Summer Update...

What a busy summer - but not exactly in a sporting way! I have had a lovely break with my family, my best laid plans of swimming everyday were curtailed by my youngest having bronchitis and not being able to tolerate any cold water! We did compete at the Dart 18 National Championships (read on for report) and I have done a little bit of cycling but I have to confess to mainly exercising my arm whilst lifting a glass to my lips...oops!

My first event of the summer was the Manchester to Blackpool 60 mile cycle ride in July.  Chris and I were raising money to help send a friends child to Disneyland - Harrison is 8 years old and has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - a life-limiting condition which means he is losing mobility as he ages as his muscles weaken.  

After the sprint finish!  Still smiling! Pigtails flying!

Some of #TeamSkoda!

Here is a report of the day...

Well, what an experience!  I can categorically say that the organisation of getting 18 people plus bikes to and from Manchester/Blackpool was more exhausting than the ride itself!  For us regular Peak District cyclists it was totally different from the drags and drops we are used to.   

Caz and I leading the legend that is Fred Salmon! (And some random guy!)

The route was mainly flat and for us hillbillies it was not too challenging a ride, even though most of us had never covered the distance.  The scenery improved from about halfway and the roads were mainly quiet.  I would advise a novice rider to try a closed road type sportive ideally, as with the volume of cyclists - some of the cars encountered were getting quite frustrated (for good reason!).  Some of the worst obstacles were the other riders as some people were obviously not regular riders and some were downright dangerous wobbling about the road.  

Fitness was not a problem for most of our team, everyone took it at their own pace and had a group to ride with, next time I would definitely like to set off earlier to avoid the slower riders and I would only ride with one or two others - agreed beforehand.  It is very difficult waiting for people and a long day if you feel you're not progressing, in fact physically it is the time in the saddle which is the biggest hurdle for most people.  Our team worked well as we ended up in comfortable groups, but in hindsight this should probably have been agreed before the day as I personally spent about 20 miles trying (but not succeeding!) not to lose anyone and making sure nobody was on their own.  

Chris 

Once I settled into a group I found the ride really enjoyable - you feel like you are really making progress flying past people - I don't think that there was one part of the route where I lost sight of another rider! Stupidly, I made a huge mistake about 15 miles from Blackpool at one of the excellent food stops.  I obviously hadn't eaten enough en-route and was starving.  I wolfed down a chicken salad sandwich and a bakewell flapjack washed down with some tea (I know, rookie error!), this was great until I started to push for the finish, resulting in stomach cramp!  I should definitely have known better but one of my downfalls is my big appetite! 

Overall I really enjoyed the day, and I will definitely do it again, it whet my appetite for big sportives for sure.  Big thanks to Skoda for the jerseys, my Dad Alan, Chris' Dad Jim, my Mum Angela, Fred from the Bike Factory, Simon Twigg and the Whytes for driving the various vehicles and giving lifts and everyone who came and made it a really fun day!  

At the finish!

My top tips for anyone considering the Manchester to Blackpool ride would be 

• Train properly!
• Arrange as much as you can beforehand - particularly transport to and from the event
• Have your bike serviced before the day and carry spare tubes/pump
• Find a friend who is the same fitness/ability level as you to ride with
• Wear correct clothing - padded shorts are a must!
• Eat small amounts often - I regretted not following this advice!
• Watch out for other riders - inexperienced riders are unpredictable!
• Drink sips of water every 20 minutes 
• Encourage others and enjoy the atmosphere

Running Update...
Well there is good and bad news on this, as my 6 weeks rest period was drawing nearer I tried a couple of short 2.5km runs before we went away.  I wore cushioned shoes and didn't push it, wow my running fitness had disappeared!  I felt so unfit and slightly panicked at my (reduced) lung capacity!

I am not the most patient person when to comes to running, I just like going fast, but I realised I needed to be steady and take it slow.  On the Isle of Wight for our summer holiday I tried another few runs, the first was a 5km trail run, it felt ok and the highlight was encountering a lady who shouted "week 3, couch to 5k!" as we crossed paths, it was lovely!  I shouted "Well done, keep going!" and it hit me how much I have missed it.  

I did a 6 km off roader, after that and it felt great to be back on grass!  My hip didn't seem to complain too much, so I tried another, slightly quicker 4km but this was a step too far and my hip was sore for days afterwards.  I then waited 5 days and tried running home - less than 2km from the Bike Factory and it hurt again.  To say I am frustrated with it is an understatement.  I feel slow and like I may never be the same runner again, I am going to ask my physio if there is anything else I can do.  

Back in July I was approached by Runderwear to review their running briefs - I jumped at the chance and was hoping to have fully tested them by now!  I will be writing a full review of them in due course but in a nutshell, I love them!  I have cycled and run in them and find them flattering and comfortable.  Watch this space for more info on them soon!


Dart 18 National Sailing Championships 
August Bank Holiday saw the national Championships at Dee Sailing Club on the Wirral.  Chris and I have been sailing the Dart (an 18 foot catamaran) together for 18 years - Chris introduced me to the sailing circuit - both National and International - when I was just 16! We work very well as a team and have had some good results over the years including numerous club wins when we sailed at Carsington Water (we have an impressive trophy cabinet!) and then later successes at Dee sailing Club on the Wirral - our home club.  We have competed in France and Italy and had good results at the Anglesey Offshore.

When the children came along the sailing reduced massively, as happens with lots of people.  My parents have always been great and we always try to support our club where we can, the Nationals were no exception!

There were 70 boats entered and we had a mixed bag weatherwise.  On shore the wind felt strong but we had mainly light airs over the competition with the exception of one great race where it blew up to around a force 4.  

We improved over the course of the races and by race 10 we were really getting into it!  Our best results were a 17th and a 21st and we had the best time!  

Dee Sailing Club were amazing hosts as always, with highlights including a beer and a pasty after racing from the Dee Galley Gals (literally on the beach!), live music at a hilltop bar created for the event featuring local talent (and fellow Dart 18 sailor) Lucy Mayhew,  Wirral Gin!, the live band on Saturday night playing from 10pm - 1.30am non stop!, the nicest people you could ever meet, Wirral Gin! and some great sailing!

Full results here.



What's next?
I have been given the opportunity to take part in the Velo Birmingham - a 100 mile sportive, and to write about my experience for Totally Active Magazine - I am nervous but excited to take part, I just hope my holiday depleted fitness levels can make it round - watch this space!

I hope my next blog will be full of the joys of running again, but if not I am always thankful for being able to do any form of exercise so cycling and swimming and not to forget pilates will definitely be back on the menu once school recommences! 

In the meantime, happy running, sailing, cycling...

TLF x

Why not Tri a Duathlon!?

In a parallel to the December of 2013 (entering the Manchester 10k on a whim), - this time in December 2015 -  I entered a Duathlon, along with my friend Amanda.  We decided it would be fun to try something a bit different - and it was definitely different! WTF had we done!!!

The normal layout of a Duathlon is run, (road) bike, run. This tests the athletes stamina and endurance but misses out the swim phase which puts many people off (including me!)

Shutlingsloe

This particular Duathlon - the inaugural Macclesfield Forest Duathlon run by CrazyLegsEvents, was a bit different - and more up my street.  The 1st phase was a fell run up Shutlingsloe,  "A steep-sided hill with a distinctive profile, sometimes described as the 'Matterhorn of Cheshire', with an elevation of 506 m (1,660 ft) (Wikipedia). 
Race stats - 

• Run 1 - 7km (including 365m ascent to the summit of Shuttlingsloe)
• Mountain Bike - 16.5km (Three lap course within Macclesfield Forest with approximately 310m of climb per lap)
• Run 2 - 3.4km (including 222m of ascent within Macclesfield Forest)

Extremely windy recce run

After a recce of the runs and some of the MTB course (some was out of bounds until the event), Amanda and I set about training for the hilly fell run with medium length hill runs and lots of mountain biking in the Goyt Valley.  

MTB training in the beautiful Goyt Valley

Some snowy training runs on Taxal Edge

We started to add "brick" sessions (where you move directly from one phase to another) incorporating a run straight after our bike rides.  

A typical weekly plan for me was -  1 MTB followed by a 1-2k brick run incorporating hills, a medium length fell run and a shorter tempo style run of around 5k (where you run flat out for a set distance/time to increase speed).  

I also tried running straight to bike a few times but only to improve muscle memory so I covered very short distances on the run.  In hindsight, I wish I had done more of these run/bike bricks to avoid the thigh burn I got when biking up the first hill of the MTB section - you live and learn!

Taxal Edge Training run

When you start to delve into the world of multi-sports, it becomes apparent that new gear is necessary.  I invested in a cheap and cheerful "trisuit" for about 20 quid off ebay which had padding for the bike but was fine to run in as it didn't fall down like my cycling trousers. 

Ladies a warning - these garments are by no means flattering, and at times borderline obscene on some male athletes! I decided that I would wear mine as a base layer only and added running tights and a base layer top over it!  If nothing else to stop people seeing the see-through porno side panels!  It turned out to be a winning combo as I stayed warm and comfortable throughout the event.

Recce run up Shutlingsloe

I also took my bike to my local bike shop - The Bike Factory who serviced my MTB and even did a pre-race check the day before the event - well worth doing to avoid unnecessary technical failures!  Amanda taught me how to change the inner tube in case I got a puncture and I felt confident that I had prepared for the bike section as well as I could.

Nutrition-wise, I stocked up on gels which I use in all races for a boost of energy (the texture is an acquired taste but they do work) and I bought some electrolyte tablets to use in my OMM last drop 10 back-pack for the cycling section.  A friend of mine recommended them to stop cramp and help rehydrate quickly.  

On the day!

A welcome downhill section

I have never been as nervous as I was for this event - I was worried about transition - would I fanny around for 10 minutes whilst everyone else hopped onto their professional looking bikes and left me for dead?  Would everyone pass me on the bike phase? It was fear of the unknown.

As I racked my bike (get me!) on the makeshift wooden stands I felt ok, I had all my gear in order in my box (which I had tipped toys out of the day before!).  I was good to go!  My timing predictions were approx 40 minutes for the first run, 1 hour 30 minutes for the bike and 15-18 minutes for the final run - a total guesstimated time of around 2 hours and 30 minutes with transitions.  

The weather could not have been worse.  It poured down with freezing rain the whole time - those poor marshals must have been so cold!  I wore my Montane Atomic jacket for the whole of the 3 phases, a very unusual move by me, I normally have a strict 2 layer rule, but the wetness would have been unbearable so coat it was! I was glad of it and it performed so well (well worth the £100 investment).  

The first run went as expected, I ran the whole thing as quickly as I could without burning all my energy - I knew this was my strongest phase and I utilised my strengths.  I ran a bit slower than normal on the uphills but then made up loads of ground on the non-fellrunning types on the downs.  I wore my fell shoes which were a godsend until disaster struck!

Coming into transition 1 I was running strong and I made the huge mistake of stepping onto the timing mat - I slipped sideways with full force landing in the mud in front of spectators and marshals!  I must have hit it with some force as the mat stopped working for about 3 competitors after me who didn't get timed! Bet I was popular!

I was so annoyed with myself but only my pride was hurt.  As I reached my bike I took a second to breathe through the pain in my leg which was stinging like mad, but on inspection I hadn't ripped my clothing so I assumed I had just scraped it.  

Coming into transition for the second run phase

I powered on and made it through transition relatively quickly.  Onto the bike phase and wow what a baptism of fire it was!  After the first of the 3 laps I was ready to bail.  It was only the knowledge that people had come to support us,  and Amanda wasn't far behind which kept me going.  It was bloody awful. Lets not pretend that, at times, pushing yourself isn't just hideous!  But, no pain - no gain right?!

People were dismounting left right and centre as the hills were so steep, the section we hadn't recce'd turned out to be brutal - a massive muddy puddle (as deep as my whole wheel) followed by a really steep ascent to the top of a huge hill.   I remember thinking to myself, why do I do these things!  But I soldiered on and found that when I got off the bike my legs went into instant cramp so after the first lap I stayed on the bike the whole time and it helped me to focus and keep going.

Being extra careful over the timing mats!

Onto the second transition I was very careful not to step on the mats! I felt good going into the run and powered through the transition area, it was short lived as I hit the first hill! My legs would not play ball with my head!  I managed to keep going and even felt a bit tearful that I had made it! It really was tough!  I finished at a strong pace  but I felt tired and weary! Amanda finished not far behind me and we were both really pleased we had trained properly.

My results were 2:34:27 so I was not far out with my estimation!

I was 6th lady out of 16 entered and 66th overall.  I was very pleased with that!

Happy its all over!

On refection I would definitely do a duathlon again, but maybe one which is slightly less hilly!  Watch this space!  I'm now in training for a Triathlon in July!  So I need to start swim and road bike training!  Wish me luck and I will keep you posted with my race reports and training progress.

Ouch!  My impressive bruises!