Duatlon de Oñati

First off a fantastic trip to Euskadi for some teaching, consulting, training and racing. The weather was decent and I managed to fit in all the things I wanted before heading back to Catalonia, including the climb to Arantzazu for Sunday morning mass and some tasty pintxos in Xaramela in Mondragon!

The race itself was bitter-sweet. With a maximum of 30minutes high-intensity work in the past 5 weeks I was always going to struggle in the 2nd half of the race. I started strongly though and am very pleased with my running form. The field was decent and I formed a lead group of 3 going into the bike with Hektor Llanos and Laurent Galinier. The frenchman though was very aggressive right from the start of the bike and I got dropped on the climb to Deskarga. Facing that climb myself into the wind was bloody hard and I faded badly to 11th. In the end only a minute behind a podium spot and even 1 more week on the bike and I would have stuck with Llanos and Galinier.

Great to get back into it though and hopefully have got a bit of bike form back for the Olympic distance Banyoles duathlon this week, where I nabbed my first Catalan podium spot last year.

Oso ondo, eskerrik asko Euskadi eta agur bat!

The comeback Marxa - off to Euskadi. . .

Back on the road to recovery and full fitness after my broken elbow, I competed in a local Girona 'marxa' on Sunday. Marxas are like fun-runs, but usually with a decent amount of interest and standard. I worked hard from the start, clocking 18:27 for the 6k, finishing around a minute and a half ahead of some decent 75min half-marathon runners. What I want to explain though is the level of organisation, and local commitment, in such races. This was a very small-scale event, and the first time it had been run. However, there was over a dozen police motorbikes in support and I ran side by side almost with one 'moto' through the centre of Girona, with all traffic being stopped. I passed hundreds of tourists, out for an early Sunday morning view of Girona, and with the police siren going, felt like it was the Olympic Marathon! All good fun (including Chariots of Fire and Queens' Champions belted out at the start and end!) though and some decent prep. ahead of my trip to Euskadi this Thursday.

Bike isn't too bad either - first time in over a month over the weekend and did a few timed efforts up the Montnegre climb earlier today - first timed climbs up here (around 8k, 380m net) but 18:52 and 19:02 are OK, and with good recovery. Still worried about that climb up Deskarga right enough!

The Lanark Ladyboys

Well then, Lanark Multisport came and went, with their gaudy lycra, shitey patter, and voracious appetites! nice one guys, see you next time! Gracias also to Señores y Señoras Blom, McGurk, Begg, Glendinning, Gunson, McDonald and Coopland for coming over to say hello the past few months. These lads and lassies are flying! courtesy of some great Girona MACstrong training.



Me? I fell and broke my elbow, which has really messed up my season plans. Just started running again this week after 3 weeks, month off the bike - hope it won't take me too long to get back. Off to the Basque Country next week (planned and booked before fall) for my annual bash at the Oñati Duathlon and that tasty climb up to Deskarga. It is going to be sore!

Agur bat!