ACE Races 1-Day Series - Bracknell Forest
Sun, Sand & Storms at Swinley
Gary Vallance of the Usual Suspects / 26.07.2006
Hydration was the order of the day as the temperature continued to soar, and as bikes and boxes amassed in transition competitors could been seen knocking back the fluids in preparation of a very hot day of racing.
On the starting horn the lead runners went off like scalded cats, following a bunting trail to a remote location to collect the race map. Dictating the early pace were event rookies and male pair Team Votwo, who as regular triathletes were keen to get a headstart before the navigation sections.
Hot and bothered
A convoluted run to the map pick-up gave teams an early taste of the local terrain. Swinley's fine, sandy soil had soaked up a little overnight rain, and whilst this had firmed things up underfoot, as the sun continued to climb so did the humidity amongst the trees. At the pick-up, navigators were immediately under pressure to plot the shortest route back to Transition 1 to collect the bikes. Compasses appeared from packs and pockets, and competitors scattered in all directions.
The return to T1 was a real eye opener, teams making dozens of varied route choices back to base. Despite the dappled shade the early running left us drenched with sweat, and we were glad to get a drink as we saddled up and headed out to the first of five bike checkpoints.
Like many rookie teams, our early navigation on the bike left a lot to be desired, as we struggled to acclimatise to the change of pace. Despite a good run, the first control was indicated by the mass of teams who had reached it before us, queuing to punch their maps. Fortunately now we knew our precise location, our passage to checkpoints 2 to 5 was much smoother, overtaking rival competitors on well worn trails.
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