[Event] Lost Sheep Middle Distance Champs

mossym

Just a note, but I think it is worth pointing out, and being 100% serious here, but fair play to the competitors(including one of our own mods) who stopped to help the lady(I’m pretty sure it was a lady) who crashed on the first descent. A lot of training goes into the build up to a race like this, and I’ve a lot of respect for anyone that throws away their chance of a goal time to help a fellow competitor. I know it’s easy to say sure everyone would stop, but that focus on the time can make it easy to think that someone else will stop and I’ll just go on. So again, well done on a very sporting act

Podge83

mossym wrote: »

Just a note, but I think it is worth pointing out, and being 100% serious here, but fair play to the competitors(including one of our own mods) who stopped to help the lady(I’m pretty sure it was a lady) who crashed on the first descent. A lot of training goes into the build up to a race like this, and I’ve a lot of respect for anyone that throws away their chance of a goal time to help a fellow competitor. I know it’s easy to say sure everyone would stop, but that focus on the time can make it easy to think that someone else will stop and I’ll just go on. So again, well done on a very sporting act

I came across her (I couldn't tell whether it was a lady or man) there were people around helping out when I passed and the ambulance was on the way up. I think if I was first to come across her I would have stopped - (as you say that's easy to say now but I hope I would have), but there was help there already. It didn't look good. Anyone know how she is?

frazzledazzle

Podge83 wrote: »

I came across her (I couldn't tell whether it was a lady or man) there were people around helping out when I passed and the ambulance was on the way up. I think if I was first to come across her I would have stopped - (as you say that's easy to say now but I hope I would have), but there was help there already. It didn't look good. Anyone know how she is?

I heard on Saturday night (The Wander Inn) she had a broken coccyx and collar bone and discharged herself from hospital ............... now this was after more bottles of beer than I could count ..........

Great report and toughest race out there !

Fazz

Swim:

- Started hard and was on feet and climbing over legs in the first 100m or so which was a good sign normally.
Stuck the head up and realised a pack was forming ahead and getting a gap.
Went to go around the right hand side of those ahead of me and got mashed up.
Head back up and see pack getting away, I veer to the left and move ahead of the feet I was on but it's too late.

Notice pack is keeping to the right, but as I'm sighting the buoy is straight ahead if not slightly left.
A couple of lone swimmers to my left heading for it, I'm in no mans land in the middle but trying to stay on line and keep effort up.
Get to first buoy ahead of the feet I got stuck behind, but the front pack is gone.
Singles out a bit more and I'm around a small few as we move across and then return to T1.
I try to pick up effort, then try to stay on feet, the damage has been done.
Conserve a little on feet, hard to sight and stay on similar lines.

Swim - 2,020m, 29:40.

Theoretical 1:29/100m pace which I'd be happy with. However can't trust garmins, and gotta be questioning my lines as it's not on and showing up a weakness. I worked on my fast starts for this and felt it went well, but just got caught behind slower swimmers too soon and missed the group.
Could maybe have saved 1min if I had made the group, who knows.

T1 - ran past bike, got a slap on leg from Trinewbie as I turned to go back.

Bike - started well, Felt good, got half a bar into me early and was sticking to power guidelines for the start - 260-270w.
Trinewbie comes past and I keep the gap but stay on his pace.
Watts are still in line so on target.
Up over first climb, pass a few on the descent and moving ok.
Next climb is the long one and I'm starting to wane a little but not much.
Trinewbie a couple people ahead but still in sight when road opens so not too concerned.
Lose sight of him on the snakes and ladders and I pass a couple more but he has a gap.
Circa 40km in, Avg Watts at 270 as planned but I'm starting to feel it.
Watts drop to 240 ish and lower and I get passed by 2 others.
I up the effort here and make a conscious effort to gap the 2 ahead, and push into Glengarrif.
I manage a burst over 300 watts to get past them, and hold pace for 5 mins ish before dropping back to 260.
Then effort drops to 230 and I'm struggling to maintain much above this.
OK, recover a bit, get the watts back up Caha and push to the end.
Doesn't happen, I get passed by 2 or 3 going up Caha, struggling to hold 230w and getting worse here.
Legs not on a good day.
Get worse from here and roll home in no mans land.
Contemplate DNF'ing, know the race is over, but find my way out of the dark place and continue on.

Bike - 2:25 odd, 230w AP, 244 NP, Same as last year but much slower, and legs dead. Shocking.

T2 - My clubmate beside me has kindly left their wetsuit on my left sock so it's nice and soaking for me. Wring it out and put on, and out the gap.

Run - Get passed early by Paddy Quinn, try to stick to him but on the rolling section I'm really feeling it.
Just hold form and get through it, use it as a training day I'm saying and try negative split the run.
Garmin is acting up so pace is gone, but timer is on at least.
I see Charlie with a massive lead, and clock myself around 14th by the 7.5k turn.
Through 10km at 46mins and so on for a 1:36 odd split.
I see the leading ladies coming against me and reckon I've only 3 or 4 mins gap, it was more but wasn't looking at watch much.
Race now becomes a "must not get chicked" mentality and try continue and neg split the run.
I up the effort a bit from 20k and whilst I'm not labouring, I don't have much extra intensity to offer.
Across line in 14th I think and a 1:33 run split.

4:33 - Miles off being competitive. Legs died from 40k and that was that.

Hindsight.

Day off the previous Sunday, and 2 easy days previous to race does not a taper make.
Week 4 done of high TSS and volume in last build for IM.
I had planned more of a taper for Kenmare, but it didn't transpire and I prioritised a few IM sessions knowing Kenmare would be v competitive and not where my training Zones had been focussed on.

Happy to get through the race without DNF'ing despite entering the dark place a few times from 40k on the bike.
It's a strange one, when you know you're not at your best or having a PB, do you just quit and pack it in saying oh I'll save the legs, or I'm not fit for the run or whatever.
I could easily have done this, saying oh I'll save legs for training etc. I didn't, I may not have pushed myself 100% but that was more a case of feeling fatigued and not being able to rather than not wanting to.
It's very much the easy way out a dnf. But if you've got to the start line unless there's a particular injury, then death before dnf!

Not taking much out of the race result really, I didn't have the intensity, freshness or power to come close to the front guys and largely due to my recent heavy block and not tapering to recover, absorb and get fresh.
Here's hoping the focus pays off in 3 weeks and I get the taper right.

All the same, love Kenmare and it's a great race. Very difficult course and will find out any weakness.
Defo a strong bikers preference, and Charlie destroyed the field with an epic split in fairness to him.
As did Aileen and now I have to get my a$$ in gear or I may be chicked by her in Mallorca! Extra motivation as if I needed it!


Additional note - it's hard planning a late season peak.
Sacrificing earlier performances, race season, sure enjoying nicer weather for main training but seeing all the races go by and not being able to be competitive at them as you're in no mans fitness land until closer to the race date.

Early season A race needed next year to ensure all the work is done over the winter and then look at blocks or 1 or 2 more key races during summer.