Oxley Triathlon

Well it’s been a funny old year. Richard seems to have given up running except for occasional jaunts around the orchard and then complaining his hay fever is getting worse. So races have become a bit sparse. However I entered this as an early bird back in February (saves a few pounds) and maintained the cycling/running/swimming training until recently when my right leg was struck down by a mysterious pain. Stopped each of the above activities in turn but it made no difference, and after a month of no training except working on the allotment, was feeling more than the usual apprehension on Sunday morning.

So we had the usual panic about missing/forgotten equipment, and problems were only increased by the leisure centre moving the female changing rooms to the far end of the pool and then not labelling one of the doors. So after a last minute sprint to transition and back and a delay at the start I was ready to start my swim. Can’t say more than it went OK. I was slightly faster than the other two competitors in my lane (which doesn’t say much for them), and as I was in a middle lane had to flounder over the edge to get out. (Think penguins leaping out onto the ice and imagine the opposite). The bike section went well enough, didn’t want to risk the dodgy leg by pushing too hard, and only had one minor gear change problem. I wondered what the horrible noise was as I hurtled downhill with my legs trying to go as fast as Victoria Pendleton on a turbo. Looked down the chain was on 2nd gear and the indicator said 3rd. Sorted that and finished OK – no falling off this year, then off on the run.

Took this very steady as my last run had been in the rec more than a month before and I’d had to give up after 4 laps (1.3 miles). But it all went well enough. Some said the course had been changed but apart from the transition area being moved onto the field near the finish and the re-entry to the field being slightly different, it was all the same. As I came into the field ready to tell the next youngster charging past that I was old enough to be his mother, I looked over my shoulder and it was Dickie Wythe rushing past. I recognised him from Somerset Series races many years ago and by chance his finishing position was one place ahead of me.

I decided to have a shower before I left and headed back to the changing room to be met with a big space where I’d left my clothes & shoes. Panic set in, asked everyone I could see if the missing items had been found. Went back for a second look and found a man had mistaken the female changing room for the men’s. So looked in the unlabelled door and there were my clothes. Panic over. If that all sounds confusing, it’s because it was. But many thanks to the Wessex Wizards lady who helped me.

For the record I finished in 2:03:21 full results are here:  https://www.fullonsport.co.uk/fos/index.php?module=results&action=results&eventId=4119
Richard didn’t take any photos but there are some on: http://www.charleswhittonphotography.com/search.html?search=x13
Copyright prevents me from copying them here.