Iain Robertson was so determined to keep the local honours of the Norwich Tri, that he not only ensured a clear win, but also broke the course record in the process…
The Norwich Triathlon is the flagship event for my local club, Tri-Anglia. This event has grown in popularity over the years and due to popular demand, for the first time, this year, it took place over a weekend. The Sprint Distance, (also incorporating the Eastern Regional Championships), took place on the Saturday and the Standard Distance on the Sunday. The race was set in the picturesque setting of the Norfolk Broads. The swim and run took place in and around Whitlingham Broad, with the bike section in the surrounding Norfolk Countryside. I knew this course very well, as I live less than a mile from the start and do most of my training in the local area.
I decided to do the Standard Distance event, as it fitted in well with my training & racing schedule. Despite the event being on my doorstep, I found myself rushing around being less prepared than I would have liked. I was off in the first swim wave at 8am and positioned myself to try and get on the feet of some of the faster swimmers.
As the season has gone on, I have focused on improving my start, to give myself a chance to get nearer the front of the swim. It was quite a large wave and the first 100m were fast and furious, with a lot of bumping and barging. I soon got into my rhythm, but was swimming on my own until about half way. I was then able to catch and work alongside a couple of other athletes until the finish. I came out of the water in 4th place, about a minute down on the leader.
Onto the bike and I was soon into 2nd place. I knew the leader out of the water (Jay Lingwood) was also a good cyclist, so my aim was to stay in contention and to give myself a chance on the run. I felt like I had had a solid bike, but I did not see the leader the whole way round. As I entered T2, I was given an update on Jay’s position and there was still a gap of about a minute between us.
I went off hard into the run and could soon see the distance between us closing. I was feeling really good and went into the lead after a few kilometres. By the end, I was able to build a good lead & finished 3 minutes ahead securing a new course record of 1hr 56min.
A few easy days now before a final build towards the British Standard Distance Championships in Liverpool.
As ever, thanks to the help of all our fantastic sponsors:
www.wilier.it – Triathlon Frames
www.ffwdwheels.com – Race Wheels
www.huubdesign.com – Wetsuits
www.zyro.co.uk/altura – Triathlon and Cycle Apparel
www.ismseat.com – Saddles
www.invisciddesign.com – Speedfil Hydration Systems
www.schwalbe.com – Cycle Tyres
www.limarhelmets.com – Helmets & Glasses
www.lakecycling.co.uk – Cycling Footwear
www.jagwireusa.com – Cables & Housing
www.amphibia-sport.com – Transition Bags
www.lezyne.com – Pumps, Tools, Bottle Cages
www.fenwicks.info – Lubrication
www.kapz.co.uk – Custom Headset Caps
www.racewaredirect.co.uk – Custom Garmin Mounts
www.shimano.com – Groupsets
www.camelbak.com – Bottles
www.max-mediagroup.co.uk – Team PR
www.joolzedymond.com – Photography
