Sponsored Triathlete 2010 - Charlie Pennington
TriSport are pleased to be sponsoring Charlie Pennington for the 2010 season.
Chris Roberts, BTF South-East coach of the year 2009, will be looking after Charlie on behalf of TriSport for 2010.
We'll keep you updated on Charlie's progess throughout the year!
Race Report: Lake Bala National Middle Distance Championships, 13th June 2010
Despite being a long way from anywhere (except if you live up north) Lake Bala is a wonderful venue for a race. Certainly in the summer it boasts fantastic vistas and a homely feel to the town that you just don’t get in many other race venues. It is the sort of place where the roads don’t need to be closed as there is so little traffic anyway although there is a slightly higher likely hood that you will hit a wayward sheep.
So it was, after enduring a 5 hour drive, that I found myself in the sunny locale of Bala, snuggled in the Snowdonia National Park and clearly vibrant with activity due to the influx of 1000 plus people for the middle distance national championships. I registered at the race venue, found my B&B, wandered in to the small town for the inevitable bowl of pasta and then took a drive round the bike course to ensure I had at least some knowledge of it (although the course was “rolling” it was quite exposed and this recce caused me to change from a disc to my 808 – a good choice). The race brief had suggested that the only real climbing was in the first 7km but the drive proved otherwise (the 1000m height gain over the course showed it wasn’t flat but the elevation gain was well concealed). Registration and the race information in general was really well organised and very simple. There was plenty of information regarding the course with detailed elevation profiles and even downloads for Garmin GPS devices.
The race day started a little later than most with the first wave (me) setting off around 0930. Even with an early breakfast and getting the last few things sorted out for my race nutrition, I still managed to have a lie-in. I opted to cycle the mile over to the race start and thus found myself all set up and no where to go with an hour before my wave was due to start. The weather was looking a bit iffy with short spells of rain but an increasingly aggressive wind. By the time the first wave started the wind had picked up slightly and was causing the lake surface to become quite choppy. I managed to position myself well and found clear water almost immediately. There were not too many feet to follow/draft but I got on with the task and set about a decent rhythm, exiting the water with the 10th fastest time of the day in 28:59, slower than I expected but probably due to the weather.
Transition was pretty slick and I exited onto the road and tried to get into a rhythm. I’ll be honest – I never found it. I struggled with the bike course, wondering if I had a brake rubbing or whether the cold I had the previous week was causing me problems still. I could see that my average power was down (thanks to my powermeter) and that the hills were more difficult than they should be. Having played the mental game of talking myself into quitting I pressed on in the knowledge that this wasn’t an “A” race and that I should take full advantage of a good day of training. It was frustrating to not be able to put the hammer down in my usual fashion and I tried to limit the damage that others were doing: I held on for a 2:16:50 bike leg (16th fastest of the day but quite a lot slower than expected) thankful that I hadn’t used my disc wheel (the wind had really picked up by the time I was finishing the bike leg and I could feel the effect on the bike’s handling). I figured I would see how my legs were on the run at least.
Another swift transition (including putting socks on) saw me out on the run holding a sub 6 minute mile pace. I quickly passed a couple of guys and settled into a good comfortable pace (I had to slow my pace slightly despite my legs telling me to push on). The only hiccup I had was around the 4km mark where I cramped in my left leg. After about a minute of stretching and walking I was back at it, albeit slightly more protective of my legs than previously. I tried to maintain a 6 minute mile pace although the few hills made this hard in places. However, I managed to pass a couple more guys and I knew that unless I cramped again I would probably be in the top 10 overall. I made the most of the waterstops, trying to hydrate (it was overcast and raining at this point so the heat wasn’t a problem) and get some energy gels down me. It seemed to work and I was able to up the pace on the final 4 miles. I realised that I was catching the next guy and slowly but surely dragged him in, catching him around the 12 mile mark. My run time was 1:17:50, the 5th fastest of the day, and it put me as 5th finisher in my wave with a time of 4:05:57. I had to wait and see if there was anyone faster in the subsequent 2 waves but I was pretty happy with my performance. My run was definitely pleasing and I was glad that I hadn’t given up after the bike.
As it turned out, I was 5th overall. I didn’t hang about to see if I had won anything as the prospect of the 5hr drive home was fairly daunting. I did manage to get a post-race massage (I recommend trying to finish near the front at races as there is never a queue!) but still had to cycle back to my B&B to get my car. It was raining and the 10% hill that I had to ascend made my question my judgement on what I had thought a good idea.
All in all, a great race and one that anyone who has aspirations for middle or long distance should consider. It was very well organised and well attended by some quality athletes. I was pleased with my performance, despite it not being a specific goal. I think it used to be in the top ten of UK’s hardest triathlons: whilst I’m not entirely sure if is or not, I can say it is pretty tough.
Charlie