2 Minute Improvement on the Old Record
First 2 races of the season have proved interesting.
Race 1: A duathlon, which was a world championship qualifier.
I have had a few weeks off using extreme endurance due to intermittent training through work pressure.
I started the first of a 2 lap 10 k run pretty strongly and kept with the lead group. We were running at around 5.15-5.20 per mile pace and feeling pretty good. After 5k, I lost touch with the lead group of 5. I finished the run about a minute down on the lead group and was feeling pretty shot.
Onto the bike and I found very little rhythm in the riding. On a 9 lap course, I expected to ride through the field but it was heavy going and it took 7 laps to get into 2nd place. The leader, a former british champion, was well ahead and I managed a good but hard 2nd run to finish second overall. Generally pleased with the event but expected to be closer to the leader, who finished 3 mins ahead. Training for the next few days was hard with sore legs.
2nd Race: 36 mile Hilly time Trial.
On the Tuesday of that week, I started back on the Extreme endurance, taking 4 a day and was able to get some good cycle rides in. The course is a 2 lap 36 mile course with a very long first climb and rolling roads. The course record was 1.30.34 which was set in 2009 when I had a good winter of cycle training and won the event. Last year’s winner was present and the weather was pretty good so I was hoping for another fast time.
The first lap was taken pretty steady, or as steady as you can ride a hilly course. Being careful not to push the heart rate too high on the climbs and trying to maintain speed on the flats. At the first checkpoint, I was at exactly the same split time as the previous winner. Knowing that I needed to up the pace, I attacked the climbs and pushed to the absolute limit, hoping that Extreme Endurance would kick in and help the final stages. It did a great job. The second lap was a minute faster and I won the event by 44 seconds, setting a new course record of 1.28.14, over 2 mins improvement on the old record.
First sprint triathlon of the year next weekend.
Hywel Davies
UK Triathlete