Tour of Wessex

It's been a while............

Well it has been a long time since I have updated Blog, main reason has been that I have been developing myself as a Coach rather than an athlete.  However I have not retired from competing, sorry to disapoint my wife.  Where should I start well lets's start where I left off.

I returned from Rwanda, took a bit of hard earned R&R, maybe a little too much.  However as mentioned above I was in full swing of launching Paradise Triathlon Training and had a lot of work to promote the first training camp to Seychelles in early 2011. I am not really going to mention too much about PTT in this Blog as you can view updates on website or Facebook Page Paradise Tri Training FB

Whilst on the Camp I took part in the ECO Healing 1/2 Marathon in Seychelles.  Very warm conditions even though we started at 7am.  The course was one of the toughest courses I have done as it undulated along an out and back coastal road.  I managed to finish in 1:32hr which I was very happy with considering I had very little miles training in my legs.  I finished 7th overall with a sprint finish with 3 other guys.  

Through out the camp I was involved in more of coaching the athletes on the camp then any of my own personal training as it was fro their benefit.  There is a a lot of feedback and things to develop for future camps and training holidays in Seychelles, but they are all positive and a way forward.

On return to UK in March I have been focusing of enjoying the 3 sports of swimming, cycling and running.  By this I mean that I have entered a few events this year that will be challenging but enjoyable. On my return to UK I have done the Bungay Blackdog 1/2 Marathon to which I came home in 1:30hr, not brilliant but once again still able to bring back the sub 1:25hr with a little bit of endurance and speed work.  I have entered the Tour of Wessex 28-30 May, a 3 day Sportif cycle Tour 106 / 117 / 106 miles and then a week later I am doing the Dragon Ride another Sportif ride in Wales 200km.  So been getting a lot of miles in my legs recently and love being on the bike.

Last weekend I raced at Homepierpoint Nottingham, in the Emergency Service Triathlon Championships 2011.  750m Swim, 20km Bike , 5km Run.  I went into this with very little expectations, previous years I have moved up the ranks 7th 2009, 4th in 2010.  The swim was really busy and one of the worst swims I have ever had, almost drowning 3 times, taking on water and goggles were knocked even further into my eye socket.  I exited the water in about 15th place  on 12:03min, really good transition with wetsuit coming of to plan.  Out on the bike, head down and driving hard on out section and then back into head wind as always on this course on the way back,  averaging 25.26 mph for the ride covering the 20km in 29:32min I came into T2 and out onto the run in 1st spot in pack of 5, with two relay teams just ahead.  Running well off the bike for the first 2km, getting into fast cadence and running tall, only one other was able to come with me.  We ran together till the 2.5km mark and he came through and ran a lot better into the head wind to the finish beating me by 15sec (20min 5km).  I was very pleased with efforts and Silver at National Champs.  Awesome 

Africa Champs and Tour of Rwanda 2010

Have not entered for a few months now so thought I might just paste in some entries from my Facebook page to recap what has been going on .........................

"TTT today at Africa champs Rwanda, very disappointed with my effort I dropped of the back of the team, struggled with altitude 5000ft and heat 35c and the hills. Rwanda is known as country of a 1000 hills. Got rest day tomorrow training at 9 then TT on Friday 33 km very hilly."


"‎33km with 8km hill down and back"
 
"Feeling a bit better today with a 40km ride in my legs getting ready for TT tomorrow"
 

 
"Went a lot better today but still big effort, 21.2miles avg 22mph max speed 51mph (82km/h). Put it this way I was not last today, i caught the guy 1min ahead of me from Uganda. I have realised I am not a hill climber 73kg, most of these guys are 50-60kg, i am the fat boy, but i used that to my advantage on the descent."





"Reckied the road race course at 0900 this morning, wow this course would never be allowed in Europe, 6 speed humps in the 12km loop and some are not humps they are steps and on a descent. 2 sharp corners "steady" and two tough sharp climbs. I will be there on the start line, 150 riders from 22 nations for the Africa Cycling Champs here in Kigali, Rwanda. AFRIca for those that don't know"

"Tour of Rwanda Stage 1 , spent, spanked and eliminated due to cut off time behind winner. I am nakerd check out the climbs on this baby."

 

Low mileage High Intensity

With 2010 season being an adventerous one, it has only just begun, Ironman, Crash in Seychelles Tour.  For most athletes living in the UK winter starts and training slows down, not for this year.  Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to go and ride in the Mid Year Tour in Seychelles for the cycling Federation to see how I ride, or should I say crash.  However I have seemed to impressed the Federation to select me to make up the team to go to the Africa Cycling Champs in Kigali, Rwanda.  10 Nov Team Time Trial, 12 Nov Individual TT and 14th Nov Road Race.  This is an amazing opportunity to add to my sporting CV and also to represent my country at a high level of sporting event.  Trying to travel with a bike on airlines is costly enough but with me taking TT bike and road bike I await for the bill or sponsorship from Kenyan Airways.

Only a week ago I received a text message from the Seychelles Team Manager asking me if I was available to stay on in Rwanda for the Tour of Rwanda to ride in a team of 6 riders from Seychelles.  Once again an opportunity very difficult to decline, however with a 9 stage tour being on the back end of the Africa Champs family are starting to miss me already. www.tourofrwanda.com/

http://www.tourofrwanda.com/

Round Norfolk Relay & Debut for Seychelles

Racing has slowed down and training is starting to tick over on a low level.  At the begining of every season I look through the race calender and start booking them but the Round Norfolk Relay is an event that I just have to enter and be a team member of Tri-Anglia's relay Team.  With me only being available after work from 6pm onwards I was put down for Stage 11, 14.64 miles start time approximately 10:22pm.  Yes that was pm, the RNR is a 24hr run relay from Kings Lyn round coastal route to Great Yarmouth and then down to Thetford and back across to Kings Lyn  a total of 196miles.

Obviously dark when I started, followed by support crew in a car with amber light and high viz vest on me.  A good steady start with just the dark loanly road ahead until about 2 miles in I sighted an amber flashing light in the distance.  Focused on this and determined to catch the team ahead I started to run them down.  It did start to get a bit cold in the open areas but I soon made endsway on the 14.64 miles.  My target pace was 7min/mile  however I came in to finish with a pace of 6:44 min/mile  Very pleased with my efforts and a big thank you to Dave Lines and Mark Philo for supporting. 
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/sw/G276HRO5UUG3DBTSTFFYQJNQHY

I have now been given the knod from Seychelles, in reference to the Seychelles National Cycling Team.  I have been selected to go to African Cycling Championships in Rwanda 10-14 November 2010.  I will be taking part in the Team Time Trial 10th Nov, Individual Time Trial 12th Nov and the Road Race 14th Nov.  I am hoping to be flying direct to Rwanda to meet up with the rest of the Sey squad.  This is my debut for Seychelles and am very excited, however just a few concerns on the organisation of the team and flight details as things are done at last minute most of the time.  I am awaiting for the Sey Team to return from Commenwealth Games and then I will get more details on this.  It will be tough to continue training in UK as rain and cold is on its way, however the turbo will be used quite a bit I guess.

Rest and Recovery complete

Well Ironman seems ages ago now, really 4 weeks ago.  What have I been upto, now that I have decided to concentrate on Olympic distance I have been doing some speed work and trying to stay fit and well.  I have 16 weeks till Africa Cup Triathlon in Mauritius 19th December. 

15 August British National Tri Champs  13th out of 67 (30-35 age group)

This was a last minute entry to see what speed I still had in my legs, if any, after Ironman.  The swim was where I struggled (alot of work needed)  24:31min  for the 1500m.  The bike course was potentially a fast course but it was extended due to road works and so was a 43km completing in 1:06:44  (24.01 mph).  On the 10km run I felt very heavy legs and struggled to run freely, it was a very congested run course 3 laps flat and fast with 700 athletes on the course  39:04min.  Overall I was reasonably pleased with my efforts and saw where I need effort for change form endurance to speed. 

Come back down to earth and reality, I need to sit down and sort out my weekly day to day training to do myself justice as turning up on the start line for even just the lowest profile race, I need to be fit and well and have put the triaining in.  I have been involved in Triathlons for the past 18yrs, I have achieved many goals and targets.

21 Aug.  Nottingham Relays

This event is always a really good training session, being able to go all out for each event and having time to recover between Swim Bike Run.  Also I really enjoy the Social side of things with club and fellow Triathletes, catching up with the old and new over the years.  Tri-Anglia (my club) managed to collate 6 teams this year which was great and I was a member with Rob, Tom and Ian.  We managed to bag 6th place in the Open Team cat.  I decided to use my road bike with no tri bars as starting to prepare for draft legal races, I am hoping to get the chance to race in some next year as preparation for ATU Races in under Seychelles.

http://africa.triathlon.org/

Tri-Anglia 2 Open          03:25:04

Rob Lines         06:24    22:09    22:15
Tom Pullinger    08:29    23:48    20:59
Iain Robertson  06:47    29:17    17:08
Simon Brierley   06:52   22:13    18:38

WHAT IS NEXT.....................
 
12 Sept           Lowestoft Scores Race,   4.75 miles  including 409 steps
18/19 Sept      Round Norfolk Relay,      I am running Stage 11, 14.6 miles  starting at midnight
                       http://79.170.42.3/roundnorfolkrelay.com/course_map.pdf
10 Oct            Marriott's Way 10km Run
17 Oct            Great Notley Duathlon,  4km/20km/4km
            http://www.born2tri.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/competitorsnotesNotley2010.pdf

Ironman Lake Placid Report

IM Lake Placid 2010

After completing my first ever Ironman in Roth Germany 2009, I returned to my wife asking me if I wish to do another IM.  It did not take long till I was looking to see where to go and with making it a family holiday as well I let Nicola choose where.  Training was a lot clearer this time round as I knew what I needed to do and the “game plan” for an IM what it was all about.

7hr flight to JFK and then a very easy 6hr drive to Lake Placid, northern New York State.  On route beautiful scenery and then on the approach to Lake Placid town we started to drive on the bike course which was getting me excited for the route as it was beautiful.  Enough of the soppy talk from me and start talking hard Ironman stuff.  We arrived late Wednesday afternoon to showers and lightning,  was it going to be a repeat 2008 race day.  Thursday morning swim in the lake and run in the afternoon, Friday swim AM and bike the run course PM and Sat AM swim and bike drop off PM.

RACE DAY

The weather, you could not ask for a better day the rain stayed off avg 25C, slight cloud cover.

SWIM; 

                The elites had a no wetsuit swim as water was warm, thankfully we were ok for wetsuits.  2600 on the start line, my first ever mass swim start of the kind.  I found myself at the front just 5 back and maybe I entered the water a bit too early as I found myself treading water for 15 min to the sound of “Stars spangled banner”.  BANG we were off and for the 3 guys just in front of me, they should have not been there, sorry guys for swimming over the top of you.  If you have never experienced drafting in the swim this was the time to get dragged round the first lap, exited the first 1900m in just under 27min, finishing the SWIM 1:01HR.  Slower 2^nd lap but hey very happy with it considering my lack of pool and lake time for training.

BIKE;

                “save something for the run”  this was the phrase going through my head through-out the bike.  In the first 5 miles you  go from flat to steady climb to the 2219ft (677m) then descending to 587ft(200m) in 5miles hitting max speed of 45mph.  On my 1^st lap as approached the top of the descent I heard a tapping noise from front wheel, look down and saw a yellow mark going round with my wheel.  I ran my gloved hand on the tyre and it was stuck fast.  Decided to carry on to the bottom of the descent and then I stopped and only then realised it was a drawing pin, oops PHEWWW.  I pulled the pin and obviously had to then change my tyre, not bad I think it took me 6-7min.  The rest of the lap is an undulating with a out and back then head home to Lake Placid.  For the last 20miles is a steady climb totalling 350m, this course can blow some people to bits if you go too hard on 1^st lap you will suffer the 2^nd time coming home. 1^st lap 2:50hr 2^nd lap 3:00hr 5:50hr BIKE

RUN;

26.6miles the last time I ran this distance I walked most of it, so I was determined to do better.  My target was 4hrs for the marathon.  I felt good relaxed and ready for the run, I had to hold myself back for the early stages, so focused on no quicker than 8:30/mile, by 10miles I was on 8:49/mile and ran the first lap ½ marathon in 1:57:15 hr (8:56/mile).  My moto for the run of an ironman is that if you are going to walk, walk the feed stations, but walk fast.  As soon as you start walking it is difficult to motivate and get going, not any sort of encouragement will get you going again if you walk too slow.  Pump the arms and drive the legs take on the fluid and food, easier to do walking than running.  I walked feeding stations, I admit it but I finished the RUN 4:07hr and I was very happy with that.  Coming Home in TOTAL 11:10:23HR

BIB   AGE   STATE/COUNTRY   PROFESSION
354   31   NORWICH SEY   Fire Fighter

SWIM         BIKE       RUN       OVERALL                  RANK   DIV.POS.
1:01:07   5:50:40   4:07:22   11:10:23                        382       70
LEG                        DISTANCE                       PACE      RANK   DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM               2.4 mi.   (1:01:07)  1:36/100m     229       36

BIKE SPLIT 1: 30 mi.   30 mi. (1:22:25)      21.84 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2: 56 mi.   26 mi. (1:27:39)      17.80 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3: 86 mi.   30 mi. (1:19:47)      22.56 mph
BIKE SPLIT 4: 112 mi.   26 mi. (1:40:49)    15.47 mph
TOTAL BIKE                 112 mi. (5:50:40)   19.16 mph     350        59

RUN SPLIT 1: 5.7             5.7 mi. (49:48)      8:44/mile
RUN SPLIT 2: 11.9 mi       6.2 mi. (1:00:47)   9:48/mile
RUN SPLIT 3: 26.2 mi     14.3 mi. (2:16:47)   9:33/mile
TOTAL RUN                    26.2 mi. (4:07:22)   9:26/mile    382       70
    
TRANSITION   TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE   6:55
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN   4:19

4 days to Ironman Lake Placid 2010

Well it was a 6 hour drive that could have been the worst drive of my life, but it was the complete opposite.  amazing clear free flowing roads and in the last 40miles the scenary was really something.  So was the rain, it absolutly came down with thunder and lightning.  Some of the roads and their descents were crazy and there's me thinking it was the cycle route, it was but the other way, so climbing, more about the bike route later.  Arrived at our accomodation for the next 6 days, Schulte's Lodge right on the roadside of the bike and run course and only a mile from the transition and Start/Finish.

Unpacked and put bike together, need to borrow a track pump to inflate tyres.  Up for a morning swim in the lake then some breakfast and then a reckie of the bike course tomorrow I think will be good with picnic lunch on course.  Went to the "local store" today Big stocked up on breakfast and lunch food and some high calorie food.

Will get a 20min jog in tomorrow in the afternoon, also the Ironman Village opens so will have a visit there.

1 Week to IM Lake Placid

The past few weeks have been a mix of training and racing, finally recovered from my crash over in Seychelles at the Mid Year tour.  My swimming has taken a back seat with the lack of disciplin and my work shifts clashing with time for Lake sessions.  Biking has been really good getting in some good long rides and also combination of 1-2hr TT's with 2hr runs off the bike. 

Norwich Tri was my last race before IM LP,  a hot day ahead and having trained the bike course I felt I was on for a good finishing time.  The swim was long after a 26min swim (very long 1700m), I struggled to get the bike going slight head wind 61min and as for the run well this was good for me as IM training with distance, run should have been 10km but it was 11.5km I took 47min.  Finishing in 2:16hr, a whole 13min longer than Fritton lake.  I came 4th overall for Norwich.

Recovered well and continued training, now with only a week until I depart to New York I have decided not to Taper but just tick over as I have not hit the 17hrs /week of training more like 10-12hr and then the last week I will reduce down to 3-4hrs with very short sessions.

They have changed the Bike course for IM LP, but for the better as they have taken out a hill, but it is still going to be challenging.

The Run course is one of the toughest hilly courses on the IM circuit but looking forward to it.

Seychelles Tour Ends in Crash Stage 4 of 5 Stages....more later