Allerthorpe Sprint Triathlon

Steve W and Emma S both took part in the Allerthorpe Sprint Tri on Sunday (Swim 750m / Bike 20K / Run 5K). This is a well organised event and both Go Veggies present have competed in previous years; so had a good idea of what to expect. Though it's a pretty straightforward event as far as the bike and run go, the swim is a bit of a tricky one. It's tricky because the swim is in a relatively small, shallow, silty lake which, in order to achieve a 750m course, requires racers to complete a couple of circuits. The silt means visibility is non-existent and the multi-laps means lots of turns and marker buoys, and literally dozens of competitors all trying to swim in the very same bit of water at the very same time. Suffice to say it's a bumpy ride!

Steve negotiated the swim with only a handful of dunkings but Emma definitely got caught up in traffic. Fortunately Emma's relatively strong bike and run meant she made up many places and finished credibly in the top half of her age group category.

Meanwhile, with the benefit of a reasonably clean swim, Steve made his usual huge gains on the bike and held on in the run for an age group win and a top 20 position overall - not bad considering the quality of the field and a super-abundance of team GBR age-group racers of approximately half his age.

You did what?...

Steve C was back in truly-bonkers-event mode this past weekend with his assault on the Tour of Tameside, a legendary event with an impressive history.

Basically, the event comprises three consecutive days of full-on racing beginning with a six mile fell race on Friday followed by a trail half marathon on Saturday, and then a 7 mile pure road race on Sunday. Runners who take on all three stages of the event essentially run the distance of a full marathon over the course of the three days.

Of course, it's arguably harder than a pure marathon as racing on tired legs and with a broken body that is screaming for a rest is hard enough, but when you consider how each stage is designed to tax different muscle groups and energy systems, the true horror of just how tough it is starts to dawn...

Steve is no stranger to doing it tough, though, and has all sorts of mental techniques at his disposal - earned through years of experience of doing events like this - to help defeat the incessant pain and grind. Not only did he complete all three stages, but managed to finish well up the field in the fell race section making time with a super-fast descent of some genuinely ankle-snapping terrain (pic). The eyes give away the fact that you have to be able to think the pain away...

Recent Running Reports

Once again members have been busy with parkruns. Claire W has been our most prolific representative with appearances at Pontefract and Temple Newsam whilst Steve W and Mick W have flown the flag at Doncaster and Nostell Priory. Mick managed a Nostell Priory PB and Steve a Doncaster age win and 4th overall, finishing within 30 seconds of the winner.

It's fair to say that Mick (pic) has been a bit of a running machine this past week or so with appearances at the latest Trunce and also at the Sandall Beat 10K trail race: a fairly flat but sometimes-tricky-underfoot affair run through fields and woodland not very far from Doncaster town centre. He continues to improve - having only started running in earnest a couple of years ago - with an improvement in his previous best Trunce time and a new 10K PB - notwithstanding the trail. Mick could, on current form, almost certainly dip sub 40 minutes on a flattish road-based 10K.

In other news we look forward to the imminent return of far too many of our members currently nursing run-based injuries.

Jon the Half Outlaw

Jon Z was again in confounding form on Sunday (31st May) when he took on the infamous Outlaw Half Middle Distance Triathlon (swim 1.2 miles / bike 56 miles / run 13.1 miles).

A slight 'medical issues' quibble with the organisers saw him successfully making a case that in spite of his pacemaker and carbon fibre heart valve, he should be allowed to compete; not a conversation most people have to undertake just before a mammoth effort!

The weather didn't help with pre-race hassle either, with unseasonably torrential rain and strong winds seeing Jon, and most others, donning their wetsuits in-vehicle before bravely stepping out to face the truly miserable 'early summer' day.

In spite of it all, Jon not only completed the gruelling distance in 6:34:44, but only just missed the podium in his age group. He also finished 754th out of a total of 1052 finishers. Rates of attrition were high with a total of 38 competitors withdrawing, unable to make the full distance.

Not content with simply competing, Jon also raised the significant sum of approximately £5,500 in aid of South Tees Hospitals Charity; it was this trust that helped Jon through his surgery and continue to do sterling work with him and many others.

Forrest Coote - the man never stops...

We had representation at three parkruns this weekend with Claire W, Steve C and Mick W all flying the flag at venues spread across: Pontefract, South Manchester, and Nostell Priory. Great to see Steve C back in parkrun mode even if the short distance was a shock to his well-honed 'ultra' system. In fact, Steve being Steve wasn't happy with the mere eye-bulging 5K effort and the same afternoon, accompanied by Len, toddled off to the Peaks, where, after the small matter of running Chrome Hill, continued with even more running and general dog-led-endurance-effort frivolity the morning after around the Longshawe Estate.

Meanwhile, in multisport action, Steve W competed in the Newmarket Sprint Triathlon (300m swim / 22K bike / 4K run) and had a decent showing. This breakdown of distances suit Steve well as his strengths are definitely in the order of bike, run and - very much finally - swim. The short swim saw him limiting time losses whilst the long bike saw him climb well up the overall order. The short run should have seen him holding station - or even making a slight improvement - but for some reason his legs just weren't there and a slower than expected run eventually saw him with a not-quite-on-it 9th place overall. He did, though, still win his age group making it 4 wins from 4 triathlons for this season so far.

That's a hex if ever there was one!