Swashbuckler 70.3

My first triathlon in almost 4 years was the Swashbuckler 70.3 (middle distance) and an important part in my training for Ironman Frankfurt in 3 July.  I was lucky to be supported by an experienced ironman and coach Colin Freeman and having someone there was unbelievably helpful.
We got up at 3.30am and forced down some breakfast as transition opened at 4.30 and I was in the elite swimmers (can you believe it!) wave at 6am.  One of the important items to be ticked off the list is to do a poo before going to the race - the portacabins on site are usually destroyed by nervous athletes and they always run out of bog roll so sort it before you arrive.  My system has been trained for this so the first mission accomplished successfully.
We started to build my bike on the grass at 4.30 am in the dark using the car headlights as best we could.  Twice we dropped a critical screw in the long grass but managed to find it - 1st lesson, put a towel under the bike in case something drops!  We ran through the transition discipline making sure we had considered the quickest way to exit with the bike or the run.  This included remembering to press my Garmin on exiting the water, taking my contact lense out that I needed for the swim, and pressing the Garmin on exiting the transition area - I hadn't used the triathlon function before (it worked).
6am and into the water.  It was a tidal river therefore salty and in the two laps I'd be heading "upstream" twice.  It was also my 1st wetsuit swim in 8 months.  I positioned myself towards the back and the side of the group.  The gun went off and I found myself some space and quickly go into a rhythm.  Sighting was impossible swimming into the sun but the second lap was easier as we all had a better idea where we were going.  It turns out they had shortened the swim to 1,600 m due to the tide and the buoys although I wish they hadn't.  I loved the swim and came out in 31 mins.  Then there was a 300m run uphill to transition and the total T1 time was 5min 34 sec - I eventually left my gloves as I couldn't get them on my wet hands.
Out on the bike to a flat course through some of the most beautiful countryside I have been in.  Cattle and horses roam freely and they are far more intelligent than sheep!  They just want to chew grass.  I was in a trisuit (to save time) with a windcheater as it was wasn't 7am yet.  It took me 1hr 40 minutes to feel my hands which resulted in my dropping my 1st prower bar, rip my jel and have half of it going over the bike, struggling to get bottles out of the cage without dropping them and one one occasion not being able to change gears.  I spent the majority of the ride on the bars and this contributed to my average speed of 30kph.  I realised I could get under 3 hours on the bike and pressed on finishing it in 2hrs 59 mins.  T2 was 2min 15 sec which also included ripping another gel and spilling half on my bike!
The run was 2 x 7 mile laps.  Stunning countryside awaited me and I set off at a fast pace.  The first lap took 56 mins and the second lap 57 mins.  The course was reasonably flat and had a beautiful 1.5 mile finish through woodland.  This brought you out at the swim exit and therefore you had to face the 300m climb passing the finishline on the first lap - that's always difficult mentally but you just get on with it.  On the second lap I was picking off runners who were running out of gas.  As I approached the final 300m climb to huge applause from the spectators I put on a sprint to take two runners ahead of me.  Crossed the line and knew I had got a PB by a long way.  My Garmin timings are slightly different from the official time which was 5hrs 32mins but I'm not complaining.  This shows that the 9 months of training to date is paying off.  I've now got 47 days to build on this and deliver a good performance over double the distance!  I can't wait.  Quite a few lessons learned on Sunday which will help me in Frankfurt.
A final word for the organiser.  What an amazing race.  It was friendly and exceptionally well organised.  The marshals couldn't have been more helpful and encouraging.  The setting in the New Forrest is beautiful and of all the 70.3's I have done, this is definitely the most enjoyable and I'll be back.  So I'm now officially a Swashbucker, and proud of it!