2011 RNLI 10km Reindeer Run and an award! ~ 51mins 49secs

Braved blustery winds again this morning for the annual RNLI Reindeer 10k run at Knowsley Safari park (the fourth time I've done this event). Completed in 51 minutes and 49 seconds which I was quite pleased with given the cross country terrain and up hill climb between 7km and 9km.

Very proud and extremely humbled after the race to be presented with an outstanding achievement award from the RNLI for my fundraising over the past 4 years since my sailing accident and subsequent rescue by the Abersoch RNLI crew. Just over £6,400 raised in that time from Great North Run's, Great Swim's, various 10km runs and a few Triathlons this year.

Thanks to everyone for their very generous donations over this time, words of encouragement and to the Abersoch RNLI crew for being there when I needed them!

2011 Cheshire Triathlon at Capesthorne Hall ~ Done (Time 3:09:29)

After a week of 'Indian Summer' weather in the high 20'c range got a bit of welcome cloud cover for today's Olympic Distance Triathlon... Was hoping to go under the three hour mark and was on track until the run when I ran out of steam which was really disappointing :-(

 

Although the water was black and so shallow my hands were touching the bottom in some places the swim went really well covering the 1500m in 36mins and 21 seconds which was 6 minutes less than the Tatton swim :-). The trip to transition was a 350m run around the lake?! and time through T1 was 4mins 44 secs!

 

A really good bike ride! 1 hour 24minutes for the 39km. But should have had the energy gel I'd taken as it might have kept me legs working for the run!

T2 (bike to run) took 2mins 36secs.

The run was awful! :o( 1 hour 1 minute and 46 secs for my worst ever 10km!?!! My legs gave way on the 3rd lap of the park. I didn't realise I could run so slow!

Missed the 3 hour target but otherwise really enjoyed a good Triathlon in a lovely venue.

 

A T-shirt in the goody bag but no finishers medal so my sister-in-law Bev made me one! Thanks Bev!

 

D :-)

2011 RNLI Tatton Triathlon ~ Done! (Time 3:07:34) ~ £1,540 raised for the RNLI

A great day out at a top class event, even if it did mean a hellishly early start of 7.30am for the swim!

The swim itself didn't entirely go to plan! Very choppy, dirty water which left swimming a true course very difficult. I've been swimming 1500m in open water regularly in about 32 mins but ended up swimming 42mins and 47 secs which was disappointing. I later found out that the organisers had marked the swim out incorrectly but on the day knew that I'd blown my 3 hour target to complete the course... Oh well :-)

Time in Transition 1 (swim to bike) was probably reflected therefore in the time of 3mins 07secs!

 

Bike Stage was good! Four laps round, out and back into Tatton Park in a fairly good time of 1 hour 23 mins and 53 seconds.

Transition 2 (bike to run) was ok at 1 min 32 secs.

 

The run stage was also good, two 5km laps cross country around Tatton Park which seemed mostly up hill! 56 mins and 13 secs for the 10km which wasn't the best ever time but fun bolstered by my supporters! :-)

 

Relief at the finish line to complete in a fairly respectable time of 3 hours 7 mins and 34 seconds and a target to beat for my next Olympic Distance Tri!

Of much greater importance was the overwhelming support I received in sponsorship for the RNLI having raised £1,540! A total of which I'm very proud and humbled and can assure all supporters will be put to good use by the Abersoch RNLI crew!

 

A huge thank you on their behalf!!!

2011 Liverpool Sprint Triathlon ~ 1hour 32mins 39secs

Had a fantastic time at the Liverpool Triathlon today in my first proper Triathlon! Really was a world class event with competitors in the Elite Olympic Distance coming from all over the world to compete... a bit daunting really!

In the Sprint event (750m swim, 20km Bike and 5km run) I finished in 1 hour 32 mins and 39 seconds coming 150th out of a total 389 competitors and 12th out of 34 in my age group... So although a bit disapointed with the time (I'd have liked to have finished in under an hour and a half) above average in the competitor field

My splits were:-
Swim =17mins 32Secs (ok... Lots of people swimming over the top of each other!)
T1 (swim to bike) = 2mins 43 secs (1 min better than Pwllheli Tri)

Bike = 43mins 38 Secs (Quite pleased, a new PB... did 45:42 for the same distance at Pwllheli Tri... Almost crashed near the finish when a girl took a wrong route in front of me!)

T2 (bike to run) = 1min 40 secs (about 20 secs better than Pwllheli)

Run = 27mins 3 seconds (not great, ran 26.15 at Pwllheli Tri. First mile was hard, better in the latter part but very hot and sunny which was a bit draining)

I think there's room for improvement in the Swim, T1 and Run...

Looking forward to the Tatton Triathlon! Double the distance and hoping to get under 3 hours!

2011 Edinburgh Marathon ~ 4hours 13mins and 31secs of punishment :-)

Well it's done! Without doubt the toughest physical challenge I've ever done in my life (so far)!
Karen and I met up with Chris and Karl from work at the start line (note the nervous smiles on the picture on the left) and then kicked off at just after 10.00am and relaxed into a fairly comfortable pace, averaging about 9.5 min miles.
A really nice course off Princess St in Edinburgh, around the beautiful Holyrood Park, around a football stadium dropping down towards the coast towards Musselborough. Past the race course (and finish line) and continued along the coast with Bass rock in sight in the distance.

A fairly comfortable run until about 17miles when we were hit by a heavy downpour and strong winds whilst running along the coast. Double backed at about 18miles around a country estate and a house where a guy was playing 'Charriots of fire' on his trumpet :-). The legs started to seize up at around 20 miles and tried to walk a little at a drinks station around 21 miles but the legs were too stiff to walk so it was easier to keep running!?
The last mile was brilliant... Even managed a smile!

We finished in a very respectable 4 hours 13 minutes and 31 seconds. 4924th out of a field of around 28,000 runners. So all in all a good result!
Even better is the fundraising total! Karen has raised just over £1,000. I've raised another circa £500... Every penny of which will make a huge difference to the vulnerable children supported by the Isaiah Trust.
Thanks so much for all the support!
Gonna have a well earned week off now before resuming training for my Triathlons later this year!
D :-)

2011 Great Manchester 10km Run ~ A New Personal Best! 46mins 36secs!

A damp, chilly day but good running weather for my fifth time running the Great Manchester Run (which is were the running all sprang from).

Achieved my best ever time for the 10km... A totally unexpected 46 minutes and 36 seconds which is nearly two minutes better than my previous best and came 3,011th out of a field of 38,000 runners.

 

A week 'tapering' now in the run up to the Edinburgh Marathon with confidence boosted that I'm as ready as I'll ever be! :-)

2011 Pwllheli Triathlon ~ A great first Tri! (Time = 1:27:11)

Had a fantastic day in Pwllheli today at my first sprint Triathlon! 400m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run.

The swim was 16 lengths in the pool, 4 lengths in each lane, which was a bit cluttered. An ok time of 9 mins and 10 secs.

First transition to bike took longer than I'd have liked (3mins 47 secs) too much faffing about with gloves and phone/Endamondo! A lesson learned for next time!!).

Really enjoyed the cycle! First time in any sort of competitive bike ride. Out of the leisure centre, around Pwllheli Marina and then a two mile steep hill climb out of Pwllheli back towards Caernarfon turning right at Four Crosses towards Chwilog and then dropping down hill to the A497 back to Pwllheli... 45mins 42 secs which I was really pleased with (44mins 1 sec for the 12 miles which is a PB). Some fantastic views of the Llyn en route!
Another 2 mins in the transition area and then off on the run with legs like bricks... Really stiff! Ran the 5km along the sea front and around the Marina in 26mins and 15 secs completing the whole event in 1 hour 27 minutes and 11 seconds coming 79th out of a field of 138... Full results here ~ http://www.triathlon-pwllheli.com/english/results2011.htm

Not bad for a first Tri :-) Hope to do better in my next event at Liverpool in June 2011 once the Edinburgh Marathon is out of the way.

2010 Great Salford Swim... Done :-) ~ 37mins 20secs (£1,400 raised for the RNLI)

Had a fantastic day today at the inaugural Great Salford Swim with not a spot of Blue Green Algae in sight!

Home ground for me having trained here with Uswim and a great venue for spectators. Karen and the girls followed me around the course shouting encouragement which was fantastic although I couldn't really wave back to show how much it was appreciated!

At the beginning of this year I struggled to swim more than a few lengths of front crawl. I can't believe I managed to complete the course today let alone in a new personal best of 37 minutes and 20 seconds (I'd been hoping to get under 40 mins)!

Most importantly though, another £1,400 has been raised for the RNLI!

Thanks everyone for both the moral and financial support! Both have equally been important and I couldn't have done it without you!

Cheers!
D :-)

2010 Abersoch 10km ~ 51 minutes 52 Seconds! :-)

Second time at the Abersoch 10km event for me, this year the course changed slightly starting in the town rather than on the beach. Also had the company of Karen, Jenny and Dom and sunshine rather than the wind and rain of last year which made for an all round much better day!

 

The run was as tough as ever (perhaps more so in the warmth of the sun!) running up out of Abersoch through Sarnbach and then tracking around Abersoch Bay and up a gruelling hard core track to the highest point at Porth Tocyn with views out towards Bardsey Island before heading back through Sarnbach and the last mile along the beach to finish under the Yacht Club.

 

A truly stunning route and a pleasing time (seven seconds off last years time ;-) !

2010 Great Manchester Run ~ 49 minutes and 33 seconds

What a fantastic Day and an honour to represent the Isaiah Trust for the fourth year running!

Met up with the guys from the IT team before hand (L-R Chris, Rob, Karl, myself and Karen)

And ran much of the way round with them. Finished in a respectable 49 minutes and 33 seconds... Pleased to manage to get under 50 mins again!

Karen blasted her 'under an hour' target finishing in 52 mins and 04 seconds (and this is only the second time she's run this distance)!
Met up with Rachael (the other member of our work's IT team) at the end along with the rest of the girls...

All told have raised £290 on my own donation page and another £1,153 with the IT team I work with :-)

Karen has raised £630 so all in all a great fund raising experience for a very worthwhile cause! Thanks everyone for your support and generosity!

Rounded off the day with a BBQ and well earned beers back at ours afterwards!

D :-)

2009 RNLI Reindeer Run 10km @ Knowsley ~ 50mins 50secs

A great family day out today at the RNLI Reindeer runs at Knowsley Safari Park despite the cold, wet, windy and muddy conditions!

<- I finished the 10km in 50 minutes and 50 seconds

And the girls finished the 5km in
37 mins 02 seconds ->







<- and 39 mins respectively!



Rounded off the runs with mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies courtesy of the RNLI... Very civilised!

D :-)

2009 Great North Run ~ 2hours 6mins (£1,359 raised for the RNLI)

Finished the Great North Run today in two hours six minutes and nine seconds!

Not a fantastic time but quite pleased given the extent of my Hamstring tear that I nursed through the run (this morning I thought I might not be able to make it! Topped up on Ibuprofen and Syndol an hour before the race)

Some images from the big day to share with you... The crowd at the start in the middle of Queen's " we will rock you"... a spine tingling moment!

 

Team Lifeboat at the RNLI post race reception at South Shields Sailing club



Lucie "Supporting the Lifeboats" :-)






My most loyal supporters! xx
Thanks Again everyone for the support and helping to raise another £1,359 for the RNLI!!!

D

2009 Abersoch 10k ~ 51mins 59secs

What a fantastic event! The torrential rain that was in for the day broke for a couple of hours before the start to just after the finish. The couple of miles along the beach weren't as bad as expected but the hills... They were sooo tough!

The views of St Tudwals Islands, Bardsey Island and the lanes en route were spectacular. The management and Marshalls great. The beach groynes (sea breaks), stiles, tracks and lanes made for a bit of steeple chase but added to the uniqueness of the run

I'm really pleased with the time of 51 minutes and 59 seconds considering the course. The few hundred people that took part made for a much more interesting race than the Great Run thousands.

 

D :-)

2009 Great Manchester 10km ~ 48mins 31secs! (£625 raised for the Isaiah Trust)

What a fantastic day! I'd optimistically hoped to get under 50 minutes but ran a new personal best of 48 minutes 31 seconds which I'm chuffed to bits with (beat my time from last year by 4 minutes)! I came 3,707th out of around 33,000 runners :-)

You can see my full results here - http://www.nike.com/europerunning/grs/index.jsp?runner=736749&rid=122

The girls were in full voice in support and it was great meeting up with the rest of the team afterwards who all ran well!
 Also met up with my brother Kev & his wife Bev who ran the run for the first time and had a family beer with them afterwards to round off a great afternoon!

My aim for this run (as well as getting a good time and have fun doing so!) was to raise much needed funds for the Isaiah Trust, thanks for helping me to raise another £625 towards their life changing work! 

D :-) 

2008 Great North Run for the RNLI ~ 1hour 58mins 4secs ~ £2,291 raised for the RNLI

The RNLI Crew ~ L-R Andy Gunby, Neil McGill, Chas Myers

This is the run that kicks off my RNLI fundraising, and what a kick start!
The atmosphere was amazing and although it was a lot tougher than I expected I managed to come in under my two hour target time of 1 hour 58 minutes, finishing 11,617th out of 52,000 runners... Which I'm really pleased with :-)

You can see my full results here:-
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/emea/v1/race/index.html?datapath=/nikeplus/emea/v1/race/race_run/en/great_northern_run/&lang=en#/graph?user=10159
I'm even more pleased, in fact overwhelmed by your generosity! I'd ambitiously hoped to raise £1,000 for the RNLI but as you can see from the results above we've more than doubled it! Thank you so so much!!!
All funds raised will be going to the Abersoch lifeboat station to help maintain its presence... I trust you feel as I do that this is your money well placed!
Thanks again!