ETU Menen - Race Review

I didn't get round to writing the text for this before it was auto-posted, so here is the briefly updated version. 

I had a pretty decent swim, and then had a stitch through the entire run and struggled the whole way.


Here are the results against my targets:

0. Don't get injured. 

    I have two other International races coming in a fortnight. I am more interested in finishing all three than doing well at one. I than have a string of smaller events coming that I don't want to miss. - Success. Have a bit of a tummy upset but don't think it is from the water, and not counting it as an injury. 

1. Race well. 

    Not very specific, but basically I just want to come away without having a sulk about how I swam or ran. - Mild fail. Swam well, not happy with my run as I had a stitch the entire way round.

2. Finish with my average percentage at this level. 

    I finished at 70%, 83.3% and 73.3% in my previous three ETU Aquathlons, so an average of 75.5%. That would have me finish in 12th place. - Success, 10th.

3. Finish with my best percentage at this level.     

    70% would be 11th place out of the 16 starters. - Success, 10th.

4. Finish in my average place at this level. 

    Well that would be 19th, out of a field of 16 that should be pretty safe. I was tempted to pre-colour this in green, but that is tempting fate about finishing. - Success, 10th. 

5. Finish in my best place at this level. 

    The field is small but I expect it to still be solid quality. Two of the 6 unknowns are a Belgian and a German and they are unlikely to have been selected unless they are podium-capable. My previous best finish was 14th in my first ever international in Bratislava. So this should be another safe one. -  Success, 10th.

6. Finish in my best place at any international

    This is a new one for the list and is predicated on the small field and having beaten a number of them in Ibiza already this year. I have a 6th place from Romania Cross Duathlon last year that I would love to match or even improve on. - This is the annoying one. I have beaten the guys that came 4th, 5th, 6th so I should have been up there. At the very worst I came out of the swim in 7th and I should have held on to that. The guys that passed me didn't even run particularly fast, I just ran too slowly with my stitch.  

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