Finally started a race this year :-)

I entered the Driffield triathlon a couple of weeks before the event as I was doing a bit of running after my knee injury and thought I could actually make it round after my 3 non starts this year. Unfortunately I got a virus of some kind and was wiped out for the 2 weeks leading up to the event. I got up on race day and still wasn't sure if I was going to go and do the event as I was feeling sick a feeling I had had for about 10 days along with flu like symptoms. I decided to go as I though if I don't start today will the season ever start for me this year? Luckily its a local event and only a 20 min drive. I started as the first swimmer in my lane and in the second to last group of the day. The swim went well considering the lack of swim time lately and I exited the water on 6:10 with an actual time over the timing mat of 6:20. How I achieved that I'm not sure! A short run to T1 and then it was off on the bike. I was using my new Raleigh Carbon TT from my sponsor for the first time in anger and I was also using my disc wheel for the first time in a race too. I didn't feel great on the climb, my chest was really burning and lots of bright green snot getting coughed up but after the climb I settled into a good rhythm and clocked a 27:31 (about a 1:15 quicker than I've ever done in the last 3 years on this course). It turns out it was the 2nd fastest bike split of the day :-) that's where the good part of the race ended. I got onto the run and immediately felt sick and dizzy. I thought about walking but kept running but it felt slow. I crossed the line with a finishing time of 55:30 although I didn't know this at the time as I packed up and went home and slept the rest of the day. I thought I had made a mistake racing whilst still not 100% well but on Monday I felt great, it was the first day I hadn't felt sick in a long time. I checked the results and my time had got me 5th overall from 217 finishers. As you can see from the picture I was making hard work of the run!!

On Monday I trained quite hard, Tuesday/Wednesday I was at work and then on Thursday it was my last chance to do a ride I've always wanted to do but never got round to it and we move house next week so Thursday was the day to ride from my house to the Humber Bridge and across it. What a great ride, 78 miles in great weather and with a great sound track, I chose the Ministry of Sound Chilled 1991-2009. Just the right tempo for a relaxed ride out in the great British summer, here's hoping the weather is here for the whole summer!!