Monster Mojo Triathlon 2016
May 8th 2016
1900 m swim, 50 mile bike, 12 mile run
Technically my "B" race for 2016, my aim for the Monster Mojo triathlon was to trial my race strategy, kit etc ready for my "A" race, which was to be the Outlaw Half, four weeks from now.
My initial worry for this race was that the water would be too cold. It had been a rather chilly April, and my local lake had only gotten up to a rather chilly 14 degrees by the start of May. Without socks or gloves (banned in races) I was struggling to put in more than a single 500 m lap! I was therefore relieved to see temperatures of 18-19 degrees being posted on Monster's facebook page in the week leading up to the race. A perfect temperature in my opinion, and the weather was only meant to get warmer (very warm in fact! more about this later).
I had a great and very relaxed day in Peterborough before the race. I chose to register on the Saturday (although you didn't have to) then chilled out in Nene park. Last year I found myself very stressed before a number of races, and was determined to conquer this as it doesn't help my race preparation. For dinner I managed to happily munch an entire medium Dominos pizza before getting an early night.
On the morning of the race I arrived and set up without mishap. I was surprised at how hot I felt setting up - normally so early there is a little of a chill in the air, bit it was already 20 degrees and the lake was steaming. By the time I got into my wetsuit I was also steaming and was very glad to get into the pleasantly cool lake. Less pleasant was the sludgy bed of the lake. It is pretty shallow (having rowed here numerous times I had not really appreciated this) and probably not deeper than 5ft at any point which made the swim a rather cloudy affair. However, I was pleased with the water temperature for my first gloveless foray of the year. The field was fairly small too - with a more popular Olympic distance event (the "Mojito") setting off an hour or so later - so I didn't get completely clobbered on the start.
The swim course was very easily navigable, and I got out feeling like I hadn't overdone it (probably could have gone faster) with my time on par for what it might normally be for a 1.9k swim. In transition I decided that as it was so warm I'd just go with my bike top and no arm warmers and before long I was off on the bike. The first 5 miles or so were very "town" with plenty of housing estates and roundabouts. Not so bad on the way out on a Sunday morning but I did suffer on the way back, getting stopped at five of the seven roundabouts on the return journey! Once onto the main laps I found the very gently rolling countryside a refreshing change from the very fenland-like sportive I had completed in Peterborough the previous year.
There was perhaps one lump that could be described as a hill, made all the better by a family cheering me on halfway up. The three laps were fairly sparse of other cyclists, which I didn't mind as I could focus on my ride and my nutrition, rather than trying to avoid accidental drafting. Also, after the first lap I was reassured that I was going the correct way (I normally worry when I haven't seen another rider for a few miles). I suppose the "Mojitos" must have been just ahead of my second lap as I really didn't see many of them. Nutrition went well (I thought) and I made a real effort to drink as much liquid as possible as I could feel the weather getting even warmer. I went completely self-sufficient as there was just one feed station at the end of each lap, which didn't seem to be offering much more than water. Once back in transition (and now really quite warm!) I changed into my run top and set off.
This probably marks the turnaround point of my race. Once I had shaken off the brick legs I realised that I was no longer warm, I was hot. And thanks to my copious drinking on the bike, I really needed the loo too. Not a comfortable or pleasant combination. This is when I started to notice that a lot of people on the run looked in a fairly bad way - and I don't just mean tired, these people looked exhausted. The laps were 5k long so it was mostly men who seemed to have lapped me so far, and the majority were barely more than walking pace.
In retrospect I started far too fast at 8:45min/mile pace, but by 1.5 miles in I had really slowed. The route at this point offered little shade and I was dying for some water. This came at 3 miles in. in the form of half full cups. I grabbed one of these and downed as much as I could of it (ever tried drinking out of a cup whilst jogging?) but 5 minutes later I was in need of more. By this time the temperature had reached 27 degrees, and coming back past transition I contemplated a loo stop, but thought I'd better carry on "running" whilst I still could. The second lap passed in an uncomfortable haze, this time at the feedstation I had to stop to take on two half cups of water, and carried one with me for half a mile or so on the sunny river section. Back in transition and halfway through I decided that something about my race needed to change, so I took 100 seconds to make a loo trip and grabbed a water bottle from a pile I spotted (I think these had been returned from the bike course). With the temperature now on "feels like 30 degrees", sipping the bottle of water slowly provided enough relief to make it worth carrying, and my newly emptied bladder made jogging a hundred percent more comfortable before. I say "jogging", I did walk for 100 m (for the first time ever in a race) to allow me a little time to talk myself back into it and to get the dizziness to subside...
That third lap was probably the hardest but of "running" I have ever done. I now have an appreciation of how temperature can really affect me. Personally I don't think half a couple of water every 3 miles is adequate for a run in such temperatures. I was low on energy, electrolytes and sugar, none of which were available. I can't blame the organisers but next time I will be taking something along with me. The fourth lap I can barely remember aside from one significant moment. A woman overtook me. Despite my incredible slow pace, this had not yet happened so did catch my by surprise. I couldn't respond - I had given everything just to get this far so it was my slow plod that would take me to the finish line, and see her finish just 95 seconds ahead of me to win our age category. Those 100 seconds in the loo did come back to bite me, but whether I would have lost them through the sheer discomfort of running on a full bladder, I'll never know.
That's one of the key reasons this race will stick with me. That and the unexpected heat. There were a number of key events around the country this day that also suffered. I know someone who put in personal worst at a local half marathon that day, thanks to the weather. The Hackney Half marathon was slowed to a walking pace to enable competitors to finish safe and well.
My finish was less "well" - I crumbled over the line and was given attention by some lovely medics. It took some salt, sugar and water before I could start to recover, and let's just say the drive home was difficult and rather sleepy. If only my car had aircon!
Times
Total time: 05:28:41
Swim: 00:37:31
T1: 00:03:15
Bike: 02:52:12
T2: 00:01:24
Run: 01:54:21
Standings
Age category: 2/2 100% (by 00:01:35! gutted)
Gender category: 5/16 31%
Overall category: 72/111 65%
Swim: 6/16 38%
T1: 7/16 44%
Bike: 4/16 25%
T2: 5/16 56%
Run: 9/16 15%
1900 m swim, 50 mile bike, 12 mile run
Technically my "B" race for 2016, my aim for the Monster Mojo triathlon was to trial my race strategy, kit etc ready for my "A" race, which was to be the Outlaw Half, four weeks from now.My initial worry for this race was that the water would be too cold. It had been a rather chilly April, and my local lake had only gotten up to a rather chilly 14 degrees by the start of May. Without socks or gloves (banned in races) I was struggling to put in more than a single 500 m lap! I was therefore relieved to see temperatures of 18-19 degrees being posted on Monster's facebook page in the week leading up to the race. A perfect temperature in my opinion, and the weather was only meant to get warmer (very warm in fact! more about this later).
I had a great and very relaxed day in Peterborough before the race. I chose to register on the Saturday (although you didn't have to) then chilled out in Nene park. Last year I found myself very stressed before a number of races, and was determined to conquer this as it doesn't help my race preparation. For dinner I managed to happily munch an entire medium Dominos pizza before getting an early night.
On the morning of the race I arrived and set up without mishap. I was surprised at how hot I felt setting up - normally so early there is a little of a chill in the air, bit it was already 20 degrees and the lake was steaming. By the time I got into my wetsuit I was also steaming and was very glad to get into the pleasantly cool lake. Less pleasant was the sludgy bed of the lake. It is pretty shallow (having rowed here numerous times I had not really appreciated this) and probably not deeper than 5ft at any point which made the swim a rather cloudy affair. However, I was pleased with the water temperature for my first gloveless foray of the year. The field was fairly small too - with a more popular Olympic distance event (the "Mojito") setting off an hour or so later - so I didn't get completely clobbered on the start.
The swim course was very easily navigable, and I got out feeling like I hadn't overdone it (probably could have gone faster) with my time on par for what it might normally be for a 1.9k swim. In transition I decided that as it was so warm I'd just go with my bike top and no arm warmers and before long I was off on the bike. The first 5 miles or so were very "town" with plenty of housing estates and roundabouts. Not so bad on the way out on a Sunday morning but I did suffer on the way back, getting stopped at five of the seven roundabouts on the return journey! Once onto the main laps I found the very gently rolling countryside a refreshing change from the very fenland-like sportive I had completed in Peterborough the previous year.There was perhaps one lump that could be described as a hill, made all the better by a family cheering me on halfway up. The three laps were fairly sparse of other cyclists, which I didn't mind as I could focus on my ride and my nutrition, rather than trying to avoid accidental drafting. Also, after the first lap I was reassured that I was going the correct way (I normally worry when I haven't seen another rider for a few miles). I suppose the "Mojitos" must have been just ahead of my second lap as I really didn't see many of them. Nutrition went well (I thought) and I made a real effort to drink as much liquid as possible as I could feel the weather getting even warmer. I went completely self-sufficient as there was just one feed station at the end of each lap, which didn't seem to be offering much more than water. Once back in transition (and now really quite warm!) I changed into my run top and set off.
This probably marks the turnaround point of my race. Once I had shaken off the brick legs I realised that I was no longer warm, I was hot. And thanks to my copious drinking on the bike, I really needed the loo too. Not a comfortable or pleasant combination. This is when I started to notice that a lot of people on the run looked in a fairly bad way - and I don't just mean tired, these people looked exhausted. The laps were 5k long so it was mostly men who seemed to have lapped me so far, and the majority were barely more than walking pace.
In retrospect I started far too fast at 8:45min/mile pace, but by 1.5 miles in I had really slowed. The route at this point offered little shade and I was dying for some water. This came at 3 miles in. in the form of half full cups. I grabbed one of these and downed as much as I could of it (ever tried drinking out of a cup whilst jogging?) but 5 minutes later I was in need of more. By this time the temperature had reached 27 degrees, and coming back past transition I contemplated a loo stop, but thought I'd better carry on "running" whilst I still could. The second lap passed in an uncomfortable haze, this time at the feedstation I had to stop to take on two half cups of water, and carried one with me for half a mile or so on the sunny river section. Back in transition and halfway through I decided that something about my race needed to change, so I took 100 seconds to make a loo trip and grabbed a water bottle from a pile I spotted (I think these had been returned from the bike course). With the temperature now on "feels like 30 degrees", sipping the bottle of water slowly provided enough relief to make it worth carrying, and my newly emptied bladder made jogging a hundred percent more comfortable before. I say "jogging", I did walk for 100 m (for the first time ever in a race) to allow me a little time to talk myself back into it and to get the dizziness to subside...
That third lap was probably the hardest but of "running" I have ever done. I now have an appreciation of how temperature can really affect me. Personally I don't think half a couple of water every 3 miles is adequate for a run in such temperatures. I was low on energy, electrolytes and sugar, none of which were available. I can't blame the organisers but next time I will be taking something along with me. The fourth lap I can barely remember aside from one significant moment. A woman overtook me. Despite my incredible slow pace, this had not yet happened so did catch my by surprise. I couldn't respond - I had given everything just to get this far so it was my slow plod that would take me to the finish line, and see her finish just 95 seconds ahead of me to win our age category. Those 100 seconds in the loo did come back to bite me, but whether I would have lost them through the sheer discomfort of running on a full bladder, I'll never know.That's one of the key reasons this race will stick with me. That and the unexpected heat. There were a number of key events around the country this day that also suffered. I know someone who put in personal worst at a local half marathon that day, thanks to the weather. The Hackney Half marathon was slowed to a walking pace to enable competitors to finish safe and well.
My finish was less "well" - I crumbled over the line and was given attention by some lovely medics. It took some salt, sugar and water before I could start to recover, and let's just say the drive home was difficult and rather sleepy. If only my car had aircon!
Times
Total time: 05:28:41
Swim: 00:37:31
T1: 00:03:15
Bike: 02:52:12
T2: 00:01:24
Run: 01:54:21
Standings
Age category: 2/2 100% (by 00:01:35! gutted)
Gender category: 5/16 31%
Overall category: 72/111 65%
Swim: 6/16 38%
T1: 7/16 44%
Bike: 4/16 25%
T2: 5/16 56%
Run: 9/16 15%
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