Mountain Biking race 3:14:18 [4] 21.2 mi (6.5 mph) +804m
ahr:148 max:175
Open 5 Final - All I had to do today was stay ahead of Helen Jackson (beaten every time so far) and Karen (not so easy..) and get a relatively high percentage score and I would be in the top 3....
Well the day didn't start fantastically, I'd forgotten my dibber, then I forgot to pack my inhaler so started and, as you can tell from both of the forgotten things my head was all over the place.
5mins plan time:
I planned an ok start to the MTB and set off towards moor top, half way up Helen came past as to be expected on the bike, but my legs and lungs were screaming already and I was too tired (as can be seen from the HR - I was trying really hard!) to even try and keep up. All I could hope was my nav and running were going to be better...
My 3rd control was the first time I've ever failed to find an O5 control, 11 was nowhere to be seen as far as I was concerned! I spent 10mins riding up and down a 50m section of track trying to find it before somebody lead me into it! The next two were fine but slow as uphill, then the route choice, play safe and stay highish but get lower points per control or commit to the long loop with higher point controls. I decided to go for the longer loop clockwise so I could get a couple of the other loop that were close by if there were time. There wasn't time, I felt like I was going nowhere for a lot of the time and made it back to transition 15mins later than planned - although not bad as I thought I might take 4hrs to get round at one point! Not great but not a massive disaster just yet, as long as I could get a good run in....
Running race 1:38:30 [4] 7.21 mi (13:40 / mi) +286m 12:10 / mi
ahr:161 max:178
Well...a good run...not going to happen, good route planned but failed to complete the loop as ran out of time. Walked a large amount of it, shuffled another amount of it and ran probably 10% of this. Legs completely gone which isn't entirely surprising. Was 'running' over 10min/mile downhill by the end....
3mins plan time
Turns out Helen had a great race today finishing ahead of Karen so I would have had to be properly on form to do well and make it into the top 3 overall. Finished 8th today (lowest ever position I think) and 5th in the series. I think it would have been possible if I had been at all rested - 30points behind Helen, so that was number 7 (worth 20) on the bike plus 34 (worth 15) on the run that I had planned but was moving too slowly for..... Can't do everything I suppose :-) and it's all good prep for APEX!
Note: don't forget inhaler, results in an hour of coughing post race