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In the centre of the town the police did a great job of stopping the traffic to let us through at near top speed, although I had an hand on the brakes just in case! Just before the end of the loop was the one aid station hidden away inbetween some parked cars. It had normal water bottles and not bike bottles. I didn't notice this until I had passed and I was planning to pick up a bottle next time around. A quick plan was formed. I would have to ration the water in my bike bottle to last and get a drinking bottle each time around, using all the water to drink and put on my arms, neck and back to keep cool. We were approaching 30 degrees. I took small sips from my bike bottle only when thirsty and the water ever 25 minutes from the aid station was enough. After 5 laps I grabbed the last bottle of water and readied myself for a very steep climb back over the hill to the beach. By the top of the hill my water was empty but it was 5 or 10 minutes and I would be back in transition.
I dismounted the bike and swapped my shoes for my road running trainers. I put my legionaires cap on to protect my neck from the sun. Grabbed a cookie and a bottle of now warm water I had in transition and ran out.
The run set off along the road we came in on on the bike but very soon turned off and followed the coast along a footpath that had been cut along the rocks. It was a perfect surface for running. It climbed up a little and I used my recent trail running experience to slow to a fast walk shuffle that conserved energy and kept the heart rate down. Nearing the top I picked up speed again and rounded a bend. Here I could see an aid station. As there were people now running back I wondered if this was the turn point. It seemed quick if it was. When I got there I there Irealised the run continued on and this was the 2.5k aid station. I took another bottle of water and continued onward with another steeper hill to climb. Using the same technique as before, as fast as I could without raising the heartbeat. I was doing this by feel. I haven't used a heart rate monitor for a couple of years now. I held onto the water sipping it and tipping it on my arms to keep cool. There was also a breeze coming off the sea helping, especially if I stayed wet. At the 5km turn point I gave them my empty bottle and got a new one. I ran back to transition, switching bottles at the 1/2 way mark again for a full one. Coming out of transition a second time I noticed a water station I hadn't seen before. This one and the one on the bike course both seemed shy to announce themselves. I am used to seeing signs saying water 100 meters. Anyway, one more out and back and I was done. The first one had taken me around 46 minutes and I was still feeling good. My core temperature was under control. It was the first time I had tried arm warmers as coolers and it had worked a treat. My last 2 races were in England in near sub zero temperatures and my training had all been UK based. I had no chance to train with a cooling stratergy going from UK temperatures to Greek ones and no time to aclimatise. I managed a negative split and my final 10k was dne in 45 minutes giving me a finish time of 5:11:37.
I took a few things away from this race. My swim was 10 minutes slower than the people that finished around me. So with more focus on swimming I have room to improve my time. I have a sub 5 in me. My fueling stratergy was badly planned. I was relying on aid station food and it didn't exist. That said my training of running or cycling pre breakfast has certainly helped my body use fat for fuel or how else did I do this in the time I did with only 3 chocolate chip cookies? My biggest thing though is the way I felt during the run and the negative split. I feel like a runner at last!
Finish time 5:11:37
Overall Position: 16
Age group Position: 1
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