British
Paratriathlon Championships 26th May 2012
750m lake
swim, 20K bike and 5.6k run.
Build Up
I decided to put in my entry to this event just 4 months
after my amputation after talking to one of the girls in the Paratrithlon
British Team who was at the TCR show. By the day of the event I would be 7
months post op and couldn’t see why I wouldn’t atleast be able to complete the
course, even if I didn’t break any records. The preparation leading up to the
event was steady but with lots of mechanical problems with punctures and
problems with stump socket fits and problems with the suction socket liners
tearing and leaking. I felt that the things I could control though were going
very well, basically getting fitter and fasterJ.
The event was being held at Nottingham Water Sports Centre
so my brother Phil had said he would drive me up the day before as I need to be
classified before I could compete. The Classification was very relaxed and done
by the BTF physios who were very friendly and helpful. I new they were physios
as soon as I mentioned I wanted to hop to T1 so I could get my wetsuit down on
the move rather than use my crutches. They managed to talk me out of it thoughJ. I was classified as
category 5 which I think is anythone who has a problem in one leg below the
knee so it wouldn’t just be amputees in my category but people with lower leg
injuries or congenital problems below the knee.
There were three other people in my category, one an amputee
and I knew from looking at past results they had all been doing it for years
and were all very strong so I would just give it everything and use it as
experience. At this stage I had nothing to lose as I am still in the
rehabilitation stage, so just go for it!
Briefing
The briefing was brilliant because they went through how I
would be helped out of the lake to my crutches, from there to my bike where my
prosthesis would be and then we all went down to T1 to set up. T2 was in a
different area but only about 20 meters away on the other side of the track so
no big deal. In category 5 you are allowed one helper which I had volunteered
my brother Phil for that role which he seemed really happy to do.
Swim
There was an option to swim non wet suit as the water was
21C and I can believe that as it felt like a warm bath. As everyone else seemed
to be going for the wet suit option I decided to follow suit. I had left my
prosthesis over by my bike ready to go so headed over to the water on my
crutches which felt strange to be using crutches again! All the different
categories of paratriathlon would be set off at the same time so we was pretty
bunched up in the water with everyone trying to get the best starting line
including me. I new the start would be a bit of carnage but that was probably a
bit of an understatement. I had some one go over the top of me just after the
start and was getting kicked by two of the swimmers in front, one was a guide
as the other was visually impaired so they was tethered at the ankles. As we
all jostled for a good line over the first 300 meters I started to get some
clear water and it wasn’t like I didn’t give as good as I got. With open water
swims you just have to go out hard, if nothing else just to get some clear water.
It was tough out to the turn point because there was a strong head wind blowing
down the lake which made it very choppy and you had to just gut it out. At the
far buoy you had to head across to one on the other side then head back to the
start. As I headed round the buoys I still had people around me which I saw as
a good thing as I hadn’t been left in the wake. The swim on the way back I
tried to push the pace even harder because a couple swimmers had dropped back
from me but one was with me stroke for stroke all the way back and we kept
clashing on and off. I kept wondering whether it was someone in my category but
found out after the race it was Steve Judge who is in category 3 and who I have
chatted to by email and Facebook over the last year. They managed to save his
legs after a terrible accident using the same frames they used for me. It did
make me smile though when I realised after that it was him I was going stroke
for stroke withJ
He is a really good bloke and was happy to offer advice when I emailed him last
year!
T1
My brother is a star!!!!
Phil was brilliant, after 2 people had pretty much hoisted
me out of the water and given me my crutches (thank you to them!) I headed over
to Phil on a very unsteady leg, tired shoulders and with a giddy head. All I
can say is it went smoothly and Phil did a brilliant job doing one thing while
I was doing another, like pulling the rest of my wet suit off my ankle while I
got my cycle helmet and leg on then he had the bike off the rack ready for me
by the time I had stood up!
Bike
The 20K bike section consisted 4 laps round the lake so you
couldn’t go wrong and although there is no traffic it is not closed to the
public or swans ducks and geese. So anyone doing the national relays keep your
wits about you. Keep an eye out as one racing wheelchair swerved to miss someone
and ended up in the lake and another bike written off after swerving to miss
some kids that ran across in front of them! I fortunately had a very uneventful
bike, very windy and straight into the head wind going out each time so just
ground it out but it was pretty hard going! When you rounded the bend at the
end of the lake you knew you would be flying on the way back so just kept
grinding it out when heading into the wind and was passing lots of peopleJ Also be careful at the
end of the lake as it is a very sharp corner and coming back past transition on
each lap as although it is a tarmac course round the lake it’s rough as hell
coming back past transition.
T2
Again went very smoothly, just stayed very calm and saw
where my brother was standing and as I came in he racked the bike. I changed my
shoes and no problems this time with the leg coming off and I didn’t need to
put a dry liner on this time either or put dry socks on the stump even though
it was sweltering!
Run
I went out on the 2 lap 5.6K run feeling very good but by
about a quarter of the way round I just died on my feet, I just hadn’t taken in
enough water on the bike and now felt horrendous. I had given everything on the
swim and got completely battered and worked hard on the bike and I wasn’t about
to give in. I was dehydrated and my stomach felt like it was in knots, I knew I
was going slowly but just thought to myself keep putting one foot in front of
the other and try and keep the cadence high. Every time I got onto the very
long straight along the lake I would check back to make sure there was no one
in the distance behind me with a blade on because I knew he was a strong runner
and I was in no shape for a sprint finish. I managed to up the pace on the last
400 meters even though I could see way back in the distance down the lake and
there was no one but felt the sooner I get across the line the sooner I could
get some fluids. I had no problems with my socket or the liners in this run
which was so nice I had just run out of gas, I had given it everything!!!!!
Never been in so much pain and run so slowly but saying that
for my first year, over the moon with the overall time and came in 3rd
place, with a time of:
Swim 14:09 T1
02:57 Bike 33:57 T2 01:33
Run 29:43 overall 01:22:19
It was so cool to
come away with a whack off great big medal for my first year, I’m a very happy
chapJ
Thanks for all your support,
AdeJ
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