Lincolnshire Olympic Triathlon

My training and racing plans for 2017 mimicked 2016 where I would peak twice. Firstly I would peak in May for the ETU Duathlon Championships (see earlier blog), with the second at the end of July for Castle Howards mid-distance (70.3) triathlon in North Yorkshire. This resulting in me racing over the Olympic distance two-weeks prior to my 70.3. Knowing how well this worked last year I again entered The Lincolnshire Edge Triathlon, based at Cadney Reservoir, just outside Brigg.  

As in previous years the start time for this was 8 am, which meant I was getting up at 5 am for my pre-race breakfast. To help get me in the mood for racing, whist eating breakfast I caught up on the highlights of The Tour de France. After that it was time to give Sally a shout as we needed to make a move, so I would be at the race venue in good time. Typically, I like to arrive an hour before the race start so i'm not in a mad rush. Just like last year, on arrival I was please to see that it had still kept its nice low key vibe. After registering and racking my bike I still had plenty of time to chat and it was nice to see a few old faces that I hadn't seen in a while.  

With about 10 minutes to go before the race start after the briefing we were able to get into the water, get acclimatised and start warming up. We then got a 1 minute warning, so I ensured that I had got a good starting position, close to the front. The horn went and we were off!! It was a good 200 m to the first buoy, so after the initial sprint effort, I settled in to a rhythm. After rounding that buoy it was about 300 m to the next buoy, I kept concentrating on my arm pull as this was something that my swim coach pointed out needed improvement. After the second buoy I was still feeling good and was now into a nice comfortable rhythm with my pull feeling good. This was the longest stretch back to the start/finish buoy. The second lap was similar to the first although I had passed a few swimmers which really helped my confidence and ended up coming out the water in about 10th place. I quickly ran into T1, grabbed my bike and was quickly out on the bike course. 

The bike course consisted of an "out and back" with a loop in the middle to make up the 40 km distance. It was mainly flat, with a few gradual climbs but nothing of real note, which meant I was able to stay in the TT position for most of the race. The bike course had both standard and sprint competitors on so the first 10 km was pretty busy and took a bit of working out to gauge my position. However, I knew that if their race number was < 100 then they were direct competition. I felt really strong and continued to make headway into some of the quicker swimmers that beat me out of the water. The second loop wasn't as busy and I think I only passed one more athlete, so I know I must be going well. I approached T2, just after the hour, removed my feet from my tri-shoes all set to dismount before the dismount line. After a swift dismount I was quickly into transition, raced my bike, helmet off and slipped my racing trainers on. 

Out of T2 and onto the run firstly consisted of a loop around the reservoir, before two lap "out and back" section along the road to make up the full 10 km. The first part around the reservoir was on grass, so inevitably it wasn't the fastest, but I felt super strong off the bike and quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm. The beauty of a course like this is that you are able to work out your placing, by counting the athletes who have already got to the turn around point and on their way back onto the road section. Just before the turn point, along the reservoir I could see the race leader and then counted the other competitors. By the turn around point I knew that I was in 6th place and on my way back was able to gauge how close 5th I was. Once off the grass and on to the road I kicked on. I noticed that during the grass section I was slowing catching 5th, so I knew that I'd get him on the run. The run was pretty tough because it wasn't that visually stimulating which, sometimes can help take your mind off the pain. However, by the turn-a-round point I had caught 5th place, so that gave me a little boost! For the final lap I just dug in and kept running with "the fear" of being caught. At the final turn point with about 2 km to go I knew that I wouldn't be be caught nor able to to catch 4th. I just kept focused and was now racing to improve on my times from last years race. I kicked for the final time with about 300 m to the finish. Now approaching the finish I could see all the spectators and could see and hear Sally cheering me on to the finish. I crossed the line shattered by super happy with my race!! 

Motoring on the run to the finish

I finished 5th overall with a time of 2:18:47. This was a 3.5 minute PB from last year and again I finished 1st in my age-group, which I over the moon about and a massive confidence booster moving forward. Thanks to FastFWD Sports for organizing such a great, friendly event and I think its only fitting that I come back again next year to try and make it 3 in 3 age-group wins.

Super happy to get an age-group win!

However, the most important thanks has to go to my darling girlfriend, Sally closely followed by my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil. The final thanks has to go to my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). 

Humber Bridge Half

This is probably one of my first seasons (in six years) where I hadn't raced as much, which is a shame as its always good to see the training paying off, especially when you set a new PB. Despite this, the plan for this season was to peak twice. I had already peaked for the European duathlon championships in Soria, Spain (end of April). Since then I've just been in the training grove to peak again for Castle Howard 70.3 (end of July). The Humber Bridge half marathon was my first of two races (running and triathlon) to build me up, to peak for my final "A" race of the season (Castle Howard). 

In the final week leading up to the half marathon training was going really well and I knew I was going well as a few weeks prior I was only 5-seconds away from a 10 km PB. Added to this on the Tuesday before Sundays race I had just set a new PB in one of my local TT's. All that was left was for me to tick over and taper down, to ensure I was super fresh for the race. 

So it was the morning of the race, I woke up feeling good and started my pre-race breakfast and hydration ritual. After about an hour of chilling it was time for me to head to the race, allowing plenty of time, as with over 2000 runners the car parking situation can get a bit crazy. Fortunately, I got there with plenty of time and took a gentle jog to the start/finish area before starting my tried and tested pre-race warm-up routine and all important final caffeine boost!!! With about 10-minutes to go the race organizers called us to the start line, I positioned myself close to the front, as I was confident of a really good race, so didn't want to get held up by the fun runners!   

The klaxon sounded and we where off! I was careful to pace the first few km's as I knew that could make or break my race, had a quick glimpse of my watch and noticed I was pacing it perfectly, hovering around 4:00 min/km. Once through Hessle, I turned to approach the bridge, which was into a head wind. This is where some slight tactics pay off, I was in a group of four runners, so just tucked in behind them, sheltering from the wind (hopefully saving a bit of energy). Once across the bridge the wind died down, so that was my cue to open up a bit and break free from the small group. Once passing the water station, the route then dropped into Barton and I was able to use the slight downhill to pick up the pace.  

The next main section of the race took me through Barton market place and out though the housing and industrial parts to Barton. This section which was was deadpan flat, so I was able to kick again and try and hold a fast, threshold pace. I felt really really strong and fit and when looking at my watch could see that I was going really well too (~3:50 min/km). After running on my own for a good few km's I now started catching some of the runners ahead of me, which really helped give me a confidence boost! 

The next stretch of road took us under the Humber bridge, so I knew that the infamous "Cardiac Hill" was fast approaching. A few weeks prior, in training I ran part of this route which incorporated this hill. This helped re-familiarise myself with the elevation profile so I knew exactly when and where to conserve my effort etc. The hill is in four distinct parts; a gradual rise, false flat, steep rise and the another false flat section before turning left back for the bridge. During the first section I knocked off the pace slightly but not too much as I knew I was on for a good time. Then I tried to accelerate slight during the next flatter section. The next section is where the hill really kicks up, so I made sure I knocked off the pace a little more as I didn't want to go too deep into the "red" as I knew this could ruin my race. There was some good support out during this section, which really helped give me an extra boost and to help put the pain out of my mind. During the final false flat section there was a small bit of respite along the slip road. Once I crested the climb I knew most of the final few km's were either downhill or flat before the bridge. I kept on pushing as was able to pass a few more runners. I still felt in pretty good shape at this point. 

Once on to the bridge I knew there was less than 3 km to go. I had one last glimpse at my watch and it was at this point I knew I was on for a PB!! The first half of the bridge was uphill but I could see a runner ahead of me and that was my goal, to pass him. We had the wind behind us so I was able to really give it everything knowing that I was getting pushed along. Once off the bridge, I was now running side-by-side to the runner I spotted and I started to feel confident I would beat him. The last  km was lined with supporters, so this gave me the final little boost I needed. This was my cue to give it everything and soon breezed past this runner. As I turned left for the final time before the finish line, I had a quick look over my shoulder and notice that I had put about 100 m into him so wouldn't be caught. I could now see the clock over the finish line and saw it was at 1h:24, which I couldn't believe!! 

The final kick to the finish (left him for dust 😉) 

I finished in 1:24:55, which I was buzzing about as I had smashed by PB by over 2-minutes. I came in the top 25 out of a field of ~2000 runners, so again buzzing with that!!  

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil and to my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). Picture courtesy of http://www.humber-half.org.uk/

2017 European Duathlon Championships

Around 6-weeks have now passed since I raced at the European Duathlon Championships in Soria, Spain. Now that I have been able to finish off my PhD and submit it, I can get back to updating my blog, reflecting on my performance and the overall Team GB experience.  

In the weeks leading up to this training had been going really well and I was feeling fit, strong and super confident. I placed highly in my warm up duathlon in Lincoln and had been PB’ing in the last three local TT’s so was heading to the Europeans full of confidence.

I was flying out late Tuesday evening, so worked until lunchtime before driving across to Manchester airport. Once at Manchester I checked in stress free, and then headed to the nearest café to do some work on my PhD. After about an hour or so, I looked at the departure board to see when the gate was scheduled to open. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed due to bad weather, I didn’t mind too much as that gave me a chance to do a bit more work. Another hour passed and the flight was still saying delayed! This was now getting frustrating as I was due to meet my Mum in Madrid airport and now she’d be waiting for me!! Finally we got called to the gate and started to board. Despite the delay the flight was good, the pilot was able to make up a bit of time, so mum wasn’t going to have to wait too long for me. Once through security I got my bag, before getting my bike and then meeting mum at arrivals. We planned to stay in Madrid that night, with us both getting in rather late and the race location being ~2 hours outside of Madrid. We picked up the hire car, drove to the hotel, checked in before having a relaxing beer before bed (just what we needed after long day).  

Wednesday – Before going to bed on Tuesday we agreed not to set an alarm so we could enjoy a bit of a lie-in. I gave mum a knock, before heading down to get some breakfast. After a nice breakfast, we checked out and then decided that as the weather was so nice in Madrid we would have the day doing the tourist thing, before driving the 2 hours to Soria, where the duathlon was based. Madrid was amazing such a beautiful city with plenty to see and do. After pretty much the whole day we got back in the car and drove to Soria. We were staying in a small town just outside Soria and made really good time getting there. Then it got stressful. The apartment we had booked had emailed proving a mobile number for us to phone when we arrived to get the key. So we did, however they only spoke Spanish and with us only speaking English we really struggled with communication. After numerous phone calls we decided to try and seek some assistance by the locals (who also only spoke Spanish). Then by sheer luck a lady walked out of the hairdressers with the key to the apartment. Finally we were in!

The infamous Bear and Strawberry tree. 

Thursday – Just like Wednesday we again agreed that we would have a lie-in as Wednesday was pretty tiring with all the sightseeing and driving. After a leisurely morning I decided to re-assemble my bike, so if there was anything wrong with it from the flight I gave me enough time to hopefully get it fixed. Fortunately it was all fine. We then decided to head into Soria to check out the Team hotel and race location. This was pretty non-eventful as nothing had really been done to the course and most of the GB team weren’t arriving until late Thursday evening, however I was able to make a note of all the important events happening in the build-up to the race on Sunday. After enjoying a nice coffee in the hotel bar (which had amazing views) we drove into the town to stock up on supplies, before heading back to the apartment.

Friday – I got up and decided to go for a short run just to loosen the legs off a bit after all the sitting around in the few days before. After that we had a bit of breakfast before mum went out for a little bit of an exploration mission which allowed me to do some more work on my PhD. After a few hours working mum returned and told me about a lovely café. So we decided to walk there to get some lunch. After lunch I returned to my laptop and the PhD writing! After a few more hours it was time for another break so we went out for another walk and enjoyed a coffee in the sun. We then drove back into Soria as it was the parade of nations. The parade was through the town centre, culminating in the president of the ETU opening the event. This was an amazing experience and was the first time I could see how many fellow athletes made the trip over to race. As always, we (GB) had far more athletes than any other nation even the hosts! We then drove back, chilled out playing cards, before bed.

Saturday – This was a busy day for us. After breakfast I took my bike out for a short spin, to serve as a gentle leg loosener and to double check everything on the bike was working as it should. We then drove back into Soria, as the remainder of Saturday consisted of the team briefing and registration. This year’s team briefing was exceptionally important as unfortunately course recces weren’t allowed as part of the course was on a motorway! After the extended team briefing, with the comprehensive bike course detail we then had the obligatory Age-Group team photos. I then headed to the main race HQ to register, get my goody bag and check all the final last minute race information. Next on the agenda was more food shopping, so I could get my new pre-race meal, pizza (the bigger the better). Once the shopping was done we then drove back to the apartment for dinner and an early night. Just before bed it was time for one final weather check. Over the last few days that was one of the main focal points on the team Facebook page. It was looking like we had brought the British weather with us (cold, wet and windy) for race day.

Sunday (race day) – I woke at around 7:00 am and grabbed the phone for another weather check. Fortunately it looked as if I’d be lucky as the forecast had changed slightly and it now wasn’t forecast to come in really bad until ~2:00 pm, which was a result as I knew I would be comfortably finished by then. I then started my pre-race breakfast routine, counting back three hours from the race start, so started to eat my breakfast at 8:20 am. After breakfast we started to pack the car up and headed back to Soria so that I could rack my bike etc in good time ahead of the race start. Once parked, we heading to transition and after a quick look around at all the other competitors, I was happy with my choice to wear a short-sleeve base layer under my GB tri suit, as it was pretty cold. With about 45 minutes to go before the race start I did the final transition check, making sure my kit was still all ok, checked tire pressure for one last time and had a final run though transition before the all-important caffeine gel. Now it was time for me to go through my pre-race warm-up routine. With 10-minutes to go we got called to the start/holding area, so gave mum my jacket, said goodbye and the joined all my fellow Age-Group athletes and nervously waited for 11:20 am and our official start time.  

With about 5-minutes to go we got called forward to the start line and I was able to get a good spot quite close to the front. The MC then started the race build-up, my heart rate started to increase and it was time for me to get my game face on! The 10 km run was four laps of a 2.5 km loop that snaked up and down the local town park, with about six 180 degree turns. The klaxon sounded and we were off! The pace was seriously fast but I tried my best to stick to my original plan of pacing it for at least the first km. At the first 180 degree turn it gave me a chance to get a rough idea of my position. I would say I was about middle of the pack and was really happy with that. The remainder of this lap I was running side-by-side with another GB athlete although he was in the age-group above. After snaking the park, we headed out to pass the start/finish line, before commencing the second lap. This was the main drag and probably the longest straight section, so I was able to settle into a bit of a rhythm now as all the turns were quite disruptive. I started to pull away from my fellow athlete and started running on my own. These next two laps were a bit of a mental battle as I was right on the edge of my threshold and all the 180 degree turn points kept putting me in the red! I continued to hang in there and on the fourth and final lap, started thinking about the bike coming up with deflected some of the pain! I entered T1, put my helmet on and was out of transition, jumping on to my bike after the mount line. This went super slick and was on to the bike where I hoped to move up the placings. 

One of the many turnarounds 

The bike course was three laps of a 13.6 km loop. The bike course was a bit of a beast, which was amplified by the really strong winds. Although there was plenty of straight non-technical parts there were a few round-a-bouts, a couple 180 degree turns and plenty of hills. Normally, I’m not too bothered by the wind living in Hull, because it’s always windy. However, on this occasion it seemed like every climb on the course was into a headwind! The only good part to that was some of the downhills were accompanied by a tailwind! After exiting T1 the first few km’s took us away from the town centre and onto the course proper. Although there were a few gentle rises I was able to keep it in the big ring and start my usual task of catching some of the faster runners on the bike. The course then turned left onto the motorway section, which was easily the toughest bit of the course it was probably 5 km uphill, most of the climb wasn’t too bad but there were some really steep sections making it really hard. It then levelled out and I could then see the 180 degree turn-a-round point. I got back on the tri-bars and pressed on. Once rounding this point the wind was behind me for most of the ride back to the start/finish line, so I kept aero, got in the biggest gear I could and smashed it all the way back. On the second lab the bike course got even tougher, the wind picked up and we were now greeted with sideways rain and hail. This made the going really hard and for parts of the climb I had to shift down into the smaller ring (on the front). Despite this, I continued to gain a few places, which boosted my confidence nicely. The plan was to gain places on the hills, where I was feeling the benefit of my strength training and then hammer the flats and the downhill. I kept on pushing as hard as I could for the remaining laps and stuck to my nutrition plan, making sure I kept fuelled for the latter stages of the race. After the turn around on the third and final lap it was a downhill smash back to T2. As I turned the final right hand turn (close to transition) I un-Velcro'd my tri-shoes, slipped my feet out and rested them on the top of my shoes ready for the dismount line. I jumped off my bike just before the line and raced into transition for T2 before starting the final 5 km run. 

Smashing the bike!! 

The final run was just two laps of a slightly modified 2.5 km loop, similar to the first run. I exited transition and was quickly into my side, running well considering the tough bike. I was feeling really good and was pushing hard to try and move up the field and/or hold off athletes behind me. The best part about the snaky course was there was plenty of opportunities to who was in front of you and who was chasing you. The only tricky bit was working out if they were in my age-group as the run course was now pretty busy. However, with all these competitors I was able to use them as carrots, thinking right catch them and onto the next one. I kept on pushing and quickly ticked off lap one. As I reached the final turn-a-round I was confident that I wouldn't get caught, but couldn’t see anyone ahead of me, but kicked on as hard as I could just in case there was someone just out of site. I didn’t catch anyone else but crossed the line buzzing as it I had put in the best performance I could have hoped for.

Final kick to the finish. 

I finished 12th in my age-group and 3rd Brit, in a time of 2:21:51. I was over the moon with this performance especially and felt that I couldn’t have given any more. Unfortunately, unlike in previous years as I finished just out of the top 10, which meant that I did gain automatic qualification for 2018’s ETU duathlon. However, I have already eye’d up the qualification race so I will be hoping for a successful race there, so I can wear my GB tri-suit for 2018. 

Cheers!! 

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil, as well as my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). A special mention has to be made to the University of Hull who helped support me for this trip. Also thanks to all of my fellow GB athletes who helped cheer me on and make this an unforgettable experience. Lastly thanks has to go to my Mum, who was my number one fan in light of Sally not being able to make this race (first one she's ever missed!). 

RAF Scampton Duathlon

With 4-weeks to go before racing in Soria, Spain representing the GB Age-group team in the ETU standard distance duathlon I was looking for a race to enter to serve as a tester and initial tune up. After searching the BTF website I came across the RAF Scampton duathlon just across the Humber Bridge in Lincoln. I hadn't raced this one before but after a quick bit of research on the Lincoln tri club website it looked like a great race to do. Like the name said it was on the RAF base (home of the Red Arrows) so I would be racing on a lovely tarmacked airfield, which also meant closed roads. 

Unlike most races I do the start time wasn't until 12:30 pm, as there were loads of children's races on before hand, which was great, seeing some many children getting the multisport bug. The only downside was that it made the pre-race fuelling strategy a bit more tricky than usual, as I needed another snack after my pre-race breakfast. That wasnt an issue though as it meant I could enjoy a peanut and pumpkin Meridian nut bar!  

With about two hours before the start we drove to the race. We arrived at the base after going through all the security checks (with it being a military base) with about an hour before the race start. This gave me plenty of time to register, set my bike up in T1 and go through all my pre-race routines. With about 20 min to go I started my pretty standardised warm-up, which is now tried and tested. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was shining so I was conscious to ensure I kept hydrated whist warming up. With about 5 min to go we all got called to the start line so that the race organiser could deliver his final pre-race information. We then headed to the start line and awaited the start.  

The klaxon sounded and we were off! The 5km run was 2-laps of an out and back route running parallel to the bike course. The first section was all on a gradual incline until the turn around point. As that was the case I was careful not to go too deep into the red at the start as I know I would pay the price for that later on. The super quick guys formed the first group with me and a few others in the second group. The first lap was rather non-eventful, with the group staying as one. On the second lap, as the course started to rise to the turn-a-round point I slowly pulled away, which gave me a nice confidence boost. After holing my own for the second lap I was quickly into T1, in about 10th place. After a swift T1 including putting my tri-shoes on in T1 (as elastic bands were banned due to the possibility of them getting into place engines) I was soon out onto the bike course.  

 Breaking away on the run

The bike was three loops of 7 km around the airfield. From the start of the bike I was able to really get the hammer down and start picking off some of the quicker runners. The first few km were pretty flat and non-eventful, so I kept pushing on as hard as I could. After I rounded the bottom corner, the course began to rise gradually all the way to the furthest part away from transition. This wasn't too bad I was able to keep aero and in the big ring. I was slowly catching up with the field ahead as coupled with the rise there was also a strong headwind. I had been working on my strength in the gym over recent months so was happy to see this paying off and I began to make further inroads into the guys ahead of me. As I turned back along the home straight, the wind was behind me so I kept pushing on to try and make up a few more places. Lap two was pretty similar to lap one. The third and final lap of the course started to get pretty busy and it was hard for me to work out my position. As I was approaching T2 I could see someone ahead of me undoing their shoes so I knew he was a rival. I slipped my feet out and resting them on top, ready for a quick dismount.  

After another slick transition (T2) and a quick bike count, I knew I was in seventh and could see that sixth was just ahead of me. The final run was a single lap of 2.5 km. I knew this was likely to be flat out, but didn't want to go too mad until the turn-a-round point. I soon settled into my stride and on the gradual rise to the turn-a-round point I soon passed sixth place. At the turn around I could see that there was about a 10 sec gap between us. The rest of the run was slightly downhill, so I decided to kick again hoping to keep the distance. I kept pushing and after a quick glance over my shoulder with about 400 m to go I knew I had done enough to hold him off! I kept pushing, gritted my teeth and crossed the line spent (paced to perfection)!  

  

I finished 6th overall in a time of 1:04:34. I was super happy with this and put in a near PB 5 km time for the first run, so this gave me loads of confidence heading into the final build up into the European Duathlon Championships (30th April).

 Job well done!! 

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil, as well as my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). Also thanks to Lincoln tri club for organizing such a great event and i'll certainly be back. Finally thanks to Richard Howes photography. 

Meridian Windsor Half Marathon

A few months ago I was emailed by the team at Meridian to let me know that they were going to be the title sponsor for this year's Windsor half marathon. In the email they asked me if I would like to run as part of their team, which I agreed to and set this as my final "A" race of the season. Aside from racing in my local duathlon series, which I treat as training, I hadn't raced in an "A" race since Cleaveland Steeleman 70.3 triathlon, at the end of July. This race was perfect to keep me focused until then as I typically end my season in September and treat myself to a few weeks R&R. I like I had been able to training consistently for the last few months and was feeling really fit. So I was hoping to set a new PB for the 21 km.  

During the last 6 weeks my training had been going really well, I was feeling the fittest I had been in a while and felt really strong. In the final week leading up to the half marathon, training was going really well and I was full of confidence as I won the last duathlon of the season mid-week, by almost a minute! It was time for me to taper down ahead on Sunday's race, with a recovery spin on the Thursday, day off on Friday followed by a 30 minute Fartlek on the Saturday. 

Early Saturday morning Sally and I got up got in the car and headed to Princes Risborough (Bucks.) as we had planned to catch up with family during the day before heading to the hotel ahead of the race on Sunday. We made really good time and arrived just after 1 pm, perfect timing for lunch. It was lovely to catch up with all the family as I hadn't seen them for a while. We left my Aunties just after 6 pm and made our way to the hotel, where other team members were staying. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a table in the restaurant until much later than the Meridian guys, so Sally and I just ate together. 

Race day - I woke up feeling good and started to enjoy my pre-race breakfast, whilst refreshing myself of the race route. The route is a two loop route, with the first loop slightly shorter than the second ~ 4 miles and ~ 7.5 miles, respectively. Once I finished breakfast we headed down to the restaurant to get my compulsory pre-race coffee and so Sally could have her breakfast. We were staying just outside Windsor, but were told to still allow plenty of time to get to the race. I'm glad we did as even 90 minutes before the race the queue for the car park was rather large!! We parked up and headed to the Meridian tent just before 9 am (race start was 10 am), perfect timing for the team photos. 

With about 30-minutes to go I had my double espresso caffeine gel, just to give me that extra boost before starting my warm-up. With about 10 minutes to go the race organizers called us to the start line. I positioned myself as close to the front as possible just behind the elite runners!! With a few minutes to go the race organizers announced that there was going to be a 5-10 minute delay, I didn't let this effect me and just tried to keep warm. The race organizers held us at the start line before giving us a count down. The klaxon sounded and we were off! The first mile was up a gradual rise heading away from Windsor Castle. As I approached the top of the climb I could hear my name being shouted, it was only a mate from home in Somerset, who I used to play cricket with, crazy!! At the top of the climb the route levelled off as we started the first of the two loops. Once it levelled off I was able to settle into a comfortable pace, the pace which I was hoping to maintain throughout. 

The first few miles were relatively non-eventful, I was just keen to make sure that I took fluids on from every water station as it was warm and quite sunny, so didn't want to end up too dehydrated. As I approached the 4-mile marker the road started to climb up, this was quite tough, but there were plenty of spectators out at this section as close to where on the second lap I would turn for the finish! The crowd gave me a good boost and I was even able to spot Sally who gave me some words on encouragement. The route leveled off again and I was now approaching the sweep wagon from some of the slower runners, who still had a long way to go. As I passed the back markers I tried my best to offer them with some encouragement. 

My route now forked left as I started the second longer loop. This took me along one of the main roads toward the race course, where the Royals come in when its Windsor races, then along part of the Windsor triathlon route (typically shown on TV). This helped take my mind off the effort!! Although I made sure I kept a certain level of concentration, so as not to subconsciously slow down. This part of the course seemed to have the majority of hills which really made things that much tougher!! At around 10 miles in I started to catch a small group of runners and for the next few miles we started to alternate position. I tended to drop back slightly on the uphill's but then caught up and at some points took the lead on the flats and downhills. As I passed mile 12 I knew that all that was left was the uphill climb, before the final stretch to the start finish line. With that I decided to kick on and push for the final mile and a bit of the race. There were still plenty on spectators lining this part of the course, which really helped. I then turned left and headed along the "Long Walk" to the finish. Fortunately this was mostly slightly downhill so I kept pushing as hard as possible. With about 500 m to go someone passed me and said to me keep pushing as you're on for a 1:26 something, this helped massively as I knew that this would better my PB by about a minute, so I grit my teeth and pushed on. As I got closer I could see the time over the finish line and knew I had achieved my goal of setting a new PB!! 

I crossed the line in a time of 1:26:46, a new PB!! So was buzzing for that!! I came in the top 60 out of a field of ~4400 runners, so again buzzing with that!!  

Super happy with a new PB and a Meridian bar as I crossed the finish! 

As always a massive thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods, who invited me to race for them. Coconoil and to my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears). 

Steelman 70.3 Triathlon

The majority of my triathlon racing has been over the over the sprint distance, however over the last few years I have performed well over the longer distances too. Therefore as a repeat of last season I opted to race the shorter distances races for the first half of the season, with the plan to race a 70.3 middle distance triathlon in the second half of the season. This season I decided to race in The Steelman organised by Cleaveland Triathlon club. This race has received good reviews by club mates; for being well organised, have strong competition and also unbelievably good value for money (less than £60 for a half distance!), so I decided to enter and see if it lives up to these reviews. 

I was going into this race full of confidence as a few weeks prior I raced really well at the Humber Half Marathon and the Lincolnshire standard distance triathlon, so knew I was in good shape. The race was based at Ellerton Water Park, near Richmond in North Yorkshire. Although it wasn't that far away and it had a nice civilized start time (10 am) Sally and I decided to book into a B&B the night before so it wasn't a mad rush the morning of the race. Driving over the night before i got a phone call from a good club mate of mine Tom Mac, who was able to give me some advice on the race, so confidence was still high as I knew the course would suit me. The only thing that was unusual about this race was there wasn't any aid stations on the bike, but that wasn't going to me an issue as Sally was going to pass me a bottle or two on the second lap of the bike. 

I woke just before 7 am to have my pre-race breakfast and start my final preparations. After watching Sally enjoy a nice home cooked breakfast (which was torture!) we drove over to Richmond to register before setting up transition and getting ready to race! After registration and sorting my bike out, equipping it with all the bottles and gels, I walked into transition and racked my bike. I then spoke with one of the race officials, who informed me that I could put a spare bottle in a box for the bike, which was great news as would save Sally a job. The race brief commenced, so whilst listening to this I started to put my new wetsuit on. With about 10 minutes to go before the race start we were able to make our way to the lake, get into the water, get acclimatised and warm-up. The lake was perfect temperature for racing, which was helped by a few weeks of really nice weather. We then got a 1 minute warning, so I ensured that I had got a good starting position, pretty much on the front line of athletes. The horn went and we were off!! The swim route was two laps, shaped like a triangle. It was a good 400m to the first main buoy, although there was a mini buoy that we had to pass on the way out (after ~150m), which made for a bit of argey bargy, but it wasn't anything too major!! After turning round the first main buoy, it was diagonally across to the second buoy before heading back to the start/finish buoy. By now I was comfortably into a good tempo and holding a my own within a small group of swimmers. The second lap was pretty much the same as the first, but this time we turn the opposite way round the start/finish buoy before exiting the water, in the first 20. After exiting the water I quickly ran into T1, unzipping my wetsuit, whilst running to my bike. I then put my helmet on, grabbed my bike and was quickly out on the bike course. 

Exiting the swim 

The bike course can best be described as rolling and consisted of 2 x 45 km laps. This type of course suits me well, so I knew I would race well. Once exiting transition, slipping my feet into my tri-shoes I assumed the aero position, which is where I would remain for the majority of the race. I had my Garmin on my bike to remind me to eat/drink at regular intervals as keeping fueled for this distance its really important and as it was a really hot day fluids was going to be key. Within the first 30 minutes of the first lap I felt really strong and was comfortably moving up the field. I then approached the only part of the course that was pretty tricky, it was a good 3 miles of newly tarmacked road. Sounds simple, but it was the easy tarmac job, where they just add gravel to the top of the bitumen, so there's plenty of loose stones on the top, making it bumpy and I also felt my back wheel slide out on a few occasions! Once off this section I got back into a more comfortable rhythm and kept pushing on. As I approached Ellerton water park for the first time I noticed that I had pretty much finished both my bottles, but I wasn't too worried as I remember that the race official told me there would be an aid station for me to get more fluid. As I got even closer I started to see and hear the cheers from the spectators lining the entrance to the venue. I then rode past Sally who gave me an encouraging cheer and thumbs up, so I knew I was doing really well. The second lap was pretty much the same as the first, although this time I kept thinking it wont belong before I can get another bottle as I was close to running out of fluids. As I passed the rough road section for the second time I couldn't help but think there wasn't going to be this aid station as first told, which was bad news as I was getting dehydrated! That didn't stop me pushing on for the final 20 km, as I know I run well off the bike. I approached the water park for the final time I took my feet out of my tri-shoes and rested them on top before dismounting and running into T2. 

In a whole world of pain on the run! 

The run course consisted of two laps of just over 10 km on a mixture of surfaces ranging from compacted gravel (farm track stylee) to through fields, footpaths and Tarmac. The route had a similar elevation profile to the bike, mainly flat with a few small rises, normally nothing to phase me. However this time it quickly became apparent that this wasn't going to be the case! The first few km were seriously tough as my legs were pretty tired and the sheer lack of fluids was hurting me. As I continued along the track I started to run past fellow athletes who were walking back to transition, having given up (perhaps due to the lack of fluid like myself). This made things even more mentally challenging for me as the demons came out telling me that I could do the same and quit the race! I was really struggling to find a comfortable rhythm but just kept telling myself to keep going. I then exited the park and got onto the road section, which took me to the 5 km aid station, which couldn't come soon enough! I got there, grabbed a few cups of water and a gel, quickly finished the lot, which I defiantly needed. The next section was through a few fields, before a really short climb back onto the road section before looping around the lake. I was still seriously struggling to run as fast as I knew I could and those demons were still on my shoulder! As I started to round the lake I could see the finish line, which gave me a little boost as I knew there was another chance to get some more fluids. This was helped by all the supporters cheering me on! Again I quickly downed some more water and headed out along the track for the final time. By now there were more athletes on the course and I was able to find someone who was running a similar pace to me so I just let them do a bit of pace making for me, this really helped me.  As I approached the 5 km aid station for the final time I grabbed more fluids! After exiting the fields for the last time and starting the loop around the lake, I was slowly beginning to feel as if I was running similarly to what I could do. I quickly noticed that I was getting close to the finish, so tried to up the pace, it wasn't by much but that didn't matter to me anymore! I just grit my teeth and pushed on for the final 500 m, before crossing the line and just collapsing into the recovery position! 

A make shift ice bath, hoping that it would help (face says otherwise!) 

It took me about 15 minutes before I was able to start moving and get my race splits from the timing company. I finished with an overall time of just over 5h:03min. This was by far the hardest race I have ever done and I certainly payed the price of dehydration. Looking back now I am still disappointed as I could have knocked 10 minutes off my time if I was better hydrated. Having said that my swim and bike splits were PB's and I also PB'd over that distance, by just over 4 minutes, so there are plenty of positives to take out of this and I defiantly wont allow myself to get dehydrated like that again! 

Thanks to my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil.

Thanks to my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears)

Lincolnshire Edge Triathlon

The plan for this season was to peak twice; once in April for the ETU Duathlon Championships (back in April, see earlier blog) and the second, for The Steelman (23rd July) and mid-distance triathlon in North Yorkshire. With that in mind I was looking for an Olympic distance triathlon 2-weeks before Steelman, to serve as a final tester, specifically as I wanted to see how my nutrition strategy would fair. After a bit of searching I came across the Lincolnshire Edge Triathlon, based at Cadney Reservoir. This was just outside Brigg on the Southbank, which was only 40 minutes away, so nice and local. 

In the few days leading up to the race the final pre-race information got released, including the start times, 8 am!! With it being so local I was kind of hoping for a slight lie-in, however that wasn't really the case. My alarm went off at 5 am, so bleary eyed I got up and headed downstairs for breakfast! To help get me in the mood for racing I turned on the telly and caught up with the previous days highlights of Le Tour. At around 6 am I woke Sally and just after 6:30 am we we started making our way to the race. I like to get to races early so I'm not rushing to get ready. Once we arrived I got a feeling for the race, it appeared to be a nice local, relatively small event, which makes a really nice change from the higher profile, qualifier races. After registering and racking my bike I still had plenty of time to chat and it was nice to see a few club mates and some friends who have recently got the triathlon bug, who were racing in the sprint race. After setting out all my kit, I started to put my new wetsuit on, whilst listening to the pre-race brief.

Loving the new wetsuit 

With about 5 minutes to go before the race start we were able to get into the water, get acclimatised and warm-up. We then got a 1 minute warning, so I ensured that I had got a good starting position, so was ready to rock. The horn went and we were off!! It was a good 300m to the first buoy, I had progressed nicely by then, so it wasn't the usual bun fight, where everyone was trying to turn together. To the second buoy I was still feeling good and was now into a nice comfortable rhythm. After the second buoy, which was the stretch back to transition (although we still had another lap) the swim got a bit more difficult as it was pretty windy and this made the water pretty choppy. I tried to focus on my technique and not let it distract me too much. The second lap was pretty much the same as the first, I felt good and ended up coming out the water in the first 15. After exiting the water I quickly ran into T1, grabbed my bike and was quickly out on the bike course. 

The bike course is probably best described as a lollipop, an out and back section taking you out to the loop, of which we did twice. It was mainly flat, with a few gradual climbs but nothing of real note, so I was able to remain on the tri-bars in the aero position. The bike course had both standard and sprint competitors on so the first 15 km was pretty busy, fortunately the race organizers had different colour race numbers, so that helped me gauge who was direct competition. I felt really strong and continued to make headway into some of the quicker swimmers that beat me out of the water. The second loop was a much more quite affair, only passing a couple of competitors, so I know I must be going well. I approached T2, just after the hour, removed my feet from my tri-shoes all set to dismount before the dismount line. After a swift dismount I was quickly into transition, having a quick count of the bikes already in, which gave me a good idea of my place in the race, turns out I was in 5th, result! 

Now out of T2 and on to the run. The run was just a bit of all sorts really. It was part out and back around the reservoir, before and out and back with a second loop for the run to make up the full 10 km. The first part around the reservoir was on grass, so inevitably it wasn't the fastest, but I felt good running off the bike. As I started the run I knew that I should be able to work out my position by counting other athletes that pass me. Just before the turn point, along the reservoir I could see the race leader and then counted the other competitors. By the turn around point I knew that I was in 4th place and on my way back was able to gauge how close 5th and 6th place were to me. I had a reasonable cushion but knew once on to the tarmac section everyone would be able to run that bit quicker! Once off the grass and on to the road I kicked on, hoping to move up the placings. Although the route wasn't the most enjoyable with the multiple turn around points it did give me more opportunity to see if I was moving up the field and if I was getting caught. After the final turn around with about 2 km to go I knew that I wouldn't be be able to move into 4th, but I knew that the guy in 5th was closing on me. After the final bend I could see the finish and hoped that I could hold out for 4th, but with about 800 m to the finish he passed me. I didn't have much left to try and match him so droped down into 5th. I kept close to him but just couldn't pass him and I crossed the finish line in 5th some 2 seconds behind him, totally spent!  

Clearly number 13, wasn't that unlucky for me!! 

I finished 5th overall with a time of 2:21:18, which resulted in me coming 1st in my Age-Group, which I over the moon about and a massive confidence booster moving forward. Thanks to FastFWD Sports for organizing such a great, friendly event and I'll certainly be back. 

However, the most important thanks has to go to my darling girlfriend, Sally closely followed by my sponsors Meridian Foods and Coconoil. The final thanks has to go to my coach Ian Mayhew (Gears & Tears).