Peebles Triathlon.

Peebles Tri was third in the Borders Sport & Leisure Trust series for this year. What an idyllic setting, listening to the pre-race briefing with harmonious church bells pealing in the background.

It was Sprint distance: 750m swim/20k bike/5k run.

I had the benefit of experience at this distance at Eyemouth last season and then Gala in April and so, with prior knowledge that the bike route was mostly flat and the run wholly so, had decided this was going to be a flat-out burn as best I could manage. Maybe that approach should've been tempered a little because trying to go too quickly too soon in the swim was a mistake. Truth be told I hadn't been near a swimming pool to do any training since racing at Selkirk, nor has there been any surf worth paddling for since April. So... what improvements I had been making in the water were lost as I thrashed the first ten lengths or so and got out of puff. Eventually got focussed on the rhythm and stroke length and settled into the rest of it though without, in the end, losing much on my previous best swim time.

Made a bit of an improvement on my bike time. I'd expected this since Peebles was the flattest bike course so far, a picturesque out and back on the B7062 to the south of the Tweed. There was one hill to contend with at a 1/4 then 3/4 the way and this seemed to be to my advantage as it was there, on the return leg, that I caught the one chap from my swim heat who'd exited the pool before me. No-one else from the same swim heat managed to catch me on the bike, which was a first- and my minor victory of the day.

Onto the run, where I ended up going marginally slower than at Gala. This was a 2-lapper utilising both sides of the Tweed and 2 footbridges to form a loop. Very nice. And mercifully flat. Although heavy rain probably cooled things a little for later competitors the sun was still dishing out the degrees while I and others were running and this was where I was feeling things were ganging up on me a bit. One too many drinks at Mr. & Mrs Mosses party the night before. Not enough sleep and an early start. Having to do my own driving!!! (My treacherous chauffeur, Mr.S., had the nerve to use his camper for he and his wife to rough it and make the journey to Peebles an overnight one! ) However, just ducked in under 18minutes anyway and that was it, an overall 14th place from about 90 odd, 4th Vet, 1hr:07:43 an ever-so-slight new PB.

(I suspect Mr.S might prefer to take his good lady for company in future, rather than driving yours truly, 'cos he well and truly killed his previous best time! Well done!)