| 2016 Results |
23 Jan - 2 Alpes Night Trail
2:11:05 - 28/101, 4/16 AG
21 Feb - Anglian Duathlon
2:15:36 - 36/175, 3/22 AG
28 Feb - Brighton Half Marathon
1:26:15 - 233/8095, 66/1439 AG
03 Apr - Windsor Duathlon
2:16:57 - 100/519, 6/90 AG
04 Jun - Trail Challenge Marathon
5:10 (Brighton-Eastbourne)
12 Jun - Midsussex Sprint Tri
1:12:27 - 20/238, 4/40 AG
26 Jun - 1st Swim Crawley Tri
0:59:28 - 5/68, 2/20 AG
06 Aug - Phoenix Running Marathon
3:24 - 5/102
26 Aug - CCC Ultra Marathon
21:29 - 465/2200, 27/152 AG
19 Nov - F3 Duathlon
2:09:24 - 3/50, 1 AG
04 Dec - Downland Devil 9
1:05:52 - 11/250, 2/28 AG |
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| 2015 Events |
22 Feb - Brighton Half Marathon
DNF
03 May - Steyning Standard
1:49:52 - 6/97, 1/19 AG
27 May - Arundel Standard
1:59:57 - 6/105, 1/19 AG
14 Jun - Midsussex Sprint Tri
1:09:55 - 9/272, 4/51 AG
12 Jul - ETU Euro Champs, Geneva
2:22:39 - 47/79 AG
26 Jul - Worthing Standard
2:25:09 - 109/398, 16/54 AG
08 Aug - Triathlon Castro, Spain
DNS
16 Aug - Noja Aquathlon, Spain
22:15 - 18/41, 1/7 AG
13 Sep - Virgin Active Brighton Tri
1:21:39 - 7/133, 2/21 AG
20 Sep - Brighton Marina Tri
1:44:24 - 11/115, 5/44 AG
11 Oct - Jog Shop 20
2:45 - 13/110, 4/22 AG
07 Nov - Hermes Thames Half Mara
1:28:07 - 5/362, 1/55 AG
28 Dec - Phoenix Marathon
3:14:05 - 4/96 |
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| 2014 Events |
01 Feb: Pilgrims Challenge Day 1
5:35 24/199
30 Mar: Springtime Sportive 54m
3:07 1/157
05 Apr: SDW 50 Ultra
9:06 107/314
21 Apr: Thames Turbo Tri
1:04 22/347, 1/31 AG
04 May: Steyning Oly
1:46 15/111, 3/22 AG
11 May: Beacon Rouleur Sportive
5:49 11/48
31 May: City to Summit Tri
15:27 25/123
22 Jun: Sussex Triathlon Oly
2:37 21/93, 2/13 AG
19 Jul: Race To The Stones 100k
13:09 103/703
24 Aug: Triathlon du Mont Blanc
1:17:03 34/310, 8/82 AG
07 Sep: Bala Oly
2:11 118/560, 20/118 AG
14 Sep: Brighton Virgin Active Tri
1:21 5/155
21 Sep: Brighton Marina Tri
1:48 7/109, 4/28 AG
16 Nov: Brooks 10k
39:09 205/3196, 53/548 AG
07 Dec: Downland Devil 9
1:07 28/283 |
| The long haul up Alpe d'Huez |
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Racing, Illness and a Long Walk
Tue Jul 25, 2017 7:09 pm iainm
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A few races since my last update. First up was the Eton Sprint Triathlon in May. I knew I stood very little chance of qualifying in this - for a start it's a drafting race and that doesn't suit a poor swimmer like me, but it was far too soon after my injury to be in any sort of shape for this quality of field. I did my best, but sluggish is the best way of describing my performance and putting in context my (flat) 5k run was 22:22, compared with a typical time of 19:45 or so for races like this. It also wasn't helped by picking up a cold a few days before the race. Coughing up globs of green phlegm isn't really what you're looking for on the start line!
At least I was racing again and I then had a great 6 weeks of training that saw a 40min at the Turks Head 10k (still below my par of 39ish), but then a gradual build where I improved week-by-week in the BTRS Midweek Tri series in Brighton. This is a very informal ‘training’ race, but the fact that you are actually racing pushes you harder and gave me the chance to practice transitions and bring my 5k pace down each week from 4:12 min/km to 3:57 min/km. By the end of June I was in great shape, swimming and running well, if a little off on the bike. I won the MV50 prize at the
Worthing Triathlon, where I’d entered the sprint as a sharpener for Arundel – my ‘A’ race and Worlds Qualifier.
So all in great shape and I was feeling pretty positive for Arundel – I knew I had to be on top form to stand a chance of qualifying, but I definitely stood a chance, particularly as the river swim was going to be fast as we followed the tide downstream. Then…effing typical…on the Thursday before the race I started sneezing and felt a tickle in my throat. By Friday the whole of my sinuses were blocked up and my nose was streaming and by Saturday morning I was coughing up globs of green phlegm again! My body felt absolutely shattered, but I pushed my way through to the morning of the race, filled myself full of caffeine and made my way to the start.
The race itself went well – the swim was indeed fast. The start times were set to coincide with the tide turning, which meant that we had just 200m against the current and 1300m with it. My official swim time was 23:46 – pretty impressive considering my previous best was 28:35! Hopefully it means I was in pretty good shape as well. The bike and run times were okay – but 13th in my Age Group was never going to be enough to qualify.
Probably another 90 seconds faster would have been enough – could I have done this if hadn’t had been ill? Maybe, but the time is the time, there’ll be another year – and I will be back in that GB team again one day!
I probably should have taken some down time after Arundel, but I’d scheduled in a long walk for the following week. That turned out to be 65 miles in three days, carrying a 12kg backpack with all my camping equipment. Despite coughing and spluttering away, I had a great time. Day 1 I walked from Cuckmere Haven, through Eastbourne along Bexhill to Hastings and wild-camped in the Hastings Country Park. That was about 25 miles on a hot and sunny day. There was a thunderstorm that night, but I’d had a Night Nurse and didn’t notice any of it! Day 2 was hot and humid again and a great walk from the park along the coast via Winchelsea to Rye Harbour. I didn’t really enjoy the diversion via Rye to get round the Rother River, and Camber Sands sounds much nicer than it is. At the end of another 8 hours and 25 miles of walking I found a great campsite on Romney Marsh where I had a shower and collapsed until the following morning. The next day, I left the tent and walked down to Dungeness and back – bleak, windswept, nuclear – all the things you’re looking for in a day out.
I guess 65 miles in three days should have given me some good endurance, but I’ve been shagged out for the last few days – sleeping 9 hours a night. I don’t think I gave my body any chance to recover. The good news is that my next event is probably not for a couple of months – that will be another ultra marathon – the Aiguilles Rouge Trail race in Chamonix. I have just enough time to get in shape for that, and finishing will give me the extra points I need to be able to enter the CCC or TDS ultra marathons in 2018. Wish me luck!
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Tri blog | Follow my snowsports blog at Skipedia | Supported by Profeet Custom
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About Iain |
I'm a 50 year old triathlete and runner, competing since 1992. I have competed in 119 triathlons and 20 marathons (including 6 ultras). I am supported by Profeet - sports footwear and orthotics specialists.
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20167Goals |
- GFA time at VLM
- Qualify for World Triathlon Champs
- AG podium local tris
- Stay under 76kg |
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