Colin Hinsley and Tim Ferguson headed to Rother Valley Sprint Triathlon – World and European championship qualifier –  this weeknd.  Colin Hinsley was looking forward to this race, as, ‘Rother Valley is a course that has, treated me well over the last few years due to the longer than usual bike leg (25km+) and being very close to home!’

Tim’s swim started well: ‘I rose through the field at the first turn. Unfortunately the second buoy wasn’t a turn and the swimmers that got cut up by my fantastic corkscrew turn probably failed to appreciate the quality of my turn. Back on course, I continued to push through  the field, at the final turn feeling strong I attacked hard, passing a few more swimmers. T1 was pretty quick 53secs, then out on the bike, the first hill just hurt, several kms up hill, several painful agonising km. then a slight plateau then two challenging laps, that felt almost entirely uphill.

It was great to see the motorcycle referees breaking up the packs of drafters (not including Colin this week!), and penalising those who persisted. The bike leg should have finished with what should have been a fast descent. The descent, wasn’t quite as fast as it should have been. First a group of cyclists going uphill, delayed my descent, then cars trying to pass a horse slowed me down, before another car turned right slowing everything down again. Arriving at the park, traffic was queued up for yet another, unbelievable delay. T2, went ok, however I focused too much on my landmarks got a little lost and paid the price with a 52 second transition.

The run hurt, a lot, my legs needed to be forced to push through the first km. and the second. My pacing was so good that at the end of the third Colin, having a very impressive race, swept past me with a word of encouragement, this was the spur needed to up the pace and try to keep up with him, the fourth km was hell, but then as the fifth km started my legs felt light, strong and quick, runners who had passed me earlier were being reeled in. In the last 50m there was one more runner to beat, (for 28th place), the noise of the crowds was  inspiring.  As I passed him, he attacked, but my legs find some extra gas and I take him on the line. Incredibly, the run in 20:13 is my new 5k PB. Overall a good race and a better time than last year but finishing 28th in the AG and 177th overall was a touch disappointing.’

For Colin, it was a  a great result (qualified for both Championships) but a disappointing performance (much slower than last time): ‘The awful part of the race was my, now customary, panic attack on the swim and the highlight was catching up and over taking fellow Viceroy Tim Ferguson on the run leg.  Sadly, it was  desperately short lived.  He hung on my shoulder, puffing and panting like a steam train, then to come surging past me in the last few hundred metres – gnash!    Now time for a bit of a break after 6 weeks of back to back races.’ Another Viceroy qualified for both Championships… cause that’s how we roll!