Vitruvian Triathlon
Saturday 8th September 2007 - 1900m swim, 85km bike, 21 km run
An 11 strong Tri-Anglia entry took part in this year’s Vitruvian Triathlon at Rutland Water comprising Will Hall, Rob Lines, Mark Philo, Steve Rush, Karl Sherry, Martin Stacey, Peter Chapman, Russell Clarke, Simon Eyde, Terry Garrity and Penny Edwards. The event also doubled as the British Triathlon Associations National Middle Distance Triathlon Championships. We hear from two of our participating members, Mark Philo and Will Hall.
Mark Philo's Account
To make the early Saturday Morning start we all traveled to Rutland Water on the Friday and several of us camped on site or stayed in local hotels and we met up for a "Tri-Anglia" pasta party at the Harbour Cafe by transition and race start.
Despite being onsite, it was still a 5:30 wake-up to get all set up and ready for the 6:15 briefing and 6:30 first wave start. I was off in the largest wave of 115 men at 6:50am. The swim was the usual mire of arms and legs in initially murky water below and rising sun up top. Thankfully it all settled down after a couple of hundred yards at the first left turn marker. A loop back to the start and you were out of the water, but not to transition, no. A quick dart along the pebble beach for 20 yards and then back into the water to repeat the loop. This of course meant that I was overtaken by what seemed like shoal of tuna fish (actually a float or troup according to Google) from the previous and later waves as they streamed past their second lap. Anyway, upon my second departure from the water I was allowed to go into transition.
At last, out on the bike and a head wind saw a steady 14 mph for the first few miles. Then a left turn at Oakham, we were shielded from the wind and enjoyed the long declines reaching a 42 mph max (wohoo!) and subsequent long ascents (grind!) to the A47. Left again and it was a few miles of level tail wind so you could really get into “the zone”. Left again up some twisting country lanes and villages, then back on that head-wind highway to transition. Just like the swim, a brief sight of home before you were out again on the same course again for the second lap. The half-way stage allowed you to discard your bottles and reload if you wished. The second lap caused my bike bottom bracket to start creaking (all that power up the hills, obviously), so I was pleased to off-load the bike at the end of my second lap.
The run was easy and flat around the lake perimeter to a turn-around point and back to the finish. Not surprisingly, the run too followed the format of 2 laps of the same course. The valley area of the lake shielded the running from the wind and you could see the long line of runners all around the lake as it filled with the different starting waves of all abilities. I kept a steady 8 minute mile pace throughout the whole thing, overtaking some and being flown past by others. The out-and-back loops also allowed the Tri-Anglia members a chance to pass and greet each other. So on what was the 6th return to the finish during the course of the race, I crossed the line in 5 hrs 17 mins.
This is my 3rd middle distance this year and would consider it the easiest (course-wise) compared to Weymouth and the Beaver. It also represents my 20th triathlon since having a go at Culford in 1998.
Article by Mark Phil
Will Hall's Account
Having stayed at my parents near Leicester it was up at 3am to get ready. This was to be only my second triathlon after Norwich and only just over a year since I started any exercise whatsoever. An hours drive over to Rutland water in the middle of the night seemed a surreal experience with the satnav sending us up a closed road and me with thoughts of missing registration. Eventually made it and had the unusual experience of unloading my bike and stuff in pitch darkness with all around doing the same. On racking my bike the guy on one side of me was racking his disc wheeled bike and aero helmet looking very keen indeed and for the first time I thought – am I a bit out of my depth here?
No time to worry about that as after a race briefing I found myself in the second wave standing in the surprisingly warm water looking at an amazing sunrise at 6:45am on a Saturday morning ready for the off. The hooter went and away we went. I have two swim speeds – sprint and normal and as I can only sprint for about 50m decided to try normal speed. Couldn’t see where I was going due to heading into the very low sun but just followed everyone else which seemed to work. At the end of the first lap I climbed out slowly (and slightly wobbly) to run around the corner for the second lap. Those stones really hurt the soles of my feet but just have to put up with it. My second lap had just started and I heard the hooter for another wave behind me so knew I must have completed the first lap in less than 20 minutes. This did mean though that all the fast swimmers in that group were soon overtaking me and at some point one of them landed a pretty solid punch to my right eye. I kept slightly to the side for the rest of the lap after this as the faster swimmers came past me but soon the end was in sight. Swim – 38:54.
Out of T1 in 3:16 and onto the bike course. Immediately started being overtaken by lots of people on posh bikes but thought I would take it easy and let my £200 mean machine help me sail around the course. I have only one pace on the bike so best stick to that and hope it sees me through. With an untried and untested nutritional plan (had a pack of jelly babies and a bottle of isotonic drink) I set about conquering the bike course. Was very surprised to find myself overtaking lots of people on the uphill stretches but then hundreds would seem to come past on the flat and downhill. The two lap course is quite straightforward with only four main hills per lap (I think) which although painful at the time are not really that tough. In off the bike in 2:47:43, a quick change in T2 (1:34) and out onto the run.
Run course around Rutland water is two laps of an out and back course across the dam on paths and grass. Started off reasonably conservatively as the run is my weakest of three weak disciplines and I was quite tired at this stage already. Was good to be able to see all the other competitors coming in the other direction and a high five when passing Rob Lines helped spur me on. Managed to get to near the end of the first lap before the walking started. There is a tiny rise just before the last 800m of the lap and the cramp started in my right thigh at this point. Supporters forced me to get running again which I did and ran/walked my way to the second turnaround where Mark Philo overtook me and disappeared off into the distance. Only 5km to go but I couldn’t run more than 100m at a time so just tried to grin and bear it and keep my walking breaks as short as possible. Eventually had to get up the final sharp rise at the end and had cramp in both legs by now but thought I would fake it and run into the finish looking strong for my parents who had been up since the early hours supporting. Finished the run in 2:05:26 for a total time of 5:36:55 for 472nd from 689 finishers. I had wanted to get under 6 hours so was very pleased with the outcome. Couldn’t work out why the soles of my feet hurt so much after until I remembered the stones getting into and out of the lake. Immediately started to get nervous about IM Austria next year as this was hard and that will be more than double the distance but I have 9 months to train, a posh aero bike to buy and I might even work out some sort of nutritional plan for the race…
Article by Will Hall
