Ferrer Hotels 3/4 Triathlon

26th April- Ferrer Hotels 3/4 half race.

1.7km swim- 27:40
65km bike- 1:48
15km off road run- 1:00
Total - 3:18

5th overall 2nd U23

After Portocolom i was in Barcelona for a week training with coach Graeme and the G squad crew. I really needed and enjoyed this week. Although i am training full time it makes a massive difference to have so many like minded guys around you pushing you and to have my coach there all week makes a massive difference. I always find this group very focused, motivating and a lot of good banter so to have that for a week really helped me push myself and remind me that it's okay to relax and enjoy life a little more than just training!!

After Barcelona my good friend Imogen came to Mallorca for a few days and we had a really great time training and preparing for my race (and she will race 70.3 next weekend)! So it was really incredible to have people to train with for the two weeks leading up to my next race!

I decided to head to the North of the island the day before the race to stay in the Ferrer Hotel and just completely chill out before the race. It was a great thing to be able to get ready for the race in my Hotel room and transition was at the exit of the Hotel so this kept me relaxed.

The race was another small test for future half ironman exploits, a longer swim bike and run and we would see what would happen. Graeme had told me to go hard on the bike and see what happened on the run, so with this race tactic in mind i dived into the sea and set off with a strong swim.

The swim was a little messy if im honest, the organizers hadn't 100% made clear how we would swim around the course and when you are in the front pack this makes things interesting. But as long as we all swam the same course i was happy. I felt really great in the swim, I had had a solid open water session a couple of days before with Imo so this had filled me with confidence. I just stayed with the lead guys and sat in. Coming out of the water into transition i knew i was in the top spots and this felt new!

I won't lie, the start of the bike felt like crap. I can't quite explain but i just couldn't get the power i wanted or settle in. I felt quite jumpy on my bike and i was struggling to find rhythm, it could have been to do with the wind, the rolling hills or the amount of sea water i swallowed but it just didn't feel normal. I tried not to focus on this and pushed on and after around 30km i found a rhythm. The bike was rolling hills with 3 laps so at time you could really push with the tailwind and steady climbs. I knew i was in a strong position despite not feeling great and the laps mean you can figure out where you are in the field! I was very happy to come out of the water before Fabian Rahn a strong German Pro athlete but he came past me on the bike pushing some solid watts so i let him go!

Onto the run and i wanted to make up for not the greatest bike. Running is my strength and with 15km of it i knew i could do some damage. The run was 3km on road then the rest off road, hills, sand, climbing fences, descents it had it all! It was a little crazy but i just tried to run as hard as i could on whatever the surface. I caught a couple of guys near the start of the run and then the rest was mostly solo (at times thinking i was lost) but with around 2km to go i could see another two guys ahead of me. I decided to use them as some energy and pushed on to catch them. With about 1km to go i caught them pushed forward and headed for the finish line.

5th over the line and 2nd U23! Another really great result for me, the bike really wasn't easy and im still trying to figure out what happened but im really pleased with my run and i now know its in a great place coming into slightly shorter events! Podium places in my first two races of the season has really filled me with confidence and i know my training has been working!

The madness continues with the Mallorca draft legal Olympic tri this weekend, so for now its time to recover, train again and enjoy the weather!

Thank you for reading and the support!

Triathlon Portocolom

Portocolom Triathlon - 19th April

1km swim - 15:13
100km bike - 3:29
10km run - 38:23

Total time - 4:08
16th Overall, 2nd Under23

So my triathlon season well and truly kicked off two weeks ago with Portocolom triathlon 111 event, an incredible race attracting 800 athletes from all over the world and even around 10 pro athletes on the start line. After a long hard winter of training i was really excited to race again even with the thought of the brutal bike course!

The swim start can only be described as Spanish. We were to jump off a pier, swim to a buoy wait and then the whistle would go, but as soon as people had jumped in they just began swimming! So i had to loose my British mindset and just get stuck in. So not the ideal swim start but soon i was out of the mess and leading the chase pack behind the pro guys. The swim felt really comfortable, i have been spending a lot of time open water swimming and this is helping me massively. I now feel when i swim in races im swimming more naturally and not just doing anything to get through the water. It was a strange feeling being so far up in the swim but i enjoyed the clear water and hearing the large crowds from way out!

Into transition i felt in a great position and again i couldn't believe the size of the crowd as i ran to my bike. This gave me a massive boost and i was soon onto the bike. Before the race i knew the bike course would be tough, the main factor was climbing San Salvador twice, a 5km apline style climb with switchbacks and all. But as well as that most of the course was rolling hills with some technical areas and really nowhere where anyone could hide. This was the furthest i had raced on the bike and a lot of things were new to me, the nutrition, pacing, hydration and trying not to just chase any guy who came near me! The bike was two laps and after the first ascent of San Salvador i was feeling good, my descending wasn't great and i lost a fair bit of time there but overall things were going well. I kept a good eye on my power with an idea of numbers in my head and i tried to stick close to them. Riding around the second loop i was still feeling good, i really tried to put in some solid numbers on the second lap and i was riding well. After the second climb i was starting to feel a bit of fatigue but just knew to hold on to the finish.

Coming into transition I felt in control and ready to run, i knew i could hit a strong 10km off a long bike and set out to do so. On the run i felt great, i tried to push whatever pace i had and i managed to chase down a good few guys who dropped me on the descent. I was surprised with how good i felt running but i think being boxed in by the crowd also kept me going! A sprint to the finish in the last 1km and i was over the line!

A bloody tough long day out but an incredible result for me. I had been up there mixing it with some seriously strong athletes and i was very happy with how my legs felt on the run!

Unfortunately with a flight to Barcelona to catch i couldn't stick around to collect my trophy but as far as a start to the season goes i was very pleased and felt my form was solid!

Winter is Over.

Well it’s April already! This can really only mean one thing in a triathletes calendar, its race time! No longer is it winter training but now it’s race season, it’s time to step up the sessions find that last bit of speed from the winter and get ready to race.

For me I’ll be kicking off my season this Sunday with Triathlon Portocolum. It’s a 1km swim, 100km bike and a 10km run. The plan for me was always to start the season early, I’ve been training solid since last October and being in Mallorca means I can race a bit earlier than the UK scene.

This race is no doubt going to be a challenge to begin the year. The bike course ascends San Salvador twice, a brutal 5km climb with a very technical descent also! As well as this the remaining kms are pretty hard going and it’s the longest I will have raced on a bike. There will be no hiding on this course! Although there was an option to just do a 50km I I wanted to test myself, I believe I can climb well and my power on the bike has massively improved so hopefully I can show that on the course. It is also a good tester for looking at half ironman racing in the future.

Over the past couple of months I have had some really tough bike swim and run weeks where the intensity/volume of one of the disciplines increases. I have really enjoyed this, for me I feel strong and that I can push more power and speed on the bike and the run and my swim fitness seems to be in a great place.

I have worked really hard this winter and im very proud of what I have achieved day in and day out. I have trained as much as my mind body and coach have allowed me and I feel in a great place. I am of course nervous, the first race of the season is always a little daunting but I think that will fade soon after the swim start!

After the race on Sunday things will get a little hectic. I fly to Barcelona in the evening to join my coach and the G Squad group for a training camp in Callela. I’m really excited for this, although I train full time it’s going to be incredible to have a solid group of guys to push off and the have Graeme there every day. The fancy hotel, spa and buffet are also a nice treat!

After that im pretty much racing every weekend in May. I have a long course triathlon in Mallorca as well as the draft legal tri here at Best. Then it’s back to the UK to hit the age group scene and some national champ events but more on that later!

This week I will fine tune make sure everything is where it should be and get into the open water a fair bit. From the test sessions I have done I feel ready. Im hoping for a strong first race and that my legs will still be there on the run. I don’t think the distance is a challenge but staying mentally focused and keeping it controlled on the bike will be new to me.

Thanks for reading and the support across winter. A massive thank you to my parents and my coach Graeme. I couldn’t do any of this without your support. It’s been a long hard winter and im ready to see what I can do.

A few photos from around the island!