The best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves

This race seemed like a good way to round off the season, with races for children as well as for adults.  April was feeling brave enough to venture into another race involving swimming and I fancied something short and sweet to complete my year's multisport activity.  This race took place at a school in Loughborough, fine for us as we have family there.  We were able to go down the day before and be handily on the doorstep in the morning.  There was no rushing to get there as it took less than ten minutes from Daniel's Mum's house - great.

My Mum had been telling me for a couple of years now that this race existed, right on their doorstep, and I'd been thinking I'd like to give it a go.  It turns out that I did so just in time as this year saw the last running of the Balerno Ladies Triathlon.  I have to say it's a shame too, the race was great - small but perfectly formed as they say.  The race was set up for a maximum of 64 ladies to take part, 62 doing so on the day.  I really enjoyed the race, was very impressed with the organisation that would put some bigger events to shame and would have been keen to

This was probably my last trip to Stratford for this race in the forseeable future.  Not because of the race itself, which I really enjoy doing, but because of it's distance from home.  We're trying to find races rather nearer here for next year, trying to cut down on the fuel and accommodation bills that go with racing.  It can become a very expensive business, especially with prices rising as they are doing at the moment.  And what a trip it was!  We made a bit of a thing of it this time and stayed down near Stratford, after all, we've generally just blasted in an

Today saw both kids again making their way in the world of multi-sport events.  April took part in her first ever duathlon, while Ryan faced his second scootathon.  We were quite a long from home at Stanford Hall, but very near to where Daniel's Mum lives, so the kids had the added bonus of having Grandma and Derek there to support them on their big day.  It was a full morning of racing with adult races going off before the children.  We arrived rather too early in the end and that put the only blot on an otherwise good morning out - they were hanging around waiting

Scootathon

Scootathon

Scootathon

This year saw my seventh running of the Derby Triathlon, a run that I'd like to keep up.  I enjoy this race and certainly wouldn't want to miss it.  I can't quite believe that I've been doing triathlon long enough to have done anything seven times, but it would seem that I have.  This is always a good race, a beginner friendly one which is probably why it was the first race that I ever really enjoyed.  The first time I raced there was my make or break for triathlon, was I going to keep doing it or was I going to decide that it really wasn't for me after all.  All th

Transition

Nearly There

The Swim

This was my second and final olympic distance race for this year and I approached it feeling pretty hopeful.  My preparation had been okay, better than the run up to the last one, that's for sure.  I never do quite as much in the summer holidays but it had been working out so that I was still getting a fair amount of training fitted in.  That really, was why I started making sure I had an August race, to stop from me from downing tools for six weeks, losing loads of condition and fitness while putting on weight - not a good combination, especially as I then always wanted to r

Allerthorpe Country Park