Another Jelly Fish free day ! Checking for them each day is almost certainly going to mean I get most swim KM this camp as I get between 300 and 500m done before everyone else arrives on the beach. The more I swim and don’t see them the more confident I am about none being out there. It being dark doesn’t really help though.

This morning we did starts and exits in the swim. Like last year it was great fun. Sprinting in to the sea and swimming a max effort 100m round a buoy certainly wakes you up and I expect it’s the most intense work anyone will do all camp.

Today’s ride was a pretty challenging route and so we had a group willing to make a quick breakfast to get an early roll out. The ride was heading north up to Orzola, into a headwind, before taking on the challenging ascent of Mirador Del Rio, and then reversing the Ironman Route as far as Teguise. To earn a Wildcard we said that campers would descend back down to the LZ-1 from Haria and re-ascend via Tabeyesco. This Wildcard will allow them to cut the climb of  Femes out of tomorrow’s ride.

I was with the second start-group and I was really chuffed with how we worked together. We had started out friendly with a compact group and everyone chatting away until Roger punctured at which point we split with part of the group continuing steady to Orzola whilst three of us waited with Roger before we chain ganged for 20 KM to Orzola, some hard work but great fun.

Jo also reported her group had been riding together really well. We bumped in to them at Orzola and then again at the top of Mirador Del Rio which was super satisfying as our planned timing was working out bang on. We even arrived at the Haria decision point together where a large number of campers chose to descend and ascend Tabeyesco in pretty tough conditions – strong head winds and ending in the mist.

The final section home we motored with Tim putting us to the sword chasing an average power. Certainly was the final nail in the coffin for me until I saw the group that had done the standard ride ahead and decide to work a little to try and get us to finish the ride together. We caught them within 500m of the finish and it absolutely made my day for it all to come together like that.

Those that had earned a run wild card yesterday were pretty pleased to be able to play it and avoid running off the bike whilst the others showed the true camp spirit and headed out for their 30 minute run minimum.

Steven

Corrections and apologies:

I made a mistake with my math resulting in an incorrect time trial result for Helen who actually rode 33:14 rather then 35:14 as previously stated. Sorry Helen!!

Jo