Greetings everyone!!
Apologies for the lack of blogs in recent weeks, I have been assured by the rest of the team that we are back on track for weekly blogs going forward.
Firstly a big shout out to Jake Holmes for putting together a very entertaining talk on Ultra marathon races on Wednesday evening. Keep your eyes peeled for next months event which I believe is Dave Feakes talking about his cross channel swim.
Race Reports
Positively spoilt this week with two race reports!!
Thanks to Mike Searle for providing a report for SUPBikerun and Fitzy for Wirral multi terrain.
Send your race report to mailto:helsbyracereports@gmail.com
SUPBikeRun, Ullswater, 10th September 2023
SUPBikeRun is a 3 event triathlon series with the traditional swim discipline replaced by stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP). I’m a very keen paddleboarder, now in my 5th season, so the event had instant appeal + the guarantee of a PB having never completed a paddle-boarding triathlon before! Of course we’re a running club not a triathlon club but hopefully my account will prove an interesting adjunct to most members’ usual races and may even whet a few competitive appetites! With 4 races staged simultaneously on the same day including longer and off-road options, I opted for the 3K/20K/5K race (distances approximate as I realized later!). Organization was excellent with each entrant receiving a SUPBikeRun branded box at registration containing instructions, a t-shirt and all the necessary stickers, race numbers, pins, and ties for attaching them to all your equipment. And sun-cream!
Morning broke misty, nippy and calm but the mercury rapidly climbed so I was glad of my 0830 start. The 3K SUP on Ullswater was delightful, comprising an out-and-back course on flat water with incredible views and the lake awash with a constant procession of paddleboarders – an impressive sight. I’d targeted approx. 30-minutes for my SUP and was pleased to finish in 27:25 although I had no idea of my position as staggered starts with chip timing prevented congestion.
Next, onto the 20K-ish (it was further!) bike leg. I’d chosen the road route which involved a very tough 1,060 foot ascent between miles 4 and 5 – although that might have just been my lack of fitness, having only completed a single bike ride this year of 11 miles the preceding weekend as practice! I did see quite a few riders pushing though, which made me feel slightly better (only slightly though!) as I inched ever upwards using my Granny Gear. I’d targeted 60 minutes for the bike section so given the severity of the course I was happy to complete it in 58:30.
Normally, I’d have hoped the 5K run final leg to be my strongest discipline (note use of the word ‘strong’ is highly subjective!) but a combination of fatigue from the bike and a bulging disc in my spine since July meaning next to no running training, conspired against me (excuse alert!). My time of 39:02 tells part of the story but excuses aside, the route comprised 2.5K entirely uphill, mostly off-road on heavy, tussocky ground with deeply rutted sheep tracks and streams to negotiate for variety and 2.5K down again. On reflection, I was happy with my time but even happier to finish – I was absolutely knackered! I crossed the finish line in brilliant sunshine and was presented with a heavyweight medal and a cold low alcohol beer amid a sea of happy competitors. And no-one was more surprised than me to find out from the results that I’d finished 1st V60. Note: there weren’t many V60 entrants but I’ll take it!
If you can complete a parkrun, ride a bike and fancy a try-out on the water (free SUP lessons are provided on the preceding day + board hire for the race if you don’t have one yourself), it makes for a great weekend and a genuinely really positive experience – one I recommend so much I’ve already entered again for next year.
Further info: www.supbikerun.co.uk or give me a shout for more tales of the unexpected!
Pics: courtesy of my personal photographer (Cath, my wife!)
Wirral Multi Terrain Race 1
You always know it’s September when the Wirral Multi Terrain races come around. For those that haven’t done them before, they are exactly what it says on the tin. 4 races every Tuesday evening throughout September and are ran over different terrain, you get fields, woods, sandstone paths, tarmac, beach you name it, you run on it.
Royden park is the first one, a lap of the field, out into the woods and over the sandstone cliffs overlooking the sea and river dee. It’s a bit of a steady climb up there before hitting a downhill stretch of road, back into the woods and you get to the start/finish field and out and around for a second lap.
This was my first race back and boy did I feel it, especially as it was about 27 degrees outside. I thought I’d held myself back a little on the first lap but nope, I felt the second lap in my legs and my lungs. A little nav error on the way up for a second time on the sandstone cliffs was a little disappointing but it didn’t cost me any time, just a few scratches from the bushes. When we hit the trails of the woods Ed Halliwell had caught me up and overtook me and a little glance behind, I could see Alan Lea getting closer as well. All 3 of us in a line pushing each other on at this stage was not what I wanted but it was a trail counter, so you do push yourself. Well done to those 2, Alan came steaming through with less than quarter of a mile to go to the finish and I couldn’t catch Ed.
Great to see new member Peter Taylor-Bray in a sprint finish, just missing out on 1st place by 1 second. 10 Helsby runners made the start, hopefully see some of you at the other races.
Fitzy
Royden Park Final Results – niftyEntries.com
And finally, this week’s parkrun results
https://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/?clubNum=1721
That’s all folks!!!
Pete