I feel a bit sad writing this because tonight’s was the last Eastleigh aquathlon of the year.

Result: 2nd/20
Date: Thursday 26 September 2013
Format: 750m lake swim, 5km trail/grass run
Race website: http://www.trytri.co.uk/
Full results: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=607197522665866 (a bit screwy, though!)

I’ve already raced three times this month and it’s the HOWSC 100 on Sunday, but I had to fit in the last one of the series, didn’t I?

It was nice as always to see Ben and Charli from Try Tri and quite a few of the usual suspects racing including a good crowd from SUTri.

The swim tonight involved rather more contact than usual at Eastleigh, as everyone seemed to want to be at the front! I got someone’s foot in my eye socket and was swum over several times… but I probably gave almost as good as I got. As the first swim lap went on, Laura Fenwick and Adam Leemans managed to make a break from the chasing pack of four I found myself in. I failed to remember to sight the treeline rather than the buoys again, but I didn’t to go too far off line at any point! I exited the water 3rd but with the next two or three hot on my heels.

I had a pretty good transition, but Christophe Dormenval in his GB kit was breathing down my neck as we started the run. I’d felt a cramp come on in my right calf during the swim and it hobbled my first km, but I tried not to let it show… Christophe had a little dig on the railway straight but I was able to sit on his shoulder and then push on to start the second lap in front, just a few strides behind Laura. I managed to maintain my speed and finish 2nd, but didn’t have a chance of catching Adam, who finished 52 seconds clear.

Ah well, two firsts and two seconds from the series isn’t bad and today was definitely a good warm up for the weekend’s tri.

Afterwards in the dying light we all compared notes on our summers’ racing, the extravaganza that was the 2013 London ITU Grand Final in Hyde Park, and plans for the winter.

Finally an Eastleigh report wouldn’t be complete without course notes: Tonight, we ran the short version of the NW corner and finished near the hut, rather than past transition (so same as July). I think that makes my run a slightly disappointing 3:54/km pace.

(If the embedded player isn’t working for you, try watching on YouTube.com.)