tri disaster

well. it was the 'beat the heat' triathlon this morning in Azaiba. I was feeling quite good about it. one of my friends had loaned me her old road bike to use - the first tri I did here I used the mountain bike, it was *terrible* - and my running training had been going well.

all week my right ankle has been niggling at me when I walk. but it has been fine when I have been running. it's been quite weird, but I wasn't too worried about it.

however...this morning's tri did not go quite according to plan. first of all I had an awful swim. I went too wide to the first mark and ended up in the last half of the pack. I managed to take back a few places but not enough of a buffer. the bike went ok in that I managed to take some time off my first tri solely by being on a proper road bike. I didn't really get on with the bike though, I am sure now that drop bars are *not* for me... if I ever get a road/tri bike, it will have bullhorn bars I think. I have spent too many years riding flat bars to change now!

all the way round the 20km bike route, I felt my ankle twinge. on every pedal stroke. by the time I got to T2 it was quite sore. Julie from work had turned up to watch and as I changed from bike to running shoes I told her I was in some pain. but I started the run anyway. idiot.

so I get less than 500m into the run and I have to stop and walk. a combination of heat, humidity, being tired and not being able to put my foot down properly. I walk-run to the water station at halfway, where Jon is marshalling the runners. I have a quick moan about how sore it is, take a bottle of water and start to head back. the guy who won the tri is riding up and down the road on his bike cooling down and chasing stragglers (ie. me) when I go over on my ankle and swear quite loudly. he stops and asks what's wrong. by this time I am in tears - it's very sore and I am mightily cross with myself. he decides it's time to put me in Jon's car and get him to drive me back. I am raging. and gutted. I felt good about this tri for days. I feel like the bike made my ankle worse somehow and messed up the run. I don't know how, and it probably didn't, but that's how I am feeling.

I have spent most of today resting with my foot up, using a lot of biofreeze and deciding never to do tri again. I hope I change my mind, but I had plans for the summer. it looks like the half will be out in June too if this takes longer than a week to resolve.

on a positive note, we had the Midas guys here this week for a few days and between us we have fixed the entire system in the opera house :)