By that I mean Lesley, Gerry and Saffers, and all the other people at the Outlaw Half today :)
I have to document how very impressed I am with Lesley. When she entered this race she sorted herself out a training plan, and she bloody stuck with it, through all the shite weather and all the things she was scared of, and today she completed a half ironman. That gets my respect and I had a lump in my throat when she went down the finishing shute. I thought it might be hayfever but I know it wasn't :-D
So a great weekend which started yesterday morning when I raced the second Elvis race at Orion. A tough ish course of 5 miles which I did in 41.20 last year. I know I'm a better runner this year and was pleased to finish in 36.37. B a rival from Ilford passed me about 3 miles in and urged me up a hill which was a really nice thing to do I thought, and shows she knows who I am now, she didn't last year *beams* she did beat me but I am still stronger over 5k. I'm a work in progress.
Anyway my target for the Elvis series is to be in top 10 women in the races I compete in and so I now have a 6th and a 10th. The challenge is on.
Then home for a shower and to pack then up to Nottingham on the train. Once there my iPhone guided me a couple of miles to the hotel. I dumped my stuff and headed to the pub where I had some food and people watched. I am fairly sure the guy who won today was in there with his family eating pasta!
Early to bed and up at 4. I didn't need to be but there were triathletes at the hotel and once they were up and about I was fully awake. Dossed about for a bit then set off to walk to Holme Pierrepoint. Was another couple of miles but very pleasant and I got there about 6.15. Text Lesley and soon enough she and G found me and then got very stressed as Lesley couldn't get into the swim bit. I think there was a bit of jobs worth going on somewhere! Anyway she did just in time and at 6.50 the women's wave set off.
Me and G went round the lake and were able to stand looking over transition just where Les and Saffers bikes were racked (this was an all your gear on the floor affair, and I think Lesley had actually bought the contents of her flat).
So Saff out first and we we met for the first time as she was trying to get her wetsuit off :-D Les followed shortly after and did amuse me by tearing open a gel and throwing it all over her stuff.....I'm not laughing I always do that, I'm glad I'm not alone :-D anyway, soon enough she was off out.
Me and G went off, got changed into our running gear and then did a pleasant 14k by doing a lap of the run course, with a bridge added in. Chatting about ironman and running in general it was a really nice run. Getting cheered by the kids at the aid station was a bonus. We got back and changed and then went back to transition to wait.
Saff back first with an excellent bike split (good good she's our biker in the full relay). Then we waited for Lesley, who managed to give us a little bit of drama but not too much :) everytime we saw a lady cycle in with a black tri suit we jumped up, then sat down again when it wasn't her. Anyway, she didn't let us down and assured us she felt ok going out on the run.
We then went to the opposite side of the lake where we could sit and see her 4 times potentially. We were able to see Saff come past us once here as well. So we cheered on lots of Outlaws until Lesley passed us for the last time for the loooong run round the lake to the finish. (Oh do I ever remember that!) once she had gone we went back round the lake to the finishing stand to wait. Luckily we had been able to recognise Saff when she went and finished from the other side of the lake.
Met Lesley's mum and dad in the stands and then waited, and cheered all the finishers in. We were delighted to see Lesley finish and it was a good one too!!!
I didn't really have much time after that so we had a quick drink, well, me and G did! I know there will be more celebrating tonight, but I had to get a train back to london. Very tired but a really really nice day.
Was fun watching other people be awesome and I can't wait to go back :)
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