PSOF Championships 2013 - Challenge Henley

1555658606181

Comments

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭

    Yes, actually I should confess mine is single rather than fixed.  The thing I notice is that it's damned heavy.  I have the copper coloured one (Copper 2.0).

  • I've got an On-one Pompino which I don't use often. That's got a flipflop hub. It's never been flipped yet though!

  • Guess they will be heavy - steal frame and all! Maybe I'll take the brakes off then, just to keep the weight down image But should be a good training bike though - will be perfect for cycling over to the lake!

  • Dude that looks awesome.... Too nice too go too the pub on!

  • I don't get it. My bike's lighter AND has modern stuff like brakes and gears.

  • Brakes are SOOOO last year image

  • Marlow HIM Race Report

    Pre-Race

    Got to Marlow in good time saturday afternoon and registered then texted ChallengeCheggars who’d been around for a while so meet up with him (any family Cheggars) and chatted in the lovely sun until the briefing. Checked out the swim entry exit and the transition areas more nervous than I had been for the shorter tris in the last couple of months. Off to Brother in laws for tea and early night. 4:00am start, what is that all about? Bagels honey and coffee breakfast and into the car for 15min drive back to Marlow. Racking was first come first serve which was fine as I was early and got on the end, then when I went back with last couple of bits and car key, I find extra bikes wedged in on either side, cosy!

    Swim 1900m

    Started away from the bank so there was plenty of room got in to clear water straight away and it stayed that way the whole time. Did have a couple of knock but usually due to my zigzagging. Didn’t really manages to draft, water was a little to murky to see peoples feet well enough. Felt easy most of the way and about ¼ of the way managed to settle into bilateral breathing. Didn’t know my time til the end of the race but 42:06 was about what i was hoping for. Into T1 (3:11) brisk stroll rather than run, wet suit off without cramp for once. Unracked the bike and long run over the grass to the mount point losing 1 of my 2 bottle on the saddle cages.

     

    Bike (only) 86km

    Lost my second bottle on the speed ramps in the first 1/2mile so only left with aerobar bottle, this meant I had to use their bottle drop/pickup which was just water so now my 5 gels didn’t look like enough nutrition. Settled into the pace after about 2 miles having gunned the first bit to get past quite a few people. Must have been 7-10 people fixing tyres in the first 5 miles (burst due to rising temp?). Over took Cheggars half way into first lap and the saw him just after each turn round on each lap. Kept to heart rate low Z2 and let that guide my pace which was about 3:10min a mile which would be 3:00 for 90km (I’d forgotten it was only 86km). Started to worry about running out of drink as I got to the end of the first lap but managed to pick one up at the feed station and settle back into steady pace for lap 2. Not the greatest road surfaces but good to practise Henley up to Nettlebed a couple of times. Again running low on water by the end of lap 2 but managed another pick up. I was planning on being self sufficient but glad I had to practise feed station pickups before Henley. 3rd lap was hard to maintain my concentration and keep my heart rate up as my legs started to complain. Was very pleased to have maintained the pace on the bike and felt strong even at the end. Finished in 2:51. T2 (3:40) given slap on of sun cream, shoe, hat and 3 gels into my tri top pocket and off to the run.

    Run

    Got out of transition and realised I’d left my Garmin on the bike, had my other stop watch on but no gps/pace so would have to run by feel and given the conditions this was no bad thing, it was now hot! I decided to walk the feed station after 200m do a gel and grab some water to drink and over head. I just settled into a pace that felt right from training it felt like 8ish min mile. I wasn’t sure whether to walk run but when i got to about 10 mins in there was a little hill so the timing seemed perfect, little walk and off again. Followed the same pattern for all four laps but did 2 small walks at about half way for 2 small hills and the feed station near the start. Felt good all the way and splits of 22:32, 23:09, 24:17 and 24:20 shows I didn’t fade to badly.

  • Great Pirate support around the finish area on all of the laps and the organiser on the mic was getting the crowd involved, and there were only 2 of us there in pirate colours.

    Finish time 5:14:41 very pleased, plenty of lessons learnt ready for Henley. Long and rambling report as usual.

  • Raf - Nice bike. Ideal number of bikes = n+1, what is n now?

  • Well done Scuba. That's some good pace. I reckon you're in for a stormer @ CH image

  • Got 15 miles of savagely hilly running in the 30 degree sunshine.

    That has got to be better than the freezing rain.

  • Blisters - Nice running

    Whiz - hows the calf?

    Raf - Recovered enough from Outlaw to start training again? Are you ready for TR 24 next weekend? I'm not going to get there until Saturday morning but once the tent is up and had a cupped I will come and find the Pirate camp.image

    5hr 80mile on the bike today with 5mile brick. Seem to have recovered more quickly from weekends HIM than the Oly the other month.

  • Blisters I have this image in my head of a angry sweaty bald(ish!) dude running like a psycho up hills... Brings a smile too my face!

  • St - calf is much better, just getting back too running fitness, which I'm finding very hard in the heat! But I am back too running reasonable distances albeit slowly!

    i also would like too state I hate the fact you can do a 80 mile bike ride in the week... I only managed 45 today! image but great work!

  • Scuba - I'll have you know I managed to train whilst I was at Outlaw - did a few run laps of the lake (just to get rid of the hangover image) - dam boring run course!!

    Aiming for a 60 mile bike tomorrow afternoon - should be fun in this heat - but def better than training in the snow!!

  • WhizKid wrote (see)

    Blisters I have this image in my head of a angry sweaty bald(ish!) dude running like a psycho up hills... Brings a smile too my face!

    You have met Blisters, haven't you Whiz?!!image

  • Hi all - glad everyone seems to be going well.

    I recovered well from the weekend too. About 150 miles of cycling cycling this week, bit of running (more tomorrow) and a 4km swim (inside!) today. Wish I'd been swimming outside though.

    Loving this weather - long may it continue, or at least until next Wednesday when I go to France for a couple of weeks!

  • WhizKid wrote (see)

    Blisters I have this image in my head of an angry sweaty bald(ish!) dude running like a psycho up hills... Brings a smile to my face!

     

    Yup, that's me.

  • Just got a letter from british triathlon apparently I podiumed at the British champs! Gutted I wasent there for the podium shot! Anyway I got my engraved British triathlon medal in the post image! Was third not 5th 

  • Congrats Jamie!! But be careful, - you might have to give you Pirate kit back - we're not use to people winning!!! image

  • Nice one Jamie! Well done, you deserve it. image

  • Congratulations to the third Brownlee Brother.

  • Well done Jamie, top result

  • Hi all, lost track of this thread a bit. Started new job so can't get on the internet so much lol. 

    Some good racing going on - well done to Marlowites and to champ Jamie. image

    Fraggle - sorry to hear about your back. 

    I've been looking at new bikes. image It started off looking at a new cheap commuter but its somehow grown to test riding a Giant Avail week and maybe a Cyfac the week after. The Cyfac will be way out of my price range but I could just about run to the Avail. Carbon,  Not sure whether to go for the higher grade carbon with 105s, or the lower grade frame with ultegra though.  I'm thinking the better frame then upgrade to ultegra later if I want to. Its about £100 more which will take me to my max budget of £2,000.  They don't do the option of advanced carbon with ultegra, it goes straight up to dura ace at silly money. Not sure I've got all that techy speak quite right but  Dustboy knows what I'm talking about and is helping me out. 

    Then my current Specialized Dolce will become my commuter bike. Fun. image

  • Thanks all for the congrats been shoving my medal in various friends and family members faces for the last 2 days haha! 

    Soupy! - long time no see I see everything is going well for you which is great! In regards too bike, it's really odd that they don't allow the better carbon frame with ultegra, sounds a bit stupid too me.... However on choice and as the resident cycling geek I would suggest the better frame with 105, now then my reasons are this, ultegra is mainly weight saving on 105 the smoother shifter is neglible.... And as for dura ace unless like me where you enjoy being skint as you have spent your life savings on a insane bike don't even go there! The best way too upgrade your bike would in the future upgrade the wheel set and not the group set, as the weight saving and speed difference will be sod all compared too aero goodness off a set of zipp404's/808's which will be much cheaper then buying a full ultegra group set anyway....

    off topic - current progress check, 

    swim - same old same old no massive speed increase or decrease

    bike - speed and power seems to be increasing and I seem too be going from strength too strength!

    run - now this is a something that's really getting on my nerves... I know I've been injured, but its like someone has placed a wall in front of me and I can't get through it, I'm feeling heavy and slow, and I know for a fact it's not fitness.... I don't know could be the heat or something or a loss of confidence because I don't feel like I can push... Hopefully shall improve soon

  • Soupy - what Jamie said!!

    Did a lap of the course this morning as part of a longer ride. Seems to be a lot more people out recce-ing the course. I came across the official Challenge Henley groups out riding around - all of whom paid the princely sum of 90 quid for the privilege! If I known, I would have taken them round for half that image

    It looks like the road down to the first turn around from the war memorial turn is closed for 'road repairs' in August, so hopefully that will be nice smooth black stuff by race day!!

  • Thanks for the advice Whizz and Raf. Thats what I'll do. 

    My bike training is picking up now. I've got a longer commute to work and there is a shower there so I can go the long way round in a morning. Then I do a few laps of Richmond Park with a mate (and/or Dusty) after work on Fridays cos I work about 4 miles away. Did a good 38 miler the other day, okay not much compared to what I should be doing for a full IM but if I do a few 50s at the weekends too I should be good for the half. Swimming doing okay but having trouble fitting the running in with full time work and hot weather. It might be a 13 mile long walk.

    £90 for a guided bike ride!  More fool those that paid. 

  • Vachery Middle for me at the weekend. Managed to PB the swim, and had a good bike split (2:30) but my weakness at distance running again surfaced as I managed the 20k in 2:09. Started well with a 4:1 run/walk but the second lap was painful and there were a few extended walk breaks. In fairness though, it was bloomin hot!

    I need some decent runs in over August to be ready for CH! Even then it's going to be a tough day at the office. image

  • That's a good bike time badger - is that full HIM distance? And was the run time anything to do with over-cooking it on the bike?

    Well today has mostly been about building the Fixie what arrived in a box this morning - yeh, new toys!! I must confess the matt black finish, with no decals does look cool image

  • Nah - I wish! It was pretty short - 46ish miles I think - but two times up Leith Hill. Still, my bike time was 7th fastest (AG) out of 41. My run time was 35th!

    I maybe over biked a little, though I felt OK-ish off the bike. I most certainly can't afford to get carried away at CH.

    I'm not sure what to do about my run - should I just run more often but short, or should I get some long run/walks in? I will be using run/walk on the day. I don't have a lot of time now so need to concentrate on bang for buck! 

    Enjoy your bike, fixie hipster! image

     

Sign In or Register to comment.