Rightzone Triathlon

The Ditch – VERY funny

// March 26th, 2008 // No Comments » // Races, Running races, Video

I’ve worked out how to embed some YouTube footage. This is extremely funny….and quite long.

Back in the running – Leith Hill Half Marathon

// March 9th, 2008 // No Comments » // Races, Running races

Well after the last fairly miserable post I'm tip tapping a merrier tune this evening. A dose of hooky antibiotics saw off the chest infection that I previously referred to. Pretty much the morning after I posted last Friday I was feeling a lot better and went for a swim. Then last Sunday I knocked out a 20 mile training run (naturally pretty impatient to get back into things). Possibly a little ambitious, some might say reckless given the close proximity of the illness. But 20 miles it was and I felt GREAT. Since then I've run 85 miles in 8 days. That's the most I've ever managed in my life. I'm really keen to hit March hard. In the past I've got to March feeling mentally sick of running and not managed to put anywhere near enough mileage in. One of the athletes I look up to the most (especially for the marathon) is Irish triathlete Eoin O'Connell. We've run quite a lot together in the past and although he's always been quite a bit better I have noticed that he really ramps up the training in March when it counts. So there's my inspiration.

Today I ran the Leith Hill Half marathon (near Dorking). Supposedly the 2nd hilliest half marathon in the country and pretty much a knarly 13.1 mile cross country race. I didn't feel to great for the first 2-3 miles but wasn't unduly concerned given the volume I've turned in over the past 8 days. A gel at 3 miles and things started to pick up. I'd been in contact with the lead pack for the first mile but 5 had run away on the steep technical climbs. At one point there was nobody in sight behind……and nobody in sight ahead.  Due to the out and back nature of the course I knew I'd get a chance to see what the damage was at half way (the tower on Leith Hill, the highest point in South East England). But nearing the final climb to the tower I spotted Fraser Dawson (an ex turbo, a legend and known in the club as "Awesome Dawson"). I popped another gel and was starting to feel very strong now. At the tower I noticed I was catching 5th, 4th and 3rd. On the return leg (which was mainly downhill) I quickly reeled in Dawson, a fading 4th pace runner and set off in pursuit of 3rd place (the bloke who'd pipped me into 4th at the G3!). I couldn't quite catch him and finished in 4th in a time of 1.28.13.  It may not sound like a particuarly good time but that's 6m44s miles over an extremely testing course (both elevation and terrain). 

Results and more info at http://www.trionium.com/leithhillhalf/

The plan for the next 2 days is complete rest. Then I'll try and knock in 95 miles in 8 days (just done 85 in 8 days).

Fingers crossed I stay healthy and injury free.  

G3 10k Fell Run

// January 13th, 2008 // No Comments » // Races, Running races

The first race of 2008 (Bushy Park Time Trials don't count) and my first shot at a G3 race organised by Toby Jenkins from All About Triathlons. The G3 races aren't your regular 10k running race as they involve sand, grass, mud and around 250m of climbing. If you're contemplating entering either of the two remaining races I'd recommend you invest in either a set of fell running shoes (with pyramid soles) or cross country spikes. I opted for the spikes.

Closer inspection of the start / finish line loaned to Toby by John Lunt showed that any sprint finishes would require me to duck. The ASICs sponsored banner was little more than 6ft off the ground. The start was a fairly low key affair with a quick 3-2-1 resulting in the off for 350 hardy runners. I was careful not to start too hard and the 1st mile reminded me of those cold inter school cross country races I'd tackled as an asthmatic teenager. I steamed past my dad who was marshalling and I wondered if he was thinking back to the 1979 Hambledon Fell race where he'd gone off way too fast with the leaders only to fade badly for the remainder of the race. The only photograph to make the paper had him in shot, just before he passed mum and me.

The first major downhill of the race was straight down a very steep, slippery grass field and I can honestly say I was totally in the hands of my trusty spikes.  The shorter chap who was leading must have been equally out of control as I wasn't gaining on him. Then we started the big climb to St Martha's church. Not only was this a deep sandy climb, but it was also bloody steep. I was relieved to get over the top in 2nd and I could still see the leader. It was pretty much up and down through the woods from there on in and I lost my grip on 2nd place to another shorter (ok I was probably the tallest runner anyway) chap who can't have weighed more than about 9 stone. He was putting in 20m into me every time we went down and I was now realising why I didn't like the spikes. They're too small!! My big toes were starting to hurt like hell but I don't think it slowed me down much. The course then started to head for home and I noted we'd gone through 5km in 20mins 10seconds. Surely we were on for a decent time considering last year the race was won in 44mins.  I kept pace with the short skinny chap and was reeling him in on the long climb back up to St Marthas church. In the back of my mind I was contented with 3rd place as I knew there would be a prize for this. Then another short skinny Serpentine RC chap ran past us both looking like he'd paced the whole thing beautifully. I was dying as was went over the summit and thought back to the Southern Cross Country champs in 2005 (the last time I did an off road running race) when I'd faded in the later stages. Must be a strength thing, give me a flat road to run on and I'd take em all on.

The final fast descent was agony for my poor blackened big toes and rather strangely I was looking forward to the final 1km climb to the finish line. I didn't feel strong and I coudn't reel in the chap in 3rd place so I had to settle for 4th place. I finished 43mins 22seconds which was less than 2 mins behind the winner but 1 min ahead of the 2007 winning time. Frustrating that they moved the goal posts. I had thought that a sub 44 min run would win it.

Thames Turbo Sigma Sport team members Liz Pinches and Helen Smith finished in 4th and 5th place in the ladies race and John Taylor, Mark Cobb and Marcus Allon completed the list of Turbos who taken part.

Results can be found at http://www.allabouttriathlons.co.uk/data/results/results_g3_jan08.pdf

1. James Walker 41.36

4. Roger Barr 43.22

38. Liz Pinches 52.50(4th Lady)

68. Helen Smith 55.48 (5th Lady)

82. John Taylor 57.22 

89. Mark Cobb 58.37

193. Marcus Allon 1.07.25 

Disappointed but glad to be in one piece – London Marathon 2006

// April 24th, 2006 // No Comments » // Physio Diary, Races, Running races

I finished the 2006 London Marathon in 2hrs 49mins 49s. So why the long face?

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How to run well at the London Marathon – by Greg Stevens

// April 13th, 2006 // No Comments » // Articles, Races, Running races

Given so many of us are training for it I thought I’d pass on some of the ideas I’ve developed over the last few years on running the fastest race you can. This isn’t about training. I’m assuming you’ve done some of the standard training. (more…)

Reading Half Marathon 2006

// April 12th, 2006 // No Comments » // Races, Running races

Finished in 38th out of 9000 in a time of 1.16.44.

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