Cycling club 10 mile hilly time trial

Well just back from the Bridlington cycle clubs first event of the year. A ten mile hilly time trial. It was a great night for it, pi$$ing down with rain and very cold. I opted for the standard time trial bike, so no deep carbon wheels and no pointy aero helmet, and I also opted for the extra baggy waterproof coat to be as aero as possible! I was off number 10 and the legs somehow managed to do an ok job really. I clocked a 26:34 (winner was 24:20). I was speaking to one of the local lads about how the course compares to a flat 10 for time and he reckons about 3 mins off the times clocked tonight. Happy with that, lots of room for improvement, warmer weather, all the aero gear on and not doing a marathon 2 days before, I reckon I could have a good race on the 17th May at the Driffield Sprint Tri.

London Marathon

I went to London with an open mind and playing my cards close to my chest. I decided not to tell anyone my target time as it only leads to questions if you don't make your predicted time. I can now tell you I had gone with two targets in mind. I had hoped for a 2 hour 55 min race time as the first target, and secondly I was aiming just to be able to run the whole race without any stops and no walking. So for those that know already I didn't hit the target time and ended up with 3 hours 3 mins but I did achieve the other objective and managed to run the whole way with no stopping. This might sound like a silly objective but given the results at the Fleet half and Ironman South Africa I was under pressure (only from myself) to get a good result. I was a bit ill after the race, I had tingling up both arms and legs and even my face was tingling, I lay down at the meet up point but half an hour later I was told I looked very ill and was pale with blue lips. I sat up and felt sick, I had to run behind a bush and was sick 3 times. I felt rotten for a couple of hours but slowly got better and by 8:30 that night I enjoyed a nice take away curry and a beer. I am happy with the way the race went really given that it was only 3 weeks since the Ironman. At the end of the day I suppose 3hrs 3 min is not a bad time anyway but I now need to get over the marathon and focus on the next race, the Driffield sprint triathlon. It will be a bit strange doing such a short event after the start I've had to the year and I'm looking forward to it.

The end of the Ironman Journey? Don't be stupid!

Well I swore blind that South Africa would be my last Ironman but as the tiredness slowly eases off and the training starts to slowly build I have had time to think and now know I will do another one. I don't know which one, or when it will be but I will do one. I know I have a low 10 hour race in me possibly sub 10? but I havn't finished with Ironman just yet!

So its time to think ahead to this season, I have entered the Driffield sprint on the 17th May and the Vitruvian in September but what else to race? I think I will be doing the Cleeveland Steelman (1/2 Ironman distance) and possibly enter the hardest race in the world (Wensleydale Big Cheese) I have still to see if any of the RAF girls and boys are brave enough to join me at this one. Not sure what else really, possibly the Interservice olympic if I'm selected as I will not be doing the Dambuster selection event this year. I will have to start looking at what else I would like to do and also seeing what I am available to do.

So its just 10 days until the London Marathon now, not really sure how that's going to go? I'm not expecting a good time and I'm not putting any pressure on myself either, what will be will be, I've not really got any interest in it if I'm honest, its just a training session for me this year. Last year I was fired up and in great form but was let down with health issues. This year, no interest and not feeling in great form so just a nice day out and enjoy it. Check out the picture of all the tablets I'm on at the moment, I rattle when I walk!! I'm slowly coming off some of them after the problems I had before the Ironman and I've started some new ones which I will be on for the next couple of years possibly longer subject to the 3 month trial I'm on now. I have to have weekly blood tests to see how I'm reacting to them. I might be able to stop taking some of the others that I've been on for a year as they don't seem to be helping, I will find out in a couple of weeks. Eventually if everything goes well, I could be on just one tablet 3 times a day, I will have to see how things go over the next few months.

So apart from Ironman what was good in South Africa? I found the place was fantastic in the short time I was there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone as a holiday destination and would like to go back with Anthea and Beth someday. After the layout of flight costs its actually a very cheap place to be, car hire, hotels, eating out and activities are all good value. Check out me and my friend in the picture, what a great experience, in with the lion cubs one day, then in with the cheetahs the next day. Highly recommended!

Back in training

Well today was the day I had to return to work after 20 days off. Weekends are good at work as I get chance to train for a while. I brought the bike and turbo in and set up in the gym. I did a mini brick session, 5km run on the treadmill at 18:37 followed by 10 mile on the turbo, another 5km run at 18:42 and then another 10 mile on the turbo. After the session I checked the turbo details and had completed the two 10 milers in a total of 48 Min's. Before I started I felt quite fresh but certainly found it harder going than I imagined it would be. So that's it Ironman out of the way and now back in training. I've entered a sprint on the 17th May, I have the London Marathon on the 26th of this month, and if I can get off night shift early enough next weekend there is a 10/40/5 duathlon in Hull that I would like to do. I could do with a good race under my belt to help with the confidence at the moment as I've raced twice this year and not had the results I'm used too! Its early days yet so I'm not worried yet but need some good results to give me a boost.

That race! Disaster or a great experience?

Well here I am after 26 hours of travelling back home and updating the blog. So how was it? A hard day would be an understatement. The night before the race was OK, got everything done in the afternoon, racked the bike and transition bags and went to the compulsory race brief. We had an early dinner at about 1800 hrs some nice pasta and garlic bread. That night I tried to go to bed early but couldn't sleep, I was still awake at 1 am and managed to sleep until 2 am. Unfortunately Anthea thought we were 2 hours ahead and phoned to wish me luck at what she thought was 4 am as that's what time I told her we were getting up. It was only 3 am !!! and I couldn't get back to sleep so I reckon I had an hours sleep. At 4 it was up for breakfast, a tin of rice pudding followed by toast and jam, coffee and a cup of tea. We walked the 1km to transition from the hotel sipping on the energy drink and mentally preparing for the day ahead. It looked like it was going to be a good one with no wind and warm weather. After checking the bike over I changed into the wetsuit which had been repaired after tearing the sleeve on the Friday training swim. We lined up on the beach as the sun started to come up on the horizon. At 7 am the canon sounded and we were off. The first 450 meters would be rough to the first 90 degree turn and I was right, I've not been that badly beaten up in a race for years! At turn 1 there was then a 600 meter stretch and it was only half way across that stretch before I got settled into bilateral breathing. After 29 Min's I was on the beach run before starting lap 2. This was a better lap for being in control as the 1500+ field had spread out nicely. I enjoyed the second lap and had time to think about the fact we were in the Indian ocean with no shark nets, just 2k from the harbour where the great white was photographed 2 weeks before the race. At the end of lap 2 I ran up the beach and crossed the timing mat in 1 hr 2 Min's 35 secs. Happy with that as I had been regularly hitting 1 hr 4 min in the pool in training. A good transition of 3 min 38 saw me on the bike and down the road to start the 3 60km bike laps. The first lap was uneventful and I felt good to go and confident. On lap 2 I felt as though I was overheating and started to struggle to take on any nutrition (food/gel/drinks). By the end of lap 2 I had been sick and couldn't get anything down. As lap 3 began I knew it was not going to be a good day, I continued to cycle and at one point I was yawning a lot and actually cycled off the course onto the grass and gravel at the roadside. It certainly woke me up a bit! I was feeling the full effects of heat stroke, dizziness, tiredness and nausea. As I got back to T2 I passed the bike to the bike staff and ended up with a 5 hr 36 bike time, I grabbed my stuff to prepare for the run. In the changing tent the helpers were trying to assist but I told them to leave me while I cooled off, I asked for headache tablets and they went and got me some. I felt like I was in there for an age but in fact was only in T2 for 6 Min's 25. I didn't want to start the run as I knew it would be hell with no nutrition and already badly dehydrated, however I hadn't come all this way not to finish either. I set off for a very long afternoon of run/walking. I ran for the first 6k I think and then started the first of many walks. The sun was baking me alive, I looked for shaded areas so I could get out the sun for a while but couldn't find any. On lap 2 of the run I was being sick again, after a couple of times I finally found a shaded area at the road side and had to lie down before I fell down as I was so dizzy. A race referee stopped and offered to take me to the medical staff but I was having none of it and got up and started walking again. I managed to run a few kilometers at a time and did eventually get to the last couple of k as the bay was starting to light up with the thunder storm heading for us. Crossing the line in 12 hours and 6 Min's in the dark was believe it or not a good feeling. I was pleased that I didn't give in and made it round. The next part of the adventure was still to come, as I lay in the recovery tent which was about 60 meters long, from out of nowhere the wind picked up severely and after a couple of minutes blew the recovery tent down. I was sat on the side that lifted up and received a thump on the elbow by one of the pegging down eyes. I have a quality bruise on my arm now. There was fortunately just a few with minor injury's but no one seriously hurt. It then turned into a big storm, wind, lightning, thunder and rain. I got back to the hotel, had a shower and slept for an hour and a half. I woke at 2230 and Mat and I went for a coffee and then up to the finish to see the clock hit 17 hours. One guy was on the red carpet at 16 hours 59 minutes and 50 seconds. He was in a bad way and missed the cut off by 12 seconds! No medal or t-shirt for him the poor sod. So that was Ironman South Africa in a nutshell. A bad race? possibly, but its still an Ironman finish! An experience not to be forgotten.

Time for Ironman!

Hi folks, just a quick one to update you. After a 3-4 weeks of tummy probs i'm feeling a lot better and tomorrow is Ironman time. The bike is racked, transition bags hanging, time for food and rest ready for the morning. Its going to be a scorcher with light wind and 30 degrees. Course looks good, will just have to see what the day brings as far as performance goes. This will be my last Ironman so I hope for a good race. Will update you more after the race and loads of pics when I get home. You can follow the race on ironman live website using my number which is 602 if you want to track my progress.
Bye for now
Daz