Having joined Tri-Anglia during the season, I was keen to do a triathlon before the end of it and this event I had marked as one I might be ready for. I have found, like our own excellent Norwich Tri, that Triathlon courses seem to take advantage of rural lanes, unlike many cycle events. Thus I was looking forward to swimming in a harbour, cycling around a park estate and then a run on a coastal path. I had entered on the Monday before due to a season of little running due to p.facilitis and little cycling due to too many holidays. Thus with enthusiasm, but not quite, to quote from Airplane!, "an ego writing cheques my body couldn't cash", I knew I was going to enjoy it as a steady affair as my first ever Tri.
A cool start, about 13oC with no sun, meant being wetsuited up way before the start was good to keep warm; then a short walk to the quayside pontoon for a two-wave start with diving as an option. Having learnt to swim ('properly') in June I ignored any pressure of the pack and settled into my own rhythm, using my familiarity of the town front to measure progress. The route past the last buoy just before a beach exit involved a sharp turn back against the current, ending with a 90o turn with a rope to keep any drifters on the current in check. The photo shows this, with me emerging/unzipping. Somehow it felt natural then to perform my first transition and, warmed up, to leap onto a bike.
Another first was riding in a helmet, bought during the week which was better than I expected as was riding in a wet trisuit which really seems to do the job of support/drying off quickly. Last year this event had collected a fair number of puncture victims but this time the apparent hotspot for this of a gravel drive upon entering the Holkham estate had been carpeted (not red though). This and the immediate road section following it I treated like racing over cobbles, a slightly bigger gear to roll over the roughness of it all, sitting on the tops of the bars. Passing the hall and lake, a headwind climb up to the second cattle grid had a marshall who on each of the three laps had been jumping up and down, waving arms and shouting encouragement with seemingly endless energy; I managed a thank you each time as I honked up past her. A long straight past the obelisk with a dip down and up gave the typical promise of appearing possible to catch more riders but as usual prove more elusive than the perspective gives, but I managed to pick off some of the swimmers, the first people I had seen since the start bar two leaders already commencing their second lap.
Racing into town and T2 I had no ice-cream eaters to contend with in the road having followed not far behind a car along the quayside. Now off towards the beach in the run with an exposed marsh giving cooling breezes at times, before a great section of semi-sandy coastal path and the drinks marshall. Thankfully coming back I had a few runners just at the right distance/pace to use as markers to crawl up to and pass, a long road straight offering chance to time a get it all out finish.
An event I can definately recommend for as a first Tri and one I believe may have even more Tri-Anglians next year as this event grows.
Article by
Roger Slee