The only thing I really had on the program for today was a bit of a spin on the bike in the morning. As I mentioned yesterday there was a bike course recce this morning and so I headed out to that to see a bit of the course. An extra bonus was that I met up with Tim Green (ex Darwinite) and Tri Robbo (from BYL) to head out to the ride.
At first the ride seemed like it might have been a little bit of a waste, since we weren't allowed on to the bulk of the bike course and the ride promised to be a slow one. But as is often the case with these things the information we gained about the course made the exercise worthwhile. All stuff that we probably could have figured out on our own, but it really is easier when somebody is there to tell you.
The recce took us over most of the run course and about the first 10km or so of the bike course. It was great to finally find some roads where you could ride properly, without having to stop constantly for traffic or corners etc. After the recce we headed out and rode over the start of the course a second time, this time with a bit more speed and made it all the way down to the swim start.
Admittedly we have only seen a small part of the bike course and we haven't seen any of the really big hills, but so far it seems not bad. The quality of the road surface is nice on the whole and the roads quick. Nice riding conditions. Whilst we couldn't get out there on the bikes, I know there are some big hills to contend with too, the first of which is apparently about 4km long. From the drive in, my impression of the hills though are that they are long and steady, rather than big cliffs. Certainly some steep sections, but on the whole they seem more like tempo hills, which suits me fine.
The run course is flatter than I expected. From the elevation map it looks more undulating. Flatter than expected doesn't mean flat though and there is one solid hill that you run both up and down both ways. Should be an interesting test of the legs at the 9 and 12km mark. My biggest impression of the run is that it will be very exposed. That is where the heat is going to play the biggest part. For me at least it will be a race of sticking to my numbers. Conservative if I need to be, survival being the key.
We only had a quick look at the swim, but it seems fairly straight forward. When we saw it this morning it was very flat, with a lane rope the whole way. We will go for an actual swim in the morning, but I suspect the conditions won't change.
Other than my recce, the day has been spent mostly hanging out with Tim. I did briefly head down to the Expo again this afternoon, but that was more to get out of my room than anything. I was keen to test the shuttles before race morning and I wanted to get another drink bottle since I lost one to Subic traffic this morning. Those things seemed like a good excuse to go to the expo.
Being restricted by the shuttles meant that I had an hour to kill at the Expo. Yesterday I mentioned that the Expo is quite an impressive one, and that is still true, but my visit this afternoon was my third one and I can safely say I don't think I need a fourth.
This evening the pasta night is on. I usually have a bit of a mixed interest in Pasta Nights. I am happy to go along if it is convenient or there is a good reason (ie hang out with people), plus I like supporting the event. But on the flip side I am happy to skip them too. For this evening the complication of needing to use the shuttle etc meant it fell in the slightly to hard basket. I often find the feverish pump up of pasta nights to be a bit to much too. Sometimes it is nice to have an excuse to not think about the race for a little bit too. I am instead heading out to dinner with Tim, which I felt was a good alternative.
Tomorrow it is down to business. As I mentioned we are going for a swim in the morning. The plan is to head down early, so hopefully we can access the swim course at that time. After that it is time for bike racking and gear drop offs, plus briefings. Once again the use of the shuttle is going to make that process a bit of a logistical juggle, but I am quietly confident that I will be able to figure it out.
Now, time for Dinner
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