Race report. Here goes.......
After an awesome, successful day on Saturday, Sunday came round very quickly and it was now my turn. 
. I have to say, i was feeling very nervous, so much so that i could have quite easily sat down without a chair!!!! Normal for me on race day. 
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Pirate kit on, drink and nutrition sorted, I managed to get some porridge down and keep it down 
. It was then that the Pirate possee began to arrive. Mrs Matt (looking nervous too), Colourin (looking even more nervous), Flash (looking cut!), Tired Badger, Slagiatt, Liam (so cute), Button Mushroom, Paul Platt, Paul Platts dad, Britrisky, Bburn Plodder, and the lovely Lee and Super Caz. 
Before we knew it, it was time to head off down to the pool. The nerves just went. Once we all arrived at the rear of the Leisure Centre and the bike racking was all set up, I started to get a bit emotional that not only was this weekend turning out to be better than last year, but also the distances that some of you peeps had travelled to come to our humble abode in Macclesfield!
Anyway, into the Leisure Centre for the swim. I remember us all faffing about on poolside debating who was having which lane, and SA bellowing at us to "stop farting about and get in". I chose the medium lane to begin with, but felt bad as people were stopping to let me through, so changed to the fast lane, which was better. I do remember glancing over at Super Caz as she glided effortlessly through the water. 76 lengths later and i exited the pool. Doh!! ..... schoolboy erroe, i had not set my stopwatch 
. I do remember looking at the clock when i got in and on exiting the pool. I think my swim was 40 mins. Into T1 and after the usual Mrs SA faffing, drying of feet, socks on, shoes on, helmet/sunglasses .... it was off out on the bike course. I remember doing this bike course when i was training for the Vitruvian a few years back, and after about 5 laps, it really gets under your skin!!!! It was on the 7th lap (i think, as my bike computer was not registering) that i came across Button Mushroom who had punctured. He asked me for a "backie. Honk and Slaggiatt were on hand to help, so reassured i trundled on. To get me through those monotonous last laps i started singing "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, a good old "foot-tapper" that had reduced the boredom on my sessions on the turbo. . After the feedstation (awesome, by the way!!!) it was a relief to be turning right, as opposed to left onto Pexhill Road. The infamous black and yellow could be seen as i rode up Chiltern Avenue. On dismounting the bike, i staggered into the garage to change. Onto the run course, and this is where it all went a bit pair shaped. . Half way round the first lap, my back was going into spasms and i started to get shooting pains up the back of my leg. The trapped nerve, that had kept me from running the Outlaw and the DIY last year was back. I opted for the "walk, jog, walk, jog" strategy until i got to the Feedstation. With IM Florida only a few months away, I did not want to risk being where i was this time last yea
