Aurland Extreme Triathlon (AXTri)

Short Report
AXTRI Results
Total: 08:58:44 (Overall 96/176)
Swim: 00:40:34 (139/176)
T1: 00:06:51
Cycle: 05:05:16 (106/176)
T2: 00:03:22
Run: 03:02:42 (69/176)

Long Report
Flew into Oslo on the Thursday afternoon and was met at the train station by the Yak (Jonas) and old friend from Nepal, 2001. Having not seen him for a while it would be rude not to sample a few Norwegian beers....not ideal prep but more enjoyable ;-)

Early train the next morning to Flam, arriving in early afternoon. Flam basically has a station, some souvenir shops, a coop and a pub. Checked into the YHA and built my bike.

View down the Fjord from Flam. Aurlandsvagen on RHS. You climb up the hill in the sun.

Had an eventful cycle down to Aurlandsvagen in the late afternoon when I ended up in a tunnel having missed the cycle path that bypassed it. Won't be doing that again!

Registered and then listened to the briefing before cycling back (c9km). Still wondering why I am in the second group of five. Haven't they seen me swim?!?!

Up at 6 (9am start) and its raining...brilliant! When I leave it's not as bad as it looked but still... Dump my T2 and finisher bag in the appropriate van and sort my bike before testing the water...yup cold, although in the actual swim didn't really notice it.

Swim
I line up kind of in my colour group but try to drift backwards. Hooter goes and all c200 of us jump down and run to the water and fight to get out of the opening. As I normally start further back this was the closest to the washing machine I have been. It's not rugby but there is a fair bit of contact. Actually got into a rhythm a lot quicker that the week before and was quite happy with my swim. Even drafted someone with blue swim socks for a bit (first time for everything). Out of the water in 40mins and on with the bike clothes I have chosen - gillet and arm warmers. Hoping they do the business, it had brightened when deciding but started raining half way through the swim...doh!


The start line

Bike They weren't joking when they said its straight up. You mount your bike, up a very slight incline turn left and begin 1.5hrs of 8% climbing up to 1320m.

Me and my 28 got to know each other quite well as I sat in it almost all the way up cadence at 60 just grinding it out. Went through several layers of cloud and some great views back down to the fjord. Higher = colder and when heading across the plateau it was cold and the same on the descent the other side. Said good bye to feeling in my feet on the way up, was only reacquainted after 3-4km on the run.

Overall my clothing choice worked... Just. The arm warmers came up and down as required and were much better than the others struggling on an off with their wind/rain jackets. All in all I didn't stop, save to grab a water bottle - more for a new water bottle than the contents.

The descents were tricky I.e. hurtling down hill with numb fingers at c50km an hr in the fog/mist on wet non closed single lane roads with hairpins and big drop offs... When I say tricky I mean fun ;-)

After the second descent there was a flat 6km spin to T2. I kept pushing as I was close to 5hrs and if I could manage a 3 hr run I could duck under 9. My aim had been to get below ten and as close to 9 as possible. So on the flat I copied my images of David Millar trying to time trial wins on the TDF as in I was in the aero position with arms hanging over the handles bars pushing all the way.

T2 was a comedy of errors of albeit minor comedy ones. The guy with the microphone came up and said 'here we have Tim Cook leaving', I responded with bye and started to leave only I wasn't ready to leave. Nearly left transition without tying my laces and then did leave transition with my helmet still on. Luckily someone took it or me.

Run
First 6km is flat and on the road, with a few tunnels thrown in which test you sense of balance running in the dark.

After 6km you were off road and started to climb. Overall the path was clear but quite rocky and wet so you had to watch your footing. Was clicking through the kms and picking up places. Had one guy ahead I couldn't quite catch. They have a food station after c8km and it was after this that I started to notice I was tiring. I had been eating well and using the camelbak. But took another gel to make sure. Was also trying to work out if I was on track and trying to remember the elevation chart. It wasn't all up but I needed to cover the first half a lot quicker than the second.

Walking up the steep bits and running the flat and downhill sections. But in the second half my feet weren't as quick and were getting heavier. After 16km or so I got overtaken... The cheek! He was flying, and I just couldn't match the feet work anymore.

At 17 my nemesis appeared ahead, he had broken so I took him - :-). Then two more came passed. I now needed to complete 6km in 45 mins. But I could hold the times. I didn't let the second pass for almost a km as I pushed and pushed but in the end I wasn't light enough on my feet. He shouted some encouragement as I let him past. You could tell they were gunning for sub 9.

4km in 28, 3 km in 20, 2 in 11, it was over. I was going to come in just over 9. I kept pushing as it was levelling out and there were still people to catch. I thought it could be on if all flat at 2km but then an incline you had to scale....all over. 1km in 5? Hadn't done that since I left the road... Keep going never the less. Over the bridge and towards the settlement. Some guy comes running the other way shouting in Norwegian. I say I don't understand, but I think I do....9hrs is still on?? The last km is short...sprinting now, well as much as I can and round the corner can see the finish... Boom I can still make it....after much of the day calculating how close to 9 i was going to get and then trying to will reasons to keep pushing or push harder to try and make it, i almost got emotional when i saw i could still get in under 9. But i was saved by the Robotic nature of the MOBOT and i Crossed the finish line doing said MOBOT in 8:58:44. The blue sub 9 hr shirt is mine. No longer matters if it was 8:01 or 8:59 ;-)

No support for this event so lacking in the old photos but here is a slide show from one of the organisers that gives you a feel for last Saturday http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjell_eirik/sets/72157631140856086/show/
Tough event, would be amazing in good weather. Only gripe was the minibuses back down...not enough of them. Had to get a public bus back and then joy of joys cycle all my kit back to Flam in the pissing rain. Still after packing my bike and having a shower I made it to the pub :-)

We've had a TriLondoner at the first two years of this event. Who is doing it next year?

Wensleydale Full Cheese Triathlon

Short Report:

Swim + T1 45m (68/69)

Bike 2:51 (43/69)

T2 2:32

Run 1:48 (20/69)
Total 5:27 31st

Take-aways: Still not learning my lessons... Rubbish swimmer, average on a bike and better than average on the run. Having said that I think my bike is getting better at least on the flat....luckily the AxTri next weekend is flat, no? As for the swimming this could be the kick up the backside to actually do something about it.....well we'll see... Being at the back gives me more people to overtake...;-)

Long Report:
I simply had to do this Tri, been on holiday to West Burton over 30 times and feels like I grew up in the area. Added spice from the fact I know the hills (though never cycled them) and had nearly drowned in SemerWater as a kid.

Drove the cycle course the day before to remind myself of what I had signed up for and to try out the 11-28 cassette to check it was sufficient - it was...just

A very relaxed start to the day as the start was not until 10. Racked my bike in T1 and gave my bag for T2 to Em, she was going to drop it by on her way to support on the bike leg - I like the more relaxed approach (aka less anal).

Water was surprisingly warm, still i was trying out my swim socks ahead of the AxTri the following Saturday. We were off on a supposed 2km swim. It must have been short or otherwise I have got much better at swimming and the standard of the field was equally good?!?! Bad swim overall, took too much water in, couldn't get a rhythm, felt like was fighting the wetsuit. In the end I found a rhythm of sorts and was surprised to be out in 40mins.

I was all over the place in T1, shaky dizzy, and took c5mins....ridiculous. Shoved some food down and jumped on my bike. Ok, right, check you're in the right gear as you turn out of transition over a small bridge and straight up a 25% incline! Lovely stuff, that got the hr flying...

The cycle was awesome, loved it but it was also very tough. On way over the first top was wishing I had a compact. Views were great and the descents were 'entertaining'...my forearms were burning from holding the brakes on so tight.

Down into Swaledale and a chance for some food. When you are either out of the saddle on the way up or gripping your brakes for dear life, eating is hard to do.

Up over the buttertubs and my first of many cheers. There were my mum dad and Em. Em even ran alongside cheering as I struggled to the top. At 7 months pregnant this was slightly embarrassing ;-).

By the end of the cycle had passed my support crew another 5 times. It was great for me and very amusing for the other cyclist just ahead of me wondering who the crazy pregnant woman was appearing all along the course...

Was looking forward to the descent into Hawes and like Emma was annoyed with the massive head wind. Still made it back into T2 and had picked up a few positions along the way. It is one of the few races whereby it was actually a race ie everyone you overtook was in your wave and meant you were rising up the rankings. This was to help when I was out in the run.

Another slow transition and then I went off firing and could see people to hunt down. Anyone who has ever walked/trekked/mountaineered with me know that I subconsciously pick up the pace when there is someone ahead of me - even do it on the streets of London.

Tom was just ahead of me in t2 so was off after him too ;-). Reached the hill and could hear Emma saying to me 'you can run it all, some people walk it too....' so I didn't want to walk any of it. But I did, on the steeper bits early on when I was going too hard. I'd catch someone and then have to walk for 30 secs before running on. I did use these fast walking moments to take on gel and water which thinking about it was a good plan.

Two TriLondon kits in one photo

Made it to the top in 1hr and turned straight around and nearly fell over te marshall's collie that got under my feet. I had seen some people on the way down when I was nearing the top. So the question would it be so easy to catch people on the way down. I went hard most of the way down and picked up quite a few more places. Back on the flat I followed some guy onto the wrong track and then had to jump off a stone wall to correct this, nicely nose diving into a patch of nettles and thistles - nicely done Tim. I then had to catch the girl that had given me the shout. Couldn't see anyone else ahead so just maintained pace to cruise across the line in 5:26. My run was 20th and had made my way up to 31st so was happy with that.

Also think my transitioning to front foot running after my ironman a year ago helped. You are using the front of your feet anyway on the way up and you need quick feet on the way down to descend at pace. The path was very rocky/slabby so the lack of cushioning in my sportivas meant felt uncomfortable at times, like running on the road.

Overall a great event, awesome scenery and the fact that it was like a home tri, added to the awesome support meant this goes down as my favourite tri so far.

The fish and chips in Hawes also go down as the best I have ever had too. The pub crawl back down the valley was interesting. particularly the Victoria Arms. Had been warned about this pub so many times over the years that I just had to try it. They weren't wrong 'interesting' to say the least....

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151707255649240.468371.806724239&type=1&l=85f06bc620

Now for the AxTri, any thoughts on the best way to prep and recover in 5 days?