Fitness enthusiast, jack-of-all-trades (sports), master of none. Summertime triathlete, with a once in a blue moon charity cycle taking me through different parts of Europe…
Author: ijustfeltlikecycling
Fitness enthusiast, jack-of-all-trades (sports), master of none. Summertime triathlete, with a once in a blue moon charity cycle taking me through different parts of Europe...
My last post and update was just over 3 weeks ago after returning from back to back weekends in the USA, which on reflection was one weekend too far after a gruelling slog of a hike in Boston. Now where the hell does time go!? I am currently sat in Heathrow Terminal 5 with 2 hours until my flight and going to tell you how the last few weeks have been in recovering from Boston/Miami, preparing for the huge kit list we have to take with us and also tapering.
So lets review my training plan, back in July i set myself a very aggressive training plan that at times would have me training 6 times a week. I wasn’t going from nothing but was only doing 1 or 2 activities a week, so to jump to 6 was always going to be a big ask. However i thought if i document the plan and one that was going to be tough to stick to then guilt would set in when i missed a run or a ride or strength session and ultimately spur me on to do more.
Original plan had me set out to do 109 individual activities or training sessions of some sort. During this time i made sure i was flexible with still being social and getting some DIY done. Although one weekend on the decking build i still managed back to back 10 mile runs, was impressed with that. I also picked up a calf strain at one point which set me back a couple of weeks and made me miss a few sessions. This was just prior to heading to Boston and meant i had to take it a lot easier than i had planned, almost to the point of a mini taper within the plan before i actually got to the proper taper time. You also have to factor into this a family holiday and 3 weekends away overseas. However i never let them get in the way and took the running shoes with me at every opportunity to get those vital miles in where i could.
So…several months later, how did i get on against plan!?
109, became 100 after all the changes and injury. I managed to complete 57 activities in this time, so its been just over 20 weeks since i made the plan which means i did on average, just shy of 3 sessions a week!
If you look at my fitness trend which i pulled from Strava tonight, it highlights that my fitness level is up 269% in the last year, some might even say I’m peaking at the right time! It’s a little lower over the last week or so, which is natural and expected when tapering, however ill tell you more about that later. For now ill just bask in the fitter version of myself that currently weighs a lot less than when i started out.
This last couple of weeks have been full on, not just with getting ready for the event, but life admin has also been at a high, works busy, lots of purchases (mainly for the trip) have been made, returned, exchanged. Also had to do the small thing of buying a new car, one less thing to think about when i get home.
The Kit List
When i booked this adventure race I didn’t truly appreciate just how much kit i would need to take with me! Now I’ve had a go at most things, so when the mandatory kit list below was sent through i knew i could tick a few things off, yet also had to make a number of purchases (not that I’m complaining, love a little treat) to have everything covered.
So what’s the first thing you do when you get such a list, its to make your very own! I’ve had the below on my training plan sheet for a number of years now, although this one had to get expanded for multi event and multiple days. A lot more to plan for than a week cycling the length of the country thats for sure!
From the next few pics you can see just what that sheet looks like in reality, along with what outfits I’ve chosen to wear during the running and cycling days!
So the final week and tapering!
This is the first time i have had to taper from several months of training and it just feels weird! I had originally planned to taper from a few weeks out, but with the injury i was unable to get to the distance i wanted within training, so i decided to taper from about a week ago after an 18 mile run. Tapering is designed to reduce the effort yet maintain fitness levels, meaning i should be fighting fit come race day! Well thats the theory anyway, not sure what a 16 hour flight, 2 hour flight and 4 hour coach trip will have to say about that! However i took my plans advice and stuck to short sessions, nothing too strenuous this week, a massage to break down the legs and flush out any knots and ease into it. Had a final little 5km run with Ruby earlier and the next time i do anything will probably be when i get there on Friday, but even then it won’t be more than a mile or so just to get the travelling out the legs!
Leading up until tonight I’ve been spinning multiple plates, so to say I’m looking forward to getting on the plane and switching off from the outside world for 16 hours is an understatement! Ill update again later in the week when on the other side of the world!
Where does the time go!? My last post was 4 months ago when I took you through my training plan and what the last 4 months held in store for me and my training plan. Let me take you through what I’ve been up to in that time, did I stick to the plan, did I do anything differently and what’s in store for the final 4 weeks.
When I created the plan I had quite a lot of emphasis on being active and doing several sessions a week, spread between rowing, strength work, cycling and running. Now we all know that I probably had more of a fear of the running due to my previous longest run only being 15 miles and Patagonia needing me to run back to back 20+ mile days. Therefore some weeks I haven’t managed to do as many sessions as I planned to, but always made sure I was on track with my running. It’s not all been plane sailing as I had a little calf strain around September that limited some of my back to back running days at the weekend. Nothing that a little massage from an old physio friend that I have couldn’t sort out.
If we look at my Strava running totals over the last few months you can see I was trending in the right direction until I hit the calf snag. Now let me tell you why there was a big blip in the early stage of October.
For those of you that don’t know, I am heading to Patagonia with a friend. Jamie and his family live over in Boston, I have been fortunate enough to be able to get out and visit Jamie a couple of times in the past. So when I knew we were doing this together and knowing Jamie’s experience at long distance running I wanted to see if I could get over and visit him for some training. I booked and flight and said we would sort the rest at a later date. Well…Jamie already had a plan!
The New Hampshire Presidential Traverse
On one of our catch up’s prior to me heading across the pond, Jamie asked if I was up for a challenge and adventure. I’m never one to turn down an opportunity to push myself and little did I know what Jamie had in store for us. The New Hampshire Presidential Traverse is a 22 mile hike across the White Mountains that see you climb and summit 8 mountain peaks.
10 hours my arse!
I knew it was going to be a challenge and a rough day when Jamie was explaining that we would need to see how the weather would be to decide if we were doing it. At this time of year that area of the country can have sunshine, rain, wind and snow! The plan was to head up the night before, stay over and get on the path for 5:30am! After some research on when the local Dunkin Donuts was due to open, we scrapped that plan and got some food before we started at 6!
I took a lead for the first few hours as I knew the other guys were not just fitter than me, but also used to hiking in these conditions and terrain. So with me leading it meant I could control the pace and attempt to keep my heart rate low enough that I wouldn’t exert too much energy. Wishful thinking as I was super hot! My first real time hiking with a rucksack of kit, and I choose to do it on a 22 mile mountain hike! As we were climbing for those first few hours, we were in darkness, under the stars, feeling the rain, then the snow and also amongst what looked like a scene from Narnia!
As we were climbing we saw a number of others coming down the path, saying that it was a white out at the top and therefore very dangerous to progress across the mountains at such a high elevation all day. We decided to push on and judge for ourselves, we were already a few hours in at this stage and I know the guys really wanted to get this completed, not just because we drove 4 hours to get there! Once we got to the first clearing in the trees people must have looked at us and thought we were mad. An American in his shorts and 2 British guys in a base layer and t-shirt! Where as everyone else watching us and looking on we’re already full on kitted out like they were about to be snowed in for weeks! The final climb to the first peak required us to put ice spikes on, another couple of layers and some gloves. Jamie threw his toys out the pram when he struggled to feel his fingers, big time sulk on the climb, touched the top and just headed back down! Well he missed out, the fog cleared as soon as we got above the clouds and the views were amazing!
I knew from seeing this view that the day was going to be filled on great scenery and tough climbs! We pushed on and got up the next climb in pretty good time. It was when we went up the third climb that I was starting to tire and needed to get some energy in me. I was slowing and also making some silly errors on a very very hard terrain to climb. It was relentless all day and full of large steps, small steps, scrambling on hands and knees and tough tough challenging descents. We knew that getting to the top of Mount Washington was a big step as it was half way in distance and majority of the elevation complete, we got there in 9 hours, yep 9 hours in and only half way! That’s 11 miles in that time, so that tells you just how slow and steep the day was!
It was when I saw this sign that Jamie decided to tell me that Mount Washington is actually, statistically the most dangerous mountain on the planet for fatal accidents. This is mainly due to how accessible it is, and from that sign, just how ferocious the winds can be!
The next 6 hours or so we’re going to be a tail of two halves! I had to change my socks at the stop halfway as my feet had got wet a couple of hours before. The first 3 hours were cracking, the sun was setting, was managed to see some of the fall leaves in the distance and the sun picking out the amazing colours. The next video will show just how stunning it was.
After this, the sun started to set and set quick! We had a final 3 hours of descending by head torch and I was nearly running on empty. My body was trying to give up on me and my right thigh and hip flexor was gone! I think I had to pretty much drag it and carry it down the final 2 hours and they were slow slow going! Hats off to the patience on Jamie and Brodie as they were sticking with me the whole way. I reckon they could have finished an hour earlier if it wasn’t for me. However we got it done and it took us 15.5 hours! The shame was we missed out on seeing the sun actually set on the tree lined mountain side. We were passed by some incredible people on the hike, some young guy that had started 4 hours after us and more than likely finished a couple hours before us! Oh the joy of being young! It was an epic adventure and well worth the blood sweat and tears along the way!
As you can imagine we had a lot of discussions throughout the day and one of them was how many steps we would do! I took a wild stab at 60k where as Jamie and Brodie went for 42k and 35k respectively. I only came up 4k out with a total step count of 56k! The next video comes from Relive and shows just how tough the day was.
Whilst I was in a Boston I also managed to get out for a cheeky 5km and a private kayak lesson before the hike. The 1.5 hours on the river learning about kayak technique was invaluable! I really think without this lesson I would have struggled out in Patagonia, yet the things I picked up will help me be more efficient and safer on the water!
The trip was great for my training, although it wasn’t running 22 miles, it was 16 hours on my feet and over double the elevation that I will need to tackle in Patagonia. So an experience that will always be in the memory bank and something I will draw on during the tough times ahead!
For some reason, I then thought it would be a great idea to head out to Miami the week later for a weekend visit! At the time I thought I would be fine and had even planned to get a long run in. However in the heat and only a week after the hike, my body was needing some rest! I think it was maybe a step too far for my ageing body!
I’ve been back a week and managed a 18 mile walk/run at the weekend, mixing a first 4 mile walk of the dog with a run/walk after. Trying to get more time in the legs than distance at the moment.
My original plan had suggested that this weekend would be my biggest in terms of distance. Now I still plan to get out for some lengthy runs, but I might actually mix it up with a brick session of run, bike and then another long run on Sunday morning, making the most of the clocks going back and a lighter morning.
The weeks that follow this will probably ease off the running, up strength work and time on the bike. I have a half marathon around Richmond on the 6th November, which I might use as a final long run, park somewhere a few miles away, run there, do the event and then run back to the car maybe. Then slowly taper off to the event week.
So that’s a little bit about what I’ve been up to and how I’m getting on. Hope you enjoyed the read, next update will be even closer to the start!
So we are officially 5 months out from Glacier to Glacier…yep let that sink in a minute, I sure as hell did!
Over the last couple of months, my training plan hasn’t been set in stone and I’ve neglected it a little bit. Now I can make up excuses if I need to but its not really about what has happened, its more about what i do with myself moving forwards. My dog had an operation a couple of months ago and getting out the house for a normal walk and getting my steps in has been limited only until a couple of weeks ago. I was starting to feel a little guilty if I was leaving the house to go do exercise when the pooch is still on a lead and unable to get out for a run herself. However, since a little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and the vet telling us she can now walk as far as she wants (still on the lead), I’ve been able to get my step count back to where I would like to see it. One thing that resonates with me is the saying,
What gets measured, gets improved
Peter Drucker
I think my average daily step count has gone from low thousands to over 12k per day since the green light from the vet, who knows what it will do when we get to go off lead again! Having all the data on my wrist with my Garmin Fenix 6 (I know don’t judge me, a new version is out and I don’t have it!), I am able to see where I am at during the day to know whether I need to take the pooch out again, or go for a stroll myself.
So, now that I am starting to feel a little more organised with getting up and out the house with the dog, I thought it was about time that I looked into making my training plan for Patagonia later in the year. Now i always create a training plan for any year when I have a number of races in the diary and want to focus on something. This year is no different, so I set about creating the plan.
As you can see from the plan, i have a lot of sessions that I “plan” to do! Now this is purely to hold myself accountable to getting fitter and stronger in order to successfully complete the adventure race in November. Without this, I would be aimlessly trying to get some miles in on foot and might not feel the guilt if I have a low week or miss sessions. Now the plan isn’t going to correct all of that for me, I still need to be the one motivated to meet the plan set out, but I won’t be beating myself up if I miss 10-15% of these sessions across the next 5 months. It’s the direction and supporting plan that will help drive overall consistency in my training during this summer period.
At the moment the plan is loose and will need some tightening up as I go along, for example I will need to ride some weekends longer than my current 45 minutes a week Watt Bike session on a Monday. Likewise I will also need to go hire a kayak from time to time to build up my endurance at sitting in a kayak for hours to build up core strength in the sitting position. What I did however need was the plan aimed around running.
Running
In signing up for this Glacier to Glacier event, it will set new records for me. Not only will day 1 be the furthest distance I will ever run, day 2 will then go and break that record again! So in order to not fail at this I need to focus on improving my running distance across the next several months and build up slowly to get to goal distance.
I read a number of marathon training plans in order to understand how many miles I should be getting in during the weeks and months in build up. However what I have to do isn’t really covered by these plans. I need a plan to help me get to 20 miles distance, but then get up the next day and go again! With 15 miles being my previous longest run, I know I can get there but will need to make it interesting in order to not get bored during training. So the running plan has been supported by conversations with a friend who has previously ran ultra marathons and Marathon Des Sables, an event which contains back to back to back marathons, oh and in the dessert for shits n giggles too!
I am pretty confident of the plan and where I have ended up. I also hope to take Ruby out with me at the weekends from August onwards, she will be a year old by then and my training running buddy on the weekend!
Strength & Recovery
I have also been looking into my other training methods and recovery. I am currently working on a DIY project at home of converting my garage, well a portion of it, into a home gym. I want to shift some of my previous HIIT focus into strength training. Inevitably, the older you get the more you need to look after yourself. So its a good time for me to look at strength work and building muscles to support joints through what will be a demanding summer. The gym will be finished over the next few weeks and will have free weights, rowing machine and of course another dog bed for Ruby.
On top of this I have just purchased an Ice Bath for the garden and aid in my recovery. Been thinking about this for a while and off the back of me creating the training plan and seeing how busy it is, especially with back to back runs at the weekend, i really want to make sure my body recovers as best as it can. There are also many other benefits to cold water therapy, so maybe ill do a little post on that when it arrives and I take the plunge!
Well that’s all for now on the updates, time to get into the swing of things with the training and get cracking!
Don’t forget if you would like to sponsor us for this mad crazy adventure, then head over to Just Giving and make a donation.
If you need me over the next few months, ill probably be training…
Although this year I won’t be alone, a good friend of mine Jamie Kinch will be also completing this challenge. I’ve known Jamie for nearly 20 years, starting our friendship on the rugby field with a killer 10/12 combination (for those of you that know rugby, I used to call a hell of a lot of S1 moves). We played together for a number of years and had many laughs along the way. We are very like minded when it comes to exercise and wanting to challenge ourselves. Its been over 10 years since we both did our first triathlon together, a wet summers night at Dorney Lake. Jamie to this date is still yet to beat me at a race (when entered together). Jamie then decided to head across the pond to work in the US of A and although far apart we have always kept in contact. We even managed to cycle across 3 states when I visited Jamie and family a couple of years ago. A ride that caught me off guard only a few months after JOGLE. Didn’t have anything in the legs, yet the lobster roll on the way home was so worth it! The surprising thing about that ride was Jamie beforehand suggesting that we wear matching tops, he then went on to suggest a top that i already owned! See I told you we were similar!
Haven’t aged a bit!
After a number of different challenges between the pair of us, cycling across Europe, JOGLE, Ultramarathons, Ironman 70.3 and full distance Ironman. We were both looking for the next challenge. After me finishing The Roc Tri last year and a debrief call with Jamie saying it was the hardest thing i have ever physically completed, we set out to look for a new challenge and maybe meeting somewhere new to do it.
So we’ve decided to travel half way round the world to embark on an epic 6 day multi event challenge. Together we are each going to run 45.4, cycle 144.2 and kayak 37.6 miles over the course of 6 days through Patagonia’s Glaciers, with over 10,000 ft of elevation gain!
This is opening up some new disciplines for both of us, kayaking is going to be new to both, yet running further than 15 miles is going to be something I haven’t done before. Yet to top that off I will not only have to run further than I ever have before, but back it up with 2 in 2 days!
For some people any one of these stages would be an achievement, yet we have picked a challenge that has 6 epic stages back to back.
Our flights are booked and we will be heading via a night in Buenos Aires in late November. We have 8 months to get in shape for this and I already have the training plan open and ready to be updated. Again this will be new for me as I have to build up running stamina and miles, but with a back to back marathon in mind at the end of it. All of which has to be juggled around bringing up a puppy! Only another 4 months to wait until she can come running with me though!
Full transparency in that we would get a part refund on our entry fee if we raise over £5,000 each. So we have decided to create a joint page where we hope to raise £10,000 for Children with Cancer. So if you feel like you want to contribute, as much or as little as you can, please head over to our Just Giving page for more information.
So it’s been 3 weeks since I raced in The ROC Tri and in that time I have only managed to run a total of 5km! I know, how lazy right! I just haven’t felt like doing much, that and the fact it took a huge toll on my body. This blog post is to share how the race weekend went and what I thought of the event that was 1.5 years in the waiting.
I made the decision to travel up to Wales on the Friday even though the race wasn’t until Sunday. The journey was a long old 6 hours with a few stops. So Friday was a case of stretching the legs, making a little stir fry and settling in with a film. Saturday was a bit different as I had the whole day to kill. Registration wasn’t until the afternoon so I set out to watch the cyclists first thing, they would ride through the place I was staying roughly at 9am. Yes that’s right, 2 triathlons in 2 days as the event usually holds a spring and summer race. They backed them up back to back due to the pandemic. So a bit of breaky and then out to cheer them on. Now triathlons are typically very friendly events, which this one was in general, however I must have said hello to a dozen riders that morning and wished them good luck. I reckon I got about 4 or 5 thank you’s in return. I then headed over to the event finish which was where the first transition was and the finish line. The weather across the weekend was gorgeous and the sun was beaming down on the beach. I stayed around for a few hours and watched a few of the 6-7 hour finishers come over the line. Got chatting to a few people that had completed the event that day, love chatting to people about events across my past. Met a lovely couple who by the sounds of it had actually raced a similar set of events to myself! I fell in love in the queue for registration! Met a family with a cocker spaniel, wow, he was beautiful! So much so that within a week of being home I had been searching, found and bought my own! A future running buddy for me! That night I settled in for a carb heavy dinner, bit of race prep with stickers and fuel etc then got my head down for what is always a rubbish sleep.
In the morning I was literally up, fed and out the door. Went for prodigy and honey for breakfast, which if you remember was my stable breakfast during JOGLE. I was hard to get it all down, bringing back memories, yet I just had to think it was fuel and I needed it. I only had a short 15 minute drive to the event and got there just in time to watch the sun rise, it was really stunning!
Stunning sunrise!
I got my transition area setup, knowing that after the swim I more than likely wouldn’t be back for several hours! Once the wetsuit was on I headed down to the start and went into the sea, tested out the goggles and dipped the head in the sea. I was fresh when it hit the face but managed to stay in long enough to have a pre game wee. I actually then had another whilst standing ready for the start, who would’ve thought that it would then be a further 10.5 hours until my next one!
When you have a running beach start, which was new to me, it also means you got to make sure the goggles are setup etc. They were actually on point and once I got in the sea I settled into my stroke and thoroughly enjoyed it! On the Saturday I had failed to see one of the buoy’s out in the distance, which had made me question how far the swim was. I managed to see it alright on Sunday morning, it felt miles away! I picked a really good swim line out to that buoy and then likewise on the turn to the next few. No real drama on the swim, one guy decided to cut me up a little so had to change route a couple of times. Had a couple of times the waves crash over my face and a mouthful of water. It was super super clear and you could see the bottom of the sea for a fair way out on the swim. I managed to see a few jelly fish along the way. Really happy with the swim overall, coming out in and around the time I wanted feeling pretty good but with some chaffage under the arm. Onto the bike…
After a decent transition where for the first time I had lace up my cycling shoes. I was onto the bike and up a little short hill to get going. The only bikes that passed me on the bike leg were people on time trial bikes. Had one guy say to me as he over took me that he had been hunting me down for a while. I think it was as I were trying to fuel up on some bagel at the time so took my foot off the gas. I got to T2 pretty happy overall but not looking forward to what was next!
Wow!
What a fucking leg!
I felt broken on this part of the triathlon. I would say all in all I probably walked around 95% of the run leg. Although the elevation map before highlighted that the last 2km was going to be seriously steep, it had led me down a false hope that the first 4km weren’t too bad and that I would be able to “run”. I managed to get to the run alongside a lady that had been racked next to me in transition. As we were both walking up the first 1km, I thought it could be a long day. The lady said something to me as she walked past me with some serious intent that stuck with me for the next few hours.
Whatever you do, do with purpose
There was me, walking up Snowdon, knowing that all I had used as prep, were the Surrey hills, what a joke that is! My back was killing me at the beginning of the run, with every step it was a shooting pain up my back. I then had to take every step with my hands on my back. This did manage to settle but took a good 3km. I seriously don’t know how some of these quick people were up and down the mountain before I had even got to the checkpoint! They are seriously, with all respect, freaks! I made sure that I kept my head up along the way as the view was just spectacular. When I got to the top the view was amazing!
Snowdon Summit!
As you can imagine I had a few people following me along the way during the race. Some of them using the app to see where I was and how I was getting on. They then had a little shock when I gave them one or two pocket dials from the rucksack! At the time I did think I could hear someone calling but thought it was from others, yet it was numpty here and his sweaty chest! The descent was very hairy! I had to steady myself coming down the steep bit as I slipped a few times. When the stones and rubble fall from beneath your feet it really makes you worry! It wasn’t until after I finished that I saw a section on Strava labelled “The Steep Bit” was a staggering 42% incline! Gulp! I broke my race number on the way down and had to patch it up when I got into transition, but at least it was intact for the pictures on the mountain!
I managed to settle into a bit of a scramble and run for the 6km run back down to transition. When I got there, I thought I had checked into cramp central! I have had the odd bit of cramp in the past, causing me to pull out of Alpe D’Huez triathlon a few years back. After that I knew that I needed to look after my salt levels a lot more during the race. However I probably didn’t expect the run leg of this event to hit 30 degree heat and be out for soo long dehydrating at the same time. This cramp felt like I had been shot in the groin! This carried on for the next 6 miles of the bike back, severe cramp in both legs and all around the groin, abductor and thighs! Oh I nearly forgot to mention that Camilla also got her standard mention! A guy saying that it was the nicest bike he had seen that day!
I managed to somehow get through the bike ride back to Abersoch though, taking like an extra 15 minutes than the first leg. Once the bike ride was over it was onto what they were calling the final sprint! Lol
It was a 1km run up and down the beach. This was all about running at a pace that meant no cramp came and that was sustainable for about 7 minutes! Although when I do a park run I say I don’t like to be overtaken for the last 500m, I hadn’t seen the guy creep up and over take me on the line! Doh!
On reflection now 3 weeks on, I can say this was a seriously stunning triathlon. The swim was gorgeous and the views on the run/walk/climb were spectacular.
Now I have done my fair share of endurance events in my time, I think this one though was by far the hardest thing I have ever done! My body felt absolutely battered after and stayed that way for a fair few days. I had a massage the day after and the lady managed to find her fair share of knots across the body!
Now for the times! I actually wasn’t that far off what I had predicted.
Swim – I had predicted around 40 minutes as I hadn’t done a sea swim before. So to come in at around 32 minutes I was really happy.
Bike – I had thought it would take me around 1:50 on the way out and 2 hours on the way back. So to complete the first leg in 1:45 and the second (albeit with cramp) in 2 hours again super happy.
Run – So I really, really underestimated climbing Snowdon. In my pre race estimation I had thought it might take me around 2 hours. Well, it took me that to get to the summit alone! 3 hours overall is pretty much the difference to my overall time that I had predicted versus what I ended up with.
Beach Sprint – I had over egged that this would take 10 minutes, I got into a good pace and it took 7 minutes.
So that’s me done for 2021, I was meant to head to Blenheim Palace and race that a week after the ROC, yet my body was in no fit state to go and put down a decent time. I opted to call a day to the 2021 schedule and begin to look at what 2022 could offer.
Well, where do I start. It’s officially been over 2 years since my last triathlon season. In 2019 i entered and raced in the Snowdonia Slateman, Windsor Triathlon and my nemesis distance of the Ironman 70.3 in Sweden. I came out of that season with high hopes for 2020! As some of you may know, i either like to travel for my races to see some new places, or i like to do things with a twist, whether that’s JOGLE in 7 days or adventure races (some cool ideas for 2022 but we will cover that another time). I first found the The Roc Tri almost 2 years ago and entered in February 2020, obviously that was before a young boy ate some bat soup, but again lets not open that can of worms today. I’ll get onto The Roc Tri in a little bit around the logistics of this race and what makes it unique and different, for now let me tell you about the last 2 years, ill stick to fitness as if i tell you about everything ill be in this cafe longer than ill be racing tomorrow! So, lets head back to February 2020 and when i bought my place at The Roc spring.
When COVID hit, i don’t think anyone really knew what we were in for and what it mean’t for the closure and cancellation of so much throughout the year. I know for a fact that when it first came about i thought it would be long gone by end of the summer, but hey ho, what did i know. Not naming names but some people i know thought it would pass in 2 months. Like many many people i live alone and thought sod that for the next few weeks, so i ended up back with the parentals. 36 (at the time), single and back living with mummy and daddy! Lol what a catch! All jokes a side, my parents are pretty cool and i get on with them like mates, especially when I’m kicking their arse at crib or Rutherford house bowl’s championship!
Anyway moving on, my first bit of lockdown fitness was the 14 day burpee challenge. Inspired by Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien i took this on. It was 1 minute of burpee’s day 1, building up by a minute each day with a final day of 14 minutes worth of burpee’s. I managed to do 1027 burpee’s across the 105 minutes, and i can safely say i haven’t done more than a handful since! It was revolting!
After a summer of some running and the odd run i found myself needing another challenge come autumn. I set myself a target of completing 10,000 reps of exercises within the month of November. I was super happy with this one as i could feel myself getting fitter and fitter as the days and weeks passed.
Oh have i forgot to mention that in the time leading up to the 10,000 rep challenge The Roc Tri and also an entrance to Blenheim Palace triathlon were both cancelled for the year and deferred entry to 2021.
Goodbye 2020, a year i think we all want to forget!
Hello 2021, is there light at the end of the tunnel…
I started off the year with what i called Januathlonary. Amongst a few friends that i have know over the years we decided to do 4 duathlons across the month of January (hence the name). Each week the distance would increase with some set elevation goals to be hit along the way. It was a great kick stater to the year and got rid of any exercise holiday season food!
Also in 2020 (i know i said we would forget it), i bought a Watt Bike. I wanted an indoor trainer for the winter as no one really wants to be heading outside in the late dark evenings when it’s cold and miserable. Plus Camilla doesn’t do wet rides anyway. However after some deliberating between Peloton and Watt Bike i settled for the latter and ordered it. 18 weeks delivery! Jheeez! It came over the Christmas period so i got it set up and started to tackle some miles. Also managed to use the bike for some of the duathlon legs, especially when the weather was grim! I think this has given me the much necessary mileage in my legs that’s needed to set me up for the next couple of races.
Yet more delay…
The Roc Tri and Blenheim were mean’t to be in May and June respectively but again, more COVID lockdown rules mean’t they got pushed back to September. I now have 2 in 2 weeks, these triathlons are coming like busses!
Swimming training started up again for me in July time. I still haven’t been in a pool in over 2 years, actually last time i went in a pool was prior to Sweden 70.3, so like May 2019. I started back up at The Quays, a lake that is walking distance from my parents and now only a 5 minute drive from where i live. Ive managed to rack up a fair amount of sessions, not many weeds in the lake so i tend not to panic as much, that’s a bonus.
Barbados warm weather training…it’s what i called it anyway. Not many people get to call a 12 day trip to Barbados warm weather training. I can’t really call it that either, however the trainers and goggles made it out there. Managed to nearly 30km in running and swam every day! Ok, so some of the swims were interrupted by a little plod next to our resident turtle Terry. I know, hard life hey! I got back from Barbados only a week or so ago and quickly turned my attention to The Roc Tri.
I think I’ve done pretty good with my prep for this race, learning so much over the years on what works well for me in the build up. However like anyone interested in their hobby, you want to progress and improve. This last week i have researched more on tapering and what i should be doing to put myself into a good position for tomorrow. My training status on my Garmin is currently telling me my fitness is up and load down, i am fully recovered and body battery is looking good also.
Fail to prepare, be prepared to fail
As well as my tapering and how much stress i am putting on my body i have taken a look into my pre race nutrition. The Roc Tri nicely set up some online race briefing videos and support from some tri coaches / nutritionalists. Calculating how many carbs you need per kg of body weight the day before a race etc. Now i am not going to follow it by the letter of the law, but i will be carb loading a lot better today than i have in the past. I have also increased my liquid intake over the last few days to make sure i am raring to go tomorrow morning. It did feel weird in the supermarket yesterday looking at carbs per gram in pasta and bagels!
Sitting in this cafe now writing this the nerves are settled. However i have to go register and try to sleep tonight. I can’t take my mind off it all day, it’s the suspense that makes it worse. I haven’t had the best experiences in the past with races, whether it’s not getting to the run in UK Ironman 70.3, burning up in the Alpes or generally not being prepped enough. I just want to finish tomorrow.
So let me tell you a little bit more about the race itself.
1.5km Sea Swim
50km Bike to Snowdon
12km Run up and down Snowdon
50km Bike back to Abersoch
1km Beach Run
That’s what makes this race unique! The fact that it has 4 transitions and 5 individual legs of the race make it a daunting race. I am aiming to try and finish the race, yet we all know there will be a time in my head that i want to cross the line before. The swim length would typically take me 28 minutes or so, yet never swam in the sea before after a beach start. So going to aim for about 40 minutes for that one, followed by a few minutes in transition. Decided to go with my new shoes tomorrow so will need to lace up at every transition, will cost me some minutes but something that i will prefer in the long run. Both bike legs in theory should take me around 1 hour 45 minutes, not sure how the second leg will feel after downhill running for 6km and the strain on the thighs. Might have to just grind that out, especially as it will be the penultimate leg. The run…this compromises of a 4km run to a checkpoint, i HAVE to be there before midday in order for them to let me take on the summit. It’s then a 2km run up to the summit of Snowdon and a 6km run back down. The final leg is a 1km run up and down the beach, by this time i think my legs will feel like jelly for sure! Then it’ll be time to find a pub or restaurant and have a few drinks to celebrate (i hope).
Now it’s time to head back to the Air BnB and have some lunch, you guessed it, bagels and pasta! Then ill head over to the race finish line to watch a few competitors finish up before i register for tomorrow.
If you wish to follow my progress for the 7 hours or so tomorrow then head to www.theroc.com and select the Sunday tracker.
Having just been back out on Camilla (my Wilier Cento 10 Air Ramato) yesterday, and enjoyed such a lovely cycle through the Chilterns it made me think back through all the bikes I’ve had over my time.
I bought my first road bike back in 2009, before that I had owned (not looked after) a number of mountain bikes. They were my main source of commute to school and back and to go visit friends pre car. I wish I had got into my bikes a little more back then and cared for them like I do now, instead of performing ghosty’s or bumping up curbs. I did however also own an old school Raleigh racing bike that my Grandad had bought me, one of the ones with the gears on the frame rather than the handle bars.
I wanted to get into triathlons and knew in order to enjoy them and set myself up for a couple of years I would need to spend a fair amount of money on a bike. Entry level bikes at the time were around £400, but there was no way I was going entry level. A friend of my Mum’s knew the owner of Sigma Sports in Kingston. The shop is still around now and does a hell of a lot of business with some seriously nice bikes! The sport of cycling and triathlons is huge now compared to 10 years ago!
My first bike, funny enough the only one that didn’t get a name! Trek 1.7, decent bike and at the time had an aluminium frame with carbon forks, wooooo I hear you say, hard to get anything but carbon these days. The bike itself was £975, yet I got a bundle deal, bike, shoes, helmet, wetsuit, some other little tri bits, all for £1100. Actually, my race belt they threw in is still what I use to this day!
That bike got me through a number of triathlons and also took me all the way to Malaga, Spain. So some good memories with that one. I do still have the bike, I may keep it for sentimental value, or use it for winter, or create a stool out of the saddle. See how guests think it feels to sit on, knowing that I was on it for 130+ hours on my way to Spain!
Trek 1.7
Roll on spring/summer 2015, I was booked into the New York City Triathlon and a cycle holiday from Venice to Dubrovnik that year. It was about time I upgraded my wheels! I knew it was going to end up costing me a fair bit more than the first bike, I quite liked new versions of the Trek, Specialized, Felt, to name a few. I went to a number of different shops trying to find something I liked. I thought I had settled on a Specialized Venge from the below options. That’s the orange option at number 2 for those of you not familiar with bikes.
Some of my upgrade options…
However I was driving though Bagshot, which was round the corner from where I lived at the time and saw a new shop had opened, Spoke of Bagshot. It was May bank holiday and I was with my Mum and Dad, so we popped in. The shop was kitted out with some lovely bikes, options available were Giant or Storck, to be honest I hadn’t even given Giant a look in during my searches. Got chatting to the owner James, very nice guy who I’ve since come to get on with very well, between family and friends we have bought 5 bikes from his shop, so he should value my custom!
James asked what sort of riding I like to do, so I said I prefer short rides and going fast rather than any climbing. I don’t think Rutherford’s are made for climbing! He said “try this one” (yep no ask of budget), I jumped on a a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1. An aero bike that was super super light. I didn’t even make it to the end of the high street and I knew I was having it. Now for the deal. Managed to get some discount, pedals thrown in for good measure, a lot over budget, but Doris was born!
Now I know a lot more about bikes I don’t think the Giant gear ratios were ever right for me. I learnt this after a day or two into the Venice to Dubrovnik bike ride. I was always last up the hills, it worked out I had the total opposite gear setup for climbing. However 4 days in my legs for stronger and I was pulling away from the rest of the group on the climbs. I did however change my cassette after this before I went to San Francisco for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. I didn’t want to get caught short on any hills.
I may have brushed over the name a little earlier, Doris was my Nan and I bought the bike not long after a bit of inheritance came my way, so like a little present from Nan.
We now move on to 2018, spring time and the Spoke of Bagshot bike expo at Pennyhill Park. I wanted to go along so that I could support James and his shop. A few talks from guys cycling around Europe, some sale stools, and a display of a variety of bikes. James had recently started to stock Wilier frames, I liked the Cento 10 Air frame, they did this in red and I thought it looked pretty tasted. Also thought it was way too pricey, talking serious money now with these bikes. So back at the expo, I see the Wilier stand, they had the Aero Cento frames and also had an old school classic frame in an amazing metallic copper colour. I love a couple of things that my mates take this piss out of me for, copper, wood, cork and the odd bit of exposed brick! This colour was gorgeous, I happened to make a throw away comment that would come back to bit me in the arse!
“Oh imagine if you did the Cento frame in that copper colour”
Well, be careful what you wish for people! Within 5 seconds the brochure had been flipped open and there she was, the Ramato Cento 10 Air, a beauty!
It was almost like fate brought us together, it was meant to be! So I had to chat to James…again. The Ramato colour would take a while to come in, so James lent me a demo frame for my annual New Forrest sportive, this way I could see what the feel would be like.
Demo bike for New Forrest sportive 2018
Now although the demo bike didn’t have deep rims, neither did it have disc brakes or electric gears, the feel was very nice indeed. Something about riding a new bike. So after some more haggling with James, and some more thrown in pedals (had to get carbon pedals), I put a deposit down and got her on order. I was hoping to get her in time for JOGLE, which at this point was a couple of months out. I had made a few changes to the default spec, I mean if I’m spending a small fortune then I might as well get it setup for how I like to ride.
I went for a compact 50/34 at the front with an 11-32 cassette, this should mean hills wont be a problem, but I will lose a little top end speed. I also took the plunge, not just because it was the bike that James had on order, I had done my research. Electric Di2 gears and disc brakes, which I must admit a couple of years on, were worth every penny. The safety on the brakes alone is worth it, although a bit squeaky during the Windsor triathlon, I blame the overnight rain for that. The other change I made was a swap from inner tubes to tubeless tyres. Still something that baffles me, yet the feel of the ride mixed with 25mm tyres is decent. Lets not forget I did several 100+ mile days on JOGLE and felt comfy on her all week.
Camilla the copper Wilier, named by Dad before we set off on JOGLE was my new set of wheels!
I make sure I look after her very well, she only gets cleaned with fragrance free wet wipes, I blame John Cooper for that one! The chain and cassette always oiled, always ready for a spin. She has recently just had her tyres replaced after 3000+ miles of cycling, and in that time I had only suffered a single puncture in the back tyre which I didnt even notice on the ride. Camilla went abroad for the first time last year when I entered Ironman Sweden 70.3, she managed to pick up just as many compliments in Scandanavia as she does in the UK. I haven’t been out on a ride and not had her turn a head.
Camilla, Wilier Cento 10 Air Ramato
I think popping into the expo in 2018 was 100% worth it! I would say worth every penny, but that’s a lot of pennies! As the title of this post suggests, you don’t buy what you need, you buy what you want. Another thing I live by in addition to life isn’t a rehearsal.
I can’t recommend Spokes of Bagshot enough really. They have been great to me and my family, always welcome to pop in and say hello. I try to pick up as many bits as I can from them, all about helping the little shops rather than an online purchase. James will always go out of his way to help should you need any last minute support. I will always refer any person looking to get into cycling or upgrade to his shop.
I do see Camilla sticking around for a while. Even at the weekend I had a trip to Spokes to get new tyres and I was unable to see anything that took my fancy. I haven’t seen a better looking bike since I bought her! Well for now anyway…
Well 2020 hasn’t started out like many of us would have liked. As I sit here in the garden, day 1 of my 38th year, I’m reflecting on the impact Covid-19 is having on my race calendar for the year, as well as my own mental health.
My race calendar this year was due to kick off with a mini duathlon in March in Frimley, a small event to blow away the cobwebs. I was then due to go away on holiday to Egypt, a little bit of warm weather training. This would have been the kick start to my swimming season. The last couple of years have looked very similar with a packed early season, May is like my peak for events which isn’t ideal when peak fitness is usually in the summer time. I’ve planned it this way for the last few years as I normally have stag do’s and weddings in the summer that I have to plan events around. May this year was no different, starting with a sportive out of Windsor, nice 75 mile ride, then my big race The Roc Tri. Another triathlon based in Wales which has a difference, my first seas swim (remember Alcatraz was cancelled), cycle, run, cycle and beach run. All this through the gorgeous scenery of Snowdonia. Was really looking forward to that one. May was due to finish with Blenheim Palace tri, several years ago I took part in this event and was looking forward to seeing how much time I could take off my previous attempt. Now that I have a decent enough 5km time and a Camilla to eat up those miles on the bike leg!
All of these events have rightly so been cancelled due to our current status on the Corona virus. I’ll be getting refunds for the smaller events like Frimley Duathlon and Windsor sportive. However Tri Roc and Blenheim Palace were rescheduled for September. I have decided to stick with Blenheim but defer my Tri Roc entry to 2021, jheeez I’ll be 38 when I race that one, I was only 36 when I entered it!
Other thing on my 2020 plans where a ride around the Isle of Wight in July, Ride London in August and a 24 hour cycle somewhere in between. No news on any of these cancelling, I have the decision to make on the 24 hour cycle, it will come down to how many miles and hours worth of training I can get under my belt during lockdown. However the after party post that ride would be worth it alone!
So what have I been up to the past 5 weeks of lockdown. I decided to move back to the parents for a while to give myself some company. Those that know me will know that I am a very social person and enjoy seeing my friends and family, having a free reign to come and go as I please. This lockdown has been tough for me and I’ve been keeping myself busy with the odd run and cycle where I can, but some days I lack motivation or get go to do stuff. Must be a right joy to be around, sorry Mum and Dad. It was my birthday yesterday and what a day it was. Tough day all round made better by some quality FaceTime with my nearest and dearest.
I’ve been keeping myself busy with other non exercise jobs. Painted the back of my parents house, their decking and helping around the house where I can. I also used the time to make myself a desk, up lifting an old Singer sewing machine base to be my new desk at home. It’s been a time to get all the little jobs ticked off, so that when lockdown does lift the summer (what’s left of it) can be enjoyed.
Until only a few hours ago I had been sporting an isolation beard! At first it was just a chance to not shave for a while. I then took a liking to it, trimming and grooming the stubble to be presentable on work calls. Had a fair few comments saying I had a Wolverine look about me. I’m now clean shaven and ready to take on further weeks of lockdown with a more positive attitude!
I’m going to keep up the running and cycling over the coming weeks, mixing from short / quick to long and stead efforts. Want to be ready for that first ride I go on with others. Plus I need the exercise to keep off all this chocolate I keep eating, def classed as an essential purchase!
In the grand scheme of things, a few more weeks of lockdown, and not seeing my friends and family is a small price to pay for ultimately a safer outcome for all.
So another year down and another year with more up’s and down’s in and out of the saddle. I’m currently sat up one of my favourite coffee stops in Marlow reflecting on 2019, having just spent a few days away in Devon relaxing and re-energising for 2020. We are 3 days into the new year and I haven’t been out yet to burn any Christmas calories off, that’ll come once I share my 2019 story.
2019 Goals
On the 20th August 2019 I smashed my goals for the year!
Break Windsor Tri PB, although the weather was horrendous, course a little harder, like for like with my overall time but managed to smash my swim and bike legs.
Sub 7 hour 70.3. Well I had history with this distance, never before finishing one. Only went 28 minutes only the time I had set myself, and if I had trained more on longer run’s I could’ve knocked another 10-15 minutes off that too.
Sub 23 min 5km. Earlier in the year I did a 23:06 5km and it annoyed me that I didn’t push just that little but harder. 22:56 was then set in August and I have since gone on to go under 23 minutes once more.
Lose body fat. Well I’ve had to go buy new clothes and dropped 2 sizes down in my jeans!! It’s getting expensive now!
Plan something big…this will need to be continued as I plan a 24 hour cycle ride in 2020.
So how did I do…!?
2019 started off strong, lots of running as I was building up to my longest run ever, 15 miles of hills in Essex with a friend. Well earned dinner at the end of that one, kicking off 2019 this way saw my fitness pick up from the off.
February saw my annual trip to the Alpes and a week skiing. I wanted to improve my core and strength prior to going but never got round to it. Still managed to get through the week with lots of ski time. Rest of the month saw me take a break from running, I think the 15 mile run took its toll.
March and April saw the training plan come to light. Lots of fitness building with HIIT, spinning and running. Also managed a Brutal, and the traditional New Forrest sportive with Angela.
May was the start of brick sessions as Slateman loomed, got dragged into a Tough Mudder on a few days notice. Used that as further training. I really enjoyed the Slateman weekend of 2 triathlons in 2 days, was a good test of fitness.
June and July sale Windsor Tri and a trip to Sweden come and go. Both great events, with the weather being awful in Windsor, probably the wettest ride ever for me! Sweden saw a sub 7 hour 70.3, and my first finish at this distance.
August gave me some downtime, with more rest. This also returned me a 5km PB! Take that! A family visit to Majorca and a few runs and cycle to a lighthouse in the north of the island. I like taking my training gear away with me, its a nice way to see a new place and getting some exercise in. 2 birds 1 stone!
In September I signed up to the London Duathlon on a few weeks notice. Biggest Duathlon in the world. I managed to knock 4 minutes off my 10km PB. Amazed myself, felt great half way through so decided to push on through and see what I could end up with. This impacted the cycle and 5km run but hey ho!
October I had a cycle with worth friends, Palace to Palace. This was a nice way to finish the year on the bike. Camilla hasn’t been out since! I also took on the role of pace maker, getting some friends PB’s of their own across the 5km and then others through their first ever 10km. Running at a different pace to your usual pace is a lot harder than you would think.
I enjoyed November and December, lots of trail running which I really like. A new traditional Boxing Day Dad n Lad run and the Brutal in Longmoor, another race in mine and Angela’s calendar.
Impressed with what I’ve crammed into 2019, here’s a look at the numbers.
Stats
So with 2018 giving me a baseline, all I wanted to do in 2019 was keep going. I knew I would struggle with the the total distance on the bike, as I wasn’t planning on cycling the length of the UK again. Anyway here’s my numbers compared to last year.
So upon reflection of the numbers, I’ve been just as active as 2018 with the near on exact same amount of active days. Little lower on the hours trained but with a massive increase in how much I ran and the calories that went with those miles!
I’m going to have to take this into account when I plan out my 2020 goals.
2020
Although I don’t have any specific goals just yet. I do have some potential events lined up. I might head back to Wales in May and enter The Roc Tri, it’s a sea swim, cycle to Snowdon, up and down run of the mountain, cycle back to the coast and then have a little run up the beach to finish. This year may also see me head back to Blenheim Palace and take on my old sprint time. In June I want to see how far I can cycle in a 24 hour period, that’s the big one this year. Other events would be Man v Coast in Cornwall, maybe a Rat Race and a possible 70.3 late summer. No room for a full distance Ironman just yet!
So I guess I do have goals…
Blenheim Palace PB
Cycle 24 hours and cover as many miles as possible
To be added…
So that’s my year, time for me to hit post and then head out for a cheeky few miles on foot. Hope you enjoyed the read.
I’m writing this blog sat 35,000ft in the sky travelling back from a pretty awesome weekend in Sweden. Although I won’t get to post this blog for a while, this is the first opportunity I have had to find time to write. I would say find some peace and quiet, however the baby in seat 22E has other ideas, poor thing.
So anyway, a weekend in Sweden and a half Ironman under my belt. Those that have followed me, read my posts over the last couple of years will know that I haven’t had great luck with the longer distance triathlons. Alcatraz was a bike, run (basically a mini Duathlon), Alpe D’Huez was too hot and my body had not received from JOGLE. So I was wanting to put my 70.3 or equivalent to bed. Especially after failing several years ago in Exmoor (at what someone once told me was the hardest 70.3 on the circuit). Like most of my events I like to travel and see new places. Searching the Ironman website and also wanting something for July time, I set my sights on Sweden. A 70.3 held in Jönköping, based in the centre of Sweden below a large lake which is the coldest and deepest in Sweden. Much to my sister in laws surprise to find out, although I had to reassure her that we were swimming in a much smaller lake in the town, probably a lot warmer at 16.5 degrees too. I have since found out that there is a race around the other lake, 300km around, done over 2 days. Something for me to look into I think.
Training for this race really started over winter, I increased my spinning sessions whilst the weather was poor. Running also started with a 15 mile run back in Benfleet in January. So all in all a lot more focus on this event than I would a shorter race. I was not going to be beaten by this distance, not this year, not ever!
May saw the first of my races with Slateman, this was aimed at brushing off cobwebs, but with a twist as it was 2 in 2 days!
Once through May and entering June I had Windsor to look forward to. This race was again to increase the miles in the legs, but also to gauge how fit I am compared to a 8 year younger version of me. Happy with that whole race considering the weather, although my body felt it for days after!
The last few weekends saw me ride 50 mile rides and running between 6-8 miles, also keeping my swimming ticking over at the same time. Triathlon training is a constant juggling act not to lose sight or drop the ball on anyone discipline and making sure that you are fit and ready in each.
When I said I was entering a triathlon in Sweden, my sister in law said her and my brother would come watch. Although I find going to these events alone fine, it was really nice to know they would come and support me. They have both been to Sweden a couple of times and really enjoy it there.
We flew out on Friday morning, which seems like an eternity ago now. Managed to get to the hotel by lunch time, dump the bags, decided I would build Camilla later, then head into town. Jönköping was only a 5 mile drive from the hotel, parking was pretty easy, used my bank card everywhere, think it’s the first time ever I have travelled without local currency in hand. We had lunch at a recommended coffee shop on the lake, having a lovely chicken and bean salad, in the sun, over looking the M dot sign, perfect.
M Dot!
After lunch we went to register for the event, picked up my race bag, bought some stash (as you do) and was almost ready. The only other thing we have to do was go to the race briefing that evening, the only only English version, the race was 70% Swedish entrants after all.
Registration time!Stash!
Saturday was a day of leisure, all that I needed to do was check my bike into the transition. I had also not yet built Camilla, something I forgot to tell you before was when I dismantled the bike on Thursday before I left, I had a massive panic up! My handle bars, well you’ve all seen how pretty the bike is, no cables on show. It also me question how to drop the handlebars off!? After a little time and a lot of panicking I managed to do t. I think I took too many parts off as I dropped a nut into the frame and thought I was up shit street! Even googling what time the bike shop shuts in case I needed them. I got her packed, Saturday morning would prove to be the test when I go to rebuild her. I also wasn’t sure on how to fly with tubeless tyres or electric gears.. Google was my friend for both, basically do nothing on the tyres, and disconnect the battery for the gears. Don’t want a trapped shifter killing the battery on the flight now do we. Managed to get her built, it was anything but easy and it def made me sweaty a little. Tested out the ride in the car park and headed down to transition.
My unique one piece handlebars…
Although transition was open from 10-6 on Saturday, we got there at 10:30, eager beaver I know. Dropped my bike and both transition bags off, picked up my timing chip and was all set for a chill day. I did made a little boo boo though, stupidly racked the bike in 2146 spot rather than 2164, didn’t even notice until I was racking the transition bags!
Based on the briefing the night before and the bike ride profile, we decided to drive the first 10 miles of the bike route and see how steep the climb was. It felt pretty steep in our Seat Tarraco, having to shift down gears to climb it. Still, not a patch on Alpe D’Huez!
We headed up to Granna, a little lakeside resort and old school Swedish feel. The drive to Granna was stunning, through forests and driving along side lakes. Beautiful houses, the scenery in Sweden is stunning and looks pretty fake at times!
We shopped for a bit in Granna, had us some Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam, pretty tasty! The weather by this point was starting to turn, wind picking up and whilst on the way home, heavens opened! We went straight into Jönköping as we had an early dinner booking. Umbrella’s purchased, and a polar opposite outlook from the day before.
What a difference a day makes…
Had an amazing Italian dinner that night, did my share of carb loading. headed back for an early chill and downtime with some UNO.
Bring on the carbs!
Race Day
I managed to get a half decent sleep in me, Maybe somewhere around 6 hours sleep, which for a pre race sleep is pretty good for me. I stuck to my normal diet for breakfast, went with 2 porridge pots that I brought with me, slice of bread and a banana. We had to go back to transition first, which luckily had a car park opposite. Yep the overnight rain still hadn’t fully shifted . Could this be my third event of the year getting wet all day again. Sorted out my transition bags, check over Camilla, pumped her tyres up and headed to swim start. By this point it was raining a little heavier, tried to find some shelter to get changed, said my goodbyes to Dan and Lou and off I went.
Swim – 1.9km
Something a little new to me was the swim start. Typically You start with your age group in waves. This was start by your predicted swim time. I worked out from training that I should get a 38 minute swim if all goes well. So I ended up by the 38 min section and tucked in. Met an Englishman living in Malmo, who was doing his first tri in 6 years, said it was because he still had it as a hobby on his CV and felt like he was lying. The swim start was also slightly different as it was from land, starters every 4 seconds in waves of 4. I liked it. Although did give me a problem with the need of my pre game wee. I didn’t want to spend the first 30 seconds of the swim stationary whilst I went so I made the exec decision to go in the queue. Yep I stood there and did it in my suit, let me tell you, it felt great! I gave a little wave to my family and off I went!
The swim went well, it felt like the turn was a lot further away than it should have been. I got hit a good handful of times, also had rogue swimmers come in front of my line, made me question how truthful they were with their estimates. I got caught twice from the rescue boat wake, nearly swallowed a lot of water. Something else happened that was a first for me. I got water in my goggles literally in the first 50m of swimming. Had to decide there and then whether to stop and sort them or crack on. It was in my right eye, although a little annoying I decided to push through it! I still got the odd bit of cramp whilst swimming in my calves, might need to see if I need to kick more or something t help. Never good to be stretching your legs whilst you swim.
I thought my sighting was a little off, yet looking at the the GPS from my watch a pretty good line out and back!
I stayed quite wide to avoid people, which did mean I swan a little further, I think this explains the time that I did it in.
As I came down the final 1km the rain had stopped and the sun had come out to play. This stayed with us all day and I got the burn marks on my neck to show for it!
My brother asked what I think of when swimming. For the most part you’re thinking about rhythm, timing, breathing. Other thoughts that enter the head are sometimes peculiar, or just random. For the last few hundred meters I was wondering where my family would be, to remember to put water in the wetsuit (helps taking it off) and to push my watch to start T1.
T1
I wouldn’t normally write about a transition on it’s own, however T1 in this triathlon as a whooping 540m run! I thought I may have missed seeing the crew and was head down for the bike. Arms were out the suit, goggles and cap off, and running at an ok pace, felt pretty quick actually. Then it saw them! That’s what these events are about, having loved ones cheer you on and encourage you helps soo much! Picked up my bike gear, swapped for the wetsuit and jumped on Camilla.
Bike – 90.1km
Having driven the first 10 miles of the route I already know what 20% of the ride was like. The decision to do this was due to the race briefing suggesting a climb at the start. We were also heading up to Granna in the mother and thought taking the scenic route would be nicer.
The climb looked and felt a lot worse in a car. I don’t think I got into my lowest gear, if anything I found it very comfortable riding up the hill.
The ride was very undulating across the full 56 miles. The up sections weren’t steep enough to fully test you but enough to remind you that it’s going up. the downhills were also not steep enough for full on coasting. Anyway the was a pretty one at that!
I was conscious of my hydration, so took an old bottle with me at the start. At the water stations you could throw a bottle away and be given a new one on the go. No need to stop at all. I had also picked up a top tube bag which I had some food in, a bagel with ham and cheese, and some loose salted peanuts.
Of course Camilla got a compliment, it wouldn’t be a race if she didn’t. I even gave out a couple myself for some lovely looking bikes.
I did get over taken a fair but on the bike. I didn’t let this get to me as I knew the goal was simple to finish (in under 7 hours if I can). Saying that, Garmin did record my fastest 40km ride during that 90km ride, so ill take that! I was getting passed by mainly TT bikes. Some only after 44 miles which means I was way ahead for the bulk of the race. I had a few cat and mouse moments with a few others, some winning and some losing. All in all a decent ride that I felt comfortable on, hydrated, fueled and ready to run. Came back into T2, dropped the bike off, swapped shoes and glasses and of I went to run.
Run – 21.1km
The last leg…
I felt good coming .org the bike, I saw Dan and Lou within the first 500m post T2. I think you can see the spring in my step as I see them. These little pick me up’s really help across a long day.
So three loops of a lake at 7km a loop, here goes.
The first two laps were fine, pace started well then dropped off a little. That was to be expected though after all, it is a big event.
All the way through the run I kept talking to myself “DO NOT STOP”, repeatedly over and over again. Miles 9-11 had other ideas for me. I started to feel movements in my stomach, by this time I had been going for 5.5 hours and had taken on a lot of gels with caffeine in. So I decided it would be best to walk/run for a bit. Again this race was all about finishing and nothing else. However the last 2 miles were back into the town where the streets were lined with spectators. I couldn’t be walking those bits so picked myself up and jogged it home!
As you get to the end of a loop you get given a wristband, it’s so they know how many you have completed and if you are eligible to run the finishing straight. Picking up the last one meant I had say 500-750m to go. I didn’t have an awful lot left in the tank but tried to up the pace a little. running down the finishing line red carpet felt good, giving the family a wave and a Phil Neville type fist pump as I cross the line!
Sweden 70.3 Jönköping – 6:32…
Post Race
I felt surprisingly good after the race, I mean the legs were getting a little stiff, but we had a nice walk back to transition, picked everything up and headed back to the hotel.
That night I was expecting to want to celebrate in style. The truth is, I didn’t have much of an appetite, I only had 2 drinks and I was pretty shattered! Rock n roll lifestyle or a triathlete hey!
So, my 70.3 demons have been dealt with. My 2019 goal was to go sub 7 hours, which I beat by nearly 30 minutes. Ill take that!
So what’s next…
At the time of writing this I didn’t have any more events booked in this year. I have completed the London Duathlon since, picking up a 10km PB! Since racing in Sweden I have beat my 5km and 10km PB and feeling in pretty good shape. It was always going to be tough to stick to the amount of training I was getting through before this race, but with the Duathlon and an up coming ride from Palace to Palace in October I should have enough to keep me busy.
This 70.3 made me wonder whether I have a full distance in me at all. Massive respect to all my friends that have that on their CV. It’s a huge achievement, one that directly after the race was a definite NO. Now the dust has settled it’s more of a never say never…
I Just Felt Like Cycling 