Transition 3

As autumn progresses, the nature of multisport events changes: traditional triathlon winds down to be replaced by events like cross duathlon. Essentially, from about mid-October, things get thoroughly wet and filthy.

Accordingly, Steve W bowed out of this year’s competitions a couple of weekends ago with an age group win and fourth overall in the South Hunsley Sprint triathlon (swim 400m / bike 24km / run 5km). This brought Steve’s 2015 undefeated-in-age-group streak to a total of 12 out of 12: quite some achievement, and one he’s never previously accomplished. Indeed, it’s quite possibly an achievement that very few triathletes have ever accomplished.

As is becoming tradition, as puddle-avoider Steve quietly slides into hibernation, his brother, mud-plugger Mick comes to the fore.

Clumber Park was the venue for the first in a series of three Nottinghamshire-based off-road duathlons on Saturday 17^th October and duly saw Mick on the start line. The event comprised a run of 5km followed by an MTB leg of 17km and a final rubber-legged run of 3km, all of it through the forests and heaths of the splendid venue.

Mick’s finishing time of 1:20:52 was only 82 seconds from a second place in age category but as competition was so unusually tight, Mick came away frustrated with his 6/30 age group and 32/204 overall result. He also came away with a grim determination to speed up his transitions and to concentrate on some brick training (specifically, training to run fast after a hard bike session – something that’s much more difficult than you might imagine).

The second in the series is soon; we await results with interest…