You can't stop progress...

The race season is definitely upon us (it's just a shame a change in the weather isn't following too.) Todays race (above pic courtesy of Khara's other half Steve) was The Stokesley Duathlon, run 5km, bike 30km, run 5km again. It wasn't an important race for me but it's good to get a measure of roughly where I am and also to get the feel and taste for racing. I can rarely push myself as hard in training as I do when I'm racing. What I have to remember though is that I'm racing on tired legs and I can't expect to set the world on fire with my times. So todays race was about maintaining a constant effort and heart rate on the bike. Keeping away from heart rate spikes that pushing too hard for short bursts create and also avoiding the heart rate lows that switching off and not pushing hard enough on the down hills create. This is an area that I need much work on.

I started the run and felt a little sluggish (after a hard and very very busy day yesterday I didn't expect to feel fresh.) I always try to negative split the runs in a duathlon but the distance of this one made it hard to pace. I was roughly about 8th or 9th girl after the first run but managed to make up 2 or 3 places on the bike. The bike course was great and suited me well, not too technical and with lots of flat sections, hills that weren't bad at all and downhills that I could stay on my tri bars for. So I concentrated on trying to maintain an even heart rate and was relatively successful for the first lap but just felt it slip away from me on the second lap and when a girl who I'd beaten on the first run came past me I just couldn't go with her. I know I have the strength and I know I have the ability but I just can't get the transfer from brain to legs to sync. Off the bike and onto the second run & I knew I'd used my legs in the ride as they felt dead. Because I'm an inconsistent rider I sometimes think I save my legs purely because I haven't got the ability to nail the bike so there's always something to give on the run at the end. It was good (in a not good way) to feel like I'd used them today as it means I can tick the box which says 'progress'. I felt like a little snail on the run and it's so short it was practically over just as I was getting into a rhythm but I'm pleased to say I still negative split the run by 20secs and managed to re-catch the girl that over took me on the bike and was gaining on the girl in 4th place. Overall I'm pleased. Today wasn't about performance for me, I used it as my learning curve. And many of the other races that I've entered before Germany I will do the same for. Tom & I had a good look at my heart rate data and it was nice to see the line a lot flatter than usual without as many steep peaks and deep troughs. I'll plug, plug, plug away until I get it right.

A good end to a good week of hard training and time for bed already, a very early night for two very tired people. Tom is gutted about his DNF today but he's always amazing support when he spectates so it was fantastic to have him out there shouting me on. Well done to Khara too who did her first multi-sport event and looked strong and comfortable when I saw her on the two runs, I'm really pleased she enjoyed it, it's great and challenging sport. There were a handful of our tri club out there today too and the sportsmanship that comes to being affiliated to the same club is great with everyone shouting each other on, I love it... but it's definitely time for sleep........zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........zzzzzzzzzzzz

Night all.

Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato

H. x