5.4m super easy duathalon with Stephan

Our kids needed to be at the pool in Aubonne for the scouts end of term fun sesson so I talked Stephan into a few km on the Aubonne trails.

We were both camelbak-ed up as the temperature 29 and the smell of sun cream wafted up from the pool as the massed sun worshoppers creamed up.

We set off and the first section involves some technical trail work and a steep climb out of the river valley to catch the road. That got the hrt high early. But then that was it. My idea of a long run is one hour out then another back, while Stephan was adamant that one hour was the max time on feet. On the flat and down hill Stephan was fine going at a respectable pace, but on the up hill I guess walking would be a fair description of the pace set. I did the old runing round in circles waiting thing, but to no avail, when Stephan walks that's it he is walking.

Made to the Arboretum which is a lovely spot and looped around the lake before returning on the same route we'd taken out bound. On the way back I tried to convince Stephan to continue down into the old town and sprint the last section from the castle arch up to the court yard at the top to find his true hrt max, but he was having none of if. As soon as we saw the pool he hit stop on his Garmin and that was it. Stunningly slow with only 5.4m done in 54:55 - now thats TEN minute miles. Jason where were you? you'd have loved it!

Five francs later I'm in the freezing pool and must have done at least 6 lengths before I joined the masses sunning themselves on the grass. I even did two lengths of front crawl breathing only on the off side. Kenny would have been proud of me! Great story from a triathalon Stephan did 20 years ago, he's even slower in the pool than on the hills, so when he came out the pool he was last by miles, but he managed to catch plently on the run and his stongest leg was the bike where he caught even more. I'm the inverse. I'm sure I could get my swimming up to sratch eventually, but the bike is my weakest link. Driving my car at the speed some of these guys cycle at is a challenge for me.....