The mutli award winning Vitruvian triathlon – 1.9k swim | 85k bike | 21k run
I came to this a year late.
Two weeks before the race in 2011 on holiday in Cornwall I twisted my ankle going down the stairs!! In truth I didn’t feel as if I was ready for this race at that point anyway so it was probably blessed relief but at the time was really upsetting as I had worked hard for a long period to get to it. I re-applied to have another go and on the 8th September 2012 the time came.
It was the first ‘half iron distance’ I had ever done.
I arrived at the site at 4.30am to register and rack my bike. I know the site well and the North Shore at Rutland Water is perhaps one of the best sites fro triathlon in the United Kingdom if you believe the reviews in 220 triathlon magazine. The bikes are racked close to the water in a beautifully picturesque scene and the swim this year was 2 laps of a marker course on Rutland Water. The bike leg is 2 laps of a 42k course with the now famous ‘Rutland ripple’ that is 3 short sharp hills at the bottom end of the course. The run is pan flat down one side of the lake across the dam and along to a beautiful church to turn back to the start for the end of the first lap before the second completes the race.
This year the race sold out in 23 hours in October 2011 – almost 1000 people set off in waves of 200 from a beach start.
For me, this was my breakthrough race in triathlon. Without really appreciating it I was I the shape of my life and my target of 5 and a half hours for my first half iron man seemed possible.
For the second time in a triathlon race I failed to start my watch properly and I think this is probably a good thing. I did the 1.9km swim in 39 minutes (abit ropey but not disastrous) but the 85k bike was 2.30.55 way over 20 MPH average. I ran a stand alone PB for a half marathon at the end of 1 hour 41 and came in a 4.56. When someone else saw my time and asked my age the said I might have qualified for the Great Britain age group team for long course triathlon and should keep and eye on the results. In the end the guy who won my age group did it 20 minutes faster than last year and any chance of a GB qualification was gone (I am sure probably for the best)
This was an amazing race. An amazing experience and such a fantastic atmosphere of camaraderie.
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