each containing 2 scoops of Perpetuum and bit of water. I oiled and wetsuited in the van before heading off - to save carrying wetsuit or extra clothes. There were a few distractions as I set up transition - gave my mind something else to focus on which was good. Chap next door but one's tyre popped, and next door but one the other way turned out to be from the same club.
THe swim was shortened to 1000m from 1500, due to low temperature - 11 degrees. Not sure if that's colder than the sea - didn't feel like it though. I was in the middle wave - but went in to acclimatise at the same time as the first wave. I thought I'd gone in too early, but as it was, I had a nice relaxed swim around, as there was very little time between waves. Mayhem at the start - lots of crashing and scrambling..didn't get battered like Keswick though. Felt pretty slow - but steady and not too flustered. The second buoy took forever to reach. 27mins 12 secs. Then I seemed to be in T2 for years - which I was! 5min 35! I even wondered over to the fence to dump my wetsuit with my extra bits, rather than leave it in the transition chaos. Wasn't slowest of day however! And far from slowest swimmer.
So off on the bike. This was my favourite part of the day - apart from the views on the way up the run.. Started fairly gently - hard to do much else until I'd thawed out! Funny, I don't notice being wet. Had my new luminous little Camelbak -to enable washing down of Perpetuum fuel, which I planned to down lots of during the bike. I was surprised how hard it is to be disciplined about taking in fuel - didn't feel a great need for it. So the left turn to start the first climb up through Matterdale. I hadn't tried any of the bike route before - just looked from the car - and that first bit - the turn off the main road - always looks very steep and a bit scary - but it was no problem at all! Just plugged away. It's not ultra steep - but the first bit goes on about 2 miles - then another mile later aswell. Started forming a few competative liaisons that went on the whole bike - alot of me being overtaken going up and taking them back going down, especially two women. One funny exchange was with a clubmate, who's a slower swimmer than me. His strength is running and he's small and light - so overtook effortlessly going up Matterdale - but surprisingly he didn't lose me on the flatter sections of that first road - maybe he was still recovering from his swim. But we hit the A66 and I could still see him. Couldn't believe how fast you can go on that main road - great fun - especially when I overtook the clubmate! But a bit of an incline ahead and he was away! Must have decided to try a bit harder as that's the last I saw of him! I was slower again on the St Johns Vale back road - one of my competitors from Matterdale caught back up - but not the other. Then the main road to Ambleside, through Grasmere etc...again, some good fast bits. I'd heard mention something called the Dunmail climb/rise - but hardly noticed it - was loving it! And so the Struggle - suddenly there it was, before I'd really thought much about it, I was turning left and pedalling up. That first section I'd been particularly fearful of. Going up Matterdale, I'd been thinking, 'no way - I'll have to dismount at the start'. But here I was actually going up - and not finding it too bad! It flattens out a bit briefly before going steep again and I was totally elated - yeah - I did that first bit - wow - maybe I can do the rest? Bach's triumphant 2nd to last Goldberg variation was singing in my head - and then out of my mouth!! However, after some more steep climbing, I did feel a need to get off for a small section, just beyond a seat on the right. I think, if the run hadn't been looming - I'd have been able to keep going, especially as I was zig zagging...but I was acutely aware that I was really pushing hard and pulling on the handlebars, and didn't want to totally burn out. Up ahead, the woman I'd been on/off with since Matterdale was plodding on, and another who I'd followed most of the Ambleside road, took off ahead. Another who I'd closely followed on the Ambleside section, I was with all the way up, and we had a bit of a chat. And one who I'd left way behind on the A66, caught up and overtook.. I only walked one other little bit - and it was only a little bit - but unfortunately, it was the bit where the camera was, just before the last bit of climb! Just after the camera, I was back on and able to do that last stretch to the top. There were only a handful of folk at the top cheering us on - they were lovely, but I'd thought there'd be more. So overall, I'd managed the struggle alot better that I'd thought I would...and pretty much flew down the 20% long descent back towards Glenridding. An ambulance had passed me on the way up. I hoped at the time it wasn't for someone on the event - turns out it was. Someone had skidded off and crashed into the stone wall at the edge....just read that he got away relatively lightly with a broken hand and shoulder and cut foot... I overtook 3 people going down..had to be restrained and not overtake an ambulance that was caught behind another cyclist. It eventually got round her, and so did I. But she still got out of transition before me, which was the last I saw of her, as she ran at least half an hour quicker. I got quite tangled in T2! Couldn't find my hair tie. A friend lent me hers.. then tried to put on tracky bottoms before I'd taken off bike shoes. And my bottle belt got tangled up with my number belt. Numbers are such a nuisance! I put my cap on, thinking it'd probably be raining higher up. Mistake. I set off with the woman I'd overtaken last on the bike - we even went to the portaloo together - not the exact same one! Ran up the path passed the campsite - then the big climb. That was the last I saw of that woman too! She made climbing look so easy. I just couldn't run, even on the relatively unsteep lower section. And as it got steeper just keeping walking at a pushing on pace was increasingly hard. My back was aching..put my hands on my hips alot of the way..and stopped to admire the view over Ullswater a couple of times! Spectacular. I got overtaken by alot of people going up what can only be described as steep steps - they're enormous stones, forming a path to prevent further erosion..it was such hard work. Then, eventually, there's a flatter section over the top and along to the turn off towards Red Tarn and Swirral Edge. I ran a fair bit of this - ie to the start of the Swirral Edge climb - which starts relatively gently - compared, that is, to the top sections, which can only be described as a rock climb. The closer they got, the more scared I got. How the hell was I going to get up there..? I was getting slower and slower as it got nearer...partly trying to see where folk were going, as it certainly wasn't obvious. I wish I had some photos. Very intimidating..there was a woman coming up behind. I asked if she knew the way. She said no, but we just needed to take it steady. Then another woman caught us up, who looked very confident - she said it was fine and yes we could follow her - but she went a slightly different way than most others, but it was easy, she assured us - so we followed her - and then she'd disappeared leaving us stranded in the middle of all these vertical rocks not knowing what to do! After standing panicking for a few mins, we decided to work our way back down towards what looked sort of path-like. That was better - til it ran out. Did some more steep rock climbing, and must have somehow veered off 'the route', because 3 women came passed much faster slightly lower down! But eventually and with massive relief, we got to the top! The views up top are very dramatic - but I didn't appreciate them, as my bladder decided to relax uncontrollable in relief! I have to admit, I never really regained control of it the whole way down! Between that, and having to wrestle frequently with my cap - which I took off in the end, as it was really windy (at least not 'all 4s'windy as when I came up last year)..and my trackies - which kept falling down - it was not a fast first part of descent - just annoying! The woman I'd come up to the top with had now gone on ahead, but was still in sight. After the zig zags, I seemed to be catching up with her. Was going to run with her - but after a short chat, I realised that I was feeling quite strong and wanted to push on - and her legs seemed to have gone. She asked how much further. It was probably still a couple of miles, but I said about one! I whizzed down the last section - felt strong, which I was pleased about - at least my fuelling had been ok...in all, the run took 3 hrs 3 mins, 17 secs...way longer than I'd hoped (2.5). As I ran in, to appreciated cheering from my friend and her kids, and a few others, I said to her I really didn't want to do that again! Once was quite enough. Today I'm not so sure!!
Can't quite believe I've done it! Or that after 3 years of saying I was going to do it one day - 2 years of that being serious, it's now happened and is in the past! I am pleased with how it went, despite the really slow run. I was particularly pleased with the bike leg, which averaged nearly 13 mph despite at least 7 miles of hills, 3 of those very steep. And I have yet to work more systematically on hilly running...this year...may actually do a couple of serious hilly run events next year - Chevvy Chase (20miles) and Snowdon marathon...
Times: swim (apparently was about 1200m) - 27;12
T1 - 5;35
bike - 38miles - 2;58;42 (really pleased)
T2 - 4;20
run - 9miles - 3;03;17 (really slow!!)
TOTAL - 6;39;07
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