The Marshman half

Results

Pre-race

Saturday, 3 pm, pre-activation race bike and run sessions done and dusted. But I haven’t packed yet. I need to think about camping, my gear, my clothes and my nutrition. Thinking about camping, I did remember seeing something about it on the website, but nothing in the pre-race email I’ve received the day before.

Saturday, 6 pm, the car is fully loaded, and I’m ready to roll. Apple CarPlay on, Spotify on, and sat nav indicating an ETA of 8 pm.

Saturday 8 pm, arrived at the event location. A small path leading to the campsite with the transition area on my left, lakes on the right and left-hand side. Nice. Less nice a few seconds later when the campsite manager tells me it isn’t free. And it’s full. They have a weird definition of full in Kent. So after about a minute of negotiation and £20 through the drain, I was proudly throwing my 2sec Decathlon tent in the air and pinning it down.

Saturday, 9 pm, the bike is ready after a long fight with the front tyre refusing to pump. I did have some help from a fellow triathlete from Ful-on tri. Thanks. Dinner al fresco with kids shouting, dogs barking, and a Tiesto fan playing loud music. The joy of camping. I might get revenge at 5:30 am.

The race

Early wake-up and early breakfast with some plant-based overnight oats. And a can of V energy drinks as a replacement to my morning coffee.

6:30 am registration. 7 am fluid in my Shiv hydration system, race number on the race belt, bike racked, belt on the handlebars and helmet on top of it, shoes and socks placed on a mini towel next to the bike and bag behind. All ready to go. 7:20 am, anti-chaffing/lube and wetsuit on. And a Rawvelo gel down in one.

7:30 am a short race briefing followed by the lake entry. Surprisingly warm compared to the sessions I did at Bray lake weeks before with water between 12 and 14 degrees. I stay at the back, I’m a slow swimmer. And I’m not in the mood for being kicked. So 35mn later, I’m out of the lake, I will take that, thanks.

8:05 am quick transition, about a minute, and I’m off for the bike leg. And this is where I catch people usually, and I’m rarely overtaken. Not because I’m super strong. But because I’m in the last of exiting the water. However today, I have trouble pushing, I feel a lack of power. Maybe some nutrition issues. I overtake one triathlete. But I’m caught by three. I try to follow – within the legal non-drafting distance – but I can’t. The road is flat and nice. The weather is stunning. It’s getting hot, but with a nice breeze. And then, it’s Rye, a left turn, a stretch of road going to the beach, and for 10 kilometres, it’s carnage and traffic jam. Twice as we make two loops on the bike. Should I overtake on the left? Right? Stay behind the cars? A painful and stressful moment that I’m not ready to experience again in a race. I drink fluid every 10 minutes or so and take a gel about halfway. Somehow the legs start to feel better, and I have the feeling to ride faster. Post-race analysis, we can see in the graph below the 2 sections where I got stuck in the traffic, and the second lap is faster than the first one.

The Marshman Bike Leg

10:50 am bike in the transition area, running shoes one, and off to the run route for four laps. It’s hot. I’m at 4:10/4:20mn/km. A bit high, I think. Don’t overcook it; slow down. I aim for 4:30mn/km. Drinking water between aid station 2 and 1 and taking a gel on each lap at aid station 1. It’s working well. And I’m overtaking people.

11:25 am (approximately), I cross the line with a 1h35mn half marathon run and a 4:57:20 half iron PB. Well done me.

TIME CHIP