YBeing a member of NYPTri, the organisers of the Ripon Black Sheep Triathlon, means a busy week, Tri week. Members spend the week setting up the site, and also marshalling and helping out on the day.
It was gonna be warm again, this year, the sky was blue, even as we arrived at the Racecourse at 08:45 laden down with our Tri gear.
I registered, but Billy had to wait to see if anyone didn't turn up. He hadn't entered because he broke his toe getting into the lake for a practice swim a fortnight ago.
Our job was to help out in transition, so I racked my stuff in wave 5 and donned a nice blue hi vis vest. Competitors, trickled in, and we checked their bikes in and answered their queries, setting nervous minds to rest.
The calm before the storm
Most of the morning, I wandered around transition, answering questions, explaining where the key points of transition were, bike in, run out etc. and spotting bikes racked incorrectly. I like this job, to be honest I could talk the hind legs of a donkey
"he can talk the hind legs off a donkey!"
definition: A person who is excessively or extremely talkative can talk the hind legs off a donkey
origin: During the history of this expression numerous other animals have featured in it: a horse, a dog, a cow and a bird (which of course has no hind legs). It was originally an expression of admiration for a person's powers of successful persuasion - a suggestion that one could bring about the impossible by talking. Nowadays, though said of a person admiringly, it is more usually a complaint.
As 12 o'clock approached, I headed for the entrance to where Billy was checking bikes in, I asked if he had got a place and he said that he had to go back at 12:30, but that he was 4 th on the list and so was hopeful. It was quite busy so I helped check a few bikes in. One bloke brought his bike but hadn't put his stickers on. I asked him to come to the side and put his stickers on his helmet and bike. We were chatting when I was hit very hard on the head, I was swathed in green and could not work out what had happened, "I'm so sorry a voice was saying as the green lifted away and I realised that a gazebo had blown over and the metal pole had hit me. I put my hands to my head and felt the area, I pulled them away, no blood, phew, go to first aid, Billy said, I refused, I was ok, just a bit shocked. If I went to first aid, they might stop me competing. I wandered back into transition to help the others, I had a headache and the side of my face was a bit odd, a bit like when a dentist anaesthetic wears off. As time went on, I noticed that Billy's bike was not by the entrance, I looked around for him, he was in wave 3 racking. I went across. He asked if I was still going to race, I said I was but would stop if at any point I felt unwell, he made me promise.
We had the water temperature announced it was 20.5 degrees, wetsuit optional but recommended. Now I had planned not to wear my wetsuit, but since banging my head I decided to wear my wetsuit for extra safety.
We had a mass warm up and then a fly over of planes from RAF Leeming.
15 minutes to wave 1 start.
I like the wave system at Ripon, it's based on approximate swim time rather than age or sex. Wave 1 was the fastest swimmers followed in 5 minute increments then the next wave and so on then finally wave 6 the relays.
White capped wave 1 headed off the swim start, then red caps, then blue caps, yellow caps, and I walked with the other green caps followed by the pink caps.
It was so warm waiting for our turn I did my suit at the last minute but was one of the first green cap into the water as the klaxon went off and the yellow caps swam off. I had time to make sure that my goggles were sorted and I was horizontal awaiting the start.
The klaxon sounded and I swam head up for a few strokes bug was getting kicked on both sidesby breaststrokers, I thought that they would be aware they were kicking someone and modify their stroke, but they didn't, so I put my head down and got away from them, I was swimming well, there were bits of weed floating, catching on my wrists and ankles, I thought my timing chip had come off as one clump fell away. But I swam on, I was staying with the pack, unusual for me, I headed for the gap in the weeds and someone pushed my feet. Now in times gone by I would have instantly gon into the foetal position, but I stayed straight but swam a bit quicker, I was headed straight for the buoy, I didn't want to get mashed up so I headed wide of the buoys and was soon headed back towards the exit. Now I was swimming passed yellow caps, and being swum past by pink caps, I swam hard past a zig zagger then thought I was going too quick, so had a breather by slowing my stroke for a bit, then I wax headed pasy green and yellow hats for the exit, I even passed a red cap. As I approached the exit I stood up and took the hand of the Marshall, " mind your footing" had said. Then I stubbed my toe ouch! I felt sick Oh No! I struggled to undo my suit as I noticed the clock had a 31 on it, Get in, I knew it was a good swim, but that WAS good for me. My toe hurt, but I was extatic at that swim.
Courtesy of http://www.sportsunday.co.uk
I fought my wetsuit off and put on my helmet, socks and shoes, grabbed a swig of flat coke and set off for mount up with my bike. There is a very nasty bit on the run to mount up, rough and gravelly. it had been covered in a thick layer of sand. I found this a nightmare to push the bike through, but those with bare feet must have found it much better than usual.
I mounted my bike and was off, I was steady away but already catching others, even before the country roads. and that continued. I was surprised at how busy the bike course seemed, there were times when there were bunches of riders and I had to slow to prepare myself to overtake them with out drafting. It was like that at the only hill ion the route, I sat back and then overtook them on the down hill.There was a wedding at Stavely, the bride and groom were outside the church with there guests, it was a good day for a wedding There was a poor man with a broken chain, In between Stavely and Minskip. I slowed to inform the marshal at Minskip. Then came the bypass. there was a breeze but it was behind. there was just a long line of cyclists behind the line at the side of the road. I had been told never to cycle in that area as I would be more likely to pick up a puncture. I just rode past them all, I couldn't believe, how well I was riding, I was doing 24 MPH at some points. The motorcycle marshals were constantly passing me, I hoped they didnt think I was drafting. At Dishforth roundabout I turned into the wind, got my head down and pushed hard for 3 miles before turning off for Boroughbridge. I was still catching people, even as I approached the racecourse, I caught and over took a rider. Dismount, struggle through the sand, grab a drink. find my place and rack my bike.
Throughout the cycle my toe had been a constant annoyance, so instead of changing my socks as I usually do, I didn't want to see my toe, so I delicately forced my foot into my trainer, removed my helmet and ran (hobbled) to the run out.
Courtesy of http://www.sportsunday.co.uk
It was hot on the run, it took a while to get a rythem going that was not too painful. I am lucky in that I can heel strike and forefoot land. Heel striking was ok on road, but on uneven ground like the race course and canal towpath I couldn't valence properly so was forced to land on my forefoot.
The route for the run is good though, passing through Littlethorpe and Littlethorpe Potteries before turning and returning via the canal. The residents of the villages were very supportive, the had put out sprinklers and were stood with hosepipes, cooling runners. The water station had moved forward this year, instead of being at the turn point, it was about a km before that so you ran through it on the way out and the way back. There was also a band playing in Littlethorpe Potteries which was a welcome distraction.
The run felt tough, I felt that I was not running well at all, I was overtaking a few runners, but was overtaken by more.
Courtesy of
http://www.sportsunday.co.uk
The finish was a welcome sight. There were my friends and Billy waiting for me. I wanted to cry, my toe was now very painful. I took off my trainer and sock, to reveal a bruised and crooked middle toe.
The first aid room was right behind so I wnt in and had it strapped.
I had a PB though, 3:01:23 not quite under 3 hours but considering the circumstances I was very happy.
Getting home was hard, we'd cycled down with our kit, so cycling back up home was a bit of a challenge.
Having not thought much about the bang on the head and the strange numbness in my face, I was surprised that as my toe became less painful, then one of my teeth was becoming more painful, a tooth that was where I had felt the odd feeling in my face after the bang on the head.
On Thursday, unable to take the pain anymore, I went to the dentist. An ex ray revealed that the tooth was broken, split up the root. I had to have it removed.
You couldn't make it up. But still it could have been worse. Right now I am sitting with a sore toe and a sore foot. I can't run, but I can cycle and I swam Monday, and will be swimming again as my mouth heals. I should be fine by next week for Outlaw.
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