I headed over to Geel slightly dis-organised without even having anywhere to stay, but happy that things would fall into place somehow. As it happened, I met up with some really great Irish AG’ers who warmly accepted me to stay with them in a small Centre Parks style resort about 15k from Geel, until my father arrived on the Sunday and we moved to a hotel in another town call Tournehout. I had a great time with these guys and was struck again with the instant acceptance and warmness triathletes offer one another. Bobby (6th in Madeira) was a former Pro who has trained with the likes of Lessing and Don, now racing Elite CC in Ireland, Brian is the current Irish Tri champ (I think) and Tara is similar to me and a relative “newbe” to the sport. She was so excited about being at a world champs; it was really cool to spend time with them.
After watching the women’s elite race and missing (thankfully, due to the torrential rain) the men’s elite race on Sunday, race day was on me very quickly. Due to travel and 3 races in the 3 weeks prior, I tapered more than I like (I hate tapering and to be honest, don’t do it as much as some (3-4 days MAX) but still felt sharp if a little heavy – well I just cant seem to ignore my stomach. A nice late 13:00 start allowed for a really relaxed morning and pre race set-up.
So I found myself on the start line in the middle of Geel with about 120 20-30 year olds ready for the tussle of the start. A short stretch up the side of the square past one of the stands before a tight turn around the back of the church and transition, would ensure a hard pace for the 1st k and so it was to be. Looking at my watch as we passed the 1k mark, it read 2:58 – there was NO WAY I was keeping this pace up. It settled down – ish, soon though and I kept myself in the chasing pack. Up front, 2 South African guys hadn’t realised that it’s not right to keep running at that pace………. But they were too far up the road to hear any shouts to tell them this. In my limited experience of Duathlons, I’ve found that I like to go hard and then try to hold on (I use the word “like” very loosely as it’s not a feeling I enjoy at the time). After the first 5k I had dropped slightly off the chase pack and sat in about 10th. The pace was still quite hard but I felt a little more comfortable having eased a little (sadly the SA guys looked more comfortable at their 3:09/k pace). The longing for T1 was intense and the thought of a flat 40k seamed SO much better than the current pain of 10k. I hit T1 in 35:09 (12th) and was fairly pleased as I knew it was roughly 600m long – the eventual winner did it in just over 32!!!. Out onto the bike and I was keen to get some drink in me ASAP and lost a few places in the 1st few hundred meters but 40k is a long way and I’ve been feeling confident on the bike so this didn’t worry me too much.
Lets get this out of the way right now… it was PANCAKE flat, which meant fast, but it was also quite windy and technical so this meant lots of braking too. Hence bunches began to form. Marshals were out in force and did make their presence felt, but to be honest the Belgium’s and the Swiss in particular, got away with murder from where I was looking. After about 25k I decided that I wanted to try and brake away from the group of about 10 riders that had formed and try the extra speed I was hoping my new 55 chain ring would produce. Cadence dropped to about 75-80, but I was pleased to see that my speed increased, so that was me for the next 15k. Aero and grind it!!! It worked great and I pulled away from the group – all except one guy from Belgium who did a great job of hugging my wheel no matter how much I swerved!!! I have to say though that a couple of times I severely cramped in both calves. Thankfully it actually got better the slower my cadence was so a bigger gear eased it (though it did result in some speed loss at times). But there’s something I need to work on there as the same thing happened in Swindon – sodium tablets might be in order???
The support from all the GB people was fantastic and the course route through the town really made the bike and run great. Being one of the last waves meant most other Brits had raced and I felt great every time going through town past all the Union Flags and shouts of “Go on GB!!!” Having my dad there too was really special for me.
Back into T2, the Belgium dropped about 10m back and I was off the bike – “hello cramp!!!” Bike racked and trainers on and off I went – “the cramp will go, the cramp will go the………… ah that’s better. Hang on a second that French guys just flown past me………….” I’ve felt strong off the bike in each of the races I’ve done so far this season, it’s actually been the part I’ve enjoyed the most in a race. But some of these chaps were FLYING! Up ahead I spotted Bobby one of the Irish AG’ers. I set him as my target and focused on his back. I caught him at about 3k, passed him, but his breathing didn’t fade – oh no he’s sitting behind me. Having heard his stories about the training and levels he’s done I knew he would be strong at the death so I just told myself to keep pumping the arms. I’ve noticed that when I fatigue whilst running I go limp wristed (queue the jokes) but it has a.) Ruined some good race photos and b.) given me a great tell tale sign of when I need to focus more when I run. So I just kept thinking, “pump the arms”. Bobby came past and eased in front by about 5m but no further. All I was concerned about now was keeping my place. The support lifted me loads in the last k and turning the final corner into the town square I new that I was safe, sadly I also knew that I had no chance of catching Bobby. Collapsing over the line I was happy. I knew that I had spent every penny I had to give that day and was happy that things had generally gone well. I didn’t know my exact place but whatever it was I knew that for now (transitional hiccups aside) I’d gone about as fast as I could on the day.
The winner incidentally, well I thought he was maybe a minute 30 ahead of me… err try more like 4 MINUTES!!! To say he ran is to do him an injustice. He looked relaxed and SO smooth on both runs and his times show it (32min 10k – long don’t forget & 15:04 5k – short). Over the 3 legs he was consistently VERY FAST! I am of the opinion that anyone winning their AG at a Worlds (under 40) could race Elite for sure and he is a prime example. As a benchmark, he’s a top, top athlete.
All in all, it was a great race. Fantastically well organised. A pleasure to see locals outside their homes (in road closed isolation) enjoying the race – what a different attitude to here in the UK! Once again GB showing the world the depth of the sport and its growth in the UK; And the pleasure of spending more time with people who you don’t know, may never meet again, but with whom you share an instant friendship and appreciation.
NB. I’ve learnt that a 41k flat bike doesn’t make it easy …… aero for 61mins pushing hard, is HARD on the back – I felt 70 afterwards!!! Bring back box hill… well at least until I the next time I find myself at the bottom ha ha!!!
Leaving transition with my gear I noticed an older looking woman still finishing her race – leg markings told me she was in the 70+ AG. Talk about humbling and inspiring. I hope I’m in her position when I get to that age!