A Better Tri Than 2014

I usually sleep very well, if occasionally alcohol assisted, but the one night a year when I can guarantee a poor night's sleep is the one before the Horwich Triathlon. My annual head to head with MW doesn't quite fill me with the same aprehension, but an expectation of insomnia can be a self-fulfilling prophesy - how is one to tell?

So it was last weekend. Despite a moderate consumption of the demon drink, I awoke several times to worry about various aspects, or just to worry about nothing in particular. However I eventually rose at my planned time and proceeded to registration with most of my planned kit.

I had hoped, as I do during all winter months, to be able to swim freestyle, but as ever, this had to be abandoned a month or so ago and I had fine tuned my breaststroke; so it didn't matter too much that I had forgotton my goggles. The swim times had been predicted fairly accurately by the other two folk in my lane and we stayed in our starting order for the full 20 lengths, without any overtaking, all very orderly. I took 14:01 for the swim, just 3 seconds faster than last year. Note that the official results show significantly longer than this, as they include donning footwear, crossing the road and getting to the timing mat on the entry to transition.

Then it was onto the bike for the 24 mile loop, to pass the Bank Top Ale House, Jolly Crofters, Blundell Arms, Bob's Smithy, Black Dog, Belmont Bull, Hare and Hounds, Houghton Arms, almost the burned out Dressers, too many to mention on Eaves Lane, Black Horse, Bay Horse, Millstone and a few more in Horwich. The ride went well and I took just over 12 minutes off my 2013 time.

The run, as ever, was painful, but again, faster than last year, almost two minutes faster, all of this gained on the ascent. Overall, with some variation in transition times, I was 14:45 faster than 2013; not a lot, but enough to feel that my seven months as a full-time athlete, had shown some benefit. What will a further 12 twelve months have to offer?

MW beat me by a significant margin, well done Mary!

May be of interest:- http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/hortribik0194 - not a pretty sight.