Weekend Round Up 28th 29th May

Another bumper week of very varied Tuff race action in addition to Saturday morning Run, Saturday morning sea swim – which was very well attended; (thanks Captains), Saturday Pool Swim and Sunday morning Road bike ride (thanks Jon & Tiff) . And this still left the following – read on:-

MALLORY PARK TRIATHLON AGE GROUP HOME NATIONS CELEBRATION CUP

Mallory Park in Leicestershire is one of the shortest racing circuits in the UK . The lake swim course is in the centre of the circuit, then a technical cycle and flat run are on the circuit on smooth tarmac. Closed roads but the bike course is technical with a short incline and long descent on each lap. With a chance to enter multiple events, the day was exclusively for GB age group triathletes so well done to Maisie Johnston & Mark Walford who have reported in :-

 ‘Mallory Park Triathlon GB AG Home Nations Celebration Cup’ (what a mouthful!)

The celebration cup is open to any current or previous GB age groupers. There were multiple events available and for the first time a mixed relay. 

I entered the Sprint Draft Legal event and the Mixed Relay.

Weather was perfect, overcast, slight breeze (although Mallory circuit is pretty exposed and there was a bike section that was a direct head wind)  Water temp a delightful 16C.  

So under starters orders, deep water start, off we went!!  One lap round the lake, no confusion there, then onto a 9 lap bike, draft legal, and a lot of anxiety of lap counting!  I was in a ‘2 up’ with another lady and we flew round. 20km at 35kmph average speed.  Run was flat and fast, and surprisingly enjoyable. Really happy with my run time (21:45) and   finished 1st in my age group and 12th lady overall.  

Mixed Relay, 13 teams, started about an hour later. Not much recovery time and a frantic transition set up before the ‘off’. I was first leg, again deep water start, 5th out the swim. Held my position on the bike and run, legs felt pretty heavy at this point and handed on the ‘virtual’ baton with great relief!  My team finished 7th and it was really great fun.  

Just a 3 hour drive home to round off the day, lol! 

Maisie

Mark’s view on the day:-

“Another late event entry this time to Malory park gb age group celebration cup. Trying to work on transitions, a bit of race practice and draft legal coaching session. Was a good idea until the 4.45 alarm call. Then the 3 hour drive there. This was fine till my phone decided to stop working leaving me with no sat nav. After 5 minutes panic finally got sorted and arrived in plenty of time. 10am cycle coaching, to my relief I saw Maisie so had someone to pair up with and chat with. I did this as I am in experienced on the bike and wanted to gain racing knowledge. It wasn’t what I expected but picked up a few tips. Then time to put the session into practice on a draft legal race. I was caught a little short of time, went to race briefing and then realized I didn’t have swim hat or goggles. So my warm up was sprint in my wetsuit back to transition to get these, straight in the water.

Before I knew it gun went off. Swim was going ok but it was a big pack, lots of swimming over people being swam over until the first turn then it evened out. I was swimming side by side stroke for stroke with someone, until I turned to breath and saw his hand come down and I got a right hook straight in the jaw. I then dropped in behind him and drafted for the swim. Into t1, he was the bike next to me and we both exited and we worked together, I was stronger up hill he was stronger down, was going ok. 9 laps to go, after 3 we had someone else join us. But after 5 laps another group went past us and my two drafting buddies got on with them and I missed it. Then a solo cycle. T2, almost forgot to take helmet off but straight out and 4 laps, pacing was good then I saw the man who punched me and dropped me on the bike about 1/2 a lap Infront. Each lap I got closer and closer, final 100 he was close but wasn’t to be, he beat me by 2 seconds, but great to chase someone down. I spoke to him after and he was a great guy. Then onto mixed team relay, 1 hour after. Only issue our lady dropped out, so officials asked if anyone wanted to go twice, seeing my teammates wasn’t interested I said ok. So I did leg 1&4. Very intense, 300m swim 6km bike 1.25km run. All very hard but made harder in T2, racking my bike shoes on run 150m to run exit to suddenly remember I hadn’t taken my helmet off, a loud profanity shouted, then apologies to BTF official for my swearing, 150m sprint back and then start again. One mistake I won’t make again!

Mark

RIDE LONDON

No need to introduce this article as we have riveting reads from each of the Ride London participants, Mike Barrett was first to report in; then Claire Moyle, Clare Worgan, Dom Amey & Dave March.

“Booked sometime ago and suddenly upon on us with very little distance training in us; myself, Clare, Marchie and Dom are doing RideLondon100; we continued to receive regular training emails from RideLondon in the lead up to the event. The one bit of training we all agreed that we’d achieved was the taper!! I think it was safe to say that in the build up to RideLondon, collectively we hadn’t ridden much further than 100 miles. Unlike fellow Tuff Claire Moyle who was posting her training left right and centre, I had heard that Claire had popped in to see her old mate Elizabeth (again!) on the Saturday.

Well, what better way to start a Tuff Road trip off other than dumping the bags and bikes at the hotel and then heading straight to the Brewdog bar, what can possibly go wrong! With a shopping list of flavours and beers to choose from we very carefully navigated our way past the non-alcholic options to sink a few in readiness for our 100 miles.

Ride morning, up early (well I was); waiting downstairs, then Clare appeared very happy with herself as she’d managed to beat Dom and Marchy to breakfast having overheard their conversation in the lift “she’ll never be down on time”. Clare took great pleasure when announcing she was heading to their room to wake them up!!!!

Dom and Marchy appeared looking like they’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, the bit I hadn’t told you was… they were sharing a room, not just any room! This room! A tiny box with a single bed. Dom announcing that at 2am he was clambering over Marchy to go to the bathroom; whilst Marchy announcing to his roomie at 6am … he thinks he’s going to be sick!

Sooo, to the start line, a long multi-coloured queue of lycra loving mammals, a sea of different shapes and sizes, speed demons to leisure riders. From the latest carbon super bike to metal commuter bikes and the odd tandem, all jostling along to get going, the temperature was chilly and we were all in need of some riding to warm up.

Off we go an hour or so later and if I were being honest, the fun part kinda stopped at the start line, there were short waves during the ride and obviously re-ignited when we met up at the hotel again after the race. Would I do this race again? Not sure! I had an absolute ball with Marchy, Clare and Dom with lots of giggles; I’d consider myself a confident and strong rider and there were times where I just wanted to be out of there! I witnessed in-experienced riders trying to jump on chain gangs, riders jumping from line to line… weaving across the road and back again, “hold your line” was a phrase I shouted countless times as riders would unexpectantly just move across in front of me. There was never a hill to test you, I barely got out of any of my low gears. The roads were narrow causing a lot of slowing near the half way mark which, if you were after a good time, you weren’t going to get here.

Having said that, I did manage to group up with 4 other riders and we smashed it for about 80-90k at a high pace which was pretty good fun and did I suppose make it worth it; however on reflection it was probably scary for those we were passing. We needed to vocal because riders ahead were so unpredictable which again, on reflection was probably intimidating for those we shouted at.

With this in mind, this is why I remain undecided about whether I would do this again. Marchy, Clare and Dom did have different experiences to me and I believe enjoyed most of the riding. We did get a wooden medal and the opportunity to feast on more energy gel than you can carry.

Back at the hotel, we managed to sink a few more beers, head to PizzaExpress to move tables and not be served, so back to Brewdog it was. We spent the first part of the journey home driving around in circles as Dom and his Mercedes satnav continued to argue with each other which ended with Dom muting her in disgust. A long day and lots of Tuff fun and love.

Same again next year 😊 ???

MIke

“I had not planned to do Ride London this year as I had done 3 times before, but with a new route and earlier in the season I decided to go for it. I was lucky enough to get a place and stay in London for the weekend so no really early starts or rushing to get back afterwards. The event was amazing with a rolling start so no hanging around and there were plenty of Marshall’s and toilets along the way. The route was fast and undulating with lovely smooth roads. Riding with a group of friends made it really special and I completed my fastest 100 to date, so well chuffed. Well done to all that took part “.

Claire

“Cycling is my least favourite discipline but I want to get stronger on the bike so Ride London was the perfect challenge for me. As with all my big challenges I did it in memory of my daughter Alice (who I’m sure would have grown up to be a triathlete), she’s my strength.

Such a fab weekend with Marchy, Dom and Mike. We laughed (see the other reports!) we ate, they drank and we rode.

I really enjoyed the ride, it was tough but a great atmosphere with 20,000 riders, some on super bikes and some in sandals! I got a boost every time I saw another Sands rider and I’m very happy with my time. I think perhaps I’m an actual cyclist now.”

Clare

“Some over enthusiastic pre-hydration on Saturday evening meant that Marchy and I were late for our early rendezvous on Sunday morning.  Having doubted the chances of Clare making it to the breakfast bar, she proved us wrong and then some by coming to find out if we were actually going out riding or just moping around nursing hangovers all morning. We did drag ourselves in to action eventually and wandered outside to a bright, chilly morning and the sound of buzzing freehubs as the cycling masses streamed past the end of the road. 

After a short ride from our hotel to the start we found ourselves in a long, slow moving queue to the actual start line. There were a lot of people doing this event! 100 miles of closed road riding is a rare treat and RideLondon always sells out quickly. The new route out to Essex hadn’t put people off. 

I’d definitely recommend it as an experience, sometimes being in amongst so many other cyclists felt nearly as hazardous as riding open roads but this new rolling route meant that mostly everyone kept moving well and there weren’t any steep, narrow climbs causing pinch points. 

Mike flew round in super quick time. Marchy and I rode together on and off and met at each of the 4 feed stations. Clare thought she was behind us so I was surprised to catch up with her just a few miles from the end and it was great to be able to cross the Tower Bridge finish line together. Unfortunately, despite keeping an eye out I didn’t spot Claire M (as I said there were a lot of people on bikes) but I hope she and any other Tuffs who were hiding in the crowds had a good day out as well. “

Dom

“I loved this ride. An absolute joy to take over the roads on two wheels for just over 100 miles.

I’m not sure if anyone else mentioned this yet so it’s probably best I address it myself. I got a bit excited on the beers (shout out to Brewdog) the night before and had more than I can comfortably handle. I’ll admit that the amount I can comfortably handle is about a pint these days so that’s roughly where I should’ve stopped.

So after a nervous night in bed, waking at about 4am and lying awake not wanting to oversleep, I jumped out of bed at 5:45am and went and threw up in the bathroom. My apologies at this point go to Dom with whom I was sharing a room (and also a bed) with.

I came out feeling refreshed. “Right, that’s out the way” I said to Dom. 

Clare came knocking at the door shortly after with a bright smile on her face, apparently worried that we weren’t already in the lobby. I think she was actually just delighted that she wasn’t the last one down.

After some coffee and half a piece of bad toast we got on the bikes and headed off to Embankment for the start. Bike traffic was building, the skies were blue, and it felt like a gentle downhill all the way to the start. The Mall & Horseguards road looked stunning with Union Jacks & flags of the commonwealth countries hung from every lampost.

It was a bit of a free-for-all trying to get thousands of riders, all arriving at roughly the same time through the start area but there’s no avoiding that problem, and we passed through the Start line to the tune of David Bowie – Heroes which was nice.

Then it was 100 miles of riding, whilst emptying the contents of my pockets into my mouth. My pockets basically contained Haribo. 

Closed roads, no cars, just cyclists of all backgrounds and abilities. There were hand-cycles, bromptons, recumbents, supercycles and even a fibreglass car-bike. We rode through tunnels where you could pretend you were racing on Zwift, on huge A-roads that would normally be nose-to-tail traffic across 4 lanes and then out through Epping Forest into Essex.

The welfare stops were really spacious and a welcome opportunity to change position and stretch out for a few minutes. The one at the halfway point was particularly well stocked with crisps, bananas, flapjacks, water refills and all the gels you might want. Optional coffee vans were doing a good trade and a lot of cyclists were enjoying the sunshine, regrouping and making a day of it.

Back out on the roads, the behaviour was generally ok from most, you just needed to be alert and not do anything unpredicable. We all stayed out of trouble and miraculously avoided mechanicals & punctures. 

There was a supposed tailwind all the way back into London although it never really felt like one, and I was really glad of my rain jacket around the 70 mile mark, cursing the BBC weather app for dodgy forecasting.

At 95 miles in, I started counting down them down. 5 miles to go, 4 miles to go, 3 and a half miles to go. We entered the Limehouse Link Tunnel and my GPS marked 100 miles. This didn’t look much like Tower Bridge to me. A couple of extra bonus miles at the end and the final swing round onto the final straight.  The crowds were suddenly cheering on both sides of the road and the voice over the tannoy was saying “WELL DONE, PLEASE DON’T SPRINT FINISH!” as if that was something i was thinking about.

I’ll certainly enter again as it’s a unique experience, fantastic support around the course, excellent organisation and made extra special by completing it with Mike, Dom & Clare.

Special thanks to Dom for doing the driving and the bike transport. 

Marchy

OMM LITE MOUNTAIN MARATHON

Our very own Geordie, Paul Atkinson travelled to the Lake district where they was given a map of the Grassmere area marked with checkpoints and the points that they could accrue at each one, with the aim to reach as many as they could and return to control within the set time limit. This is all whilst carrying kit & clothing for all weather. Paul reports as follows:-

“The Geordie Chuckle Brothers, Barry and Paul, return for another episode of the two day OMM Lite Mountain Marathon in the heart of the Lakes. Promoted as a Running Festival, but definitely more of a Beer Festival. Even got involved in a moon walking competition on the Friday night before the start.

Usual Long Score format. 7 hours Day 1 and 5 hours day 2 to bag as many controls as humanly possible in the mountains. Maps are handed out as you cross the start line, so it’s all rather exciting. After a few minutes arguing about whether to go high or really high, we agree on a route and head off for a gruelling day of quad burning unpleasantness., involving two ascents of Fairfield at 800m. And what can be more fun than that excruciating sprint back to HQ with an hour still to go because you know you’ve messed up and in real danger of racking up big penalties. Every time.

And repeat. Bar. Burger. Bar. Sleepless night. Hours and hours of hills, sweat, chewy gels, dehydration, blisters. Sprint home. Bar.

Finished 28th out of 111 overall, 6th vets out of 36, missing the top 3 by only two pints.

Definitely back next year.

Paul

TUFF FITTY TRIP TO LONDON’S OLYMPIC VENUES – AQUATIC CENTRE & VELODROME

STOP PRESS: Places are almost all snapped up for Tuff Fitty’s trip to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for training at the Swimming Pool & Velodrome scheduled for 20th August. Please see the full itinerary on Tuff’s App, but in summary the excitement starts at 12 noon with a two lane hire at the Olympic Pool. This is then followed by an exclusive 90 minutes at the Velo park, the price includes entry to both venues plus bike hire. After a steady trickle, enthusiasm has picked up and currently there is just one place left available. Thanks to organiser Mike Barrett, any questions, or once full to go on the reserve list, please message Mike.

SUMMER TUFF RUN SERIES

STOP PRESS 2 : – Dont forget this coming Saturday is the first in our Summer Tuff Run Series; a series of five runs where you can elect to participate in as few or many as you wish. However the more you enter the better your chance of success as you can use your best three scores for the final league position. Scores are on the World Masters Age Group system – so your gender and age come into the equation when a score is calculated. So where is the first race ? SATURDAY 4th June – Littlehampton Park Run. 9am start, although allow time to park if you do not wish to pay in the nearby car parks = Good luck – several already flagged they are to attend – don’t forget your bar code.

PARKRUN ROUND UP

Worthing parkrun saw the following Tuffs in action:- Les Pearce was first Tuff home in 22: 24 for his 157th PR. Phil Turner was next in 24:20 for his 78th, with Ed Lay just behind for his 91st. Mark Sole has been amassing a lot of parkruns recently crossing the line next and then great to see Steve Woodbridge back on the parkrun trail. Elaine Rousseau was our next club member to finish for her 127th PR.

Across at Bognor parkrun, there was great work from Simon Thistlethwaite who finished 4th overall in a swift 19:36. Nathan Bilham was also present for his 76th PR.

At Littlehampton parkrun Kev Pearson was on pacing duties again but that didn’t stop him crossing in a nippy 22:43 and Rick Budd was next in 24:20 for his 175th parkrun. Alistair Evans was present for his 85th PR and next across the line was Jenny Oliver. Al Evans was also on the organising team alongside Nick Hartfield