220Triathlon Edição 334

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FEBRUARY 2017 I I 117
CHILLYDUATHLON
little grass before heading onto the pit lane and
into transition. As I head to my bike – easily
spotted thanks to the towel that multiple
age-group world champion Alan Murchison
advised me to lay down – I’m actually in the top
10. Easy this duathloning…
Yeah, right. I’m a 44-year-old man and put
on shoes every day. So why the hell does it take
me 2:15mins to get out of T1? Pathetic! By the
time I jump onto my bike and out on to the
circuit proper I’ve probably lost at least 30
places, including one to my mate James who
was a couple of seconds behind me.
I’ve opted for a standard road bike for my
debut as I was pretty sure I’d look a bit of a
plum on an aero machine. Yet, as riders with
sexy carbon wheels and aero machines thrum
past me, I decide that next time I’ll be on
something more ‘pro’.
We were told in no uncertain terms
beforehand that drafting is prohibited but the
1.85-mile racing circuit gets surprisingly
crowded so keeping the requisite distance
actually proves pretty challenging. I don’t get
DSQd, so I guess I get away with it…
ENGINE NOISES
It’s five laps and you have to keep count yourself.
Sounds easy, but colleague Steve manages to do
six! It’s a flat circuit with a couple of chicanes
and I’m tempted to make engine noises. I don’t,
but I do love the speed you can build up on the
pit straight as you head down to the first kink.
It’s pretty windy out the back, mind.
After my five laps I spend almost another
2mins struggling with shoes – I cack-handedly
pull my lace locks apart – and get cramp in my
hamstrings as soon as I head up a tiny incline
just after exiting T2. The second run passes in a
bit of a crampy, heavy-breathed hobble, but I
do pass people. (Not James though – he beats
me by 2mins.)
There’s no sprint finish as the tightness in my
hamstrings has really kicked in, and I miss out
on dipping under the hour mark by a mere
21secs. But I enjoyed the Chilly so much more
than that terrible, terrible triathlon experience.
I’m going to learn to tie laces and return for the
February version of the event wiser and,
hopefully, faster! Q220
I’m a 44-year-old man and put on shoes every day.
So why the hell does it take me 2:15mins to get out of T1?!
Rob makes his eagerly-awaited multisport
comeback alongside 300 other sprint racers
and his work colleague Steve Gotobed
%
CHILLYDUATHLON
SPRINT STATS
DATE20 November 2016 LOCATIONChippenham, Wilts
DISTANCE 3.2km run/16km bike/3.2km run
WEBSITE
WOMEN’S AG
WINNER
KATIE
SYNGE
50:02
MEN’S AG
WINNER
DAVE
ROPER
44:03
TOTAL NUMBER
OF STARTERS
297
TOTAL NUMBER
OF FINISHERS
294