Northumberland’s The Couple Challenge: pointy helmets and compression tights

[angela]

The UK’s first permanent offshore sculpture, ‘Couple’ by Sean Henry, provided the backdrop for the inaugural Newbiggin-by-the-Sea half-ironman-distance triathlon.

For one who gets very nervous before a big race, this was an easy-on-the-alarm-clock midday start. Douglas Steele (ET) and I (ERC) travelled down from Edinburgh the evening before while Dave Denton (ERC) made the two-hour journey that morning. It was a beautiful, almost wind-free day, around 21 degrees. We rolled up at transition at 9:30, with over two and a half hours to kill, plenty of time to think about everything that could possibly go wrong. The view over the shallow bay revealed a former holiday destination, sadly now only a shadow of its former self. However due to recent conservation work, its lost beach has since been restored. A shore that was once populated with noisy holiday makers was soon to be taken over by alternative creatures: yes, the compression-socked, sharp-helmeted, colourful triathletes had arrived.

The race was well organised and the prompt start on the beach commenced with a sprint down the sand, a hop, skip and a dive into the sea and a frantic swim towards the first buoy. The foreshortened swim course of 1.7km consisted of two laps, taking us under and past the two 15ft-tall statues of the Couple. The water was a chilly 16 degrees but compared nicely to the Friday Firth of Forth swims this year. We exited with a draining run up the soft-sand beach into T1. I was fine when I left the water but totally knackered by the time I got to transition.

Wetsuit off, shoes, helmet and glasses on, and I was off on the bike. The first part took us through the busy town centre but we were very soon out onto the main course. The flat cycle took us up initially to the small port of Amble then back past Newbiggin and round to Lynemouth for the first loop. Marshalling was excellent, support was great and even the cars at the busy roundabouts seemed to give way to us. I quickly settled onto my tribars and found myself catching the pointy-hatted rider up ahead. I admit I was worried that the cycle would be a bit flat and featureless and I would lose my focus. However, with long straight roads punctuated by four ‘out and back’ turns, it was easy to compare relative positions with the others, which was excellent. Now guys, my brain doesn’t register bike brands, and sometimes, I’m afraid to say, I don’t have a good memory for faces, but hey, compression socks and helmets, I’ve discovered, I do remember, and this set up my targets for the cycle very well indeed. After tussling for position on the bike and watching out for where Dave and Doug were, the bike leg seemed over in no time. A good 86km ride for me.

Into T2 and I grabbed my running shoes and energy blocks and ran out onto the prom for my first lap. The 19.6km run had us pounding out four loops along the beach, and it was busy. Cheering, clapping, football-kicking kids and dog-walking pensioners all mixed in with triathletes at different stages of their run, made it a run with lots of interest. My first lap was a struggle and I was annoyed that I had gone too hard on the bike and not paced myself. Only 300m into my first lap, Doug sailed past me 300m into his second. Dave, too, was running well - and still smiling, I think. It didn’t look good for me. I stopped racing, slowed right down and just tried to get into my familiar rhythm and regain my focus. After a couple of energy blocks and several mouthfuls of water, I realised I was running better and starting to catch folk, or their compression socks to be more precise. Marshals and beach-goers enthusiastically cheered us all on and I was soon on my last lap. One final push and the distressingly wrong-way-round gantry (meaning finishers ran towards the word START rather than FINISH! Oh no!) was in sight and getting closer. At last I crossed the line. Yippee, yippee!!

Downing a cup of ice-cold water, I was handed my reward for finishing: a pair of compression tights.

Doug Steele   4:15:28
Dave Denton    4: 39:26
Angela Kidd    4:46:58