Rother Valley Triathlon.

Rother Valley Sprint 15th June

Time : 1:13
Swim (750m) : 11:45
Bike (25km) : 43:08
Run (5km) : 16:52

14th overall
3rd in Age group.

This past weekend was another trip down to England and another big race, European Qualifiers and another chance to race a big event. However the week did not go to plan at all. From the past weekend i had a scratch in my throat that at first i just ignored and kept doing my thing. However when Wednesday came around i woke up struggling to swallow, with a thumping head ache and disgustingly pouring in sweat. It was time to phone the parents and admit i was sick.

Fortunately with having parents as doctors i was quickly diagnosed as having tonsillitis but also have anti biotics in my hands by the evening. That is some service! However i was worried, i was struggling to eat, felt extremely tired and training was out of question.

The next couple of days i rested, slept a lot and even was sent home from work. I'm not great at resting, i get paranoid about training and generally worked up. I did some very easy sessions but not my usual race prep, however i had made the decision i would race no matter what. This was a shot at the Europeans, my parents were going to come and everything was paid for.

So on Saturday we set off in the car, by this point thanks to many painkillers and antibiotics i was feeling slightly better but still very tired. I just decided to go about everything as normal, turn up to the race venue, ride the course throw in some race efforts and then chill out. Having my parents was incredible i didn't have to drive, cook or worry about anything. A massive thank you to them!

Sunday morning and it was race day, up at 6:30 and i was feeling very nervous. I was worrying about my training and preparation although that was stupid, i knew i still had the fitness and if anything i was in a good rested state. Pulling on my GB age group suit for the first time felt amazing i felt a real sense of pride in myself and it made any pain in my throat disappear. It was time to race and time to show what i can do.

Swim.
The swim start was stupidly sudden. We had hardly all got into the water before the gun went off and we were away. This was a bit of a shock to the system, i think i was still waking up but i just dived in and threw myself into the first 100m. For the first time i didn't really get caught up in the swim, i had clear water a lot of space and just got on with it. Round the first buoy i knew i was in the front group and this made me feel more confident. The water was really warm so it was easy to swim in. A couple of times i tried to gauge where i was and i knew i was in a good position. I swam off course a couple of times but just remained calm and headed for shore. As soon as i came out the water i found myself in the leading bunch and hearing my parents shout my name was a real pleasure.

Bike

I knew from the day before i wanted to work hard on the bike. It was a very hilly course and i find myself quite a climber. I knew i could push hard and really cause some damage on the bike. Out onto the course i caught the lead swimmers on the first climb apart from one and then found myself sitting alone at the front of the race. This was a strange feeling, i had no idea at the time and was a little worried that no one was ahead and there was no motorbike around. After a while a couple of other guys got close on the bike and there was a lot of cat and mouse going on mainly being overtaken on downhills and then dropping them on the climbs. I then had no idea where i was or what the situation was as the bike is two loops of the higher course so there was loads of people on it. I just made sure i wasn't drafting and kept out of trouble. There were a few guys who's bike handling left a lot to be desired!

Run

Into T2 and i had a bit of a stupid moment, when dismounting my bike i wasn't really paying attention and i jumped off at around 25km/h. Landing on my ankle on concrete at this speed wasn't ideal but with the adrenaline and crowd i wasn't worried. Onto the run course and i went really hard for the first 1km. I knew i was up there when my bike was 5th into transition. I began the run with a couple of guys on my shoulder but i managed to drop them pretty quick. I then just set about catching guys in front of me. I sat on a guy's shoulder in front of my for a while and really pushed the pace but with about 1km to go i found another gear shot passed him and one other competitor. I was onto the finishing straight in full sprint and third across the line.

I'm extremely happy with this race, to hit the podium in my age group after being sick and to have such a strong performance felt awesome. I have also qualified for the European Championships next year which is another awesome feeling! I want to thank my parents for everything over the weekend and the awesome support they always show me!

Thanks as ever for reading. Next race is 13th of July Plymouth!!

Nottingham Sprint Triathlon

Nottingham Sprint Triathlon - 31st May

Finish time 59:17
750m open water swim - 11:59
20km bike - 28:14
5km run - 17:31

What another hectic weekend! This past weekend followed much the similar routine as the previous. Pack the car, drive to england, stop a lot for coffee, swear at traffic and so on. However fortunately this time i had my Sister Katherine for company. This really meant a lot to me, not only was she coming down to purely support me she did most of the driving and more or less waited on me hand and foot! It was really good to have someone there to ease the stress of race weekend and just to know i had someone in the crowd so i will start by saying a huge thank you to Katherine - who also just ran her first marathon in sub 4 hours! A champion by all means.

After driving to Nottingham we arrived at the race venue to register and have a ride of the course. The race took place at the water sport centre where i actually rowed in BUCS so it was great to come back in a slightly different atmosphere! After signing on i ran and rode most of the course. The course was just laps of the water so it was pan flat and extremely fast. Im used to hilly races in bad weather so this would be new to me!

Up early on race day and i was feeling pretty tired, driving to Nottingham and the past week had tired me out but i knew i was feeling good and body wise i felt in great shape. I sorted all my kit into the split transitions, warmed up and generally felt a bit more relaxed. I feel as i race more i panic less and do trust that my bike is okay in transition! Wetsuit on, last minute hug with Katherine and a sip of water it was go time.

Swim

With over 200 people in my wave in a sprint distance swim it was always going to be chaos. The water was a fresh temperature but warm enough. I tried to position myself in a good spot but when the hooter went off it was pandamonium. Hands, feet, legs, arms everywhere i tried to push hard to start with but kept getting caught up and kicked in the face. After a few hundred metres i found a better rhythm but knew i had lost time at the start. The buoys were also very hectic with everyone turning but i wasn't caught up in the ruck. After the turn around i found some feet to sit on and begun to push a pace i was happy with, i swallowed a lot of water and felt pretty sick but i knew i could hit the bike hard so tried not to panic.

Bike

The bike was incredible. Flat, fast and super narrow. The course just lapped the water and was closed road and pretty narrow. I shot off very hard from the start and immediately was sitting at 40km/h + my legs felt great and i just wanted to smash it. You would ride 2km, have a really tight turn ride another 2km back through transition and repeat. It was four laps and i just sat above 40km/h the whole time. The corners were pretty mad with so many guys and there were a few close calls but i found a good line and tried to stick to it. As the course was so narrow and bunched a lot of guys got done for drafting and riding in packs, it wasn't easy to be really far behind someone else but using a lot of shouting and sitting on the far outside i made sure i wouldn't have any penalties. I had no idea what position i was in on the bike, as it was loops we were lapping guys and there were so many people on the course but i knew there were a lot of strong guys around me so i couldn't have been far off the front. Doing laps is awesome as the crowd are there everytime and it was really special to hear my sister shout my name.

Run

Coming into transition things were a bit hectic! A lot of guys off the bike at once, a few shoes going loose and two guys actually fell over there bikes. But i was safely through, grabbed my shoes and shot off on the run. The run was 1 5km loop of the water with a couple of little bits added on. I knew i just needed to go super hard and chase down as many people as i could. My legs felt really good at the start and i dropped some guys who were with me on the bike pretty fast. I then just ran hard and picked off some more guys, the run was so flat and straight so you could see a line of guys right ahead. This was pretty awesome to push myself harder and see people ahead. After the final turn around i really pushed the pace and sprinted for home, i could see from the time banner i would go under an hour and just went for it. On the finishing straight i overtook 3 more guys and actually pipped a guy right on the line. The crowd were going nuts so i just wanted to push so hard. I crossed the line and knew i had given it everything, the non alcoholic beer given to us at the finish had never tasted so good!

I'm really pleased and happy with my performance i went under an hour had a really good bike and run and a decent swim. I know i could have swam faster but it was just chaos in the water. My Dad immediately pointed out had my swim be 2 minutes quicker i would have come second but that will come!!

I'm really on a high with this season, races are going well i'm getting top 10's in age group at huge events and i feel great.

I'm racing again at Rother Valley in two weekends time so i have some time for big training hours before then and a little rest sometime! I want to thank Katherine for being an awesome sister and support. my coach Graeme as ever and everyone else for all your support so far this season.

Shropshire Olympic triathlon - World Championship Qualifier.

25th May - Shropshire Triathlon.

1500m open water swim - 22:11 minutes
40 km bike - 1 hour 4
10km run : 36:52 minutes

5th in Age group.

So, what a crazy week this has been. On Saturday the car was loaded and i drove to Shropshire in England (kinda in Wales don't really know) and checked in at the incredible Manor i had managed to book last minute complete with a 4 poster bed, my own living room and butler. Pretty strange but incredible experience. After the long drive i relaxed for a while before driving to the race registration to sign in and have a look at the course.

I woke nice and early on Sunday had a light breakfast packed my things and drove to the race. The weather had improved slightly, still wet but not as bad as the day before. I was feeling really nervous, racing my first Olympic distance at such a big event was rather daunting but i had put in the work and felt ready. I went through my usual race routines of warming up, racking my bike, checking my kit, looking at the course map and chatting to a few other competitors. After that it was tri suit on, wetsuit on and time to wait for the swim start.

I had my hesitations about jumping into the green water but after sliding in and a quick warm up i realised it was fine to swim in and a pretty good temperature. I found myself a good spot on the start line and waited.

Swim 
The swim start was less chaotic than normal, there was a few flying hands and bodies sliding around but i pushed to the front found a good position and some feet to draft from. Initially i felt crap, my body had quite a shock to racing again and i struggled to find a rhythm. I went harder than normal at the start but after the first buoy i found my stroke and rhythm and swam neck and neck with a couple of other guys. The swim went well from there, i had a bit of a mental battle thinking some negative thoughts at first and a couple of times i swam off course but other than that i felt good. I came out the water, pulled my wetsuit down and had a quick smooth transition.

Bike 
Onto the bike course the first 5km was a nightmare, i was stuck behind a lorry and a car who were going slow for cyclists ahead, i was really frustrated and loosing my temper as the car kept slamming on the brakes. As soon as i found a decent clearing i shot past the both and began to settle into a pace i could sustain. I had chatted to my coach Graeme the night before and knew how i should be feeling and so i kept reminding myself not to go to hard. On the bike i had a few guys who we all took turns passing and leading, its non drafting so you must sit 7 bike lengths back but you can still in a way pace of the guy ahead. We had a race motorbike next to us the whole time and this made me quite confident as i knew we were the chasing guys. The course was quite tough, a lot of little hills and shocking weather, rain, head wind and cold. However i race pretty well in the crap, i pushed the pace hard felt good and dropped everyone on the climbs (i would then be caught again on the flats). We all played this cat and mouse game for a while and exchanged a few words here and there - some more friendly than others..-. There was some great flat sections on the course where i really felt like i was flying and knew i was having a good race. With about 5km to go i had another gel and began thinking about my run tactics.

Run
Into transition and i was leading the second pack on the bike. Transition was insane, the crowd was huge and although i knew no one the commentator shouts your name so everyone goes a bit nuts. This really pushed me on and i racked my bike, grabbed my shoes and shot out the transition. The first couple of k's i ran a lot harder than normal. I wanted to distance myself from others and try and catch some people ahead. My legs felt pretty good at first even with a huge hill after the first 500m. The run was great for me, it had a mixture of hills and flats which i like and i pushed really hard. After 2km a couple of guys were on my shoulder but i pushed on to drop them and eventually saw the lead bike and guys at the turnaround. I knew i wouldn't catch them but could get a couple of spaces higher up. I caught two more guys and then ran pretty hard with another bloke on my shoulder. I chatted to him saying we should push the pace as i can run a lot harder with someone right there. After the final turn around i gave it once last kick and although i was hurting i picked up the pace and ran towards the finish. When i could start hearing the crowd i went for a sprint and crossed the line giving it everything and collapsing afterwards! I knew i had a brilliant race.

I finished 5th in my age group which was an amazing achievement. The field had some incredible athletes and people who have been in the game a hell of a lot longer than me. I really felt proud of myself for the performance i gave and it made the drive down and the hectic weekend worth it.

Since coming home i have now found out i qualified for the Edmonton 2014 Age group World Championships. This for me is unreal. Although i wanted to qualify i wasn't sure of my chances but it feels amazing i put in a lot of hard work, sacrifices and training so for it to pay off is unreal.

The fact i will this year represent GB is a dream come true and hopefully the start of some amazing things. Now its time to get back on the training as i'm racing in Nottingham this weekend. Things are awesome and i'm really in a great place with my racing, fitness and life.

Thanks for all the support and congratulatory messages it means a lot to me.

Race time.

So with the first of my big races coming up this weekend I thought I would post a little update on how things are going. Since my last post life has been hectic to say the least. Moving city, moving jobs and training grounds is a pretty crazy experience!

The move from Plymouth was a bit quick and for me it felt too soon but I suppose at times we just need to move on and see what is next. Since moving to Edinburgh i have just tried to get settled, train hard and figure out a routine that works for me. I work Monday to Friday 3-7pm so this leaves all morning and early afternoon for training which two weeks in is working so far. I usually come home from work and have loads of things to do eat quite late and definitely go to bed later than normal but I'm enjoying the hectic routine.

Most days i wake up early get my sessions done, sometimes needing to rest between and finish in time for lunch a coffee and usually a sit in some new cafe i can find! I enjoy this lifestyle at the moment, it''s crazy, busy and tiring but i just keep reminding myself this is it, i'm chasing my dream. Making enough money to get by and training as much as possible. My degree is finished and with a 2:1 in my dissertation things could go quite well!

Learning new training ground has been a bit tricky on the bike as the roads are much busier here but i'm finding my way pretty quickly. The running territory is brilliant with so much more trail running at my doorstep so that works for me. Swimming wise the commonwealth pool is 50m and with lanes all day i don't need to always be in the pool for 7am so that's been a fantastic change also! I have a few training partners already but triathlon is a pretty lonely sport so i won't need to find many more but I'm definitely looking forward to riding with some fast guys who live up here.

This Sunday will be Shropshire Olympic distance triathlon, a pretty big event as a GB age group World Qualifier for this year, i hope to qualify and produce a solid time but it's early days in the season and actually my first Olympic distance triathlon. I do feel great at the moment, i'm hitting some strong times running and thanks to a bike fit from Planet X i'm certainly more comfortable on the tri bars. Swimming wise i'm really beginning to understand where i can improve also.

I have probably spent my monthly wages this week but thanks to Run4it and Zone3 wetsuits i have some brilliant new race shoes and also a phenomenal wetsuit. At the end of the day i can train hard all the time but having the best kit is just as important!

Saturday i will drive down to England and check in to some incredible Manor house i managed to find last minute where they have agreed to cook me a feast and help as much as possible with my preparation! I'll sign in to the race the day before and also i might have a look at the course. I'm just going to try and remain as relaxed as possible and on Sunday hit the race as hard as i can.

I feel good, i have put in the training and the hard work and my kit is all good to go. I think I'm in a great state mentally i just need to have some relaxation a bit more as the last while has been full on.

Anyway thats all for now i will report back after the race! Hopefully a good weekend to come.

Picture 1/2- A coastal ride this week
3- New trail running territory
4- Incredible new kit from Run4it.