So, how's the old running come along ?

After a couple of years of long distance training and lots of long slow runs, this year I have tried to do something different - with forward knowledge of a move toward Duathlon, I engaged a run coachj and have been following plans for the last few months. Progress is slow, but moving forward - these are this Summer's races so far...

20.05.21 Prestwold 10   1.15.36

This was a run done in the build up to the Outlaw Half Triathlon and was a 16 mile effort all in with the race done at Lactate Threshold level. It absolutely bucketed it down, and whilst the warm up was OK, and trhe race itself only mildly wet (but very windy), by the time I had finished I was soaked and beaten but still had to put on the rain jacket and go out and do some more miles whilst everyone else was leaving. Nice fast course, just very exposed.

03.07.21 Holkham Half Marathon 1.55.45

There's a pattern here - this was a run with Scrappy, and we purposely put in over 6 miles before we started as we were using it as a long run before Outlaw. Nice 9.00 minute pace throughout, definite positive split as the last ten miles slightly quicker than the first. Lovely to be back at Holkham again and will go back I'm sure. Threatened rain and thunder storms but nothing of the sort happened.

06.07.21 Watermead 5    36.17

Midweek effort with the guys from work and run at LT again, nicely paced lovely run around Leicester's Watermead Country Park, bookended with a warm up and a cool down. Nice evening's running ! 

29.08.21 Bassingham 5   34.10

The first time this Summer that I could let rip and properly race - this would tell me how the stretching, self massage and interval training that I've been doing has helped. I had a good start with a 6.39 mile, quicker than my forecast 6.50-7.00 pace, and a 6.45 second mile - I concentrated on good form and stride and the third mile was tougher at 6.50 as it turned into the wind and I started to feel like I was about to detonate by the the end of that. Mile 4 crept over the 7 minute mark for the first time at 7.02, and the last mile really hurt - a sprint finish managed to bring it in at 6.55. Am I faster ? Well, my last race here in 2014 was 35.34 and that was a fast year for me. At 48, I think I am, and I think there's certainly gains to be made over the winter. Watch this space.

Summer TTs

 In and around the longer distance triathlons came the welcome distraction of time trialling. Whether it be up and down dual carriageways on the trusty pink trike, or on two wheels trying to get the best of Scrappy or holding on for dear life in a two up with him, I have managed to keep things ticking over. 

There have been many outing, and this is how the summer has gone so far... 

28.08.21 CC Breckland 30  1.09.53

- a go at the 30 trike team record of 3.29.46, so we knew we'd have to put in 1.09.55 each, and for my part, considering it was windier and harder than I thought it could be , I did it - 1.09.53, however, with Scrappy's chain coming off and losing a minute, we were agonisingly close - losing out by just two seconds.

24.08.21 Wheelers Ingham 10  22.16

- what I thought would be the fastest night of the series - wind from the North East, tried very hard, watts PB for the series = 284W, good discipline, only bad point was my aero guard rolling down in the first mile, 2nd place some 14 seconds off Scrappy who took the win.

17.08.21 Wheelers Ingham 10  22.06

- a bit slower than the previous week and averaged 281W. Good form, slower conditions, less rocking and the win on the night.

10.08.21 Wheelers Ingham 10  21.55

- finally, a 21 on a single carriageway course, it's been a long time coming. Feel like there's more there, quite a bit of rocking on the return, but 282W is a decent return (of course this figure is individual to my power source ! ).

07.08.21 Lincoln Whls Charity 10  22.16

- my ride was analysed and discovered it took me 14 seconds to clip in !  Nice ride I thought apart from the clippiong in and I got to about 7.5miles before I started to blow in this one. So close to going under 22, if not for the clipping in issue ! 

03.08.21 Wheelers Ingham 2up TTT  21.53

- did this one with Scrappy and this time I led off which made for a much improved first half. In fact, to the turn it was an almost perfect two up ride, then on the return out of the roundabout I blew - which is unsurprising given we are less than 10 days out from Outlaw.  Winners on the night on scratch, however, once the dark art of club handicaps had been applied we were well down the order ! 

18.07.21 VTTA London F11/10 (t) 23.19

- a trike outing on the F11/10, this one was early morning, light traffic and was probably my most competent outing on a barrow on this course. It returned my slowest time but that would have been down to temperature and lack of traffic to be fair.

07.07.21 CC Breckland 15 (tan)  34.31

- midweek trip down to ride the B course and it was a late change of course due to roadworks. Instead of climbing up to the Snetterton turn, it started the over side and went towards Thetford and back. Nice course, recently resurfaced, never felt truly quick and on top of that we had police briefly close the roundabout to collect debris. We pushed on, and actually picked up a comp record for our trouble.

16.06.21 CC Breckland 10 (t)   23.10

- mid week again on the B course - an absolutely hang on for dear life over the kerr-clunk, devil may care attitude, hoping not to catch a flat, and it was again a decent ride - did we get the record ? did we bugger !!

05.06.21 Bolsover CC 2up TTT   21.23

- a 2 up with Scrappy and he's bat shit crazy straight from the off with no watt limiter !  It was a case of pumping out insane watts at the start just to keep on his wheel, and I did take some turns on the way to the roundabout, but on the way back I had detonated more than a couple of times and 21.23 was the reward for absolutely turning myself inside out. Scraps loves 2ups, I'm not so sure lol.