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.

Wish me luck, over and out!

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!

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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.

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!

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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.

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.

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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.

I hope you and your families are safe and well.

Be good and let’s beat this together.

Samuel aka the shaven Wolverine

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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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…

1. Blenheim Palace PB
2. Cycle 24 hours and cover as many miles as possible
3. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Had an amazing Italian dinner that night, did my share of carb loading. headed back for an early chill and downtime with some UNO.

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…

It’s been 8 years since I did Windsor Triathlon, back then it was actually my third ever triathlon and first at the Olympic distance. When I set out to plan my year I knew the main event was Sweden 70.3, however in order to there I needed some warm up events. Windsor sat 3 weeks before and therefore a decent event as I plan for that half Ironman.

Training had gone well, managed to improve a lot with my swimming and running, the cycling looks after itself after JOGLE last summer. Each week I swim I seem to get quicker, and some of my brick runs have had some positive average speeds.

Pre Race

Saturday registration was a wash out, I got very very lucky in that the heavens shut up shop just as I arrived and stayed shut until I was back in the car. Camilla got a standard few compliments. One annoying thing was that no bikes were allowed to be covered or locked up over night. Camilla was going to get wet that’s for sure! After registering I popped to my brothers, the family were celebrating my brothers nephews 16th birthday with a BBQ. I stayed clear of all the amazing looking food which killed me, as I wanted roast veg, sweet potato and some salmon for dinner. I thought that was the clean healthy way to go, little did I know it would come back to haunt me in the morning. I’ll get to that. So had dinner, sorted my final stuff, packed my bags and got my head down for the night.

Surprisingly I had one of my best pre race sleeps. I actually woke up at 5:14, a whole 1 minute earlier than the alarm, dressed, tea, porridge and go time!

Well the weather was looking very ominous as I was sorting my transition area. Good job I packed my dry bag otherwise I would have been coming home in wet clothes. As I got to transition I need to do 2 things,

Have a pre game poo

Change into my tri suit

Well although the queues for the toilets were awful, I knew this would kill 2 birds with 1 stone, so got settled into the queue and had a 20 minute wait. Once in the loo, well I won’t be too graphic, but let’s just say it wasn’t a long stop sat down! I changed into my tri suit, but then to top off the relaxed bowel movement, I dropped my fresh on boxers down the pan! Looked like ill be heading home commando! Finished my transition set up and walked to the swim start.

On route I got caught chatting to a guy, it was his 6th Windsor tri. Spoke to him a lot about the change of route, every stage was different to when I last came. We will review that a little later once I tell you how I got on.

The Swim

So apparently the new swim route means you swim with the current for the long section. With all the rain that we have had, the currents were really strong. I jumped in the water, had the pre race wee with 30 seconds to spare. The current was soo strong that we had to back ourselves up to not cross the start line.

The klaxon went and away we go. The swim was pretty brutal, I got hit quite a few times. At the turn it became very narrow. That was when we headed back up stream. Now as good as the current was down river, it took some swimming to head back against it.

Swim was overall, good. Happy with technique and how it went. I did get slight cramp in the calf and hamstring coming back up stream, but all in all, happy.

• 2011 Swim Time – 32:26
• 2019 Swim Time – 31:40

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• 2011 Swim Position – 901
• 2019 Swim Position – 714

The Bike

The one leg that I was really really looking to smash, however…

“Probably the wettest bike ride I have ever been on”

Again, another route change. This meant that the run to mount point was longer than before. I settled into an early rhythm once on the bike, but the heavens decided to open! I think it must have rained for 40 minutes straight! I got soaked.

Getting wet wasn’t the worst part, don’t forget I had just been in the Thames for half an hour. It was coming down so heavy and from all angles. I was remembering the part in Forrest Gump when he mentions all the types of rain, lol, cracking film. I had doubts over my time and if I would get my PB that I was searching for. I was over taking soo many people, I think for the whole race only a handful went past me. They did have TT bikes and were pushing hard. The wet made it difficult to push too hard and the puddles were everywhere. The home straight in through Windsor great park saw me top out at 39mph. Considering the conditions, that’s fast. I came in feeling pretty good, slightly heavy legs but hoping my brick sessions in training would get me through.

• 2011 Bike Time – 1:21:47
• 2019 Bike Time – 1:17:36*

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• 2011 Bike Position – 1116
• 2019 Bike Position – 449

*Also Garmin tracked the bike at 25miles in length, so considering I was able to shave off 4 minutes, with the extra mile I am pretty happy. Garmin also said that it was my fastest 40km ride in my stats.

The Run

I thought the cycle had taken it out of me, yet was pleasantly surprised when I saw my first mile spout at 8:31. I maintained this for the first 2 miles, the middles 3 were slower, then finished back on pace. It was a tough course to be fair, I think the toughest change of a leg since the 2011 race. So I finished strong and was pretty happy with my overall pace and way that I finished.

• 2011 Run Time – 51:09
• 2019 Run Time – 52:54

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• 2011 Run Position – 999
• 2019 Run Position – 798

Summary

Surprised by how many spectators were there given the weather situation last week. It was a pretty big event with around 1300 people completing the Olympic distance alone.

So I had a bit of a nightmare with my Garmin watch. I had accidentally pressed to end the cycle 0.5 miles into the ride. So Garmin now thinks I had a 7 minute bike ride and a 1 hour 15 minute T2! Facepalm moment!

Garmin was also suggesting to me that I was approaching a segment when I came to the start of the long walk. Only had to hear my watch beep every lap when I started back on the long walk.

All in all I am very happy with the race. Looking back at the times I did, I really wanted to PB each discipline and overall race. I did hit my PB in both the swim and the bike, which considering the current and weather (and extra mile), I am very very happy indeed. It was a tougher course, so on reflection a week later, I am super chuffed.

• 2011 Overall Time – 2:48:39
• 2019 Overall Time – 2:51:51

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• 2011 Overall Position – 1003 / 1634
• 2019 Overall Position – 570 / 1286

I know that I pushed hard though as it has taken me best part of 5 days to sort of recover. My body felt a little battered in the week, like I had been in a car accident!

This was treated as a final big brick session as training for Sweden 70.3. That’s on the 7th July and will come round quick. I have a couple of sportive before then and a final brick session. Outside of that I just need to add some miles to the running training. Where as Windsor was about setting a quick time, Sweden will all be about finishing. I have unfinished business at the 70.3 distance.

Wish me luck!

Where does time go!? I sit here writing a blog post on the eve of my Windsor Triathlon weekend, 4 weeks on from my trip to North Wales and the Slateman Triathlon. It seems like yesterday that I was competing in the back to back triathlons across the weekend. Here’s my blog that I wrote across the weekend.

This race could well be my first finish at a triathlon since New York City in 2015 (fingers crossed). I have to say “could” as I am writing this blog across the race weekend and well, you guessed it, it’s the night before.

I had never heard of the Slateman Triathlon until I was on the San Francisco Belle Hornblower waiting to head out to start the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. Yep 2 years ago I met a tri coach from Hull, Craig. At most triathlons, you get chatting to others, it’s a very very friendly sport. I had mentioned that I enjoy a challenge and like to do different types of triathlons/events. Alcatraz was an example of that as it had odd distances, a swim from The Rock and not your typical tri. Craig said that I would like the Slateman, set in around the base of Snowdon, cycling and running through the mountain range and slate quarries proves to give a picturesque triathlon. He also suggested that they do double triathlons across the weekend, The Savage!

As explained in a previous post, the Savage is a variation of a sprint and Olympic triathlon distances in the same weekend. You can either enter them individually, do both, or even enter a longer distance tri the Legend (70.3) on the Sunday. Craig was entered into that one this weekend.

I had booked into this event last year following the chat on the ferry from the summer before. I had to pull out due to injury, my knee wasn’t in a good place and last year was all about JOGLE!

My winter training has gone well, I like to keep a balance between exercise and socialising, so yes, there is always the possibility that I will miss a session or two from my plan. I shared my training plan with you earlier this year, it had suggested that by the time Slateman comes around I would have exercised a total of 51 times, remember this was only starting from late Feb. Mixing up swimming, running, cycling and gym sessions. I stuck to the plan as much as I could, swimming took a hit as I cancelled my gym membership. However I managed to get a flow before this race weekend. In total I missed 15 sessions across the last few months, although that sounds like a lot, I am feeling very fit at the moment and looking forward to seeing what the rest of the summer has to offer.

Travel

My last two events have required a lengthy drive. Snowdon doesn’t come anywhere near the distance I drove to the Alpes but was still a good 4.5 hour drive. I had Thursday off work to get all my stuff prepped. I’ve got a list (course I do) saved from a few years back, covers everything I need for a triathlon. So all packed, I loaded the car and set off to Wales. The weather got better and better the I got, it was pretty miserable when I left home. It felt like it took the same amount of time to get from home to the “Welcome to Wales” sign as it did from there to Llanberis. It also took less than a mile once into Wales before I saw my first ARAF sign, which means slow. They are everywhere!

When I arrived and found my B&B, the owner Jacqui was waiting. Very friendly but did think I was mad doing the 2 in 2 days! A theme that I picked up on as I got chatting to people across the weekend. So as I’ve learnt from New York, San Fran and the Alpes. Lower the amount of walking the day before race day. Where I was staying was 0.3 miles from transition, don’t think I could have stayed much closer. Well I could, but they were full! I popped there twice on Friday, so just the mile or so in the legs pre race. Couldn’t get much to eat that was healthy or clean so settled for curry of the day in a pub and headed back to chill and watch England v Pakistan in the ODI warm up game. Got all my stuff ready, sorted my porridge order for breaks and got myself an early night.

Ok so I wrote the above before I settled for the evening. I actually ended up watching Ricky Gervais, After Life. Got through a cheeky 3 episodes, eventually the head hit the pillow at about 23:00.

Race Day 1 – Saturday Sprint 400m Swim, 20km Bike, 5.7km Run

Standard issue, well for me anyway, alarm set for 06:45, body clock woke me up at 05:45, take after my Dad in that respect, def not my Mum. Morning was swift, I got some porridge down me with some honey mixed through, rule 1, never change race day fuel on race day, stick with what you do for any other training day. Grabbed my stuff and headed to transition, was there by 08:15, perfect timing.

Having a low bib number 6, meant I had like the perfect place for transition. I got set up with every thing laid out and had a pre game wee and headed to the swim.

Standard triathlon protocol, get someone else to zip the wetsuit up. I then noticed a little cut in the suit, not ideal when I have only worn it once before. HUUB will be getting an about that (which they have had). So everyone was cautious of the water temperature. After Exmoor some years back, nothing and I mean nothing can come close to that. It was chilly and when it hit my face, it def woke me up! Swim went really well, happy with my time and my sighting. My open water swimming has come on a lot since the Alpes where I managed to swim an extra 300m than I was supposed to. Onto the bike…

The bike was pretty cool, it was 5 mile climb, followed by a little down and up, then 5 mile descent back to transition. I think I only got overtaken by 2/3 bikes, so have come along way over the years, so better at climbing these days. Upon entering transition I thought I was going to be DQ’d! I unclipped the helmet before racking the bike, the marshall made me stop and re clip the helmet back up before I could run towards my position and rack the bike. I even unclipped once more before I racked the bike and got told off again. I did try to find the marshall later to apologise but couldn’t see him.

The run…WOW! I’ve entered and run some steep runs this year. Benfleet 15, Brutals, Tough Mudders, yet I think this was the worst! First 20 minutes was all uphill, now for a run that is just over 5km, which I can normally do in around23 minutes, that’s a lot of climbing! Some serious hills, lots of walking, it was relentless. The downhill way back was pretty fun though. It was at this point that I noticed my tri suit sleeves had been rolled up since the swim! Gutted for how the pics will come out, yet I will learn for tomorrow.

One thing that did feel weird was not getting a medal at the end. I guess my race isn’t technically over yet, save that for tomorrow.

Although unofficial as I wrote this part of the blog, it looks as though I came 100th today, out of a field of 238. Take that. I was in 88th place in the bike, yet 127th in the run, some of the others were like gazelles going up those hills!

So as I wrote this part of the blog, I had been back to the B&B, showered, stretched, got the recovery compression tights on and headed out for lunch. Went for a ham and cheese sarnie and mushroom soup combo. Wanted to go check if the massage tent at transition was still open, which it wasn’t, then I needed to decide whether to chill or head up Snowdon (by train).

I forgot to mention just how many compliments Camilla received today!

Race Day 2 – Sunday Classic 1km Swim, 50km Bike, 11km Run

So I didn’t manage to get a decent nights sleep, was a little apprehensive into how the knee would hold up and feel today, also how the body in general would cope. Especially when your watch tells you to have 4 days recovery time! Gulp!

Had a slightly later start on Sunday, my wave was going off at 09:40, still opted for the 07:30 porridge though. Transition was similar to Saturday, although a lot more people, a buzz in the air. The heavens decided to open just before we were due to start. I got a little wet before I had even got into my wetsuit. I made a boo boo as I was walking to the start, I still had my socks on! Doh! Oh well, they are somewhere near the start line in the poo covered field if anyone needs some short trainer socks!

The water temperature had dropped overnight due to the rain, it was at 12.5 degrees which was 0.4 lower than Saturday, enough to make you know its freezing, especially when it hits the face for the first time! I am really happy with my swim, considering when I first started triathlons I would come up for a bit of breast stroke every once in a while, today was full on front crawl the whole way. I got hit by a another triathlete after a few minutes into the swim, these things can be carnage sometimes, this was just the one hit. I also had to dig someone in the ribs to get them to move over as they kept on swimming into my direction and getting in the way. They learnt. T1 done, smoothly onto the bike!

The bike was also wet, I was 1 minute slower on the first 5 mile climb, it had set off in the same direction and course as the Saturday race. After that I managed to settle into the bike. Legs started to feel a little heavy after 12 miles, but decided to suck it up and push on, deal with it on the run! At 16 miles the marshalls waved us down to a stop. There had been a road accident, so we had to stop and wait. This cost me 10 minutes waiting. I didn’t really mind too much, but it was on a downhill section where I was flying! The restart saw nearly 60-70 cyclists all go off together, drafting was going to be well out the picture, a peloton style next 5 miles, game on. More and more compliments on Camilla. A swift T2 (not removing the helmet until I needed to) and onto the run.

Well, the lady with numero 1 on her bib suggested that the Sunday would be the easier run of the two days. After a mile, there was about 2 miles of climbing. My back was in bits and really hurting, so I decided to walk a lot of the hills. Especially when I didn’t really know the end was. Once up there, it was very much downhill all the way home with the odd little up. I finished strong in the run, maybe its because that’s where all the spectators are, got to look good for the crowds.

Race was done, time to refuel. Treated myself to a burger and a pint of cider. I had no concerns around sleeping well that night!

Slateman Savage is def one to recommend, not for the faint hearted though. Be sure not to burn out too much on the Saturday, as the Sunday hills will come back to bite you on the arse! The scenery is stunning, definitely one of the most picturesque places I have been for a triathlon.

I had a few day rest once I got home, it was 4 weeks before Windsor and 7 weeks before Ironman Sweden (70.3).

That’s all for now, I hope you enjoy the read!

So as most of you will know, this weekend just gone was 2 week’s before my trip to Wales and racing at the Snowdonia Slateman Triathlon.

On reflection I have just had a big weekend of training!

My original plan from some week’s ago had suggested that this weekend was going to mimic the Slateman triathlon with back to back brick sessions. As the triathlon will be back to back on a Saturday and Sunday. So the plan was to go big on Saturday and then ease off a little on Sunday. This decision was more so in case I picked up any injuries along the way and could only get through the Saturday. Although my knee has been a little tender post some run’s lately and needs a good looking at once the season is over. I was invested in the double brick sessions.

This time last week I had lunch with Dean at work, that’s when the plan started to go out the window…

The gym we both go to, Fit House in Chalfont St Peter were all entering the Henley Tough Mudder on Sunday. Dean tends to go to more classes than me at the gym there so was getting pressured into entering. He said to me, he would love to do it but would need me to pull him through it! Can tell he is in sales as I started to get the pitch, discounted entry, don’t have to do the electric current obstacle, be a laugh, and so on. So I had a little think, reviewed the site as never entered a Tough Mudder before. 9 mile course and 25 obstacles, now I guess I shouldn’t have really entered as I could have picked up an injury from the obstacles. However thought to myself I could mix up the training for the weekend and still fit it in. That distance of a run was going to be longer than I was planning to run in the brick sessions, so why not.

So I updated the plan, go out for just a ride on the Saturday, mainly so my knee would be fresh for running on Sunday. Tough Mudder on Sunday and then a mini brick session on Monday. Wanting to do about 40 miles on Saturday on the bike, then around 20 miles and 3 miles for bike and run respectively on Monday (if in a state to run).

Saturday Ride

Camilla (my bike) got a well overdue full body clean on Saturday morning. For those of you that remember an earlier post, I revealed that I now use baby wipes on the frame (fragrance free). I went for a full deep clean on the cassette, derailleur, disc brakes and all other areas. As I was doing this, the weather was taking a more and more turn for the worse. At this point I was also planning to head over to my parents and see my nieces, so took the judgement call to shorten the ride to 30 miles and skip the coffee stop in Henley.

This ride was horrendous, I mean my average mph was ok, not the best. It was cold, windy, slightly damp, for those that know me, I am such a fair weather cyclist that this weather pains me! I even got caught up in hail at one point, where a large hail stone caught me on the lip, so much so I had to check that it didn’t draw blood!

Time to recover for Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder

My first ever Tough Mudder, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had entered and run in Nuts Challenge and Brutal runs, but nothing with obstacles like you see at Tough Mudder. I genuinely really enjoyed it! It didn’t start that way, I must have drunk too much liquid pre race as I was busting for a wee before we started and no toilets in sight! About half a mile in we hit the woodland and I jumped off track to have a toilet break! It was a long one, so much so that I then had to run pretty fast to catch the rest of the crew up! I felt better straight away!

Tough Mudder has a mixture of obstacles, all with a variety of toughness, some allow you to level up, which basically just means it’s harder. You were wet through within the first 3 miles, which mean’t you then had a long old time recovering, trying to get dry. Then every time that would materialise, bang, back in the water to cool you down! Some of the group we were with were a little bit lower on the old body fat than me. They were shivering to such an extreme that I almost felt bad enough to shiver with them. The puppy fat I have kept me warm enough, well not really warm, I still had to slide into an ice bath at one stage!

I came out of the race with bruises and scratches on my arms and legs. My knee’s felt battered! My upper body was also aching a lot from all the hang tough style obstacles. My hands were ripped to shreds with one of the hanging obstacles, so decided to drop off it and save some skin whilst I could.

Monday Brick Session

Monday brick session went near enough to plan, would have preferred to have a little more higher average mph for the ride but again, weather played a part, as did a couple of hills. Managed to get out on this ride with John (friend from Wycombe who also rides). We managed to have a good catch up whilst cycling for just over an hour. At some stages during the ride I was contemplating knocking the run on the head. Wasn’t sure how the knee would feel. We managed to talk lots about cycling in Majorca, somewhere John has been a few times and somewhere I am going on a family trip in August. Looks like I am definitely taking some cycling gear with me and hiring a bike for a few days! Apparently it’s like a ski resort for cyclists.

I took the run as easy going as I could, again, slightly windy so was bitterly cold out. Managing to get out for a couple of miles and at an ok pace. Knee was feeling pretty good actually.

Weekend Summary

So all in all, a pretty decent weekend of exercise. I think the change up of the plan worked out well in the end.

• 50 miles cycled
• 10.5 miles run
• 5768 calories burnt

Some pretty good numbers to reflect on, getting through a new event and also coming through unscathed, well just minor scratches and bruises. Voltarol is now being applied post exercise to manage any potential swelling on the knee. I managed to get to see friends and family for some good company, good food and some laughs. A couple of nights I didn’t have the best sleep, but something I will learn from moving forward

Slateman Savage

So I thought it was about time I had a little look at the bike and run profiles for Slateman at the weekend. As you may know by now, the weekend will be back to back triathlons on the Saturday and the Sunday. Saturday is a little shorter than the Sunday but both have some pokey hills to climb during both bike and run sections.

The weekend starts with what they call a sprint triathlon, 400m swim followed by 12 miles on the bike and 3.5 mile run. As you can see below the bike route is a straight out and back again, so long climb, short descent followed by short climb, long descent.

The Sunday is the classic distance which is a 1km swim, followed by 30 miles on the bike and 7 mile run. This also starts with a sharp climb, then after that a gradual increase before a majority downhill ride. The run on the classic looks to be a long climb of about 2 miles before it starts to descend again. Really looking forward to that one!

With profiles like that I can almost guarantee the cider waiting for me Sunday night will be very well earned!

The next couple of weeks will see me taper off a little from the training, will be swimming a lot more as it has less of an impact on the joints and will allow the body to recover. Another brick session on Saturday at a higher race pace, followed by my first and only open water swim session on Sunday. Been delaying it for as long as possible, waiting for the weather to pick up. However I need the distance, the practise and also to test the new wetsuit I treated myself to.

Thanks all

Sam

I mentioned some time ago that I was about to cancel my current gym contract and sign up to a few different places that offer more flexible membership options. Let me introduce you to The Fit House, a fairly new gym that has opened up in Chalfont St Peter.

I first heard of this place through a friend of mine, Dean lives locally and said he was going to HIIT at a gym close to home. Upon looking into the website I saw that they offer a free trial in the hope that they get you hooked. I was a little cheeky and asked to come along to both a HIIT and Strong class before I made my mind up. Now that I’ve been to both classes let me give you a little review in case you’re wondering what the place is like and whether to head down.

The gym is based at a cricket club and has a hall on the 1st floor, the hall is mixed between half wooden floor and half rubber mats. They offer a variety of classes (at the bottom of this post), I will be reviewing two different types but may well try to get down to others to check them out. The gym has all the essentials for classes with a row machine, bike and ergo ski machine (always wanted to have a go at this). So therefore it is more setup for classes than it being a gym where you would go for individual sessions with lots of weight machines. It’s not a pretentious place at all and in the couple of classes I have been to, members of all shapes and sizes were there, all putting in their own effort and all enjoying themselves. The owners Rachel and Frazer are creating a family feel to the place, it’s the little things that go a long way. Frazer reaching out to me after my first class to see how I liked it and if I was going to come back was a nice touch. They also make a real effort in remembering everyone’s name, don’t think you can say that about many classes at the big establishments. Offering classes for families, teens, kids, Mum’s and Babies they are creating a gym that covers all ages. You have the option of either pay as you go or direct debit, If you are likely to go several times a month then the direct debit option may well be best for you. As for me I like the idea of pay as you go. They also offer personal training sessions throughout the week, which is ideal for those of you that have never been to a gym, or prefer to have someone coaching you through your effort on your way to your goals. There is no booking system, you simply turn up and join in whenever you want!

HIIT

High intensity interval training (circuits as my Dad says), is a class that offers 45 minutes of hard work. Like any class or any form of exercise, you only get out what you put in. This class had me sweating big time! I think I might have been able to wring out my shirt and fill a small cup with the amount I sweated. The class starts with a little warm up to get everyone ready. My class seemed like a busy one, there were at least 20+ people in the class and every station was pretty much taken. I’ve actually been to a couple of the HIIT classes and they were also different both times. The first class was a selection of stations where you spent around 45 seconds performing an exercise with a little rest, repeat the exercise before everyone rotates round to the next. A mix of exercises, press up’s, lunges, sit up’s, plank, battle ropes, rowing, ergo ski, bike, medicine balls, shuttles and more. The second class I went to was slightly different, offering exercises where everyone performs them at the same time. We did a 7 minute circuit of walk outs, burpee’s, sit up’s and squats, building up from 2 then 4, 6, 8 and so on until you reach 7 minutes. We then moved onto other varieties of this model whilst always having someone from the class on the bike and ergo ski machine hitting 15 cal before moving on. The class ended with a team effort of total amount of burpee’s in a set time, you rest whilst your partner works. Both sessions were really good, I was aching for days after the first class as I was beginning to use all those muscles that I don’t get to work out when I swim, cycle or run.

Strong

I went to this class three days after HIIT, I nearly bailed out as my body had’t fully recovered. I decided to go along and check it out, as I said before, you only get out of a class what you put in. So I could always ease off a little if I was feeling it. I realised during this class how weak my core is, I was struggling a lot on the core based exercises, well mainly the v sit up’s. I was also struggling a little with press up’s, although I blame my arched back for that. It just means I have to work a bit harder to pull my tummy in and flatten my back. This class didn’t seem to be as busy as the HIIT class but still managed to get around 12-14 of us. Some of the exercises were similar to HIIT and some were new, introducing TRX row and weighted squats, lunges and shoulder press. I feel like it was a good blend and difference from HIIT and enough that you would want to introduce both into your routine to keep variety and build a good base of fitness with strength conditioning.

The verdict…

I really enjoyed my first couple of classes and decided to sign up to more, I went for the £90 for 10 sessions as I want that flexibility to be able to miss classes and opt for a run or a cycle should the weather pick up (fingers crossed for a repeat of 2018 weather). Not being tied into a contract gives me this, I am hoping that over the course of a couple of months my decision to cancel my old gym and sign up to more of these credit based classes works out more cost effective.

So if you’re looking for something new, something different or something with a little more flexibility, run by a couple of lovely people and friendly atmosphere. Then get yourself down to one of the classes below and enjoy yourself!