FIVE Stratford Triathlon Club members lined up with some apprehension for the first open water triathlon of the year – the Cotswold Super Sprint Triathlon – comprising 400m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.
On a glorious morning the water looked deceptively appealing but, as well as the cold water, all had concerns over the run following a variety of run-related injuries.
James Purdey was first home for Stratford in 1:03:29 – sixth in his age category – to claim maximum Club Grand Prix points.
Simon Taylor has entered a new age group and has high hopes for this year. He should be pleased with a consistent performance in all disciplines and was 15th in category in a time of 1:06:16.
Brian Weetman was next and was particularly pleased with faster splits in the swim and cycle than his efforts in the same race in 2012, but the extra years have also helped him listen to his body and it was not a day for racing the run, so he finished ninth in category.
Daniel Whittington was 1:14:35 and 25th in category but crucially first home in his family. Daniel pushed hard on the fast bike course and even claimed to enjoy the run.
Second home for the family was Lisa Taylor-Whittington in 1:21:15 and fifth in her category. Having been kicked and punched in the open water swim, she enjoyed the bike and paced an ailing Weetman on the run.”
