Huntingdon Parkrun - 27.12.14

Hi Folks, Just to let you know I have now taken part in 20 different Parkruns. This morning I drove the 35min over to Huntingdon and had a nice run. The Park has lots of parking though it is pay and display. 

The run will be great in the summer... Very flat and running along river / lakes the paths are tarmac and gravel all the way round.  The one down side is the 100m grassy field and the start and end of the run. As I said in the summer it will be great, today it was very boggy and slippy. To be fair there was a lot of standing water to splash through on the paths but I will certainly go back as it was a fun run and will be a fast course.....

 

I managed just over 27min which although not fast either today or my run with Les at MK on Christmas morning, I was pleased with the time considering my streaming nose!

Pete Jones

Aylesbury Parkrun - 20.12.14

On Saturday the Joneses decided to head over to Aylesbury Parkrun and joined the other 93 runners taking part. The conditions clearly suited Pete who clocked up a PB. It was Fiona's first run there so technically a PB for her as well. 

The results were:

Pete Jones                 32nd in 25.35
Fiona Jones                58th in 29.45

Well done both.

Bedford Parkrun - 20.12.14

With Pete and Fiona taking in part in the Aylesbury event it was left to Les, Steve and I to represent FlitwickTri at our local Parkrun this week. Steve Clough was marshalling so only Les and I were running.

There were 179 runners on what was a chilly morning and there were some interesting fancy dress outfits including a few Santas, an elf, Batman and Robin and a turkey. 

Our times were:

Chris Wright               30th in 22.28
Les Potts                    75th in 25.40

Chris

Bedford Parkrun - 13.12.14

On a very cold morning in Bedford 4 of us went up to Bedford for the Parkrun. Les and Pete were both volunteering and I was acting as a pacer (for those aiming for a 30 minutes finishing time). Sian was our lone runner.

In the end there was a timing issue as I finished in 30.01 and the results suggest a time of 30.24 (several places later). Sian is shown as having a time of 38.45 whereas I believe her time should have been adjusted to 37.41.

Chris 

Andy Reading 10K - 14.12.14

Hi Folks

On Sunday I ventured out to a chilly Bicester for the Andy Reading 10k. An event where I achieved my 10k PB.

Not doing regular training meant I am not currently close to my 49min PB but I was hoping for about 55min.

Considering how chilly and blustery it was on the open fields and the airfield I was very content to learn I had battled well into the wind to achieve 53m47s. Classed as a flat course it is well worth a try if you are after improving your 10k PB time, just hope its a nice day!

Though on my own the locals were very friendly and facilities very welcoming.

 

Pete Jones

MK Winter Half Marathon - 14.12.14

it was very chilly this morning in Milton Keynes, especially waiting for the start, but once running this ceased to be much of an issue. 

The route around MIlton Keynes took in lots of parks and the canal tow path and whilst there was only one long uphill section (from miles 9 to 10) there were lots of short sharp climbs where paths went under roads or over the canal and roads. Quite energy sapping after a while, and it meant tired legs, especially at the end of the run.

Given the timing of the event we all had our own targets. Les met his, I managed to exceed mine but Liam struggled today and took it easy to make sure he got round.

There were 1034 people taking part and our results were:

Chris Wright                        240th in  1.43.47
Les Potts                             472nd in 1.55.48
Liam Ko                               577th in 2.01.28  

Overall a good local race and certainly an effective pre-Christmas workout.

Chris

Tring Parkrun - 06.12.14

Hi Folks

Last Saturday I ventured south east to Tring to try another of our ‘local’ parkruns. I went prepared knowing it was going to be mostly cross country with my trail shoes. 

It was easy to find and the car park was close to the start albeit over a pedestrian footbridge. There were about 87 other foolhardy peeps taking part on what was a very frosty morning.

As it said on Parkrun's course description the run was literally 1K up hill then mostly downhill. It was a very pretty run over open fields, meadowland and woodland trails. The frozen ground meant it was not to squelchy either.

I managed a respectable 42nd place in a time of 29 min which was not bad as the winner could only manage 20min 17s.

All in all it was well worth the effort of making the journey and I have now taken part in 18 different Parkruns. 

 

Pete Jones

Bedford Parkrun - 29.11.14

This morning it was good to welcome Jack back to Bedford Parkrun after a bit of a break, his time wasn't too shabby either. 

Conditions were good for running as there was no wind and the early rain had stopped before the run started. Sian took full advantage and clocked a new PB in her 101st Parkrun and in the process broke through the 35 minute barrier!

The times were:

Chris Wright                          29th in 21.53
Jack Wilkinson                      34th in 22.18
Les Potts                               67th in 24.40
Pete Jones                            80th in 25.34
Sian Jones                             166th in 34.49

Well done all.

In the wheel tracks of Olympic champions

Yesterday I had a day out to remember courtesy of a birthday present from Lois. As a complete surprise to me she got me a voucher that entitled me to go and ride on the Olympic Velodrome at the Olympic Park in Statford, home of the 2012 Olympic Games and the venue at which many of Britain's gold medals were won.

Lois accompanied me to the velodrome and acted as supporter and photographer. 

It was an amazing experience and the building and track were superb. Having only seen it on TV it is hard to imaging how steep the end banking is and I have to admit to being a bit nervous before things got started. This didn't help when I was changed and ready to go in the centre of the track.

Thankfully there was a very experienced coach on hand to take us through the technical and practical aspect of the experience. One thing that was very tricky, for me at least, was the fact that the gearing is fixed, i.e. if the wheels are going round so are the pedals. Also there are no gears and no brakes! If you are going round at speed you cannot stop quickly (unless you hit something) and you must keep pedalling.

We started off on the inside of the track and then eventually moved onto the lower level of the track itself (and the steeper banking). It transpired that the key to being safe on the banking was to keep pushing on and we were warned about taking it easy on the banking which was flagged up as being a recipe for disaster. 

After initial forays on the flat area and the lower levels of the track I very quickly found myself told to move up to the next line (the black one) and to speed up. Next time round it was "up to the red line and speed up" and again on the next lap "above the blue and speed up some more". By this time my cadence felt pretty quick and after 5 or 6 minutes at that cadence and pushing round the bends I felt very warm and rather weary. Mind you I didn't dare slow down at that point for fear of falling off on the banking. Thankfully we were all told to slow down and stop for a quick debrief at that point.

With 15 minutes of our session left we were told we could go for it again and that we could keep going for the rest of the session. That doesn't sound like long but at speed on a fixed wheel bike and pushing through the corners it sure felt like it to me. Thankfully my fitness levels were just good enough to last out the session, which was good as i got to whizz past some of the youngsters towards the end of the session that had been passing me earlier.

All in all a really great experience and I have a feeling Lois and I may end up back there at some point possibly to try out their mountain bike track.

Here are a few photos and, if it works, a video clip taken fairly early on in the session.

Chris

Milton Keynes Movember Run 23.11.14

It was like a FlitwickTri day out at Milton Keynes on Sunday morning. It was however a great shame that the weather decided not to cooperate and the annual MK Movember run took place in deluge. 

The wet weather did not however stop 693 runners taking part in the 10K run and 247 people taking part in the 5K run.

There were some excellent outfits on display including santa, his elves, a turkey and his sleigh.

Jason came along to act as shelter (with a large golf umbrella), bag drop, photographer and support. All much appreciated by some very soggy runners.

The times and places were:

10K

Chris Wright                  51st in 47.40
Fiona Jones                   455th in 1.05.55
Pete Jones                    456th in 1.05.55

5K

Les Potts                       135th in 34.39
Chloe Potts                    136th in 34.39
Sian Jones                      183rd in 38.14

Here are some after and before pictures.

Despite the weather a good time was had by all.

Chris

Bedford Parkrun - 22.11.14

It was a big day at Bedford Parkrun this morning as Sian Jones joined the 100 club completing her 100th Parkrun. Very well done and a great achievement.

As well as Pete and Sian Jones there were another 203 runners taking part.

Times were:

Pete Jones              196th in 35.52
Sian Jones               197th in 36.55

Bedford Parkrun - 15.11.14

Last week there were three FlitwickTri runners taking part in the weekly Parkrun as part of a field of 228.

Conditions weren't too bad for running and Steve almost took advantage of this and finished just outside hi PB.

The times were:

Steve Clough                38th in 22.43
Pete Jones                   114th in 27.36
Sian Jones                    220th in 37.44

Stort 30 Ultra

The STORT30 is an out & back 30 mile ultra race along the River Stort in Hertfordshire. The route is mostly grassy trail or footpath. Importantly it is generally flat although uneven underfoot and muddy in places. There were checkpoints every 5 miles.

The weather was pretty good being cool, dry and only a little wind.

Given the distance Liam & I planned to run at a modest pace with the emphasis simply on completing our first Ultra rather than trying to finish in a predetermined time.

The first 10 miles went relatively well albeit we probably ran faster than we should have given the conditions underfoot and the race distance. However by the time we reached the halfway checkpoint I was suffering. One knee, my calves and in particular those muscles just above the knee were painful with cramp.

Unfortunately I only managed a further 5 painful miles when given that there was still a another 10 miles to the finish I decided to retire and was transported back to base by a nice young lady.

Liam, having stayed with me until about mile 17/18, was relatively "fresh" He continued the race and despite suffering some painful cramp in the latter stages completed his first Ultra in 5 hours 59 minutes. He would have been at least 15 minutes faster had he not stayed with me for so long.  

Liam was placed 145th out of a field of approx. 200.

Bedford Parkrun - 08.11.14

Yesterday it was left to me alone to represent Flitwick Tri at the Bedford Parkrun. 

The weather was pretty much ideal with dry conditions and a cool temperature. This meant 228 runners were attracted to the race.

I managed to get round the 5K in a time of 21.48 and that was good enough for 22nd place.

Chris Wright  

Bedford Parkrun - 01.11.14

The morning looked rather grim when I woke up but as Les and I made our way up to Bedford the sky became more and more blue. By the time the start arrived the weather was lovely.

The morning was the annual Halloween fancy dress run and there were plenty of the 208 runners in fancy dress. On witch in particular was particularly impressive.

Our results were:

Chris Wright                           19th in 21.58
Les Potts                                64th in 24.58 

Bedford Parkrun - 25.10.14

With Les volunteering and a number of other people away due to half-term it was left to Pete and Sian Jones to represent FlitwickTri at Bedford Parkrun this week.

Of the 221 runners Pete finished in 69th place in a time of 24.36 with Sian finishing in a time of 37.57 in 209th place. 

Bedford Parkrun - 18.10.14

The journey to Bedford and the wait at the start were both in light rain but thankfully by the time the run started the sun had come out and the conditions were pretty much ideal for the 211 runners.

This week it was left to Les and I to represent Flitwick Tri although Emily Potts and Jack Wilkinson both came along to support and both have threatened to get their running kit on for next week.

Times were:

Chris Wright                   22nd in 21.57
Les Potts                        91st in 25.56

Chris 

Royal Parks Half Marathon - 12.10.14

On Sunday Jason and I jumped on a very early train from Flitwick to head to London for the Royal Parks Half Marathon. As always we had allowed plenty of time to get to the race, or so we thought.

Unfortunately Thameslink saw fit to make a complete farce of some engineering works and we were delayed on the train near Cricklewood for about 40 minutes before crawling into St Pancras. This meant that we ended up dashing for the tube and then from Knightsbridge tube station to the bag drop and then running to the start via the loos. This meant I missed the green wave start (for runners with a similar predicted finish time) and Jason and I both ended up starting in the slower blue wave. With a field of 14,718 runners the start was understandably very congested despite the wide closed roads. 

I spent the first 6 miles of the race weaving through slower runners which put paid to my hopes of a PB. In the end I finished with a time of 1.43.31 which was a couple of minutes outside my PB from last year. This was good enough for 2170^th place. Jason, on the back of very little training following his shoulder surgery, finished in a time of 2.45.27 which was good enough for 13,842nd place.

I must say a very big thank you to all who supported my fundraising efforts. I am delighted to say that I managed to raise just over £1,000 (including Gift Aid) for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Chris

Perkins Great Eastern Half Marathon - 12th October 2014

Liam and I, plus friend Michael, took part in this event for the second successive year. Held in Peterborough on mainly flat, closed city centre and residential roads this event was again superbly organised with great marshals and very loud local support. Once again a decent goody bag rewarded finishers with a medal, technical t-shirt, water, fruit & cereal bar.

The conditions unlike last year were virtually perfect - windless, cool and a little sunshine. 

Conditions were obviously to my liking as I managed a new half marathon personal best knocking 58 seconds of my previous pb, achieved at Nottingham's Robin Half in 2013, and somehow I also managed to improved by over 7 minutes on this year's Robin Hood Half run just two weeks ago.

Conversely Liam suffered some cramp to his calfs in the early part of the race but was still slightly faster than at Nottingham two weeks ago.

Results were only published for the 3,800 who finished in the allowed time of 3hours 30minutes.

Our results were:

Liam Ko    1,142th    1:48:02

Les Potts   1,498th   1:53:51

Les

Herts 10K - 12.10.14

Hi Folks

Stephen Clough, Fiona and I went down to a cool Harpenden today to run in the 9th Herts 10k. It is not classed as a cross country but there were over 800m on grass and nearly half the course on dirt/stone tracks. As the ground was hard this was not a problem. 

There were about 3000 entrants and they started us out in about 3 waves. Though a moderately slow start the field soon spread out and you were able to run at your normal pace. 

It was a lovely scenic run with only one rise though it did seem to go on for ages at about the 3k point. It was one big loop travelling from the Rothampsted Research Centre in Harpenden out to Redbourn Golf Club, through the lanes and back via disused railway lines and field borders to the start. 

We were all fairly pleased with our times considering the ground conditions and congestion.

Stephen led the way with  46min 31s – a probable PB, I came next 9 sec faster than my target time at 54min 51s and Fiona arrived with a big smile at 1hr 3min 54s.

 

A nice charity event well organised- well worth a visit next year

 

Pete Jones

Bedford Parkrun - 11.10.14

This weekend there were three of us running and one volunteer (Les) at Bedford Parkrun. The weather was pretty dismal with persistent drizzle. Numbers were therefore down slightly on usual with 183 runners taking part.

Times were:

Chris Wright              76th in 26.15
Pete Jones                163rd in 36.42
Sian Jones                 164th in 36.44

Standalone 10K - 05.10.14

Les and I ventured over to Letchworth on Sunday for this highly rated local 10K which is run mostly on closed roads. 

The day dawned very bright but cold with some frost on the ground in the car par (field) when we arrived. The race was very well organised and had sold out completely well in advance of race day and 1138 runners took part.

The race also doubled up as the Hertfordshire County Championships so there were more club runners than many other events. 

The course was an undulating one (similar in profile to the Flitwick 10K) but with mostly closed roads the large number of entrants was not really an issue as the start was on a road and there was room for all to find their appropriate place as the race got underway.

Overall Les and I were happy with our results which were:

Chris Wright                    254th in 46.10
Les Potts                         525th in 51.58

Chris

Robin Hood Nottingham Half Marathon - 28th September 2014

For the second successive year Liam and I took part in the above mass participation event with 7,248 runners crossing the finishers line.

Having learnt our lesson last year we got off nice and early meeting in MK at 6.30am and arriving with plenty of time to spare. A massive improvement on last year's urgent run to the start line due to traffic congestion in Nottingham city centre.

The course is pan-cake flat and run entirely on closed roads. Once again the weather was perfect for running. There was ample supportive marshals and spectators, and plenty of drink stations.

If there was a negative to this event it is that it is a mass participation event and hence you are always crowded in by the sheer volume of runners but especially so in the first 1 to 2k.

Disappointingly neither of us could improve on last year's results or positions:

Liam finished 1786th in 1:48:58 (2013 1390th in 1:45:01)

Les finished 3409th in 2:00:56 (2013 2596th in 1:54:56)

Regardless we received a decent goody bag and medal. Liam particularly enjoyed the post race food on offer from several vendors in the race village!

Les

Bedford Parkrun - 27-09-14

With Les volunteering and the Jones family away it was left to Liam and I to represent FlitwickTri at this week's Parkrun. The conditions were great for running and 204 people took part.

I was trying to do the run at my hoped for half-marathon pace and Liam decided to run with me despite doing Nottingham half-marathon on Sunday. As it was the pace felt very comfortable (as it should over 5K) and we ended up going quite a bit quicker than planned.

Our times were:

30th          Chris Wright              22.07
31st          Liam Ko                     22.08

Chris

St Neots Triathlon - 14.09.14

On 14th September I entered the St Neots triathlon (sprint distance). It was actually supposed to be held at Grafham Water but there was a problem with the water there so it was relocated.

 

The day was good, fairly warm with no rain and not too breezy. There were 103 competitors in the sprint distance which comprised a 750m swim in the River Ouse, 24k bike ride round the surrounding (fairly flat) countryside and an advertised 5k run which must have been a bit shorter than that. The sprint event was a single mass start up the river, round a buoy and then back down the other side. Consequently it was pretty crowded and unpleasant for the first minute or two. After that, everyone spread out a bit and it was ok. Although my swim times are getting better, it was also a bit off putting in the second half swimming at exactly the same pace as someone next to me doing breaststroke. However, the advantage of being a weak swimmer in a mass start event is the chance to overtake a lot of people on the bike segment which is fun. I limited my losses on the run to one place to finish 39th overall. My split times were 16.55 for the swim, 44.55 for the bike and 21.30 for the run, total inc transitions 85.33. My friend from Cambridge who always beats me, did so again but only by 40 seconds, thanks to his better swim time. He was 1st in the 60-65 category!

 

I’ve entered the Roade pool based triathlon on Sunday, looking for an improvement on last year’s time. I’ll let you know how it goes.

 

Steve

Worcester 10K - 21-09-14

Hi Folks

Just a note to say how fun the Worcester 10k was on Sunday.  In the end 6 of our family joined in and all enjoyed the experience. It was a sunny and cool Sunday, ideal for running.

I think there were about 3000 people there and the set up and course was great. The marshalling was spot on and it was definitely a PB course with minimal hills.

I ran around with Fiona who equalled her time of the Bupa 10k – just over 59min. Harvey my brother in law knocked over 4 min off his PB to come in at about 56 min. Sian managed to beat her time by about 3 min too.

Even Paula Radcliffe was pleased on her comeback race with a 3rd place in about 35min...

Will definately go back next year to stretch my legs,  next up the Herts 10k in Harpenden, then Mo-run MK and the Andy Reading 10K?

 

Pete Jones

A good saying

I saw this in my latest running magazine and thought it was a very good message:

"You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old."

Bedford Parkrun - 14.09.14

On Saturday Pete, Sian and I went up to Bedford for the weekly Parkrun and were joined by 226 other runners. Conditions were very good and after the usual introductions and instructions off we went.

Times were:

Chris Wright              47th in 22.46
Pete Jones                79th in 24.29
Sian Jones                222nd in 40.41

Swineshead 10 Mile race - 07.09.14

On a warm and sunny morning Les, Liam and I trecked over to North Bedfordshire to take part in the annual Swineshead 10 Mile race. We were using it as part of the training for our forthcoming half-marathons and 10 miles sounded like a good distance at this stage of the build up. We hadn't done the race before so didn't know what to expect.

For those that don't know about it this is a race that is based a small village but still attracts a good turnout of runners who come from far afield. This year there was a coach with runners from Serpentine Running Club in London.

The race is based at the village hall and there are a number of stalls, ice cream van and even a licensed bar. This makes for a very pleasant post race environment. The reviews on the Runner's World website give consistently good reviews of the race and we were all looking forward to seeing what the course was like.

The start was a 5 minute walk from the village hall and as we approached things didn't look great as the road stretched away into the distance and all we could see was a long hill. It wasn't particularly steep but the first .45 of a mile was all uphill. There were a few more undulations over the first 3 miles but nothing too bad. The only nasty climb of the day was at just under 4 miles as the lane left Riseley. The second half of the race was thankfully much flatter.

A downside of the race was a relatively late start time of 11.30am. It was nice to have a lie in before a race but the weather on Sunday was warm and the sky had hardly a cloud in it by the time we started. This made for a run that was not only hilly but hot.

There were 179 runners taking part including a large number of serious club runners and club vests were much in evidence.

Our results were:

Chris Wright                                86th in 79.17
Liam Ko                                      104th in 85.07
Les Potts                                     129th in 90.26.

Chris

Bedford Parkrun - 06.09.14

A pleasant if slightly overcast morning greeted runners at Bedford Parkrun last Saturday but the lack of wind meant running conditions were very good. There was also a good turnout with 250 runners taking part of whom 6 were from FlitwickTri. 

Les was also present but he was there as a volunteer and was scanning barcodes rather than running. Chris was also volunteering but he was acting as a pacer (25minutes) so he still got to run.

The FlitwickTri times were:


Liam Ko                  39th in 22.47
Chris Wright            85th in 24.56
Pete Jones              101st in 25.39
Fiona Jones             140th in 28.22
Sarah Eke                180th in 30.44
Sian Jones               233rd in 38.11

Well done all.

Bedford Parkrun - 30.08.14

Last Saturday Les and I were FlitwickTri's representatives in the weekly Bedford Parkrun. There were 267 runners taking part and conditions were very good for running.

Times were:

Chris Wright            22nd in 21.41
Les Potts                 92nd in 25.03

Chris

Are you a "cyclist"?

I saw this on facebook and it made me laugh so I thought I would share it.  The production is a bit basic but I am sure those of you who cycle will appreciate the content.  Happy cycling,  Lois.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47cGzu6-q40#t=369 

Bedford Parkrun - 23.08.14

With holidays still impacting on numbers it was left to Sarah, Liam and me to represent FlitwickTri at this week's Bedford Parkrun. Overall there was a very good turnout with 257 runners taking part. This  may have had something to do with the glorious sunshine, it was however a bit chilly to start with but it was fine when the race was under way.

The times were:

Chris Wright         33rd in 22.01
Liam Ko                34th in 22.08
Sarah Eke             174th in 30.33

Chris

A holiday but not a rest

The Wright family was away last week in North Yorkshire. We were between the Howardian Hills and the North York Moors and were staying in a converted barn which had its own hot tub, sauna, games room and gym. 

The first few days were pleasant but the weather was changeable. The surroundings were very nice so I took the chance to slip on my trainers and went for a run. I had what looked like a good route planned (on the map at least) and off I went. 

The first few miles were ticked off easily and I found myself running through the picturesque village of Hovingham. I followed the road upwards to where the path to the woods left it and headed into the woods which had obviously seen a lot of rain in the recent past. Not only were the paths muddy but the woods were very undulating which made for slow going in places. The paths were also poorly marked and at one point I set off down a muddy track which went downwards quite steeply and then ended abruptly at a barred gate. I had to retrace my steps, steeply uphill, and then set off to find the the correct path about 50 yards further on, later I also took anther detour along the side of a steam on another muddy path. Eventually I found a path in the direction I needed which was  undulating to say the least. I did however eventually get to my intended track and continued on my muddy way back to the farm. I eventually got home tired and very dirty 6.31miles later in just under an hour. After hosing down my trainers and legs a hot shower was most welcome.

The gym had a treadmill and rowing machine so I re-acquainted myself with both. Warm ups on the rowing machine (2000m @ 2.20/500m) followed by interval sessions on the treadmill made up 3 of my workouts. between the first and second I managed to fit in another long run of 8.64 miles at an average of 8.33/mile or about 5.30/km for those who think in new money. The route was rather flatter and less muddy than the earlier route but still took in some very pleasant scenery. I also fitted in a much needed rest day and a few walks to nearby pubs for liquid refreshment.

Overall a nice rest from work and the usual routine and I'm hoping the interval sessions may pay off by adding a bit of speed back in my ageing legs and the rowing will have helped with my core strength. Time will tell.

Chris

Bedford Parkrun - 16.08.14

With a number of members away on holidays last weekend there were 4 members taking part in the weekly Bedford Parkrun.

The results were:

Liam Ko                   45th in 23.24
Sarah Eke                177th in 31.18
Pete Jones              225th in 38.37
Sian Jones               226th in 38.38

Well done all.

Bridge to Bridge Swim - 10.08.14

This morning I took part in the Bridge to Bridge, a 14.1km endurance swim in the Thames from Henley Bridge to Marlow Bridge. The event was made a bit more challenging by heavy rain and winds from the end of what was Hurricane Bertha. 

I was very pleased to finish in 3 hours, 53 minutes (unofficial time given by the timing official, so probably quite accurate). The winds caused a bit of chop, so as it turned out the sea swimming I have been doing on holiday was the perfect preparation.

Dan

Bedford Parkrun - 09.08.14

I went to Bedford Parkrun on Saturday. Liam was there as well, I thought I saw him ahead of me just after the start and I looked for him when I finished but surprisingly I finished before him (he was probably taking it easy for a marathon the next day). 

The results were:

52nd             Steve Clough               22.46
59th             Liam Ko                       23.15

Steve

Buckingham Parkrun - 09.08.14

Yesterday 4 of us decided to go over and check out the Buckingham Parkrun which started a few months ago. The event is run over an undulating course that for much of its route is next to or close to the River Great Ouse. This week there were 104 people taking part.

The weather was cooler and dry but still warm enough when you started running.

With none of us knowing the course it was hard to know what to expect but the small undulations did make a difference despite there being no significant hills. I know I went off too fast and was with the leading group for the first half mile until I realised how fast we were going. Sadly I paid for this in the later stages.

Times were:

16th               Chris Wright                       22.09
38th               Les Potts                            24.41
46th               Pete Jones                         26.04
63rd               Fiona Jones                        28.34 

Chris

Bedford Parkrun - 02.08.14

There was a good turnout of FlitwickTri members at this week's Bedford Parkrun with 7 runners taking part. The conditions were very pleasant but initial impressions that it was not that warm were dispelled once the race got underway.

241 people in all took part in the run and our results were:

24th          Chris Wright               21.43
45th          Liam Ko                      22.47
86th          Les Potts                     25.05
108th        Pete Jones                   26.13
141st         Fiona Jones                  28.21
186th        Sarah Eke                     32.21
222nd        Sian Jones                    38.37

Well done everyone.

Chris 

Ironman Zurich - 27.07.14

After 6 months of training and a mere 13 hours 21 minutes of racing on Sunday, it’s finally all over!!

It was a day where the massive highs outweighed the occasional psychological lows - incredible support from Penny and the other halves in our group (the self-named “Ironman Widows”!) kept spirits high and the shear scale of the event was mind-blowing enough to distract from the pain. It was definitely (and will hopefully forever be) the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but all of your messages of support and generous donations were a great help to keep me going.

So one final thank you for all of the donations, your money is going to a very worthy cause! If you’d still like to donate and wanted to see if I’d make it first, the page will stay open for another month. :-)

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/zurichironman

Thanks again,

Jon

Bedford Parkrun - 26.07.14

Les, Liam & Sarah were the FlitwickTri representatives at this week's Bedford Parkrun event.

As has become normal now the weather was warm and sunny and lovely to run in.

Out of 223 finishers our results were:

Liam Ko            29th in 22:49

Les Potts         67th in 24:55

Sarah Eke      184th in 32:32

Les

Challenge Roth - 20.07.14

Well at the weekend I travelled to Roth in southern Germany for what was the first Ironman race in Europe until the challenge group bought it a few years back and have continued to grow this into one of the largest triathlon races in the world. To add to all this is was very sunny and very warm at around 33 degrees or 90 degrees depending on where you come from!  

It was an amazing venue, and some of the biggest crowds I have ever seen. The 2.5 mile swim was lovely with crowds along the whole of the river bank, the 112 mile bike was on the best surface I have ever ridden a bike on so I know what the German government spends its money on!  The run which was a single lap marathon which makes a change from the loops you run in Ironman, and went through some very scenic German towns with great support. All the way round German supporters were shouting ‘Hup Hup Hup’ to me so I would love someone to tell me what exactly that means!!!???

So in short I had a great finish time, a great day in a fantastic part of the world and I would recommend a visit there for any reason.

I’ve attached my finisher certificate which I don’t look to happy on, but that was nearly the finish and it tells the story of my times!!!!

Garry

Wycombe 10K - 20.07.14

Liam & I tackled this 10k race last Sunday. Fortunately it was an early 9.30am start and the temperature was not too warm with cloud cover and importantly decent for running.

The Wycombe 10k is really about 2 hills - the first at the start sees you rise  a gentle 28 feet in the first half mile followed by 264 feet in the next 1mile. More than a few runners resorted to walking on this hill but many were reduced to a very slow run by the time they were reaching the peak.

1.5miles to 3.3miles were generally a gentle downhill section and a good opportunity to recover. 

The second mentionable hill came over the following half mile which was a 217 feet drop. Too steep to run fast and effort was wasted holding back. Thereafter it was a mainly downhill until the finish.

A well organised event with a decent goody bag at the end.

There were 286 finishers with Liam coming 61st in 49m56s, and I came 96th in 53m47s (a massive 29 seconds faster then last year!!). 

  

Les

Bedford Parkrun - 19.07.14

Another good turnout for the Bedford Parkrun on 19 July with 5 FlitwickTri runners taking part.

The times were:

Liam Ko           22.54
Les Potts          25.07
Pete Jones       26.45
Sarah Eke         32.05
Sian Jones        38.29

Well done. 

Stowe Triathlon - 12.07.14

I took part in the sprint distance triathlon at Stowe on 12th July. The event was held in the lovely grounds of Stowe school which encouraged a large number of family and friends to spectate (sadly none of mine though). 

Standard and middle distance events were also being held so there were 5 planned waves, with mine due to start at the relatively civilised time in the triathlon world of 11.15. However, the organisers appeared to miscalculate how long it would take the slowest swimmers to finish with the result that they combined the two waves of the sprint event and even then it started 45 minutes late. 

There were 98 starters in the sprint event, though it didn’t seem too crowded in the lake after the first 50m.  My time for the swim was approx 16.5 mins which is by far the quickest I have swum 750m, still only good enough for 68th at that point though. That did mean I got to pass a lot of people on the cycle (24.6k) which was fun and in fact I was 11th fastest in that segment. That combined with 32nd on the run (4.9k) pushed me up to 20th overall, with a time of 1:39.50. For a high finish, the trick is clearly to enter an event where there are also longer distances on offer as the best are more likely to enter those.

 

I really enjoyed the event and the setting was superb. My only gripes apart from the delayed start were that there was quite a distance pushing the bike from transition to the mount/dismount point (they should look at moving the lake for next year) and there were no distance markers on the run.

 

Steve