Jen Dalgliesh and IM 70.3 Germany
Well, all I can say is bring back the flat course of Busselton!!!
Sunday was a pretty gruelling experience, but I actually really enjoyed it because it was such a challenge and the support on the course was totally amazing. Not a course to set a PB on though. My swim was not the greatest - it really really was average. The complete lack of squad training while I have been 16000 miles away from you guys showed me up - BIG TIME!
So, moving on... The ride was really hilly, with some very steep fast descents and tight tight corners. The first ten km were the only flat 10km of the course, and then we were straight into a 8km climb which reminded me of some of the climbs in the Royal Park in Sydney, but just longer.... Then there was a fast descent when some of the guys must have been hitting about 80km/hr.
I was doing 65km/hr and decided that was fast enough for me! There were a lot of hay bales on the course on the bends, and then some ambulances went past me.... The first 30km took me 1hr 20, then the second 30km was about 1hr 3 and the last 30km was 1hr 5, but that doesn't really tell anything as it was one 90km loop. It took us through some lovely wee villages where 'everyone' seemed to be out lining the pavements or waving from windows.
Clearly I could barely understand what they were shouting to us all, but you got the gist! They had the cow bells out, music playing, bacon butties being made on the road side, cheering and all the rest - totally incredible. The Hammer made my legs go to jelly - it was a 10% climb for about 500m I think - but the crowd was incredible lining the way for us and only standing about 3m apart so it was really deafening when you went up between them!
A few more long climbs and descents, and then the last 8km was a really really fast descent into the city - Wiesbaden - with a couple of horrible tight turns. Total bike time was 3 hrs 29mins. Bike was whipped away, my running bag given to a man who shouted that I was to follow him into the change tent and he's there helping me get my trainers on, putting my gels into my pockets etc - fastest transition ever for me of 48seconds!
Going out onto the run I felt good, really comfortable. I had to keep reminding myself to go slower, pace myself - yeah yeah, I have learnt something! - and sat on 5 minute kms and was passing lots of people. Chuffed to say that not one girl passed me in the whole run! It was 3 7km loops, mainly flat, through the gardens and again, lots of support. My splits were 35.25, 34.46 and 33.37 (second fastest lap in my age group!), so a total run of 1.44.38. Very chuffed with my run, esp given the 90km course I had just ridden.
Finish time was 5.56.07. My ride was about 15mins slower than those placed around me in my age group, so my run helped me redeem myself.... And we're not talking about the swim. The organisation of the whole thing, especially with two totally different transition areas (that were about 10km apart), all the volunteers made it go really smoothly and at the end getting your bike and swim stuff etc back was all really slick. Plus they all spoke English, thank goodness!
So I was 12th in my age group (of 43) and 74th female of about 255. I am so pleased I did it, found the whole thing amazing, such a challenge and really emotional!
J x
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