Once again it’s very gratifying to see local entrepreneurs organising races, consequently athletes don’t have to drive miles to race, or have to get up at some ungodly hour to get to the race venue. In fact I only live three miles from South Hunsley Sports Centre, the location of 3xTri’s Humber Sprint event. A total of 164 athletes competed, so it was a comfortable number to race against.

I had been away most of the previous week so training then was non existent – well, I have to find an excuse for my moderate times ...Anyway, my 400m swim time was about a minute longer than I’d hoped for. I was secretly pleased that my swim lane was at the side so I was able to grab the ladder and haul myself out and race off to T1.

Being of a delicate disposition and given it was early October I’d opted to wear a bike top, so my transition time was quite lengthy. The bike split was quite technical, up over the Wolds. One athlete who’d come from York was heard to remark “Ee, I didn’t think they had hills in East Yorkshire” nobbut one or two, lad! It’s my training route so I know it well. Half-way round I was regretting my previous week’s over indulgence - too many pints of a well known Danish beer - but it was a case of head down and keep grinding it out as I knew relief was in store in the shape of a one mile 14% descent down the scenic wooded Brantingham Dale. I regularly train going up it and I suggested to Karl of 3xTri that reversing the race route really would sort the boys from the men. Then followed a dogleg with a sharp 400m climb, just to catch out the unwary, and back into T2.

More lost time due to need to put on knee strap and socks. I usually manage without, but my trainers started to rub of late. The run was flat apart from the overpass over the A63 and I was pleased that my time of 21.40 was very similar to Beverley in mid August (21.30). Plus of course the Hunsley bike split was much more technical – I just say “hilly”, can’t be doing with all this tri-speak stuff, so it was more demanding than the Beverley bike.

At the finish collecting timing chips was none other than Marie Walker, my podiatrist, so I delighted her by telling her how her diagnosis and treatment was working wonders for my running. 3xTri are to be commended for putting on a junior series and we had several parent/ offspring combos racing. The weather was beautiful which always helps. There are now quite a number of local sprint events which is great and the Humber Sprint certainly has to be the most technically demanding. 3xTri put a similar event on in the spring (aka Southwell) so you can see how well you’ve come on (or off) over the season. I can’t report on JSSV’s status as I missed the April sprint, but given I’m not injured or working will be chugging round next year!