Worcester Parkrun 29.12.12

Saturday morning saw 3 Flitwick Tri’ers (i.e. the Jones family) attempt the Worcester Parkrun.

It had been raining all night, it was raining when we started and it became torrential as we were running!

I lost one shoe in the opening field and had to run back to rescue it, Fiona loved splashing through the many LARGE puddles in the woodland area and Sian nearly sank out of sight....but we all managed to finish. Not PB’s for 5k but PB’s at Worcester. Thanks to Sian’s brother Harvey for inviting us??

Times were:

Pete JONES           26:44

Fiona JONES         32:31

Sian JONES           43:26

Fun but very slippery and quite an endurance test for Sian..... Role on the Summer, hopefully with less rain!

Pete

Bedford Parkrun 29.12.12

Les and I braved a windy and rather damp Bedford Parkrun for the last one of 2012. With MK Parkrun cancelled quite a few of the MK regulars also put in an appearance.

Times were:

Chris Wright          22.51
Les Potts               25.58

Bedford Parkrun - 22.12.12

Bedford's pre-Christmas Parkrun today was a soggy affair both in terms of the rain and the extensive puddles that dotted the course. Not that either stopped Les getting a very good new PB, it did however result in a smaller than usual turnout.

Times were:

Chris Wright          22.39

Les Potts               25.42

The Hub Christmas Ride - 16.12.12

Well today I headed over to Redbourne to The Hub a very nice little cafe/bike shop on Redbourne High Street. One of my friends had told me he was doing their "gentle" Christmas ride which was to be a gentle 40 miles round the Hertfordshire countryside.

We got there and I realised my friend Brian and his friend Rick were very strong cyclists. I also soon discovered that the route had been set by someone with a masocistic streak. We seemed to take in all the serious hills of Hertfordshire. We went over Dunstable Downs, over Ivinghoe Beacon, over the hill at Mentmore, up the legendary Tom's Hill at Ashridge (complete with hairpin) and then over the hill at Whipsnade. Just to pile on the pain on the way back to Redbourne I was doing 23 mph on the flat and getting dropped! Oh and the route was 45.5 miles. The ride profile on my Garmin Connect page looks like an ECG printout.

All in all a beautiful ride, great weather for mid-December and a very tough workout. 15.7mph average despite the hills and some very achy legs.

Chris

Correct priorities?

You have to look after the important things in life.

Parkrun MK - 15.12.12

A breezy morning greeted 5 FlitwickTri members at the Milton Keynes Parkrun this morning. The wind made PBs difficult to achieve and in my case heavy legs also didn't help.

Times were

Chris Wright          22.50
Les Potts               26.45
Fiona Jones           29.33
Pete Jones            29.33
Sian Jones            38.15

Next week is fancy dress week and people are encouraged to run as Santa or their favourite superhero.

Well done all.

Chris

Andy Reading 10K - Bicester - 09.12.12

A cool and windy Bicester welcomed 419 runners to the annual commemerative Andy Reading 10K race. Pete, Les and I braved the conditions to take part and special mention goes to Pete who knocked nearly 1 minute off his PB.

The course includes a 4K lap around an airfield and the wind made the last part of the lap into the wind challenging, for Les and I at least.

Times were:

Chris Wright        47.37
Pete Jones          49.17
Les Potts             54.55

Chris

Parkrun MK - 08.12.12

A cool but thankfully dry Milton Keynes Parkrun saw 4 FlitwickTri members in action and a new PB for Fiona.

Times were:

Les Potts          27.20
Fiona Jones      29.10
Sian Jones        38.04
Pete Jones       38.05

Well done all.

2013 events list

I thought it would be a good idea to have a list of events that our members are taking part in during 2013. I'll update the list (probably as a new post) as people let me have details of the events they are doing. This is it so far:

02.02.13          USN Dualthlon                             Eton, Berkshire

03.03.13          Silverstone Half Marathon            Silverstone, Northants

06.04.13          The Wolf Run                              Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

07.04.13          Quattro Cyclo Sportive                Northampton, Northants

14.04.13          Flitwick 10K                                Flitwick, Beds

21.04.13          Dunston Sprint Triathlon             Duston, Northants

06.05.13          Milton Keynes Marathon              Milton Keynes, Bucks

19.05.13          Hitchin Nomads Cyclo Sportive    Hitchin, Herts

27.05.13          Bupa London 10K                        London

14.06.13          Marston 5K                                 Marston Moretain, Beds

23.06.13          Corby Sprint Tri                          Corby, Northants

14.07.13          Thame Sprint Triathlon               Thame, Oxon.

21.07.13          Kimbolton Sprint Triathlon          Kimbolton, Beds

04.08.13          Ride London 100                         London & Surrey

29.09.13          Terry Wooton Sprint Triathlon     Roade, Northants

 

There are a number of other events that I know people are planning to do but for which no details/dates are currently available. These include: Milton Keynes Cylco Sportive, Whipsnade 10K, Tristar 111 Milton Keynes, Silverstone Evening Duathlon Series, Bedford Sprint Triathlon Series and the Bucks/Oxon Cyclo Sportive.

 

Please let me know if you are doing other events that I can add to the list or if you require details of any of the above to enable you to enter.

Northampton Parkrun 01.12.12

With Parkrun MK and Parkrun Bedford both cancelled three of us decided to give Northampton Parkrun a try (as did about 30 other Parkrun MK regulars). It was a bright and sunny morning but very cold with the paths icy in patches.

The course was largely flat but with 2 small inclines on each of the 2 laps. Les in particular posted a good time in his 49th Parkrun and Pete look resplendent in his 50 Parkruns t-shirt.

Times were:

Chris Wright          22.01
Pete Jones            24.10
Les Potts               25.32.

Parkrun MK - 24.11.12

A cold and misty Saturday morning in Milton Keynes saw 4 FlitwickTri members in action at the weekly parkrun.

The times were:

Pete Jones          23.48
Les Potts             26.58
Fiona Jones         29.45
Sian Jones           38.49

Well done to all of you.

New toy for Winter

With the onset of the inclement weather I decided it was time for my road bike to be rested over the winter and as a consequence to buy a bike for winter rides and training. As it turned out I picked up a real ebay bargain to land the little beauty below. Picked it up today and very happy with my purchase. Here's a picture:

Coventry 10K - 18.11.12

Along with 200 or so other “runners” I took part in the above event on a pretty chilly Sunday morning. The race was 3.5 laps around the relatively flat Coventry War Memorial Park . The only negative on the day was the large number of old folk, dog walkers, mum dads and prams that were sharing the same paths.

Prior to the event I was hopeful of a PB. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and I finished in 55m 35s some 70 seconds slower than my PB. However I did get a t-shirt and a medal for my trouble.

Les

Mo Run 10K - 18.11.12

Sunday dawned sunny but cold, but that did not put off the other runners. I as you can see put on an extra layer to keep warm. This did have an impact on my time however.

I managed another PB for the 10k in a chip time of 50m 17s in 74th place and Jason finished in a chip time of 62m 52s in 285th out of 415 runners. Two of my colleagues from work  also took part and enjoyed the run which was not entirely flat.... though very scenic.

 

 

Pete Jones

Parkrun MK 17.11.12

A damp and dismal Milton Keynes saw two FlitwickTri members taking part in this week's Parkrun. Rather impressively both runners achieved PBs despite the conditions.

Times were:

Les Potts          26.04
Sian Jones        35.48

Excellent running!!

Movember topiary

Here are a couple of shots of facial topiary grown in support of Movember. You will see that Jason has gone for the classic bandit and at Ellen's request I've gone for the goatee but with Wiggins sideburns.

Pete's now added, more goatee stylee.

Happy to post pics of your efforts if you send them over.

 

 

Winter time.

Having had to scrape the ice off my car this morning winter is clearly now upon us. Whilst many of us still have events still to do this year thoughts are also turning to next season and winter training plans.

Jason and I are hoping to do our first middle distance triathlon which brings its own challenges such as mastering open water swimming which neither of us have any experience of. In the meantime we are working hard during the Monday evening swim sessions to improve technique and endurance. We are also doing a variety of runs, duathlons, triathlons and sportives.

Please let me know your plans for next season and any winter training tips that you think would assist our other members.

Cheers

Chris

Parkrun MK - 10.11.12

On a mild but rather dismal Milton Keynes on Saturday 4 FlitwickTri members took part in Parkrun MK. All 4 posted good times and Les managed a PB.

Pete Jones          23.51
Les Potts            26.29
Fiona Jones        29.59
Sian Jones          38.56

Well done to all of you.

Milton Keynes Parkrun - 03.11.12

On a cold and breezy November morning I took part in the above event coming 159^th out of 378 runners. I managed to knock 4 seconds off my PB coming in at 26m 35s.

Les

Swindon Parkrun - 27.10.12

The Jones family decided to stop off on their way to Devon and took part in the Swindon Parkrun on Saturday. Their times were:

Pete Jones          23.35
Fiona Jones         28.37
Sian Jones           38.09

Well done!

Jill Oliver 10K - 21.10.12

I took part in this event that was organised by Edmonton Running Club and took place in and around Lee Valley Country Park , North London . It started and finished at the very impressive Lee Valley Athletics Stadium. The final 800 meters being on their athletics track.

The event was well organised with plenty supportive marshals but no chip timing.

The course itself was mixed terrain and relatively flat. Unfortunately heavy overnight rain meant that there were a lot of large puddles on the towpaths and the grass sections were pretty soft underfoot.

The course had PB potential but I paid the price for rushing off too quickly at the start. My average time for the first 3km was a fraction under 5min/km whereas the 6, 7 & 8 km averaged 5m 43s/km.

I finished the race in 54m 34s some 17 seconds slower that my PB.

Les

Brueton Parkrun 20.10.12

The Jones family had an outing to the Midlands on Saturday and took part in the Brueton Parkrun in Solihull.

A nice fairly flat course and another new PB for Pete, The Monster.

Times were:

Pete Jones       22.53    
Fiona Jones     30.10
Sian Jones       38.10

Well done all.

MK Sportive 20.10.12

Today I went to Milton Keynes with my friend Andy and took part in the 100K Codebuster event at the Milton Keynes Sportive. When we arrived it was really misty and for the first 30K to 40K keeping the cycling glasses clear enough to see through was a major issue.

The course came round through familiar territory going through Woburn Park, Ridgmont and then through Cranfield. Thankfully by then the mist had cleared and the weather was much brighter.

We set ourselves a target of 4 hours which equates to around 16 mph average. Up to halfway we were ahead of schedule but the organisers had other ideas and made sure the route of the last third of the race included plenty of hills.

In the end we finished in just under 4 hours with an average speed of 15.8mph. That equated to 76th and 77th out of the 162 riders taking part.

Overall an enjoyable and challenging event and I believe next year there will be Spring and Autumn versions. As Arnie (nearly) says "We'll be back".

Chris

Parkrun Bedford 20.12.12

I took part in this event with the intention of taking it reasonably easy in preparation for tomorrows Jill Oliver 10k race at Lee Valley Country Park . However Bedford is a nice, relatively flat course and the conditions, once again, were perfect for running. Hence I achieved a PB clocking in at 26m 29s in 63^rd place.

Unfortunately having forgotten my barcode I will not be credited with this result on the Parkrun website.

 

Les

Blenheim Rotary 10K - 14.10.12

Pete Jones and I took part in this event on Sunday 14^thOctober 2012. The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Woodstock & Kidlinton and was a fund money for their 2012 charity “Special Effects”

The race was well organised and took place in the beautiful parkland around Blenheim Palace in perfect running conditions i.e. 10 degrees Celsius, sunny and no wind. The course itself was mostly on tarmac private roads with the odd stretch or two on gravel / grass and was quite hilly as the following elevation chart shows – so not ideal for PB’s.

Pete clocked a time of 52m 47s and I came in with a time of 55m 34s.

Les

 

 

Parkrun Bedford - 13.10.12

The Wright family decided on an outing to Bedford for Lois and Ellen's first go at a Parkrun. The weather was good but rather cold.

The times have now been sorted by Parkrun and were:

Chris Wright          22.04
Ellen Wright          38.02
Lois Wright            38.03

Well done!

Parkrun MK - 13.10.12

A bright but cold morning in Milton Keynes didn't stop a record 374 parkrunners turning out for the weekly run. Of those 4 were members on FlitwickTri although 2 of those were saving themselves for the Blenheim 10K on Sunday. Despite this Chloe managed another PB.

Congratulations to Pete on his 50th Parkrun!

Times were:

Chloe Potts       31.17 (new PB)
Les Potts           31.18
Jason Murphy     31.51
Pete Jones        45.42 (as tail runner).

Well done all of you.

Alternative training?

An interesting take on a brick session:

Standalone 10K - 07.10.12

Along with 1,400 other runners I took part in this road race organised by the North Herts Road Runners.

Starting and finishing at Standalone Farm in Letchworth Garden City it was a well organised event with lots of supportive marshals as well as many spectators on much of the course. About 9km of the route was on roads that had been closed to vehicles.

I bettered last week’s PB by 71 seconds coming in on 54m 18s and was placed 676^th out of approximately 1,400 runners.

Les

Parkrun MK - 06.10.12

A lovely Autumn moring greeted runners at the MK Parkrun this weekend. 4 runners took part with Chloe getting another PB. Times were as follows:

Fiona Jones     29.42
Chloe Potts     32.04
Sian Jones      38.48
Les Potts        44.45 (as Tail Runner).

Well done all of you.

Tri-crazy Sprint Triathlon 07.09.12

Race day this morning dawned misty and cold and it didn't improve during the race with the bike route very misty in places. 

Pete and I were not racing together but the splits show a ding dong battle taking place against the clock. In the end my bike time gave me just enough margin to make up for the Monster's quicker swim, run and transitions. (I confess to having faffed about putting on socks, longer cycling shorts and a cycling top in T1).

In the end I finished in 243rd in 1.34.02 and Pete finished in 247th in 1.34.31.

Unfortunately due to Penny's knee injury and Jon's recent heavy work commitments they weren't able to take part.

Chris.

Moor Park 10K - 30.09.12

On 30th September I took part in the Moor Park 10k race. A spectacular traffic free course starting in Merchant Taylors’School sports fields before passing through the Moor Park estate (where Jags, Range Rovers & Aston Martins seemed commonplace for most residents) and then over Rickmansworth and Moor Park Golf courses. This race is a fund raiser for the Lynda Jackson MacMillan Centre.

The event was really well organised with lots of supportive marshals.

The course was superb except for a 1km stretch that was a continuous incline raising 64 meters. You can see from my split times that it really slowed me down.

1^st Km 4:53.9

2^nd Km 5:14.7

3 5:22.3

4 5:32.9

5 7:00.0

6 5:19.3

7 5:36.1

8 5:38.1

9 5:34.1

10 5:13.0

Despite the hill I managed a 10k PB of 55m 29s - a 40 seconds improvement against last week’s Bourn 10k PB, and I was placed 389th out of 799 finishers.

Les

Lois's new toy.

Lois has finally given in to all my nagging and has gone with the "if you can't beat them, join them" philosophy. She now has a new bike to train on over the winter and has already entered the Cycletta at Woburn for next June.

(I'll keep working on her for triathlons)

Here's a pic of the new addition to our garage (or should that be bike store). Yet another Trek, I've been outnumbered. Maybe we should be called Flitwick Trek.

Parkrun MK 29.09.12

Well winter is approaching but you wouldn't have known in from the weather in Milton Keynes on another sunny Saturday morning.

Yet another PB for Fiona and Pete managed his 49th parkrun so one to go until the coveted 50 runs T Shirt is his.

Times were:

Pete Jones     23.44
Fiona Jones     29.17
Les Potts     45.25 (as tail runner)

Well done all.

Bourn To Run 10K - 23.09.12

Hi Folks

Just thought I’d tell you about the 10K Les Potts and I did today.

 

Bourn is a lovely village just outside Cambridge. It hosts an event called Bourn to Run which includes a 10k multi terrain race and a 3k race for youngsters. Multi terrain was the correct phrase as we were only on the roads for a max of 2k. Thankfully the rain held off and with a cool morning we set off at a good pace.

Out of 421 competitors Les managed a 10k PB, in 227th place at 56min 7sec and I managed 131st place in 51 min26 sec (30 sec off my PB).

We were both very pleased given the terrain, me in particular since I had set my PB on the Silverstone circuit.

A fun well organised event, well worth the trip.

Pete Jones

Parkrun MK 22.09.12

4 FlitwickTri members were in action at MK Parkrun on Saturday with Fiona and Chloe getting new PBs in the sunshine. Times were:

Fiona Jones          29.29
Chloe Potts          32.42
Les Potts             32.42
Sian Jones           38.47

Pete was marshalling this week.

Well done all.

Parkrun MK 15.09.12

Saturday saw a succesful morning for FlitwickTri members with Pete and Les both clocking PBs.

Times were:

Pete Jones     23.32
Les Potts     26.39
Fiona Jones     29.44
Sian Jones     42.10

Well done all of you.

Parkrun MK - 08.09.12

There was a very good turnout  of FlitwickTri members at a sunny and warm Willen Lake for the MK Parkrun. There was also a lot of other people of a like mind as a record 390 runners took part.

Good to see first timer Chloe Potts in action and posting an excellent debut time.

FlitwickTri results were:

Chris Wright     21.55
Pete Jones     23.51
Les Potts     27.21
Chloe Potts     37.00
Fiona Jones     37.01

Well done everyone.

The Ox Sportive - 02.09.12

First time this event has run but hopefully not the last. Well organised, good venue and a nice route. There were events over approx 40 miles and 70 miles, I went for the longer option.

One of the guys I went with and a young lad we met on the day got a good chain gang going early on and managed to keep a good speed up throughout the 71.50 mile undulating route. I ended up with an average speed of 16.8mph which was much better than expected, especially given the distance.

Chris

Parkrun MK - 01.09.12

The Jones Family Represented Flitwick Tri at MK Parkrun on 1/9/12.

I paced Fiona so the got a new PB at 29min 41 sec and Sian Dipped under 40min again with 39m 18s.

 

Pete

Training ride - 26.08.12

Just back from a training ride and typing this with aching legs. My mate Andy and I decided to try a new route via, MK, Newport Pagnell and Olney and we found some good roads without too much traffic.

Somehow we managed to do the whole 45.97 miles without stopping and achieved what was, for us, a good average speed of 16.8mph. It will hopefully prove to be a good warm up for next week's Ox Sportive which is a bit longer at 70 miles. 

MK Parkrun 25.08.12

On a slightly overcast but still warm morning I represented FlitwickTri at the MK Parkrun.

The day got off to a good start as we had one of Team GB's Paralympic athletes at the race chatting and posing for photos beforehand and then starting the race before going off to the games in London.

My run felt very rusty as it was my first since mid May and since my ankle injury. Thankfully the ankle was fine, unlike the rest of me, and I struggled round in 22.17.

Now I know the ankle is OK I can start doing a bit more running and hopefully get the times down.

Chris

Ride London 100

As you may be aware there was a rather large sporting event in London recently that involved a bike race that went out to Surrey and back to finish in London on The Mall.

As part of the Olympic legacy the weekend of 3/4 August 2013 will involve a series of cycling events in London including the Ride London 100. This is a bike race (ride) from the Olympic Park, out to Surrey (including Box Hill) and then back into London to finish on The Mall. The idea in time is for the event to rival the London Marathon in profile as one of the UK's biggest fundraising events. The route is 100 miles and takes place on closed roads.

To have a chance of taking part use the following link, register and then enter the ballot. The ballot will close when they have 75,000 names and then in February the successful 20,000 will be notified. My name is in and if you fancy taking part best be quick as I am sure it is filling up.

http://www.ridelondon.co.uk/Events/100.htm

Cheers

Chris

Newmarket Duathlon - 19.08.12

On the hottest day of the year Pete, Les and I made the slightly mad decision to participate in the Newmarket Duathlon which started at 12.00noon. With the temperature needle hovering around 31 degrees in the shade we realised it was going to be a tough day, still at least it would be flat around there...wouldn't it? Unfortunately the route planner decided to make full use of the hills that were available to provide an undulating course.

The race started with 2 laps around the field behind the village hall and somebody had fogotten how to cut the grass. Then there was a short road section before a mile or so on a bridleway and then back to the road and round to the village hall for transition. By then things were really hotting up.

Getting out on the bike (for 3 laps of a loop of around 5 miles) was meant to offer a chance of a drink and to recouperate slightly but the two long uphill drags on each lap meant that didn't happen. Unforunately Les got a slow puncture on lap 3 and had a fully flat tyre for the last part of that lap which had a knock on effect on his run. 

The second run was two laps round a shorter route that involved crossing the field behind the hall, going through a hedge, running down the edge of a field and then going through another hedge to join the original route half way along the bridleway used earlier.

Finishing the race in the heat felt like an achievement for all three of us and then the race was on to get back into the air conditioned car.

Finishing times were me in 1:41:32, Pete in 1:46:35 and Les in 1:59:20.

Chris

Parkrun MK - 18.08.12

On a sunny Saturday morning the Jones family represented FlitwickTri at the Milton Keynes Parkrun.

Fiona led the family home in 32.12, with Sian next in 42.01 and with Pete literally following the field home as tail runner in 49.46.

MK Parkrun 11.08.12

Four Flitwick Tri members took part in this week’s Parkrun and their results were as follows:

Pete 99^th in 24m 26s

Les 153^rd in 26m 48s – another new PB

Fiona 244^th in 32m 00s

Sian 296^th in 39m 46s

Les

MK Parkrun 04.08.12

MK Parkrun 4^th August

In near perfect conditions I completed the Parkrun in 27m 06s. This result was a 31 second improvement on my previous PB achieved at Wardown Park Luton, and 38 seconds better that my previous PB at MK Parkrun.

Les

Luton AC Race Series - race 3

On Sunday 29th July I took part in the third of 3 races in the Luton AC Road Race Series. It was a 10k race in and around Luton Hoo. In very warm conditions and on an undulating course I recorded my fastest 10k time of 59m 53s coming 134th out of 166 runners.

This is the first time I have broken the 1 hour mark.

A medal and a very nice tee-shirt was my reward.

Les

Parkrun MK 28.07.12

On Saturday 4 FlitwickTri members took part in a sunny and warm Parkrun MK.

The times were: Pete Jones 25.00, Penny Carter 29.45, Fiona Jones 31.35 and Sian Jones 40.02.

Well done to you all.

Luton AC Road Race Series - race 2

On Sunday 22^nd July I took part in the second of 3 races in the Luton AC Road Race Series. It was a 5k race in and around Wardown Park .

In very warm conditions and on a relatively flat course I recorded my fastest 5k time of 27m 37s coming 81^st out of 104 runners. My second PB of the weekend!

I will complete the 3^rd and final race this Sunday – it being a 10k race on a hilly course around the grounds of Luton Hoo.

Les

Kimbolton Triathlon 22.07.12

Hi Folks,

Yesterday I competed in the first Kimbolton Triathlon (400m, 20k, 5k ) run by Just Racing.

It was a well run event and even though I had to wear a swim hat for the first time in my life I was pleased with my swim time knocking a further 2 min off my PB for 400m. The cycle was good on lovely country roads with only a couple of hills. The run involved 3 laps of part of the wonderful school grounds which was more like a cross country being mostly

on grass.

I was very pleased with my two transitions where I tried the ‘jump on’ method for the second time. Both transitions were over a minute faster than previous ones, so the new tri suite helped too.

A fun day out at the start of my summer holiday..... next race Newmarket Duathlon on 19 August.

Thirsty work

Note the bare feet!

Pete Jones

Parkrun MK 21.07.12

A glorious Saturday morning at Willen Lake resulted in a record 352 runners taking part in today’s Parkrun. Of these 58 were first timers and 32 were “unknowns”

Being the only Flitwick Tri runner at this event I came 179^th with a personal best of 27m 44s a stupendous 50 seconds improvement on my previous PB.

PB may be the result of running with MK Sweatshop on a Wednesday evening.

 

Les

Silverstone Duathlon 17.07.12 - race 3

Hi Folks

Yesterday Jason, Les and I took on the 3rd Silverstone Duathlon. It was a fast field and a breezy evening. I managed to knock a minute off my last time at 1 hour 11 minutes. The new shoes worked ok as did the leap onto the bike, my first try at this technique. Les had a leg problem so decided to stop and shout at the rest of us. Jason had a good run and plodded in at 1 hour 28 min.

 

Time now to relax before this Sundays Kimbolton Triathlon. This is the first one held there and  the event looks good ! Will  provide feedback later.

Pete

MK Parkrun - 14.07.12

Whilst I was the sole representative of Flitwick Tri at this event I was in good company with Tim Don winning easily in 15m 39s. I however managed 126^th place out of a field of 244 in a time of 28m 40s – just 6 seconds outside my PB for MK.

Les

3 Counties 100

Today I took part in the 3 Counties 100 Cyclo Sportive which started just north of Northampton and went upo towards Rutland Water and looped around back to the starting point. I did the 109K route.

When I arrived I was chatting to the guy that parked next to me who said he had done the the event last year and when asked what the course was like his answer was "challenging". Another chap said "there are no real flat parts to take it easy, it's either uphill or downhill" and he was certainly right on that score.

The first 38 miles to the feed station was a mix of long steady climbs with the occassional steep sections, and terryfying descents, some down single track country lanes! I was hitting 40mph and was taking it easy compared to some people.

The part from the feed station onwards was slightly less hilly but this coincided with the cloud arriving and the wind picking up, unfortunately it was against us most of the way back.

On one of the steeper climbs at around 50 miles my left thigh decided to cramp up and not co-operate, unfortunately my right quad decided to take similar action! Thankfully I managed to dismount before falling off. A few minutes of pain and stretching got the legs working and I managed to make it to the finish. By the end I was running on vapours.

An average speed of just over 15.1mph, despite the hills, made it a successful, if thoroughly exhausting, morning.

Chris

Redditch Parkrun 14.07.12

Hi Folks

As I was picking Fiona up from her work experience in Worcester we decided to do the 1st Redditch parkrun (Arrow valley park).

 

I managed to get a new PB in 23m 21sec and Fiona managed 30.46 her 3rd fastest time which she was happy with. It is a nice run with 2 laps of a lovely lake if you are ever in the area.

 

Also found time to treat myself to pair of new trainers I’ve only had this pair a year and I have worn them out.... Roll on Tuesday the 3rd Silverstone Duathlon on Wednesday, in which 3 Flitwick Triers are taking part.

Pete Jones

Box End 5K Swim

I represented Flitwick Tri at the Box End 5km swim this Saturday, 14th July (event aka Galeforce Mass Start Round 3). Given how little I could swim this time last year I didn't expect to win the race but just to finish under the 2 hour cut-off. The swim is 4 laps of the bigger of the two lakes at Box End, and you're no more than a few metres from the bank at any point, so I would recommend the series for anyone starting out in open water. Distances of 1.5km and 750m are also available.

First lap was my normal panic race-condition swimming, breathing on only one side with a high stroke rate and hyperventilating. However, most of the field had gone its way by the second lap and I was determined to manage my first bit of bilateral breathing in a race, so I slowed down and concentrated on technique. Second lap went much better. By the third lap though I had quite bad cramp in both legs so I stopped kicking alltogether. With the end in sight on the fourth lap, I let the last few stragglers go past and only held off an old lady to finish second last in 1hr 48. Overall, I was over the moon with my time and had a great morning out at a small, friendly and informal race.

Dan

Forthcoming 10K runs

Hi Folks

We have entered a couple of 10k’s along with the autumn Bedford Sprint Tri to keep us off .. or on the streets. Anyone fancy joining us??

 

14 October

http://www.rotaryblenheim10.co.uk/

 

23 September

http://www.runningdiary.co.uk/go/view.cgi/9988

Pete and Les

Leamington Parkrun 07.07.12

The Jones family were even further afield yesterday and took part in the Leamington Parkrun.

Pete finished in 24.49, Fiona in 32.01 and Sian in 38.51.

Well done all.

The MK 10K Road Race - 04.07.12.

Last night I “completed” in the final race in the East Midlands Grand Prix series - The MK 10k Road Race.

The race started and finished at the Open University with the course being fairly flat and mainly on Redways. Given the course and good weather conditions it should have been ideal for a PB and hence I was disappointed with my time of 62m 7s coming in at number 379 out of 393. I did though get a medal for my efforts.

Les

John O'Callaghan Memorial 5 Mile

On Friday 29 June I took part in the John O’Callaghan Memorial 5 Mile race in Luton that incorporated the Bedfordshire AAA County Championship. The course was an undulating 2 lap race starting and finishing in the Brache sports field next to Vauxhall Recreation Club and continuing onto the Luton Hoo private road.

I was fairly happy with my time of 49m 35s coming in at 129 out of 142.

Les

Ironman France 2012

Well I had heard Ironman France was tough but I had no idea how tough, and sadly no Lance Armstrong however the crowds were still big!! The swim was a mad start off the beach, but I managed to stay out of trouble and I thought I had a good swim in what were lovely conditions. I came out though in 1 hour 18mins and I wanted to do around 1hr 10mins so I will just blame it on the tide!

Things then got hard on the bike. I set off with an rubbing noise coming from my bike. As I was riding I played around with the brakes but could not stop it, so I just dug in. Then a big hill came and as I pushed I could feel what felt like a brake on. I stopped and tried to alter my brakes. This did not do anything, so after walking up a particularly steep section I jumped on and peddled away for around 40Km mostly up hill. I had a couple of further stops, and even took a brake pad off the front which left me with one brake for the way down! Eventually around 70Km my back tyre punctured so I stopped again (and nearly threw my bike over the cliff) and changed my inner tube. After putting the wheel back on I soon realised that the noise had been my wheel rubbing against the frame of the bike and not the brakes which had in turn caused the puncture. After all this the scenery was fantastic, but the hills relentless. One climb was around 30Km and eventually you get to markings on the road which show 5Km to the summit and then marks every Km. Those were the longest 5km of the day!!

With very wobbly legs I eventually got back to Nice for the run, although 2hr 30mins behind were I wanted and a wife that was panicking to say the least. Sadly I had seen 2 very nasty crashes on the descent, with one lady from the UK I know still in a coma in hospital. I set off on the run in 30 degrees with no shade, and my stomach had permanent cramp. It was not a pleasant 26miles to say the least. Yet again I don't think I got my nutrition right. I got home in 15 hours 8 mins, and worst of all missed the first half of England against Italy . I made it to a restaurant for the second half, however ended up on the floor feeling very faint with my legs in the air, so in turn missed all the football.

I feel I have just about recovered now, and after my nightmare I want to have a proper race! Hence I am doing the Cowman at Emberton Country Park this Sunday morning which is a middle distance race with quiet a big crowd. I have also entered the Bedford Classic triathlon at the end of July which is an Olympic distance if anyone fancies it?? Then that's it till Ironman Wales on September 16th in Tenby which after France I'm having to think long and hard about.

Cheers

Garry