Swim, Bike, Run - Lincoln

Sunday 27th saw Steve W and Emma S on the start line of the Dave Lloyd Lincoln Sprint Triathlon (Swim 400m / Bike 22K  / Run 5K). This is a well organised and popular event with something like 600 competitors throwing their hat in the ring this year.

The bike course for this race has a notorious hill at about the two mile mark where the traditionally flat(ish) Lincolnshire countryside - undoubtedly for perfectly explicable geological reasons - suddenly changes levels. The hill is only short but it is brutal. It really is bottom-gear-and-grind stuff and it is common to see people off and pushing (funny in cleated bike shoes), or quite literally falling over sideways whilst still attached to the bike.

Both Go Veggies knew what to expect though (see Emma's bike choice) and survived the encounter unscathed, apart - that is - from the general sensation that that kind of thing can't be good for you.

Though complaining (again) of not feeling so good, Steve won his age group and was 15th overall whilst Emma - who paced the event really competently - just sneaked into the top 10 in her age group and only just missed out on a top-half-of-the-entire field placing (including all male competitors).

Kinder Scout Ultra Prep

Steve C is in the last phase of preparation for the Evesham Ultra 45-ish mile grueller in a couple of weekends' time and spurred on by sidekick Len decided to do an in-no-way-bonkers warm up by attacking the Peak District's infamous Kinder Scout. Good weather and a full-of-beans Len saw the full 15K fell well and truly ran in only 2hrs and 20mins.

Len sorted the summit selfie whilst Steve enjoyed some mesmerising displays thanks to a chance interplay of wind and water droplets which did a good job of inspiring a sense of well-being pending the by now customary post-fells pub visit.

Anyone who hasn't had a half of lager on an empty stomach after running for 2hrs+ may wish to experiment.

Mr Consistent

Go Veggie's number one time-trialist Rob Dickinson, who rides 1st claim for Clitheroe Bike Club, is consistently hammering out top-20 overall finishes in this year's Lakes & Lancs SpoCo series.

These events are tough and highly competitive; frequently attended by best-in-the-land riders, including the odd visit here and there by pro racers looking to sharpen up their speed training and bike handling skills.

Speaking of bike handling, the courses are all, as the name suggests, 'Sporting Courses' which is - if we are being honest - a euphemistic term for evil. On the ground L&L SpoCo means lots of twists and turns, ferocious hills, an abundance of poor road surfaces, often dramatic upland weather, unexpected tractors / animals, and 'interesting' farmyard debris etc.

Basically, to ride competitively in these events - which can be anywhere in the region of 10 to 50 miles, you have to be fit, strong, skilful and super-confident. They are not for everyone, but they are a true reflection of time-trialling prowess - in exactly the same way that being sucked along a dual carriageway 'corridor' by massive articulated trucks - is not.

Rob is featuring well in the overall standings at the moment and is consistently up there in his MV age category.

Keep banging them in Rob, we doff our caps in genuine respect.

Almost an AGM

GO VEGGIE had a good turnout at the Joe Salt Memorial multi-terrain 5K on Wednesday evening (9th April). The race was based around the very pretty landscape of Cowm Reservoir near Rochdale but the views came at the price of a steep, straight-off-the-start-line climb of about 350m duration that had even the most experienced runners popping and wheezing. Who needs peripheral vision anyway?

As if by design, the 5 GVs present strung out almost equidistantly through the field so no matter the level of competitor ability, everyone there had a GO VEGGIE shirt either just in front, or just behind them. We promise it wasn't planned this way.

Fastest GV time was somewhere in the short 19s, slowest was in the short 24s. More details to follow when full results published.

First Bearded Tri

Steve W raced in his first sprint triathlon of the new season last Sunday (6th April) at South Hunsley, East Yorkshire. Distances were S400m / B24K / R5K. The bike course on this particular event has some ferocious descents and rain on the day made simply staying upright something of a priority.

All worked out well, and though reported to still be lacking a bit of bike speed, Steve comfortably won in his age category and managed a 5th position overall.

Because he didn't crash and went OK, Steve now superstitiously refuses to shave off his full and manly beard, someone needs to have a word...

Wakefield 10K

Emma S and Rosie Wigg both competed in the Wakefield 10K road race on Sunday and had the pleasure of 5K of nagging headwind to add a little spice to the already wearing, relentlessly undulating, course.

Both performed really well. Emma was 11/98 in her age group and Rose 4/110. Rose continues to improve and was close to her 10K PB, in spite of this not being a fast course. That sub 45min 10K still beckons!

The Trunce

It's as esoteric as it is hard, the massively famous - but only if you know somebody that knows somebody - Trunce.

A proper no nonsense, no frills, no-divas-thank-you off road race series that is only learned about through whispers in dark corners of club rooms.

There are no marshals, no route markers, no changing areas; there are though, plenty of grizzled old sweats who've been running the fells since they were teenagers. It's the kind of event you only do once, or can't stop doing.

Mick and Rose gave it a go last Monday night. It remains to be seen if they will return...

Muddy Bottoms

Last Sunday saw Steve C in action (minus Len who was relegated to spectator) in the LDWA Muddy Bottoms 17 mile event held around Bamber Bridge, Preston. Many LDWA events are thinly disguised endurance cross country / fell races and generally best avoided for people with a weak (or even normal) constitution.

This particular event included a route description and map and a promise of getting wet and muddy - some of the mud was farmyard based; it probably wasn't mud.

Steve managed to form an alliance with a couple of other competitors on about the same pace which helped with the navigational aspects and reported generally having a good time of it; even 'enjoying' some of the more scenic woods and streams sections.

Clocking a 2:58:40 was good enough for a 7/37 overall position and the jogging-back-to-the-car-after-the-event pic makes it look like at the 3 hour point Steve is just about getting warmed up.