After what feels like a lifetime of trying I finally got on the vets podium at the Perranporth Triathlon this year. I can’t remember the first year I did this classic event, it was certainly before recorded history began, perhaps 1997. For many years it was the only triathlon I would do all season. A September event that gave me an incentive to do a bit of exercise throughout the year before I would cram in a few weeks training to make sure I was capable of finishing. I don’t remember the first few times I did it but I know I was on a heavy steel hybrid bike and was disgusted by all the “cheats” overtaking me as they rushed through transition while I struggled to get a t-shirt on over my head and sort out my socks!
The years I remember well are 2003 and 2004. As a keen surfer Cornwall can be frustrating for the poor reliability of quality surf. But the 2003 race was held in conditions that surfers dream of. A light off-shore breeze and a glassy 8ft swell with lines going out as far as the eye could see. I was super excited that this might be my opportunity to pull off the ultimate surf race trick that I had seen done in Australian ironman races. On reaching the final buoy the wily old pro simply stops swimming and lets the field race away back to shore while he studies the incoming sets of waves. Picking out the best wave he sprints up to speed and casually rides it all the way to the beach with one arm stuck out in front whilst smiling as he zips past the hard working field and exits the swim with a 30 second lead. Unfortunately it is a much harder trick to pull off than it looks and I simply didn’t have the confidence to stop, get my breath back and wait for the right wave. I could just imagine the likely outcome… stop, look around, wait for a big set… wait some more… getting a bit desperate, try to catch one but get dropped off it… wait a few more minutes for the next big set… see the first swimmers exiting the water in the distance… miss another one so give up and start swimming again and slog all the way to the beach 5 minutes down on the field. No, I could not risk such a disaster so I just kept my head down and hoped that I could catch a wave as I swam in. But trying to catch waves whilst swimming at race pace just does not work because you do not have the ability to sprint up to speed and hold your breath to catch the wave. Instead you end up getting a nice speed boost before getting dumped and bashed around while trying to gasp for air. I do remember one great moment on the swim out to the first buoy though. Swimming out in big surf it is vital to keep an eye out for big breaking waves and to have enough breath to dive down underneath them just before they hit you. I was in a close race with 3 other swimmers when a big outside wave approached to break right on our heads. I swam underneath and got going again on the other side with all my close competitors having vanished. Presumably they were now 25 meters behind me going through an intense washing machine cycle. It is important to watch out for waves in a surf swim!
2004 was a classic in different ways. The weather was wild with a howling onshore gale and a big messy sea. With the wind drowning out instructions it felt very chaotic on the beach looking out at the mayhem of the surf. Surely we could not race in these conditions. We could barely hear the starter barking instructions. “DO NOT ENTER THE WATER UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED SURF SWIMMER” repeated a stressed megaphone voice. I wanted to back out of it but decided I could survive as long as I saved enough breath for the inevitable washing machine cycle from the dumping waves. When the swell is this big you have to time your sighting views for when you are on the crest on the swells since in the troughs you can see nothing but the wave approaching you. I remember finally sighting the first buoy when I was about 30 meters from it and getting a big view out to my right where I could see half the field heading for the second buoy without even realising the first one existed! I reckon that there were only about 10 of us who got around both buoys that day so I felt a bit aggrieved when I didn’t even get a top 20 finish! But in such chaotic conditions there is no way the swim could be policed any better and it was a major achievement that no one got into serious difficulty. The other thing I remember about 2004 was the wind being so strong on the run that I drafted a big guy and every time I tried to overtake him I couldn’t hold it so had to tuck back in behind him - hey, drafting is legal on the run. Then after the turnaround point I pulled out and blew straight past him!
2006 saw freaky calm conditions and 2007 turned out quite gentle too with just a bit of on-shore breeze and a slightly choppy sea. The thing I love about Perranporth is that it feels like a real adventure with every leg having its only special challenge. There is also nothing like a single wave mass start from the beach. The 2 lap 40k bike course starts immediately with a 20% climb, has no real flat sections and can be tough in the wind. The 8k run is to the end of the beach and back with a detour over a 150m cliff on the way out. Most of the sand is damp and stable but the start and finish cover a section of 500m of soft sand which always makes my legs buckle as the finish line approaches.
A great, great triathlon event that everyone should do at least once. But best keep an eye on the surf forecast as race day approaches!