I know I am in good shape. It is getting really frustrating that I haven’t yet been able to put together a really good multi-event race this year. Knockburn Duathlon I was dying of the cold, Turriff I was still a bit ill from the same cold, Kings Aquathon I swam poorly then struggled on the run and Knockburn Sprint the swim was a disaster that I never recovered from.
However, both of my run-only races have been better than I could have hoped for, I am swimming times in training that are faster than any of last year’s races, my transitions are fine and the bike is actually going faster during triathlon races. I should be able to tie this all together into a fast race!
I have had a look at the entry list and the results from the last two years. I was really hoping to find a couple of names from just ahead of me on both lists so that I could set myself some targets for people to beat. Only there don’t seem to be very many returning racers from the names that have beat me in the past.
In 2013 I finished 13th overall. The one name from this year’s entry list who did beat me last year, it was only by about a minute, but he made up over 2 minutes on the bike leg. With the new bike leg and me being on my TT bike I would hope to minimise or even reverse that loss. In 2012, when I had a poor race, I beat him by several minutes, and he was listed in an older age group. (It is possible that it was two different people but it is a fairly unique name so more likely that 2012 was his first ever race, 2013 he was had learned all the basics, 2014 he might be quite good by now).
In 2012 I finished 14th. From the 2012 results list there are 3 of this year’s entrants that beat me. Two of those by over 7 minutes, I am fairly comfortable to just right them off as probably being classy enough to be uncatchable despite the bike changes. The third though, beat me by only about a minute again, and 2012 was a real struggle of a race for me.
Also, I do recognise one new name on the entry list, one of my running clubmates from Moray. I know he can run, almost certainly over a minute quicker, possibly 2 or 3. Never seen him swim or bike though, could be interesting.
Obviously, I haven’t looked at many of the names behind me on the previous results. If anyone has improved by more than I have then it is possible they could beat me as well. And there are a lot of unknowns on the list that could do anything.
All this together leaves me in a new position of looking at getting on a podium rather than my original target to get into the top-10. Anything in the top-10 I will still be pleased with but a really good race and a podium finish would be even better.
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