21st August - Aquathlon Summer Series Race 5/5

I missed race 4/5 because it was the week before the Ironman and didnt really want to take too much out of the bank so close.

Prior to this, I'd been really trying to get some speed sessions in but i've been totally shagged (not in a good way) from the ironman, so have been taking more rest days and skipping some of the sessions I'd planned.

I'm doing an Olympic distance tri in a few weeks and have a time in mind that I'd realy love to do the run in, which means my training has been largely run focussed to work on negative and even splits and bike intervals, I also finally got back in the water after 3 weeks but surprisingly hadn't lost much form. But with all good intentions have come temptations of nights out, summer evenings in the pub, lazy lie ins, bad food... you know how it is.

Well the aquathlon was much the same as every other one i've done. It had been raining, was really muggy and was pretty windy particularly on the way back on the run, the swim was uneventful, I was sharing my lane with a guy who is always out the water just a few seconds ahead of me, and I can never quite catch on the run, he's pretty hot (for a 50 year old)if you can imagine a slightly smaller linford christie in a tri suit...?! Another guy also joked that it was his missinon to beat him one month. So it's now also my mission :)

(Needless to say he came in 90 seconds ahead of me overall)

My swim was quite pleasant really, after the terrible time in Switzerland I'd been a bit put off by getting back in the water but i pushed hard, tried to focus on technique and got out in 8:06 which is about right for me, rather undignified haul out of the water onto the side like a beached whale, then ran ou of transition and onto the run.

I overtook all the women who had got out ahead (including some bag who had been boasting and banging on about London Tri) went past the faster but slower swimmers, and tried to get a good time. But my legs felt like lead still, i was stomping the ground like a heffalump, but as much as i wanted to stop, I've not DNF'd yet in a race i'm not about to start getting into bad habits now.

I could see a bit ahead near the turn around a guy who's normally way ahead of me, (the one who wanted to beat linfordalike) and worked on catvhing him up. i turned round to run back and ran straight into a wall of wind, chevked my watch and was 10:30, if I could get back in an even time i'd go 21 which would be pretty good going after the slow pace i've been training at for the last 6 months. I caught u pwith the other guy eventually, using him as a marker to get past, the wind was pushing me back all the time and making me cross.

I pushed on towards my least favourite bit of the route and thankfully it wasnt so open so got some respite from the wind and trudged on through the finish, pouring with sweat, it was proper humid and grim. I was first lady back and run time was 22.02 which isn't actually too shabby all things considered. Am hoping once I've lost some weight and I'm more run fit i'll be able to bang out 20's.

As the race was a series, it was best of 5 and I wont 4 of them, so I got a prize - yay! :)

Will most likely do the winter series too, as even though last year was fucking freezing and icy it's a nice distance to keep my brain and legs in check (and stop me gonig out on the piss on a friday night!)