STORM THE FORT

Where has the season gone....I still remember thinking about doing my first ever 70.3 and now I have completed 2 and also most recently the longest race of my life. The season has zipped by and the night and mornings are dark again,  the weather is cooling off and the season of good will and celebration is in sight (oh how I do love Christmas). Autumn is a magical time of year with lots to look at and many exciting things happening! 

STORM THE FORT DUATHLON 

What a race....

Truly one of the most challenging races I have ever been involved in. Tough from start to finish, fast, tactical and very fun!!! 

The start went off as usual, and with a front pack of 5/6 runners is was always going to be hard to know just how much to put in during the first run. It was a half Mara trail run and to be honest it was enough on its own! Hahah. The pack broke into 3 and stayed that way for the whole race. Chopping and changing throughout. I was leading the first run coming back towards T1 by around 30 seconds, but with all the up down motion I needed an un planned toilet stop and then I watched 2nd and 3rd run past! Very annoying, as I know they were both stronger on the bike than me.

A quick transition brought me back some time and onto the bike leg. Starting with a climb out of Clun, it then leveled out but not for long, before a 3k long ascent up the Kerry Ridgeway.  After 55k came two of the biggest climbs I have ever encountered in a race, one after another, leg sapping to say the least. The first climb just went on and on. After 80k on the bike I started to feel broken and keep looking back expecting to be passed but every else was struggling just as much. Coming into T2 without being passed on the bike was a great feeling, it meant I could just chase the front two down. Although with legs like lead after the toughest first run and bike segments I have ever completed in a duathlon it was going to be hard. I ran at what felt like a snail’s pace to begin, and up yet another hill (felt like a mountain). I clawed back a lot of time on second place, and coming over the last hill I start to chase him down to the finish and the sprint is on, but he had a kick left and held on.

 

The race was epic and one for anybody who likes a challenge, it most certainly lived up to being one of the toughest, if not the toughest LD duathlon in the UK. The feeling at the finish was of pure accomplishment and achievement!

It's been two weeks and my body still isn't quite there, training however is back to normal and now onto winter challenges, xc and building for 2017! But first....some warm cycling in the mountains of Benidorm!!! 

 

Vituvian age group disappointments....

To be honest with myself this is the first time I have really wanted to even think about writing about just how disappointed I was with my performance at the national 70.3 champs....it's taken a lot of time to really want to reflect. 

After a great summer of training I was able to carry some great training through, ran, cycled and swam better than ever. But...I was tired and was ready for a taper. Now as a lot of athletes do, they overload, train hard and rest the week before and event. But I was in pain and deep in fatigue. Too deep! But was confident that the taper would suffice...but it didn't. I went into the race at that I thought was a fresh state, but it wasn't. I could still feel my legs are not great but I hoped that it was the weather and nerves makes me feel rubbish. 

The weather oh the weather...it rained from the 6am sign on until, well until the next day! Biblical weather, horrible rain and at times cold. Just not nice racing conditions and made worse as I felt like I was struggling! 

Swim - this actually went okay, fastest I have swam a 1900m open water before and even involved getting out the water and run across the jetty and back into the water. 

Bike - this is where it all fell apart. I literally felt like getting off! The actual pain in my legs was almost unbearable, I just new it was going to be a long day on the bike during the first 10miles. My legs were just not there, i was soaking wet and feeling very sorry for myself. My power was low and my legs were heavy, things were not good at all. I was elated to get off the bike, but just didn't know what my legs would have. 

Run - only saving grace of the day. I did the 21k in 1.19 and some change. How this happened after struggling on the bike so much I don't know. The rain continued to pour down, but I just carried on running the faster I ran the sooner it would all be over! That's all I kept thinking! 

All in all not what I wanted at all, at all, at all! And as a wise girl said, you only feel you are as good as your last performance and in my eyes at the moment I am struggling! 

Anyways, one more race left for the season 9th October, tomorrow! 

Storm the fort duathlon. 20k run-100k bike-11k run! Gonna be a mega day out 5+ hours, but as log as I race well and am happy with my performance then that is all I can ask for and I will be happy. Only time will tell. 

http://stormthefortduathlon.com

National champs was such a shame, I am happy with my year 10m, 25m tt lbs. 10k pb and consistent performances. This was the worst perpfmance of the year, just one to love on and forget! 

Move on and stay strong....tomorrow is another day! Literally the day!