SUCCESS !!

Finished the year at Barcelona on a day when the sea was choppy, it was hot 24 to 25 degrees and I hobbled the 10k, with a very sore Achilles. Even though it was a rough sea, I had my best time by far, my bike despite a lot of sharp turns was a PB (Personal Best) and I managed 3hrs 08mins 36 sec after a slow and painfull run/hobble. I must also recognise that 2 runners at Barcelona shared drinks and pain to get me through to the end.

Well will be back next year which will be my 5th year, and time to step up distance again. (Starting with the Paris Marathon in April, Windsor Olympic distance Triathlon in June and 1/2 Iron Man, Slazburg (Zell-am-See Kaprun) in August 2012.

So my target was 8 Triathlons, but beat that by managing the following:-

2 - Olympic Distance Triathlons (Tatton (UK) & Barcelona)

7 - Sprint distance Triathlons

2 - 1/2 marathons on the NorthWest coast (weather wet & windy on both)

2 - 1 mile Open Water swims in the lakes (Great scenery)

2 - 100k plus bike rides, over some very interesting hills.

Some pre-season runs.

a) Garstang 10k, Jan 2011, 1hour 2mins Carrying an injury on a very cold but bright Sunday morning.

b) Action Duchene Love Run 10k, Heaton Park, Manchester Feb 2011, 1 hour 1min 15 sec, on a lovely morning, but a hilly course.

c) North West Half Marathon at Blackpool 27th Feb, 2hours 24mins, on a very cold and windy morning

1) Ribby Hall short Sprint Trialthlon, Apr 2011 - 1hr 20mins 35 sec

Then start in ernest, with some early season Sprints

2) Stratford 220 - 1hr 30mins 40secs (9mins quicker than 2010)

3) Cheshire, a windy bike ride - 22 May - 1hr 29mins 30secs

Next Race is the 1st Big One

4) Blenheim - 5 June (Triathlon is a "Contact" sport) 1hr 47mins

It was a bruiser, but the bike race away from the crashes was beautiful, and at the end I was quicker than last year.

Training Ride, Trossach Ton, is a damp scottish day was draining but proved a good challenge for the legs

Great Open water swim at Ullswater, not a brilliant time 47 mins, but a beautiful place to swim!

5) Manchester Tri, Boundary Breeze a weedy swim followed by a great bike ride, just need to run faster, but pleasing my best time to date of 1hr 35 mins 02 secs.

6) Clitheroe Triathlon (the extra one) as a warmup for Tatton

7) Tatton Triathlon (Olympic) 11 Sept - 3hrs 21mins 3 secs

8) Warwick 2 Oct, on a hot day with asore achilles - 1hr 31mins 40 sec

9) Barcelona (Olympic)16 Oct - 3hrs 08mins 36 secs

So watch my story, for the trials, challenges and successes, but please contribute, this is in Memory of my Mum, who was helped by Macmillian in 2010.

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Thanks All, regards Paul