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

This event was a race with a bit of a difference as it was a joint effort between the junior and senior members of the tri club.  The idea was mainly to have some fun and to bring everybody together in a social setting.  The race comprised of the short course duathlon, minus the second run and was called the Junior Senior Relay.  The idea was that children would be paired with their adult counterparts, the children would complete a run and then the adults would complete the cycle section.  April and I went intending to race as team Pendery, Daniel and Ryan came along too

Tonight saw the third in the Wakefield Triathlon Club's Summer Series of races.  I missed the second one when I wimped out because the weather was atrocious.  If I'm honest, that could have easily happened again today, but now I've done it I'm very glad that it didn't.  I was sitting at Ryan's martial arts class watching the rain pour down and wondering what on earth I'd let myself in for.  However, there could be no wimping out this time - Daniel was working away and wouldn't be back until late, so I'd arranged for a friend to babysit.  I couldn't excatly say I cou

Looking out of the window as I come to write about this morning's exertions it seems to hard to credit either the title of this article, or the weather in which we raced.  Summer it is not, it is currently snowing.  Thankfully rather more pleasant conditions awaited me when I arrived at Pugneys Lake this morning.  I was really nervous about going as I didn't take part in any of the club's summer series last year, I was pretty much certain I'd be last and I wasn't entirely clear on the route for the cycle course - apart from that I was fine!

I found that I wasn't much looking forward to this race as it drew nearer, a feeling no doubt compounded by my confusion about what was happening with the course.  In the lead up to the race the website stated that there would be roadworks on the course and that as a result the cycle route would have to be altered and lengthened by about a mile and a half.  Admittedly that's not a vast amount, but in a long hard race it sounded like a big addition.  So, I spent time considering whether I would do the race at all, but decided against pulling out.  Once again I subjected t

Busy transition

First run

Still running

I'd been looking forward to this race with some trepidation for a number of reasons, something that wasn't at all helped by the weather conditions in the run up to the race weekend. I was nervous because it's a race that I hadn't done before, things always seem more daunting when you don't quite know what to expect. Especially when the event website calls it a 'testing' course! I was also wondering how I'd get on with a river swim, I'd never done one before. Would I be able to deal with the currents?

Ironbridge Triathlon - Run

Ironbridge Triathlon - Run

Ironbridge Triathlon - Bike

This will have been my last multisports outing of this season, and what a race to go out on! This is another one run by Punishing Events, this time very aptly named. It is not an easy race. I'd done it once before, a couple of years ago, when I'd found it so 'punishing' that I'd thought I was going to be sick when I reached the top of the steepest hill. So it was with some trepidation that I lined up at the start once more. It's fair to say I felt ambivalent about whether I should really be doing it at all. However, there I was, so bowing out was never going to be an option.

Near the finish

They're-off

Going out on the bike