Claire W has been 'parkrun-prolific' this past few weeks showing a consistent presence at Pontefract. Great to see Claire back out with such frequency spreading the GV message.
In other parkruns, Mick W took on a new challenge at the very agreeable Oakwell Hall at Birstall and reports a tough event where the terrain is very hilly and entirely trail based. Mick managed a 12th overall in just under 21 mins. Steve W, meanwhile, made an appearance at Doncaster and managed an age group win with a 19 minute run.
Drip-feeding the message is raising awareness and interest - another new member joined very recently.
Keep up the good work chaps...
Jon Z back in middle distance action
The Beaver Middle Distance triathlon - held annually at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire - is not for the squeamish. For a start there's the sheer distances; a 1.9 kilometre swim followed by a 74 kilometre bike, and then a 20 kilometre run to really drive home the punishment.
Then there's the terrain. The swim for this event is in a really shallow and very silty lake that often leaves competitors with zero vision and a very muddy after-taste. Compounding the silt-fest, the exit from the swim does not - as is usually the case - directly access T1. Instead, participants have at least a 500 metre wetsuit-flapping uphill run - on grass by the way - before taking to the bike. The bike leg itself is a tough multi-lap affair with some technical sections and the small matter of a 2 mile long hill, and - for anyone still able to stand - there remains the run. At 20K it would be hard enough if it were road based and pan flat, but of course, it isn't!
In spite of the course - and intentionally keeping out of the frenetic 'bun fight' that is triathlon open water swimming for fear of having his pacemaker accidentally kicked - Jon Z not only completed the grueller, but rattled it off in 6:00:32: good enough for a 2nd in age group finish (pic).
Jon continues to confound fellow athletes and anyone else with a sense of just how tough this kind of stuff is by not only continuing to compete in events like this so soon after major heart surgery, but doing it in some style.
Then there's the terrain. The swim for this event is in a really shallow and very silty lake that often leaves competitors with zero vision and a very muddy after-taste. Compounding the silt-fest, the exit from the swim does not - as is usually the case - directly access T1. Instead, participants have at least a 500 metre wetsuit-flapping uphill run - on grass by the way - before taking to the bike. The bike leg itself is a tough multi-lap affair with some technical sections and the small matter of a 2 mile long hill, and - for anyone still able to stand - there remains the run. At 20K it would be hard enough if it were road based and pan flat, but of course, it isn't!
In spite of the course - and intentionally keeping out of the frenetic 'bun fight' that is triathlon open water swimming for fear of having his pacemaker accidentally kicked - Jon Z not only completed the grueller, but rattled it off in 6:00:32: good enough for a 2nd in age group finish (pic).
Jon continues to confound fellow athletes and anyone else with a sense of just how tough this kind of stuff is by not only continuing to compete in events like this so soon after major heart surgery, but doing it in some style.
Trunce 3/9
For the disbelievers - this is how ridiculously difficult the Trunce's stairway to heaven actually is...
...but Mick W and Jenna G turned out anyway to Monday's (11th May) edition to take on the formidable terrain.
Mick is just about recovered from his mammoth 3 Peak's fell race effort and in spite of a few remaining aches and pains put on a good show with a new course PB and a 13/74 male vet finish.
Jenna, meanwhile - even with a 'relaxed' attitude to training for runs - showed huge improvements by smashing her previous best Trunce effort by 6 minutes and finishing in the top third of the female field overall! Jenna has a really natural and free-flowing running style that could, if unleashed, very probably make her very dangerous indeed...
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...but Mick W and Jenna G turned out anyway to Monday's (11th May) edition to take on the formidable terrain.
Mick is just about recovered from his mammoth 3 Peak's fell race effort and in spite of a few remaining aches and pains put on a good show with a new course PB and a 13/74 male vet finish.
Jenna, meanwhile - even with a 'relaxed' attitude to training for runs - showed huge improvements by smashing her previous best Trunce effort by 6 minutes and finishing in the top third of the female field overall! Jenna has a really natural and free-flowing running style that could, if unleashed, very probably make her very dangerous indeed...
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Grantham Sprint Tri
Steve W raced in Sunday's (10th May) Grantham Sprint Triathlon (400m swim, 18K bike, 5K run) and once again suffered at the hands of the puncture gods.
A decent (for Steve) swim saw him move well up the field on the bike leg until, with 4K to go, that familiar and heart-sinking 'pheeeeew, hissssss, hissss, hiss' sound - and the sudden ability to feel every single tiny road irregularity - saw Steve despondently sitting up and changing down gears.
Rather than just climb off and walk back to the event headquarters though, the Go-full-of-adrenalyn-Veggie made a judgement to ride wobblingly in, nursing the bike over every tiny lump and bump whilst trying to hit the remaining corners in comedic-completely-upright-fashion in an effort to keep the tyre on the rim. With more than a little luck he made it back to Transition 2 intact and though he'd lost places and a huge chunk of time hammered out angrily onto the run.
An age group win and a 4th place overall were the rewards for completely wrecking a £100+ racing tub.
A decent (for Steve) swim saw him move well up the field on the bike leg until, with 4K to go, that familiar and heart-sinking 'pheeeeew, hissssss, hissss, hiss' sound - and the sudden ability to feel every single tiny road irregularity - saw Steve despondently sitting up and changing down gears.
Rather than just climb off and walk back to the event headquarters though, the Go-full-of-adrenalyn-Veggie made a judgement to ride wobblingly in, nursing the bike over every tiny lump and bump whilst trying to hit the remaining corners in comedic-completely-upright-fashion in an effort to keep the tyre on the rim. With more than a little luck he made it back to Transition 2 intact and though he'd lost places and a huge chunk of time hammered out angrily onto the run.
An age group win and a 4th place overall were the rewards for completely wrecking a £100+ racing tub.
Recent Roundup
Emma S braved horrendously cold, wet and windy conditions on Sunday (3rd May) to flash the GV colours in the Dave Lloyd Lincoln Sprint Triathlon (Swim 400m / Bike 22K / Run 5K). This event is testimony to the fact that Lincolnshire does indeed - in spite of its popular image - have hills. Nowhere is this better illustrated than about a mile into the bike leg where the pleasant and accommodating countryside yields to a fault line and the bike course at this point is not too unrealistically described as a cliff with a road straight up it.
Luckily, Emma - having done this event before - knew what to expect. Many who were not so savvy were off their bikes and pushing; not the best look on a full carbon race bike!
Working hard through the buffeting winds, Emma completed the bike leg without too much trauma and took to the run feeling pretty fresh where she continued to show race-smarts by taking shelter from the wind from slightly faster runners which eventually saw her finish a very credible 7th from 25 in her age group.
In parkrun news, Claire Whitwell represented team GV at Pontefract whilst Mark Nicholson showed some northern presence at Newcastle.
Luckily, Emma - having done this event before - knew what to expect. Many who were not so savvy were off their bikes and pushing; not the best look on a full carbon race bike!
Working hard through the buffeting winds, Emma completed the bike leg without too much trauma and took to the run feeling pretty fresh where she continued to show race-smarts by taking shelter from the wind from slightly faster runners which eventually saw her finish a very credible 7th from 25 in her age group.
In parkrun news, Claire Whitwell represented team GV at Pontefract whilst Mark Nicholson showed some northern presence at Newcastle.
