Sub 1hr 10min performance at Pt Chev!

I achieved my goal yesterday, hooray!  I wanted to finish Pt Chev in less than 1hr 10min and I did – in 1hr 9mins 14secs.  Now that is what I call awesome.  My splits were as follows:

Swim + T1      00:14:06

I was a bit sore going into the swim, thanks to the epic performance the day before.  My actual swim time was 7:16, which is slightly slower than my PR 100m time of 2:19 but that is okay, it was three times that distance and in filthy water yesterday.  Then there was a pig of a track uphill to transition, a slight case of losing my bike due to a suboptimal racking position, and having to wash my feet twice to remove all the sand, mud and funny grass.  Oh yeah, and then I was jammed into my rack by the silly woman next to me doing a duathlon. 

Bike + T2       00:25:03

I was happy with this time, especially my bike to run transition, which took next to no time after finding my bike rack again.  My average bike speed was 19km but my top speed was 40.7kph.  I must remember not to blow up my legs on lap two of the bike, as I came close to doing so yesterday but then backed off and glided in to transition.  Even with transition factored in, I was doing about three minute kilometres, so that was a good effort!

Run                 00:30:05

Considering this has never been my strength, it was not too bad.  I did pause at the aid stations for water and a bit of a rest; I dropped my drink bottle and had to chase it down the road and under a car, and I had to stop for cars three times.  Without the mucking around it would have been about 27 minutes, so 9-minute kilometres are good (6.66km per hour, ha ha).

Total               01:09:14

WOOHOO!!!!!

Nevertheless, it is time for a rant. 

The woman in the first wave who walked the whole swim angered me (and I was not the only one in the crowd that felt peeved about this).  My support crew heard some marshals commenting on this but clearly, she will get away with it or already has.  I do not think its fair on those who actually put in the hard yards and actually swim or attempt to swim, to let someone walk the whole swim section.  If you cannot swim even a single stroke, do not do the swim, do a duathlon - simple as that. 

Moreover, I overhead her boasting about it later which really riled me, as I do not think cheating is anything to boast about.  Sure, get out there in your bathers and have a crack at triathlon, which is the point and spirit of the event.  If you run out of steam from swimming, then stand up and take a break, but walk the whole thing?  NO! At least try to swim and if you cannot swim, get some lessons! You are not going to win anyone’s respect or admiration by cheating and boasting.  Should we all just go out and walk the swim leg?  I don’t think so!  If you want to aqua jog, go find a pool.

I have actually committed to training for triathlons and am taking swim lessons and doing the hard yards in the pool, on the bike and on the road.  People who do not even try really get on my goat.  If you are not going to put in the effort required, stop expecting results.  Get off your jacksy, go do some work, stop being so lazy, and stop bitching about not achieving what you want.  The only person who can do it is YOU.