Olympic Challenge Day 12 : 6 mile cycle, 143 down, 62 miles to go

Summary:
  Cycle, 6.2 miles
  Total 143 miles
  Distance to go:  62 miles, 1 miles behind schedule.

Today I planned to do an Olympic Distance Triathlon, aiming to get up and to the Callander's Mclaran Leisure Centre for 8am start in the pool.  First hiccup was getting a broken nights sleep, and rising late and tired rather than fresh.  I got myself hurried breakfast and heading out the door on this Black Beauty:

This alas is not my bike, but one loaned to me for the occasion by the very generous Maz Frater of Skiddle. Thanks Maz :-)

I headed off on the bike to the Leisure Centre and after getting most of the way their realized that I had forgotten to transfer over my bike lock and that I'd left my carefully prepared home-made energy drink in the fridge.  So I turned around and headed home, shuffled into the house like an embarrassed lamb and collected my goodies and then back to the McLaran.  A few more miles on my bike prior to the the Triathlon but no great harm done.

I arrived at the Leisure Centre at 9:10am and when I was just about to pay got informed that I'd only be able to length till 9:30am as an event was taken over the pool till 12:00, and I'd only have half a 20m pool to work with.  If I was an Olympic Triathlete this might have been long enough but not a rather inept swimmer like me, I needed at least 50 minutes to complete the required 1500m.

Dejected I headed back home with my tail behind my legs like a scolded and unloved puppy.  It was strike three for the day, in theory I could come back at 12 and have another attempt but my heart was no longer in it.  With long endurance events like an Olympic Distance Triathlon your head really has to be in it 100%.

The rest of the morning I felt really tired and lethargic, struggling even to do basic DIY work back at home.  A poor nights sleep, disappointment at not putting away the Triathlon and perhaps some lingering fatigue from the Marathon two days before might be reason enough for feeling a little out of salts.   I took a break from the DIY to watch the final cycling lap of the Mens's Olympic Triathlon and watched the Brownlee brothers bring home Gold and Bronze.  What an antidote,  awesome job Alistair and Jonny!

Tomorrow the weather looks ideal so will make a second attempt at my first Triathlon.