EDT Camp Day 5-6

Thursday - Day 5


Swim Race: 1.3k 34:37 + 30min
Bike: 50k
Run: Wildcard

Today the cunning plan FG and I came up with really comes into effect. Friday is the big ride day and we wanted to do as little as possible today and get rested.
 We needed to do a long swim this morning to get the Wildcard for Friday morning so we didn’t have to swim before the ride. After that we only had a short ride and that was that for the day.

The Day started with a Swim Race and as we got to the beach there was a big swell, this was going to make it interesting. It was a handicapped race and there where 4 of us starting very close together. I haven’t been happy with my swimming all week and wasn’t really looking forward to this as I knew it would be my last swim. I just had to keep pace with the others, I’m not come in last again!

The race was along the shore and back and then out to a line of buoys and back to the beach. The race started and I felt strong, the arms where turning nicely. I’d finally got a bit of swim fitness, happy days! I did keep up with the others and as we got to the turning point to head straight out I was pretty close to TA. Now to get to those buoys, well this turned out harder than I thought, with the big swells you couldn’t see the line of buoys. I pushed on and on, but still nothing. I looked back at the beach and I was really far out, only about 10m away from a small fishing boat. Damn! I had missed them, I had gone too far.

I felt quite pissed off! I had felt good in the race and I did not want to be out of the water last. When I was sighting on the way in, I could see the group waiting, great! I pushed hard and got in as quickly as I could. I wasn’t the only one who missed the buoys, which was little consolation. Oh well last again. We did an extra 30 minutes of swimming to earn the wildcard for tomorrow.

The afternoon was spent prepping for tomorrow, FG and I hit the supermarket and couldn’t agree on what type of nutrition to have. I find it very hard to eat a lot of the sports bars and gels as I find it gives me heartburn. FG wanted higher quality stuff and I just want calories whether it is chocolate bars, cakes, any-crap. PT had given me Soreen, a Malt Loaf which I hadn’t tried before but it seemed to work well for me. FG did end up making cheese and ham rolls, I took a couple of snickers bars and the Soreen.

After some bike maintenance, mainly done by FG(I was lucky to have him as a room mate!) and cleaning of the bike done by me. We had a big, big dinner and then our briefing. We would leave at 8:30am, so breakfast opens at 8am. We had to be up ready to hit brekkie at 8am.

Friday - Day 6

Swim: Wildcard
Bike 171k 7hrs
Run: 20k 2hrs 3min

This was it, the big day had arrived and although I felt a little nervous I was up for it. I had arrived a week ago today and I couldn’t tell you where the last 7 days had gone. I was having the time of my life, my legs where just about working. We started with breakfast and I stuffed my face with as much food as possible, I am good at this bit.

We had split into 3 groups, the very fast, the fast and the sure and steady! This is not to take anything anyway from my group, but we knew it was going to be a long day and wanted to set a good pace and hold it all the way. The advice Steven had give me was not push too hard at the beginning as that’s the way you can damaged yourself.

My legs took an hour to warm up but I was now used to it, I was slightly worried I wouldn’t have anything left. We had done all the parts of the course but in different sections, so it was great to put it all together. We did stop for water a few times and took the advantage to buy any food, mostly for me Snickers bars, any calories are good calories at that stage. The last thing I wanted was to run short on energy.

To my amazement I was loving it, the hills where hard but I was getting up them and then down them. I didn’t want to hold my group up so I always tried to make up time going downhill. I knew once we had got to the top of Mirador the hardest part was done and it was the home straight. We worked together towards then end each taking some time at the front and the rest drafting behind. I will not be able to do this at the race as drafting is illegal.

We got back to the hotel after 7hours hours of cycling, I felt good, better than I had thought. Next was the run, I had challenged myself to run a Half-Marathon off the bike to really push myself and see what I could do. FG was faffing around in the room and I wanted to get going as soon as I could. He wasn’t going to come the whole way but It would have been nice to have a companion. My patience was pretty thin by then.

Having put on my socks and trainers, got my rucksack with food and sports drink I was off. PT had lent me his Garmin, so I knew when I would be at the 10k turning point. It was far and it couldn’t come quick enough, once I had turned it hit me and then I really felt it. I pushed on through and I’m sure I must have looked like an old man shuffling along. I wanted to stop everyone and explain I had just been on a bike for 7 hours!

I got adjacent to the hotel and I was 300meters short, I had to keep on running for another 150m and turn around, but by then I didn’t care. I felt slightly numb! I got back to the hotel to a few cheers and jeers from my fellow campers. Steven was very happy with what I’d done today.

I had a shower, ate even tho I wasn’t hungry and had a massage. I was tired and felt spaced out but it was all over. I didn’t join the guys at the bar that night for the final celebration, it was just me and my bed and I was quite happy about that.