Rother Valley Sprint Duathlon 2016
Posted: 02 Mar 2016 12:23Where: Rother Valley Country Park and environs
When: 27th February 2016
Organiser:TLS Events http://www.tlsevents.co.uk/
Distance(s): 5k run, 25k bike 3k run
Marshalling: Loads
Facilities: water/jelly bean/flap jack etc on run routes
Technical: Chip timing
Freebies:T shirt, finishers medal
So my lunatic friend Lucy (mother of five but looks about twelve and wonders why supermarkets refuse to serve her alcohol) messaged me on Friday at 10.00 saying ‘I’m racing at the Rother Valley Duathlon tomorrow, they are still accepting entries’ ‘Lucy, I’ve not ridden a bike since September, I’m on work up to April’ ‘It will be fun’.
Of course I entered.
So less than 24 hours later I rocked up, met Lucy, registered and racked. There were about 50 bikes racked up for both the Standard and Sprint which was a change from the usual 500-1,000.
No toilet queues. It was bloody freezing.
The Standards set off, five minutes later we lined up and off.
5k run
Cold trot around the lake, no dramas, legs felt OK. Thought I did about 25mins which is what I was aiming for at my current fitness.
23.20
T1
Procrastinated about putting a jersey on, decided not to, surely by being aero on the bike the cold air will just go around me?
Seemed reasonable at the time.
1.16
25k Bike, 277m of ascent
First 3k gradual 40 odd m ascent out through the park and then along the main road with some uppy downy bits, average 23.5kph max 46kph. Left at the mini roundabout the next 1k steeper ascent to start of the loop, steepest bit about 12ish % average 15.5kph max 25.9kph. Phew, glad I got that out of the way, oh wait that’s just the start. Next 3k more uppy downy av 24.6 max 54.4kph, saw Lucy at the side of the road with Ruth a friend of hers, Ruth had a non contact disagreement with a car and was badly shaken and Lucy was going to go back with her. Bum.
Left onto the 2.5k drop to Harthill but a 1k drag midway just to spoil things, av 27.7 max 50.8 kph. Climbing definitely needs work. Left flick at Harthill then more uppy uppy downy but with two of the uppy bits you could get a good pace on the preceding descent to get most way up the uppy, av 25.8 max 50 kph. Then back on the loop.
Average for first loop 25.6 max 54.4 kph.
Second loop, more of the same, av 25.4 max 53.3 kph.
My theory about cold air steaming was proving to be incorrect.
Head for home. Next 2k descent to the RV park, first k was a bendy bit so I just tucked down covering and feathering my brakes so only av 32.4 max 43.6kph, then right flick for next 1k which was a bit more fun 38.6 av max 60.8. Then left flick onto the RV park road keeping an eye on the speed bumps as didn’t want to go flying off into the bushes, a more moderate 29.0 av max 47.5 kph. Saw Lucy and Ruth just before T2 walking in.
A rather disappointing 58.20, my PB was 50.39. Did I mention I was cold?
T2
No dramas
0.40
3k run
Slight jelly/frozen chunky legs to start then into my stride. I actually felt quite strong and was enjoying it even though I was putting in max effort. Out to the turn around point, 6.40, then back. Max effort continued, nothing spared, last 750m put everything I had left in. Did negative split 6.10
12.50
Total 1:37
Met up with Lucy and Ruth. They had marched into the coffee shop and said ‘can we have two coffees with lots of sugar, we don’t have any money, we are f#### freezing’ they got the coffee.
Overall I was happy with the race, cold but could have also been windy and rainy but it wasn’t so can’t grumble too much. Yes I was not prepared but it demonstrated that I was not broken, nothing hurt and all I need to do now is to develop that base for the coming season.
Apparently it was TLS events first event of this type, a few glitches on organisation but to be expected, nothing major. Marshalling and volunteers, excellent; there were plenty and as always much appreciated.
13th out of 21 racers
1st in Vet 50+ AG
When: 27th February 2016
Organiser:TLS Events http://www.tlsevents.co.uk/
Distance(s): 5k run, 25k bike 3k run
Marshalling: Loads
Facilities: water/jelly bean/flap jack etc on run routes
Technical: Chip timing
Freebies:T shirt, finishers medal
So my lunatic friend Lucy (mother of five but looks about twelve and wonders why supermarkets refuse to serve her alcohol) messaged me on Friday at 10.00 saying ‘I’m racing at the Rother Valley Duathlon tomorrow, they are still accepting entries’ ‘Lucy, I’ve not ridden a bike since September, I’m on work up to April’ ‘It will be fun’.
Of course I entered.
So less than 24 hours later I rocked up, met Lucy, registered and racked. There were about 50 bikes racked up for both the Standard and Sprint which was a change from the usual 500-1,000.
No toilet queues. It was bloody freezing.
The Standards set off, five minutes later we lined up and off.
5k run
Cold trot around the lake, no dramas, legs felt OK. Thought I did about 25mins which is what I was aiming for at my current fitness.
23.20
T1
Procrastinated about putting a jersey on, decided not to, surely by being aero on the bike the cold air will just go around me?
Seemed reasonable at the time.1.16
25k Bike, 277m of ascent
First 3k gradual 40 odd m ascent out through the park and then along the main road with some uppy downy bits, average 23.5kph max 46kph. Left at the mini roundabout the next 1k steeper ascent to start of the loop, steepest bit about 12ish % average 15.5kph max 25.9kph. Phew, glad I got that out of the way, oh wait that’s just the start. Next 3k more uppy downy av 24.6 max 54.4kph, saw Lucy at the side of the road with Ruth a friend of hers, Ruth had a non contact disagreement with a car and was badly shaken and Lucy was going to go back with her. Bum.
Left onto the 2.5k drop to Harthill but a 1k drag midway just to spoil things, av 27.7 max 50.8 kph. Climbing definitely needs work. Left flick at Harthill then more uppy uppy downy but with two of the uppy bits you could get a good pace on the preceding descent to get most way up the uppy, av 25.8 max 50 kph. Then back on the loop.
Average for first loop 25.6 max 54.4 kph.
Second loop, more of the same, av 25.4 max 53.3 kph.
My theory about cold air steaming was proving to be incorrect.
Head for home. Next 2k descent to the RV park, first k was a bendy bit so I just tucked down covering and feathering my brakes so only av 32.4 max 43.6kph, then right flick for next 1k which was a bit more fun 38.6 av max 60.8. Then left flick onto the RV park road keeping an eye on the speed bumps as didn’t want to go flying off into the bushes, a more moderate 29.0 av max 47.5 kph. Saw Lucy and Ruth just before T2 walking in.
A rather disappointing 58.20, my PB was 50.39. Did I mention I was cold?
T2
No dramas
0.40
3k run
Slight jelly/frozen chunky legs to start then into my stride. I actually felt quite strong and was enjoying it even though I was putting in max effort. Out to the turn around point, 6.40, then back. Max effort continued, nothing spared, last 750m put everything I had left in. Did negative split 6.10
12.50
Total 1:37
Met up with Lucy and Ruth. They had marched into the coffee shop and said ‘can we have two coffees with lots of sugar, we don’t have any money, we are f#### freezing’ they got the coffee.
Overall I was happy with the race, cold but could have also been windy and rainy but it wasn’t so can’t grumble too much. Yes I was not prepared but it demonstrated that I was not broken, nothing hurt and all I need to do now is to develop that base for the coming season.
Apparently it was TLS events first event of this type, a few glitches on organisation but to be expected, nothing major. Marshalling and volunteers, excellent; there were plenty and as always much appreciated.
13th out of 21 racers
1st in Vet 50+ AG
