I realise most of my posts this year have not mentioned swimming, and have been very duathlon-centric. After Saturday's bike ride and yesterday's long run I swam today with the club. A good session focussed on 200m intervals.
Swimming is still part of my training plan in preparation for a summer of triathlon, including the qualifiers for the Worlds in London!
Showing posts with label Worlds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worlds. Show all posts
Monday, 11 March 2013
Monday, 4 March 2013
Race report - Althorp duathlon
The 2013 Althorp duathlon was a qualifier for the ITU (aka Worlds) and ETU (aka Europeans) Championships. It was originally scheduled for the 16th of February but was moved to the 2nd of March due to the flooding of transition. I had registered to qualify for both the Worlds in Ottawa and the Europeans in the Netherlands.
At the time of postponement I was a bit annoyed; I'd had a good week's training and followed it with a fairly scientific taper. Being away in Germany with work the week before was not ideal, but I was ready to race. Since then I'd managed another good week's training and another taper week.
I travelled up to the Northampton Hilton on the Friday evening. M25 was lumpy as usual. In the vein of Sir Dave Brailsford I'd even taken my own pillow so I would sleep better. Of course, it doesn't always work like that.
After a night of fitful sleep my phone alarm went off, but I did not receive my alarm call. Never mind. Up, showered and ate some pots of rice pudding I'd bought. Kit in the car over to the Althorp estate.
I was one of the first people there; transition was empty. I always build too much spare time in, but it is good to be early rather than late. I registered, had my hand marked, took a look around then started putting race numbers on the bike & race-belt. I then took the bike out for a spin. My legs felt very heavy, which was different to my last race. Upon returning I racked the bike and went for a quick run. Once again my legs felt heavy and I was beginning to worry. Of course, both warm-ups started with a 1km uphill!
Soon it was time to line up, and I started in the second row back from the front. The horn was off and we all moved forwards. Up the 1km hill, then left onto a grassing avenue. This had a slight incline then finished with a soft muddy area before turning right into a church yard. Most people were running along the grass rather than the gravel. Out of the church yard and back on to the road where we started to descent, albeit gradually. All this time I was losing places and felt like my heart was going to explode.
The run continued through Great Brington then rolled towards Little Brington. Here there was a course change due to waterlogging. A slight uphill along a track then a left turn on to a ~1.5km track. Finally a left turn in to the field at Althorp where we looped to make the distance, and then in to T1.
Helmet on, grabbed my bike and ran, across the mount line and on to the bike. Right foot went straight in and after some pedalling and effort the left foot was in. Again the first km was uphill. I don't recall much of the bike, other than noting that it was a nice fast rolling course. I had some trouble from my new trisuit and kept slipping back on the saddle. I was overtaking and being overtaken.
I was unhappy to see a fair amount of drafting. The course has some narrow winding roads so some bunching is to be expected, but once back on the open road it should not happen. I made a conscious effort throughout to be at least 7m from the rider in front at all times. After some time we turned back towards transition, undulating up and down, then down a steep hill towards T2. Always fun trying to brake, stay upright and loosen shoes at the same time. In to T2, rack the bike, trainers on and off, then back to dump my gloves. A school boy error.
The second run was a repeat of the first, though of course it felt much harder. I pushed throughout, trying to bridge the gap between me and the guy in front, however I was on the edge. After lots of chasing I crossed the line, happy to have finished and wondering how soon we would get the official results.
76th overall and 20th M35-39. A very strong field, with most people trying to qualify for the Worlds or Europeans.
At the time of postponement I was a bit annoyed; I'd had a good week's training and followed it with a fairly scientific taper. Being away in Germany with work the week before was not ideal, but I was ready to race. Since then I'd managed another good week's training and another taper week.
I travelled up to the Northampton Hilton on the Friday evening. M25 was lumpy as usual. In the vein of Sir Dave Brailsford I'd even taken my own pillow so I would sleep better. Of course, it doesn't always work like that.
After a night of fitful sleep my phone alarm went off, but I did not receive my alarm call. Never mind. Up, showered and ate some pots of rice pudding I'd bought. Kit in the car over to the Althorp estate.
I was one of the first people there; transition was empty. I always build too much spare time in, but it is good to be early rather than late. I registered, had my hand marked, took a look around then started putting race numbers on the bike & race-belt. I then took the bike out for a spin. My legs felt very heavy, which was different to my last race. Upon returning I racked the bike and went for a quick run. Once again my legs felt heavy and I was beginning to worry. Of course, both warm-ups started with a 1km uphill!
Soon it was time to line up, and I started in the second row back from the front. The horn was off and we all moved forwards. Up the 1km hill, then left onto a grassing avenue. This had a slight incline then finished with a soft muddy area before turning right into a church yard. Most people were running along the grass rather than the gravel. Out of the church yard and back on to the road where we started to descent, albeit gradually. All this time I was losing places and felt like my heart was going to explode.
The run continued through Great Brington then rolled towards Little Brington. Here there was a course change due to waterlogging. A slight uphill along a track then a left turn on to a ~1.5km track. Finally a left turn in to the field at Althorp where we looped to make the distance, and then in to T1.
Helmet on, grabbed my bike and ran, across the mount line and on to the bike. Right foot went straight in and after some pedalling and effort the left foot was in. Again the first km was uphill. I don't recall much of the bike, other than noting that it was a nice fast rolling course. I had some trouble from my new trisuit and kept slipping back on the saddle. I was overtaking and being overtaken.
I was unhappy to see a fair amount of drafting. The course has some narrow winding roads so some bunching is to be expected, but once back on the open road it should not happen. I made a conscious effort throughout to be at least 7m from the rider in front at all times. After some time we turned back towards transition, undulating up and down, then down a steep hill towards T2. Always fun trying to brake, stay upright and loosen shoes at the same time. In to T2, rack the bike, trainers on and off, then back to dump my gloves. A school boy error.
The second run was a repeat of the first, though of course it felt much harder. I pushed throughout, trying to bridge the gap between me and the guy in front, however I was on the edge. After lots of chasing I crossed the line, happy to have finished and wondering how soon we would get the official results.
76th overall and 20th M35-39. A very strong field, with most people trying to qualify for the Worlds or Europeans.
| Total Time | 01:16:42 |
| Stage - Run - Time | 00:18:43 |
| Stage - Transition - Time | 00:00:40 |
| Stage - Bike - Time | 00:36:51 |
| Stage - Transition - Time | 00:00:39 |
| Stage - Run - Time | 00:19:51 |
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Early season race planning
So with the running coming on well courtesy of the XC season, and the bike power increasing with TrainerRoad, it is time to schedule some early season races.
The plan so far is to race the VoTwo sprint duathlon series at Dorney lake, Berkshire. The first race kicks off on the 2nd of February.
I will also race the Marlow duathlon, a great local event run by Marlow Striders on the 17th of March. Slightly longer than a traditional sprint at 7km run, 25km bike and 7km run. The bike is undulating throughout the Chilterns and promises great views. In the past two years I can't say I've watched the scenery on the bike. Both runs along the Thames are nice though.
I have also entered the Althorp sprint duathlon. This takes place on the 16th of February and is a qualifier for the ITU World Championships and ETU European Championships. Fingers crossed.
The plan so far is to race the VoTwo sprint duathlon series at Dorney lake, Berkshire. The first race kicks off on the 2nd of February.
I will also race the Marlow duathlon, a great local event run by Marlow Striders on the 17th of March. Slightly longer than a traditional sprint at 7km run, 25km bike and 7km run. The bike is undulating throughout the Chilterns and promises great views. In the past two years I can't say I've watched the scenery on the bike. Both runs along the Thames are nice though.
I have also entered the Althorp sprint duathlon. This takes place on the 16th of February and is a qualifier for the ITU World Championships and ETU European Championships. Fingers crossed.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Looking back; looking forward
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and endings. He is typically portrayed as two faced, since he can see in to the future and the past. The month of January is named after him.
So with 2013 upon us, it is an opportunity to recap on the past year, and share some plans for the new year.
2012 was a landmark year for me both in running and triathlon.
January was the second month of training for the Outlaw long (Iron) distance triathlon. Run training was also focussed towards Wokingham half-marathon.
February brought at PB at half-marathon distance, taking 9 minutes of my 2011 result. Half term was spent in Devon where I got some good hill climbing in, and some trail runs around the rugged Devon coastline.
March saw a good performance at the Marlow Duathlon in Buckinghamshire. IM training allowed me to pick up 32 places.
April was the first OW swim of the year, bringing worry for May's first triathlon of 2012.
May was the Marshman middle (half-Iron) distance triathlon in Kent. A cold, wet and windy day, luckily the swim was cancelled and replaced with 5km run. Second duathlon of the season then! This was my first attempt at HIM distance, so I took it steady and paced well. 5:28:54.
June allowed another week away for half-term, this time in Yorkshire. I saw how the Brownlee's have become so superior when I saw the landscape. At last it was taper time too as Outlaw approached.
July - Outlaw Iron distance tri in Nottinghamshire on the 1st of the month. A very nervous couple of days at the end of June followed by a long day at the office. In one day I swam the furthest, set a 180km PB and ran my second marathon. All in for 12:52 and change. The rest of the month was spend enjoying some well earned time with my family.
August was also a great Olympic month! I cycled to and from the Road Time-Trial and saw Bradley Wiggins become victorious. I continued my good luck by going to see the men's triathlon in Hyde Park where I was privileged to see both the Brownlees podium, along with Javier Gomez. What a week!
August was also a return to tri, albeit with a different strategy. Going shorter! I'd entered the Vachery Sprint triathlon in Surrey. I'd felt the swim could have been better and rode well, sparring with some other riders for places. I felt I could have done better on the run, especially on the XC elements like the staircase! Reviewing the results showed that I'd got a 3rd in age-group, and had been 1st in AG on the swim and bike, losing 2 places on the run!
September delivered a sprained ankle courtesy of a rabbit hole whilst running in Austria. Cue a DNS at Cardiff half-marathon. The plus side was 4 weeks on the turbo trainer with TrainerRoad making my cycling stronger. My return to running was at the Dorney tri-relays with my tri club, Thames Valley Triathletes. Poor tidying after the Olympics meant the perimeter road was too muddy for the bike leg, so I raced my first Aquathlon.
October marked the start of my running campaign; 3 months to increase my speed over shorter distances. It also coincided with the start of the Thames valley XC league which was a great boost to the end of year motivation
November showed promising results at the XC leages and my 5km time was reducing. XC spikes made the season easier.
December, much like November was cold and wet. More XC racing and a final chance for a 5km PB at Frimley Lodge parkrun. Alas the course condition was awful. I managed to fall over before the start of the race, and even with spikes it was hard going. I did PB, by 1 second. The next day I finished first Finch Coaster at the Reading Roadrunners hosted XC at Bearwood College, Wokingham. Then a few days R&R with the family. Loads of gifts for the children, and a great Christmas day lunch at our house, with my parents.
2013 - so what will the new year bring?
As I write this I am reflecting upon a great new year's eve with some fantastic friends, followed by a good day's MTBing in the Alice Holt forest, and across Surrey with the same friends. It was nice to finally squeeze in a social bike ride followed by some pub grub and pints.
For me, 2013 is all about shorter, faster races. No Iron or half-iron distances, maybe a half-marathon at a push. It's about 5km and 10km road races, sprint distance duathlons and triathlons. The last quarter of 2012 showed great running improvement by following the Furman FIRST 5km plan. This first quarter is for improving my cycling in a similar, with TrainerRoad.
I plan to do a few parkruns early on to see where I am with my 5km time, and race a few sprint duathlons to get back up to racing shorter and faster. I've entered a few of the sprint triathlon qualifiers for the 2013 ITU World Championships in London and the ETU European Championships in 2014. Let's see how we get on!
So with 2013 upon us, it is an opportunity to recap on the past year, and share some plans for the new year.
2012 was a landmark year for me both in running and triathlon.
January was the second month of training for the Outlaw long (Iron) distance triathlon. Run training was also focussed towards Wokingham half-marathon.
February brought at PB at half-marathon distance, taking 9 minutes of my 2011 result. Half term was spent in Devon where I got some good hill climbing in, and some trail runs around the rugged Devon coastline.
March saw a good performance at the Marlow Duathlon in Buckinghamshire. IM training allowed me to pick up 32 places.
May was the Marshman middle (half-Iron) distance triathlon in Kent. A cold, wet and windy day, luckily the swim was cancelled and replaced with 5km run. Second duathlon of the season then! This was my first attempt at HIM distance, so I took it steady and paced well. 5:28:54.
June allowed another week away for half-term, this time in Yorkshire. I saw how the Brownlee's have become so superior when I saw the landscape. At last it was taper time too as Outlaw approached.
July - Outlaw Iron distance tri in Nottinghamshire on the 1st of the month. A very nervous couple of days at the end of June followed by a long day at the office. In one day I swam the furthest, set a 180km PB and ran my second marathon. All in for 12:52 and change. The rest of the month was spend enjoying some well earned time with my family.
August was also a great Olympic month! I cycled to and from the Road Time-Trial and saw Bradley Wiggins become victorious. I continued my good luck by going to see the men's triathlon in Hyde Park where I was privileged to see both the Brownlees podium, along with Javier Gomez. What a week!
August was also a return to tri, albeit with a different strategy. Going shorter! I'd entered the Vachery Sprint triathlon in Surrey. I'd felt the swim could have been better and rode well, sparring with some other riders for places. I felt I could have done better on the run, especially on the XC elements like the staircase! Reviewing the results showed that I'd got a 3rd in age-group, and had been 1st in AG on the swim and bike, losing 2 places on the run!
September delivered a sprained ankle courtesy of a rabbit hole whilst running in Austria. Cue a DNS at Cardiff half-marathon. The plus side was 4 weeks on the turbo trainer with TrainerRoad making my cycling stronger. My return to running was at the Dorney tri-relays with my tri club, Thames Valley Triathletes. Poor tidying after the Olympics meant the perimeter road was too muddy for the bike leg, so I raced my first Aquathlon.
October marked the start of my running campaign; 3 months to increase my speed over shorter distances. It also coincided with the start of the Thames valley XC league which was a great boost to the end of year motivation
November showed promising results at the XC leages and my 5km time was reducing. XC spikes made the season easier.
December, much like November was cold and wet. More XC racing and a final chance for a 5km PB at Frimley Lodge parkrun. Alas the course condition was awful. I managed to fall over before the start of the race, and even with spikes it was hard going. I did PB, by 1 second. The next day I finished first Finch Coaster at the Reading Roadrunners hosted XC at Bearwood College, Wokingham. Then a few days R&R with the family. Loads of gifts for the children, and a great Christmas day lunch at our house, with my parents.
2013 - so what will the new year bring?
As I write this I am reflecting upon a great new year's eve with some fantastic friends, followed by a good day's MTBing in the Alice Holt forest, and across Surrey with the same friends. It was nice to finally squeeze in a social bike ride followed by some pub grub and pints.
For me, 2013 is all about shorter, faster races. No Iron or half-iron distances, maybe a half-marathon at a push. It's about 5km and 10km road races, sprint distance duathlons and triathlons. The last quarter of 2012 showed great running improvement by following the Furman FIRST 5km plan. This first quarter is for improving my cycling in a similar, with TrainerRoad.
I plan to do a few parkruns early on to see where I am with my 5km time, and race a few sprint duathlons to get back up to racing shorter and faster. I've entered a few of the sprint triathlon qualifiers for the 2013 ITU World Championships in London and the ETU European Championships in 2014. Let's see how we get on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)