YES!! At last - 1st..

The cycle of 2nd's  has been broken and thankfully the right way.  Knowing that my running had been suffering all year since my ankle problems I've been trying hard recently to make some improvements here and although it's work in progress things are starting to look up!
I thought entering a duathlon should be good for training and as my cycling has been going fine it shouldn't be too bad. The Great Notley event is only a short drive away and a 4K - 20K - 4K sounded like something I could use as proper speed training. 

It was a bit of a shock when the race started and I had to run hard - but on the nasty climb up to the top of the 'Kestrel hill' not far from the end of the first 4K I went past a girl ( much younger than me) and managed to keep her there for the rest of the race. I didn't know she had been in the lead at that point.
Transition  went fine and determined to take the right bike route this time I set off to try and catch any females I could who were in front of me!!!  I didn't know there weren't any, probably a good job because the shock might have caused a fatal reaction.. Anyway the bike section was good, I worked hard and overtook a few blokes which always lifts the spirits.
Back into transition with no problems and then the shock hit me as there were no other bikes on the racks where the girls bikes had all been racked earlier. Crumbs! This was very positive but unfortunately the second 4K run still hurt SO much, it was a struggle, especially as apart from 2 men I caught about a third of the way round there was no one else around to aim for or run with. I'm really not complaining though because I WON . 

Just the job.

What a great feeling after not quite getting there all year.
It may have been a small race but it's the winning that counts - and the fun!!

The lengths I go to.....

After a fantastic holiday in Italy where plenty of cycling was order of the week I haven't got back into the swing of competing so a local low key sprint tri in Ely last weekend was the first for  a while. Because of the summer holidays and children being around training has been squeezed in where possible but all in all I feel quite fit and healthy for once!

looking down to lake Como

All went reasonable in the 400m swim and T1 but out on the bike course I managed a first and at an unmarshalled and unmarked roundabout took the wrong direction and added an extra 2.5km onto the 21km route- disaster in a sprint race. I knew then I'd blown my first 1st for the year but decided to plug on and finish. The cycle route was pretty awful with a stretch of road surface that the council had long ago forgotten about , openness that meant the wind was a major factor and two busy roads with plenty of fast moving traffic and, as others agreed, a lack of race directions . Back to T2 in one piece and and straight forward transition meant I could go out and enjoy the run. This was a great two lap rough course which was fun and because of the rest of the good organization of the event it is one to consider again as a nice, small, local Triathlon.

With prizes just for the first two males and females I was surprised to pick up a trophy for  - 2nd!

fun run!

A year of 2nd's but this time more surprised than ever - I must try and memorize routes better and not do that again as it could have been a 1st - maybe next time!!!