Thursday at Lockett Rockets

New recruit to the Lockett Rockets today, I took along a runner from work I know who expressed an interest in intervals. Let's call him Simon, because that's his name.

Made it to the meeting point in good time and no Mr Lockett and only 8 or so cats, hung around until 12:37 before pushing off up to the canal.

I hadn't been on Tuesday, but they'd done pyramids so wanted something fast and I chipped in with a suggestion of something simple. 75 on 45 off 12 sets, 6 out six back. Everyone ready? Away!

Simon glances sheepishly down at his bare wrist then notices Justin does not have a watch either. "How will you know when the time is up?" he asks, Justin shrugs, I just know when the time is down, I count or watch for the guy in front. 15 seconds in and the order is naturally sorted I'm tucked in behind Sarah and Justin is breathing down my neck. But what on earth is this - Simon hammers past grinning like a Cheshire cat and pulls away on rep one holding the pace of the elite. I nearly catch him on the recovery, but at the off he's gone again and Justin asserts himself in front of me and Simon mullers rep two. He's not smiling anymore though. At the end of rep three I look back and he's gone. Dropped like stone. I can't even see him. Next time I catch sight of him is on rep 10 (which he joins in on) and then I peg him back through rep 11 and take him on rep 12.

Rep 12 had Steve catching me and he claims he would have got me if the two guys with the canoe on the ramp at the lock had not passed the cyclist coming the other way right at the end of the rep had not blocked the path for him - te he I saw the gap, but left the pace injection to the last moment so he couldn't follow me through!

It was a lovely sunny day and at the end of rep five Sarah was obviously feeling the heat so decided to take off her t-shirt to reveal her mini top underneath. The three tramps on the bench all had their eyes popping out their heads and their jaws dropped and tongues hanging out at that spectacle. She was amused by that story too, not often that much flesh is revealed on the canal at this time of year.