Sub 3h15

Final result 1:25:02 for 108th out of 274 finishers - but with the highest standard deviation:
swim: 12:00 (exactly as predicted!) for 265/274
bike: 52:07 (includes both transitions) for 100/274
run: 20:44 for 30/274

got another one in a month and looking forward to it - the swim is in the pool I learnt (in loosest possible sense) to swim in, and bike/run go very near where my parents live

My race day finally came following the 0 running to marathon plan I devised (incorpoating all your advice). Had a great day in the end, weather calmed down in time, and I finished in 3:02:10, and I think I ran in 7th, but to be confirmed and not relevant - I was really after a 3:15 wrinkly's GFA time.

My plan was to run flat stetches sub 6:50, downhill sub 6:40, and uphill 7:30 ish. I tried sticking to this, but did get carried away at the start. Gory details here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/187595196

The course was really energy sapping. I knew there were 3 main climbs, with downhill and undulating section in between. I did a lot of hill training, but it did not take in to account all the undulations inbetween. I thought I had hit the wall at mile 22 when I almost started walking on a stinker of a hill. Just managed to pull myself together during that dark moment

After mile 3 I didn't see a single runner for 15 miles, and then I pulled passed 2 runners, and after struggling through mile 22 managed to see another runner and pulled past him. Then it was on towards Tenby and a fantastic finishing stretch, with my name being called out over the PA.

Really please with 3:02.  3:15 was the goal, and looking back I don't think I could have run any harder to make up a couple more minutes. Hopefully that will be the next goal and run on a courses flatter than this beast. Still in time for London with the GFA

Wales Marathon was fantastically well organised (apart from drinking water out of cups which I hadn't trained for - how do you get water in your mouth?), and the physio, Rebecca Hudson from BodyWorks Soft Tissue therapy, was there to get me capable of running the race after a nervous week with the calf in spasm. It was worth having needles stuck in the calf.

No injuries other than some massive blood blisters on the toes from running downhill fast.

Sorry for long post - still on a post race high!

Great report Jezza. I think we all like to think we have a tri in us one day.

Congrats Jezza- that sounds like a very impressive time given the conditions and the injury scare.

I think you had the same rain as me Minni- for me it was more sureal than negative- I've never seen the course so devoid of spectators.  Twaddler has been injured, so this was a good run given all things considered.

Blimey, AlsoRan, that is exceeding expectations by quite some measure!  Target: sub 3.15; result: 3.02!  Congratulations and I don't think you need to apologise for the long post at all.

Sounds like you had quite a lot of fun, Jezza.  I'd be at least that bad at swimming, hence my refusal to even dip my toes into triathlon's waters.

Impressive Alsoran, hit the GFA and should be sub 3 at VLM on a flat course with the crowds and others round you.

Well done Alsoran on your super time . As Jools said getting a 3.02 off a sub 3.5 target is brilliant. Sub 3 on a flat course beckons! Big respect to ge to that start line & to finish unscathed after your calf cramps recently. I know I would have had that at the back of my mind all the way round the course wondering if was going to flair up. Did you have that at the back of your mind?

Mad day yesterday at the Download festival. Luckily it didn't rain but the mud was tough to walk through at times - good strength training . Had a fantastic time especially seeing Metallica again after a gap of over 20 years playing the "Black" album in it's entirety - ROCK ON!

knight rider wrote (see)

Big respect to ge to that start line & to finish unscathed after your calf cramps recently. I know I would have had that at the back of my mind all the way round the course wondering if was going to flair up. Did you have that at the back of your mind?

Spent the first couple of miles thinking about it and then forgot when my Heart Rate started rocketing. At mile 20 got some shooting pains and thought my number was up. I think I was helped by having little opportunity to run with a consistent gait and pace. Going up and down probably worked in my favour today.

Saw the Physio who sorted me out after the race and gave her the pleasure of ripping off all the tape she had applied. Ouch.

Jezza_B wrote (see)

Top effort AlsoRan, very impressive in its own right and the perfect platform for sub3 next time.

Jezza, I was in awe of all the Triathletes at this event. It ran Friday (Swim), Saturday (Bike), today (Run) as part of an Iron Man training weekend.Many had done the full iron man swim and bike events, and looked fresh as a daisy.  Tempting but my breast stroke probably wouldn't make me competitive!

Great effort on your triathalon Jezza - is that what they call a sprin triathlon?. Interesting conecept of the 2 lanes then under the rope and the tapping of feet if you are to be passed. Great position too at the end, looks like you made your way up through the field on the bike & run. I can just about swim 2 lengths and think after 16 I'd be completley done in.

Flying visit, just to say back safely from camping trip. Thought things were pretty bad with flysheet ripped in half by the wind till I saw pictures of caravan site in Wales, which put it all into perspective. Sneaked in a few runs; intervals on the sea-front, drills on the cliff-top and recovery runs on the beach. I'll start a mammoth catch-up session tonight, maybe...

Well done to Jezza & MsE on the fantastic tri results and to Gul for surviving camping!

But the biggest congratulations must go to Also-ran for the most amazing marathon performance ever!  I must admit I was doubtful you'd start and even more doubtful you'd finish with your calf issues.  Last week I was tempted to say 'withdraw'!! And you haven't been running very long?  Watch out Race Jase - there's a new kid on the block!  Very well done.

MsE wrote (see)

Can we have a pic of the full kit and see the bike porn please? So much to ogle at in the sport of triathlon...!

the organisers are generously making pics available to all of us free so will post some when they become available ... but it won't be pretty ... very tight suit ....

"Super Sprint" is the "official" name for the ones with "only" 400m swim KR, although mine had slightly long bike leg @ 25km vs 'standard' 20km.  "Sprints" trypically have swims twice as long

Quick post to offer my congrats to Jezza, MsE and Also Ran - Stunning performance!

Edit - Just read back Also Ran - am I right your 3.02 ( 6.57mm) was on the back of a HM PB at 6.40 mm pace? Thats a truly amazing conversion- massive respect!

Just skim read after a weekend of working 12 hour days plus up to 2 hours each way travelling at Download (damn the bliddy diversions last night - got home at 1.15am). It was indeed a mudfest, even after a full day of sunshine yesterday. And I didn't even get to see Metallica or Black Sabbath. I did catch bits of some of the bands on the second stage. Ugly Kid Joe were quite good. Rise Against were bliddy awful. 

Also Ran - fantastic effort! You are going to fly at VLM. The aggressive taper clearly worked wonders. 

Nice Tris from Jezza and MsE too. I did a supersprint once. I did the whole swim breaststroke with my head out of the water as I hadn't trained in a pool with a deep end and it freaked me out. Plus it was 33m long and I'd only ever swum 25m at a time doing front crawl. Anyway, 400m took me less than 10 minutes so there's plenty of room for improvement there Jezza. My weakest discipline was the bike. The hills of Matlock aren't ideal for a novice on a heavy bike who's scared of downhill! I had to get off and push it up one steep hill and had the brakes on on the downhills. I think I came in the bottom 5% overall with 80.08 and haven't felt the need to do another. 

I should get out for a longish run today, it's my only opportunity this week as I have races on Wednesday night and Sunday. But I'm sooooo tired and my lower legs hurt from standing for 12 hours a day in wellies. Would it be more beneficial to drag myself out for a run or embrace the CNBA while I still can - marathon training starts 2 weeks today? I've not yet run further than 10.6 miles in one go since the marathon and my first long run in mara training is 16. I was planning on 13 today to bridge the gap a bit. I suppose I could do a long WU and CD on Sunday to make the distance up a bit. 

If you're tired and your legs are tired I'd skip the medium-long run today, especially with races on Wednesday and Sunday, Speedy.  Let your legs do the races at least semi-fresh!

Still feeling very lethargic this end, so suspect I may be harbouring a bug which I'm just about beating at present; hope that is the case as I'd planned to make my club session tomorrow and then there's a local mud-bath aka Towpath 10k on Friday.