Apollo Triathlon and Mountain Biking

Last Sunday the 1st April saw me doing my first triathlon of the year, The Apollo Triathlon in Hull which is a pool based sprint event. I think I will get my excuses in early and confess that I had a bit of a cold and also my colitis was/is playing up a bit making my insides uncomfortable. It is usually my first triathlon of the year and it's always good to find out where you are with regards to fitness and how the training has gone over winter. I swam ok climbing out of the water on 6:07 but its a decent run to transition for the first timing mat so my actual time was 6:40 about 10 seconds quicker than the previous year. The bike was tough (it always is on this course) with a long drag up hill from the start but that went ok too though the time was about 20 seconds slower than the year before and then onto the run. The run course is a new course this year so no comparison, its a better course but definitely longer looking at the results. I struggled on the first lap, just couldn't open up as I felt sick and my chest was tight but on the second lap I felt better and picked up the pace, definitely did a negative split and I reckon by a good 40 seconds! Anyway at the end of the race I had managed to come 3rd overall, not too bad as I said at the start of this update that I wasn't 100%. So that's it, the season has started, I have 2 more sprint races this month, Lincoln on the 22nd and Grantham on the 29th so I'm hoping to carry some form on to those races and build my speed up as the season progresses.

The day after I commuted by bike to work so a round trip of approx 45 miles with a swim at lunch then on Tuesday I was on an AT day with the station cycling club at Cannock Chase. This is the 2nd time this year down at Cannock and I love it, mountain biking is great fun, we are going up the peak district next month which will be great.