Once More Unto The Breach

A 5am alarm call this morning as we all head over to the Blithfield Reservoir near Abbotts Bromley, Staffordshire. I’m competing in Blithfield Triathlon, Sprint version. L and the boys are along to support.

So a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5k run. While the last two parts are like falling off a log, the first part is a bit like falling into a reservoir. Which should at least involve swallowing less detritus that at Holme Pierrepont as in theory we’re swimming in tomorrow’s drinking water.

My swim is memorable, for the wrong reasons, again I can’t get my stroke going and I'm very thankful I’m not doing the Olympic distance as this would mean doing a second lap of the swim circuit. Note to self - when I do enter an Olympic distance race, make sure it’s not a two lap, the temptation to abort would just be too great.

Thereafter I don’t rush transition, four minutes I believe it was, as I’m practising more for the longer distances than this one. Obviously I still need to work on the swim bit... I try all the kit I would use on a half ironman bike, probably putting on more layers that are perhaps necessary and also gloves which I wouldn't usually bother with in a sprint tri. As an experiment, wearing my calve supports under my wetsuit worked well. They are still in place and being wet doesn’t half their effectiveness.

I head out on to the bike course, which has been altered due to flooding and now includes quite a steep but short climb, which I love. It's a scenic route that also takes us back across the reservoir on a causeway.  As ever it takes 5 miles to get into the bike, which is almost half way but it goes well.

My transition to the run is much shorter; I even found some running shoes with elastic laces in the back of the cupboard which helps.

The run takes us along the edge of the reservoir and again upon the causeway before turning around as we head for home. It’s a flat run and would have been fast had it not been on a gritty, rocky track that makes me worry for my ankles.

Afterwards we sit on the grass by the finish, where L feeds me coffee and sausage sandwiches.

After heading home for a while, I head into Derby for the 4pm kick off against Blackburn. Derby’s first match of the season and one of the Football League’s 125^th anniversary fixtures.

Derby, as ever, seem to throw away a winning position by trying to sit on their 1-0 lead for the last 35 minutes. It finishes 1-1.

L comes over to Derby and I meet her in the Royal Standard. Sadly no food is available here on a Sunday. It’s a shame that hardly anywhere does food on a Sunday now as it’s my favourite night to eat out. 

After moving to the Flowerpot and getting some very decent beer we decide to head back to Nottingham to dine at the Savera Tandoori. Which is really very nice, if only the meal hadn’t been so massive. Indian meals are always so hard to judge.

(Sunday 4^th August)

Warranting Further Investigation

I saw a lad carrying a For Sale sign up Ilkeston Road last night. Now that brings back memories and reminds me that we must get rid of the one sitting in Son’s room.

We are at a wine tasting this evening and I try to get the bus direct there from work but while L lounges in Cast cafe bar waiting for me, I lounge in Derby bus station.

I lounge for a very long time; there isn't a bus for 40 minutes, so much for the every 10 minutes service.

L describes the wine tasting as ‘an*l’. Well, I think she’s describing the people, who spend more time trying to impress the wine company reps that drinking the wine. I think they’ve got the wrong end of the stick, we drink the wine.

There’s nothing outstanding but nothing awful either. I highlight two out of the dozen or so I try as warranting further investigation. Things perk up immensely when the cheese counter opens, which produces the biggest scrum of the night.

Afterwards we amble up to the Savera curry house where we meet Daughter, can’t be bothered to go home and cook. My curry is excellent although evilly hot.

(Thursday 15th November)

Bit Of A Blip

L is off work again today. Genuinely off this time, as in not working from home.

She prepares for tonight’s Jägermeister 10k with a weights session in the gym and a swim. I prepare by sitting at my desk.

The Jägermeister is a tough hilly race around Nottingham University but it is usually oddly enjoyable with a nice post-race function afterwards.

I’ve done some good times here despite the hilly course. 2007 - 41:23, 2008 - 40:42, 2009 - 42:09. We didn’t do it last year.

2009 was a bit of a blip obviously. Not as big a blip as this year though. 44:07. Oh dear. Just shows what an injury break, insufficient training and two more years on the clock does for you. L’s consistent though, again well under the hour and 30 seconds quicker than in midweek.

We adjourn to the Sports And Social club for the post-race where most of the men, and some of the women, are queuing up to request ‘the blonde’ over the bar. That’ll be Ossett’s Yorkshire Blonde. I don’t usually go for Blondes but this one’s alright.



We stick with it rather than go elsewhere and therefore gain entry into the ‘race number’ raffle. One year I won a towel, this year predictably nothing. We head off early for nourishment at the Savera Tandoori.

(Friday 5th August)