Nick our talented duathlete, he decided to put his running ability to the test competing in the Bexhill half marathon. He raced from the front and finished in a impressive time of 73 mins. This is Nick account of the race.
‘This was just meant to be a pre-holiday indulgence, a nice little trot around the coast which would in some way relieve the guilt of going on holiday the same day to Morocco and not training for 4 days. Well it proved far more memorable than that for many reasons. Choosing to do a half-marathon a few hours before jetting off on holiday did present some logistical challenges (like having to go to Gatwick twice in one day) but it’s great to do well in a race and then chill out on holiday.
The course in Bexhill is a simple 4 lapper along the coastal road and path and with a little dip into a park for each lap. It’s only been going for 3 years but has already built up a good following. Just before the start there was a torrential downpour which meant that the course was slippery underfoot and we were all happy to hear the crack of the starters gun.
Almost immediately I built up a nice lead and before the first bend (maybe after less than a kilometre) it seemed fairly obvious that this was going to be a time trial rather than a race. Thankfully the lead cyclist stayed in front of me for the entire duration and cleared a path all the way round. I took the first lap really conservatively before opening up on the 2nd. At the start of the 3rd the heavens opened in a major fashion. The rain was so thick and fast it was actually impossible to keep my eyes open for more than a second at a time and I can never recall rainfall like it ever before in either training or racing. For whatever reason this seemed to have no impact at all on my running and I started the 4th lap knowing that both a half-marathon PB and course record were mine if I could stay the pace. Fortunately I managed both finishing in 73.36, in front of fellow GB duathlete and rising younger star Josh Varney.
Until next time,
Yours Nick’
Many Thanks to all our sponsors this year including:
Frames: Merida: www.merida-bikes.com
Wheels: Fast Forward: www.ffwdwheels.com
Power: www.cycleops.com
Cycle Shoes: www.lakecycling.co.uk
Helmets: www.limarhelmets.com
Aerobars: www.use1.com
Wetsuits and compression: www.2xu.com
