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.

Plymouth Triathlon

Plymouth Olympic distance triathlon

1500 sea swim: 21:50
40km bike : 1:16
10km (hill!) run : 41:03

Time : 2:21
Position- 7th overall/7th in AG

So a bit late but last week it was a long trip down to the South West for a long weekend in Plymouth and racing the local Olympic distance race. It was really great to head back down there, a couple of my housemates were still there so spending time with them was relaxing and i had a couple of days before the race to enjoy old training routes and a fantastic open water swim in Devon!

I followed the usual race routines and massively helped by my housemates making homemade pizzas my pre race dinner was just as usual and to sleep in a familiar bed and house i really felt relaxed. The race start was 7:30am which was a bit of a shock to the system but im usually up early for swimming so i was used to working hard at this time. I got up around 5 on race day tried to have some breakfast and headed over to the race venue. I was feeling really good i think my fitness is in a great place and having a race somewhere you know is really relaxing.

Transition set up, a chat with a few familiar faces, the sun coming up it was time to get into my zone warm up and get prepared.

Swim
The swim was my first sea swim race of the year this went a lot better than i was expecting as there was little chop and the tide didn't seem to hold us back. The swim start was a little chaotic with 200 people but i was well positioned and hit it hard from the start. It was an amazing place to swim as you come very close to the crowd and it was nice to hear some cheering while swimming. I found some feet to sit on and got into my pace. After the halfway mark one of my goggles had filled with water but i just pushed on and focused on going in a straight line! There was a bit of confusion at then end of the swim of exactly what we had to swim around but soon i was out the water through the crowds and into transition.

Bike
Transition was a bit of a nightmare if im honest, i was a bit distracted in transition and took a bit longer to grab my bike and sort my wetsuit, after i had my bike we had to go down some steps to the mount line, my shoe managed to hit a step and come off my bike before the line. I tried to stay calm, grab my shoe put it on and jump on the bike. Only a few seconds lost but enough to make me a bit stressed. After this i rode the first couple of k's with a lot of aggression, hammering up climbs and being a bit risky. I soon calmed down and told myself to relax but that was when i found myself a little lost. The start of the bike course was quite confusing at one junction, i basically went a long way around to the main road but soon found myself back on course. There should have been a marshall at the junction but hey it was a local event and these things happen! The bike course was a tough one, a lot of climbing, very little flat and some high speed short descents. I felt i was quite alone on the bike course after the first initial overtakings. I didn't feel too great, my mind was in a negative spot about the climbs but i was riding quite well. I kept thinking i was of course as i didn't see many people but at the turnaround that soon changed. I had some people to chase down and a couple of others near my wheel. I just tried to re focus and hit the last half of the bike hard.

Run
Into T2 was a much smoother affair, running shoes on and i was ready to cause some damage and suffer. The run course was again very tough with a couple of big climbs but the course was brilliant with really great crowds and incredible views. I overtook a few guys coming out of transition and also on the final stretch before you start a second lap, i was feeling really good and picked up my pace for the second half. The last stretch of the run is out and back on the breakwater which was a really nice section to run on, flat out in the sea and a good place to empty the tank. I crossed the line in 7th after having the second fastest run and a much better race than i thought i was having!

Plymouth was always going to be a special race for me, i had a couple of my housemates watching along with a good friend Ian and that really helped knowing they were there (and that they got up so early!) I knew the route well and a lot of the marshalls etc also so it felt great to race there. I would have liked to have finished higher up but looking at the speed of the top guys swims i think i did very well.

For now i'm back training in Edinburgh and working hard in preparation for the British championships in Liverpool. Life is a little hectic to say the least at the moment but i'm feeling in good shape and will continue working hard in my training.

A huge thanks to Cissy, Fran and Ian for the support in Plymouth and Plymouth triathlon club for a great event and support. Thanks for reading i'll report back soon!

Photos:
1. The fan club
2. Run finish
3. Beautiful race venue
4. Recovery shoes in action

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.