British Gas Great Manchester Swim

I was a late entry for the Salford based event not long before I was due to partake in Great North Swim. Please note I say partake and not race. A mile open water was, and maybe still is, a challenge just to complete. I was set to swim at Windermere on the Saturday which was ultimately cancelled due to seriously dire weather. The tele footage on the beeb shows the water line of Windermere about two feet above normal level. I was sad to miss the event but understand safety comes first. The high winds said the organisers affected the ability of the safety team to carry out their important function. Fair enough. A training partner did manage to complete his two mile swim on the Sunday which was postponed from the Friday. I didn't even manage too get up there as a spectator. I swam Windermere for the first time last year in 37:01 and loved the event although it was tough. I did not swim any of the other events in the series.

So it was to Salford Quays I headed on 1 July for this year's swim instead of Windermere. I had my red cap for the 1:30pm wave. A suit was compulsory but a 'no suit' enthusiast I am not. Had my goggles and a spare pair just in case. A towel and a stick of body glide and that was me. Off I popped to the changing marquee. I had managed to spectate for the finish of the women and the start of the men while walking around the route. A fantastic event for spectating as you can walk along the entire route a matter of feet away from your chosen swimmer. The canal linking the two quays is a particularly good section for some close up spectating and cheering.

The route for both swimmers and spectators.

Having slipped into my suit, which never takes less than about ten minutes, I flip flopped by way to the start area. I went through into the start enclosure at 1pm. Had my head scanned (the chip being integral to the cap) and had a float amongst the weed to acclimatise. Not that it was strictly necessary as the water temperature was 16.6 degrees - lovely and warm. The water quality was pretty good as well. Mind you after many a trip to the Saturday morning Uswim sessions I have long since stopped worrying about what gets washed in or might be lurking in the water.














A call was given around 1:20pm to get out of the water for a safety briefing, warm up and motivational soundbite. I was eager to get in feeling no nerves or anxiety. I was really looking forward to getting going. The start was at the corner of the lock through an inflatable gantry which marked your start time. At the sound of the hooter I held back a going off about a third of the way down the wave sticking to the left for clear water. I even managed a shallow dive off the steps - risk of goggles slipping.

Using the wall to sight I headed out along the first lock at a steady and comfortable pace. Passing under the bridge the sun gave good visibility to about three meters depth swimming over a large school of fish. I followed the wall to the first turn at the far end of the lock. I had avoided any contact with other swimmers. The turn was not as hectic as it could have been. I had a sense I was being overtaken quite a bit but I was too busy enjoying myself to care. After the second turn I began sighting ahead aware that the wall bulged out a way before the turn into the canal.

This is the first time my swimming has been photographed capturing my front crawl such as it is. Made possible because of the quayside walkway they make entertaining viewing. The technique does not look too bad. Just not that fast and I started to cramp a little in the neck from breathing predominantly to the left.

The canal section was excellent. Entering it marked the half way point. The bottom was in view in the clear water. Paint a line down the middle you could possibly convince yourself you were swimming in the pool. It was enjoyable swimming in close order as the field was bunched up in the narrow channel. At the end of the canal it was a left turn for a clockwise lap of the smaller of the two locks. I tried to catch a look at my watch while not interrupting my stroke. I gave up a after a few attempts. I could feel my stroke weakening as the arms tired. Turning at the last buoy the orange triangle markers at 100m from the finish were in view. I was beginning to drift to the left struggling to maintain a straight line.

Approaching the finishing gantry. I can't remember if I tapped the board as the elites do. A bitter sweet feeling at the end. I could have kept swimming but didn't. I finished in 32:23 which was a big improvement on my personal best time from Windermere. Sub thirty seems like a reasonable target for next year. More importantly I enjoyed the event more than I expected and I was looking forward to it. The organisation was great and the atmosphere of the venue was just amazing. Roll on next year. 

National Emergency Services Triathlon 2012

National Watersports Centre, Nottingham - 25th May 2012.

Second triathlon of the season but first in open water. I raced here last year and really enjoyed it. A national event with competitors from all the emergency services including the police, fire service, ambulance and rescue services such as the RNLI. 

The course is as flat as a flat thing that has been incredibly well flattened. The swim is 750m in the rowing lake starting and transitioning at the Western end of the shallow rectangular stretch of water filled with copious amounts of pond weed and goose crap. The bike is 12 miles around four laps around the lake transitioning at racking separate from T1 at the South Western corner. The run is 3.1 miles or one lap of the lake with two off road trail sections with a very small climb in each. 

This year Matthew (spoken of in earlier blogs) and I returned to compete for a second time. Having beaten Matt last year he was out for revenge. Our respective training plans spoke for themselves however. He had no chance and I made that clear to him. In the interest of fairness as Matt does not really have a voice of his own here I should perhaps point out that Matt narrowly beat me in our other two head to head races (Leeds Xpress and Tameside XL) last year. He ending the season 3:1 in the lead in our personal league of results. 

Matt and I have been competitive with each other since my first triathlon in 2010. It was his challenge made two weeks before Tameside XL late in the 2010 race season which I could not resist. I had quietly harboured an interest in triathlon for years but put it off because my front crawl was terrible (I breast stroked my way through my first few races). Matt had boasted to excess about his fitness and I saw (and was sucked in to) an opportunity to try and beat him with little or no fitness of my own. He beat me which was in reality inevitable. My only wins against him have come at the Nottingham event which being flat and in open water favours me. Matt is a great runner although heavy and flat footed but he swims badly. Have in your mind the image of someone who is all strength and no style and I will have mentally depicted my friend. Competition with him  certainly makes the races more interesting. Representing the police added some interest but I was entering independently and not as part of any police triathlon club. Perhaps I should be looking to start one. 

Joining us was Matt's colleague, Ray, seemingly drawn into a challenge as I was. This was his first time in a triathlon although he was fit from involvement in various other sports.


Race day arrived. The weather conditions were reasonable. Sunny but with a wind blowing down the course. Similar to last year. Which would make for a slow start to the cycle lap followed by a fast return. The wind was not going to affect the swim or the run. Arrived in plenty of time but still found a long queue at registration. Furnished with race number and freebie bag I headed for transition. Access to a large area including both transitions and everywhere in-betweene was restricted. So I left Vicky at the spectator area, tiered seating right next to the finish. The best course for spectators was the comment received from VIcky. 

A busy transition area pre-race.

Numbers looked good, around two hundred judging by the racking. In light of which numbers there was to be three waves setting off four minutes apart. The men split in two groups going off first and second, followed by the ladies. In the heat of the sun and in my haste to get into the wetsuit I added several more holes to it. 

Acclimatisation not absolutely necessary as water temperature quite high.

The swim was pretty tough. My own fault going off too fast, again. Being my weaker leg I can't resist the ever powerful and instinctive urge to rush through it as quickly as possible.

My stroke was in tatters, arms and shoulders tight, and lungs burning with the effort. Sighting suffered as a consequence and I drifted to the left a few times. I struggled on trying to forget my frustrations at my inevitable and predictably poor swim tactics. The conditions were otherwise good. The wind seemed not to have an affect and the water was a pleasing temperature. The swim route was a three sided box (a popular public order training term) completed in an anti-clockwise direction. At the second turn I had settled into a more relaxed stroke and felt good. Arriving at the finish of the swim leg I eased over the cobbles and was surprised to feel reasonably steady on my feet jogging up the exit ramp into transition. Had a bit of a fight shedding the suit and that was the swim done with.

Just leaving the racking area heading for the exit of transition.

I opted again to put the cycling shoes on in transition rather than clipping them into the pedals as favoured at elite level. Time savings somewhat marginal for me I think but will try again when I get around to upgrading to a pair of try specific shoes. My shoes having three straps and no heel loop to attach a rubber band to and grab hold of make for a rather awkward process. The drawbacks of the unsophisticated non pre-loaded method is running with cleated shoes and the occasional fumbled clipping in. 

A slow start, struggling to clip in.

Starting into the wind the outward stretch of the cycle leg was a steady push followed by a fast return with a following wind. A lap consisting of two long straights with four ninety degree left hand turns completed four times over. The surface conditions were good being dry with no lumps or bumps to speak of just a few wandering geese to dodge. The only slow section being around the back of transition with a narrowing approach and a dusty surface with a few grids and drain covers scattered about.
  

Approaching the section around the back of transition.

It was certainly worth using the time trial bars on the bike as the course was fast. I was able to take quite a few places. The bike is typically my strongest leg. I did lose a few mind to some strong riders. Having pushed too hard on the bike last year I held back a little this time and finished with energy in the legs. I racked the bike without incident and headed out on the run.

Heading out of transition.

A slightly different route this year, the run started inside the perimeter wall instead of going up and around the boat sheds. This made for a flat start around transition to the short  trail section with a small rise.

Reaching the turn onto the short trail section.

The run was then a single clockwise lap of the perimeter road. It was stiflingly hot. Not much more to say about running along a tarmac road. I lost a few places early on but gained a few back towards the finish. The only break from the tarmac was a short ninety degree dog leg presumably to bring the run distance to that of last year. After which the finish was within sight and I pushed on for what felt like a sprint for the line but may not have looked like one to the crowd assembled at the finish. 

The closed knees a tell tale sign of fatigue.

The winner on the day was Martin Cain in a stunning time of 56:54. I finished ninety second places back in a time of 1:14:06 (15:35/1:27/33:04/1:17/22:45) reducing my course personal best by 3:19. As an added bonus I was once again the victor in the personal contest of friends with Matthew who finished in a respectable time of 1:16:03.

Visit www.onestepbeyond.org.uk for more information and results.

Edenfield Fell Race

A modest number of runners [eighty seven] braved terrible weather conditions making it to Edenfield Cricket Club. This included myself and five fellow Saddleworth Runners. Featured in the Area Fell Race Grand Prix there were points on offer for the Championship. 

Having registered I was in no urgency to venture back outside so instead remained in the club house keeping warm. Chance to chat briefly with fellow Sadd's. Plenty of mugs of tea and sandwiches were on offer to sate pre-race hunger and keep spectators happy. Unsure about what kit option was best I had a quick look around and noticed a few sporting just a race vest. No! I decided on an extra base layer under my vest with my cag on top as well. I was still cold as I braved the sideways rain for a warm up jog. The start time had been brought forward a half hour to allow for a cricket match early afternoon but that seemed unlikely to be going ahead. Fell racing on the other hand is weather proof. Being a new race for me I took some time to study the route on a map supplied by the organisers. It looked pretty bumpy and I picked up some advice that I should keep something in the legs for a steep descent near to the finish. Then I decided just to follow as there was no realistic chance of me remembering the route. 

The start line was formed on the edge of the cricket ground in front of the club house. Starting with a clockwise lap of the playing area the route turned right and headed up Gincroft Lane. A steady start on a paved road. The road gradually steepened to a style on the right marking the turn onto Sand Beds Lane, an undulating track leading to Cowpe Lowe. Easy going despite the wet conditions except for the last handful of meters to the trig point. Turning right a brief descent onto the Rossendale Way was followed by a narrow rolling path gradually ascending to the far turn where the bravest marshal was holding station. The climb to Whittle Hill was short and not too steep and following it was a tricky but enjoyable descent off Scout Moor. The rough ground of grass and tussocks was hard on the ankles. Kicking a rock with my trailing leg I fell onto my front and skidded someway on my elbows fortunately with soft ground underneath me. Feeling lucky not to have come a cropper on a rock I jumped to me feet and cracked on. Just before the Scout Moor Brook at the valley bottom I misjudged what looked like a puddle stepping thigh and elbow deep into a bog. Crossing the Brook on the narrow walkway I was nearly blown off it. After which fun and frolics I arrived at the bottom of the sting in the tail of this particular race. A sheer scramble unto a farm track on New Hall Close. Grabbing handfuls of long grass I pulled myself slowly upwards. I wasn't the only one suffering. Shouts of encouragement from a couple of rain soaked marshals at the top helped. Turning left at the top that was all the climbing done with. A steady descent followed first off on a track to a farm then onto a path through a field then back onto tarmac as the outward route was rejoined. The toughest part was running around the cricket pitch to finish. It was still raining.

This was my first outing at Edenfield. It was well worth the trek over from Saddleworth. The number of runners was good considering the terrible weather conditions. The cricket pavilion provided a good base. The results can be found on Rossendale's website. I finished 24th in a time of 59:39. Knowing the route I think I could go faster. I wonder if a sub fifty five might be on next year.