Signs of Spring

Beautiful day, lovely run home.

Usual route, lots of little babies, baby ducks, baby geese and a coot riding a goose...

Long Run Home

A little bit different from the last long run home, three weeks ago, when it rained, and was cold, and I got lost, and it got dark, and there were dragons, and it was scary... (ok I made the bit about dragons up).

Dorset Days

So the plan was to head down to Dorset over the Easter Bank Holiday, visit the parents, visit the grandparents, get some runs in, get a swim in and get a ton of bike mileage in. 5 birds, 1 stone!

It all started of a bit poorly, late out of London, late to Mel's parents, stuck in traffic all the way to Dorchester. We did however manage to pick up a chocolate egg and two chocolate bunnies at Mel's parents, so, score on the feeding front.

It was a bit rainy when we got to Dorchester but all in all, didn't look too bad, Dave suggested a route for us out to the grandparents and we headed up to visit them. Simnel cake and tea with them took a half hour or so (score 2 on the food front) and then Dave joined us and we headed up and out.

The route back involved a rather steep and sustained climb (yay!). Followed by an utterly terrifying descent round blind bends over pot holed roads where Dave really showed us what proper bike handling skills look like as he disappeared with “watch out for pot holes on the way down” over his shoulder at what seemed like 100km/h.

We returned to my parents to discover 2 more chocolate eggs (score 3 for food!), lemon drizzle cake (my favourite!) and coffee.

Saturday was a washout, rain, rain, rain, and we're not hard enough to go running and cycling in the rain for fun so we bailed and did yoga and swimming instead. The local pool was like swimming in a bath, the sign on the front desk said training pool – 24 C, and I can believe it.

Sunday was beautiful, a few puffy clouds, a brisk wind and pretty villages. Dave showed us the way down to Upwey through back roads and then we headed down to Weymouth to visit my other grandma. A half dozen chocolate biscuits later we were back on the road, climbing the sharp route out of Sutton Poyntz. The hill was seriously steep, as in, very nearly forced me off my bike steep but relatively short and pretty views at the top made up for it. A wiggly windy route back took us up to Tincleton, into Piddlevalley to Puddletown (formerly Piddletown – yes really! I love Dorset names.)

Altitude Training

Or a skiing holiday.



But we did get some training in. Day 3 was about 30km of cross country trails with about 500m of climbing - surprisingly hard work.






Day 6 was an 8000m day of down hill, which included going through the Tunnel no less than 3 times, my quads can still feel the moguls 2 days later!





We did tend to end the day very well though. This might be a better post "work out" treat than the cinny rolls.

What's this?

Cinnamon rolls!

The perfect post-run snack!

Perfect Day, Perfect Month

So today was perfect, everyone got a PB in today's 5k. It was a wee bit drizzly looking so I was quite surprised to see YB and JW show up given their usual reluctance to endure anything other than perfect weather.

JC showed up, but then she's hard core. The surprising thing was that a) – she had had plenty of sleep the night before AND b) wasn't knackered from some ridiculously long run the week before.

So all in all it looked pretty good.

I was intending to run a negative split, but everyone went out so fast that I couldn't find anyone to pace off and what I thought was a moderate pace actually turned out to be a 9.50ish first half split.

Of course, when I saw that I thought, hmm.. PB? Sub 20? It turned out not to be sub 20 but I was pretty happy with 20.13. Even more so that my times this month have gone 21:00, 20:45, 20:38 and then 20:13 so a PB every week!

But, to top a perfect month, JC pulled out a massive PB, YB came across the line next with a new PB, then JW punched in a new PB and so too did Mel with 26.40. A perfect record for my Parkrunners! :-)

And now, to top it all of Mel is making cinnyrolls (inspired by this post: ).

Dorney Lake Duathlon Series Race 2 21 February 2010

So, race 2 of the series. The last race was HARD. Duathlons hurt, there's no two ways about it.

It didn't help when we woke up, looked out the window and saw the rain. The temptation to roll over and go back to bed was almost too much to resist but we'd talked JC into her first multisport race so out into the rain we ventured.

So we picked up JC and drove up in convoy to lovely sunny Dorney Lake.

It didn't seem too rainy when we got there, and unlike last time we got there with plenty of time to spare, register, go to the loo, put the bikes together, go to the loo, rack the bikes, go to the loo, show JC how transition works, go to the loo and get ourselves sorted out.

And then the rain started to really come down. So in between going to the loo the rain jackets went on.

It was pretty cold when we started and did I mention that it was raining? No? Well it was. It was the same course as last time, and I still think that the track was harder than ordinary tarmac. I'd love to describe it as a rolling romp through beautiful countryside, but its pan flat for miles around, it was cold, grey and drizzly. I was running with a grin on my face.

Eventually I rolled into T1 and with all the rain coming down I thought “well, ok, its raining, I'll take my time, keep my feet dry and get out on the bike”. Somehow I managed to take 1:18 to change my shoes and put my helmet on, I think I could have had a coffee and a sandwich too!

Of course all that time carefully keeping my feet dry did no good. 30 seconds into the ride my feet were soaked. In fact I had so much water in my shoes that I thought if I got the cadence right I could set up a feedback loop that would make the whole thing a lot easier – it didn't work, but thinking about it did make it all a bit more fun.

I had my pretty new aerobars on Jezebel so we were enjoying it all the same. It's a bit difficult getting the balance right so there was a few wobbles, and I forgot to set my speedo so I had to count laps. Counting isn't my strong suit so I was a bit uncertain coming into the last loop if it was my last one or if I'd already done 6. When in doubt do the extra loop. I passed Mel and she was on her penultimate loop so I'd done it right.

Pulling into T2 my feet were numb, my hands were numb, and the rain was still pounding down. Apparently it was so cold the lake had ice all over it.

I've discovered that numb feet don't like running. I would have thought that numb feed wouldn't feel the road, but they do, and they hurt. I couldn't decide if there was something wrong with my socks, shoes, the road or with my feet. Eventually I got passed by someone after trying to sort it all out so I decided it was time to HTFU and just get on with it. It was a good decision, by half way my feet started to sort themselves out and I finished the race in a time of 1:18:56 – which would be a PB, except I'm pretty sure they shortened the run course, even on the flat there's no way I can run a 19 minute 5k!

A Huge New PB

6 Feb 2010 – Park Run

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/finsbury/Results/WeeklyResults.aspx

Great run today, JC from my old work showed up and JW from work showed up but YB was being a wus and stayed in bed. The weather was perfect, just a little moisture in the air, cool but not freezing. I had my timer with me for the second time so I could see how I was going and what I was doing, it worked out great.

I felt a little tired warming up but when they shouted go I felt great. I shot off, keeping up with Headband Harrier Dave until the end of the first straight, by which point I was thinking “hm, something is wrong here, I can’t keep up with you” so I eased off a bit down the hill and let him get away.

The first loop up death hill was tough as usual, but nobody had passed me by the start of the second loop and with 9.45 on the clock as I passed the start line for the second loop I knew I was in OK shape if I kept it going so I just let the legs roll. 3 guys caught me at the bottom of the hill and I clung to their tails till the end of the straight and then let them extend out down the hill. I kicked hard up death hill and looking at my watch saw 19.50 roll past as I got to the top. I figured I could get home in under a minute if I really gunned it but ultimately stopped the clock at 21.00 which crushed old me by (50 secs). HURRAH!

Mission for next week – sub 21.

Course map:

http://gb.mapometer.com/en/view/route_392511.html

Dorney Lake Duathlon 24 January 2010

London 5:15am

It was that time in the morning. Even J the cat didn't want to get up and she is always the first one up, usually selectively knocking things off the bedside table until we get up and feed her, but we had a race to do. 20 minutes later, dressed, coffeed and with some toast in the tummy the world still didn't look much better. The J had her food and went back to bed while we checked everything we put together the night before, grabbed the bikes and went to get the car. My stomach hadn't started churning yet.

Our first race of the year was Race 1 of the Dorney Lake Winter Duathlon Series. It is a 5km run followed by a 20km cycle then another 5km run. The course is supposed to be nice and flat but looking at last year’s finishing times we were going to have to go fast!

Dorney 7.45 am

We drove down a random track ending in a sign saying “no entry to dorney lake”…hmmm. Next time print off the directions!

This was not helping. I don't know why but I always get nervous before any race. Even our weekly 5ks in the park sometimes have this effect. By now I was feeling slightly sick.

So, thank you Apple/GoogleMaps – next time we won’t be following your directions...

Finally – Dorney Lake 8:15 am

Parking in a muddy field is de-rigueur for all triathlons it seems, and this one was no different. We put our bikes together (thank goodness for quick release skewers – but that's another post) and headed over to the little group of tents looking a little bit out of place with their bright colours on such a grey day.

While I stood in line to get our numbers and registration and timing chips all sorted out Mel got the first chance to head to the loo. It was 8.30. The line wasn't too long so it was only about 10 minutes until I'd got all the numbers and chips collected I looked around for Mel. Where had she gone? 20 minutes to race start is not a good time to disappear!

I moved our bikes and stuff to the transition area and racked them. I was still wondering “Where is Mel, I hope the loos aren't miles away, I really need to go too now....” when she showed up. The loos were 10 meters away and she'd been standing there in the queue the whole time. Doh!

9:00 start delayed by 5 mins due to toilet queues.

It was cold, very cold. As my dad would say – cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey. So we cuddled together to keep warm while they went through the pre-race briefing. Looking around I was starting to wonder if wearing shorts was a mistake. There weren't many people in shorts.

Start – 9:05 am

We both started towards the back of the pack, looking at last years times I was expecting to be towards the middle back and Mel was hoping not to fall off the back on the first run, but actually we all started fairly slowly and it took about 200m to spread out.

Eventually I hit my stride. The ground felt very hard (funny that – tarmac feeling hard) and my feet felt slightly numb from the cold, but actually I wasn't feeling as bad as I thought I would so I gradually start to pick people off in front of me.

It was a two lap route, out and back, out and back, and by the second loop it had all settled down. I spotted Mel as we ran past each other and we gave each other a little wave, she was looking good, like she was comfortably holding on.

As I made the second turn with 1.25km to go I was starting to flag a little bit I hadn't been able to catch the guy in front of me with the dark blue tri-suit, fortunately, about then a guy in a Cambridge top (I’m just gonna call him the Tab) came past running a very negative split (he was flying, must have been up near 14.5-15km/h and way faster than everyone else nearby) so I latched onto his tails and in no time I'm almost on Mr Dark Blue’s tri suit tails when the Tab escaped me, but by then we were almost into T1 so it was all good.

9:27- Russ finishes his first run

I was pretty quick through T1, stupidly I'd put my energy gel in my coat pocket so I lost a few seconds fishing it out and gulping down the sticky slug. My glasses fogged up, but I was out on the bike in pretty reasonable time compared to my usual coffee break transitions.

Mr DB was getting out of T1 too, and the Tab had obviously had a shocker getting going because I passed him before we got to the bike course. He passed me on the first down wind bit but I was in a fighting mood so I got him back.

We got to the end of the first straight section and rounded the corner at the far end and then wham,... the half a km an hour wind hit me. I know what you’re thinking, half a km?! It isn't much but I just felt like I stopped, I was going backwards faster than I cared to admit, the Tab disappeared and Mr DB whipped past me on his aerobars.

9:33 – Mel finishes her first run, t1 and out onto bike

So going “into the wind” was a slog, fortunately the course wasn’t that big of a loop, (6 loops of about 3km) so even though everyone else was going past me on that bit, I hit the corners hard and on the next downwind bit I caught and passed Mr DB. Only for him to pass me on the next upwind bit….. and so we went on until the 3rd lap when I just didn’t have the gas to get past him on the upwind bit.

There isn't much else to say about the bike, there was so many people on the course that there was always someone to be chasing down, and yes, I got passed a half a dozen times by people on flash carbon time trial machines, but fortunately nobody on a shopping bike managed to get past (again, that’s another story).

I didn't spot Mel until lap 5, which was a bit worrying, mainly because I didn’t want to hear “Guess whooo?!” and then watch her disappear into the distance as she blitzed past me.

Apparently, she noticed me every lap, which just goes to show who was paying more attention… (I’m claiming I was in the zone).

Eventually the 6^th lap rolled around, Mr DB was still in my sights, a peleton flew past me on the last turn in tight formation (no it wasn’t a drafting race but there you go…) which annoyed me enough to spur me on a bit into the final transition.

10:05 – Russ finishes his bike

I was fast in T2, so fast I forgot to take my helmet and glasses off. Fortunately a marshal shouted at me and I ran back and dropped my helmet before heading out onto the second run.

I did forget to take my glasses off, which Mel is still laughing at me for.

As I hit the run a little 5’ nothing girl shot past me in a pink top (which made for nice pictures) and disappeared into the distance. Then another guy passed me and asked how my legs were feeling. That was what I needed, I picked my cadence up and settled into my run. I was just wondering where Mr DB had gone when I spotted him about 200m ahead of me.

10:13 – Mel finishes her bike

The second lap, being on the same course was much like the first. Mr DB cramped up at the turn so I finally hauled him in and then it was just a case of working the distance down. I passed Mel on the second lap and finally crossed the line in 1 hour 26 minutes, which felt a whole lot better than the last duathlon down in the New Forest.

10:29 – Russ finishes

10:47 – Mel finishes

London's Cycle Lanes

Mountain bike required.

Jurassic Beast

A new sportive series from one of our favourite shops! I think we are going to do the Jurassic Beast on 2 May. Cycling 101 miles can't be too hard can it? Maybe we can stop for a pub lunch half way round, although that wouldn't be very realistic preparation for a triathlon bike stage.

Hopefully Dave will join us.