2015 and back to Work

Happy New Year! I'm pretty sure it is past the date at which it's acceptable to say that but i thought i would start my first post of 2015 today!

So i have now been back at home for just under a month to enjoy the festivities, family time and a bit of relaxation, or in other terms, hill walking, mountain running and cycling in the ice! After a first successful big block of training in Mallorca it was great to come home and get away from the structure a little and enjoy the colder temperatures. Over Christmas i was still training hard with a lot of base miles running and on the bike. It helped having a good friend and old training partner Ian up from England as he was very keen to see the Scottish roads! I tried to enjoy as much mountain running as i could and discovered some incredible trails just north of Dundee so i have really enjoyed this block of training at home.

After Christmas, and coming runner up in the infamous Plum Pudding plod it was time to really get back some structure especially with my swimming, i always feel i can miss a few days on the bike or running but swimming i need to constantly be doing! Having got my hands on a power meter for the bike i had some fresh motivation to hit some numbers and have been out riding whatever the weather!

Yesterday was a trip up to Inverness to meet up with my coach Graeme and go over my swimming, carry out a CP20 power test as well as have a catch up run in the trails around Inverness. It was fantastic to show Graeme my swimming and where it has changed in the last few months but also to know what i still need to work hard on, my swimming is definitely getting faster but technique still needs a lot of tweaking! The power test is essentially 20 minutes of riding as hard as you can on the turbo. The average power you ride for 20 minutes gives you your FTP number and from there you can calculate training zones, watts per kilo etc!

Although being very nervous for the test i really pushed very hard and felt pretty good. And the numbers proved so! My power was up by 10% from the test last year and it really was numbers i was extremely happy and surprised with! It is an incredible feeling to know how much the hard work and training is paying off!

On Saturday i am racing the Great winter run in Edinburgh for a chance to race on old training ground and then this Sunday it's back to Mallorca for the next phase of training and a big build up to the season! I'll kick off the season in April and also be heading back to Barcelona for a training camp with G and the guys! I'm really excited to get back into the big hours and miles and have really enjoyed the break and my time at home!

I wish everyone all the best for 2015, i have some big goals for this year and it's time to really step up. I'm going to set my goals and targets high this year and hopefully over the season my hard work will pay off.

A few photos from my time at home:

And then I moved to Mallorca!

It’s been a while and it’s fair to say there has been one massive change I my life and my training. I moved to a small island off the coast of Spain- Mallorca. A training paradise for swimmers, cyclists and triathletes. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to move out here to Best Swim centre, a swimming centre in the South of the island which is world class, and over the years most top swimmers and triathletes have passed through here.

For me the decision was a tough one to make at first, I had a nice little job in Edinburgh, my training was going good and I had a reasonable flat. But I never found my feet there, I never settled and always felt like it was time to go somewhere else. With swimming being my weakness and where I struggle for motivation moving to a world class swim centre was a no brainer.

I arrived back in late October and have now been here about 5 weeks, I swim at the centre under the coaches there 6 times a week and the rest of the time I bike and run around the island. Sometimes running on incredible trails, or along the coast and lately I have been back on the track in Palma with a fantastic running group there. Cycling is incredible as you can ride for miles on incredible quality rolling roads or you can find large alpine style climbs to do efforts on. There are riding groups all over the island and constantly new routes to find.

My swimming is definitely improving, it won’t happen overnight but I believe with the volume, the added coaching and guidance I’m going in the right direction. It’s easier now to swim long sets up to 5km when you have a squad around you who are also swimming and a coach poolside guiding you through the set. I have no problem riding my bike for 5 hours alone or running alone but in the pool it definitely helps me.

Training full time hasn’t been an easy process, I’ve had some real highs and some real lows already. When you are constantly focused on times, feeling good and pushing your body it can be quite a battle when you can’t hit those times or don’t feel good. I find it difficult at times to step back and listen to my body, but this is all a learning process and one I am definitely enjoying. I also need to learn that it’s not all about volume and that yes I can train 9-5 but sometimes that isn’t what is best. Fortunately my coach Graeme is incredible at keeping me on the right track and making sure I listen to my body and know the signs of when im maybe pushing a bit too hard.

The planning for 2015 has already begun, Myself and Graeme have set out some big goals and targets that I am positive I can achieve with hard work and effort. I will mainly focus on age group racing again and aim for top results. I will also look to enter the world of 70.3 (half ironman) and see what happens/If I can survive.

I’m in a great place just now, I’ve had a few niggles and a few days of fatigue but Im feeling good, fit and strong. I’m working hard in the gym to become a stronger athlete and I believe my running and cycling is also improving. It is a dream waking up every day in a beautiful country usually with great weather and just training but I know it won’t be easy sometimes the body and the mind can make things a little difficult!

I want to thank the squad out here for helping me settle in so fast and pushing me in training and also my coach Graeme as well as Best Centre for this opportunity.  Hopefully I will continue to have a solid winter and come out the other side faster and stronger.

Photos.

1: Leading a local 10km race where i finished 4th after a big week of training!

2: Another day in the office

3: Beautiful cycling views

4: It's not always sunny! 

The last race! Glen Clova extreme duathlon.

As the season was coming to the end i had my last race and a final chance to push the legs to their limit and see what fitness i still had left! I'd had a pretty hectic season by this point so even with the prospect of a home race on roads i knew and loved i wasn't feeling all that great!

Glen Clova duathlon is a brilliant race, i had raced it last year in its opening yea and finished 8th (http://andrewwoodroffe.blogspot.com.es/2013_09_01_archive.html), it involves a fast first 25km bike ride, followed by a harsh (roughly) 12km run over two munroes and finishes with another roughly 7km bike ride. The distances aren't really important it is the route!

The start of the race sets off in waves on the bike and like last year i was in the final wave to set off. Starting a race fresh on the bike is quite a new experience for me but after the first few minutes it felt great! I had been introduced to John Soutar before the race, a fellow age grouper and someone i thought might be potential to win! It was inevitable that we would be in the same random bike group and from the gun i thought the race would come down to one of us.

On the bike he shot off like a possessed man and i chased after him. But soon after a few risky corners i decided to ride my own race let him go and focus on myself. I didn't want to take any risks and thought i may catch him later. After the turn around on the bike the ride was then into a tough headwind, it didn't help my morale that i could no longer see John but i tried to stay focussed. I wasn't feeling too great and as much as a tried i couldn't stop thinking about how much time he was putting into me.

Getting off the bike was a pretty great feeling as by that point i wasn't really enjoying the bike! Onto the run i set off pretty quick as the first section of the run is about as flat as it gets! It was into Corrie Fee when the run gets seriously steep that i first saw John again, that was a pretty great feeling as i knew i was catching him! For the next part of the race over the two mountains i lead the race. I tried to drop John on all the tough climbs and kept looking behind me to see where he was. I would kick and try and shake him off but knew he wasn't far back. Parts of the run were too steep to run and so we would both walk partly still with distance between us.

Once i was up the second Munroe i asked the marshals how many people had come up, when he told me it was just me i was a bit surprised. We had been the last wave to go off so i didn't expect to be the first up the mountain never mind leading the race! This definitely gave me some adrenaline and i pushed even harder, this could have been my first win and at a local race which i love would have been something!

I was onto the final descent called the Kilbo path which is very steep, rocky and pretty dangerous and still in the lead. But not for long, John was onto my tail and descending like an animal, i had to let him past and as hard as i tried i could not hold onto his crazy descending!

I knew at that point i would finish second, there was no way i could catch him again but i was happy with that and pushed on to finish the race in 2:23 almost 20 minutes quicker than last year and second in such an incredible home race felt brilliant!

Although this was probably the most low key race of the season it was close to my favourite. Racing neck in neck all day with John was fantastic and he really pushed me and i him. It was a great atmosphere and even though such a brutal race i loved the pain.

To finish the season with two podiums was a brilliant feeling and i was definitely to have some time off, a few beers and a trip to France i promised myself!

Thanks to John for a fantastic race, and congrats on the win, bring on next year ;)

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!