Andy Lawless
After a disjointed start to the season with illness (asthma diagnosis) I was looking to get back into racing again at the end of season. Once a few of the symptoms of my asthma had settled, a nice build phase by coach Ian Roberts had given me some confidence to be able to compete again at (hopefully) a reasonable standard.
A “sprinkling” of tempo work had been introduced into my training which gave me the confidence that i could push myself at the right time. Going into the event, I was optimistic that i might push for a top 3 male veteran (40-60.) The swim on the day was a bit chaotic although I’m sure plenty of other athletes found it the same. Although a bit slower in the pool than anticipated, crucially I settled down and got out of the pool relatively comfortable and managed a swift transition onto the bike. A strong and competitive bike leg in windy conditions pushed me up the field and set me up for the 5k run. After another swift transition, I was able to push out hard on the run, especially over the 1st mile.
Although the run splits (in miles) were slightly positive (out and back run with headwind return) the intensity throughout was consistent leading to a 19:24 5K run. 6th overall, 1st Male veteran was my best performance at this event, mainly thanks to the “managed” tempo work added by Ian. Thanks.
