Blenheim Triathlon

Raced yesterday in the cold and wet Blenheim Palace grounds down in Oxfordshire, England.

Some good guys showed up for my first drafting race of the year and it was a great race. Pushed about a bit in the swim and I couldn't quite get the start I wanted due to the cold but I still came out decently placed 10s back from 1st. A marathon 500m run to the bike later and off I went onto the bike course, still top 15.

In my mad dash to try and get onto the chase pack I didn't get my feet into my shoes so by the time we'd arrived at the hill I was about 20feet back and got dropped from the chase. After a lap fiddling with an annoying shoe strap I had found a group and began working through the rest of the 20km before heading out onto the run. The bike summed up the whole weekend for me, it would have been great if I had gotten onto the chase pack...and it was very close...and if the shoe strap hadn't mucked up then I could have maybe bridged up easier, but generally due to the fact that this was my first big race I just didn't know what to expect and was learning every second throughout the race.

The run was ok, trying my best to focus on technique and not come last! I overtook a few people and some overtook me, tried my best to hold technique and still enjoy the race. I do think it was an encouraging weekend though, I didn't blow up and it was a close one me not making the pack on the bike. I am firmly in the "learning" period of my triathlon life and that's definitely what I did yesterday.

Currently staying with great friends Mark and Lisa Yeoman in Walton-on-Thames near London until the Windsor triathlon next weekend. Both Mark and I are racing Elite on Sunday, looking forward to that little race!

Denise has been racing hard the last few weeks, making my race schedule look like a recovery weekend! She raced the Montreal World Cup last weekend followed by the Tour de Montreal during last week. Now she's racing the Tour de PEI on Price Edward Island, Canada from Yesterday until Thursday...the insane life of a cyclist.

We're definitely in the middle of race season now so good luck to everyone out there who's racing hard right now,

Mike