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!
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