ATHelite Bikeless Duathlon

Sometimes I never cease to be amazed at how many people turn up to train in ridiculous weather conditions. We seem to get better turn outs to freezing open water swims and running up the wind farm in blizzards than when the weather is nice. This Sunday was no exception as we headed up to the top of the bleak A77 for the ATHelite Club Duathlon. I thought we might get a couple of lunatics showing up but there was an ever growing huddle of people hiding from the wind & rain behind Michaels van. We were concerned about the conditions on the bike leg and worried that someone might get blown into the path of an articulated lorry so Michael bravely decided to go for a test ride. The decision was pretty much made when he exited the cover of the van & couldn't get his bike down on the road to even get on it.

We decided against the bike leg & went for a straight 10k run instead taking in two loops of the hilly 5k run leg. We lost a couple of people at this point at the very thought of a 10k but the rest of us lined up facing the wind & rain for the start of the race run. 2.5k out into the wind with one particularly gruesome climb to sap the legs then 2.5k back over the same climb with a flatter wind assisted run to the start point. And repeat.

Results are below including 5k split time after lap 1. Good to see people generally held their pace for the 2nd lap apart from those who couldn't face a 2nd lap (Nicola)

                 5k           10k
Colin F     18.19      37.18
Michael     20.05      (bailed out after going over on ankle)
Gareth       22.08     44.16
Mark         21.21     42.41
Lorna        24.04     48.34
Nicola       28.40     (bailed out after not going over on ankle)
Don           28.40     54.37
Laura         27.53     54.37
Graeme      23.51     47.52
Derek S     23.51     45.02
Calum        22.27     46.49
Derek B     27.53     54.44
Colin B       25 secs for 150 metres.

Well done everyone for a good run on a tough course in challenging conditions & thanks to Genevieve for standing there freezing in the rain to do the times.
As always the ATHelite mobile Cafe was on hand to defrost & refuel the team with hot coffee, Genevieve's Banana Loaf & Nicola's Empire Biscuits - both of which were scored 9/10 on this occasion.