Crooked Lake Sprint – 09/06/2012
Given the lack of up-to-date race reports on the website I have had a rush of blood to the fingers. Good news, it was a sprint so less scope for waffle!!
June 9th saw the Crooked Lake triathlon take place in Camlough just outside Newry.
The first plus to this race is that it started at 2pm and it’s an easy drive up the M1 so there was no need to set the alarm for the middle of the night. Overall it is a pretty relaxed affair with registration open until 1pm in Camlough village the day of the race and transition closed at about 1.45pm. I had heard good things about this race, but it had clashed with by Hook or by Crook last year, and Athy the year before, but it was on our must do list for this year. After the bike boxes, bottles and nutrition that we needed for Barcelona, a hassle free sprint was a nice change.
Pulse had 8 members taking part plus Mark Kelly and his boot as chief supporter. The swim is a lake swim (as the name Camlough might indicate), and it went out in 2 waves. Enda, Kathy and I (aka the sponsorship committee) were in the second wave with the rest of the Pulse gang in the first wave. I can’t even remember submitting a swim time estimate, but I think Enda might have been a little bemused to find himself in the second wave with me, as he is a much better open water swimmer than me, although I think I have trouble accepting this fact when I am filling out the time estimates so give him just about 10 seconds on me ( that’s the risk you run when you leave me in charge of entries). The swim is straight out about 400M to the first marker and then a right diagonal to the second marker and then continuing right to slip way to exit. I got talking to a guy who had done the race a number of times and he told me to line up on the left side of the start that I would be in a better line for the first marker and on to the second. Turned out to be good advice. As with all sprints the turn around the markers can be a little chaotic. At the last marker the gentleman (for want a of a better phrase) in front of me suddenly decided to breast-kick and did so right into my chest and nearly sent me backwards. I thought the exit was a bit tricky to spot from the last marker, so I hoped those in front of me were on course, until I was able to sight it properly for myself. For the record, I had none of the issues I had with the swim in Barcelona – relief all round there (also saves me a lot of typing). My swim time was 16.58 and the winner’s Bryan McCrystal was 12:26 – so I’ll probably live with giving him 4:32 on the swim J!! On the other hand I don’t remember stopping for a scone and skinny latte in T1 but based on 2:27min transition, I guess I must have!
The bike route is 18km and is probably the most challenging bike route for a sprint that I have done. That’s if you exclude Valentia in a gale in 2011. During the race briefing they had mentioned surface water (which I thought was just the race director being a bit OTT) and much more significantly that there was also a car rally on. I think the words were “the cars shouldn’t be coming towards you at 100mph, but watch out”. I can tell you that got my attention and because of my age I was picturing a ford sierra cosworth airborne coming towards me.
The first part 10km of the bike is hilly and it does start with a short climb, then we dipped down to what seemed almost like forest trail with trees on both sides and some grass coming up the middle of the road, and here there was surface water in the dips. So the race director was not OTT and I did think gator skins might have been better for this. However, then we came back out on to what were for the most part very quiet country roads, but there was patches of manure, short climbs, short descents and turns, so you had to keep alert. I would probably call it a tricky enough ride, although I think “technical” is the correct term. You do come out on a main road and then need to take a sharp left in the next village, which I think is called Meigh (hey I’m from Cork, I’d no clue where I was). There was quite a bit of traffic here including a tractor and jeep and trailer in front of me, but luckily I was able to squeeze through and take the left turn without too much bother. Then back to transition. Having managed to get my feet out of bike shoes and pedal along with them on my shoes, I made a mess of the dismount. My feet were numb as I landed on the ground I stumbled and dropped the bike, so I sheepishly gathered my bike and a bike shoe that some nice marshal ran after me with, and headed for the rack. There seemed to be a lot of bodies in transition at this point and it was a bit of weave back to my spot. Reports from further up the field was that there was quite a lot of drafting. This bike route would really suit someone who is strong on hills as there is not a lot of flattish stretches. For the record, I didn’t see or even hear a rally car.
The run is 2 laps.. so after about 400m you take a right up a hill and at the top of that short hill you take another right and it brings you up on the main road you then turn left and the run loops around so you then approach that first turn you took from the opposite direction, so now turning left back up the same hill and this time at the top you take a left at the top and come back out on to the main road. So essentially those on the second lap will merge with those on the first lap. Everyone with me so far?
So here is where I think the organisers got it wrong. The first time up the hill you turn right and you pick up a band to show that you did take that right turn. But as the first loop merges with second loop, I could have then just got my band continued on and headed for the finish. They should have required you to collect a second band when you went back up the hill and took the left. Don’t worry my run time was 24:33ish mins so there is no doubt but I did both laps!! But other than the short hill you went up twice, it was flat or even downhill for the remainder of the run so a fast enough course. As I emerged out on the run, Mark Kelly shouted that Kathy Adams was just up ahead and I’d catch her. I liked the motivational touch from Mark, but I reckoned I had two chances of catching Kathy on the run!! Although I reckon it did take her longer to catch on the bike in Camlough than in Barcelona, so this could be my new yard stick for my performances this season. How many km can I do on the bike before Kathy passes me?
Oh results, well Bryan McCrystal won in a time of 59:37. The first Pulser home was Dave Adams in 1.06:29 with a well-earned 30th overall and the first Pulse lady home was Orla Jordan in 1.16:30 and she came 3rd in her age group. Orla is getting to be quite at home on the podium this season. My time was 1.25:51, and I will say this before Seb does that is 25:51 too long!! I might need to do a bit more than cut out the skinny lattés in transition.
So overall, I would definitely do this race again.. the logistics of the day are really easy and that can make a nice change. I liked the course and I think having done the bike course once, it will stand to me next time round. Nice scenery, liked the run route and even the paninis we stopped for in Camlough afterwards were good.
Written by: Caroline Wharton