Not Last!

Maybe third or even fourth from last! Hurrah!

So, turned up at Guinness Boy's house at 8.30 and got the bikes on the car.

The we went of too Aboyne, where I've never been before, but my! It's pretty place.
I wish I'd been in a better position to take lots of pretty pics, but had to get this one off Google, but that was what it was like. A clear day, with snow on the tops of the hills.

 

To say I was terrified is putting it mildly.
So many thin and fit people. So many lovely bikes. People doing serious warm ups.

 Things are easier now with Guinness Boy as he is seeing someone, so the 'just friends' thing has been safely established. Which is just as well, as I'm 50/50 about a lot of blokes I'm friends with, but not him. He's a nice bloke but he drinks far more than I could ever be comfortable with, and I pretty sure by the things I've said he knows this. He very kindly drove there and was waiting for me on the last bend when I came in from my last run (he finished way before I did) to cheer me on.

Here's my bike and my box. Next time I'll keep my shoes in it, and not next to it. On the second transition I found one under someone's bike wheel and the other was kicked a few feet in the another direction. 

Kevin (also known as Action Nerd for those of you who have been around a while) was there!

I decided to start off wearing my (very light) bike jacket to save time, but this was STUPID as it meant I was boiling on the first run. I tied it around my waist, but it kept falling off.
And as it was, I didn't wear it on the bike, anyway. I was too hot. I also forgot to put on gloves and glasses.

I was the last out of transition with the bike, but only by a few seconds, and then overtook a few people. I hadn't thought that would happen at all. When they said the rules about overtaking at the beginning, I was only half listening, I couldn't remember how fast it had to be done but 30 seconds ran a bell, so I just did it as quick as I could. One bloke and I kept overtaking each other, he'd get past me then slow down, so I'd go past him again, and so on. But I saw him later sat on on the kerb with cramp during the run, so not sure if he even finished at all.
 On the second transition I took a big gulp of drink that went down the wrong way and ended up choking for most of the second run, as well as having hideous, exhausted legs.

I'm quite happy with my bit of paper.

It was proper hard work, but a good test. And highlighted just how much work I have to do.
So, so, bloody much!