European Championships Race Review

Saturday was race day, we left the hotel at about 06:45 by coach to travel about 18km to the start/T1 and the sun was starting to shine. The lake was stunning, clear fresh water and the view across the course was great, you could see the whole course, 1 lap of 4km. The first turn was exactly 1 mile out so plenty of time for the field to spread out although with the different wave starts it wasn´t busy anyway. I didn´t draft on the swim as people didn´t seem to be able to swim in a straight line so I spotted the bouys and chose my own line. At the first turn I felt I had paced myself well so picked up the speed a bit. After the next turn which was another 500m I was spotting the next bouy and could see a group of swimmers ahead, a couple were in orange hats which was my wave and a lot of yellow hats from the wave that had left 5 mins before us. I thought I would try and bridge the gap and this helped me to push on during the swim. I did bridge the gap and went past most of them. I exited the water in 1 hour 5, a good swim by any standard I feel but as someone who classes themself as a weak swimmer I was very pleased. The bike course was a rolling course and due to split transitions it was 1 and 3/4 laps. I would liken the course to the dambuster course to be honest, and despite the heat building I seemed to be fueling ok and taking on plenty of fluid. The last 20k of the bike was a bit dull as it was very long straight roads and I didn´t see anyone in front of me for most of the last 20k and started to think I had missed a turn on the course. Eventually I reached the town and back into the crowds to end the bike on 3 hours 23. Now here´s the thing, at this point I didn´t know it but I was at this stage in a silver medal position. I left T2 but unlike most races I didn´t feel like I was going to run fast and straight away felt I was running a steady enough pace to get round but could tell I wasn´t going to be racing. I don´t know why this was, it could have been the heat I guess or maybe i´d over done the bike. I still can´t put my finger on it but I ran the whole 30k and seemed to be hanging on to a steady sort of pace. The run course went through some country wetland sights which were very humid then back onto the streets but the only cool part of the course was the run through the arena on each lap. I ran a 2 hour 28 which is 18 mins slower than the last 2 times i´d raced this distance. The winner of my age group was only 20 mins and 1 second ahead. Had I ran my usual 2 hour 10 then I would have got a silver or bronze depending on the transition times being added. So how can I view the race, it could be seen as negative for blowing the chance of a european podium medal but i´m taking the positive outlook which is that I swam and biked to medal standard, and also that it was a great days brick training before Antwerp 70.3 in 4 weeks time. After crossing the line my body decided to shut down in a big way and I lay on the cold concrete floor for about 30 mins just shivering and unable to take on any fluids. I sat up after a while and then threw up just a water/gel combination. It was about another 30 mins then I cycled back the 5 min ride to the hotel, showered and went to bed for an hour, then tried to drink some coke, this proptly returned back up the body and was sick again. At about half nine that night I finally got a Forgoodness Shake down and kept it down but went back to bed. The day after I felt fine and after breakfast went for a gentle spin on the bike for about 40 mins. Today I did about a 24 mile bike with a very gentle 10 min run at the end before packing the bike ready for the long journey home. My next outing will be the Cranwell Sprint in about 9 days time. I hope to get some pics sorted of the race etc when I return home.

Arrived and the bike is ok :-)

Always a worry when the bike is on the plane that it will get here in one piece. Well both the bike and I are ok, the bike is now built. I opted not to bring the disc as it looks like a hilly/rolling bike course so played it safe with the cosmic carbons. The flight was delayed, they got us all on the plane, pushed back then we sat on the pan for 2 and a half hours :-( I'm tired now as I got up at 2am this morning to drive to the airport so will sleep well tonight. Race brief this evening and parade of the nations. Will register tomorrow and test the bike out. Thats all for now.

Last run out before the European Champs

Well this weekend was the last race before the European Champs, the Dambuster Triathlon. I only had an hours drive now that i'm Lincoln based so that was nice. I took my cosmic carbons and the disc wheel and had a quick wander round transition to see if others were using the disc as it was quite windy. I seen a few people with the disc so decided to "man up" and go for it. The swim was uneventful and I was a little disappointed with a 24:12, the bike was going well and I passed a lot of people all the way round especially on the climbs. I felt I was going well on the bike and tried to keep the pace as high as I could. I got in to T2 and the bike time was a 1:05:56 which was quicker than I did 2 years ago by about 1:30. A good transition and I set off on the run and pushed really hard all the way round, I felt strong and although working very hard felt it was within my limits. I ran a 33:50 about 1:30 quicker than 2 years ago and crossed the line in 2:05:56. The time was good enough for 18th overall and 1st in the RAF Championships. I got home that lunch time and in the afternoon had a 2 hour sleep as I was really tired. Felt good the day after and this morning cycled 18 mile to work at a high tempo which also felt good. Next stop Spain!!! I fly out on Thursday to take on Europe, I hope I carry the current form with me. Jase Walkley had a scary moment on Saturday but luckily for him the only damage was a flat tyre. Must have got his heart rate racing though. Glad he's ok and not suffered from it.

Back on the world wide web..........at last!

Well I should have been back on the web on Thursday last week but Virgin were being a bunch of useless gits. Still i'm back now, not really missed much anyway as i've only been training since my last race. I am racing the Dambuster Triathlon at the weekend then 5 days later I fly to Spain for the European long distance championships. Got my new GB kit as you have to have kit with the rear zip on it now and I think i'm about ready to race. Only set back is i've just had results of my blood test from last week and my white blood count is very low so I have to have another blood test tomorrow then I will hopefully find out what the problem is this time, they don't yet know if its to do with my medication so I guess I will find out next week. That's about all for now I think.

Getting there slowly

Just a quick update from the work computer. No broadband until Thursday this week, its proper rubbish not having Internet at home. Moved into the AMQ the last week of May, bit of a come down from our own house but hopefully not for to long and once ours is sold we can buy again. Raced in the Yorkshireman Triathlon on the bank holiday weekend, the swim was in the river Humber, the first time a race has been held in the river. It was an assisted swim as the tide was coming in but the slower swimmers were finding it harder as the tide started to turn. The run to transition was about 500m up a hill and some steps, you had to leave trainers at the swim exit for this bit. Bike course was fast along a dual carriageway for a lot of it with about 8 miles on normal roads and rolling. The run was up onto the Humber bridge and then 2 laps across it and back. The wind really picked up during the run which made for a tough race with the curve of the bridge. Managed to get 4th overall, with a 2hr 2min time. Next event is the Dambuster in a couple of weeks then its of to Spain for the European Champs. Trying to settle into a new routine being a Monday to Friday worker but it does help having a pool on camp which is always nice. Will hopefully get back into the blog updates later this week when the home Internet is switched on.

Finally started a race this year :-)

I entered the Driffield triathlon a couple of weeks before the event as I was doing a bit of running after my knee injury and thought I could actually make it round after my 3 non starts this year. Unfortunately I got a virus of some kind and was wiped out for the 2 weeks leading up to the event. I got up on race day and still wasn't sure if I was going to go and do the event as I was feeling sick a feeling I had had for about 10 days along with flu like symptoms. I decided to go as I though if I don't start today will the season ever start for me this year? Luckily its a local event and only a 20 min drive. I started as the first swimmer in my lane and in the second to last group of the day. The swim went well considering the lack of swim time lately and I exited the water on 6:10 with an actual time over the timing mat of 6:20. How I achieved that I'm not sure! A short run to T1 and then it was off on the bike. I was using my new Raleigh Carbon TT from my sponsor for the first time in anger and I was also using my disc wheel for the first time in a race too. I didn't feel great on the climb, my chest was really burning and lots of bright green snot getting coughed up but after the climb I settled into a good rhythm and clocked a 27:31 (about a 1:15 quicker than I've ever done in the last 3 years on this course). It turns out it was the 2nd fastest bike split of the day :-) that's where the good part of the race ended. I got onto the run and immediately felt sick and dizzy. I thought about walking but kept running but it felt slow. I crossed the line with a finishing time of 55:30 although I didn't know this at the time as I packed up and went home and slept the rest of the day. I thought I had made a mistake racing whilst still not 100% well but on Monday I felt great, it was the first day I hadn't felt sick in a long time. I checked the results and my time had got me 5th overall from 217 finishers. As you can see from the picture I was making hard work of the run!!

On Monday I trained quite hard, Tuesday/Wednesday I was at work and then on Thursday it was my last chance to do a ride I've always wanted to do but never got round to it and we move house next week so Thursday was the day to ride from my house to the Humber Bridge and across it. What a great ride, 78 miles in great weather and with a great sound track, I chose the Ministry of Sound Chilled 1991-2009. Just the right tempo for a relaxed ride out in the great British summer, here's hoping the weather is here for the whole summer!!

Just when you think your making progress........

I've been making steady progress and was really hopeful of a race next weekend (16th). On Tuesday I had my longest run since February when I picked up the injury and seemed to be getting over the knee problem. All set for my first race then? No :-( Tuesday night I came down with a virus of some kind and by Thursday I was wiped out and spent the day in bed. Its now getting better and is just like a bad cold but to kick me while i'm down my body hasn't been able to handle it with my compromised immune system and i've got a bit of a colitis flare up starting. I just don't know when my luck is going to change this year but i'm not a happy bunny!!!! I will have to increase my medication and start on the predfoam (no prizes for guessing where that has to go). If I catch things early enough I might still be good to race at the weekend fingers crossed.