The Big Woody Triathlon
7th August 2011

 

Official Results

Swim 3.8k Bike 180k Run 42k Total
Richard Beard 1.14.50 7.10.12 4.30.24 13.01.17

The swim took place in a massive hole at the National Diving Centre nr Chepstow.  Less stark than the photo suggests, the water was calm and a clear copper blue (easy to spot feet to follow).  Sunrise wasn’t its usual blinding IM swim experience; it lit the top of the quarry’s cliffs giving them a distinctly alpine appearance.  With the small number competing in the long distance race it was a fairly civilised affair (apart from someone consigning my watch to the 75m depths!).  We exited up ladders onto the pontoon to enjoy the climb out of the quarry to T1.

The bike leg was a bit of a brute with over 2000m of climbing. After the initial ‘warm up’ climbs from T1 to the event centre at Five Acres, the route circumnavigated the Forest of Dean for two laps crossing between the rivers Severn and Wye.  As the first lap drew to a close I began to wonder if the stream of cyclists passing on the ‘Little Woody’ might have chosen the better option!

The run was over mixed terrain on an out and back 4 lap route along the ridge NE from the centre, mostly through woodland.  Although there were no big hills the constant ups and downs added up to over 400m.

A day later the initial thoughts of never again are already fading!

 

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