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Sunday 16th June 2013
The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling, way down in the valley tonight.
I'd say good morning, but it isn't.
Good luck to all racers today, and bon chance to anyone trying to squueze in a long run before the wild weather arrives on the South coast and Ireland. Oops, too late.
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Morning.
Blisters should be about ready to go into the water - looking forward to hearing all about it.
Anyone else racing today?
What: Olympic Triathlon
Why: entry deferred from last year
Last hard: needing an easy week
Last rest: 27/4
Lyrics - yes.
Morning
Blisters All the best
LMH Good luck
Same to anyone racing
What: Cycle to/from work/20 min run tonight if I can summon the energy
Why: Its Sunday - all day
Last Hard: yesterday
Lyrics Nope - too early
All the best to Blisters and LMH. Go people.
We know that Blisters will go like his word selection.
Off for a long run before the rain
What: just heading off for Hoy ferry ...
Morning!
Enjoy Hoy, OH, and go, tri-ers. Look forward to the reports.
Lyrics: indeed
What: 15 mins later this morning
Why: back off day
Pammie: I must turn up at a parkrun in the next few weeks, too. It won't be pretty but it will set some sort of benchmark.
Sorry, forgot to report on the weather: "Hot town, summer in the city", it is not, but yesterday's lyrics were "Summer in the City", The Lovin'Spoonful.
And Happy Father's Day where relevant.
13 miles d&d before the rain. Hope LMH and Blisters striving for success
Tried to look up Blisters on that website, but can't get to a results section...
What: rest day
Why: too much cleaning to do!
Last hard: trying to work out how to buy shoes on the German running shop website
Lyrics: nope
Just bought a new pair of Mizano wave inspires...after reading some reports, I've heard they are a good shoe for those who run in ASics GT2000 and I want two pairs of shoes so I can rotate them between runs. Will have to see how I get on. Having worn Asics for the past 9 years, I think it's time to try branching out.
Hotels for 3 countries marathon booked. Now just have to sign up for the marathon!
Hope OH, Blisters and LMH getting on ok.
Have a good one.
I did Paddy - I did!
Big Sow Olympic Triathlon
The day dawned brighter and warmer than forecast which was nice but quite windy - which wasn't quite so nice. An uneventful registration and racking where I realised that it had been over a year since I'd raced anything other than a single sprint tri. Into my wetsuit - which was beginning to show signs of perishing - not that it's been used much but it is about four years old.
Swim - first time in OW in a year other than a swim whilst in Orkney during which I had an asthma attack. No idea whether the new asthma meds would prevent that but pretty confident of finishing the swim here even if it meant a bit of back or breast stroke to recover. In the event neither was necessary, once I'd warmed up and got over the shock, and cooled down again waiting for the start, breathing was fine so I set off in the pack as usual. First lap was uneventful other than a tired feeling patch - often a sign that the asthma is playing up and I haven't noticed but I just kept breathing ever two strokes, focussed on keeping my stroke nice and long and strong and moving forward - which came to be the theme of the day really. By the second lap of the swim I was feeling stronger, breathing ever three strokes and getting fed up of Mr breastroke every few strokes because I can't sight and Mr veer violently towards the next buoy when I finally realise I'm swimming in the wrong direction. Fortunately both seemed more worried about water based fisticuffs than I was and I was eventually able to swim away from them. Emerged from the swim (only 1500m remember) in a slightly disappointing 36.17.
Run into T1, sit down, wetsuit off, socks and bike shoes on, buff on, helmet on, sunglasses on and run with bike to the mount line. T2 1.58.
Off on the two lap bike course, up the drive of the water park (which is a little lumpy and has speed humps) then hit the road at about the same time as two other women and a man - can't have that can we and at least I know I'm not the last of the ten women entered - so off I go by them and up the road, expecting at least one of them to come back at some point but determined to do my best to prevent it. Played tag with a guy in a multi coloured bike top for most of the first lap which was quite frustrating, he would go by but without the benefit of the draft he wasn't faster than me so I'd have to re-pass him. Mark caught me after about four miles and had my draftee as a passenger, shortly thereafter I passed Mark and he sat between me and Mr draftee and dropped back a little whilst he refuelled before coming past and disappearing into the difference. It took a few miles but then Mr draftee was back on my wheel and we swapped places a couple more times before I was able to pull away decisively. About tow thirds of the way round the second lap I caught and passed another woman - so now I knew there were at least three behind me. Played tag with a couple of guys on the bike - one with an aero bike, helmet, calf guards etc - I was tempted to ask him if he was a carp swimmer or had had a mechanical but thought he might not have my sense of humour. Me and these two guys entered the water park and T2 together and Mr aero was kind enough to compliment me on my ride. 26 miles ridden 1.25.53 - an average of 18.1mph which considering the wind I'm happy enough with.
Faffed T2 by getting the tongue caught as I put one of my trainers on so had to take it off and restart. 48 seconds.
Out on to the four lap run course - on grass round the water park. As I set off the announcer says 'and there's one of our ladies heading out on the run course, first lady'. First lady? Me? Oh bugger, I've never been first lady before. Never mind, all I can do is run as fast as I can for as long as I can. The laps made it easy to see where other people
Has anyone checked how Blisters is going?
Have just had a look on the link but there doesn't seem to be any tracking, we'll have to wait for the report
LMH - kill the suspense. What happened in the end???? Sounds like a successful day out!
Come on First Lady.........
I'm not going to interrupt you when you're in full flow.
Hurry up, I'm waiting.
So sorry - I didn't realise that RW had cropped it!
(as I was saying) are around the course in relation to you but you can't see which lap they're actually on as we were just given little hair toggles to put round the wrist at the end of each lap. On the first lap I see the lady I'd overtaken (in blue) near the end of the bike course - definitely on the same lap. I just tell myself to hunt the boys down (Ken, my ex swim coach and Mark) but it takes me until lap three to catch Ken. Each time I go past the commentary position they confirm that I'm still first lady and I can see that I'm pulling away from the lady in blue but there's another lady who seems to be running strongly and I don't know which lap I'm on. It feels quite strange knowing that I'm the target. By the time I'm on lap four I realise that as usual Mark is going to beat me (anything under a HIM he usually does) and that as long as I keep moving forward I should hold my position. Run time (Garmin made it 6 miles rather than 10k) 48.23.
So - first lady in 2.53.22 - much to my surprise.
Your turn Blisters.
Fantastic result LMH, very strong.
Cotswold 113, Half Ironman distance triathlon. The course is flatter than my ironing, even the lake.
As previously mentioned, I was not impressed by the way that Triathlons start in the middle of the night. 630 of us are standing around and I’m feeling like a beginner, trying to remember what I’ve forgotten. No target time, just enjoy the day. I requested to be placed in an appropriate wave of swimmers, so that’s wave 4 of 4. More time for loo breaks. Not easy in a wetsuit.
OK, at 0630 we are now in the lake and I’ve done a few strokes of swimming. Others call it a warm up, but I’m just trying to settle my goggles and fix the leaks. And they’re off. Not too much bumping and barging. Some, obviously, but no head kicking. After a few hundred metres I am presumably with the remnants and dregs, all of similar pace and diabolical directional ability. I did manage to get a bit of drafting, but then ended up tapping his toes. Hmm, I’ve not got the ability to overtake. The swim was over quite soon in reality, and the final 100m I tried to over-kick the stroke just to get some life into my feet. Looking back I can see barely 12 people behind me in the water. That’s better than predicted. Close to plumb last, but not quite.
Wow, well done LMH
Out to T1, and all the mental planning and preparation went tits up. I knew that I had to dry off a bit, to avoid getting cold on the bike. The shirt wouldn’t pull on. The socks had a fight. I was putting stuff on and then taking it off again! My T1 time tells the story. I say that I had a tea break.
Bike time. I am passing people. Lots of people. With a good speed margin, too. Am I really doing more than 20mph? Lots of Yaarrrrrrr to anyone and everyone, especially the List Fairy on the drinks station. After 15 miles I am shocked, my speed had dropped and one bloke on a Bianchi passed me. Obviously I wake up and re-pass him, but he does me and gradually moves ahead. 25 miles in, and finally my fingers have come to life: a bit purple still, but progress. Feet still like ice blocks. The little Hannington Hill is worthy of a Pooh style song, so I sing it one. Interestingly it has grown steeper the second time around. Another piece of road and a carbon disk set up whistles past. Uh? Does not compute. None of those Grandad swamp monsters would be on one of those. Then it twigs. They are on a different race, a 100 mile time trial using some of the same roads. Must not make a nav error. Eventually I’m in the last mile or so, and a second carbon bike passes me, but I pass him on the run down to the timing mat. I must have passed 100 riders or more, and only lost one place. Apparently my average speed was 18.5mph.
Transition 2. Find my gap. Not as easy as finding my bike the first time. Remove a layer and swap shoes. Socks will do. T2 time not up to proper triathlete standards, but OK.
Run. 3 laps of the park and local roads. Amazingly I’m straight into running. No jelly legs. I thought I’d cooked them on the bike. The back however, is not in good form. After a couple of miles I stop and curl tight, and this seems to help. The first lap is bouncy and chirpy, and I’m still passing loads. The second lap is still bouncy and chirpy up to a point. That’s the point that wheels started to fall off the wagon. Gels, fluids, you name it, I tried it. JFDI. Tick off the miles. Lap 3, the same 4+ miles. Boy there were long. Being overtaken now. Wishing the miles away. Feet heavy and sore. Mental plans to speed up in the final 3 miles are revised. Revised plan to speed up in the final mile is revised. Even the 400m plan. I manage a 100m push for the line with much YAAAAARRRRRing.
Instantly I’m given my timing splits. It looks like I blistered the tarmac.
Full results are here (race number 365) http://www.dbmax.co.uk/assets/results/1389/original/113.html?1371390419
swim- 42:28 (I was expecting 50 mins) swim ranking 528/630
T1- 6:09 (told you)
bike- 2:48:43 ranking 388/630
T2- 2:48
run- 1:48:14 run ranking 211/630 (I'm better than that).
Well done Blisters - how do you feel now?
Well done Blisters
Well done first lady LM.H
Well done Blisters
In from Hoy. Very warm day for us (but not as bad as 25C last week).
My son won won race in 1h12:55 !
My time was a tad slower at 2h03 (but managed to pick up 3rd in age group)
(Also got medal for first team, but not one of qualifying 3 runners and one was my son ...).
A little disappointed not to get in under 2h but not surprising after last week.
Out for family meal now (3 of offspring home)
Great father's day present from the son, OH! And great reports from the tri-ers...and great result too, LMH. Blisters: I suspect you learned a lot...and yes, you are better than your run suggests
Fantastic result Other Half and Other Eighth (unless it's Other Tenth). I was trying to check out the distance of the event, but failed through lack of effort. Major league congratulations to the rightfully deserved occupant of the top step of the podium. Proud Parent, and a slap up meal most definitely the order of the day.
LMH asked how my legs were? Not damaged. A bit tight in the quads, BUT...in line with Club protocol I went for the regular Sunday evening swim training session, because I need it. Legs feel much better now. Or is that the beer making its way through to the parts it needs to reach?
Probably both Blisters - glad you're recovering well.
Excellent family results OH. Hope you've had a lovely evening out.
LmH – great report and a brilliant result, nice work!
Blisters – that’s another great report and good work on toughing it out. It looks like your ranking gets better the more events you do…decathlon next week then??? Well done though, but just one question, surely the loo breaks are easiest in a wet suit?
Nice long run Paddy, and good stuff too OH (& son!)
Emz – let me know how the Mizunos work out: been using asics 2000s for years, but I’m more “if it ain’t broke…” oh, and only two pairs to rotate? Surely you need at least 4 or 5..?
what - 8.75m easy on the lanes
why - recovery , get some sunshine etc.
last rest - friday
last hard - yesterday
Evening
Blisters and LMH well done to the pair of you in your different races my legs hurt just reading about it
Winning is always good LMH
Alehouse do the parkrun I took the Daniels approach he's said that people put on racing till they're fitter "I can't do a race now - too unfit" He says race when unfit so that you can easily improve on it next time Somehow this mad crazy approach suits my masochistic mind
OH well done on the prizes sorry not sub 2 but still a good result
What: 2.01/3.14 mile cycle/1.89 mile run (20:39)
Why: Working so fitting in lots of little things
Last Hard: The run after effects being on feet all day
Lyrics No
Meant to say I had hoped my 15 mins easy would that at least. 13 mins on quite tender legs. And thanks for the parkrun message, Pammie!