St Mary's Loch triathlon

St Mary's Loch triathlon
14/9

Position- 3rd overall, 2nd Senior
Times:
02:14:13 - Overall
00:22:14 - 1500m Swim
01:10:30 - 40km bike
00:39:57 - Off-road 10km run

So i thought it was definitely time to update on what happened after Canada! Once i was home and ready to get over the puncture i was once again hard into training and getting prepared to race again.

I had entered St Mary's loch triathlon, my first race of the year in Scotland and a chance to use the fitness that seemed wasted in Canada. The race was set in a beautiful location south of Peebles and close enough to wake up in my own bed on race day!

Before the race i was feeling really good, i felt fitter than ever and my times in training were looking good, but really most of all i just wanted a chance to race. To get out there and give it everything.

The swim was mass start and pretty cold, i positioned myself well near some quick boys from Lanark and a good friend of mine Mr Cardwell who i thank for the pre swim advice! The swim was two laps and half way through the first i was starting to feel really good. I knew Cardwell was right there with me and so i just tried to stay with him and as we were the second wave overtook the slower swimmers! Coming near to the swim exit i had a few punches and bashes from Alan but it was all fun and games and i came out the water in a good position.

Transition was quite hard to explain. The water was a lot colder than i thought as when i ran towards my bike my head was spinning and i couldn't figure out what to do next, i fell over tying to put on my wetsuit and generally had no idea where i was. With a little guidance from my Mother i soon got my bike and set off on the course.

The bike course was dangerously fast, the road quality was incredible and it was a simple out and back over and down a mountain then turn around and go back up. The way out we had a tail wind, making it seriously fast and a little risky at times. But i just rode on my limits and set out to hit the course hard. I knew i was doing well as a few others in the race i knew i had not yet seen. After the turn around the 20km back was into a brutal headwind. At first i really struggled and keeping up race head was difficult but when i realised i was still catching people in the wind it was very encouraging.

After another little nightmare into transition i was out onto the run course and set off hard. The run was actually off road and involved jumping fences! Not the fastest running route but i dually set out to run hard.I caught a few more guys on the run then was alone and saw a few guys coming the other way. I couldn't figure out what position i was in so just tried to keep up my speed and not be caught by anyone.

I finished the line knowing i raced as best as i could which was a fantastic feeling. I actually finished third overall and second in my category! I was ecstatic, i had no idea i did that well and it was a big surprise. I also have the fastest run split which was very encouraging. After my disappointment in Canada this definitely helped.

Thanks as ever to my parents who came and supported as loud as they could as well as my brother!

Pictures
1. Family support as ever!
2. Shot from the run
3/4 Silverware!

World Championships Edmonton part 2.

Olympic Distance World Championships

Position 40th.

Swim 1500m- 23:03
Bike 40km- 1:08 (with a puncture)
Run 10km- 35:59

This race will probably haunt my dreams for many years to come and has took me quite a while to get over but I feel I should still write a summary of how it went!

Despite having a hard race two days before i was actually feeling really good. I had completely recovered from the Sprint and was looking forward to the longer distance and a tough day out. Once again i knew the course well and knew it suited me. Another chance to represent my country two days after i had done the same thing was extremely exciting!

The swim start was a lot more chaotic than the Sprint, in all honesty it was a total mess. There were bodies, arms and legs everywhere at the start but i just really tried hard to stay calm and push on. Things settled a bit after the first lap and i was beginning to feel good and almost enjoy the swim. One thing i has realised this year is I love racing, I love being part of it, pushing myself to the limit and racing other around me. After a decent swim i came out the water with the crowds shouting us on and again into transition.

It was really cold on race day, i believe it was below 10 degrees and despite the water being warm the air temperature really hit me in transition and i struggled a bit to get my things together! However soon enough i was out onto the bike ready to get to work.

The bike course was rapid, the first uphill and downhill i was taking seriously quick trying to warm myself up and get the legs going. Up the second hill and i catching some guys and then...shit. When you cycle a lot you can immediately feel when something is wrong. You just know it, the bike performs completely differently. And that's when i knew, at 4km into the bike course i had a puncture. My rear back tyre was gone completely.

I'm not exactly sure of my first thoughts, a lot went on in my head, swearing, disappointment, utter panic everything. But never did it cross my mind to stop or give up. I was here racing the World Championships, i had worked so hard to be here invested so much physically and mentally i would keep going, i would try so bloody hard and see what i could do.

It was horrible, it was utterly horrible. I could only ride around 30km/h when the course is so much faster than that and i had so many people flying past me on the bike. I felt extremely low and just tried to watch the km's go past on my garmin. A couple of team mates flew past me shouting encouragement thinking i was having a bad day (but soon realised the actual situation!). After about 3/4 of the bike course my legs were really beginning to hurt, dragging a flat tyre up hills and along flats is pretty hard going and i was close to tears but i knew i didn't have long left and soon i could finish this bloody bike.

I didn't even bother to eat or drink on the bike like i normally do, i just kept my eyes fixed on the garmin and hoped the time would go faster, the bike was two laps and going past the crowd sitting up on my bike going pretty slow felt quite humiliating.

Anyway an hour and 8 minutes later i was into transition. I threw my helmet down after dumping my bike and began the run like a possessed man, I was angry, disappointed and frustrated. I felt cheated but i wanted a run, i wanted to finish the race with a good run if thats all i could do. I told myself to just run run as hard as i possibly could without collapsing.

There were a few guys in my age group who i set out to catch and dually did so which made me feel slightly better. But crossing the line i was gutted, i had finished 40th so still beat over 20 people but that didn't matter. I knew i was better than the results sheet and i knew i could have had such a stronger race.

For the next couple of days and certainly after the race despite some evening tequila and beer i felt crap. I was really down and struggling to get over the race. I kept thinking about it, about what could have been and i analysed the results sheet at least 10 times. My coach Graeme and my parents and friends were all messaging me but quite honestly i didn't listen to anyone.

After the race i headed to the Rockies for a couple of days to do some hiking and see some of Canada. It was only then whilst i was hiking i really thought about it all. I thought how incredible it was to race for my country, to race a World Championships and race at that level. It sunk it that no i couldn't do anything about a puncture, i didn't under perform or not have the legs it was out with my control. Yes i would have loved a better result and would have had one but that wasn't how the day went. I think i dealt with it as best as i could by keeping riding and i still gave my all on the run. It was time to start moving on, think about the next race and get my head back in the game, Shit happens but it is how we deal with it that defines us.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts"
Thank you for reading this, and thank you for your support!

World Championships Edmonton Canada.

Sprint Distance World Championships.
29th August- Edmonton Canada.

Time: 1:05
750 swim - 11:00
20 km bike- 32:19
5km run- 17:30

Position- 17th

So although this race feels like ages ago it was about time i gave an update of how it actually went! I flew out to Canada about 6 days prior to my first race, i thought this would give me enough time to get used to the time zone, the climate and suss out the course. The days leading up to the race went exactly like that, I would usually do some training mostly on the race course, attend registrations, events or meetings and try and rest as much as possible.

After a couple of days and once the jet lag had faded i was feeling ready to go and in good shape. After attending the opening ceremony, parade of nations and opening banquet it was back to my hotel room to sleep and get ready. I was feeling extremely nervous, i think seeing all the other countries and athletes really put it into perspective that I was racing the World Championships in the morning!

At the race venue it was looking like it would be a beautiful day, i set up my final things in transition had a chat with a couple of team mates and close friends and begun my usual warm up. After that we were in the holding pen, ready to be led out onto the beach. For me this was an incredible moment, we walked across the grass lead by a bagpiper and the crowds surrounded us cheering us to the start. My adrenaline was definitely going through the roof at this point and i felt completely ready.

The race start was a dive in from the beach, I knew it was going to be crowded so tried to pick a spot that seemed at least a little less crowded and lined up. As we stood there waiting i just thought about how hard i had worked to be there and my heart was almost beating out of my wetsuit. Next, the horn sounded and we were off.

Swim
The swim was less chaotic than i thought it would be, I had a strong fast start and tried to push away from the crowds. After the first bouy I just tried to settle into a rhythm and focus on my own race. Occasionally I would try and draft from a swimmer and just keep out of trouble. I was swimming a lot harder than normal as when I came out the water for the run into transition i could hardly breathe. We had a long run into transition and at first i was really struggling to breathe, i can't explain why but it was a little scary at first. I soon calmed down and was ready to grab the bike.

Bike
I knew the bike course suited me and I knew it would be fast, it had a couple of climbs: one at the start which was quite steep but short and i had ridden many times previous to the race, the second climb was a long gradual uphill which was seriously fast, the tarmac was brand new and with a bit of wind you could fly up the hill! Onto the bike i just set to work, trying to catch some swimmers and putting in a strong effort. The roads were closed and generally brilliant quality so the riding was fantastic, On a couple of the downhill and flat sections there was a strong headwind but with the tailwind there wasn't much of a lost time. At points the course was quite crowded and with some questionable bike handling i just made sure to keep safe and go as hard as i could.

Run
Coming off the bike i was feeling fantastic, the crowds were amazing and although i went very hard on the bike i knew i had the run legs. The run course was a little strange, it was semi off road on a forest trail and quite narrow in places. It wasn't the fastest run course but still i was hoping to finish with a strong run. After the trail you pop out back into the park where the crowds were amazing and you have people to chase down. I just kept telling myself to go harder and harder until i crossed the line.

I finished the Sprint race 17th and was delighted! 17th in a World Championships in my first proper year of triathlon felt incredible! I don't think i could have really done much better in the race so it was a good reflection of where i am compared to the World! It was then time to rest as i had the Olympic distance race 2 days later!

British Triathlon Championships

Liverpool triathlon - 10th August

14th in Age group
59th Overall

Swim 1500m - 21:51
Bike 40km - 1:04
Run 10km - 34:37

Well what a weekend that was! Last weekend was a trip to Liverpool for the British Championships. A big race for me, a chance to race against some of the best age groupers in the UK and to race a high profile, closed road event. Driving down i was actually really nervous i wanted to perform well and put a lot of pressure on myself. I was also dealing with a slight injury and was making my coach Graeme rather stressed saying how much it hurt!

I did the usual pre race routine:  checked into the hotel, had a small bike and run and some lunch before heading to registration. We were to set up our bikes the day before in an indoor transition which was a new experience! It was then back to the Hotel for a big meal and bed before 8:30pm as it was a 5am wake up call!

Pre race for me was a bit of a nightmare, as i had no one with me i had to leave all my gear in the car. This meant running from the car to the race start without much time to spare. However this was when i noticed i forgot my number in the car..que mad panic, sprinting to car park and being the last person in your wave to turn up. Anyway pouring with sweat under the wetsuit but very warmed up i was ready to go!

Swim
The start of the swim was actually really good i knew a lot of the guys around me from previous races so we had a small chat and this calmed me down. I also knew who's feet i could sit on and where to be. The horn went off and i decided to really go for the first 200m or so, i feel often i start too slow but this race wasn't the same. I had a great start and wasn't caught up. After the first bouy i was in a good position and pushed on some more, i was in a small pack for a while but then i found myself swimming alone. I realised i was behind the front pack but in front of the chase pack. I had no one to draft but had clear water so could really focus on my technique and having a good swim! Despite the crazy amount of jellyfish i came out the water in a good position and has a personal best for the 1.5km swim.

Cycle
Transition was always going to be slow, we had to take our wetsuits off outside and then run into the arena. Once i grabbed my bike i was off, by this point the rain was pouring and the wind was picking up but i just set into the bike, pushed a big gear and settled in. The race was closed roads which was brilliant but with all the surface water, wind and questionable bike handling it was just as well! The bike course although flat and fast doesn't really suit me, as i'm smaller i prefer routes with climbs and some more technical pieces but it felt good to just push a high pace and time trial. There were a few accidents on the dead corners but i managed to stay out of trouble and keep fueled. Towards the end of the bike i did begin to get very cold, the rain had been constant and i was completely soaked, i was shivering quite badly and this made t2 a bit of a nightmare.

Run
Coming into T2 i struggled to hold my bike running into the arena, this ended up in me slipping and my bike falling onto my ankle. Not the smoothest move and at the time it hurt like hell, my ankle was bleeding and i limped into transition. Knowing i had lost a bit of time i wanted to run harder than ever. So shoes on i was off and out of transition. I basically just wanted to run as hard as possible that was all. I wanted to leave everything on the course and really push. For half the run i was alone just chasing down guys and pushing a hard pace, i then caught a small pack and we pushed it even harder which felt great. I was starting to hurt but knew i was having a great run despite my ankle and recent injuries. Coming up to the finish i was struggling to see and was pushing out of my skin. I don't really remember crossing the line and was put into the medical tent but hey job done! A solid 10km run and a great race.

Im really happy with my performance at Liverpool, i was racing against some seriously good guys in tough conditions and came out fighting. To be 14th in my AG in my first British Champs really feels great.

Since last weekend i also ran the relay at the Aberfeldy middle distance British champs a decision made the night before with my coach Graeme doing the bike! It felt amazing to run so hard relatively fresh and running with some of the top long course triathletes was a great experience. Graeme gave me an incredible lead into the run and after a rest day i was raring to go and run hard! We won the relay event and it was a brilliant weekend overall with some great results from the Gsquad.

I fly to Canada next Saturday so i'm going to put in some final big hours before then but i'm really excited to get out there. I'm pleased with my speed and really motivated for the big races.

Thank you for all the support, for reading my blog and i will keep everyone updated out in Canada.