Simons Sport

 

As well as working the dogs over the winter months, Simon tries to be active all year round - when not working on the house of course.

 

 

Having always ridden Mountain Bikes, I finally got hold of a Road Bike. To see if I was going to get on with it, I bought an old Raleigh Criterium from Ebay. It is a lovely old bike and having put 2 new tyres on it, it really does a good job....especially for £47!

 

I have been using it to get to work and I immeddiately knocked 10 minutes of my journey time - that is mostly down to the extra narrow tyres. I usually manage my 9.5 mile ride in around 30 minutes.

 

 

  

 Raleigh Criterium

 

 

My cycling has spurred me to do bigger and better things though......

 

 

 

I had planned to try this a few years ago with some friends from work.....you know the story!

 

Well in April 2009 at the grand age of 43, I entered my first 'Tri'. The good thing is that many events are not the full distance 'Olympic' event and are known as 'Sprint Races'. Not a bad thing really...

 

 

 

Having not been near a swimming pool for 15 years and having no ability to run at any great speed, my only goal was not to finish in the bottom few. To my great suprise I was actually 48th out of 83 starters.... With no training of any sort, I was over the moon.

 

 

 

 

  East Coast Super Sprint - Full results here

 

 

 

 Fritton Lake Sprint Tri - 6th June 2009.

 

This was my first 'open water' swim and almost my last...It was only 400 metres but I almost didn't make it out. At the end I was dizzy and disorientated and couldn't get out of my wetsuit........Still by the time I did recover and got onto my bike (20k), things improved. With a steady run (3K) I finished 96th out of 154 starters in a time of 1hr 9 minutes. JOb done!! A friend took piccies but they are all on Facebook I am afraid!

 

 

 

 

 For me this was the 'biggie'...a 1/2 mile swim in Whitlingham Broad and I was bricking it! I managed to complete it, but it took me almost 22 minutes. I was virtually last out of the water and as I was in the last wave, there weren't an awful lot of people to chase down on the bike ride (18K)...just as well as the swim had really taken it out of me. However towards the end of the ride, I was starting to catch a few people. The run was scheduled for 5k but turned out to be 6! Plus it was now about 25 degrees! To my amazement, I was passing all sorts of people which was reflected in my time of 1hr 31 minutes and 51st out of 89 starters....a position I was really excited about as it is a well attended regional event!

 

Again Piccies on Facebook. 

 

 

 

 Cycling Time Trials (TT's)

 

Having found a local cycle club on my back door, how could I not take part. CC Breckland run weekly TT's, usally 10 or 15 miles from Scoulton village hall.

 

I did my first 10 mile in May 2009 and despite being last on paper, a time of 31' 51" is highly respectable (especially on a 20 year old Raleigh - many TT riders have hi-spec biles that make mine look like an old boneshaker!)