There may be a fine line between a virtuous self belief and the flaw that is stubbornness, but I know when I'm right, and no matter how tasty, humble pie is hard to swallow. So it's fair to say, I didn't take it well when the results of the overall Relay Team Winners at Wilmslow Tri were announced and it wasn't us. This picture captures that moment. That's Pete announcing there's a team captains job up for grabs. I suggest both he and Jason hang fire, that's it for them, they're off. But I've not given up.
Matters weren't helped by a lad behind calling his mates saying 'you'll never believe it, we've won the relay'. Easy Tiger, I was thinking, really wanting to throttle him. We had to endure the full results run down before I could lodge my protest. And protest I did. So why the confidence? Well, prior to the event, it was indeed self belief that we could do this. Competition in the Relay isn't usually that great, and surely we would be good enough to beat the comedy firemen and the mermaids!
We were a good team...if you mean a swimmer who the weekend before had been blown off his bike and suffered severe bruising to the ribs, then cycled the Manchester to Chester the day before, Pete with the end of a chest infection sounding like he'd just started smoking cigars, and a mediocre runner with a cake problem in the form of myself...we were unbeatable. We watched Jason start the swim and I concluded we were a cohesive tight team...then Pete announced he'd rather be with his bike and duly left to have a word with himself in transition.
Jason emerged and Pete guided him in like he had a laser beam on the end of his finger pointing to his foot, as if commanding a dog to heel. Chip swapped, Pete was off, and I must say looked good from the off, getting hunkered down before he'd left the car park. The only words he'd muttered were "42minutes" and he was gone. So, just for reference that'd be a 7 min pb on this course. No pressure on me then. I warmed up in transition, looking a little demented but not quite like a caged lion, regrettably.
Like Jason before, it was now my turn to bow at the feet of Pete, when he returned in 43 mins dead. Impressive. I then felt like I had the run of my life. Forgetting for a moment, that my legs were fresh and that I'd not just come of the bike after a swim starter, I was overtaking everyone, leaving them like spinning tops in my wake. Quite soon, I realised this wasn't due to my natural ability, but the aforementioned state of the others. Nonetheless, I ran for glory and put in a reasonable effort, even managing a sprint at the end.
The run route was 6.5k. A curious distance, I found it hard to imagine how I feel in the throes of a 5k...and then add another 1.5 at that pace. But I set myself a 6.3something min/mile target and hoped I'd hang on for the end. It was a single lap, literally passed the back of the house twice and a couple of sneaky hills to rob you of any momentum and rhythm you may have acquired. I've not done a pacey 5k for a while and forget that feeling of balls out and hang on for as long as you can, with your foot constantly on the gas and looking for any line of sight route efficiencies that will save you fraction of seconds. At the bottom of the hill, Chris was sat out on his drive ensuring I put the effort in going up. Just when I was out of his sight, Jason had come down to ensure I followed it through to the finish. No hiding on this route, it seemed! 26.04.
Once over the line, I spent what some may regard as a little too much time in the results tent, checking our position as new runners and teams crossed the line. All was very satisfactory in this department...category position 1. And so it remained until the last runner crossed the line. Now was the time to start getting lippy. The Fat Lady was just getting to her last chorus as the Prize Giving was called and all three of us were rubbing our hands with glee. Oh how we clapped and applauded those who'd won prizes...then our category was called! The Fat Lady got up and left.
Once the final round up of thanks to all and sundry had been made, the event was declared closed. I was across to the organisers tent possibly faster than I'd run all day. It seems there was an error. I was down as an age group winner, not a Team Relay. He had to check. It was a little tense as the guy who thought he'd won was there also. By a narrow margin we were in fact winners, but not quite the dead cert I thought, or assumed it would be. Our overall time for the Sprint 400m, 25k, 6.5k was 1.18. A trio of mugs. Result.
