London Tri(ed)... 3rd August 2014.

Finally, I feel like revisiting the shambollick events of London and blogging them!... I’d been looking forward to this event, for quite some time. Quite excited by the thought of 13,500 competitors spread over the weekend, at regular intervals throughout the day. Also looked forward to being able to shop around the Excel’s Expo, too! Booked into local Travelodge for 4 days, I thought it would be great. Arriving on the Friday, I could spend Saturday recce’ing the main hub and transition, plenty of opportunities to casually spectate other triathletes, and see what I could learn from the habits and set ups of others... After checking in to the hotel, I wasn’t expecting to encounter the heat in our room!... No AC! We had a 9” table fan, and could open the 1st floor window just 3”, but there wasn’t even a breath of air outside... Sleeping wouldn’t be easy. Saturday, I woke with back ache! Nothing unusual there, but on the eve of a race, I could have done without it. I hoped that, with minimal exertion, it may just disappear... We spent all day, grazing (healthily [me]), browsing all the stalls and pacing around the main hub, swim start, transition and the local roads in general. The weather was beautiful, but as the days temperature rose, I was glad that I was in Wave 1, starting Sunday morning, at 06:40. We had dinner, walked some more, bought some goodies for breakfast, then headed back to the hotel. Checked the bike over, nothing untoward there. Placed all my race kit, meticulously in my race bag, ready for an early start. Only downside so far, was being unable to pre register, the day before. I laid there, on the hotel bed for ages, listening to that damn fan, but couldn’t switch it off. Eventually drifted off to sleep. Up with the Larks!... Breakfast eaten, it was time to go. Apparently, my back ache was gone. Oops, spoke to soon, my back ache was still there, or there abouts, but just felt more in my glute than back. A brisk walk to Excel. Registration disposed of quickly, and I was off to transition. Racked the bike, then set out my little towel. Hung my number belt across my bars, and placed my helmet on top. Pulled my bike shoes out of their bag, NO!... Damn, I had left the insoles (custom jobbies), in my road bike shoes. Spent a few minutes calling myself all the incompetent words under the Sun, before having to resort to pulling the custom insoles out of my running shoes and inserting them in the bike shoes. This would get me out of a bind, but add valuable time to T2... Mutter, mutter, mutter... Off to race briefing... Wet suit on (to the hips), and already the temperature was rising. I hear the call to the swim start and off I go. There was a guy there who just took great joy in getting everyone hyped up, shouting and cheering, he was full of it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t! I just wanted to get to the water and get in, before I melted... The claxon sounded and we were off. I did my usual and hung back a little, but set off without fuss. It sure felt a lot longer than it looked! But, then it always does. Soon enough, I was clambering up the slipway. A young volunteer grabbed my zip and pulled it, making life easier for me. Wetsuits had to be removed outside, and bagged, before entering transition. Tis done, I was off up the stairs. My back still felt ok, but I had guessed it would, for the swim. The bike would test it! Into T1. Lid on, followed by shoes, then belt. I was off, running through T1, to the mount line. The first turn (right) heads straight into a steep slope out of the carpark type area, with a tight left at the bottom, and marshals, all screaming for us to slow down as we approached the left hander... Soon out on the main roads, heading towards the turn at Westminster. Something quite surreal about riding through the city centre and having the entire road to myself. Unfortunately, my back/ glute was refusing to play ball, and getting down on the extensions was quite uncomfortable, especially when trying to put power down, so I had to keep changing around, which wasn’t doing my aerodynamics much good! The last part of the course was a bit draggy, between Billingsgate RAB and Spittlefields RAB and had to be done twice, to get the distance near 40K. Fortunately, the crowds were already awake and compensated well for the wind and speed humps! Back up the slope and I was at T2. Quickly removed the insoles from bike shoes and inserted them in my runners... I was off. Exiting the Excel building to cheers from the crowds which were being very vocal, especially as we ran through the charities area. Temperature was just right, not hot enough to burn, but enough to make you feel good. I rounded the far end of the lap at the regatta centre and headed back towards the Excel. No trace of a back ache I was feeling very good and running well. 3 laps to do and I was cruising along nicely. Back through the charity tents, passed the DJ and breezed up the hill to enter the Excel again, on the first floor level. As I ran through the coned area inside I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right calf! First thoughts were cramp, so I tried to run through it. But, it quickly became apparent it wasn’t cramp. I did try stretching, but there was nothing to stretch out! Once stopped, there was no pain, but I couldn’t run, I could hardly walk! I was gutted. Back ache gone, glute ache gone, I was running well, but now this, I had pulled my calf. No idea how it happened, or why. The brief uphill run into Excel couldn’t have done it, nor (I think) the section of false road, over the rough area, before the charity tents. I saw no benefit in limping round, just to finish and felt I’d potentially do more harm than good. So, I limped over to find a marshal and handed my timing chip back. The marshal tried to head me over to the girls handing out medals, but I wasn’t having that. I didn’t finish, so I wouldn’t collect a medal, or goody bag... I just wanted my bike and a bit of space. I grabbed all my kit, and limped back to the hotel. There, I put my CompresSport Calf Guards on and lay on the bed, with leg elevated. A quiet evening in Docklands and headed home the next day. The back ache didn’t return, but the Gluteus pain was quite limiting, as was the calf. It would be 13 days, before I started training again. Next race Waveney 2, Bungay, followed by Challenge Weymouth half...