Pete 'the Fish' conquerors Helvellyn Middle Distance Triathlon

My plan for the year was to test my Tri progress by attempting a couple of middle distance events and so at the start of 2011 I booked for  Bala and Helvellyn. Both are a bit shy of middle distance courses, but make up for this in the severity of aspects of the routes.
Bala has been covered elsewhere but the atrocious conditions made finishing and the whole experience even more enjoyable. The poor weather from Bala seemed to follow me to races this year and after Llandudno which was just as brutal as Bala I was quaking in my boots for what the lakes might have in store for me in early September.

A recce of the course route a couple of weeks before the event just confirmed how tough it was likely to be. A mile swim in Ullswater( the deepest and coldest lake in the lake district), 38 Mile bike with one long steady climb and the notorious “struggle” from Ambleside to the top of the Kirkstone Pass( not too bad in the car) and a 9 mile fell run to the top of helvellyn and back.
I would be in good company as fellow KTCers Andy, Sam and Nigel had also signed up. I travelled to the lakes on the Saturday and the weather was shocking, thankfully I had packed all the winter kit and was mentally prepared for transitions of Fiddleresque proportions.
Luckily though the tri gods must have been smiling on us and the Sunday couldn’t have been better with no wind and hardly a cloud in the sky.
 
The swim although cold went well and I came out quite near the front of my wave  and set off on the bike heading towards Keswick and Thirlmere, I got passed by plenty of bikers on the first slow and steady climb but made sure I didn’t overdo it so as to keep something in the tank for what was still to come. A couple of fast downhill bits on the way to Ambleside blew away the cobwebs from the earlier climb and before i knew it I had reached the outskirts of Ambleside and the signs for the aforementioned “struggle”.
From my earlier car recce I knew the first bit was quite steep but didn’t last long and then flattened off for about 150m before a sustained incline of I would guess 17-20% average that seemed to go on forever, although probably about a mile. There were then a few rollers and a downhill bit before the last climb where all the spectators were amassed where he struggle reached the top of the pass.
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The first bit was ok, but at the top of the mile long section I was really blowing and took it nice and steady going down to the last climb. The last climb was deceptive as in the car it didn’t look anything like as bad as the middle climb but it was! and after struggling to the top I was blowing again in the short stretch before the decent back to Glenridding started. For those thinking of having a go I rate it as the hardest bike climb I have done thus far and whilst not as steep as the top bit on mow cop the duration and average gradient make it a real challenge.  The descent was also a bit scary with the winding road , sheep and dry stone walls, but white van man in front ensured I didn’t get over 35mph on this occasion.
The few miles back to transition soon passed and with fell shoes and rucksack on I was off on the run.
 
The first km was reasonably flat but then the climbing started and for me walking, which I did  as fast as I could up towards  the hole in the wall. I only saw a couple of people running up this section and  I thought I was going quite fast, but for the next mile to the top I didn’t pass anyone apaqr from a couple of elderly hikers out for a Sunday stroll,  and about 50 came past me! There was nothing I could do about it as my legs just wouldn’t move any quicker and my thighs were aching like never before.
At the hole in the wall it flattens off and it was good to get into a slow plodding run again . This was for about another Km that took me to the bottom of swirral edge. 15 minutes of walking and clambering and I  reached the top.
A quick look at the views, a turn to the right and it was off for home.
 
I ran all the way back apart from two shortish steep rises of about 100m each on the mountain  and somehow managed to keep upright on the steep twisty descents that took you back to the old quarry and YHA where you go back onto tarmac.
Another couple of Kms and the finish line was in sight and I crossed the line in a much better time than I thought possible.
 
I didn’t see Sam or Nigel after the race who had both suffered punctures on or around the struggle, but Andy and I spend a good half an hour in the frozen Ullswater up to our kn####rs trying to emulate an ice bath to assist recuperation- did it work? Next day I could barely get out of bed and did a good impersonation of Douglas Bader when I did and I couldn’t walk down the stairs forwards until Thursday. The downhill section, and everything else, certainly took its toll and I was so glad I hadn’t entered Tatton that coming weekend.
 
Overall the event was magnificent, well organised, great weather and very tough . I won’t be there in 2012 but will definitely do it again and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who fancies a challenge in truly breathtaking surroundings.
 
Pete Openshaw