Shattered Illusions

It's the third 1485 Duathlon at Bosworth Water Park today and I've done all three so far. Of the three, today is the first time there hasn't been a gale blowing, in fact the weather was just about perfect. I even do this one in shorts and just one top instead of the multiple layers and long trousers that I've had to resort to here before. Word also seems to be getting around about this event as there's quite a big field of 92 entrants, including some big names on the local scene. There is also a member of the UK team here, the UK number 1 ranked Duathlete who’s up from St Albans. So the organiser will perhaps regret holding up a £20 note at the pre-race briefing and saying this is for anyone who beats the course record.

I have both the dogs with me and Doggo is all hyped up, thinking there's a run on and he's about to be part of it. I shatter his illusions and put him back in the car.

The first lap of the run is hard and I can feel my lack of training but then I get my legs going and the second lap is better. It's pretty much the same on the bike, the first part is hard but once I get going the rest goes well. I lose a lot of places on the bike, which isn't unusual, but I’m annoyed by the fact that a lot of the other competitors are drafting each other. Is this allowed? I get invited to join in and I do for a while but then drop back after feeling guilty. Thinking about it, I've never seen a set of rules for this event, so perhaps there aren't any.

I do pass a couple of chaps, one who is on a mountain bike and who must have had a really good run. I put some distance between myself and him, just in case he tries to get his own back on the second run.

The first lap of the second run is as hard as the first was but once the legs come back, I pass a few people and do ok.

Mr Team GB won of course and went home £20 richer, his aim he says is to do as many du's as possible this year. Next stop Clumber Park, oh dear. Hope he's on the Full Monty and not the sprint event that I'm doing.

Overall my performance is a bit mixed. I'm thirty seconds down on my first run from what I did last year and forty seconds down on the second one but nearly two minutes up on the bike section but the lack of wind probably accounted for that. My total time is 27 seconds faster than last year, so I've got to be ecstatic I suppose. I'm 34th and most importantly the girl count is one, so not bad on that score.

I chuck a couple of balls for my pit crew (the dogs), have a coffee and then power over to Shardlow where I've booked an agility training session for MD. It turns out to be a really useful. My pocket rocket is doing well and is now linking up jumps and tunnels.

Then I head back to L because we’re heading off to the cinema. It’s 'Che Part 2' tonight and I wouldn’t say either of us are keen, we both found part one a bit of an ordeal but there’s no way I can leave the saga unfinished. I remember struggling to stay awake at times during part one and I hadn’t done a Duathlon that day.

The second film, 'Che Part 2: The Guerilla', jumps forward six years and a lot has happened in the meantime. Che has married one of his troops, Aleida. He has also committed several murders for the cause in Cuba but this is skipped over. As is his part in the Cuba Missile Crisis and there is no further explanation of his appearances at the United Nations as featured in part one. What also isn't mentioned is his visits to many other countries and in particularly when her tries to help the guerrillas in Congo.



Instead the film restarts with him travelling to Bolivia to help the revolutionaries there. It then becomes similar to the first film, lots of build up to various battles and then the battles themselves. It is slightly better this time and also bleaker because it quickly becomes clear that this revolution is going to fail and his army is gradually decimated. When it came down to it Bolivia just wasn’t really bothered enough about having a revolution. Guevara was ultimately captured by the Bolivians and subsequently executed.



The films are undeniably good but I had hoped to come away better educated about Che Guevara but so much is left out that this is not the case.

We eat before the film and first they serve us cold soup; they take it away, only to bring it back so super heated that I burn my mouth on it. Very nice it was eventually, as was main course and the several beers we had throughout the night.