So, a final SEWTTS outing - this time a trek over to Newbury to try out H10/3a. Had been feeling really rubbish all week - I blame the children bringing germs back from school. Basically took the week off training; tried a turbo on Thursday, and that didn't (quite) kill me (though felt much worse on Friday), but given the complications of securing an exit pass, decided I would race. Logistics had been very stressful in the week. A month or two ago, eldest child had decided she wanted to do the Colour Run in Brighton with some friends. Told her that was fine, as long as she managed her own transport there, as I would be racing. 5 days before the event, and after I had sneakily pointed many family members in the direction of her sponsorship page, it transpires that the lift she thought she had arranged wasn't in fact going to work out. Cue a lot of stress... she decided it would be OK to get the train (... aged 13, and having no idea where Brighton station was... I think not...)... eventually, I manged to sort her out with a lift. Then she lost her race number... resulting in me having to rummage through the dustbins in the dead of night... it eventually turned up in her bombsite of a room...
Well, after all that, I had to race, didn't I? However, I knew it wouldn't be pretty, and that there was a severe danger of drowning in snot and catarrh.
Got to the course (via junior judo) - and went for a quick drive-by recce. Decidedly lumpy, and a lot of roadkill on the course - looked like pheasant strike would be a real risk! Noticed at HQ that the 2 starting behind me were both DNS - they had probably heard about the flying snot risk and decided to stay away
Anyway, got round in one piece
http://www.strava.com/activities/197103661. Horrible hill on the way out; drag uphill most of the way home.
Interestingly, this course was used for the national 10 in 2009. My time would have given me 30/76 - so snot obviously wasn't holding me back too much, despite feeling like death. Fastest lady was Jasmijn Muller, who has been having an awesome season (her time would have put her 2nd in 2009!!). When I uploaded my Strava, saw that I got QOM on the nasty climb... thought 'that won't last', as I follow Jasmijn on Strava, and know that her upload would blow mine away... apparently not so - we are tied! Quite pleased with that - though suspect that as she is riding to power, she was going for even power across the ride, whereas I was in attack mode, especially as I overtook my 2 minute man (who it turns out was 80!) at the bottom.
Nice flapjack at HQ, and SEWTTS prizegiving, where I actually came away with a rather nice haul of prizes for Cat 3 (both event and series).
Still toying with Thorpe triathlon next weekend - but not feeling 100% still, so perhaps a rest is in order?
The power of google has turned up an interesting local challenge that I may have a go at if some nice weather presents itself on a day off: the Leith Hill Octopus. Seems to involve climbing Surrey's highest point from all (8) possible directions. Might be an interesting way to turn my legs to jelly?
Meanwhile, starting to formulate plans for 2015