Nothing worth seeing here.

Right, lets get back to training talk and what the hell I'm going to do about this damn Ironman I've entered. Work never gets any better and I can't believe that anybody gives a rats about anybodys job but their own. That was a one off whinge, never to be repeated - Sorted!

So, after the Easter Saturday Burrows Run of a thousand pictures I managed to drag myself out for a 25mile bike ride. On Easter Sunday I bettered that and rode 40miles, things were looking up. Then on Easter Monday I popped down the Road to race the.........

Bampton to Tiverton Road Race

I woke up on the morning feeling as though someone had battered my legs with a steak hammer. The previous 2 days bike rides had been my first of the year on my QR Tri bike and they'd killed me. Still I jumped in the car and drove the 35miles to Tiverton to register for the race. The organisers run buses to the race start as it's a point to point but I wanted a long run so I drove the 7miles to Bampton, that way I'd 'have' to run back again after.

The race started well, too well actually as I found myself up inside the top 10. Mile 1 went past in 5:31 (ooops), Mile 2 went past in 5:37 (heck). This was far too fast, especially since I'd got to run 7miles back after. At 2.5miles my tired legs started complaining and I had to let the 2 lads with me escape on an uphill section. Miles 3 & 4 went by and even though I was dying I was holding sub 6's so I pushed on. I had a couple of team mates behind me and decided that I'd keep pushing until they caught and past me. At 5miles I got overtaken but not by a clubmate so I tried not to lose too much ground. Mile 6 was the toughest as it had a bitchin little climb in it that really smacked your legs. I caught the lad who'd gone past me earlier, with a mile to go and him struggling I decided to put it all on the line (check the very rare pic of me working 'and blind' thanks to clubmate Damo). Finishing with another sub 6min/mile I managed to finish 10th overall in a time of 41:51 for the 7.1mile course.
After catching my breath, watching my clubmates finish and chatting to folks I could hold off the inevitable no longer and it was time to run back. I really didn't feel like it after racing much harder than I'd meant to, but it actually turned out to be ok. I held 7's all the way back although I have to admit I wouldn't have wanted to run any further, the last mile was real hard going.

After the race things went a bit slack. On the Tuesday I went to the running club with Shelly but I didn't run with them, instead I left Shelly there as she's trying to get back into running and I ran the 5miles home along the Tarka Trail with Rosie. Wedesday I was just a mess and didn't train, Thursday I was just as big a mess but I still took the pup out although I had to turn around and only managed 4.5miles. Friday I really couldn't face a run but wouldn't miss my squad swim session and then although I'd planned an 80mile bike ride on Saturday it all fell apart and I did nothing yet again, but then Sunday was the ............

Burnham Aquathlon

After making the 90min drive to see the folks at their caravan on Saturday we all got up ready and raring to go on Sunday morning. We drove down to the freshly renovated pool, registered and milled around waiting for the start and chatting to folks we hadn't seen since the last events of the 2008 Tri season. Soon it was time to get changed ready to race. I headed onto poolside for the race brief, set up my transition area (number belt, glasses and trainers) and headed to my lane. There were 4 of us all due to start the 1000m swim together so we had a chat amongst ourselves and worked out a start order. 3 of us were a very similar speed and the 4th was easily faster than any of us, so he went 1st (I went off 3rd). For 40lengths our little group of 3 stayed packed tightly together, I moved into 2nd place when I sensed that the lad ahead of me was tiring and the swim was over in 13:41. A slightly disappointing time, but still 2nd fastest overall a full minute behind the leader of our lane. With 3 of us out of the pool on each others feet even the transition was a race, I held my positon though and was soon heading for the beach run. On the very first turning as we left the pool I felt the insole of my left foot slide to the side, I knew this was going to be trouble as it meant running 10k with my feet rubbing on the trainers stitching, there wasn't time to stop though. I soon opened a gap on my fellow swimmers and headed off after the race leader. Along the beach, over the dunes and onto the golf course my target got ever closer, then I caught him on a long single track stretch of path. I hoped that as we'd all stopped politely when he'd lapped us in the pool he'd repay the favour on the run. A gap came and went, he didn't pull over. Another gap came and went, he still didn't pull over. I didn't wait for a 3rd, I just shoulder barged him out of the way and ran past.

I was now leading the race, but knew I was on borrowed time as chasing me down was World Age Group Duathlon Champion Gary Gerrard. Don't get me wrong, I'm no slouch on the run but there's a big difference between someone who runs 36mins+ and someone who runs 32mins for a straight 10k. I held my lead for the rest of the first lap and then I was caught just as we hit the sand dunes on the 2nd lap. After that Gary disappeared into the distance and I pretty much cruised around knowing that the win was gone but 2nd place was a safe bet. In the end I was 1:21 behind Gary but 1:19 ahead of 3rd place, so 2nd place (or 1st loser) it was.

After the race I ran 7.5miles back to the caravan with the pup. A full on headwind didn't make for a quick run and strangly Rosie really didn't seem to enjoy it. Once the weekend was over I returned to lazy Iain status and another ig week at work didn't help me. Monday was totally lacking. Tuesday I clambered onto the turbo trainer but couldn't get into it so after 35mins I clambered off , pulled on my trainers and took the pup out for a swift 3mile run. Wednesday was my Running Clubs Relay night, a competition we have against all the local running clubs at various venues. Wednesdays relays were just around the corner so I ran there (2miles) with Rosie, raced a lap (2.3miles), then cruised a warm down lap before running home with the pup, enough for 8.8miles in total. Wednesday I once again did nothing and Friday was no different except that as it was a Friday I had to swim. Today I managed to turbo for an hour before getting dragged out to Rock Park for a steady 2mile with Shelly and her group before running 5mile back home with Rosie.

Tomorrow is London Marathon so Good Luck to anybody who is racing that happens to stumble across this blog. I may or may not be running Neolithic Marathon next weekend, but as of yet I've no confirmation either way. My entry went off a little late, my cheque hasn't been cashed 'as yet' but that doesn't really mean anything. So long as I know for next weekend that's all that matters.

Until next post... Seeee ya.