Driffield Sprint Triathlon

I entered Driffield sprint triathlon a pool based sprint consisting of a; 400m swim, 18km bike and a 5km run to get me in the grove ahead of racing Nottingham sprint triathlon at the end of May. I wanted to have at least have one race under my belt, so this fitted in perfectly (2-weeks before). In-season I'm not a fan/believer of carrying a substantial amount of fatigue/training load into a race so tapered down and felt fairly fresh. I wanted to give it a real good smash, as unfortunately my PhD commitments now mean that I cant train on Saturdays. This was going to be a good test of my winter training and to see how I measure up with a good 3hrs taken out of my typical training week.  

Triathlon's are infamous for early starts, however as it was pool based and based on swim times I was actually in the penultimate wave, which was great as it meant I had time in the morning to chill and get in the grove. I set of with Sally ~90 minutes before the start of my wave and thank god we did as we got caught up with a Young Farmers tractor rally. This added over 20 minutes on to our journey time and believe me I was beginning to get stressed as we just sat in the car watching tractor after tractor go by!!! We finally got going again and I arrived at the race with 45 minutes to spare. This was enough time for me to set everything up in transition and get my game face on.   

The swim was very well organised with people counting lengths for you which was a total result as I struggle to count over 10 ha! I was the final of 4 athletes to go off in my lane which meant plenty of drafting ;-) . I had a really good swim and was quickly out of the pool and into T1. T1 was well drilled and I was soon out and onto the bike. 

Once onto the bike course this was time for me to put some serious power down and smash the course. I'd been racing a fair few local TT's so was sure this was going to have a positive impact on my race. I would describe the course as "rolling" with a few steady climbs and some nice descents coupled with a nice long stretch of "A road" so this was going to be a fast one. I was soon back jumping off my bike before the "dismount line" and heading into T2.  

After a good T2 I was quickly into the run and the first of three laps. It took me about half of a lap to settle into my running and then I was able to start winding up my pace over the remanding few laps.  

I finished 15th overall in a time of 1:01:22 and 3rd in my age-group, which was a nice confidence booster especially with my reduction in training. I was also really happy with all components of the race, especially as I was only overtaken on the run by the overall race winner. 

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil, as well as my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). Now on the Nottingham triathlon (30th May). 

Getting into my stride on the run. Thanks for the picture Freebird events. 

Buzzing with top 15 and 3rd in my age-group

Stockton-on-Tees Standard Distance Duathlon

My season ended early, in late August 2014 and after a 4-week holiday in Auz (see earlier blog for more info) I was keen to get back in the training groove. My trip to Auz was mega and i would do it again in a heartbeat, however 4-weeks of eating out and minimal training meant i was a long way off the condition i was used to. 

Once back and after recovering from the jet lag i was soon back putting in those winter miles and in the gym looking for those gainz!! It was a slow process and slowly but shortly i began looking like something that resembled an athlete. I love winter training and the opportunity it presents to get "off-road" on both foot and on the MTB. During the winter i still like to race as i feel that i need that "full gas" effort once in a while to remind me what its like to go at race pace. That's why The East Yorkshire XC league is perfect for me, as it gives me that monthly option to race in a quite and informal environment. 

From September to Christmas things were going really well with the training and and was feeling fitter by the week. Then out of nowhere on NYE it hit me, the nasty flu bug, that was doing the rounds. This knocked me out for two weeks and it was inevitable that this set me back as the thought of training made me feel worse!! 

Once i got over this i started training again but as a result missed a fair few XC races and one of my favourite 10-miler road races. This was frustrating as like i said earlier i really need that racing stimulus through out the winter and as it turns out i didn't race from early December until now, Stockton. 

In the build up to this my preparation had been good, but could have been better. I had originally planned to race Clumber Park standard distance duathlon a few weeks prior to Stockton. However, I had to change my plans because I was invited to present some of my PhD research at The World Congress of Science and Medicine in Cricket, in Sydney. It was a really tough decision............ Clumber or Sydney!! Anyway this meant that my training was a little interrupted and I only had one chance of earning a place to represent GB at the standard distance European duathlon champs 2016. So i placed all my eggs in this basket! 

The race started at 1pm, which was a really nice change to the norm of being up ready to race at the crack of dawn. This meant that Sally and I could drive up to Stockton in the morning instead of an overnight stopover. Racing at 1pm also posed a new challenge for me, what do it eat? Anyway i decided to work backwards and effectively had two pre-race breakfasts and my pre-race rituals just started from 10am.  

Once we got to Stockton we ended up driving around for a while as the closed roads (for the race) were causing havoc for the sat nav!! Once we finally found a place to park (close to the race HQ) i gathered up all my gear and headed over, registered and set up in transition. This was a quick and easy process which was nice so i just enjoyed chatting to a few "triathlon friends" and just chilled with the Mrs. 

As it approached 1pm the pre-race nerves were well and truly kicking in and the added pressure of racing to qualify for the Euros next year didn't help things! I headed over to the race started and commenced my warm-up and listened to the pre-race brief. After the pre-race brief we all got called forward and gathered on the start line to wait for the klaxon. 

The klaxon sounded and we were off! The first 10km run was 2-laps of the 5km circuit, which looped the river Tees. The pace was blistering as there were plenty of athletes just like me racing to qualify. The lead runners quickly shot off the front, which then left the rest of us to settle into the 2nd/3rd groups. After the first 2km these groups now had splintered and i settled in and was able to stick to a pace i was happy with, on the limit but manageable. i continued to maintain this effort for the remaining 7-8km and was now one-by-one picking runners off as i made my way through the field. 

Just crossing the Millennium Bridge

The run wasn't the easiest or simplest of runs, as it included a lot of changes in direction and a leg sapping run over the Millennium bridge just before the start/finish line. After a hard but solid run i was back into transition; trainers off, helmet on, unrack bike and now time to smash the bike. 

Just heading out to start the 40km bike leg 

Like the run, the bike was multiple laps of an 8km loop, so 5 laps. It was great to be able to race on closed roads which meant that you can smash it round corners and not have to worry, the only downside is that its you're not 100% sure on what position you are in. The bike course was also similar to the run in reference to the changes in direction with a fair few "out and back" branched sections. Once out of T1 and onto the bike leg i was quickly working hard to catch up to the super-fast runners who had put a fair bit of time into me. This bike course suited me, pretty flat but with a few gentle climbs so the strength i worked hard to build over the winter both on the bike and in the gym was paying off. Parts of this course were quite windy, which also played well to my strengths, being able to push a big gear into a strong headwind. The more laps i did the more confidence i had on the course and knew how fast i could take all the corners. I kept pushing as hard as i could and continued to overtake people, however by the 3rd lap onward i was clueless to my place within the field. I normally race the sorter distances so race nutrition isn't that important where as racing for longer nutrition becomes really important, therefore I had my race nutrition all planned out and knew exactly when to take the gels on the bike, which i was able to stick to. After an hour on the bike i was approaching T2 with me feet resting on the top of my shoes ready to dismount and to start the final 5km run. 

Both my transitions (T1 & T2) were pretty slick and i was quickly trying to settle into my stride. This was easier said than done as for the first km my calf's were cramping! once i overcame this cramp i was able to settle into my stride. It was about 2km in before i lost my head. i was running along and then out of the corner of my eye i spotted a dog running up toward me and i kept running thinking that it was going to turn back to its owner, but it didn't it just continued to run and then everything went "slow-mo" as the dog jumped into me!!! What a nightmare!!! i just hoped that i would stay on my feet and fortunately i did, however this really got to me and i found it hard to get back into my rhythm. fortunately i settled in and was able to keep pushing as hard as i could as i snaked my way round the course. All that was left was the leg sapping Millennium bridge, running up and over this well and truly took me into the red!! I knew it was less than a km to go so just dug in and gave it everything i had left. 

Fubar'd crossing the finish line! Definitely a hard day at the office and the lack of racing in the build up didn't help! 

I finished 25th male in a time of 2:05:01. Unfortunately the race results weren't displayed in age-groups, which is rather annoying especially when you are hoping to qualify for the GB Age-Group team. However a few weeks later I got the email from Triathlon England saying that I had qualified for the Euros in so I'm buzzing for that!!  

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil, as well as my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). Also thanks to Trihard and AWOL adventure for the photos.  

I'm back blogging, let's hope it's worth the wait!!

Well where to start............. maybe by apologising for an almighty delay in keeping you all updated on what's been going on in my life and all things tri.

Well since my last race report, I've been a busy boy! I've been to Australia not once, but twice, turned 30 and asked my girlfriend to move in with me and she said yes! My season finished on a high back in August 2014, with arguably my best triathlon performance of the season, top 15 at Allerthorpe. Anyway if you want to read all about that then check out my blog archive.

After Allerthorpe, I travelled back home to Somerset to meet up with my mum before we headed out to Australia via Dubai to meet up with both of my sisters (who were on 2-year work visas) for the holiday of all holidays, 4-weeks of travelling round Australia. 

Before touching down in Melbourne we (mum and I) had an overnight stop-over in Dubai. This was part of the planned trip as one of my best mates Nathen lives there, so it was a great opportunity to catch up with him and to show mum what Dubai's got to offer! After a wind whistle tour of Dubai we then boarded the plane for the final leg onto Melbourne. 

Mum and I in front of the Burj al Arab.

On arrival into Melbourne we were greeted at the airport by one of my sisters. She then drove us to our accommodation, where we unpacked and chilled for a few hours before heading out to watch an Aussie rules match at The MCG. This is also where my other sister met up with us. This was an amazing experience but I couldn't help but think how good it would be when the crowd was tripled to 100,000 for an Ashes Test match. The few days we spent in Melbourne we packed loads in; we checked out the cultural hub of Federation Square, the Royal Botanic Gardens. We also travelled slightly further afield to Experience St Kilda, where we watched the penguins come to sleep at dusk and then ate an Auzzie delicacy of a Chicken parmigiana (palma). 

After a few days in Melbourne we then started the next stage of our journey travelling along The Great Ocean road to Adelaide. This road boasts to be the most scenic coastal drives you can possible do spanning over 150 miles. There is so much to see along this road so we broke the journey up into 3 days. The main highlights of this drive were; Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, The Twelve Apostles , shipwrecks, golden beaches, rain forests and national parks. 

From Adelaide we then flew on to Alice Springs, the red centre of Australia. This is also known as the gateway to Uluru (Ayres Rock). We had a night to chill in Alice and enjoy the warmer climate before getting picked up nice and early the next day to start a 3-day organised tour (Emu Tours) of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and West MacDonnell Ranges. This experience was by far one of the best experiences of my life, its just mind blowing! What amazed me is that where ever you look it’s just red soil and dead pan flat, aside from Uluru towering above the landscape. 

Uluru (Ayres rock) 

After such an amazing tour we then had one final night back in Alice, before flying north onto Darwin. In Darwin we hired a 4WD, which is a must for that area as most of the roads are just mud tracks and some of the tourist spots were only accessible by a this type of vehicle. Darwin boasts two national parks; Litchfield and Kakadu. These national parks were amazing, as after a good trek through what can only be described as rainforest you were rewarded with secluded waterfalls and natural pools, which could have easily been used in the movie The Beach they were just so beautiful and untouched. We also headed to Katherine a vast region covering almost 500,000 sq. km. this had a special meaning to us as one of my sisters is called Katherine. 

From Darwin we then flew on again, this time to Cairns. Cairns is the doorstep into the World Heritage wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. After a night in Cairns we took the scenic route towards Port Douglas before embarking on a scuba and snorkelling trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. We boarded a specialist boat for a for our snorkel and scuba trip. I signed up to do one scuba (before lunch) and one snorkelling session (after lunch). Scuba was all new to me so I was only allowed to do the discovery dive which gave me a little taster and allowed me to under guidance get a mini tour of the corral and the wildlife that co-habit the reef. Yet again this was an amazing experience definitely one ticked off the bucket list. The next day we then moved on again, this time to the Daintree rainforest, the world’s oldest tropical rainforest. We travelled further into the rainforest and on to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. It's the only place in the world where two World Heritage sites meet. Again we did another trip out to the Great Barrier Reef, but this time for snorkelling. This was a much more back to basics, chilled out, hippy kind of trip unlike the organised one from Port Douglas. 

Now onto the final part of this epic adventure; The Blue Mountains and Sydney. After arriving into Sydney airport we then took a train to the Blue Mountains, where we met up with some family for a few days. We spent a few days doing all the tourist attractions of the Blue Mountains, a vast world heritage area. Its name The Blue Mountains is to do with the eucalyptus trees that give off a blue ora! We also visited the Wentworth falls and the Three Sisters. After a few nice days of walking and sightseeing in the Blue Mountains and get hospitality and a chance to catch up with the family we moved on to Sydney (probably the best city I have ever been to!!!). 

So where to start........................... It’s such an amazing place I really don't know where to start. Fortunately both my sisters have lived in Sydney so they were both able to give us a tour of the city and knew where to go. It goes without saying that we walked across the Harbour Bridge from Milsons Point back to the city. Walked around The Rocks, which is all along the peninsula of the city with the bridge with the opera house in the back ground. After exploring most of Sydney on foot we also took to the skies and took a helicopter ride giving us a birds-eye-view of the whole city. This was organised as a surprise birthday present for my Mum. It goes without saying that she loved it just as much as we all did. We also walked the coastal path from Coogee beach back towards Sydney ending up at probably Australia’s most famous beach, Bondi. The trip culminated with our last supper up the Westfield Tower, the tallest building in Sydney at just over 300m tall. At the top there is a revolving restaurant giving you 360 degree views of Sydney.  

Loving the Opera House! 

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil, although i didn't get to take any with me. Also I'm sure my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears) enjoyed me being away as i wasn't hassling him about training, ha.