After Nottingham and Montrose i have Deva triathlon up next. This was a chance to qualify for Lisbon Europeans next year and was also the English champs so a race i knew where all the big boys would show up! The race started at 7 am and despite it being a really warm week the weather on race day was a bit cold for my liking. I found the swim tough, i was cold i hand't warmed up properly and i just didn't get going for a while. After the turnaround things started to feel better and i picked up the pace but i wouldn't say it was the best start! The bike course suited me, a couple of hills and some long flat sections, my legs didnt feel great on the bike, i was struggling with the cold and i just couldn't seem to get going. It was really frustrating not to get settled but i just pushed as hard as i could and kept my head focused. Onto the run course and i suddenly felt incredible, i felt light, fast and strong. I just ran as hard as i could and continually tried to build the pace. A slight mishap after lap two of three when i went down the finishing chute and then had to jump a barrier! I didn't quite know how many laps it was and so the final lap was an all out sprint and again i gained a lot more time and places. Coming into the finish line i was overtaking a guy and heard "Why always Andrew fucking Woodroffe" that made me smile anyway! A good result 6th for me and with a 34 minute 10km i was very happy! At first i was disappointed when i looked at the results but to only be under 2 minutes off the AG winner i think it is a great result.
After Deva it was time for the Scottish Sprint championships at Knockburn Loch. A chance to race on some home territory and to compete against Scotland's fastest guys! I was feeling pretty good for this race, my build up had gone well and i was in good form after the last few races. Having my parents drive me up meant i could fit in a really good warm up run and band work and so felt a lot better than at Deva. In the Loch i was sitting right behind the Roberts brothers and decided to just try and sit on their feet for as long as possible in the swim. Once it got going i just went full gas, i would say i stuck with them for about half the swim then felt like i was going to blow up! So i settled into my own rhythm and came out the water in the top 15. Once onto the bike again the plan was go as hard as possible, i had a really solid bike and kept up with a couple of guys i know are very strong so i was pleased with that. Onto the run i just used my strength and once again pushed as hard as possible gaining more positions and time. I crossed the line 6th senior and was really pleased. I wasn't far off some of these top boys who are in the triathlon Scotland squads so it's nice to mix it with the big guns!
Since Knockburn it's been some hard, focused training for me. Tomorrow i will fly out to Geneva and begin to prepare for the European Championships this Sunday. A race i have been thinking about and training for since i qualified last year. Training has gone well, it's been great to put in some longer miles and really push my swim and run. 6km swim sets are not my favorite! This week i was sick for a few days and lost quite a lot of motivation but i seem to be over that blip and back on track!
I'm really happy with this season, i am racing strong and i feel my results are reflecting my current form. It's all eyes on Geneva now, I'm really excited to get out and do my biggest race of the year so far. I have high hopes for the race and i'm going to be giving it everything i have. I have worked really hard to get where i am and now and I am continually improving, it's time to see what i can do.
Special thanks to my Parents, my coach Graeme, Gamma Bike transportation, and everyone for your continued support. I'll report from Geneva! Let's do this!!
