11 Years of Blogging

It is nearly 11 years since I started this Blog. Time has flown by! So much has changed in my life that has impacted my racing ambitions. I do feel like my personal Tri community has shrunk somewhat since leaving the RAF in 2017. I have found the transition from RAF to civilian life incredibly difficult - mostly due to the fact that my departure from the RAF was somewhat of a 'cliff-edge' drop, rater than a calculated leap into a planned phase. But as I have said so many times in this Blog, the focus is training and racing; not an emotional dumping ground! So let's look at the end of 2019 and look ahead to 2020. Crikey! that date sounds almost science fiction! The fact that I am still racing is a success in itself, I suppose! But enough of reminiscing. The end of 2019 is today. As far as racing goes, it has been another low-key year. I started my 'second career' in March 19. A last minute opportunity to work with the Leidos, supporting the MOD arose. This job was a better prospect than joining DE&S as a civil servant. This meant my working in Bristol during the week and returning to Newcastle Under Lyme each weekend. This dynamic has taken some getting used to. In fact, I don't think that I will ever get used to it. I had tried to target a middle distance triathlon but illness, work, 'life' etc etc put pay to that. I managed a few 10 mile TTs, a disastrous 25 mile TT, a few sprint Triathlons and a few Duathlons. At best, I maintained some sense of fitness. Then, in August, I caught a bad chest infection. Any aspirations of a late season middle distance triathlon were binned as the illness dragged on for weeks. As October came, I started to focus on running more, and started track sessions with Bristol West AC. I also joined Newcastle (Staffs) Tri Club (NTC), recently voted THE BEST TRI CLUB IN ENGLAND!!! Awesome. So now the focus is to hit the age group duathlon races and see what can be achieved. I have not been in the pool for months and do not really miss it. The track sessions have been consistent and I am hoping to see some progress on the run speed. Add to this, regular conditioning sessions and I hope to start 2020 It's Parkrun day tomorrow. Let's see where the run fitness is. The track sessions tell me I am not ready to break 18 mins for 5k. . . . .

Run Focus

Well, nearly the end of 2019 and another underwhelming year of competing. I completed a few events and was pleased to qualify for the 2020 World Sprint Du Champs. The decision to focus on duathlon next year has been quite refreshing and motivating. I am enjoying track run sessions and the last few sessions have seen a few positive sensations where I actually felt as though I could be making progress. The last couple of sessions in Bristol have been completed in frosty conditions. The track was very slippy, yet my times were not too bad. I have entered a couple of road run races to test the run form. Firs, the Kidsgrove 10k on 12 Jan 20. Secondly, the Alsager 5 mile race on 2 Feb 20. Let's see how these event turn out! I could do with testing the form over 5k at the local Parkrun before these races. Maybe over the Christmas period when I will be a bit fresher for not being at work.

Winter Go-Tri Duathlon

Last minute decision to race the winter iteration of the Manchester Airport Duathlon last weekend. I raced this venue back in March and quite enjoyed it. The weather forecast told me there would be no ice; so off I went early Sunday in the Tri-van with road bike loaded up. I didn’t fancy the TT bike for this race. Plus if I was going to race some draft legal Duathlon in 2020 I had best dial in to the road bike position to run off my evo2max. Both runs are short for this race, at 2.5k. The start was split into 5 waves only 15 sec apart. Being in the last wave I could see about 120 runners up ahead. The run course takes you through tunnels under the runway, which is kind of cool. But the path is narrow and overtaking slower runners is difficult. As normal there were some folk starting off way too fast and I met them go and burn out. Sure enough they drifted back and I managed to pull away to lead my wave into T1. I wasn’t sure how many runners I had past from earlier waves. So I hopped on to the bike and tried to pace the speed round the country lanes. I half expected a hoard of TT bikes to come past me but nobody caught me. Into T2 and as I approached the turn round pint of the second run I saw the first runner ahead of me. So I must have been in 2nd place overall. There looked to be some fast younger runners closing in, as I saw them after I turned for the return part of the run leg. But I was flowing well and confident I could hold them off. And so it was 2nd overall for me. I’ll take that! It was a low key race but still got to be pleased with an overall podium. The run legs felt good. Maybe the track sessions are starting to pay off. Let’s hope so!

Deeper into Winter

Almost 1 month on from my last post where I outlined my Duathlon plans and I have managed to maintain my track sessions. Conditions seem to play a large part in hitting the pace that I outlined. The last couple of sessions at Bristol were completed in really poor conditions - very wet and cold. I just felt like the muscles wouldn’t work and the pace was not great. I managed another session with NTC in Stoke and that was a bit better, though legs were fatigued from the previous weekend. I have to focus on the longer term goals as the temptation is to try and be fresh for these track sessions and that means easing up 3 days before! My powers of recovery are almost non-existent! I’ve struggled to get sufficient sleep too. The pace of work and juggling domestic struggles is really taking a toll on me - mentally and physically. I’m trying to be sensible and take more rest days. However, rest days don’t seem to recharge me and I’m left stale and flat. Not sure what the answer is to all this. We do what we can . . . . On a much more cheery note, check this awesome pic from CJ.

Run Focus - Track Revisited

With the new duathlon focus I’ve been thinking about how to structure training. The Duathlon focus is on sprint distance primarily. My thinking is that I need to build some strength whilst focusing on speed work. Speed work is a training aspect that I enjoy but haven’t really built up any consistent training load for any period of time. As normal, my schedule isn’t really a schedule! It’s just an aspiration to add structure somehow 🤣. But for the next few months the aim will to build back the strength and conditioning with some body weight and kettle bell work. And simultaneously build up the run speed work with consistent track sessions. So far, I’ve completed 3 track sessions; a couple with Bristol West athletic club and last night a session with NTC at Northwood Stadium. Really enjoyed all these sessions and they’ve given me an idea of what sort of shape I’m in now at the start of this new training focus. Last night’s session was a descending distance with corresponding descending RI. From this session I want to baseline my pace to build to a target that will increase my 5k speed. Pace: 2000. 7:18. 3:31 pace 1600. 5:43. 3:24 pace 1200. 4:11. 3:19 pace 0800. 2:50. 3:25 pace 0400. 1:16. 3:04 pace So where does that leave the pace to work on? Well 3:30 per kilo is a 17:30 5k. I’d be well chuffed to run that time for 5k nowadays. So I’m thinking anything longer than 1600m in a track session has to be at 3:30 pace - or as close possible. 800m is aimed to be at 3:25 pace. 400m aimed at sub 3:20. These are the target times and distances in between should have corresponding times in line with the baseline distances/times. Recovery is key after these track sessions. It seems to hit my legs hard and 2-3 days of soreness is common. So I need to push the track but aim to tease the pace increases rather than run absolutely flat out every track session. Biking for the next few months will be whatever I feel like with some turbo HIT sessions short and sharp to keep the legs awake. So there’s a plan I just made up whilst drafting this narrative 😎👍🚵🏼‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Change of Focus. . . . . Darley Moor Duathlon World Champ Qualifier

Loads of time has slipped by since my last post - nothing new there. But there has been lots happening and my planned races have not happened due to illness, mostly. I contracted a chest infection that just did not shift. I basically lost 5 - 6 weeks training and then struggled to train at any intensity for weeks afterwards. Only recently have I been able to push the effort to any degree. As normal, I was not a happy bunny. Some other domestic and work pressures have added more chaos to the mix and the last few months have been pretty much a training write-off. On the plus side, I have my imported van now. This van is awesome for racing excursions and camping etc. It feels like going back to the good old days! Amongst the chaos and feeling sorry for myself, I tried to reflect on what I could achieve with my racing. Cutting out the route to realisation, I came up with the fact that I needed a new direction; something that could motivate me and fit in better with my life. I came up with the idea of focusing on Duathlons. I was never going to be a great swimmer (though I enjoy swimming immensely) and it was costly to get to the pool, restricted by session time and I always found myself chasing down the field after the swim leg of a triathlon because I was way back. Despite no real race fitness I managed to get a late entry into the Darley Moor Sprint Duathlon on 22 Sep 19. This happened to be a World Champs Qualifier. So although a local race, the standard of competition was likely to be quite high. With no expectations I found myself looking forward to the race - armed with my new focus for the following season. Come race day it was wet. . . . .very wet. But at least it was warm. First run was ok and I held back a bit for an 18:21 4.8k. Not a great time but then I have not been training that much. I enjoyed the bike a lot. Even the rain didn't impact my enjoyment. Second run was 9:50 for 2.5k. Again not great but I held it together. Overall, 2nd in age group by 16 seconds. I could see the chap in front but the gap stayed constant and I couldn't catch him. So a World Champs slot for Sep 2020. Whether I get to race these champs, who knows!

Blithfield Sprint Tri

Today was my nect sprint Tri. I certainly felt better on the bike and rub than I did during the Ashbourne Sprint Tri back in May! Must be the French Alps agreeing with me 8-). Butthe swim was dire. A timed 16:15 for 750m!! I've not been that slow for . . . . . can't remember! I didn't feel too bad in the water but I was slowwwwww. Oh well, do some more swimming and don't get hung up on it. I've never been competitive over the sprint distance but a good course and nice weather made for a good race. I actually finished 2nd in Cat but should really have raced the Standard Distance I think. I got held up on the bike quite badly. Being so slow in the swim I was passing cyclists ahead of me like crazy. However, cars were stuck amongst the slower cyclists and I won't overtake cars. So I got held up and the ride was a bit stop/start. But enough complaining. The run was ok averaging 3:59/k. Could do with some speed but felt strong. My transitions were bad but there was no way I would have caught the winner of my Cat. Onwards and upwards. I have a Sportive on 11 August and could do with a Standard Distance race soon. . . .

Next Race

Next Tri race is looming, with the PMA Racing Blithfield Stafford Triathlon kicking off on Sunday 21 Jul 19. I have entered the sprint distance,though there is a Standard Distance Option. I've stuck to the Sprint Distance to use the race as a sharpener before I start a 6 week strength endurance period. So what's been happening lately? Training has been constant, with the last week probably the biggest volume I have completed for years. I also races the DB Max mid-week 10 mile TT on Wed. As slow 24:29 was not great. However, I was crrying some fatigue and actually felt strong. A ride to and from the venue added extra miles and I was strong on the return ride. I have also re-joined Newcastle Tri Club (Staffs). NTC are a friendly bunch and I have joined their Sat long bike ride the last 2 weeks. I have missed this club ride training, which I always used to do when I was a St Ives CC member. Hopefu;;y, I can find some bike speed with these long rides as the base for bike training. I have also completed numerous rides on the TT bike. So I am hoping that the position is dialled in again. A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to take a holiday in our old Fav location, Annecy. Whilst there we had a pretty active holiday, with a couple of bike days in the hills. Julie had an ebike and was amazing; she is not a cyclist but we put in 40 mile days in the mountains. I think I have come out of this week with added strength and feeling good on the bike. Maybe the stress release of being there helped too!

I Raced A Sprint Tri🏃‍♂️🏊‍♂️🚴🏿‍♂️🏃‍♂️

Well, I finally competed in a triathlon. This event was the first Tri race since er . . . Can’t remember. As my last post described, I hadn’t been too happy with progress and I was not expecting great things. Expectations met; I was not going to set the pace in this race. A very disturbed night’s sleep hadn’t helped but that is another story. I started the swim nice and steady and actually enjoyed it. My wall to wall time of 6:36 was not a disaster, though a guy cruised last me like I was drowning. I can accept that I’m not a great swimmer and I know that I can knock 30 sec off my time with some more pool time. Transition was a nightmare due to the stones on the concrete. I’ve just got princess feet and cannot do the barefooted run thing without much pain. Oh well. I’m used to this! The bike was still enjoyable but I just couldn’t put the hammer down and find the speed I think I should, especially on the small rises. Into transition and yet more pain due to stones. Once in the run I felt ok but just couldn’t raise the pace. I just felt flat. I could have continued at that pace but going faster over the last mile was not going to happen. Iverall, I was around 20th I think. And 3rd in AG. Not a disaster but I am focused for better things from now. Some structured build sessions between now and 25 June when I go to Annecy 😃

Fighting the Tide. . . . .And Losing

The gap between Blog postings tells a story really. The story is that I am not happy with progress. Fitness levels seem to be going backwards and recovery period from any level of intensity is insanely long. The 25 Mile TT I mentioned was completed in a personal worst of 62:16. I suffered and produced a season best Power average for an hour of 250W. But the time was slow for decent conditions. The following Wednesday I raced at the Inter-Services Duathlon as a guest. I felt tired there too and the performance showed that. First 5k run was 18:20 but I didn't feel good. The bike was always going to be slow as I was on my evo road bike. I was so slow I was utterly shocked. The second run was not my usual decent off the bike performance and I hobbled round barely able to get 4:00 per/k pace. Since this race I have never really felt fresh, despite some days off. Maybe it is lack of sleep. Next race is 19 May at Ashbourne Sprint Tri. Let's see how that goes. . . .

Castle Coombe TT

I must admit, this new job has derailed the training somewhat. I feel like I have lost some consistency and seem to be permanently tired. I need to find a routine that can incorporate sleep, training and travelling - not easy. Anyway, last Wednesday I ventured out to the Castle Coombe motor racing circuit to participate in round 1 of the DB Max 10 mile TT series. The weather was good and, coupled with traffic free riding and the smooth surface, it looked a great option. I warmed up well to try and loosen the achy legs off. Starting off, I actually felt good but I dialled the power back to try and pace the distance. AS I progressed I felt that I had hit the right intensity but the power reading was dropping and settled at an average of 247W. I finished in 24:04. Better than I was expecting but streets away from my PB of 21:23. I think the days of PBs are long gone! As I write this, I am eating breakfast prior to venturing out to meet Jase Walkley for the Mid Shropshire 25 Mile TT. This is going to hurt!

New Job and Training

After almost 2 years since leaving the RAF I started what I see as my second career job on 4 March 19. The last 2 years have been torrid - an honest assessment. My racing and training have been hit hard and I have hardly raced. Training had been sporadic through 2017 and 2018. However, since moving to Newcastle Under Lyme in August 18 I have found consistency again. hence I find myself in decent shape. Starting this new job, however, has thrown the equilibrium somewhat, which is only to be expected. That said, I still have a degree of consistency; I just need to get used to the new routine. This routing includes quite a bit of travelling; so I need to be creative with training and focus on key sessions and proper rest. To assist with the logistics of work, training, commuting and racing it is crucial to get the 'Vanny Van' back into the mix! I successfully used Japanese import vans to enable camping, storage and training. When I moved to Saudi in 2015, the Nissan Elgrand was sold. Since returning to the UK, I was back to using a 'normal' car! So, the next 'Vanny Van' is on order and should be arriving mid-May 19: So what of training? Some decent key sessions have been completed, with a couple of longer bike sessions. I have a 25 mile TT on 21 Apr 19 and I desperately need more time on the TT bike! I completed an hour on this bike yesterday as 2 x threshold efforts. The position didn't feel too bad but an hour full gas over 25 miles is a different matter. I have no idea how I will go but my time is likely to be over 60 mins 8-( Not good but I'll treat it as a training session. I ran off the bike yesterday too and was going ok, completing some threshold efforts over 0.85k with 1:30 RI at 3:40 ish per/k pace. I think that I will race well over the sprint distance and I'll just focus on this type of racing this year whilst I bed into the new job. Onwards and upwards. . . .

Unseasonably Warm

The warm February weather in the UK has brought out hoards of cyclists venturing out of their training pain caves. So I joined them yesterday for a very enjoyable spin out on the open roads riding my Evo2max Nebula R9. After many sessions on the rollers in the garage riding my Holdsworth (lower spec bla bla) bike, it felt really good to have a blast on this speed machine. Judging by the way my legs feel today I may have ridden too hard. Averaging over 20mph - including junctions, hills, roundabouts etc - is reasonable speedy I suppose. This weekend may see another Parkrun outing to see if I can take the age group record lower. But this depends on how the legs recover. I felt strong yesterday but the accumulated fatigue from the race on Sunday is showing now. You never know, if I recover maybe some super-adaptation will occur!

Manchester Airport Duathlon

Today I completed my first race of 2019, the Manchester Airport Duathlon. This is a GoTri event aimed at introducing people to mulrisport racing. Hence the set up was pretty low key, which was quite enjoyable. Although a short event at 2.5k/17k/2.5k, the intensity level made it a hard effort! The result was 4th place overall. Quite happy with this result; not because of the position (it was a low key event) but more because I felt strong throughout. A couple of aspects to note, however, are worth considering. My glute/hamstring issue in my left leg tightened up quite significantly. Also, although I felt strong on the second run, I kind of hit terminal velocity without maxing out on my aerobic capacity. So when I crossed the finish line I felt as though I could have continued but not increase the pace. Is this lack of speed work or just age! Not sure. At 54 years old I am going to be more suited to longer distance races. Finding the balance between speed and endurance is key. But it is vital to maintain short hard efforts as I age. Next race? Not sure! I'll look at what's on but the National Middle Distance champs is tempting..... 2 June.... Mmmmmm

Parkrun Outing

It's been a good few years since I have participated in a Parkrun 5k. So today I am going to venture out to the local venue, called The Wammy Parkrun. It's close enough to run to the start as a warm up but I will get on the rollers for 30 mins to lubricate the old joints. No idea how I will go to be honest. I have had some decent runs in training but I still struggle with tight hamstrings. Plus I never run well in the mornings! The course is a straight out and back on a narrow path. With over 300 runners regularly attending, it could be a tight fit! I'll be please with a time that starts with 18:XX. My last Parkrun was 2016 and I clocked 18:16. I am older and significantly more creaky now but sub-19 mins is doable. The above was written as I supped my morning coffee. After suffering for 5k that took me an official 18:29 (18:21 by my garmin) I'm quite happy. I didn't feel great because of my pesky tight glutes and hamstrings. But I do feel that some races and sensible speed work would help me get sub-18 min on this course. My pacing was quite constant, though there is a slight rise just before the turn point that really stings when running hard. An average pace of 3:40 per k is ok and my aim is to bring this down to 3:35 pace. So the best way to do this is by completing some 500m reps at 3:30 pace. The plan is hatched! Turns out that my run equalled the age group record for The Wammy. Best I find a few more seconds to 'unequal' this! Best I find 30+ seconds to attack the next age group record, which is significantly faster!

Early Season Race Tester?

Training has remained consistent, along with some speed sharpening sessions. However, a cold snap bringing snow and ice has interrupted some planned training. As usual, I've been holed up in the garage on the rollers and throwing some kettlebells around too. I've also been trying out the Roodol light weight mobile rollers that I plan to use when working away from the pain cave garage at home. I really like these rollers. Not only are they very practical to take anywhere, but the smaller diameter of the rollers means more resistance than my elite standard rollers. They are also quieter. I've seen a short duathlon race on 24 Feb nearby. The runs are only 2.5k and the bike 17k. The plan is to use my Evo road bike and just have an enjoyable race blast.

Race Bike Resurrection

Well, after getting my trusty race TT bike serviced and packed up for the trip, to Saudi back in July 18, I finally got round to unpacking it and putting it back together. Although it's 10 years old this year, I still really like this bike. True, compared to the current trend of stealth understated bikes it does look kind of retro already I suppose! You got to admit that it looks cool.... Right? I was eager to ride it again so I threw it on the rollers and... Yikes! I was all over the place! I'm now reasonably proficient on the rollers but I guess the different geometry and feel of the TT bike really makes difference. Best I get some miles in on the road to get used to this ride again! Training is still going well and I have invested in some fins to assist my swim drills. Hopefully I can improve further in the water. Running is also feeling good. I've got my eye on the Newcastle 10k road race in April. Its local but not a fast course. But could be a decent form indicator. Let's see what happens.