RACE 25 - DUNSFOLD DUATHLON - 29 May

Well another milestone!  Half way and only another 25 to do!  This is also the seventh race in May so it needed to be a bit special.  Therefore a duathlon  at Dunsfold Airfield, best known as the location for the BBC TV series "Top Gear" - used for power laps by the Stig, drag races, challenges, and "Star in a Reasonably-Priced car" might just prove the inspiration needed. 


Sunday was another reasonably late start  - I'll be getting soft at this rate. It was late enough to actually buy the Sunday papers and read about Man. U's demolition by Barcelona.  Loading up a different bike, dry clothes and my road trainers (meaning that I would have dirtied both my on and off-road race bikes, on and off-road trainers and clothes - meaning a big Sunday evening wash!)  Allowed more time to get there following yesterdays nerves - mistakenly as it turned as because of course it is Sunday.  However it did mean that I turned up at the airfield just as the 10k race was finishing.  

The view to finish arch.

What was truly awesome was that some wheelchair racers were just finishing the 10k and to be honest I don't think I've ever been quite so moved by athletic endeavours.  They looked quite young but both the people around them and the competitors themselves put so much of themselves into finishing, especially into such a wicked head-wind, it really put what I'm attempting into some kind of perspective.  Something to talk about rather than write about I think - though it has made me think again about going to the Para-Olympics next year.   
  

Registered and got my pre-race cup of tea.  Got the bike set up and racked and helped some of the other competitors pump their tyres as I'd brought my track pump rather than just a little hand-pump.  Also gave me a chance to eye-up the competition - not too many really fast bikes and certainly no disc wheels because of the wind.  There were also a number of mountain bikes still with knobbly tyres which is always a good thing because it means I won't come last, and a few bikes with racks, lights, locks - all still fitted.  Also as I had time, explored the runway to see all the impressive Top Gear tyre marks.  

At the race briefing, the organisers explained that as the wind was so strong, drafting on the three lap cycle course would be allowed as long as we were "sensible".  I was a bit nervous about trying this as my handlebars or "cockpit" is set up for time trialling so my hands are no where near the brakes.  Thought I might attempt it though if there was someone going around at a convenient speed.


Race started at 1:30 with all of us racing with the wind down the runway.  We turned right into the full force of the wind.  The wind socks were blowing horizontally and whipping around so I found some one fairly large and tried to run behind them.  The run course was a figure of '8' with the pinch-point at the tyre wall chicane (for those of you that watch Top Gear - this is on the timed laps and the 'Star in the Reasonably Priced Car' parts of the programme).  needless to say I certainly didn't go through this section with anything like the speed they do but the tyre wall was shaking - just like it does in the programme, but this was less to do with the close proximity of speeding vehicles, just the strength of the wind. 


On the run we pass a large jumbo jet - running under one of its wings, and past a selection of aircraft - a couple of McDonald Douglas DC3's, a Harrier jump-jet (which is appropriate considering this was where it was developed), some kind of small carrier jet with folded up wings, what looked like a Russian helicopter .... so there was plenty to see.  Fortunate really as airfields otherwise are just large areas of grass and asphalt which aren't that interesting visually. One thing you could see though with the wide open vistas and the shape of the course, was exactly how far in front or behind people were.  


Then it was onto the bike!  We started the same way as the run so managed to pick up a fair old speed only to nearly come to grief as turning left (opposite direction to the run) the cross wind hit full on.  Wobbling rather alarmingly managed to stay upright and tuck down into the aero-position with the wind full into my face.  The cycle course was to be three laps of the perimeter road which was a combination of asphalt and concrete.  This is when the bike really proved its worth.  even the cyclists with racing bikes were having problems cycling into the wind whereas (comparatively) the few of us using our tri-bars had it easier.  Also with my set up it allows me to drink energy drinks while in the tucked position.  


The upshot of all this was, managed to overtake a lot of the people who had beaten me in the first run and went just fast enough for no one to overtake me - well almost no one.  What happened was on the second lap I realised that someone was literally breathing down my neck - drafting into the wind.  With the wind he overtook but deciding that it just 'wasn't on' caught up with him.  As we sped down the course in top gears we had a bit of a chat as he apologised for drafting.  We discovered we both saw ourselves as cyclists and were dreading the second run - so I suggested he draft me on the final lap.  Round the corner into the wind he was on my back wheel and then it was just head down and ignore the aching thighs.  Still had a bit left in the tank so gave it everything and actually lost any hangers on.  Final part in top gear with the wind I passed the first runners starting on their laps.  I  was really pleased as there didn't seem to many of them so I'd managed to catch a fair few on the cycle section. 


Back in transition it was mercifully free of too many bikes - quick change into trainers and off on the run.  At this point realised just how much effort I'd put into the cycling as running into the wind it felt like I was dawdling.  Kept it going and was only overtaken by three runners which was pleasing - though my second run time was about two minutes slower than the first. Finished to see some poor competitors still struggling on the bike section with their mountain bikes - really didn't envy them!


Delayed publishing this blog as was convince that there would be some good action shots.  The photos were finally up on their website and nada! Not even at the finish!  Oh well saves you having to look at me and instead have a look at some images of asphalt!


RESULT: 17th out of 122 in a time of 1:09:11 (a couple of minutes slower than last year but having my excuses to hand, I blame the wind!)

A Bit of History:


Dunsfold Aerodrome near the village of Cranleigh, was built by the Canadian Army and civilian contractors as a  bomber airfield. It was commanded by the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942-1944.  During the Second World War the first squadrons were equipped with P-40 Tomahawks and P-51 Mustangs. They were followed by the North American B-25 Mitchell Mk II medium bombers. When these squadrons departed for the continent in the autumn of 1944, they were replaced with  Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests. 


After the war the airfield was used by the RAF to repatriate prisoners of war and was declared inactive by the RAF in 1946.  It was then used by Skyways Ltd, whose operations  included support of the Berlin Airlift. Skyways also refurbished ex-RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes for the Portuguese Air Force.


In 1950 The Hawker Aircraft Company acquired the lease of the site. Dunsfold became internationally known for development of the Hunter jet fighter, limited numbers of Sea Hawks were also produced and Sea Furies were refurbished. Airwork Ltd leased two hangars from 1953-58 for the refurbishment of F-86 Sabres and Supermarine Attackers.


In October 1960 the then Hawker Siddeley flight tested its Hawker P.1127 prototype, the development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first VTOL jet fighter bomber. Final assembly of the Harrier and the Hawk trainer aircraft was at Dunsfold.


In 2002 BAE Systems (British Aerospace's successor) sold Dunsfold Aerodrome to The Rutland Group who formed Dunsfold Park Ltd. They have tried to develop the site for amongst other things housing, which is very unpopular locally. Today the BBC motoring show Top Gear is recorded at the park using a former hangar as a studio and parts of the runways and taxiways of the aerodrome as a test track.


Some of the track (The Young Drivers Track) is now used by many driving schools and instructors to enable under seventeen year olds to learn to drive. Hundreds of youngsters have now had their first driving experience at the Top Gear location before going out on to the road. [I seem to remember doing something similar on an old airfield in Cheshire].


Since June 2007 Dunsfold Park has been home of the Surrey Air Ambulance Service. Dunsfold Park is also home to Wings and Wheels, an annual air and motor show that is typically held in late August. The airshow attracted over 25,000 visitors and raised over £80,000 for charities including Help for Heroes and the Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance in 2009. Increasing popularity has meant the event is now a two-day show.


Dunsfold Park Ltd also organise a Drive-In Cinema, Dunsfold Drive-In over the Easter bank holiday as well as a popular and classical concert, Strings & Wings, on the first weekend in June, and the annual "Dad's Day Out" motoring event, held in aid of The Children's Trust, Tadworth.