Strathclyde Standard Triathlon Race Report

Mark Russell had to pull out of Aberfeldy Half Ironman recently with a burst tyre but he has got straight back in the saddle and had a strong performance at the Strathclyde Standard Tri last weekend. Here is his race report.....

Strathclyde Standard

Meeting Jack 10 minutes before the swim to find out that he wouldn't swim in
that water if I paid him was funny if a little worrying, but I had raced in
the park twice before so how bad could the water be?

It's pretty bad. So, I thought if i started nearer the front I would be out
quicker. Hmmm. Big mistake, I ended up in the heat of the nonsense, swimming
over and being swam over.  I reached the first buoy reasonably intact and
had 7 to go.  It was pretty much like it always is in open water swims.
After 5 minutes or so it thins out and you try to get into your stroke.
Surely those early Tollcross mornings would be worth it.  They seemed to
be, I exited the water 3 minutes faster then I had in 2009, with a time of
26:39.

I haven't really raced this season, so felt pretty dizzy in t1. It was arse
to the ground to get the wetsuit off and bike shoes on, so was out on the
course in just over 2 minutes. They changed the route of the course this
year. It used to be 6 laps of the loch with long straights after the
roundabout.  This year it was 7 loops of the hills out to the roundabout,
turn there and the same hills back to the water centre. It was pretty
difficult to get into a steady pace as the course never really settled but I
entered t2 after 1:13:30, about 10 minutes off 2 years ago when I was a baby
to this triathlon lark.

I guess the run is always where I feel strongest. Just. The run was two
4.25k loops along the side of the loch with a little nasty hilly part on the
far shore. I set out at a reasonable pace, trying to keep it steady. I took
my gel towards the end of the first lap and it seemed to go well for the
first 3/4 of the run.  I started to feel really strong on the final quarter
and began to pass a few of the other guys.  When we hit those hills a couple
of them got pretty religious. 'Oh, Jesus' was all I could hear as I came
over the top of them.  It was a strong run home, focusing on my breath and
form, which I think I've learned from yoga. I hit the finish line in an
overall time of 2:27:46. 5 minutes off the run last time and 18 minutes off
overall.  To be honest, it just felt good to cross the finish line.  I had a
DNF at Aberfeldy but some good advice from Colin and Gen and other Athelite
friends helped me get back on track.

My favourite thing from the race though was meeting Jane Askey who came and
sat on the wall beside me and a friend after her race.  She's an older lady
of the vintage variety who was hoping for 3:45 and completed it in 3:41.  I
do triathlons for a lot of reasons, but meeting inspiring people like Jane
Askey is one of the main ones.