Racing season is here...

The London Marathon kicked off the beginning of our final push to Germany and already that's two weeks in the distance and I'm sitting here writing this having raced in the Ashbourne Duathlon yesterday. Where is the time going? And why hasn't it stopped raining yet?

With the marathon still in my legs I went into Ashbourne using it as a structured, focussed, hard training session. I'm not sharp enough (nor should I be) to be feeling tip top and also Duathlon (run/bike/run) just ain't my bag, especially when the distances aren't suited to my good endurance base. Ashbourne is a 12km (very hilly run) a 40km (very hilly bike) and then a 4km (flat run.) My aim for the race was to stay as switched on as possible, oh and not kill myself on the dangerous descents! But then I remembered I was a girl and the fear of death by far outweighed the adrenalin rush from descending at speed (I'll leave that one to the boys!)

The weather was perfect, beautiful blue sky and real warmth in the sun, I think yesterday we had Summer, hope you enjoyed it! The first run takes you round Carsington water with it's deceitfully hilly surroundings. Steep hills and sharp descents ensure your legs get a good battering before you get out on the bike for more of the same. I was very wary about the bike because so many people were talking about how hard the hills were and how fast and dangerous the descents were. I tell you cycling in the Dales makes hills anywhere else look like bumps in the road. The hills weren't anything for me to be scared about, there was never a point when I thought I could fall off because they were steep (and that's what I call a hill, so many of the buggers in the Dales.) The descents I was cautious on. I hadn't ridden or driven the course so I had no idea what was ahead and it is a technical ride. I enjoyed the bike though and got a good amount of consistent effort into it, got into T2 in one piece and then nearly got disqualified for unbuckling my helmet before I'd racked my bike, oops!!!

The second run for me is normally where I can claw a little bit of time back. Not being as strong as I'd like on the bike I have to rely on the fact that I can run quite well off it. Unfortunately the second run was a mere 4km, 17mins of work, just far too short to be catching anyone. So in a way once you're off the bike the race is done. It was a great training session though and I did 2.47. Not amazing, but not bad, 11th girl out of a very strong fast field but huge gaps between me and the duathletes in there. Still, if they want to come and see what it's like in the real world they'll have to come and play Ironman ;)

The above pic is me, our mate Daz (who knocked 9mins off last years time, well done Daz) and Tom in the car park before the race started. Well done to Ben G and his brother Max who did really well and to fellow LBT'er Donna Edmondson Booker who's dust I'm forever eating!

Let the race season begin, it's on a roll now and there's no stopping it, eeeek!!!

H. x