I really don't like the first race of the season. I REALLY don't like it. Even after 5/6 years of triathlon I always get to the first race each year and I am convinced that I have forgotten everything! I forget that I need lock laces in my trainers, I forget what my favourite pre-race breakfast is, I forget how early you need to get there to have enough time to get ready (and to chat and generally faff about!), I even forget how to get on and get off my bike! All gone.
It was the same again this year and unfortunately my first race was a bit important. Oulton Park is a qualifier for the World Duathlon Champs and I really wanted to qualify. I started stressing about the race with about 3 weeks to go! As you know, my winter training had gone really well so I had no reason to worry really but it always goes through my head that maybe everyone else has had an even better winter and that they were all now amazingly fast.
Lots of my friends and my husband Mark had entered so I was looking forward to a fun weekend away in Chester. We set off with Sam, Chris, Alister and Sam's mum Nina (not racing just supporting) to stay with our friend Jess who very conveniently lived about 8 miles from the race. We were all hoping to qualify for the Worlds and it was Alister & Jess's first ever duathlon so there were quite a few nerves to say the least.
Jess is a lovely girl but I have never met anyone so laid back in all my life. She actually called Sam the day before the race to ask her how to register for qualification and when Sam told her to input her BTF number she asked what the BTF was. She wasn't even a member! A very quick phone call was made to BTF HQ and thankfully at 3pm that afternooon she was emailed her membership number - that was probably the fastest membership process ever. Jess had also assured us that she had plenty of room in her house for us all -but when we counted up how many of us there were we were wondering if maybe she lived in a mansion? Anyway it turns out she has 2 houses - one she lives in and one she rents out to students. Thankfully there were no students staying there that weekend as it was being refurbished. The house was lovely but a bit empty. We had furniture but no plates, cups, forks, food, etc. and most importantly Mark and I had no mattress!
Never mind said Jess you can borrow everything from my house. So off we went for a lovely pasta meal which I have to thank Jess's mum for - just what we needed pre-race - and I have to say that we had such a laugh that my nerves were totally forgotten. Then it was time for bed and I then witnessed the most bizarre sight ever - Mark, Chris and Alister walking through the streest of Chester with a mattress on their heads. We looked like homeless gypsies! When we got back we realised that we had no breakfast or milk so the lads went to the local co-op and came back with beer! I was starting to think that maybe they weren't taking it all that seriously.
After all that I actually had a good nights sleep and woke up bright and breezy and looking forward to getting started. Sam was having a problem as eating cereal without a bowl or spoon is quite interesting - she eventually had it out of a cup with a fork! Jess thank you so much for letting us stay. It was quite bizarre but we had such a fab time.
We could ignore it no longer, the day of the race was here.
Oulton Park is a great venue - it's a motor racing circuit so no traffic with wide roads and sweeping bends. It's also really windy and cold at times and today it was really windy and really cold. We found transition and I had the usual panic - I can't remember what to do!! but thankfully it all came flooding back and I set up and had a look at the really long transition area - thats going to be a long run on my cleats. My biggest worry though was the 5 laps of the bike leg - how was I going to remember how many I had done? I was convinced that I would be the muppet who did 6.
The race started really fast as its slightly downhill but I tried not to panic and kept the pace steady. Its really easy in a duathlon to get carried away at the start and regret it later. I felt good though, really good, even into the head wind and I started to catch people up. Jess and Sam are really good runners and it took some time but I managed to get up to them. I could see Alister way up ahead but I wasn't sure where Chris was. I wasn't sure but I thought I might be in the top 10 women which I was pleased with. I ran into T1 and saw my friend Anna who gave me a good shout and then I was off on the bike (I hadn't really forgotten how to get on it then!)
Suddenly Chris rode past me like I was standing still - he was flying! I later found out that he had spent the whole run on my shoulder using me as his pacer so he didn't go off too fast and I didn't even know he was there!
I really enjoyed the bike. Its quite technical and hilly and very windy on one side and I was soon overtaking plenty of people. One of the bends is on a steep camber so it was a bit like riding on the velodrome and it was amazing to see how many people were taking the corner really wide. I managed to catch Alister at the start of the last lap and he shouted to me - this is the last lap Jac, don't do too many! Bless him. He later flew back past me on the second run - we didn't speak that time.
The last run is always horrible - I don't so much run as stagger round. I basically rely on my On Running trainers to do the run for me. Suddenly Charlotte Taylor ran past me (again like I was standing still) This surprised me a lot as I had expected her to probably win the womens event as she is a fantastic runner. I must have overetaken her on the bike but when? and did that mean that I was doing well in the overall places. I knew that I was probably winning my age group but didn't have a clue about the overall.
I ran across the finish line and was told that I had come 3rd female - amazing, I was so pleased. Chris and Alister had already finished and Sam was right behind me. Jess and Mark then came in and they had all raced really well. We were all smiles - mostly relief that we had finished and we could have a sit down - but also because we all thought we had done enought to qualify for the Worlds.
So once again we have had a brilliant weekend - some fab racing with great results and a really good laugh with great friends. Perfect! The only thing that went wrong - I managed to miss the prize presentation! So my chance to get a photo on the podium with the winners was lost. I was too busy chatting again - Mark gets so cross when I do that.
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