A.B.C Biathlon Race #9 - 19.05 for 3rd Overall.

AM. Normal 3k swim to start the day, Nothing too difficult today, just trying to hold a certain pace throughout and breaking the sets down. The 8 x 50s were tough towards the end though rolling every 55 seconds.

 

PM. 9^th race in the 10 race series for the biathlon at the A.B.C Pool brought perhaps the best conditions for the year, and no sign of Mike Leichwark but he was replaced by PRO Dave Matthews and good to see HuRTS Adrian McGarva show as too Julia Degan for the ladies.

My main rival for 4^th absolutely smashed me last week in the run leg so I was keen to stay closer this time around as I know even with a 15 deficit I can swim him down. The first 1k is tough and I find I’m sitting off the front pack of 4 by about 15 metres whilst Adrian Mc is happy to sit with me, Notice we close the gap slightly for the 2^nd as I hit the turnaround point in 7 minutes dead (fastest of the year) and for once I feel as if I’m not dying. I say it every week – BUT this week I thought I could actually bring it home stronger and with Adrian pushing all the way I wasn’t keen to let it slip seeing I was moving OK.

Around the 3ks marker I could sense a small break between us and on the final hairpin at Mrs Macs I notice I had a healthy 30-40 metres on Mr McGarva, pushed hard for the final 200 and was mighty happy to get part one down in a seasons best 13.47

Down the steps and try my best to get the heart rate down without losing too much time and find I’m only about 4-5 seconds from ‘The Rival’. Happy then to go past him within the first lap of the swim and from there was just focused on holding a steady time knowing if I could do my usual 5 minute/300m I’d post a solid time. 250 down and couldn’t see nobody ahead and with 4^th and 5^th about 20 metres back the pressure was off but I still worked it all the way to the wall before touching out in 19.05 (Previous best for the season was 19.29) for 3^rd overall. Swim leg was completed around 4.55

Delighted with that too be honest, and with only one race to go, the question is can I dip under that magic 19 minute mark? Well with good conditions and with perhaps a little help from some faster runners around my level who knows ?

 

Headed over to the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel after to find ‘The Chairman (and his NOW famous Tea towel shirt) still out from his luncheon alongside Pommy Paul Birch, good few beers with the boys over a game of pool as the banter started to fly around.

The two boys in good form........... unfortunately the same can’t be said for their pool playing as they were getting a spanking from some Welsh Plonker who seemed to irritate the $h!te out of Tommy H.

 

Cheers