Riyadh Triathletes Standard Distance Race - 3 June 16

Whilst I have been racing the Riyadh Triathletes events since April, I now think I should take the season more seriously and try and add some structure to my training for the second half of the race series. Here in KSA it is normal to take a break during Ramadan and also July. Hence the next race is not until 31 July 16. The Standard Distance race on 3 June was somewhat of an uncomfortable venture. I was not long back from the UK after a week of being busy sorting stuff for my daughters. Add to that a number of delays with our return flight and training had been virtually non-existent. But I was eager to keep the racing going and maintain my attempt to do well overall with the 2016 series. The swim was lovely. The pool is outdoors and in a very nice setting. I chugged along to finish with a 24:51 clocking. I was happy enough but I reckon I am good for at least a minute quicker if I get my finger out and train harder in the pool. I ended up towing one of my rivals along for about 20 lengths, only breaking the elastic after putting in a burst for 50m The bike was basically ride for 5 miles to the 'humps' and then complete 15 miles up and down before returning 5 miles to the compound. The 5 mile segment is bumpy and in the Saudi public domain. I am never content with this and end up bimbling along. I managed the fastest bike split but never felt strong - lack of training showing. By the time the run began I knew I had a lead, but not as much of a gap to second as in previous races. I ran cautiously, not wanting to over-cook the pace in the heat. My pace was slow but I thought I could pick it up if I was caught. As it was nobody did catch me. However, I question whether I could have upped the pace if I had needed to! So it is now a mini-build period. This is aided by the fact that I have now had my knee drained! Also, some steroid injected. What an improvement this has had on mobility and pain relief! I am a new man! I have commenced conditioning training again and feel much better doing so. The long-term issue is that I have psoriatic arthritis. Hence I may feel the symptoms of fatigue and the return of joint swelling and pain. I am just seeing how things work out and hopefully this mini-build period will see my returning to the form I showed last year. The knee drain is a procedure that I can have repeated if needed. It was not that painful and worth every ounce of pain anyway!

Best of luck to all my UK buddies racing during June, July and August. So many IM events to watch and follow! The Outlaw should be a belter as Ironmat will be racing - I am a big fan 8-). My next race is 31 July. I aim to smash it. . . . .

Lost Blogger! Sorry!

I cannot believe how fast time has gone during 2016! I had wanted to maintain this Blog with regular monthly posts! At this rate the posts will be regular but every 6 months! Maybe I can recover the situation and post every 2 weeks for the rest of the year! Rewind to the end of 2015; IM 70.3 Bahrain completed. A short break over Christmas with a visit to the UK and the intention was to race the Riyadh Triathletes event series during 2016. This comprises 16 races of various formats – Swim/run, Duathlon, Triathlon – and distances up to Standard Distance. It was my intention to race some of the Riyadh Road Runners events as build up to the Tri season. Add to that a couple TTs with Riyadh Wheelers and race season prep should be good. . . . . Plans never seem to go as planned! The word plan should be replaced by the unknown word of ‘letseewhathappens’. I have mentioned the issue I have with my knee (potential Rheumatoid Arthritis – not good). Well this problem remains. It has almost been a year since the onset and I am finally seeing a consultant about the pain on 25 May 16. So for a year I have been taking the man-up pills and training as best I can. The main impact is that I have been unable to complete the conditioning training that I normally undertake. I am not sure if the actual illness/injury is impacting my training/performance; or whether the lack of conditioning training has negatively impacted me. The upshot is that I am not performing to expectation – yes, I am slower. Could it be age getting to me? I don’t think so as the decline has been very sudden and only since this knee issue. Somehow, I am just not ‘firing’ properly. Running is slower and more difficult to undertake (can’t remember when I last had a run that felt strong and fluid). My biking is slower also. Anyway, in case anyone is still reading, let’s not make this post all about complaining! In January I completed a couple of Riyadh Wheelers 25 mile TTs. I was a shade over the hour in each race with 1:00:22 and 1:00:28. These are the slowest times I have ridden for years. I suppose the country and environment make a difference. . . . . . Coughexcuses. . . . .! I only managed to enter a single running race; a 10k at Al Bustan. This was the same race I entered the previous year having recently arrived. I cantered round uncontested at that race in 36:58 feeling strong. This year I struggled round in 39:12 feeling terrible! The first Riyadh Triathletes event was a Biathlon (Swim/Run). I ran ok but not great. Swimming has been ok but Luca from Italy has always been a real fish in the water. His swim was far too fast for me to catch him on the run – plus had had improved his run massively. This was the pattern in the next race also and I had to settle for second in both races. So far I have completed 2 more races – both full triathlon events. The first was a short race over 800/16/8 and the second a bit longer over 1200/48/8. A win at both these races was nice but Kris Ahlin was missing from both events. This Swede is a bit of a bike monster! Our runs are similar and my swim is better. Hence a showdown is required to see hoe a full triathlon balances out between us! This should be fun! Recently I was lucky enough to obtain a new training bike. I have long been a fan of single speed bikes. They are relatively inexpensive. Easy to maintain and offer great training value. The terrain here suits a single speed too. So I updated my Specialized Langster and now have a nice blue 2016 version. I selected a frame size smaller than my previous Langster in order to get lower at the front end. I placed some Deda Parabolic tri bars on and the position is spot on to replicate my TT bike. The bike is the fixed version and I am really enjoying the different riding dimension that a single speed provides. So, onwards and upwards for the second half of 2016. Lord willing, I can get my knee sorted and commence conditioning training again – I need to do this at my age! I must mention my good friend Mal Rose. This gifted triathlete was wiped out by a car in Jan 16 and is now confined to a wheel chair and undergoing rehab. His positive attitude and outlook on life is nothing short of amazing. I know that I would not cope anywhere near as well as he has with something like that. I am quite upset over the whole episode to be honest. We only actually meet up at races and some fb banter but I have huge respect for what Mal achieved – European Duathlon medallist, no less! I will watch his sporting progress eagerly as I am sure that we have not seen that last of his sporting endeavours. Remember Mal, coffee and Jaffa Cakes will make everything ok!! Pics to fiollow

Ironman 70.3 Bahrain - 5 Dec 15

At last, the race report from my main goal of the racing year: Ironman 70.3 Bahrain - or in this case Ironman 68.4!! Yes, the swim was cancelled. Not great but with safety concerns paramount it was well accepted by everyone (apart from the mega fish-like folk!).

The Build Up It could be said that the build up for this event was 'difficult'. 2016 has probably been the most difficult year for us (family) due to many episodes that we have experienced and the adjustment to life in Saudi Arabia - nuff said. As far as training goes, although there have been many interuptions and consistency has not been great, I seem to have maintained some sort of run fitness. My swimming had improved; largely due to the help of BigFish Dave Lowe, who provided a structured swim schedule that, well, just worked for me! I was unsure as to my bike form. Although I had completed lots of turbo work, I was short on longer rides and time trial races that I normally compete to hone form and obtain an indication of fitness. I had been fortunate, however, as assistance from the RAF Sports Lottery allowed me to purchase Vector Pedals - for the first time, I was training with power as a guide. And boy was it painful! Yes, the best zones to live in on the bike are the 85 - 92% of threshold power. The longer the reps, the more productive the training is. One of the main obstacles to overcome - or in my case, get used to - was the onset of rhumatoid arthritis. My knee has been the size of a melon since May 15 and an MRI confirmed that I was suffering from this auto-immune illness. It is painful; no doubts about that! How to cope? Join Jens Voigt and just say 'shut up legs!' The Race I won't go in to all the logistics of getting to Bahrain and the disaster associated with the hotel. I racked my bike on the Friday after registering. The entire transition zone was carpeted. This was heaven for me and my sensitive feet! I just hate the running bare foot that comes with triathlon. Rutland Water is worst and my feet are black and blue after racing there. Saturday morning and up early for the normal pre-race breakfast of rice pudding and coffee. When I got to the race venue the buzz was all about the swim - wetsuit, no wetsuit? What could it be? The water in the bay was choppy and there was quite a wind blowing off the coast into the Bahrain Bay. Soon, the news was announced over the load speakers: Swim cancelled. Say what?!! Yes, very disappointing, particularly for the guys who were tackling a 70.3 for the first time, as they wanted to race the full distance. So, a 68.4 race it was. The start would consist of 5 triathletes running into T1 from the swim exit point at 15 sec intervals. I positioned myself as near tot he front as I could get; my idea being that if I could get out on the road I would avoid groups and slower cyclists. I was first out of T1 from my group of 5 starters and quickly passed some stragglers from earlier start groups.

The pros had started 10 min before the age groupers; so no risk of seeing those guys on the bike! From the onset it was clear that the wind would be a big factor on the bike leg. It was consistently strong and also gusting even stronger. Over the causeway bridge with the cross/tail wind was super fast but I had an issue with my Garmin not reading my power read out properly. I was fiddling with the Garmin in the pic below:

I had a 3 sec current power reading and an average power. But the average power never moved from 244W and I suspect that it was not a true reading. This was a bit frustrating but I had to adjust the plan and rely on the current 3 sec power. Of course, it was all over the place with the wind and rises over fly-overs. Sometimes I was over 350W and eased off. Then I was at 180W and eased up the effort. The ride was becoming too disjointed and did not feel efficient. So I made the decision to just ride on feel and glance at the power every now and then. The closed roads were a dream to ride along:

However, I was surprised at how many deadstop U-turns there were. The wind was all over the place; sometimes I was flying in the 53/11 and other times I considered going into the small ring - but I thought better and avoided the small ring! My early start ensured that there were no drafting issues. But as the bike progressed some of the looped out and back sections meant riding into late starters who were going considerably slower. The wind seemed to get stronger too. Or was that just me getting tired! I could see the Bahrain International Circuit approaching but we had an out and back loop to complete before we entered the motor racing circuit for a lap of the F1 track!

The F1 circuit was deceptively hilly and quite rough tarmac to ride on. I was ready to dismount and test the legs after completing the bike leg in 2:23:49. As I grabbed my T2 bag I noted that the legs did not feel too bad. Out of the change tent and back on to the F1 circuit and I clicked straight into hold back mode! In racing we generally run too fast at the start of a long distance triathlon run. I always hold back. This also helps enjoyment as I can soak up the atmosphere.

My Garmin continued to malfunction, with only a stopwatch working - no GPS. The first 3k was switching around the F1 track and was quite nice. I resorted to mental arithmetic for the pace and was maintainng constant 4:20 per k pace. I walked through the first aid station to ensure that I consumed a good cup full of water and a gel. I knew that I would only need 2 more gels at the most and a few swigs water or coke. I always focus on the first aid station during a half IM to set me up for the rest of nutrition intake. During the first 5k I was passed by a couple of youngsters who made me look like I was standing still. I made a mental note to see hem later when they blew up! Sure enough, around 10k they were walking and I passed them. Out ofthe F1 circuit and the wind was a factor on he run also, swirling around and making it tough in places. The run took you out to the wildlife park and I knew that the reurn leg after a 8k loop in the park would be tough into the wind. Once into the park I started to pass people. But I was joined from behind by a guy that looked familiar. It was Nick Tipper - ex-Army Tri. We ran together for the entire loop in the park: As we left the park and headed back to the F1 circuit, the wind was smack in your face. I tried to up the pace as I still felt strong. In reality I probably only maintained the pace as fatigue and the wind took its toll. Nick was struggling and I was trying to drag him along. But the elastic broke and I pushed on for home. The final 3k was also on the F1 circuit and I was feeling rough now. But that is when you should feel rough - the last 2k where you can go flat out! The finish line was a welcome sight and the atmosphere was quite thrilling: A run split of 1:30:51 was slightly slower than my target but the tank was emptied and on the day there was no way I could have gone faster. Also, that run bagged the fastest run split in my Age Group. I just needed a more efficient bike split as I was 2nd overall in my Age Group to a French dude who blitzed the bike in 2:17. I was catching him on the run but not quickly enough. I can't complain with that result after the topsy turvey year that I have had. Plus my finish position was a World Champs qualifier. I didn't accept the slot as there was no way I could commit to a trip to Australia. Overall, I was pleased enough but, as always, could do better. Next year will be a busy period for me as I commence some study to prepare for when I leave the RAF. I will focus on shorter distance races in Saudi. Then looking further ahead, I still have ambitions to race Ironman and bag a sub-10 hour race. But the clock is ticking; at 51, how much longer will it be before the decline in performance due to age rules that target out? Intelligent training and racing is the order of the day. Some stress free periods in my life would really help also! Maybe one day. . . .

Challenge Bahrain Cancelled!

Yes; my main race goal of the year has been cancelled! In many ways this is a complete disaster. However, in other ways it is ok because the IM 70.3 event is only 2 weeks later on 5 Dec 15 - also in Bahrain. I suspect that there is a huge amount of politics behind the decision and it looks like Bahrain has sided with the IM brand, with Challenge being ousted! The impact on the majority of entrants to the Challenge event will be mightily upset as they would have had hotels, flights etc booked for the event. Anyway, it is all change for me and the race date moves to 5 Dec 15. The 70.3 differs from the Challenge race in that it has a split transition and the normal early start. The bike leg finishes with 5k round the Bahrain International Circuit (F1 race track). Kind of cool and hopefully the fastest 5k of the race!

The Biggest Triathlon in Saudi?

After finally putting together 3 weeks of uninterrupted training together I raced the Riyadh Triathletes Standard Distance Triathlon on 2 October 15. Although Saudi is a big country, it is a closed country - it is not easy to visit or nip across to race! I think that I am correct in saying that Riyadh Triathletes is the biggest club in Saudi. Hence the Standard Distance race is probably the biggest event also. The club bills it as such and the atmosphere and anticipation at the race was great. All club events are organised by volunteers - no chip timing or event management companies here! For me, this adds to the enjoyment as it really is grass roots racing. The competitors (and especially the spectators) are just as enthusiastic as those you would find anywhere in the UK.

Essentially, I was using this race as a build up event for Challenge Half Bahrain on 20 Nov 15. Hence I had a set power level to ride at on my bike to simulate the race pace for Bahrain. This meant that I should have been dismounting into T2 quite fresh, having only covered 40k, rather than 90! That was the case and a 1:04 bike split was actually very pleasing considering the effort level. A power NP reading of 234W seemed perfect and I am hopeful of a bike split around 2:25 at Bahrain if conditions are decent. My run at this triathlon felt controlled and smooth. I upped the pace after 4k but was disappointed with my run split around 42 min for 10k. It seemed that I could not engage the speed sufficiently. I am not sure if the heat had a part to play but I am shooting for a sub1:30 half marathon at Bahrain. So I need to be strong and reasonably fast. The temperature at Bahrain should be cooler; maybe that will help. Or maybe I am just getting old and slow 8-( My swimming has been going well in training and that was reflected in my swim in this event. The 1500m was short but I averaged 15:56 per k pace by my Garmin. Happy enough with that. Some work on hip rotation and lock-n-load at the key phase of the stroke seems to be working for me. The other main aspect stimulating gains is the 3 month swim programme that BigFish Dave Lowe - my buddy from Cornwall, now working in Saudi at Dhahran - has provided me with. This has now forced me into turning up at the pool knowing what to do. Previously I was just making it up when I got into the H2O! Not great bit that is the way I roll. . . . . Anyway, onwards and upwards. The race win meant a Garmin 500 as a prize! That was very surprising; I had know idea that there were prizes like that. Plus I actually really need a dedicated bike computer as I just have my Garmin 910. Well, do we ever really need these gadgets?!! That's what we tell ourselves. I am extremely grateful nevertheless. Time to get some more key session completed and focus on not overtraining. . . . . cough. . . . . I never do that. . . .

Key Workouts (Pre-Half IM)

Anyone training for Challenge Bahrain on 20 November now is the time to get those key specific sessions completed. Ease back on the volume and be fresh to complete the big key workouts. Then eat sleep recover repeat. For example my workout this morning: Warm up on turbo, including some 2 min 90% efforts to wake the legs up. Then complete 5 sets of 12 min turbo as 3 min at 87%, 1 min spin. 3k run as 1k slightly slower than half IM run pace, 1k slightly faster than half IM pace, 1k at target half IM pace. That is one set of bike/run work. Repeat this 5 times. These key sessions work! Plus they us confidence. Hope this info helps someone! You can scale the session down if your goals are shorter distance races. Train smart!

A Triathlon Race!

Last Friday I completed the latest race in the Riyadh Triathletes series - a triathlon of 1.2k/35k/8k. This was my first triathlon since The Outlaw Ironman in July 2014! It actually felt quite hard, even though it was a short race. It did make me wonder what Challenge Bahrain (half) would feel like! I have done many half IM distance races but this feels different after the year I have had out here in Saudi. The Riyadh Triathletes are a very enthusiastic and friendly bunch and I am grateful for the chance to race. But I am not sure where my form is right now. My biking seems under par but I have no base level to measure. Normally I would have done some TTs by now and know where the speed is coming from. I have a few health problems that will not go away. The arthritis is still there in my knee and I now get hip problems that affect my running more than the knee ever has - not good. Anyway, the race went well, even though I was not happy with the run pace I maintained. I was hovering around 4:10 per k. I wanted around 4:00, which would point to the possibility of my holding 4:20 per k over the half at Challenge Bahrain. When I got home I came down with a sore throat and a yukky feeling. I suspect I may be a bit under par. Add to that some bad blisters on my feet from not wearing socks and I basically feel like very detached from the good form and fitness I had last year. Let's see how things go over the next month. . . . .