Tattoos, Transitions and Throwing up – Blenheim Tri

Blenheim tri was the 1st off the 2012 british super series, it was also the British junior champs so a large strong field would be a given.

The week before the race the rumours were confirmed that the Brownlee brothers would be racing!! I was excited to be racing the two best triathletes in the world but knew they were going to rip the swim apart.

I flew into london on thursday where I would spent the night with family before getting the train on friday up to HanBorough for the night.

The gym sessions must really be paying off as I got the bike box across london relatively hassle free.

No matter where in the world the B&B is your staying, trying to explain your grand with cereal, orange juice, and water is never easy! Its as if there deeply offended that you won’t eat their dirty fry.

Race registration we were given our race packs which included wrist band for transition, race numbers and number transfers. First time getting the number transfers and they definitely add to the elite feeling of the race. Thanks to Russ for his expert skills on applying the transfers, they took days to get off us.

With transition set up and warm up done I headed to swim start. The elite women were on their way up the hill and the suffering from the hill to T1 was clear to see! Ran into the junior squad putting on there wetsuits so I stopped and suited up with them.

A quick swim warm up and it was back onto dry land for the bigger boys to get there names called out. Once they were in the water it was a free for all for us mere mortals to get to the start line.

The horn went and it was balls out from the go. It was pretty physical and I was getting battered. Plenty off fighting for feet and not to be left behind. The bunch split left and right, I went right. It was a good move as thanks to the brownlee train up front it was moving quicker. It came back together going round the bouy and it got punchy again. I got through clear and managed to move up a few places in the final 200m. There’s something massively exciting the water in the middle off a bunch.

The hill from swim exit to T1 is a monster and the TV cameras don’t do it justice. Its an important part off the race and can cost you the pack. Thanks to some IMRA racing over the winter I got up it grand and kept the hammer down on the flat section coming into T1. It amazed me the amount off guys who eased off here! Why risk loosing the pack for a few seconds off relief?!? A relatively hassle free T1 and it was onto the Bike course.

It was one long line of men and I set to work moving up the line before it eventually broke. It broke around half way round the 1st lap and I was 6 or so riders the wrong side. I came around the guys and Took a couple off big turns hoping the race would settle and we’d get back on. Myself, Kieran Jackson and one other worked hard together for a lap and a bit trying desperately to chase back on as the bunch slowly slipped away.

After the start off the 2nd lap we were caught by Graham Leitch and a few others. I was happy to see Leitch come through as I knew he’s a strong biker. He took a massive turn with me in second wheel, I came through took my turn, flicked the elbow JACKPOT!! Matt Ellis comes through with a few other strong guys on his wheel. That was the end of my nose in the wind. I sat in for the rest off the ride keeping good position in the group. I did drift to the back half way round the last lap for some unwanted wretching!! But moved back up once I got that out off us.

I had a fairly good T2 and got out near the top of the group I was in. Legs felt good but the stomach was in bits! The countless mouth fulls of lake water were not sitting steady. Its a rolling run course with some steep ups and down thrown in. Its a course I should run well on. On the 1st steep down hill I quickly distanced the guys I was running with, back up a short kick and onto a bit of flat. The gut flared up again and I was caught and passed. The rest off lap 1 I was struggling to not puke. At the start of lap 2 I hit my old friend puke town. I was passed buy one of the Scottish guys while throwing up and he quickly put distance in. Not much more than 30secs after getting half the lake out off us I felt 100 times better. It was time to get a few places back. I quickly passed the scots man and started catching the guys I started the run with, I took back another couple off places in the final 1.5km and felt really strong running.

I crossed the line 36th in 1.05 A solid result and a good start to the season. I was nervous going into the race as my swimming had suffered during the winter due to illness but I swam better then I had hoped. I was disappointed with my run but happy with the knowledge it was my stomach and not my legs to fault. A recent 5km PB and the solid 2nd lap shows the run is there.

Was great to see the junior squad over and with some very impressive results.

The Brownlee brothers destroyed the race and put on a demonstration off pure class for the supports along the route.

Only downside to weekend was seeing 25-29ag beside my name on results! Sure I had another year 20-24!!

Big thanks to my Sponsors Cycleways, Runways, Westpark Fitness, Zone 3 and of course Pulse Tri club for the support.

Frais. Sorry ‘Neil’

Written by: Neil Bolger