Hmm, a little bit, but northern pit towns can be very bleak with all monotonous terraces.
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While you’re down t’ pit (quarry) your cars may get washed up by the tide:
I quite like Portland, the views can be great, but on a day with a thick sea mist it can definitely be bleak.
Also apparently 533rd English borough out of 533 for social mobility.
Big prison. (There is one, I’m not suggesting Portland itself is one)
Not trying to be unkind, just wanted to reassure northern types that us soft southerners can compete a bit 
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Maybe I’m just still traumatised from a family walk that went wrong. We got lost and disoriented in the interior in the fog. Ended up in a disused quarry which we couldn’t find a way out of, and then in the prison car park complex on the East of the island (we were aiming for the West). That was pretty much the final nail in the coffin for “family walks” in our house. The kids still refer to it every time I suggest a family outing.
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We just went to the Bill when we went, it was a typical grey windy & cold English summers day!
But Portland Stone buildings are the best!
This is Easington, a former pit town, and there’s quite a lot, similar to the picture of Portland. Row after row of terraces with the North Sea in the background and the pit, probably just as it was getting closed down.
Strange thing around there is that Front street was the usual name of the High Street?
Edit: not trying to have a competition of what’s worse BTW, just a bit of an English heritage lesson? It’s changed quite a lot in recent years.
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Used to LOVE that show as a kid 
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Is that Peterlee/Blackhall Colliery?
We went to visit the Victor Pasmore Apollo Pavillion there…erm…yeah 
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Easington, same stretch of coast, but further north I think.
At least you didn’t fall over one of the cliffs.
The Race to the Bill is a really nice, low-key event. Low-key enough that when I left my timing chip in the car, they held the start for a couple of minutes while I ran back and got it. I’ve done it a couple of times on the old full olympic distance course, and once with the more recent shortened bike leg and run round the Osprey Quay. Swim is great. Bike leg is sporting - big climb is well over 10% - but mostly very pretty (see below - it’s nearly always sunny on Portland, I promise), and the run is flat and pleasant. Friendly. Well-organised. Well-marshalled.
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Just about survived the duathlon today, enjoyed racing again, sort of…
It had warmed up quite nicely by the time we started, the first run was slightly short but included a few sections on grass which was really sapping, and a bit rutted in places. Managed to get into a pace that I felt I could keep going but had a feeling it wouldn’t help the bike. Got into T1 in 42:55, but need to add about 40 seconds onto that for a full 10K.
Bike was fairly lame, not many people were using road bikes, felt like I was putting the effort in but only managed 240W AP/250W NP. Went past a few people though. But really should have been putting in another 20-30W for a 40k race I think. It was enough to get me round in 68:30, and the fastest bike was only 58 I think, the TT bike would have gained me a bit of time.
But OMG, some of the bike handling was appalling, I’m nervous these people go out on the road! Appreciate cornering is a bit easier on a road bike, but they were trying to go round on the extensions sometimes and just weaving about all over. I’ll be generous and say a lot probably haven’t raced outside for quite a while.
Second run was just survival, HR was a struggle although I did pick up a bit after 3K, still took about 23:40, although this time it was about 200M long, so nearer to 23.
Hip\lower stomach is a bit sore, but I actually think that was the bike more than the run TBH.
Total time was 2:17, so given it’s my first multisport (finish) since Nice in 2019 and the lack of running I’m not too disappointed.
Someone put in a 31:5x first run though!
The M50 winner was a bit of an outlier, 34:50 10k and I think his second run was a long 18, he was 8 minutes ahead of second. I’d have actually been 3rd if I’d been 10 minutes quicker, and some of that would have been fairly easy to gain, TT bike, running, brick training!
Bit of progress though, just need to consider swimming again.
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Nice one Jeff & some decent running considering the limitations your injury must have brought. Great to read race reports again after all this time.
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After considerable procrasination I decided on the Outlaw Half…full. ($*%&%&£&&
Any suggestion for a flat half ANYWHERE south of Newcastle.
Might even be up for a long duathlon, I should do Zof really., September seems sensible Are there any UK long distance Duathlon’s other than richmond park.
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Oulton park
Sunday coming and early oct.
Cotswold 113 
Chester Deva, Sunday 13th June 2021.
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EpicMan Windermere 30th May.
Could be quick with a bit of bank holiday traffic 
Flat out and back run…
…hmm! I’m convincing myself here now
ETA: it’s also “only” £89 
Also, looks like there are no hills 
Just a little 200m “climb” … hmm … starts at 0730, emergency Sunday 0530-0630 registration, finished by midday, in time for a lakeside pub lunch you say?
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GrafMan 6th June.
1st event back as a TO tomorrow - Kent Duathlon at Hole Park, Benenden
if anyone’s there say hi
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Oulton is on tomorrow.
The fact I’d struggle to drive there tells me all I need to know, paid last Sunday !
Another few days and I’d e mail stu Webb and ask if I can just do the bike!
But calf is not ready yet, after the year they’ve had if don’t mind donating £65, and I’m tight !!
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Ended up finding out about the runthrough Dorney standard distance tri, the weekend after the ITU qualifying one. Would rather do a standard over a sprint, an extra week to try and get some OW swimming in, and one of the guys from my Jan-Mar ZRL team was already doing it and can give me a lift.
Win! I’m in.
Plus, the gf wanted to go to her parents for the bank holiday weekend, so that Hampton one would have been tricky. She’d said I could come back early to do it, but this other one is best of both worlds.
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Kent Duathlon done and dusted - lovely day but that cold easterly wind is still a right bastard - thankfully I remembered my hat and gloves.
Some minor issues from a TO perspective with the setup but those competing enjoyed the races ('cept the wind and hills on the bike and the dry ploughed field on the run!).
A young lad came in to T2 with this on his bike - playing full volume. He was given a bollocking. 
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