Winging it

I’ve been a triathlon addict since 2011, after being talked into trying the Windsor relay, progressing up through 1/2 IM and then IM. Possibly overdoing it with four IM races in 2015 but as a terrible swimmer, winter duathlons come as a welcome change. Five times up box-hill? Why not. After having ‘fun’ at the Ballbuster last year - just turning up, winging it but still posting a decent time - the plan this year was to follow an autumn ultra-marathon with a solid block of training and nailing a PB. The reality, as ever, wasn’t even close, consisting of a failed ultra-marathon attempt and recovering from dehydration and muscle damage. Then Flu. Then a throat infection. Not ideal. The standard pre race-week weather checks hadn’t looked at all promising, but I was still hoping vainly that it wouldn’t be so bad in the morning. Driving over I optimistically pointed out it was dry, just as the heavens opened. Some races seem to be a tutorial in what not to do, this was to be one of ...

So, rambling race report warning Last weekend it was time for a solo trip out to Lanzarote for the half ironman race. The plan being to recce the route/event to decide whether the full Lanzarote Ironman appealed next year. After failing in my reasoned negotiations with airport security to permit my 125ml rice pudding through (lethal apparently) I waved forlornly to my disappearing snack and headed to the plane. Chatted to a nice family on the plane (husband and son racing) who promised to cheer me on if they saw me. Now there's a certain type of person who catches a Thursday night flight out for a long weekend in Lanzarote it seems, the fun started with the pilot having to invoke the seatbelt sign to get a rowdy hen party to sit down and behave. Thankfully I'd based myself in the hills in the middle of the island away from, well pretty much everyone. Slight tense start hitting the road, at night, in the dark on the wrong side of the road in a manual left hand drive car dri...