So three weeks, that is 21 days, or 504 hours, or a little over 30 thousand minutes) and the team will be in mid flow  (probably all racing and most on the ride about now – 10am)

The Oldies are given a head start with Peter (2061) and Tony (2062) setting off at 8:35 am, the babies Dan (1958) and Andy (2788) will be hot on their heals at 9:05 and David will be looking for their tails in the crowd. So lets recap: two more weeks of training and a week of  tapering – the pre race scaling down to rest the muscles….

Wiki states:  Tapering: In the context of sports, tapering refers to the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition. Tapering is customary in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. The tapering period frequently lasts as much as a week or more.

The race has FOUR parts, Swim, Bike, Run and the transitions, the guys have been training for these for the last 4 months, but there is more to it than just training…

Race choices are endless… Starting in order of importance:

Image: Well… pink is just not cutting it on the team colours debate. Looks like the football method of settling a crisis is being deployed. “Thy that organises it gets greatest influence…. plus the law of numbers and a smidge of playground “age and size” wins approach. So Spurs, Man City and Chelsea v Arsenal…. so Blue it is! In the race however it is all about scaring the competition, looking serious and professional, no laughing or “bromancing” in the line up…. any sign of weakness will be set upon by your neighbour in the swim, elbows and feet thrashing in a pretence it is all about speed when in fact the use of them as weapons to see off others around you is a well understood psychological technique. Covering the eyes is imperative, no inadvertent glances of fear or uncertainty, so very cool and probably expensive casual shades for the lead up, very cool reflective silvered goggles for the swim, very cool, reflective, silvered and probably expensive glasses for the cycle, colour coordinated with the Lid, and then well cant be seen twice in the same outfit so a different pair of equally cool, reflective silvered shades of the run!

Bike: Well what’s your budget and do you like toys gadgets and engineering, oh and the most important … colour see above

Wetsuit: Yes, No, Short, Long, weight, Release style…

Shoes: Well just ask a woman! remember four pairs,

1. Pre race fashion – to scare the competition,
2. Bike SPD cleats or toe clips
3. Running – with obligatory go faster stripes (socks or no socks)
4. Post race pair to swan into bar for evening celebration looking as though you are just fresh from a jog round the block but half a size bigger to hide the swollen ankles!

Nutrition: well that is akin to nuclear fission in complexity

One bottle or two on the ride?   Water or electro lights (back to Wiki: An electrolyte is a substance that ionizes when dissolved in suitable ionizing solvents such as water. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases. Some gases, such as hydrogen chloride, under conditions of high temperature or low pressure can also function as electrolytes. Electrolyte solutions can also result from the dissolution of some biological (e.g., DNA, polypeptides) and synthetic polymers (e.g., polystyrene sulfonate), termed polyelectrolytes, which contain charged functional groups.
gels and or bars,
and goodness me what flavours

Accessories:
Lid – See “Image” above, but on a more serious note apart from being mandatory accidents do happen.
Watch – see wiki definition for Tech Nerd
Goggles – incl demist spray – see above “Image”
Glasses – See above “Image”
Gloves – See above “Image”
Puncture Repair Kit
Anti Chafe cream: Lanacane, Body Glide or my personal favourite “Udderly Smooth”