John Franklin: Long Distance Triathlete

How to ruin a photo in one easy step

2011-04-10T16:03:00.005+01:00

I've been back from SA for about a week and, exactly like my last visit, I had an excellent time, all be it a little shorter than I might have liked! I managed to log a decent 28 hours of training mostly made up of some epic runs and a couple of rather pleasant bikes rides; as nice from the view from Box Hill is, it doesn't really compare to Lion's Gate (over-looking Cape Town) or Cape Point, although the weather may have some influence my opinion.

My camera was with me on most of the sessions and I think I've worked out how to ruin even the most spectacular of views:

Camp's Bay from Lion's Gate

Table Mountain from Lion's Gate

Cape Town from Lion's Gate

Lion's Gate: ruined

As much as I'd love this to be a one off, alas the same thing happened at half way through our trail marathon.

View from 3500ft to Franschhoek

The 17.5k we still have to run, at least it's down hill

Franschhoek-Stellenbosch: ruined

Just prove it runs in the family

Next stop Tri Topia in a weeks time, more lovely views await being ruined by my ugly mug!

Bath HM

2011-03-18T21:43:00.005Z

Gulliver on his lactic fuelled travels

Slightly out of chronological sync but a first race report since September 2010 seemed too good to pass up based on an anally retentive approach to the calendar.

By way of preamble I ran the Watford HM at the beginning of February: it was a disaster. I started with a dodgy stomach and ended having become intimately aware of every point in the course where one can jump behind bushes without being seen by other competitors. 1:45 and change was a personal worst and I was not a happy bunny.

A not very happy bunny

Four weeks later I towed the line at Bath, my first HM ever that didn't start and end in Watford and what I was hoping was a crack at a PB.

Despite a journey where I became increasingly more sardine-esque as the train approached Bath I arrived in good time and was shocked by the scale of the event. When you consider an Ironman is around 2500 and my last race was closer to 250, 11,000 was quite an increase. Fortunately Bath knew what they were doing and everything ran like clockwork. At 1058, as I glanced over my shoulder at the 10,950 odd people stood behind me, I figured I better start hard or I was going to end up with a few people to pass in the opening k's.

Perhaps I went a little too hard and 5:10 for mile 1 was a tad too fast even if it was a notch downhill. I did my usual double take as I realised I was about 8 feet taller and 10 stone heavier than the whippets around me and settled into a pace where I thought I might blow around 10 miles, pretty standard HM pace.

At the half way point I was 5:31/mile and feeling fine, and by fine I mean a little ropey but what the hell, only 6 miles to go and the horrific chaffing of my oh-so short shorts was taking my mind off the fairly clear message from legs that stopping would be better for everyone concerned. The second lap was even tougher and when we hit the head wind on the home straight (a 3 mile long home straight) a few of the residents of Lilliput decided to use me as a wind break.

1 mile to go and a trip back up the hill we ran down in mile 1 awaited; shockingly it seemed steeper this time round but I went for home, pumped the arms and promptly felt like I was running in porridge, or hummous if you'd like a more middle class similie.

I managed to cross the line in 1:13 and change and despite being out-sprinted by someone who I ought to have seen coming I was pretty damn pleased, huge PB and a good workout, all I need now is to do that after a 28 minute swim and a 2:15 bike, suppose I could manage with a round 75 if I had to compromise...

Insomnia

2011-03-17T00:51:00.003Z

To be honest it was only ever going to be insomnia which gave me the time to ever blog again.

It's 0100 and I have a date with the treadmill at 0630 but when swimming ends at 2200 it can take a while for the sandman to make a visit.

To recap:

Working and training is tough - it's taken me the best part of three months to get my head around managing both as it's been a long time since I had a job I genuinely wanted to be good at and was trying to balance 20 hours plus of training around it. Psychologically I've found it difficult to meter out my time effectively and spent most of December and January hitting the sessions that were supposed to be easy hard and then feeling crap and sorry for myself during the sessions that were supposed to be hard. I think the arrival of spring may have had some impact but the last two blocks have been really positive and I'm starting to feel very positive about the season ahead.

Light John = fast John - the fears I had last season that I was a tubby git (by IM standards) have been proven by me losing ~5kg and hitting a huge HM PB of 73 minutes at Bath. I haven't run this well since pre-South Africa 2009 when I looked like I'd given up food for lent but this time my swimming and biking are also there or there abouts.

New bike! - I am not the proud owner of new TT bike, named Jane. I'll leave it at that as she'll be the subject of her own blog in due course.

The year of the training camp - I won't be racing abroad this year but instead will be spending a week in South Africa, two weeks with the fantastic Sam and Lee at TriTopia and then two weeks in Boulder where I finally get to meet in person the man who puts me through so much pain, AC, my coach. In a little over a week the bad tan lines and burnt scalp (I have lost a considerable amount of hair since I last blogged!) can make a more than welcome return.

Role on summer!

Who likes short shorts?

2010-10-24T10:04:00.004+01:00

ME! I like short shorts!

Over the last six weeks I have experienced two traumatic events, the first was that the first pair of proper running shorts I ever bought bit the dust. They were a lovely black number with as slit up the side so big they left nothing to the imagination when I was in full flow. Unfortunately, after nearly three years the lining gave up the ghost and they had to be retired. Since then I have got by on two pairs of running shorts as the training has been light and, having no job until three weeks ago, washing them was not a problem. Recently, a second, a perhaps even more earth-shattering event rocked me into action and kick started a quest for new shorts; whilst out running with a friend, we spotted a fellow runner with shorter shorts than me... the bar had been raised!

With the help of Chris "The Munchkin" McCarthy (his words, not mine) and his superior knowledge of short shorts retailers in London I set out with a mission, to buy the shortest shorts I could find. Our first port of call was a fail, when I asked the staff if they sold "really short shorts" they laughed and said they didn't. Clearly the recreational runner prefers a short that leaves the dignity intact, thankful my complete lack of shame meant I have no dignity to protect. The assistant's comment of "you could always cut some off" suggested she thought this was some kind of joke! Her levity was not appreciated and I left quickly.

The second shop was much better and I was able to find a number of shorts to hold next to each other to see which was shortest. At this point Macca (as he prefers to be know) decided to pretend he didn't know me, can't think why, and didn't seem to be on board with my watertight logic that "the shorter the shorts the faster the runner". Strange. I eventually settled on a pair of Gore shorts which are, quite frankly, bordering in indecent, and had the pleasure of running in them this morning, running on cloud 9 the whole 21k.

A quick bit of maths suggested that the 8 inch shorts cover approximately 1/6th of my 46 inch outside leg leaving leaving a staggering 83.3% on show for London, lucky, lucky London.

Can't wait until Summer 2011 when I'll see how London responds to me running along South Bank in Speedos!

It's been a while...

2010-10-17T20:35:00.002+01:00

Welcome back!

I took the order to take a month away from triathlon fairly seriously and as such decided to leave the blogging alone. It's been a time of change for me having moved to London and begun a new job. I'm now a proper age grouper again and am glad to say that having the routine of the day imposed upon means the structure of my training has already improved, 6am jut doesn't seem that early.

My assault on 2011 began last week and the ultimate goal is Challenge Henley in Septemer, on the way I'll be hitting a few middle distances, attending some exotic training camps and will make a welcome return to Olympic triathlon which is a distance I haven't touched in nearly three years; hopefully my 2:00.58 PB will be broken...

As always things start with a massive swim focus. My first few Masters sessions have made it painfully clear how weak my swimming is, I'm the slowest out of about 40 people and in lane six of six. If I can make it to lane four I reckon I will be in the front group of most domestic triathlons, lane one is made of 55 second 100 free swimmers and some age group domestic champs so that will remain a distant dream.

I think I'm as rusty at blogging as I am at training as re-reading this it's one of drier posts. I promise to improve and maybe take a picture or two.

Little Woody Race Report

2010-09-01T09:52:00.000+01:00

My wall planner tells me that the last weekend in August was to be spent in Louisville, Kentucky trying to get my Kona slot; ah well, best laid plans and all that. If I couldn't spend my bank holiday weekend getting cooked from the inside out then a return to the Little Woody seemed a fantastic way to round out my season. Having raced the Aqua Bike version last year I knew at least part of the course and was well aware it suited a strong biker. Having endured a number of draft-fests this year I was fairly confident the sharp climbs and rolling hills of the Forest of Dean would sort the men from the boys, and 500ft more climbing than descent doesn't make things any easier.

Having booked my accommodation as close to Drummonds Dub as humanly possible without setting up camp in the car park I was a little annoyed to find out blue green algae meant the swim was being re-located to the Southern most point on the bike course. My 0645 departure quickly became a 0545 but lack of sleep aside, the new swim venue was nothing short of spectacular and one of the most pleasant triathlon swims I've ever encountered. Set at the National Diving Centre it was a disused mine and the water was so clear I was able to see my stroke slowly disintegrate as the swim progressed.

I exited in just under 28 minutes, suggesting the swim was around 150m short but my position overall was solid. Given the pretty poor times I've been posting in the pool post-Roth, either the stop clock at Ponds Forge is broken or my blueseventy Axis came to the rescue yet again. As someone who enjoys running up steep hills the 600m run up the side of the quarry was a nice addition and as I crested the slope with my heart rate close to 200m interval level, the sun was just beginning to rise above the sides of the mine. The weather Gods were smiling.

Due to the changed swim the bike was a new route. Although about 1500m shorter than last year my watts:speed would suggest it had considerably more ascent as a result of the swim being at the lowest point of the bike route. A hellish first 2k awaited as we wound our way up some rather steep and windy lanes. After reaching the start of the lap I concentrated on the basics keeping power steady and taking in fuel. As expected a few whippet thin riders passed me on the climbs but I reeled them back in on the flats. I felt solid for the whole ride and was only overtaken once by eventual race winner Sam Dell. That said, that was after Mr. Dell had to repair a broken front mech so kudos to him for riding damn hard!

I arrived in T2 in third position with the quickest bike of the day and three minutes down on first place. I soon ran into second and was about 2:15 down on Sam after what I believed to be the first turn around. Unfortunately the race went a little pear shaped for the leaders at this point. At about 4k an old sign had been used which still had “turn here” written on it. This wasn't the turn but, with oxygen starved brains and tired legs we turned here anyway. No one on the course could tell us where we should have turned so myself, Sam and Alex Scott in third simply ran back to T2 and asked what we ought to do. By this point Sam had run an extra 100m or so and we had all run the wrong way down a muddy path which resulted in a lost trainer for me but we had put a decent amount of time on 4th and it seemed we were running to decide the podium places. Sam and I gapped Alex by about 100m at around 15k and then Sam gapped me about 100m later and that was pretty much how it stayed for the remainder of the race. As instructed we added on a loop at the end to make up the lost distance but Sam was a worthy winner having suffered a mechanical on the bike and having run further than me and Alex. I was happy to finish in second after a really solid race and good end to the season.

The run signage was the only fault I can find with what is fast becoming one of my favourite races on the British calendar. The best swim I've done in the UK followed by a bike route that simply does not allow drafting ensuring a fair race throughout in a stunning setting. If you're tired of poorly refereed courses get yourself down to the Forest of Dean next year. Congratulations to everyone who completed a tough race and my hat is doffed to all those who finished the hellish Big Woody, must be one of the hardest Iron races in the UK.

Thanks to blueseventy, Alex at La Bicicleta, Sheffield and Lee and Sam at TriTopia, who've all helped me a huge amount this season. That's a wrap for me in 2010. Good luck to anyone who has races left especially those that are Kona bound.

See you all in 2011.

The Little Woody

2010-08-30T09:58:00.004+01:00

I'll get a report up later today (not like I have a fat lot else to do, except pack my life into boxes but that's always best left until the very last minute) but a few photos have come my way courtesy of the weekend's support crew Laura Thompson who put up with my pre-race whining and post-race mood swings like a saint. She's also a dab hand with an iPhone camera.

Life: Take Three

2010-08-19T14:40:00.002+01:00

I've written and deleted this post twice already as I find myself rambling inanely about rubbish so, I'll ramble inanely about rubbish but keep it short.

Training in Sheffield/living at home is not a good place for me to be mentally. I have no idea way, perhaps the lack of training partners, perhaps I regress back to a time when I was a fat kid who ate everything, who knows, but as I write I find myself sitting on the back end of 7 days of crappy training. The motivation I found in France and Germany a distant memory. For God's Sake, I only have 10 days until the end of the season but, just like April and May, I find myself not caring.

Long story short I was not cut out to be a full time athlete and I take my hat of to those who have the mental discipline to treat this like a job. It's something I cannot do. I will move back down to London next month and start work in October and, to be honest, I cannot wait. The structure of having a job gives my life outside work structure, a routine that I crave but for some reason cannot impose on myself. I'm sure psychologists could have a field day on this but it just seems to be the way my mind works.

I am looking forward to training at 6am again and having to hit the turbo at 8 in the evening. I am excited over the prospect of looking forward to Friday not because I can get drunk, but because it's so close to Saturday morning and Saturday morning means a long bike ride.

This is my third attempt at "life" post university, and I'm only 24. Teaching didn't work out, neither did sport, here's hoping the third time's the charm...

Roth Photos

2010-07-29T23:03:00.004+01:00

As promised, a selection of photos from Roth. Enjoy.

Saucony Kinvaras

2010-07-29T10:27:00.004+01:00

I haven't done a product review in a while so when I decided to try out Saucony's new and innovative Kinvara, I thought I'd throw my 2c into the hat. Advertised as a minimalist shoe (something I'm not too sure about as it seems to be packed full of technology) what it does do is allow the wearer to run in a more natural way. By natural I mean as one would run if they were running barefoot.

A lot has been made of barefoot running recently, I've read a bit on the topic and having suffered numerous injuries it interested me. The ethos is, put very simply, that heavily cushioned shoes make us run in a way we would not if we ran barefoot, this places emphasis on the wrong muscles, puts forces in the wrong places etc and causes injuries.

The theory made sense, after all, weren't marathons from the turn of the century until the 1940s run in plimsoles and Dunlop Green Flash? Hardly the most cushioned of shoes. My only problem was that many of the shoes available were designed to promote a forefoot/midfoot strike (Newtons being the most well know). I felt this defeated the purpose somewhat. I didn't want a shoe that promoted anything, I wanted a shoe that allowed my feet and legs to do what they wanted.

I first saw the Kinvara at Roth and had a quick look but noting the Challenge Roth 2010 branding on the side I was a little put off. I'm not a man for living in the past and didn't want a shoe that would remind me of a past race when my focus was on future races. When I returned the UK I decided to order a pair (without branding) and give them a go. My biggest catalyst for making the decision was that after the disintegration of my training shoes in France I decided I may as well switch to racing flats with Roth so close. I found I was so much quicker in flats and that I finished my long runs feeling much less stress on the legs. Obviously the weight of the shoe makes a difference but 200g is not THAT much. Ultimately, after some treadmill comparisons, I noted that I my strike in the flats was completely different, much more midfoot, under the knee instead of over-striding, and my turnover was 2-4 strikes/minute faster. All good news. The Kinvara seemed to offer this but with the added bonus of a little bit of cushioning. My Saucony A3 flats are great but the ride is a little harsh for everyday use.

My first impressions were positive, the fit was feather light and very comfy, the thin mesh uppers great in warmer weather, although probably not suitable during winter if get a repeat of 2009-10. My first run was a tempo brick of about 8 miles and I loved the feel. They gently coerced me onto my midfoot, encouraging a strike just under my knee and giving me a higher turnover. I felt they helped me recruit the back of the leg much more than other shoes and I felt the energy of each stride was carried over into the next rather than being absorbed by the road, or my knees. There was a greater stress on my hamstrings (possibly a result of the hard ride) but sitting here 14 hours later I'm suffering no DOMS or undue tightness. There were points where I had to focus more than I normal, especially when I fatigued in the last 10 minutes or so, but this is not surprising given the slight change in running style.

I have a tough track session tomorrow so we'll see how they fair with some really speed, well, speedy for an Ironman anyway.

Roth Race Report

2010-07-22T15:09:00.002+01:00

Check out the more traditional Roth Race Report here. Pictures up soon, promise.

Roth: The introspective race report

2010-07-19T08:56:00.003+01:00

I've thought alot about my performance yesterday. Thanks to all the people who've sent congratulations but, despite a huge PB and a pretty nice marathon time, I ultimately failed in what I came here to do. I hold myself to very high standards and I didn't (quite) meet them yesterday.

My execution was the best I felt it could have been given the fitness I brought to race. I raced my heart out and left everything on the course as I have always been told to do by everyone who has guided me in this sport. My failure is rooted in a lack of discipline which crept into my life when I had nothing to do but train. With so much time I began training later in the day, not optimaising recovery time, this probably played a small part in the virus I picked up costing me three weeks during my peak phase. I began to eat more than I should convincing myself I could lose the weight. I left it to late and couldn't. I arrived at Roth at least 5lbs more than I should have been and this is unacceptable. It undoubtably cost me 5 minutes on the bike and run combined.

I write this because these are the things I MUST change. I have no problem with failing, I used to think it was a bad thing to fail and would do anything in my power to avoid it but I like to think since I left university I learnt failure is fine as long as three things are true:

1. You fail knowing you have given it your all (Check);
2. You fail in the pursuit of a lofty target (Check);
2. You work out where the mistakes were made and endeavour never to repeat those same errors. (We'll see)

Despite this I will take a moment (and it will only be a moment) to put what I have done in perspective. In only my third year in the sport and fourth Ironman I have gone 9:11 as well as posting a huge PB. Even more pleasing was that I finished top British male OA (Chrissie beat me by a mile as well as most of the men's PRO field, unreal!) and within the top 50 overall in what is one of the most competative Iron distance races in Europe and probably the world outside of Kona.

The rest of my season will be a little different to what I originally planned, I simply cannot afford to go to the USA to race and Kona will have to be put on ice for another year or two. Instead I will return to the Little Woody to round out the 2010 season.

2011 will again feature some significant lifestyle changes both in sport and in the outher facets of my life. I will be returning to work as, to be perfectly frank, I am never going to make a living from this sport and I feel I can race just as well whilst working. Moreover, I will be able to afford to race instead of suffering from the constant nagging thought that I'm surviving on borrowed cash. I hope to obtain my PRO card as I originally planned and race in that category but ultimately that is down to the discretion of the BTA. Finally I will be taking a step down in distance and racing Olympic and middle distance triathlon next year. In the long term I hope this will enable me to return to long distance in 2012 with the ability to aim for some top 10 placings. But we'll have to wait and see.

Apologies for a somewhat introspective blog but I like to get things and thought down as soon as possible after a race. A more traditional race report will follow, hopefully with some lovely pictures of me in lycra!

I can, I will, I must.

2010-07-17T19:29:00.002+01:00

The title for this blog has been ungracefully stolen from another of my coach's athletes, if you are that athlete sorry and thank you, as this is my race day mantra. The romantic ideal of athletic struggle is often glamourised by adverts and films adding music and showing the victor post race, things are put into slow motion o black and white and it is as if the world's best are able to summon super human strength and overcome pain and win with seeming ease.

I cannot speak for all athletes but I suspect this is not the case. Success, however you define it, is got through dogged determination and, quite simply, being willing to suffer. Lance once said something of similar effect about people who thought he "flew" up the cols and mountains of the tour, he didn't "fly" he suffered in pain up every one, he was just able to go faster while suffering than his competitors.

I ain't Lance, not even close, and tomorrow I'm not really racing anyone except the clock. When the voice in my head says, stop, for the love of God stop, your feet are bleeding, your fast approaching incontinece and your legs cannot support your weight, I will have to shout out my mantra. I will have to shout damn loud to be heard through the flood of common sense telling me pain isn't weakness but leaving the body but your body telling you to stop, your hurting it you moron. I will have to shout it loud to drown out the voice telling me it isn't worth it, or I've done enough. I'd like to think as I sit here I will develop a massive second wind and it will feel effortless, that I will arrive at some kind of sporting nirvana where pain is but a distant memory and sub 7:00 mile splits flow like honey, but I know on race day that isn't how things work. It will only hurt more and then more as I get progressively further on in the race, I must convince myself that suffering is worthwhile. Easier said than done.

For me to able to say I raced hard and well only two outcomes are acceptable:

1. I collapse into the canal and wake up on a drip in hospital,
2. The clock reads 8:XX:XX when I cross the line.

Sub9orbust!

On Sunburn, or how I'll never learn

2010-07-06T08:16:00.004+01:00

I am so hot right now

As a pasty, pale skinned man from the North of the British Isles you would think I would have learned that it isn't safe for me to step outside of the shade when the mercury tops 17c, and if I do decide to risk it I ought to be sporting a visible layer of factor 50 or a HASMAT suit... or both. Yet somehow I still haven't learned, or, more accurately, there is one day every year where I dismiss the evidence, assume I've "acclimatised" (HA!) and decide to forgo sunscreen. In fact, over the last six years I can distinctly remember the time each summer where this has happened:

2004 - I shaved my head for a post exam trip to Gozo, within 12 hours of landing it looked like a traffic light on stop.

2005 - I decided that the sun in Whitby can't be THAT strong and managed to burn my entire right hand side in my own personal, and painful, homage to Dracula.

2006 - June, discover cycling and Oakleys.
July, discover panda eyes and classic farmer's tan line

2007 - I ride my first century ride. I was slow, it was hilly and by the time I finished my upper arm looked like a paint sample contrasting alabaster white and crimson red.

2008 - My first run in with triathlon tan lines. Possibly the only tan lines worse than cycling ones. The singed muffin top and crispy wings combo is a really good look.

2009 - It turns out even cloud cover doesn't stop me burning in Hawaii. Only crispy wings this time reducing the muppet factor by about 3.

I had a lot of time on my hands hence having to rest the camera on the stairs and get the timer correct, this was the best of about six attempts.

2010 - I've been in France for four weeks and haven't burnt, so I must be OK, right? WRONG! As the top above adequately demonstrates.

Only this time round I have discovered (only took the better part of a decade) Aloe Vera fresh from the plant. Great for burns it meant I was actually able to sleep the night after cooking myself, a pleasant change to normal.

The inside of the plant is soothing, the pointy outside, is not.

The only question that remains is where will I be burning in 2011? Stay tuned to find out.

Slow month at Tri220

2010-06-30T16:23:00.003+01:00

Clearly the nation's triathlon magazines will print anything. If ever proof were needed of a lack of material, three pages about me should suffice. A big thanks to Amy Swan for writing the piece. Also another huge shout out to Tri-Topia who, for whatever reason didn't get a mention in the article but deserve huge props (that's street that is) for putting me up for the last four weeks (and hopefully the next two as well!). Check out their website on the right.

Long day in the saddle

2010-06-28T09:30:00.004+01:00

Yesterday myself and Lee completed a fairly epic 126 mile bike ride. It was 36c and I was chaffing from about mile 4, I think it may be time to replace my beloved Skinz bib shorts, if what Lee tells me is correct then they've been washed so many times they've become see through. If that doesn't stop drafters, nothing will.

We started early to avoid the heat, note the much needed coffee on the post box

Lee getting aero as I try to take a photo whilst dealing with the chaffing.

A village fete meant an off road detour and added an element of cyclocross to our long ride.

YEAH! 200 hundred sweaty, sweaty kilometers.

It was a great day and testament to the amount of time a spent aero is this large (and slightly tender) lump on my forearm which appeared this morning. Hoping this goes down before tomorrow's ride...

Down by the river side

2010-06-24T10:45:00.002+01:00

If I recall correctly, this time last year I was about to start teaching year 8.

Sub9 or bust

2010-06-21T10:11:00.002+01:00

More training/eating fun from TriTopia. Roth is 4 weeks away now and the title says it all. I'll be aiming for sub9 on race day and it's either that or nothing, and by nothing I of course mean a slow hobble to the finish. Something tells me it's going to be the either my quickest long distance race ever, or my slowest. Everything on the line.

TriTopia Video Update

2010-06-18T11:58:00.002+01:00

Another trip abroad, some more video blogs, or "vlogs" as I have been reliably informed they are called. Sorry for the wait (I've been here nearly 10 days already) but thanks to my illness I need to cream the next 14 days if I'm going to stand any chance of going sub-9 and, most importantly, getting my sub-9 t-shirt. As we all know... it's all about the stash! Enjoy.

Taking stock

2010-05-31T21:01:00.002+01:00

I once read somewhere that the longer the time since an athlete's most recent blog update, the higher the probability that he/she are injured... It's been over six weeks since I last blogged and I can vouch that, unfortunately, in my case the adage happens to be nearly correct.

Following my bout of stomach issues I managed to link together about 10 days of really solid training but some minor dental work teamed with a lot of travel, sleeping on couches and a cocktail of pain killers (possible made worse by racing the Marsh Man middle distance) meant that the last three weeks have been pretty much a write off thanks to fatigue and some kind of background virus. Each week I've started with the "can do" attitude and hoped that after a couple of days of bed rest I'll be ready to go, alas this has not been the case and after three or four days of training I have woken up and been back at square one looking down the barrel end of 48 more hours in bed with only cups of herbal tea and old Have I Got News for You episodes on YouTube.

This has been mentally very, very tough. Not only has my ability to train vanished but with it I have lost my desire and motivation. I have been waking in the morning to glorious sunshine and wanting nothing more than to roll over in bed and sleep for another four hours. The rational part of my brain tells me there is a reason for this. I am not a lazy person, I enjoy activity and I enjoy being outside, if I don't want to leave the house, something ain't right... but even though I know this I still feel guilty and am very aware that I am not acting like myself.

Ultimately, on the advice of my coach (amazing as always) I have rested for the last week or so. My only exercise has been some long walks in the hills and I went away with a friend camping to Wales for a change of scenery. I woke this morning and for the first time in a long time, wanted to train. This morning's 75 minute run represents the first proper training session I have done in a while, and it feels good!

Obviously three weeks of nowt has its implications and unfortunately Roth will not be the race I wanted it to be. I will now train through Roth with the goal of qualifying at IMKY becoming the next objective. I'll be leaving for France and the triathlon perfection of Tri-Topia in a little over a week and hopefully upon arrival I'll be back at the grindstone putting in some big sessions worthy of my surroundings.

It's been a rough few weeks and thanks to everyone who has had to put up with me being a grumpy tosser... sorry.

The right and wrong ways to lose weight

2010-04-21T13:43:00.003+01:00

The right way = make sure daily calorie intake is roughly 300-500 below expenditure and that the reduced calories does not mean cutting out fruit, veg, lean meats and good fats. The result should be a loss of 1-2lbs a week. Any more and you need more food, any less and you need to man up and eat less. This approach worked well for me and over the last two weeks I've dropped around 3lbs.

The wrong way = get a gastrointestinal bug and lose the same as you lost in the previous two weeks in 48 hours. I'm now out of bed and the light-headedness has stopped, maybe I'll make it outside for a walk too. Don't think they'll be any 100 milers this week.

FWIW, my 2c is that the former is all you ever really need to know about dropping weight. All those multi-page articles (let alone the books with hundreds of pages) aren't really aiding your understanding of weight loss. When input < output you lose weight. It's just a case of getting the balance write. This is something which is unique to every individual and formulas for resting metabolic rate can only ever give you a ball park figure. For example, I've seen various different methods for calculating my RMR and all are off by some margin (i.e. enough to mean my 500 calories less/day is actual not a reduction at all). I'm a tall and big (for a long distance triathlete) guy and the standard calculations give me an RMR of between 2200 up to about 2800. I do not lose weight unless I work on my RMR being as low as 2000. I only know this through trial and error.

Keep a rough food diary, log you calorie needs and sit down with a calculator at the end of the day. Weigh yourself every week at the same time and you'll soon be dropping weight and gaining speed. Just don't try option two, personal experience has also taught me that that is no fun at all.

108 hilly miles: a photo diary

2010-04-13T07:03:00.004+01:00

Yesterday was my long ride, the last one of this block. Having nailed myself on Sunday I was a little worried about how I would hold up. Not too well is the answer. These are some of the things I saw.

Wouldn't have got much past half-way without a couple of these, and lots of chocolate!

Sheep!

My new (thank you Blue Seventy!) uber-fast wettie. 4k in an hour? Hell Yeah!

God knows I needed this to wake me up. Also, if you've never tried frozen grapes do, like a refreshing grape sorbet.

The most common view of the day. This was one of the less "pot-holey" segments

One of the photos above is of my brand spanking new Blue Seventy Axis, it rocks! Perfect for leaden legged muppets like myself. It's part of the first care package from the company who I'm delighted to say are supporting me through 2010. My first ever wetsuit was a Blue Seventy bought more than two and a half years ago. It saw me through my first sprint, standard, middle and long distance triathlons and served me well and now, as I try to compete with the big boys, I'm chuffed to be back in a Blue Seventy.

It's now less than 15 weeks to Roth. First proper block done, total mileage ~700 miles with the swimming and running maintained. Much more awaits me after a short rest period, of that I can be sure. Bring it.

Breaking the blogging silence

2010-04-05T10:06:00.002+01:00

Wow, nearly a month since I last posted. Less out of laziness and more out of doing nothing of blog-worthy note.

Having finished off my last strength block I topped the scales at a wopping 85kg. The heaviest I have been in years, since 2007 to be precise. My squat was closing in on my best efforts whilst rowing and I've set ~20w PBs for everything up to 1hr in duration on the bike. My swimming still has MILES to go, but it's a significant improvement on where I was this time last year. The run is going surprisingly well considering I'm 5kgs over race weight. I can only assume as the weight drops in the coming weeks so to will the mile splits.

After a few days in London during my rest week it was back to the millstone, and what a millstone it is. When I saw the training load I made sure I had a proper rest week enjoying some of London's cultural delights. Shout outs (see, I'm "with it") to Sarah, Will and Charlie for giving me a bed, 16MS, Mike, Rick, Katy and Penny, for a great day, 3/5 of CGS for the first BBQ of the summer and my usual travel companion Laura for making the intolerable journey to London slightly more tolerable.

This block is a bike focus, this week I've logged just under 20 hours whilst maintaining swimming and running, next week I'll be aiming to break 20. Not only are the hours long but they're pretty damn hard as well. I've hit new PBs for 2hrs and 4hrs and logged my longest ever constant ride of 6:30. For me, this is conclusive proof that all the gym work is paying off. If I can maintain this power and lose 5kgs over the next 12 weeks or so I have high hopes for my Roth bike split.

There is the potential for some exciting news in the coming week but until everything is confirmed I'll keep schtum.

Next week I promise I'll having something to say, and I may even include a picture or two. If you've made it this far, congratulations. Have a choccie biccie, you've earnt it.

Holy lactic acid Batman: Clumber Race Report

2010-03-08T21:13:00.003Z

First, some stats:

·In the 2009 edition of this race a very respectable 2:00 would have placed you in 13th position. On Saturday you would have come 54th.

·The 10th place finisher in 2009 completed the race in 1:57.59, on Saturday the same position would have required you to be a staggering four minutes quicker.

·Finally, in April 2008 I raced the National Duathlon Championships in Milton Keynes, in my opinion a far quicker course than Clumber. I finished 6th in 1:57.57. On Saturday at Clumber I beat all my splits from MK and finished the race in 1:57.08. Had my name featured on the results sheet (apparently I “withdraw before race” then turned up anyway just for the crack) I would have been a staggering 23rd.

If it was not already clear the standard of the competition at Clumber this past weekend was very, very high.

Despite the promise of a cool and clear morning, I had to put my windscreen wipers on about 17 seconds after I pulled out of the driveway on Saturday and these wet and rather chilly conditions provided the 750 or so participants with appropriate conditions for a duathlon held in the North of the UK in early March. With so many entrants OneStepBeyond were always going to have their work cut out getting everyone registered for a 9am start and despite a very organised system, I felt the tent by transition was a great idea; the briefing didn’t begin until slightly after 9am. That said this might have had something to do with the fact that about 8 people decided to register before 7:30 (thankfully I arrived at 7:25) and then the remaining 742 tried to register in the next 60 minutes.

As always the wave start worked well and, although a little busy, the well thought out and varied route never felt crowded or claustrophobic, transition, although damp, was manned by some great volunteers and the same can be said of the classic “four right turns” bike route. Inevitably when you have 750+ athletes on a 20k loop it can little a crowed and inadvertent drafting is inevitable, although I am pleased to say that I only really saw one instance of blatant cheating in my just over an hour on the course (I suppose if my “withdrew before race” classification actual means “DQd for drafting” this will all sound little hypocritical and I certainly don’t recall a) drafting or b) being told I was drafting but, as I said earlier, I have no doubt that just like 90% of the participants I at some point was less than a family estate away from the rear wheel of the cyclist in front).

On the final run it became two things became abundantly clear. The first is that I am a very slow man and should stick to Ironman where anything close to 7:00min/miles is considered lightning fast. The second was that the leaders during the opening 10k were not just club runners who would go on to struggle on the bike. This race was being controlled by a large number of very high calibre multi-sport athletes and the overall finishing times are testament to this. Huge congratulations to the overall winner Daniel McCarthy who went sub-1:50. I remember being outrun by him on the final leg of a Hillingdon duathlon two years ago, today I only saw him coming in the opposite direction when I still had a very long way until the turn around.

OneStepBeyond put on an excellent race in a great location and if it weren’t for the fact that it hurt so much, I’d happily return next year. As it happens I think I’ll pick something longer and slower and leave the 31 minute 10ks to the speedsters. When James Cracknel pasted me at rowing I could deal with it and I always knew he was going to be pretty nippy on the bike but when that behemoth of a man out runs you by over a minute, it’s time to leave duathlon to the lactic fiends!

Cold out?

Tough day

2010-03-06T16:50:00.002Z

WOW! As my tweets may have indicated that was bloody fast. I wrote down three goals before I left the house at 6am this morning:

1. 10k in 35mins
2. Bike at 290w avg (~60mins)
3. 5k in ~18mins

I hit all of these except the last one (where I was about a minute off) and with transitions came in about 1:57. Still waiting on the full results when a fuller report will go up. Based on the results from 2009 and 2007 (2008 was on a different course) I would have broken the top 10, today I'm not sure I made the top 20!

On my way to Ironman racing I spent about a 12 month block where I would have classified myself as a duathlete, as the front pack sped off at 30-32 minute 10k pace it became startlingly (and painfully) obvious that I can no longer cling to that title. The racing was just too quick for me today and I take my hat off to those who came inside the top 10, blisteringly quick!

A rest... for the mind!

2010-02-28T20:41:00.004Z

Athletes at every level know that the basic tenant of increased performance is train hard and rest well. Our bodies only get stronger following periods of sustained training and then adaption during a rest phase (sorry to all coaches for this crass over-simplification). This formula is repeated over many weeks, months and years thus explaining why the world's best endurance athletes tend to be in their 30s. Clearly this doesn't account for the skills we require to perform at the highest level but skills have never been my forte so lets brush over them for the time being.

This is all very well but often the mind is simply not willing; this last week I had my first real experience of this. Following a tough block and a particularly rough week with some average performances I awoke on Monday morning and simply had no desire to train, unusual for me but I decided I had earned a rest day, all I was missing was a medium intensity swim, "I'll wake up tomorrow and nail it!", I thought. Around came Tuesday and the prospect of the pool was once again about as appealing as gastric flu. I went through the motions of breakfast and coffee and sat down to watch BBC AM news. Next thing I know I'm asleep and when I wake again the news is still on, shame it's the one o'clock news.

On Tuesday evening, after another day of not training I got some pretty crappy news which only made me feel less motivated, Wednesday followed with 35 minutes in the pool and a 35 minute run, hardly big mileage. Thursday was the same (only without the swim!) and on Friday, as I looked at myself in the gym mirror I saw that 4 days of heavy eating and light training equals man breasts and a muffin top, yet still I approached a swim I had loved every second of just seven days prior like a condemned man on his way to the gallows.

Thankfully help was at hand! On Friday I drove with Martin, an old partner in crime from my rowing days (and a pretty handy oarsman at his peak) to Keswick in the Lake District. What followed was 72 hours of big, unstructured training, and I loved every second of it. The sessions went as follows:

1. An 11 mile trail run around Derwent Water. Racing each other up the short, sharp climbs and a 500m "sprint" (I'm an Ironman, he's an ex-rower) finish to the car.

2. A 3:30 mountain bike ride in the snow. Big vertical gain, plenty of spills, even more mud and a barrage of colourful language at the slushy surface which seemed determined to make every incline, decline and flat an exercise in suicide. I felt so good after I went for a transition explore. Not so much a run as me scrambling up a hill behind the Youth Hostel for 30 minutes.

3. An epic run. We just ran. Our planned route was abandoned at 1300ft when it became clear Hellvelyn pass would have made the mountain biking look as safe as bubbled-wrapped polystyrene and so we just followed the trails for about 3 hours. Occasionally stopping to look at the map or admire the view we eventually made it back to the car tired but oh so happy, very much looking forward to our well earned Sunday lunch.

My iPhone died so I can only apologise for the lack of photos but suffice to say I am looking forward to my last strength block with an eagerness I would not have thought possible just four days ago. It is often said "the mind is willing but the body is weak" but this is not always true. Sometimes it's your head which needs the break and a phrase which has always made sense to me is "a change is as good as a rest". Damn right it is, I shall be entering March with an all too appropriate spring in my step.

Croeso i Gymru

2010-02-08T14:27:00.004Z

Welcome to Wales! I've spent the last four days in Wales visiting my little bro (not so little as he celebrated his 22nd birthday on the 4th, check out his blog on the right). Whilst there I enjoyed some fantastic terrain and a whole range of weather from the typically British to some unexpected sunshine appearing just in time for my long ride on Saturday, the first 4hr+ effort of the year. Ow! I managed to take some great snaps whilst I was there and the highlight had to be Sunday's "long" run.

The word "long" doesn't really apply as I barely squeaked past 13 miles in two hours which, under normal circumstances, would not be a reason to celebrate. However, the first 5 miles of this run were up Snowden! 3,500ft in under 5 miles was tough going but was totally worth is when I reached the top. My iPhone camera really doesn't do it justice, it was one of the most incredible views I've seen, made all the more enjoyable as I made it to the top in about 57 minutes, a fairly respectable time. For those who care I descended in about half the time!

Doing stints like this remind me how lucky I am to be able to explore Britain in this way and ensure I never take for granted the opportunity I have this year. However long it lasts for I am determined to look back on it and have NO regrets. Enjoy the photos!

The view from Llanberis Town. WHAT A DAY!

Llandudno from the little Orme

The view from the top of Snowden

Top of Snowden, felt like I was on top of the world. Next stop Ben Nevis and Scarfeld.

It sure as hell ain't going "bikingly"!

2010-01-31T17:39:00.006Z

Well, the view I had as I was pootling along on my bike on Saturday morning was nothing short of glorious. It was a cold, crisp Peak District morning, the grass was flecked with frost and I was flying, metaphorically rather than literally. If my verbal picture isn't quite enough, here's a photo.

Thirty minutes or so in, the numbers a looking good and the brisk breeze has just turned into a tail wind when I here an almighty crunching noise. After pulling over my rear derailleur is completely totalled, the spokes of my bomb proof (but clearly not rear derailleur proof) are pretty much trashed and cabling is strewn across the road. Despite an attempt to set the bike up as a fixed gear and ride home it was pretty clear my ride was over.

All this resulted in a slightly longer ride than I should have done today (having recommissioned the bike I had decommissioned about 5 days earlier. A mix of being slightly pissed off and some more remarkably good weather meant an hours spin turned into just over 3 hours. Ooops!

Plenty of photos to follow as I head to Bangor, Wales for my bro's birthday, assuming it isn't raining 24/7 as the current BBC forecast seems to suggest.

It's all going swimmingly

2010-01-27T15:52:00.004Z

Today is an easy week. My legs are getting a break before I begin my first proper build of the year but the arms are getting no such luxury. I've found that after 12 straight weeks of swimming 6 times a week totalling about 20k a week in the pool I've made what could, at a stretch, be called a break through. To use a topical comparison, it feels very much like yesterday's announcement that we are out of recession... by 0.1% The improvement is tentative, could be revised at any moment in a downwards direction and, most importantly, there's still a hell of a long way to go, but none-the-less, improvements have been noted. My 100s have hit 1:24, my cruising pace is now somewhere around the 1:45/100 and I can actually hold my form for upwards of 5k.

This "rest" week challenge to try and hit 30k in the pool, something I have never achieved before, it'll take 8 swims of between 3.2k and 5.5k including some damn hard sets. Will I survive? Not sure, only time will tell but to even be thinking about having a go is testament to the improvement I've seen in recent weeks/months and takes me just a small step closer to my goals of being well under 60 minutes at Roth.

Snow fun

2010-01-11T10:23:00.003Z

Monday is long run day, normally around 90 minutes (the looong stuff will kick off in Feb) and 12-13 miles. I usually explore some of the trails in the hills around my house in Sheffield and usually love every minute of it. The recent snow has provided some of the most interesting running and beatuful views I have ever seen around my home town. Today was different...

Setting out at 8:00am I trudged through the slushy snow around my house knowing things would get decidedly fluffier as I ascended a few hundred meters. I couldn't know how right I was. As I got higher and higher the snow got thicker, the drifts got bigger and the light got flatter. At the highest point of my run I was faced with the horrible combination of drifts up to my waist and light so flat I could not tell what was a couple of centimetres of snow and what was a couple of feet! I was falling over every 20 paces and had a HR of ~160bpm whilst walking.

I seriously considered turning back, something I have never had to do in 8 years of running this road, but soldiered on eventually making it to the turn around and the descent back into Sheffield. This was not before having passed four abandonded off-road vehicles, most buried up to the windows with frost crystals having formed from the wind and ice making them look more like ice sculptures than modes of transport.

As I ran back into Sheffield I was reminded of a scene from the 1980s post-apocalyptic drama "Threads". Set in Sheffield it imagines a world where nuclear war did take place and at one point, as the residents of Sheffield flee to Bakewell to escape the fallout (probably over a route similar to mine today) the effects of a nuclear winter begin to take their toll, it didn't look all that disimilar today with a couple of notable exceptions:

1. Unlike the characters in the film I am now eating porridge typing a blog, something they were unlikely to manage even if they did make it to Bakewell.

2. I, unlike the lead character in "Threads", was not forced to eat a dead sheep to stay alive.

As said, notable exceptions.

Another decade down

2010-01-04T16:36:00.003Z

Another fairly average New Year's Eve (everyone gets drunk, I get tired and wish I was in bed) means 2010 is here. Having decided to start the resolutions early I had a dry 31st, all part of my goal to stick to the "help or harm" eating philosophy until July 18th 2010, at which point I will consume my body weight in bread, cheese, processed grains and continental strength larger. 4 days down 150 odd to go. Only problem was that I had to drink so much coffee to stay awake I awoke the next morning with a worse headache than anyone else. Bleedin' typical!

I have really enjoyed catching up with many family members over the last few weeks but all those who read the blog have complained about the layout and colour scheme so a new, fresh look for 2010 has been implemented. I'd love to say the minimalistic design represents a fresh new stream-lined view for the "twenty-tens" and the fresh new colours represent the current climate here in the UK... I'd love to say this but the truth is this way it's easier for people to read and blogger chose my colours!

My brother has also ventured into the realm of blogging, check out the links on the right to read all about his climbing exploits from around the world. This year alone he'll be visiting Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Wales, Sctoland, Spain and Nepal. Puts my list to shame.

Milford New Year's Eve Duathlon

2009-12-31T16:49:00.003Z

Milford New Year's Eve duathlon Race Report

Another New Year's Eve, another Milford duathlon. My third in four years and, in my humble opinion, another fantastic event from David Denton. Much like last year the weather was crisp and clear and brought a good turn out of 44 athletes including the relay teams. I was lucky enough to have a small support crew this year (three friends wanted a lift to London and they had no choice but to come with me to the race) and as they sat in the club house I went through the motions of a warm-up before concluding it was far too cold and retired to the club house as well.

It was a cold morning, the lack of hair may have had an impact...?

As always we started at 10:00 prompt and about five athletes set off at the front for the first of two 2.5 mile runs. The undulating course is always a challenge and having not run quickly in many moons my legs spent the first couple of miles wondering why I was going at quicker than Ironman marathon pace. Darren Ridout, an accomplished runner with a sub-34 minute 10k, led the way and we arrived into T1 neck and neck.

Rarely do both feet leave the ground AT THE SAME TIME!

In a moment of deja vu from the 2008 edition he told me that he wasn't the sharpest biker on the planet but I knew the short opening run wouldn't have done much to separate the field and so did my best impression of a quick transition and led onto the 9.2 mile bike leg. Within a mile a cyclist (who I hoped was from a relay team) flew past me and I later found out he posted a huge 23:26 bike split, more than three minutes quicker than my own time and nearly five minutes quicker than the third fastest cyclist on the day! Knowing I stood little to know chance of catching him I settled into my rhythm and focused on beating last year's bike time.

Sometimes people like to know who they're lapping

As I approached the short climb to T2 the relay team (my Mum as communications director reliable informed me I was first individual!) were a considerable distance in front and I had a good lead on third place. Not being one to hold back, and with my coach having given me the rare treat of permission to go hard I pushed as much as my leaden legs would let me and managed to finish with an advantage of just over two and a half minutes from second place Tony Caulton. Slightly slower than last year on the run but seeing as I've spent most of my time over the last two months in the pool this didn't come as much of shock. To cross the line first today was fantastic.

This face is why I race Ironman, lactic acid is not my friend

As always a marvellous race and as well organised as any I have taken part in. The hospitality shown by organisers and competitors alike makes this one of my favourite races of the season and a great way to round off a wonderfully enjoyable 2009. Thanks to everyone who has helped me this year, Alex at La Bicicleta, Sheffield, Lee and Sam at Tri-Topia (can't wait to head back this summer), Scherrit and Corrine at the Bike Whisperer and everyone at Hillingdon Triathletes. What ever 2010 may have in store I wish everyone the best of luck for their up and coming racing season.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Vote John/(Sorry Kitchner!)

2009-12-09T14:31:00.002Z

It's the closest I'll ever get to a Kitchner-esque 'tashe,
but I still look more like a 70s porn star.

Ah a return to crappy paint-doctored images, this can only mean a special occasion. I found out today I have been nominated for the Triathlon 220 Age Group triathlete of the year. I am genuinely honoured considering some of the names that are on the short represent the best in short, middle and long distance racing in the country. (I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a tad out of place, but what the hell!)

So faithful blog readers, mobilise your friends, family, pets and alter-egos and vote en mass for John.

VOTE HERE

On a more important note, what ever happens thank you to every single person who nominated me, it means a lot. Also, votes for Dave Wardle, Sky Draper, the Tri247 website and all things Hillingdon would be a votes well spent.

1 year older (again)

2009-12-07T20:35:00.003Z

With annoying consistency my birthday roles round each and every 29th of November. Between the ages of 0-21 it was a novelty to be celebrated with gusto but I seem to have slipped into the mid-20s malaise where its worth a meal out and a beer rather than a huge piss up with several days recovery to follow.

Before writing this I looked back at the similar blog I wrote this time last year regarding where I had come from and where I thought I would be in a years time and once again I am reminded that even the loftiest goals are attainable through hard work and perseverance. I always had a Kona slot in mind when I sat at the Hillingdon Xmas bash in 2008 but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be the top British age grouper at the event. It has been yet another fantastic year and even though a quick review of 12 months of blogging reveals some major lows, they are out-weighed by the phenomenal highs.

I already know what my targets are for next year in my three "A" races (Roth, Louisville and, if Louisville is a success, Kona) and this year I have more riding on my results than ever. I have told myself that, extenuating circumstances, aside I MUST hit 2/3 of my targets in these races to even consider continuing with triathlon as a career into 2011. These targets are written in black and white on my bedroom door so there is no escaping them.

For once I won't be sharing these targets (yet) as they seem, even to me, to be lofty. Only time will tell if I have ideas above my station (in which case I'll be sat here in 12 months time writing about a significant change in direction) or whether I really can make it in what is one of the toughest and most competitive sports on the planet.

I'll finish with a quote I read on Gordo Bryn's website this last week from the swimming coach Dick Jochums. "People will do the minimum required for success. This is why extremely motivated people can compete with extremely talented people."

Amen Dick, Amen.

2009-12-01T12:07:00.003Z

Part of new regime is to get strong. I think the paleo diet has its advantages for sure, but if you aren't careful it is just too easy to lose weight and when you're 6'4" this isn't always a positive. I raced South Africa at 73kg and thought skinny = fast. Well at Kona I was about 79kg and I out split myself in the bike and the run, my swim was only 90s slower and without a wetsuit. The last few weeks have seen me hitting the gym and for the most part I've enjoyed it but one thing really annoys me, the people!

I am fortunate enough to have been coached for two years by people who know what they are talking about. An ex-olympic rower and the coaches at the English Institute of Sport taught me how to lift weights. No mean task given I'm not famed for my above par coordination. The contrasts between a "proper" gym and a commercial gym are many. Proper gyms have lifting platforms, free weights, people who have leg muscles, people who have a core and therefore DO NOT require a weight belt for bicep curls. They have athletes who spend as much time lifting as they do resting and no one, repeat no one, would even consider bringing a bleeding mobile phone into the gym to use between sets. No one wears baggy jogging bottoms or casual trainers and the main goal is performance, not the holy trinity of biceps, shoulders and chest!

Anyhow, imagine my delight when looking for the changing rooms at my nearest track I walked into a room I hadn't seen before and was greeting by the site of lifting platforms, bar bells with proper free weights and a proper squat rack. I've just finished my first session there and it was blissfully painful. Know waiting for the bloke on his mobile, in fact, not a mobile in site as I was the only one in the room, free to punish my errant quads as much as I wanted... heaven.

On another note I "raced" the Thirsk 10 miler on Sunday. It was a great day and although I was given strict instructions not to race I thought I'd put the hammer down in the last 2 miles as a birthday present. The photo below was taken just before the aforementioned hammer was dropped. As with all pictures of me at running races I seem to look like a giant.

(Literally) Cooking with gas

2009-11-16T18:04:00.004Z

As my 24th birthday approaches (although according to the latest issue of Competitor I've already reached that age!) I was desperately trying to think of a blog post. Having nothing to note in training (weights make my muscles hurt, I'm still not a very good swimmer etc, etc...) I got thinking about what I do with the time I'm not training, eating or sleeping. Whilst this is a very small segment of my life most of the time I have spare is taken up with cooking. One thing I have really enjoyed about having a bit more free time is that I have been able to really improve my culinary repertoire, as well as being able to experiment a little more. This got me thinking about how my diet has changed over the last few years of my life and I was able to break it down into four distinct periods:

1. High Fat/Low Clue - this involved me having 2 meals before 8am, usually Frosties with full cream milk and then a full breakfast sandwich on the way to school. A full breakfast sandwich is exactly what it sounds like, bacon, egg, sausage, mushroom, cheese and extra grease. Lunch was often a battered sausage and chip butty (at a recession busting £1) and each day usually featured at least a pack of fig rolls. (AKA the moob diet.)

2. Low fat/Low Clue - in an attempt to lose weight I simply tried to cut out all fat. I must have been eating less than 10g of fat a day and all I ate was low fat food. Like many people I assumed this was the best way to be healthy not realising that many low fat/"healthy" foods contain a multitude of additives and artificial ingredients to keep the fat down. Equally, I was blissfully ignorant of the importance of good fats. I lost weight but felt like crap.

3. Uber-carb - When I arrived at University my rowing coach gave me various nuggets of advice, some were gold nuggets like HTFU (first time I'd heard this) others were nuggets of a different kind like "you cannot eat too much". This is a lie, you can and I did, moreover it was mostly made up of carbs. Here's a "You are What you Eat" style break down of a typical day:

3-5 XL malt loaves
8-12 Weetabix
Pasta and Pesto
4+ Sandwiches
All you can eat ride pudding
Pasta bonding, an all you can eat pasta buffet which usually culminated in someone being sick.

It now seems odd that we didn't see the flaw in eating literally thousands of calories in our pre-race carbo loading when the race lasted, at most 6 minutes. I sincerely apologise to anyone who used a toilet after me during this 3 year period.

4. Variety is the spice of life - my current philosophy is that, in moderation, most things are OK. I try to keep all foods that have been processed at a minimum and usually read ingredients and avoid buying something if I couldn't make it myself. I do a lot more of my own cooking so I know exactly what is in things and look to hit 10+ servings of fruit everyday. At this stage in the game (pre-Xmas) my diet is far from perfect, but in January I will become strict on my diet and stick with the "help or harm" philosophy: if it isn't going to make me faster, it ain't goin' in my stomach.

To break up this text heavy blog, here are a few of the meals I have enjoyed creating in the recent weeks.

YUMMY!

And through the magic of the iPhone...

2009-10-31T13:59:00.004Z

...I bring you photos of Hawaii, and only 3 weeks late!

On the way back from Hawi, the suffering was about to beginThe finish, I'm alot happier than I look, honest.

The first 20 miles, best 20 miles EVER!

And we're back...

2009-10-27T17:45:00.003Z

Post race spin/posing

A wild donkey, incidently, how I felt in the pool today as well

Another long time without posting, although if you follow the Twitter updates you'll have been given a truly breathtaking tour of San Fran via crappy iphone photos. Lucky you!

Well the new season is upon us, in exactly 13 hours I'll be stood at the side of the pool for a 2200m technique session which is going to take forever. I thought I'd bite the bullet and do 1500m this evening to make tomorrow less of a shock. It turned out to be long course set up at the pool! I think it's going to take a couple of weeks to get back to normal. I had a great time in San Fran, did some good running and tried to lose a little bit of the post-Kona moobs (limited success, another 2 weeks before I'm feeling trim me thinks) but other than that spent a lot of the time reading, a lot of it drinking coffee and the rest of the time planning next season.

I'll be working with a new coach this year, Alan Couzens will be guiding me and trying to make sure I'm not burnt out by Christmas and my goal races will be Roth in July and Kona again in October. I'll be aiming to qualify at UK which is only 2 weeks after Roth but I'm hoping this is a short enough time to hold fitness and long enough to regain freshness. Bit risky but a simple life would just be boring.

I'm currently on the search for sponsors and a job which will fit around my training and racing schedule, which does not make me an employers dream I'll admit, so it's been a hectic 48 hours since getting back to Sheffield but hopefully things will start to come together by mid-November. I've also got the excitement of my UK athletics Level 1 coaching course to look forward to which will be a nice change and a it's fantastic to have some new paths to explore. If any readers know of any NFP organisations working with kids in sport please let me know as I'm eager to continue my work in education in some way even though I'm not in the class room full time.

There is no doubt this year is going to be one of the most challenging I've ever had but I'm ready for it and I WILL make this work!

Later.

Kona 2009

2009-10-12T09:58:00.003+01:00

My body needs to sleep but my head won't let it, probably a combination of too much sugar today and some residual adrenaline still pumping through me. If IMSA is anything to go by then I'll be dead to the world from Tuesday through till Friday. On the plus side this affords me some precious time to write my blog. An advanced warning, it's probably going to be fairly long.

Before the race I did my usual race plan, projected splits, HR and power limits, nutritional plan etc. All in all it was just over an A4 page in Time New Roman font size 12, so it isn't just GO FAST scribbled on the back of a beer mat with some speed lines drawn around it. To eke out every last second of your potential in an Ironman takes planning, discipline and some luck too, and all of this on top of the training, but it's all self-inflicted and I wouldn't change it for the world.

My goal time... 9:50.

Race week was incredible, in fact the whole build up was incredible. We'd chosen to stay a little way out of town and whilst this had its drawbacks it was nice to be away from the hubub immediately before the big day. All the admin went off without a hitch, a statement of how well this race is run. Bike check in took around 5 minutes, significantly less time than I spent pontificating on whether 8 gels would be enough for the bike or did I need 9? Should I take a chocolate energy bar or would it taste too sweet in the heat and, most importantly, could I get away with a full white race kit? The answer to this last question was yes, yes I could, a response which no doubt pleases the readers who refer to this blog as "John porn", you know who you are.

At 5 I headed over for body marking and enjoyed a surprisingly calm build up, there were nerves for sure, and the anxiety dreams had come think and fast (my favorite being the one where I forgot to rack my bike with wheels and only realised when I came to T1 to find just my frame in the rack) but when all was said and done I knew what was required. Having come out early I was prepared for the tough conditions, I'd taken on Madame Pele the week before and come out 2nd best, I wasn't scared but I was respectful and knew that hydration and nutrition were key.

Thanks to some solid advice, when the cannon went off at 7am I had a great position and had one of the best swims I've ever experienced, I found some feet and sat on them, when they moved and hopped onto the next convenient set. There was the usual argy-bargy but for my first non-wetsuit event I was real pleased to exit on 1:03, my target had been 1:02 but I always knew that was on the optimistic side and I felt I'd given myself a good start.

Onto the bike and up the first half of Palani I must have been passed by at least 50 riders. I was under strict instructions to keep the power below 260w and I was failing, those passing me were flat out sprinting and must have been pushing 400+ To give you an idea this is about 100 watts more than the QUICKEST cyclist of the day would produce, needless to say I saw many of these people again. Once we completed the in town segment of the course we went onto the Queen K to start the real ride, a 107m out and back ride along a landscape which is amongst the most barren I've ever experienced. As we left town the sun got stronger and I started to feel good, my legs warmed up and I think I had one of the best moments of my life to date when as I over took a line of about 10 cyclists going past a group of spectators I heard people shouting "go 1829". I saw people giving me the hang loose sign and when I responded even more people waved back. It was incredible, in 35 degree heat I got goose pimples from the excitement, the realisation that I was taking part in the race I had read about since before I even started this sport. For some people 3 years doesn't seem like an awful lot of time but for me it felt like ages since I'd first seen the video of the Iron War between Dave Scott and Mark Allen and Team Hoyt crossing the finish line within the cut off. It was a good thing I checked the power meter as this excitement seemed to have increased by watts by about 20% and I sure as hell wasn't going to finish the race fueled by adrenaline and fond memories!

At the turn around I still felt good and (probably in error) put in a push on the down hill. As we made the turn back towards Kailua the combination of a hot headwind and an increase in the temperature made it feel like I was turboing in a sauna wearing a bin liner. The power took a dive and my traps were killing me meaning I wasn't riding the aero position for long periods of time. This funk lasted from 35 miles to go until the airport, about 10 miles out, but as I went down the hill into T2 a combination of caffeine, sugar and a second dose of adrenaline pumped me up for the run. My bike goal was 5:15, I came in on 5:13. I was bang on target.

Leaving transition for the last time I knew there was still a hell of a lot of racing to do. As with the bike about 20 people immediately over took me and, once again, I saw most of them later. I settled into 7:30 miles whilst we had the shade and focused on taking in gels and water. As the race continued I felt as good as can be expected and made it to mile 10 in 75 mins. However, the remaining 16 miles were going to be 16 of the toughest I'd ever run. The hill up Palani made my legs scream and from then on it became a death march. The temperature was at 105F (40C) and the humidity was killing me. I must have drunk over 10 litres of fluid in 7 hours and washed the same amount over me again but I had only been to the toilet once. At mile 13 I began taking in coke at the aid stations and slowly began picking of the athletes in my AG, I had no idea how many were in front of me but I thought I might be in 6th of 7th. Seeing the solar panels of the Energy Lab was bitter sweet, only 8 miles to go but 3 of those were through one of the hottest 2 square miles on the planet. At mile 19 my intercostals cramped and I had to ditch my HR strap and my fuel belt, I was going to finish fulled on coke. I picked of another person in my AG and I worked out I was maybe in 6th. I figured there was no chance of making the top 3 so was racing for myself and my time. By mile 20 I was just telling myself to not walk, just don't walk. Mile 20 through to 22 were just under 8min pace but 23 to 24 was killer and I was over 8:30s. Some how I managed to take in a combination of coke, Gatorade, an orange slice, ice, water and another coke in one aid station and as I saw the last hill of the day I pushed for home. I picked of three more athletes and started the descent down Palani, my quads liked this even less than going up it some 100 minutes earlier but I knew if I went hard a sub 3:20 marathon was on. I went but didn't make my target and with it sub 9:45 slipped away, that said it was a big PB on a tough course on an even tougher day.

My marathon prediction had be 3:25 so going 3:20 put me 5 minutes under my target of 9:50. I'd clearly missed some athletes in my AG as I came in 8th, 9 minutes off a podium spot, which it turns out are 5 deep in Kona. I raced my heart out and there was no way in hell I could have made the top 5 with what I had today. Having said that, I was chuffed to be te first British age group athlete over the line and the 3rd British male over the line including PROs. It's a different game all together here and there were times I felt like I had brought a water pistol to a gun fight. To run a 3:20 in 40 Celsius and have only the 8th quickest split in my AG shows the depth of the field. I hadn't planned on coming back next year but am now reconsidering. I want to rock up fully ready and prepared with no niggles and uninterrupted training, then maybe I'll be stood on the stage with the men's 25-29 winners instead of in the crowd...

It has been a fantastic ride and I am very satisfied with my 2009-10 season. I've progressed massively in 12 months but feel I've yet to make the step upwards I know is within me. Time and patience are key in this sport and I have plenty of both.

Bring on 2010!

The day after...

2009-10-11T17:57:00.005+01:00

Once again, my own personal chair upon finishing.

Quick summary; it's 7AM and whilst I'd rather be sleeping the sun burn, blisters and general aching won't allow it. 9:45.47, 8th in AG and 1st GB AG athlete across the line. Based on fitness and training I raced to my potential and then managed to eke out an extra 4 minutes on the run with some old fashioned Yorkshire grit/Franklin belligerence.

It hit 105F on the Queen K on the marathon and the humidity was astonishing, it was a big PB for me on what is considered to be one of the toughest IM routes out there. Pretty chuffed! Full race report and photos will come soon.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me congrats, it means so much to hear from you.

Come in number 1829, your time is up

2009-10-08T19:14:00.003+01:00

Today is all about relaxing. I've fallen into the now familiar pre-race routine of taking today off and all that now remains is a quick swim-bike-run tomorrow morning all done and dusted in time for breakfast at 9. Anyone in the UK who is wanting to follow my progress www.ironmanlive.com is the place to go and my number is 1829, the privilege of being in the 18-24 AG, along with the pretty pink wrist band shown below.

I must be an athlete, my wrist band says so!

The race starts at 6pm UK time and whilst guessing at times is a total lottery here as the conditions can make a massive difference, I'd hope to be crossing the finish line before 4am Sunday morning. I can understand if you'd rather check out my progress after the race is over, by which time I'll be tucking into a big greasy burger and something chocolaty, or on a IV drip, depends how things have gone!

I'll post again when the race is over but hopefully my Mum, who is arriving in paradise in just under 3 hours, will be able to update my Twitter account using the iPhone as and when she sees me on the course. People often ask how you keep on eating whilst racing? Well, below is a picture of all the gels I'll be consuming during the race. This is about half the total calories I'll be taking in (the rest from a mixture of bars, drinks and Coke when I'm on the run). The heat here makes it increasingly hard to get your cals from solids so I'll be getting more of my fuel in liquid form than I would when training/racing in the UK.

Kona Video Diary 6

2009-10-05T22:40:00.003+01:00

Another day, another location, although this one may appeal more to the triathletes than the tourists. Certainly no shortage of places to swim here, the pool is a stone's throw from the pier. Today I shared a pool with Chris McCormack, Steven and Bella Bayliss and Rasmus Henning, previously I've seen Marino Voenenhacker, Norman Stadler, Tim deBoom Luke McKenzie, Craig Alexander and Joanna Lawn. Only about 20 Ironman titles between them then...
Mahalo.

Kona Video Diary 5

2009-10-03T20:26:00.002+01:00

Another (almost) live clip of, yard for yard, perhaps the most famous beach in the world, Dig Me beach. Great AM swim all the way to the turn-around, alas, no Espresso yacht yet (although it turns out it's a catamaran). Those of you who know me are well aware how much I've been looking forward to this part of Kona.

Kona Video Diary 4

2009-09-29T01:54:00.002+01:00

Three hours on the Queen K (+ a puncture + losing half my fluid when while I was repairing the aforementioned puncture) meant this ice bath was soooo sweet. BTW, I'm wearing shorts.

Kona Video Diary 3

2009-09-27T21:19:00.003+01:00

Morning all! Had a great start to the day, although everyday is great! Ocean swim at 7am, course still isn't marked so did 1.2miles with a pack in about 3omins and then another 1/4mile with a local guy called Todd who was really helpful. The went to Lava Java with him and his family for an amazing breakfast. Pretty easy day today so heading out with Todd again for an hours run at the Energy Lab.

Kona Video Diary 2

2009-09-26T00:29:00.002+01:00

I'm here!

Kona Video Diary 1

2009-09-25T01:24:00.002+01:00

It's not quite "aloha" yet, more "howdy". I've landed in San Fran and am currently utilising the potent combination of coffee, endorphins, Twitter and blogging to try to stay awake for another 4 hours by which time my body will think it's 6am and the actual time will be about 10pm. Enjoy the first of many videos leading up to and immediately following the race itself. Apologies for the God-awful gurning before you press play, I ain't exactly an oil painting but it certainly doesn't reflect me in a positive light!

2009-09-21T18:37:00.002+01:00

Today was my last BIG training session before Kona. All three disciplines would get a look in but by far the most daunting was the 4 hours turbo @IM pacing. I decided to document the session with a small photo diary, partly to look back on in future but mostly to break the monotony of working your arse off for 4 hours and going nowhere!Will it be enough?
The calm before the sweaty, sweaty storm.

Half way, looking quite fresh all things considered.

DONE! Now just a 10k run to do.

And, as an extra special treat to say sorry for not blogging for AGES, here is a short video of me just going through 2 hours... it managed to kill about 3 minutes so was totally worth it!

Bitter Sweet

2009-09-20T17:56:00.002+01:00

I've been incommunicado for a while on the blogging front (at least compared to my normal prolific blogging rate) and, for once, quite allot has happened. I'm fit! Unfortunately that's fit in the sense of being able to run rather than the type of "fit" I would hope to be a measly 20 days from what was supposed to be the crowing jewel of my tri career thus far. It's all a little bit bitter-sweet to be honest. Going from planning to hit my best race, to beginning to deal mentally with starting knowing I couldn't finish, to my present state of being elated that I will be able to "race", but having to accept that in terms of AG plaudits I won't be able to "race".

My bike and run are the strongest they have ever been and the numbers I've been seeing are very encouraging but my run just isn't there, as you would expect from 6 weeks of no running. I don't really know what to expect on the day so we'll just have to wait and see. I suppose I'll be getting a clearer idea of what is possible in the coming days especially when I land in Kona in under a week!!! Where does the time go?

It's a huge juxtaposition to IMSA where everything had gone with militaristic precision for the previous 6 months. Since coming back from South Africa in April I have had to deal with three injuries (two of them minor but taking out about a week and my most recent effort) and one stomach bug. Also, I'd be lying if I said I'd dealt with the injury well and, as a found myself doing as a younger, fatter lad, solace was found in food. As a result of this I am not quite as svelt as I was 4 months ago. What sort of difference this makes remains to be seen.

Last big training day is tomorrow and it's a quite frankly masochistic 4hours on the turbo @IM pace with a 10k run off. Hopefully I'll have some pictures so you can get a feel for just how sweaty the last 30 minutes were... time to hydrate me thinks!

Swim, Bike, Done

2009-08-30T15:02:00.002+01:00

I "raced" the Little Woody this weekend. A great race which I enjoyed, not least as it stayed dry and warmish. However the third discipline still remains elusive.

The Good:
Finished the bike with no injury worries and some cracking numbers on the PM. 271w average with a massive negative split and the last half hour at 291w avg. Felt pretty fresh too but that's always easy to say. Came in 5th I think but no results yet.

The Bad:
I wanted to run, oh how I wanted to run!

The Ugly:
On physios orders I tried a 30 minutes run this morning, as regular as clockwork my knee seized up about 25 minutes in. I have now not completed a run longer than half an hour in 3 weeks. This is beginning to get desperate!

Tri-Topia photos

2009-08-25T22:24:00.005+01:00

Cycling over the river in Angles. You can just see the castle in the background.

Coffee in Angles

All that bilateral breathing finally pays off as I can see the Abbey in both directions.

Enjoying some quality food, seconds soon arrived.

Tri-Topia

2009-08-16T14:25:00.003+01:00

Just a quick update from France. I drove from London yesterday and about 10 hours later arrived at Tri-Topia situated about 200 miles south of Paris near Poitieres. It is amazing. The weather is 30c+ and the setting is amazing, in the middle of rolling country side, near various lakes and rivers for swimming and the farm house itself has it's very own farm. Looking forward to eating bacon sandwhiches which couldn't be any more local, about 20 feet away from the kitchen.

Looking at the photos of what the place was like 2 years ago Lee and Sam have completed their very own triathlon Grand Design and the addition of the endless pool only makes things better. I'll be writing up the whole weeks experience in more detail soon but now that the knee is finally sorted I cannot think of a place I would rather be than here!

This is getting wierd....

2009-08-13T18:56:00.001+01:00

He's managed to do it again.

Maybe I'll stick this one on top of the previous article as right now I know which one is most important. Time to stretch and then work on my deficient swim stroke. Be thankful for what you do have rather than lamenting what you don't.

http://chuckiev.blogspot.com/2009/08/injuries-dont-just-happen.html

Vital

2009-08-12T11:38:00.002+01:00

Gonna print these off and stick them on my wall:

http://chuckiev.blogspot.com/2009/08/young-pro-triathletes-guide-to-survival.html

Number 1 - it ain't a job 'till I'm earning money, it's just a really tough, full time hobby.

Kona - 61: Food and the injured athlete

2009-08-10T16:51:00.004+01:00

One week of training down. The knee still ain't perfect and running mileage has been severely restricted but nearly 500k on the bike and nearly 20k in the water means I'm starting to lose some of that weight and I'm currently feeling a satisfying level of fatigue. With a day of tomorrow I'm hoping to recoup with some ice and anti-inflammatory I'll be able to push the run up to 90 mins and be able to break 100miles on the bike and crack 15 hours during the week.

I mentioned in my last post I'd managed to gain 5kg in the space of 10 days and I've always had somewhat of a love/hate relationship with food. Some of you know (some may not) that I wasn't always in possession of the svelte physique I currently own and used to be a little softer around the edges. My Mum always said that I was born skinny and then started eating, and then never stopped (a fact backed up by the doubling of her weekly food bill when I was back home!). I love food and being an athlete this isn't really a problem. When I'm training I feel that I am the model of professionalism with my nutrition. My diet is low in gluten and all processed foods. I avoid bad food and refined products and aim for 10+ servings of fruit and veg a day. I also take a rough calorie count to ensure I'm not under/over eating. I also LOVE cooking and generally aim to make all my own meals so I know exactly what goes in them.

The problem is all it takes is a break in routine, like an injury, and I fall off the band wagon and I return to the 17 year old who ate because it made him feel good for a short period of time. This was then followed by guilt and inevitably more eating. At 17 this usually ended up with me raiding the cooking chocolate draw and eating it's content, sadly it wasn't much further from the truth when I was back home last week.

It's something I don't really understand about myself as I have the discipline to train and eat well but if I want to get anywhere in this sport I have to be able to deal with setbacks. Previously, when triathlon was a hobby, it wasn't as much of a problem but working on my mental game is something I will be aiming to do over the next few months as I feel it is as important as being physically prepared.

Bit of a "stream of consciousness" blog I'm afraid, haven't written one like this for a while and a random collection of thoughts from the last week nailed together. Apologies if it reads badly...!

Back to base(ics)

2009-08-04T21:35:00.002+01:00

The knee is sorted (fingers crossed) so now it's all about the numbers:

Days until Kona - 67
Days where I can make myself faster - c. 53
Kilos I need to lose - 5kg (food and the injured triathlete are a topic I'll post on later this week).

I'm gonna be keeping it as simple as possible, lots of miles and just as much recovery to make sure I'm in the best shape of my life for Kona.

Happy training all and congrats too all the Hillingdon athletes who raced at London this weekend.

Swimming Hurts

2009-07-28T10:17:00.002+01:00

For those who keep up with the international triathlon blogisphere this title is nicked from an article written by Brett Sutton (the team TBB coach) some time ago. In the last 10 days I've swum 35k. As someone who usually swim an absolute maximum of 14k to cover more than twice this with a few double sessions and functional strength has left me sore but I'm hoping when I recover (which will be when I can run/bike again, paradoxically) I'll be moving a little bit quicker.

AG triathletes, for the most part, cannot swim. We come to the sport late and whilst we can plug away on the bike and run the swim often eludes us. Many triathletes spend hundreds of pounds on different swim courses to improve form and aerodynamics under the premise that swimming quickly is all about technique. Sutton suggests that whilst technique has its place, swimming bloody hurts, just like running fast hurts and biking fast hurts. You've got to put in the hard yards (often with paddles to work the correct muscles and keep the elbows high) to make you fast, only when your arms, back and shoulders are burning, like your legs would on a hard bike or run, are you learning to swim faster.

As another blogger who I regularly read is so fond of saying... "there is no easy way."

3 Rs: Rest, recuperate and refocus

2009-07-25T16:12:00.002+01:00

IMUK is now a no go. After 10 days of fighting niggles I've been diagnosed with patellar tendonitis, still a niggle but one that I don't plan on messing with as it could easily turn into something more serious and cause more long term issues.

I'm pissed off and didn't hide it well yesterday but today (with the knee feeling a little better) I suppose this was the wake up call I needed. I thought I'd made it through my last three heavy weeks unscathed but finishing sessions at 9pm and then neglecting to stretch and do my core, as well as eating really badly, was simply too much for my body to take whilst working a full time job. The next few days will be ultrasound, massage and physio plus double swim sessions and plenty of core and stretching to address to route cause of this problem.

I may head over to Bolton next week to complete the swim for experience but all being well I'll be training hard by next week... this time not neglecting the stretching and nutrition. It's boring but vital to remaining injury free!

A great start...

2009-07-18T15:33:00.003+01:00

Well, it's 24 hours since I started my new "job" as a full time triathlete. (I'll be using the "" for the word job until I start making some money.) To be honest it's been a pretty crappy start but with two decisions which I think demonstrate the changed mindset I now must bring towards this sport.
First the cloud:

1. Lost my Oakleys! They ain't sponsoring me yet so that's four pairs in just under a year!
2. Niggles, lots of them. I've had to pull out of Bedford due to a tight Achilles which is not helping my IMUK prep.
3. I ended up leaving for my first ride as an athlete late and thus missed my time target.

Silver lining:

1. I made the decision not to race Bedford. Bedford is a C race, it doesn't matter in the scheme of things and if two/three days of running and a day or two off cycling are what it takes to be 100% then that is what NEEDS to happen. Consistency is key.
2. I've started a food diary. Everything I do now must be professional, that doesn't just include training but nutrition and recovery.

So the cloud still out weighs the silver lining but hopefully by the middle of next week the balance will start to shift.

Good luck to all the Hillingdon athletes competing at Bedford.

Off to Roth

2009-07-16T13:35:00.001+01:00

First race of 2010 planned and it's Quelle Challenge Roth. Gunning for a time and the pressure is already on as I put myself in the sub 9:00 catergory... going to have to live up to that or I'm going to look like (more) of an arse.

Last big training is banked before IMUK. A huge 8:30 training day which as always resulted in me digging a bigger whole than I thought I had. Tuesday's run was attrotious and I'm now experiences niggles galore. Pretty standard then...

Bedford race report will be up by Monday. If I can break 2:00 I'll be a happy bunny.

Where I will be

2009-07-10T19:27:00.002+01:00

Things are really hotting up in terms of triathlon related activity over the next three months. With less than 100 days until Kona and only 7 days (unreal) until I will have to refer to myself as a full time age-grouper it's no surprise. Two more races have been added to the calender, Bedford Classic on the 19th July and the Little Woody at the end of August. For those who care this is how the next 12 weeks is shaping up.

19th July - Bedford Classic
2nd August - IMUK
15th - 22nd August - Tri Topia training camp
29th August - The Little Woody
26th September - travel to Kona
10th October - Ford Ironman World Championships

It's shaping up to be a great few months and I'm really looking forward to seeing how my fast twitch muscles respond over the Olympic distance in what looks to be a very quality AG field.

Good luck to Lee @TriTopia who is racing Roth this weekend. I can't wait to head out there and experience the place for myself.

Happy training folks.

Priceless...

2009-07-09T10:28:00.003+01:00

Food to get me round 107 miles and up and down 9000ft - £7
Petrol to drive me to the hills - ~£5
Remembering why I love cycling - PRICELESS!

I will soon be leaving London, on the 20th July my teaching contract ends and I will be heading back to God's own country (where you don't have to drive 30 miles to find hills). This coming weekend demanded a serious bike workout on the TT which invariably requires a measurable loop on a rolling course with as few stops as possible, ergo duel carriage ways for around 5 hours.
As a way of saying "goodbye" I chose to ride the Chiltern Cyclosportive gran fondo route... and what a route! There's practically no flat in all 107 miles and some of the climbs were brutal. I clocked 6:16, only 6 minutes shy of the gold standard so not too bad. More importantly, somewhere between Bison Hill and Great Missenden (excluding I remembered why I love cycling so much. It feels like I've spent two months in the aero position on dual carriage ways trying to hit a specific wattage and it was a refreshing change to just ride.

Training continues to plod along, I know now that I cannot handle 20+ hour weeks whilst teachingn and have come pretty close to the edge during high intentisty sessions, just had to listent to my body instead of ego... difficult at times.

Cowman Report

2009-06-29T21:00:00.002+01:00

A race I really enjoyed last year it didn't feature quite as highly in my race calender this year. It was to form a really high quality training session during a rather big block of intensity and it certainly served that purpose.

Despite scorching heat on Saturday they ended up delaying the start by 15 minutes as we couldn't see the buoys for the fog! My swim was crap, despite 7 weeks of swimming 14k a week, drills and coaching I am now officially slower than last year. Nearly a minute over the same distance. As I headed out on the bike I felt pretty despondent especially as I spent the entire time trying to send the message to my legs that my HR needed to be higher than 145. My bike was relatively consistent and despite never really feeling like I was motoring I came into T2 4 minutes quicker than last year in around 2:31 in 13th place.
T2 was speedy and as the sun came out I found it had a positive effect on my running. I left transition hoping to run four 19 minute laps and with the exception of lap 1 I was close to that target. On lap one the top 15 or so followed a duff sign which had been altered by some pesky kids. They recalculated our run splits based on the average time out other 3 laps so I don't think it effected the results to much. I kept running just waiting to blow, much as I had done last year, but it didn't happen. I managed to even split and moved from 13th to 4th with the second fastest run of the day! Only a "back to fitness" Joel Jameson was quicker. Never finished a run wishing I had another lap to do.All in all not bad, really not pleased with my bike as I can't help but feel if I'd been on form I could have been pushing the 2 guys above me but the run is really promising. Experience has taught me that you can run down almost anyone in 26.2 miles so we'll just have to see what Bolton holds.Thanks to my parents for coming to support, Fusion for some nifty racing gear at the finish line and Big Cow for another great event.

You can have a day off when you're dead!

2009-06-22T06:48:00.003+01:00

Happy Father's day padre... yes, yes its technically 6 hours and 50 minutes late but I also rang him during the allotted 24 hours in which its socially acceptable to tell you Dad how great they are as long as its done subtly with minimal emotion and certainly no touching, except possibly a hand shake.

My Dad has taught me many things but two particular memories will always stick in my mind and continue to influence me today.

1. When I was about 6 living in Sheffield we had snow, not nancy London snow where everything stops because there is a foot, proper Northern snow, the kind global warming has killed off. I remember the railings of the school opposite just showing over the top and they were 6 foot high (in those days to keep the kids in rather than undesirables out!). Nothing was working and everything was closed. Being 6 and having no where to be this was officially the greatest day ever and I was up at about 4am. I'll never forget the image of my Father, climbing up the snow with his bike to cycle to work at 7:30! To give you an idea of how bad it was they had to send a JCB to plow us out at around 3pm. My Dad worked the whole day...

2. Aged 17 I was feeling lazy when my Dad (whose job it was to walk me and my brother) came in at 7:30 (which seemed early at the time) and told us with all the sympathy he could muster it was time to get our arses in gear. "I don't feel well, can I have a day off?" I whined. "You can have a day off when you're dead." Came the response. That was me told. I now try and live my sporting life by these words. Never miss a session, never give in, and if you have a rest day planned, you better make sure you kill yourself on the day before...

126mile bike @ IM wattage + 10mile run at 7:08 miles - JOB DONE!

Happy Father's Day!

My Interval Workout

2009-06-19T20:54:00.002+01:00

To all those who dislike me talking shop stop reading now.

No blood but a descent set. 5x10min (2:30 rest) descending. 5:58, 5:53, 5:48, 5:42 5:31. Managed to hit 302w/307w on the 2x20m as well. Currently 2 weeks ahead of schedule on the bike, lets hope it carries over to the longer stuff. Only 135 miles will tell...

The Interval Workout

2009-06-18T09:23:00.003+01:00

"Eighteen was a shambles. Nineteen required all his effort to keep the pace from slipping down to a stumble...He staggered about, tightly grabbing his knees, eyes clenched shut, painfully, for tears could not get out while the sweat seemed to seep in easily... Cassidy awoke once during the night, filled the toilet with bloody urine (something Denton told him might happen) and went back to bed."

"The trial of miles; miles of trial."

Once a Runner, John L. Parker, JR.

My interval work outs have yet to produce bloody urine (clearly not working hard enough) and my coach has (half) joked that he needs to ban this book from my reading list. Just an idea of what it takes. I ain't going to be running a 3:57 miles any time soon but AT LAST seem quality mileage is starting to be produced CONSISTENTLY! Logged 45 miles of running last week and will log 50 this week. My first proper long ride (5:30) and another planned this week(6:00).

Managed to negative split my 20 miler last night, 2x20m tonight (aiming at 295w avg.) and a track session on Friday - will it produce bloody urine? Only time will tell but I'm hoping not... this week anyway!

No Go (rdo)

2009-06-13T19:43:00.003+01:00

TYR Sayonra - review should be on Tri247 within the week

Unfortunately the meeting with Gordo has had to be cancelled due to logistical issues however when life gives you lemons, which seems to have been happening alot recently, make lemons. Yesterday, my first ride not on the turbo in 16 days, ended after 40 mins when my rear tyre split. Cue a long walk to Amersham and a reverse charge call to Mum. Nearly 2 hours later I was on the turbo (again) trying to fit in the session before 10pm!

On a positive note I'm now fully over the stomach virus and nailing the training. A fantastic 2x20m and some proper running at last! All I need now is to get through a 5:30 ride without crashing, mechanical failure, being struck down by plague or some kind of natural disaster (anything seems possible at the moment).

7 weeks until IMUK now and the training gets serious, the ingredients have been mixed and now the time has come to bake the cake. It'll be coming out the oven only one week shy of the race (no 3 week taper this time) and we'll see if sucker has risen, (I haven't used and extend metaphor in a while...) a lemon based icing seems apt.

A Sunday in Hell

2009-06-07T15:38:00.002+01:00

This was always going to be title of this week's post but unfortunately the "hell" has been very different to the one I was preparing myself for. 6 hours on the bike was penciled in but instead I have found myself in bed for those 6 hours struggling with a bit of a stomach upset.

Started yesterday morning and I knew something was wrong during my run. I felt flat and hungry but also very bloated. Things just got worse as the day went on and despite 10 hours sleep last night I feel no better today. Haven't eaten in about 24 hours and feel very, very tired. It's a shame as this week has had some big positives in terms of 2x20m on the turbo and a very strong track session. Ah well, such is life.

IMUK is still 8 weeks away so plenty of time to log some big miles, fingers crossed next week my "hell" will be training rather than stomach related.

John vs. Bolton

2009-05-29T09:35:00.002+01:00

This week's themes seem to be miles and me taking a beating. Unfortunately the miles have been in the car rather than under my own steam and the beatings have come from a variety of sources, some not so great.

Since Monday afternoon I've logged around 650miles in the car. A trip to Sussex, where I got my ass handed to me by Will Kemp, an old tri buddie turned roadie. There was me sitting at my 225w goal while he pissed off up Ditchling Beacon and waited nonchalantly at the top eating a Mars bar. I hate having to change pace!

Then back to Sheffield where I kicked my own ass on the track with some threshold intervals, although the quality of the home cooked food more than made up for the pain.

Finally Thursday was the Bolton ride day. Firstly working out where the actual route was was a little frustrating. It took me about 2:30 of riding (nearer 3:15 if you add in the stops) to work out where the bleeding thing went. However as I eventually rolled back past the car I reflected on what a great and truly British route it was and was looking forward to actually cycling it the second time around...

...I felt strong going over Sheep House Lane but descending the other side my bars came loose. I pulled into a road cursing my luck at having to stop, tightened the bars, head down, powered off, head up, S**T, parked Volvo! Too late. I went arse over tit and in the process managed to buckle my front wheel and bruise my ego. Game over for the day. I managed to cycle back to car with a very dodgy weave and then hit out a 60min tempo run off the bike. It was supposed to be 30mins easy but sod it, I was angry. All this means I'm going to have to clock more miles coming back to Bolton to ride the thing again so I can pace it correctly come August. If BP want to consider sponsoring my car, it gets seen allot on the M1/M25.

On the plus side today is beautiful in Sheffield, 22c and not a cloud in the sky. Time for a 2.5h run with 5000ft of climbing, just to make up for yesterday.

Normal service resumed

2009-05-25T12:18:00.002+01:00

Not much to write about except the miles, which is really the exact way it should be. First long run (over 13 miles) and totally pain free. First 5hr ride (with great tan lines and 70 miles of not being able to keep any solid/liquid down) with a decent, and more importantly, well paced wattage. Plenty of threshold work and quality recovery. First open water swim. Saturday was a write off, I was freezing from the get go and HR never got up, I can only assume that my bf %age is much lower than last year. Sunday I decided to add a lovely looking neoprene hat, not exactly a fasion statement but function over form did its job and a decent 3.3k later I was not quite so blue.

This week could be intresting. Meeting an old uni mate who was always a killer cyclist (now turned rodie) for a ride tomorrow, don't think even pacing is going to come into it! Should be a spikey poer file. Riding and running the IMUK courses during the week and all topped off with some 2x20mins to finish of the week. The massage is already booked for Sunday.

Sayonara: first impressions

2009-05-22T08:22:00.001+01:00

I wish...

A more comprehensive and results based review will follow in the next couple of weeks on Tri247 but thought I'd just give me first impressions of the new TYR Sayonra. One thing struck me immediately, it ain't a wetsuit! Now this may sound like I'm stating the bleeding obvious but I'm sure many a average AG swimmer have secret hopes that suits like this will have the same benefits. It doesn't... That said, other than my slight disappointment (although not great surprise) the suit looks and feels great. Total freedom of movement and flexibility is great. Much more to follow soon when I've done some timed work and have come comparisons.

Enjoy the long weekend and the sun. Terrible tan lines await!

Tri-Topia

2009-05-19T09:57:00.003+01:00

A quick post to say that I am now really looking forward to the 15th August as I will be lucky enough to be heading to France to experience Tri-Topia, a new training location in France which will welcome it's first batch of guests this coming week. Check out the link above for more details but having been in contact with Sam for a month or so it seems like the hard work and effort that has gone into creating Tri-Topia has resulted in a top class location for training made even better by the obvious enthusiasm the owners have for the sport and providing a great service in terms of food and accommodation.

After my visit a review will be on the blog and the Tri247 website but needless to say I cannot wait to kick start my post-IMUK, pre-Kona build off in style!

Good luck to Sam and Phil who will have their first guests arriving next week, I'm sure it'll be a fantastic week.

Cooked

2009-05-17T21:07:00.003+01:00

Wow, end of a bloody tough week. Only logged 16 hours as I'm still building back up (should be hitting the high teens again next week) and running is still a couple of weeks back on where I'd like to be, however my efforts to begin more threshold work on the bike and the run have left me feeling just the wrong side of well done.

Prior to IMSA my HR on the bike went about 160 once on a 25TT 2 weeks out, once in 6 months of training. This week I've pushed above that on 2 seperate occasions and then had to hold it there. The result was a wondeful shot of endorphines in the short term but a whole lot of pain in the long term. Most of it about 2h15m into Saturday's long ride when my avg. wattage began it's rather sudden descent from a respectable 237w down to the final 2 hours being 217w. The yellow box of pain don't lie and neither does how I've felt during today, sluggish to say the least. Next week will see a rethink to my weekly structure to give me 2 distinct blocks, 2 days of intensity and 3 days of endurance. I'll let you know how it goes, hopefully this time next week I'll be a little les well done and slightly more al dente!

Shout out to my house mate Jaq who completed Windemere marathon today, go WLCM!

Sweetspots, thresholds and VO2s

2009-05-14T07:59:00.002+01:00

Madina Lake's album didn't provide the blog title inspiration I had hoped (surprisingly they didn't write a song about varying levels of exercise intensity) so this'll have to do.

Having trained with the Powertap for 10 days or so now I'm starting to get some meaningful feedback and have sat down with The Bike Whisperer, now my cycling specific coach, to think about how we can nail IMUK and Kona. The answer is intensity. Prior to IMSA all I did was long mileage. The logic was that I didn't have 9 months to train and fat oxidisation was key... and it worked, but now I need to step things on again and so this week marks the beginning of a 9 week experimental block to raise my FTP with a combination of long rides, sweetspot turbos (which hurt) and 2x20s (which bloody hurt). I'm looking forward to starting a new phase in my training and am confident 9 weeks of pain will bring some big gains.

On another note I am excited to say that on 7th June I will be attending the Infinit supported training day with Gordo. For those who don't know Gordo is, in my eyes at least, a bit of a legend. His blog is a regular read of mine and his archive was my night time reading pre-IMSA. Not only this but he, a bit like myself, moved from being overweight and under fit to (unlike me, yet) running a 2:45 marathon at Ironman Canada.

Can't wait... a review of the day will be appearing on the Tri247 website after the day itself.

Chasing dreams

2009-05-07T07:48:00.002+01:00

Excuse the blog title - new Madina Lake album has placed itself on Ipod and in the car so their lyrics will be providing my inspiration for the coming weeks.

Well, its been an eventful 48 - 72 hours. Those following my Twitter will have seen the sporadic updates ranging from hope, to panic, to suicidal despair and back to hope again. I'm not normally a hypochondriac and will normally brush of just about any ailment as being curable by a good nights sleep (carry over from my Northern upbringing) but over the last few days I've been imagining my dreams for the next 6 months disappearing. When the pins and needles set in on Monday/Tuesday I was really starting to worry. Having visited Annie at Sports Dimensions it turns out it is/was a combination of 3 injuries:

1. Minor ligament strain on the left side of my foot caused by the over gear ride last Wednesday. This has now more or less cleared but requires some strengthening to avoid a repeat.

2. Swelling in the tendon on my big toe (extensor hallucis longus for those who care) caused by me subconsciously trying to protect the outside of me foot when walking and running. This needs stretching but is not too serious - no running for 3 - 5 days.

3. Some tightness in the lower back caused by a long term imbalance but made worse by the big ring ride (which requires a more solid platform to push of than spinning at 90rpm on a TT rig). This is what went on to cause the pins and needles by trapping the nerves which run down to the feet. I now have a series of exercises to address this imbalance.

So all in all, a few days of running and a couple of days light cycling needed but certainly nothing to set back even IMUK, let alone Kona... let the dream chasing continue!

Feet (?)

2009-05-03T18:01:00.002+01:00

Not sure what to write this week, so much change and not all of it positive. Got the power tap for the rear wheel and it seems I am so colossally inefficient. Negative in some respects but positive in others, maybe I have more than just inches to gain on the bike... possibly a foot if I'm lucky. Training with power begins in earnest following a VO2 max test on Tuesday.

Running is going badly. Don't really understand why. I seem to have a slight swelling of the tendon in my left foot and whilst nothing major I cannot afford a full blown injury, especially given my plans for next year, however the countdown the Kona (and also IMUK) is well underway. Stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Swimming is returning to normal, first session with Swim-For-Tri this week. Body rotation needs sorting but coach seemed positive about my potential to improve significantly (maybe another half a foot there?)

TWITTER

2009-04-25T20:49:00.001+01:00

I'm now on Twitter - a new nadir has been reached. But follow me anyway!

Inches

2009-04-25T15:40:00.003+01:00

"On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches, that's what gonna make the difference between winning and losing. Between living and dying. I'll tell you this, in any fight, it's the guy who's willing to die who's gonna win that inch."

Any Given Sunday

It's been a week of reflection; starting to train again and beginning to think about the next 6 months in a realistic way rather than in a dream way; sitting on a beach and thinking that I'm just going to drill myself for half a year and then AG podium in Kona.

It's the nitty gritty, the inches, built into any programme which makes the difference between success and failure. Failure is rarely spectacular, more often than not it's being just a few minutes of target pace, just one or two positions from where you wanted to finish, the difference between what makes a race a success of a failure is normally very small. I know I can train hard but I'm at a point where there simply isn't 30 minutes to slash out of any one discipline. I posted a pretty decent time in PE (assuming I'm in ~5:05 bike condition) so finding the extra 15 -20 minutes I need to achieve my goals in Kona comes down to inches, and only when they are all tallied up is there the possibility that their sum will make the difference between success and failure.

On the swim I will be starting proper coaching on a weekly basis for 6 weeks in an effort to reduce my losses in the non-wetsuit swim.
On the bike I will begin training with power in an attempt to improve my FTP and also my pacing in the bike leg itself and hopefully run a quicker marathon.
On the run it will be more of the same (miles mean smiles) but with the addition of a track session once a week and hopefully some more long bricks when race day approaches.

I'm excited about the next 6 months but there will be no quick fix, I'm going to have to fight for every goddamn inch.

Later...

Back in the UK

2009-04-18T09:58:00.006+01:00

So, you've trained since October through the wind and the rain, given up refined carbs (including BREAD!) and spent race week protecting your pasty skin from big, bad nasty Mr. Sun. Race day comes and goes and you have two weeks of down time before all starts again (and knowing British summer it'll still be in the wind, rain, hail, floods etc.), what do you do...?

A recovery hike through Addo National Park: be careful to avoid snakes and the rare flightless dung beetle!

Watch the sun rise over the waterfront in Cape Town

Or alternatively the moon rise over the Stellenbosch valley. Fine wine and cheese platter strongly advised.

Take a trip up cable mountain - recovering triathletes should use cable car no matter how much the may want to run their way to the top

The other, other, other, other woman. I called her Belle seeing as I hired her services for 48 hours.

Plan your return to what is without doubt an amazing and thought provoking country in geographical, cultural and socio-political terms. Only next time, remember to pack a larger trunk! Bud-um Ch!

The road to Kona and a new chapter begins on Monday...

Ironman South Africa Race Report

2009-04-06T10:59:00.006+01:00

WARNING: long post

At 3:50am race day began, the weather was calm and it looked like it was going to be a good day for racing, having taken a beating from the surf during Saturday's race prep it was nice to see a calm sea and relatively light winds. The forecast was suggesting a hot one so breakfast was accompanied by a heavy sun screen session.

In transition I clocked the opposition for the day, I know that at an Ironman it's your race and you cannot control the opposition and you can't make any attempt to actually race until the last 10k of the marathon, blah, blah, blah, but I cannot help looking at who looks lean and quick in my AG and, more importantly, whose bike looks like it's going to be ridden fast. As it happened number 77, Marcel Bischof, looked quick and was. Some 11 hours later it would be him who I would be fighting with for a ticket to the Big Island.The sea stayed calm and I felt ready, totally the opposite of IMUK. I knew what I was capable of and I was confident in the work I'd done. As the African drummers beat out a steady rhythm I managed to control the butterflies and focused on not getting swum over in the first 200m. I've never started a race from the beach and it was a totally new experience. Despite starting wide everyone charged for the first buoy and with it being only 200m in there was the inevitable bottleneck and I got the proverbial crap beaten out of me. After this things calmed a little and I was able to find a nice rhythm, the Aquasphere Icon wetsuit I was testing was a dream to swim in (check out the Tri247 review coming soon) and I exited the first loop in just under 30mins, a solid start. Unfortunately I noticed my timing chip had come loose and had to stop the put it back on, an easy task under normal circumstances but bending over when you've been horizontal for 30mins caused a little light headiness and lost me a minute, the first of what would be many lost minutes in the day. The second entry into the water was a bit more leisurely and the second lap was all about pace. I took it quite easy and exited in a time of 1:02. A little slower than I may have liked but I think the beach run half way through will always add a bit of time on and no one ever won and Ironman on the swim!

A gentlemanly 4 minutes in transition (in felt a lot more rushed!) put me a bit behind the other AG contenders who had exited the swim within 10 seconds of me and it was off on the bike course, miraculously the wind was staying away. This was a blessing at 8:00am but would reek havoc later on for many athletes. The bike profile is relatively flat but there is a 10k climb out of transition. I felt good but knew that it was going to be a long day so tried to hold back, I took about 25 places on the first climb and then settled in to chasing a ~5:07 bike split. All was going well through the first lap and I came past transition in 1:41 putting me well under target split and feeling pretty good... then it happened, a bloody puncture on my rear tyre. Before I travelled out I had changed my tyres and putting the rear one on was hell. Even with the super-human forearms and vice like fingers of The Bike Whisperer it took us 10 minutes! I thought it was over. Swearing like a navvy, and trying to avoid the ears of marshals and set about what I thought would be an impossible task. After about 13minutes of F-ing and blinding the 30C heat meant the tyre had a little more give and I managed to get it back on. Having seen about 50 people go past me I thought it was now just a question of finishing and any hopes of Kona had gone.
On the next lap things began to heat up and the sun which had saved my bacon earlier was now starting to slowly cook me. I kept on drinking and knew that the run was going to be a sticky affair. Past transition on lap 2 I could see I actually had cycled a 1:43, still under pace but the ~13mins had cost me. Lap 3 was very tough and I struggled for the first 40k, I just kept on repeating coaches words, "Ironmen are won and lost on the marathon", this one wasn't over 'till the fat lady died and I wasn't going down without a fight. As I turned onto the coast with 20k left the caffinated gel did its job and I perked up. I knew I could bring home a 5:20 split even with the lost time. Then disaster struck, again. My tyre went flat with 10k left to go! I knew changing it again would spell the end of my challenge so opted to re inflate. It took another 3 or 4 minutes to get sorted but it seemed to be holding, 15 minutes later riding hell for leather I rolled into T2 on a flat rear tyre but I'd just made it. I came home in 5:21, without the punctures it would have been roughly a 5:05.. bang on target.

I was 20 minutes down on first and lying in 5th spot, it was going to be a slog but Northerners don't quit so it was time to go for broke. The first lap of 14k was solid and on 3:20 marathon pace, it was only as I came through lap 1 that John Levison told me I had run my way onto the podium, I was in third and had taken 8 minutes out of first and second, it was most definitely on. I picked up the pace and pressed on. As I headed towards the climb to the university I passed second, who was walking and this spurred me on. The heat was taking its toll on all those around me and most people were walking, if I could keep running then it was mine to lose. At the 18k mark GI problems set in and a quick stop in a conveniently placed porter loo was required (2 more minutes), this seemed to un-bloat me but resulted in rather painful stomach cramps, stopping wasn't an option. At about 26k in I saw 77, the guy I clocked some 10 hours ago. I went straight past him and put on my best "I'm just out for an afternoon jog" face on, don't think I was fooling anyone. At the turn around I had 4 minutes and I saw him notice that I'd past him. He certainly wasn't about to give up either. I was slowing all the time and GI problems hit again, another stop at the porter loos folllowed by another, and this time crippling, bout of stomach cramps. It was agony and made the pain in my legs feel like a pleasant tickle, I had to press on. On the final 8k, practically doubled over in pain, I was just waiting to 77 come past but thankfully he didn't... I crossed the line in 10:04 minutes with one of the quickest marathons of the day beating several pros. A quick trip to the medical tent and it all started to sink in, I'd done it, every sacrifice had been worth it, I'm going to Kona!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible:

John Levison of Tri247- keep a look out for my race tested product reviews in the next couple of days.

Scherrit and Corrine at the Bike Whisperer - check out the bike photos, that position is solely a result of their expertise.

Nicola Burgin at Travel Counsellors who planned the whole trip and managed to locate some of the best placed accommodation in Port Elizabeth as well as planning the logistics for the remainder of my time here. I would highly recommend her to anyone thinking of racing abroad especially if it is combined with a family vacation before or after. Much of my result is thanks to her meticulous planning and research.

Coach Clarke - without whom a 3:33 marathon would have been impossible. Probably the only coach in the UK who can claim to have a 100% success rate of Kona qualification.

I'm off for some more greasy food and a beer, happy days.

:-)

Kona bound!

2009-04-05T17:38:00.003+01:00

Aloha all - I did it, I won my AG. Despite one and half punctures and 20 minutes lost on the bike course at 3:33 marathon ran me from 5th to 1st by about 90 seconds. What a day! Full report to follow but thank you to everyone who has helped me achieve this.

32nd overall in 10:04 (I shouldn't be annoyed, and I'm not really, but I would have broken the top 20 if I hadn't punctured - theheat made it a very slow day by IMSA standards).

Better start learing how to swim!

Caution, these pictures may contain mild innuendo.

2009-04-03T16:21:00.007+01:00

Blue Steel

Race day looms ominously on the horizon, which is the only thing looming on the horizon as the sky is blue as can be at the moment, long may it last. Picked up mum at the airport, finally got a car and that has made the beginnings of the carbo load much easier, possibly overdone it a little but it's not like I'm going to be putting on a beer belly between now and Sunday.

Shameless promotion - use them, do it, the man's a genius!

Another thanks today and that is to John Levison, editor of the best triathlon related website on earth (except this one) Tri247. He has not only provided me with race kit to test and review over the last few months but the advice and guidance he has been able to offer me has be of incredible value, especially as someone who arrived in London 18 months ago and knew nothing, at least I now slightly less clueless. The pics below are all courtesy of him on Hobie beach this morning, enjoy, there's a few family snaps in there and some which may need to carry a "caution - may contain scenes of mild innuendo - parental guidance advised."

The X-Rated collection catering for two different kinds of fetish

Pert

Balls

2009-04-02T12:20:00.003+01:00

Haven't posted for a couple of days, mainly because I did a crappy session on Wednesday and felt pretty rubbish about it. I could lie and say I feel great but truth is I felt bad on Wednesday, heavy legs, no bounce, on the bike it was like I was trying to drag a cart up the course's only climb, the energy I had on Saturday and Sunday seemed to have vanished, not what I wanted this week. Today has been better and hopefully things will only improve as race day approaches.

Today's thank you is linked with the theme of the post and that is to my coach. I rang him as soon as I got back in from the session I'd rather forget and he got me thinking about my prep, my training, the sacrifice and got me to correctly point out that things couldn't have gone better. In 6 months I missed one session, I hit/exceeded every target and I'm right on the money (on the topic of my tired legs he rightly said I still had four days of taper and a day off before race day). All this training made me realise that I should be fulfilling my potential as an athlete on Sunday. Not my full potential, at 23 there is still plenty more to come, but I should be doing the best that I, at this point and place in time, can do... maybe that's why I'm bricking myself. There are no excuses, no injured leg missing hundreds of Ks on the bike, no bad taper, no over training, no "it's my first long distance outing", everything has been perfect (or as perfect as it could be considering external factors beyond my control). All that remains is to find out whether on Sunday, when the going gets tough, which it inevitably will, have I got the balls to reach that potential, have I got the balls to stick to my plan? Woosing out for me isn't stopping, I never stop (that's a slight lie, I once stopped on a 4x500m session when I was a rower but went back and completed the session that evening as I felt so bad about it), but not having the confidence to let people pass me on the bike and the first section of the run. Balls for me is knowing what I've done and what I can do and not deciding that everyone who goes past me needs to be chased down... on Sunday we'll hopefully find out what my potential is.

As an aside my confidence was raised this morning when, having just finished what I thought was one swim loop in a disappointing 34 mins, a marshal informed me I'd swum about 400m too far. Nice to know...

Salad for pudding!

2009-03-31T20:06:00.003+01:00

I just had a salad for pudding... this better be bloody worth it.
More thank yous to come tomorrow, I need to go and make a mental list of what I'm going to eat after Sunday!

SCORCHIO!

2009-03-30T09:31:00.002+01:00

Mr. Sun has indeed got his hat on and yesterday's run was a hot affair, granted I went out at the peak of the day, as with seven days to go I figured that I could have a heat session and have plenty of time to rehydrate, but phew, when you have got used to running in temperatures ranging from -5 - 10C max it's quite a wake up call. The route is fast and flat but the wind and heat will make it tough going, I may find myself making slightly more use of the aid stations than I did at Ironman UK where the conditions were slightly more British.

Getting used to the conditions was a continuing theme this morning with a choppy swim. The weather has calmed down now but there were some pretty big swells a couple of hours ago and it's a strange experience putting your hand in the water and getting nothing but air. Just as strange but more disconcerting is when you turn to breath and find nothing but water, still, it beats dodging grannies.

Today's thank you has to go to my housemates. As anyone who has lived with an athlete knows we sometimes don't make the best dwelling partners. I'd like to apologise for the following:

Sweaty/dirty/damp/sticky/blood-stained kit being left in the kitchen/bathroom/landing/hall/lounge.
The fact that any left overs not clingfilmed and fridged are automatically considered "fair game".
Having to see me topless and steaming for the last 3 weeks most mornings on the turbo - what a wake up call.
All the times I'm in a crappy mood because I'm tired.
The fact that there are bikes/wheels/energy products/water bottles/tools/speedos/heart rate monitors everywhere.
Using the bathroom for 30 minutes most evenings to do core work and stretching.

Not only do they put up with this but they even bought me my favourite food, malt loaf, as a parting gift, it made a nice breakfast in Joburg air port.

Thanks guys, WLCM rock!

Don't stand if you can sit, don't sit if you can lie.

2009-03-29T10:25:00.003+01:00

The parting wisdom of the Bike Whisperer. I thought that instead of just rambling about doing nothing I could use each of these days to say thanks to someone who has helped me in the run up to this race. Today goes to the Corrine and Scherrit at the Bike Whisperer. Some of you will know them from previous blogs but "legends" doesn't really do them justice. The amount of time they have saved my skin with last minute repairs (including Scherrit making a front derailleur from scratch overnight!!) runs into double figures. Not only this but the care with which they treat their customers is second to none. I am not sponsored by them so I don't write this because I have to but because if people like this are forced out of working with bikes and cyclists then it will be a damn shame. If you live in West London and need some bike advice/repairs click on the link on the right, you won't regret it.

Now, back to the rambling. Road the course yesterday, went slightly long on the way out as I wasn't sure where the turn around was so 1 lap came in about 41 miles but bloody hell it's quick. Taking the avg. from both speedos about 22.2 mph quick. I suppose that's mostly the effects of not having to dodge grannies and kamikaze motorists in Southall. The route I rode is below, it's pretty close to the race day route for those that care. Click on the link the full stats.

Swam this morning, sea was nice, just right for a wetsuit. Hard to tell how far but felt good in the new suit, despite the wind it wasn't to choppy so hopefully we'll see a repeat of today in 7 days time.

Tune in tomorrow for 1 lap of the run route and another thank you.

Here's Johnny!

2009-03-28T11:43:00.002Z

I'm here, lying on a big bed looking at the pier where the start line will be in 8 days (well 7.5 days) time. The journey was great, I can't say a big enough thanks to BA who saw fit to bump me to club class! If I ever have the cash, or a kind enough sponsor, to allow me to fly club I will as it is without doubt worth the cost, flat bed, great food and drink all of which means despite nearly 20 hours of travelling I actually feel as fresh as a daisy.

About to go out and ride 1 lap of the course, which means putting my bike back together, haven't opening the box yet so here goes...

*nervous tension*

...all good! Thank God. If this last 36 hours is representative of the next few days it's going to be a fantastic week! All that remains is to put the thing back together and go and ride. One more thing to mention, it's windy, really, really windy, 40mph gusts, so we'll see how I get on with that!

Will blog again this evening and post the Garmin route for 1 lap. If anyone reading this knows if it is OK to sea swim here on your tod please let me know as I don't fancy being shark bait.

12 hours and counting...

2009-03-27T07:58:00.004Z

The first of many pointless and time killing posts...

LONDON

VERSUS P.E.
=

Next time I insert mundane weekly task it'll be done!

2009-03-22T16:04:00.002Z

The countdown really has begun, in 14 days time the race will be over (bar some catastrophic miss pacing). The taper is well underway and I feel fresher than I have in months. Saturday saw a 3k TT in the pool with swanky new wetsuit out on test for Tri247 (check out the review after the race). First impressions are very good not least as I swam a 44min 3k which for a brick like me is blistering. That was following by a nice 2hr+ ride which came in at a comfortable 21.6mph. Sunday was a 25TT and whilst my 1:01.39 ain't gonna set the world alight it was OK for someone who's HR hasn't really gone about 160 on the bike this season. All that now remains is to have faith in the work I've done, know that I cannot make myself faster/fitter/stronger in 2 weeks and not to over eat. I'm sure with strict resting orders and a wireless connection in PE there will be many a taper-related musing to come.

On another note today is Mother's day and whilst I'm not normally one for Hallmark profiteering (being both cynical and cheap) I'd like to wish a very happy Mother's day to my mum whose constant support during the last 23 years and 100 odd days has let me get to where I am today.

Ta mum!

A weekend by numbers

2009-03-15T17:49:00.004Z

7k of swimming + 115mi bike + 30mi run / 46 hrs = OW!

It's been a long weekend, starting at 6pm on Friday with a 4.2k swim it was going to be a 12 hour plus festival of suffering but I've come out the other side with only a little soreness (maybe little is a slight understatement).

This was my last big weekend with my 21 day taper starting tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I had as much training to "soak up" as possible. All the training was done at IM HR/pace and I was pleasantly surprised by the splits. Obviously it is impossible to compare like with like and both the ride and run were a couple of thousand feet hillier than the SA course, however Port Elizabeth has a reputation for being windy. Also I'm hoping the first and last 10k of the bike course won't be littered with traffic lights and some of the most incompetent drivers know to man.

On a slightly different note (i.e. not me talking about swimming, biking and running lots) over the last 2 weeks I've made a significant change in my diet. Having read up on the Paleo diet I've made a concerted effort to seriously reduce my intake of refined carbs. My shopping basket this morning containined about 3 times the RDA of fruit and veg and for the first time ever no bread/pasta/potatoes/rice/noodles. I think I'm noticing improved recovery and less bloating as well as being the lightest I've been in 5 years!

Skinny and strong... IMSA - 21 days

(Sore and chaffed) Drowned rat

2009-03-08T16:23:00.004Z

Another weekend another set of sore legs and chaffing. Been a couple of weeks since I posted mainly because I haven't been up to much. This weekend was the first 10mle TT of the season. Obviously I haven't really been training for the distance so was pretty chuffed with a 24:10 (this is a guess based on my Garmin avg mph as I was obviously so fast the marshal at the finish missed me, like the Delorian out of Back to the Future I just disappeared). This was slightly quicker than last year when I was fresh and tapering for Clumber Duathlon so no complaints.

The run which followed was less enjoyable as good ol' blightly served up a smorgasbord of weather today, all of it windy but some of it wetter than others. Nothing like driving rain and a 25mph wind at the start of you 22 mile run. All that is left today is a nice stretch and a shower and then sitting, sweet, sweet sitting.

Till next time...

The icing of the cake...

2009-02-22T17:30:00.003Z

The hard work reaches it culmination over the next few weeks. I warn you as there will be precious little to write about except miles (or kms if I've been a-swimming). 270 miles on the bike and the first of four 20 hour + weeks to ensure that the Victoria sponge I've been steadily building over the last five months is topped of with whatever is required to get to Kona, after all, a sponge is good but without a tasty topping it always tastes a little dry - I feel this analogy has reached its limits.
On another note I haven't ranted in a while, this week saw a broken rear wheel, a lost helmet (someone in the Brokobank region of Sheffield has a very nice £80 Met lid) and a wetsuit with the beginnings of a tear means it won't just be my glycogen stores which are wiped out by March.

Bramley Race Report

2009-02-17T17:24:00.003Z

Bramley was an important race, the only race I would be "racing" before IMSA. I think my coach's words were "a quality training session", but we all know that that really means a race. A good result would be a fantastic confidence boost, a poor one would not put me in the right mind set at the beginning of the four hardest weeks of training I have. My pre-race target was to break 2.04. Finish the first lap in 1.02ish and then negative split. Unsurprisingly the pace from the off was fiendishly quick and the first two miles whipped by in under 11:30. On went the brakes and I found myself a group to run with for lap one.

Feeling OK coming into half way

At the end of the first 10 miles, other than wishing I was only doing the 10 mile race, I felt relatively strong and to see 59:40 on the clock was promising. However at this point the group I was with split. Half stepped it on and one guy blew out the back leaving me with only one partner to share the next hour of hell with. Second time round the course seemed to have become considerably hillier, windier, longer and more pot-holey. Sub 2.00 dwindled in the balance at every mile split with more time lost as each marker past. Endless mental arithmetic using the Garmin's pace calculator was proving futile (partly due to the oxygen being needed in my legs and partly due to my limited numeracy) and it was only at mile 18 when the sums became easy enough for me to work out I needed two 5:59 miles to break two hours.

At times it felt like I was running in Lilliput

As is often the case when the going gets tough, two hours and one second became the guy leading my age group in Port Elizabeth, one hour 59 was Kona. two hours was nothing... and so I went, like a scalded rat. I wouldn't describe it as a sprint finish but I went a bit quicker and it was enough. I rocked over the line in 1:59.40 (chip time). Comfortable...

Bramley 20

2009-02-15T20:17:00.001Z

1:59.30 ish (offical results still awaiting publication). Quicker than I'd been expected so pretty pleased. Race report and photos to follow.

IMSA -7 weeks...

Bolton bound...

2009-02-05T11:04:00.000Z

Upon consultation with my coach IMUK is now on the race calander for the second year running. A change of location to Bolton makes it convenient (if not too exotic compared to the season opener) as well as providing a good opportunity for a second crack at Hawaii, if required.

Active recovery

2009-02-03T16:38:00.004Z

Monday, as always was my day off so here is a small photo montage of how a triathlete recovers best in London.

Consider every journey, what's is the most efficient way of getting
from A to B?

Light exercise can avoid the build up of lactic acid

Remember to re-fuel, but beware... to much food can have serious side effects!

Finally, this is day to show those close to you

just how much you care!

HAPPY SNOW DAY!

Watford Photos

2009-02-03T09:07:00.004Z

Does exactly what it says on the tin:

Going for home (really wish that top didn't make it look quite so much like I'm sporting a handsome set of moobs!)

What Mr. Garmin says goes... for 12.1 miles

2009-02-01T16:43:00.002Z

One year ago when I raced the Watford Half marathon it was a tough day, I went off like a rocket, died at half way and dragged my sorry ass round in 1.24. Today was the first opportunity to really see if I had come on at all. Although making it all the more difficult was the 93 mile ride on Saturday and the 40 mile ride to the event HQ. This Ironman lark can be quite time consuming.

With yesterday's ride graded as a B- and this morning's ride just about worthy of a C+ I wasn't holding out too much hope, coach's orders were keep the HR below MAF and DO NOT race it! (This instruction was very clear)

Despite the arctic chill and 25 mph winds I felt good as the first mile clocked, although the memory of feeling similarly invincible last year at this point was suprisingly fresh in my mind. I ran through the first 3 miles averaging about 6.10min/miles and felt sound. This continued until the half way point where I got my first warning from Mr. Garmin, too hard. I backed off and all was good, no angry pipping noise and a LCD sign which may as well have read "slow down tubs, you ain't that good". Mile 8 came around and, to my amazement I felt great, I was moving through the field and no more interruptions from my watch. At mile 9 Mr. Garmin piped up again but was quickly silenced by me holding back on the next hill.

I'd promised myself I wouldn't race and this plan was going great until mile 12.1 when I realised a 5.55 last mile would bring me in under 1.20, a 4 minute PB, I'd love to say I resisted and came home in a gentleman's 1:20.10 but couldn't resist. With the metaphorical duct tape on Mr. Garmin I went for home and crossed the line bang on 1.20, although Mr. Garmin claims it was a little under and I actually did 13.16m... on this occasion I choose to listen to him. All in all pretty pleased given the 130 odd miles of bike work 24 hours prior, something is going right!

Role on Bramley.

Why does it always rain on me?

2009-01-26T13:31:00.003Z

I wish I could have written this yesterday as I would have had closer to the forefront of my mind the bone numbing fatigue and cold I was feeling some 23 hours ago when I dragged my soggy self through the door of my house and took 20 minutes to literally peel of every item of clothing. As it is I have happily repressed that memory so this description of Sunday's training will be through rose tinted spectacles.

Setting of at 7:30 (still dark) is depressing enough but add to that rain which means you're sodden within 5 minutes and you know it's going to be one hell of a long day! Arriving at the club house with some 5 minutes to spare and after myriad wrong turns I signed up for the A time bracket, having managed to write my name correctly and not destroying the form with my dripping hair I was informed the A group had already left. I had 2 choices, find a small group and go slow or nail it on my own... I went for the latter.

Having started at a blistering pace passing some 30 riders I managed to just about follow the signs and thought I was making good time. The things started to look familiar and I realised I was back at the start! I had done a 10 mile loop having misread one of the very blurred signs which had been saturated with the over night rain. My map then proceeded to disintegrate in my hands along with any hope of breaking 3:30!

In the end I joined forces with 2 guys who had made the same error and we plodded on hoping to bodge together a course of about 100k, and bodge we did, eventually finding our way to bison hill. I don't much riding with rodies but one distinction quickly became clear... they can climb and I can't. On the flat I was pacing them and having to hold myself back (in fact 60k in I decided to go it alone) on the climbs I was destroyed, they span up seating while I struggled for breath out of the saddle, I'd love to blame the aluminium hack bike vs. their carbon efforts but I think I'd be kidding myself.

After 99k of made up route I ended up back at the club house alone, excluding stops I only just missed the 3:30 min cut off but including stops it worked out nearer 4 hrs, to be honest I was pleased to finish. The 20 mile ride back was hell: wet; cold; windy; depressing. Even my Garmin decided to call it a day, water resistant my backside.

At least next weekend is easier, only 7 hours of cycling and Watford 1/2... oh no, wait a moment...

Happy training.

P.S. Yes, that IS the rose tinted version

Wall 1 - John 1

2009-01-19T14:24:00.003Z

The big rematch was Saturday at 12, armed with a Nutrigrain and half a banana I began the 2hr effort. After overcooking lap 1 (6:07min/miles) I throttled back, ate every 40 mins and managed to maintain a steady ~6.18min/mile pace. A little slower than I want to hit at Bramley but solid. Including the cool down I finished with a little over 19 miles covered in the time and an avg. HR well under AT. A solid day at the office.

Sunday was a 4hr ride and a 45 min run. As anyone who bothered to step outside on Sunday will have realised it was a tad gusty and this may have hampered progress. Also, after my victory over "the wall" on Saturday I was brought back down to earth by a crushing defeat (appropriate choice of words) to my crotch at the hands of my saddle... more tweaking needed me thinks.
The ride came in shy (72 miles in 3:40) but the run was tough. I was aiming for 6.6 miles in 45 mins as I want to hit 1:30 at Watford in 2 weeks time having cycled there, and I just held on... just.

How is my rest day already half over?