Roseland Triathlon 2010
750m Swim, 25k Cycle, 7k Off Road Run
Laughing off those pre-event nerves
Driving to the start of this tri wasn’t very nice as it was flipping raining! But it did clear up as I arrived at Portscatho! This was the first time this tri had ever been held, so it seemed like we were going to be guinea pigs for the organisers who had capped the number of competitors at 100.
From MBH there was myself Mr Brooks and Mr Hooper. No one knew what to expect of this new Tri although we had heard it was rather hilly!
Now it was a bit different to other tri’s i’ve done before - as we registered, we handed in our running shoes as they were then taken to the second transition point, and before you ask I have no idea where that was!
Once we had done that we had to rack our bikes at the end of the swim which was down a hill in a field just off the beach, then we had to trek back up the hill to registration only to find out we had to walk into Portscatho for the race brief which was 30mins late.
Now as I got there I was thinking I would have time to get ready after the brief…Oh No. Not Blinking Likely! At this point I was the only person not in my wet suit so back I trotted, and when I got back, now ready, i’d missed the brief!
Thought I told you to meet me
...so I walked down to the beach
So down to the start and in the sea for a warm up - more like a cool down - there were a few familiar faces there who I had a chat to. The sea was nice and clear.
Myself, Paul and Nick swam out a fair bit and chatted before being called back for the start by some people in goat boats!
I must say at this point that I hate swimming! But as I positioned myself behind the fast lot the gun went off and it was too late - in I dove. The first hundred feet was bit of a scramble - I was kicked in the head, bumped, someone cut me up in the wrong direction, but I huffed and puffed my way through the other competitors ending up coming out of the water nearly on rocks. In my dazed, and dizzy, wobbly state I made it up to my bike there were lots of supporters all cheering us on which was good, mind you I was more concerned about that tart Gary from St. Austell running club in his lilacy all-in-one girly pyjama tri suit! Who, if you recall, nearly ended up in a hedge with his bike stuck up his *** when I ran the Duchy Marathon this year. Well I’d beaten him in the swim ……..yea baby! Go me!
Just had to get on my bike on a hill, managed to get one cleat in but ended up running up the hill after a bird decided to stop in front of me, then oh my goodness it was 25k of hills. As soon as you went up you went down up, down, up, down. On one hill a car was stuck behind a couple of cyclists with a small group behind them who’d all lost momentum! Myself and Gary fast approaching them just as the car managed to over take them, as did we about 10 of them……I was pleased! Except Mr lilac pyjama man had also made some ground on me.
The road in places was only wide enough for a single car to get through….Hmmmm and a bike, especially in St.Mawes where I took a sharp left and nearly ended up in the back of a lorry who’d stopped to unload. Mr Hooper told me at the end of the race he’d done the same thing, but I squeezed by the lorry and managed to take a few more on the hill up to the Castle and i’d clawed that Gary back, but again he pulled away….the git!
All the way round the cycle route there were loads of marshals and supporters all cheering us on and clapping if only they could feel the pain in my legs they’d all clap a bit flipping harder!
There was one very dangerous downhill left hand bend where I think someone did lose control and came off. I stuck behind one of the more mature and elderly car drivers within our community! The old git was intent on going slowly I couldn’t even over take due to the narrowness of the road! I was starting to get tired now as the last couple of miles came into sight. I couldn’t see Gary, and someone had managed to overtake me just before transition. As I pulled in and hopped off my legs were feeling good even after beasting it round that hilly cycle route.
Tell me how do I feel
I saw two people start on the run as I pulled my shoes on and I quickly ran out of transition at good pace. The chap who’d over taken me was behind me somewhere nowhere to be seen ,and I quickly pulled in the two I had seen at transition …..Oh?… what’s this in the distance …going over hill….no its not a monster its a lilac pair of pyjama’s Ha, Ha…..ha! That was it. I thought “i’m going to have you!”, mind you we were now running on a coast path back to Portscatho on which the first couple of miles were also hilly but I managed to pass old Gary! I didn’t notice until running up the hills that the sun had come out which was making me very hot and I was glad to hit a drink station. I could see a few more people in front of me and I kept chasing them down everything seemed to be going right today! The last big hill 3 or 4 people were walking. “Ha - got you as well”, I thought and as I over took them one of them was Mr Brooks who been suffering with stomach cramps, he told me to carry on so I did, like I was going to stop! Huh!
The last few miles were undulating and the last mile was a bit muddy in places but the finish wasn’t too far and as I approached it was as if the entire town had turned out to cheer everyone in which was awesome!
The only bad things we could comment on was a few dangerous places on the cycle route and they didn’t put the 1st ever Roseland Triathlon on the back of the flipping Medal and as you all know I only do it for the blinking medal - i’ve 10 so far this year and its not enough I tell you!
Tell me now how should I feel
Quite pleased, actually!
I really, really enjoyed this tri even though I was kicked in the head and it was very, very flipping hard! There was a really good, friendly atmosphere and when prize giving came they put all our numbered swim caps into a box and turned it into a raffle , that’s just awesome, a chance to win something, but my number never came up, although Paul Hooper did win something and there were lots and lots of prizes given out!
Will I do next year? I think so!
Sam Perkin
