Race Report: Stowe olympic distance triathlon

The On Your Marks Events Stowe Olympic Triathlon is another of the important "preparing for Ironman" races that Mrs and I have had on the calendar since last year. We wanted to do at least one sprint and one olympic before the first half IM.

Hartwell House Hotel

We've been hard at it, working and training, so I decided to get us a nice place to stay near the race for Saturday night. Hartwell House Hotel was a beautiful building with a quirky interior. We had tea and scones in the afternoon (more lard-loading than carb-loading), and then dined on over-priced steak. The TV in the room had a stand-by light so bright we cast a shadow on the headboard. I stuck a piece of card over it. The night-porter misread my breakfast instructions, so we got forgotten about in the morning; and on checkout the receptionist was quite short with Mrs. I hope our visit was atypical, but I wouldn't recommend it.

A hard afternoon spent "lard-loading"

We got to Stowe in good time to get ready. This weekend was all about the country houses. Registration was in "The Marble Room", and transition was set up out front. We racked up, and headed on the long walk down to the lake.

Transition outside the main entrance

Transition - and my bike (HED tri-spokes) racked up in some seriously expensive company

Registration in "The Marble Room"

For once, we were allowed in the water a good period of time before the swim, so I warmed up for about 10 minutes. When we set off I had my usual 5 minutes of panic - however I learned what triggers it. It seems to be as soon as I get the cold water in my nose. I immediately fight for breath, lift my head out of the water, and lose all form or pace for about 5 minutes. I'll need to work on that.

Open water swim GPS plot from my new Garmin 910XT - awesome stuff!

I started at the front but everyone swam away from me. After 5 minutes or so I started getting control back, and began to swim more strongly. My form improved over the next 15 minutes and I reeled in the second group and swam right through them, to exit in between the front and second groups. I think my swim could be good, but I need to fix the start. It's happened in every single open water event do far.

A "feature" of this course is the 800m run from Swim Exit to T1. My HR went through the roof to start with, and running up was hard. I thought the run was supposed to be at the end?

The run comes early at Stowe - 800m from Swim Exit to T1

T1 was uneventful, and I set out on the bike course. It was a rolling course, one or two hills that needed the small ring - glad I fitted my front derailleur on Friday night (it worked perfectly). I reeled in a couple of fast-swim slow-bike competitors quickly, and picked off 3 or 4 more round the course. It was fairly quick - I could have gone faster if I'd have been more familiar with the corners. This shows the value of good reconnaissance. A few bits of blustery wind as we went through Silverstone, but other than that it was a solitary and uneventful ride in the sun. I made a last minute decision to tape a couple of gels to my top tube. The tape held the tab firmly so I could pull the gel off and open it at the same time. Despite the worthwhile principle of "never trying anything new in a race" (or "TEST IT", Try Everything Several Times In Training), it worked perfectly. Not going to make a habit of this behaviour though.

T2 was quick, well under a minute, and out on the run. My aim for the day was to feel strong in the run. In the two olympic distance triathlons I've completed before I've suffered from some discomfort due to trapped wind (I suspect from taking in air into my gut on the swim), and general knackeredness. I set off relatively well clocking in at about 5 minutes per kilometre - that was around my target pace. However the course was very twisty with lots of 90-degree turns and some even more acute. The terrain was uneven and there were many ups and downs. For a great 5-10 minutes I had a few guys running along with me who had caught my on the run but couldn't find the pace to break past - it felt like a real race! They soon overtook me though and disappeared. I felt like I was putting in a better run than I have before though - I didn't have the usual stream of guys running past me like I was stood still. I found it hard going at the end, but overall I'm pleased. I held in or around 5min/km all the way through, didn't have any internal distresses, and managed a fast-jog finish if not quite a sprint.

My provisional timings - positions are in my start wave, not over all competitors

Me'n'Mrs with our generic SwimBikeRun medals

Generic SwimBikeRun medal - event name or date would have been nice

All things considered, this was a good day out. My time was about 10 minutes faster than I thought it was going to be, and it was good pre-Wimbleball experience to race on a course that actually had some hills in it - particularly the run. I winged it a bit on equipment and preparedness, but won't be taking those risks again, particularly for the long-course events.

Drove home via some M40 services for Cheese and Marmite sandwich, Cheesecake, and "Grande Skinny Caramel Macchiato" (Mrs recommended it, I'm not sure I know what any of those words mean) and it was a lovely refuelling experience. Got home and ate Pizza. Yum.

Preston's Perfect Parkrun

I took a trip to Preston on Saturday to support their inaugural parkrun event - I wrote it up on @parkrunfan's blog - check it out here.

Preparing for my first Ironman Race Day

I want to be the best Ironman I can be.

I've been thinking a fair bit about preparation for my Ironman races and how to make sure that my training and equipment are up to spec, and that I'm in the right place mentally as the big day draws near.

I've done more training than I've ever done in my life this year, but I'm finding it hard to visualise the change from training weeks to race day. I find myself thinking "Wow, only 5 weeks to Wimbleball!" (only with more naughty words), and apart from knowing that I should taper in the last week or two I don't have a plan for this period.

I know there's more to think about than just training, and I am also aware that with busy work weeks (as they all invariably are) the time just flies by. I don't want last-minute-itis to be a feature of any of my Ironman races this year. I'm a sucker for doing these things too late - like most people, I wing it a lot more than I'd like to admit to anyone including myself. For example, I'm racing Stowe Olympic distance triathlon tomorrow and I know my bike isn't in tip-top shape mechanically, I know that if I get a puncture I'm basically screwed as I can't get any of my hand-pumps into the valve recess on my race wheels, I only put my front derailleur back on last night and only tested it by cycling to the end of the road and back! Add to that, I haven't read the race pack, and I don't know how hilly the bike course is, plus I'm spending most of today on a train, and you'll see that I'm fairly unprepared. I definitely can't be doing this for the big races. When I went to Wimbleball a couple of weeks ago I ended up packing almost every bit of triathlon kit I own - far too much stuff! I didn't know what the weather was going to be like, I didn't check, and I didn't have a plan.

I need a plan.

I've decided to split the 4 weeks out from race day into two fortnight periods, and use them to make sure I'm ready. I've named them, and put them in my calendar. Therefore, it's with great pleasure I introduce "The preparation zone" and "The focus zone" (I know the names are crap, it doesn't matter!).

During these periods there are tasks I want to complete, decisions to be made, and behaviours to encourage (or discourage!). Try to get as much sorted out int he 2-4 week period as possible, and then by the time race day comes the number of decisions to be made should be virtually zero, leaving all mental strength to remembering and following the race strategy. From what I've heard so far, by the time you get 30km through an Ironman marathon you can barely remember your name, never mind make reasoned and logical decisions!

I'm sure this list will evolve over time, but here's my starter for ten.

The preparation zone (2-4 weeks out from race day - majority of decisions are made in this period)

Training:

• Lock in every training session into training diary
• Identify any technique areas that need attention and make sure those sessions are also booked in (including mechanical techniques such as changing tyres)
• Prioritise sleep - minimum 7 hours sleep every night (sleep is training!)
• Simulate race day nutrition - any GI distress?
• Be clear on how much I need to eat and drink, and when
• Set up an ironman transition practice session, including separate transition bags and bike mount/dismount

Tasks:

• Make a kit list of everything I need to take for the race and any time I'm away (nutrition, clothing, kit, tools, entertainment, luxuries)
• Make course-specific decisions - bike/wheels, bike gearing, run shoes?
• Fully clean and service my bike, replace any components that are worn or faulty (e.g. tyres, brake pads, cables, chain and cassette)
• Make sure I have spares of key components
• Check race kit and replace anything that's worn or faulty (e.g. goggles, cleats, heart rate monitor strap)
• Confirm travel and accommodation (tickets, reservations, any associated paperwork) - print out confirmations and phone ahead to confirm bookings, if i'm driving are there any special instructions for parking?
• Write down the itinerary for the weekend - where do I have to be, and when? Include travel, departure and arrival times, registration, compulsory briefings, getting up time, bed time, etc.
• Write out the race strategy (transition bag(s) contents, plan for each discipline, problem scenarios and recovery actions, nutrition, torrential rain, heatwave, etc) - what's happened in previous Ironman races around the world that's taken everyone by surprise? (e.g. the race distance is changed, the water is too cold or rough and the swim is dropped?)
• Download and discuss the bike course and run course routes - will there be the opportunity to ride or run the course ahead of the race?
• Find and watch race footage from previous years - note any good/poor decisions and advice/comments from the pros on the course
• Check there's a plan for the cats!
• Download and save the bike and run courses onto Garmin Connect and my GPS.
• Phone anyone I know who is coming to support me - make sure they're sorted, and arrange somewhere to meet them

Behaviours:

• Make every training session, and make every training session good (what's the objective? what does success look like for this session?)
• Maximum one "cheat meal" per week (pizza, meal out, etc)
• Completely cut out junk snacks during the working day
• Think about and focus on my goals for the day and for each discipline (the race plan will allow me to deliver my goals)

The focus zone (0-2 weeks out form race day - focus, follow the plan)

Training:

• Book in every training session into training diary - make sure I understand my taper strategy
• Prioritise sleep - minimum 8 hours sleep, every night (sleep is training!)
• Visualise key periods - swim warmup, swim start, transitions, fuelling, crossing the finish line

Tasks:

• Print out and read the race pack cover to cover
• Talk through and verify the race day plan and trip itinerary
• What's the weather forecast - which weather-coping plan is looking likely?
• Before packing, check everything I'm taking off against the list
• Verify kit as soon as I reach the destination - while there's still time to buy any emergency last minute items!
• Based on weather, which race day plan is looking likely?
• Check Facebook/etc regularly for pre-race announcements - any changes? Mark them up on the race pack

Behaviours:

• No cheat meals
• Completely cut out junk snacks during the working day
• Avoid negative conversations about the course, training load, or the day
• Relax, and enjoy the day

If I get this right, it won't seem like long before I'm crossing the line, and hearing Mike Reilly and his immortal words… "You! Are! An! Ironmaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnn!" (I met him at IM Wales last year in our hotel bar, I didn't realise he was such a legend!).

Race Report: Thames Turbo Sprint Series - Race 2

Thames Turbo race days involve Very Early Starts. Today's was a Very Early Start Indeed, as the first competitor was going to set off at 06:30 instead of the usual 07:00. This meant Race Briefing at about 06:25, and so even though we'd made the trip to the pool yesterday evening to register we still needed to get there for 06:00 to rack up and get ready. I have decided this year to cycle there rather than drive to get a warmup in. Therefore we were leaving the house at 05:20 for the 14km ride, and that meant getting up at 04:30! In my book, that's a Very Early Start Indeed.

It was cold, but dry. There had been some showers over night, but apart from the odd puddle you'd have been hard pressed to tell. Thankfully not a repeat of the rain-fest that was Race 1. We arrived and racked up without incident. I didn't see the exact time the first swimmer went off, but it seemed like they stuck to the planned 06:30 kick-off. I was bib 227 so I had a fair time to wait. I cheered Mrs as she started a few minutes ahead of me as bib 195. Her estimated swim time is faster than mine, so she goes off before me. You can check out her race report here.

Nigel Clemens conducting the Race Briefing

I followed my Race Strategy well. I'd eaten according to plan, and warmed up before the swim (a bit early, there was a wave break after the 174th person and that meant I was all but cooled down again by the time my start came). I'd set up my new Garmin Forerunner 910XT, but decided to leave it on "Other" sport for the duration of the race - I didn't want to be fiddling about telling it when I'd changed sports whilst trying to race. Maybe next time when I can do it without thinking.

It was a bit warmer, but still cold enough for some pre-race foot-warming in the baby pool

The pool - competitors set off at 10 or 15 second intervals in swim-time seeded order

I set off well, not as well as I'd like, but certainly better than the thrashing about of Race 1. The swim felt faster than last time, so I was a bit disappointed to see I was only 3 seconds quicker over the 432m. Still, it's a PB swim time, and I can't complain about that. I think to get better in the swim I need to go out to the pool and become more familiar with it (as well as "get better at swimming", of course).

All through the race the Marshals have competitor lists and shout personalised encouragement

T1 was 3 seconds quicker at 00:57 versus 01:00 in Race 1, I expected more as it was warmer and not raining, but any quicker is still quicker.

It took a bit of gaffing to get my feet in my shoes on the bike, but once in I shot down to the first corner (as per Race Strategy). I can definitely say I went for it on the bike. I pushed hard the whole way, focussing on the next section and the next person ahead. As there were 226 people in front of me, and my bike is strong, I caught lots of people. I enjoy seeing someone on the horizon and reeling them in, I find it helps me keep putting the power down. I caught Mrs with about 500m to go - I was giving it my all for a strong finish. It turns out I was the only person who overtook her - she was having a storming race!

I used almost a bit too much of the 7 minute non-compete zone - I worked out afterwards I'd used 06:56 of it! It was a nice breather though, and really nice to cycle back up to the pool with Mrs who finished just a few seconds behind me.

T2 was uneventful - again, quicker than in Race 1 at 00:49 as opposed to 01:06. I think there's time to be saved here though, I shall make a note to practice the transitions, as I never have done.

I ran according to plan too. Found my legs in the first km, wound it up a bit, tried to hold the pace (with some success) and just focussed on ticking the kilometre markers off. At only 5km you can put some effort in, but it's still long enough to end up blowing up if you go out too hard. I summoned up my strength for the last 500m and pushed hard for the final corner. As I turned it I sensed someone else behind me, and we both opened up and flat out sprinted the last 100m to the finish line. My Garmin says I hit 21.1km per hour! I held out by the way, beating him by what felt like just hundredths of a second. It turns out he was bib 226, so overall I'd beaten him by 10 seconds - that sprint was definitely worth it.

The unofficial timing printout (in the official time I was another 2 seconds faster overall)

I bought my new watch in order to get heart rate data during the race - the Polar RS300X sports watch I wore previously whilst swimming (and therefore racing triathlons) doesn't provide a plot, just average and maximum. 

My first trip out with the Garmin was a resounding success - after only the briefest of configurations I got a great plot.

Today I learned the "Tools -> Annotate -> Add Boxed Text" feature in Apple Preview

You can clearly see:

1. The swim, HR rose rapidly and stabilised
2. The bike, solid output and a sustained push at the end
3. The non-compete zone and T2
4. The run complete with...
5. ...sprint finish

From this I can see that I work hard on the bike, but have a lot more to give in both the swim and the run (in heart rate terms, at least).

I'd followed my Race Strategy well, and I'd given it a really big effort. I can definitely say I was trying hard. My time overall was 01:08:35, just 12 seconds slower than the last race. This says two things to me, firstly that my performance in race 1, in the freezing cold and rain, was far better than I'd realised at the time; and secondly that the training load this week had hit me and I wasn't fresh - I've run 4 of the last 5 days, and cycled 120km home from Northampton parkrun on Saturday (2 days ago).

I cycled home (very) slowly with Mrs who had also put a monumental effort in, and waited for the results to be published.

Mrs looking justifiably super-happy at smashing her PB by a phenomenal 3 minutes and 31 seconds!

When the official results came out, analysis had me double-checking my figures to make sure I was right! In this race my results showed that I was:

• 47th overall out of 391 finishers (top 12%)
• 20th fastest bike split out of the whole field (top 5%)
• 2nd fastest bike split in the M35-39 category of 50 finishers (top 4%)
• 8th finisher in the M35-39 category (top 16%)

This is by far the strongest set of results I've ever had, and I'm absolutely overjoyed about it! I've got a lot to waffle on about the analysis I do on the results (the run and swim stats are not quite so impressive!), and where I place relative to those around me, but I'll save that for another day (there will be lots of interesting graphs, I promise).

Some of the swimmers seemed a little confused (see also this tweet)

I feel thoroughly justified for stuffing my face the second I'd got home and got cleaned up.

To make the day even more special, I had a double-yolked egg!!

The full Garmin log of the race is here.

My first Race Strategy

I realised today I have never had a strategy for the Thames Turbo Sprint races, despite tomorrow being the 10th one I've entered.

For the big races I'll have a list of things to take, a timetable, etc - no need to go to that extent here, but I should think about what I want to achieve.

The key with a race strategy is that a target time in of itself is not a strategy. I've gone into previous races with "I want to get below a certain time", but not with anything in my head about how to achieve that other than "be faster". Not even how I was going to try and be faster. Time is not a strategy - the good finishing time is the reward for delivering the strategy.

So, here is my lightweight my-first-race-strategy approach to tomorrow. Let's see if it pays off!

Before starting: Get properly warmed up. I'm cycling to the event, so that will be a good start, but then I'm 227th on the start line, so there's a minimum of 227 x10 seconds = 37 minutes and 50 seconds until I set off. That's plenty of time to end up very cold.

• Keep warm clothes on until the last minute, don't stand around in tri-suit shivering.
• 10 minutes before my start perform some warmups - squats, high-knee running, shoulder rotation.
• In the queue visualise the swim start and first length - I lost form instantly last time and I think it cost me a considerable amount of time, let's not do that again. Think about the catch, strong powerful pull through to the end of the stroke, and a high controlled recovery - keeping long and relaxed.
• Make sure watch is set to the right mode and ready to go.
• Make sure bike shoes and run shoes are talcum-powdered.

The Swim: I haven't been focussed enough and planned my swim.

• Keep form right from the start. Don't panic.
• Put a good amount of effort in and focus on every stroke generating power.
• Avoid dead spot that I have a tendency for (I'm definitely an overglider).
• Wind up the power form length 4 - I've never tried to go fast in the swim, always to "get through it". This is a sprint, let's burn a match and try sprinting.
• Don't faff about touching the end on the last length - get out quickly.

T1: My transitions are fairly good, so more of the same:

• Brisk pace getting to my bike, get breathing under control.
• Follow the visualised T1 routine - Race belt, Helmet, Glasses.
• Brisk pace to the mount line, every second counts.

The Bike: My bike times are good compared to those around me so it's easy to get complacent. It's not that I don't put effort in, but I don't push it that extra mile. There's a 7-minute non-compete zone in-between the bike and run, so I can burn some more matches and have a few minutes to recover.

• Start fast - don't idle down to the first turn, can definitely make time here.
• Get breathing and rhythm settled on the 1.5km to first roundabout, be ready to push it on the way back.
• Push hard from the roundabout, and focus on the far turn - it's only 10km.
• After far turn, burn a match and really push for the village.
• After village there's the smooth sewerage works road to come, last 1-2km, give it everything.

T2: Again, transitions normally good, so more of the same.

• Use the 7-minute non-compete zone to gather breath and visualise T2 and run start.
• Run over the timing mat, don't start after it.
• Brisk pace out of T2.

The Run: My run is much better this year, but again lacks strategy.

• Get a good high cadence start down to the park gate - don't worry about speed yet, feel my legs and settle in.
• In the park focus on getting holding a good pace and cadence.
• Take the most direct routes across to the turn, straight lines apex to apex.
• Give a push from the corner down to the feed station.
• Hold pace round the rest of the first lap.
• Focus mentally on the final 1-1.5km.
• Push again down to the feed station, and hold it across the trail section to the grassy bit.
• Work to hold the pace across the grass.
• As soon as I get to the path, empty the tanks and give it everything right to the final corner.
• After the corner, sprint for the line.

Nutrition: Worked well last time - historically I've eaten too much but the last race felt good. Same again, please.

• Porridge and a cup of tea before we leave.
• Nothing else apart form sipping a carb drink before the race.
• No need for food or drink during the race.
• 90g Recovery XS with 450ml skimmed milk as soon as possible after finishing.

That's the strategy. I don't know if it's too much or too little to remember, I haven't tried this before.

Let's find out!

7 weeks to Wimbleball

It's starting to feel pretty close now - just 7 weeks today until our Ironman Ultimate Challenge kicks off with Ironman 70.3 UK Wimbleball. To keep the number of unknowns to a minimum, Mrs and I decided to book ourselves onto a familiarisation day to check out the area and the routes. In order to simulate race weekend as well as we could, we booked ourselves in to the same place we have lined up for the event weekend.

We took a steady drive down on Friday afternoon and checked in to the Anchor Inn - a nice little place on the Devon and Somerset border that's been transferred to new management around 10 weeks ago. Ann and John, the new proprietors, are slowly turning the place around following a few years of limited investment and care. It's still very quiet, most of the 6 guest rooms were unoccupied, and the bar was very quiet - but they've already made some significant changes in decor and the grounds to start bringing it up to spec. On a nice summer's day with tables down by the river I think they're going to do a roaring trade. So, that's one less worry for race weekend - our accommodation will be fine. I'd include a link, but their website has mysteriously disappeared - maybe that's the next thing to be refreshed.

The familiarisation event, organised by The TriLife and Ironman UK wasn't until Sunday, so Saturday involved (somewhat predictably) a parkrun. We got up nice and early for a tourist trip to Killerton parkrun (though not as early as you need to get up to cycle to Eastbourne parkrun). The lanes were great fun to drive round, I don't get to "play" in my car very often, so it was nice to have the opportunity (lots of blind corners and agricultural surprises though - stay alert, people!). Killerton parkrun is beautiful. It's on National Trust grounds and follows trails, winds around fields, and narrow tracks. The last 500m drops you out through a hedge (don't worry, there's a gate) and the finishing stretch is down past Killerton House. Mrs and I ran together all the way - no point in racing, got a busy day tomorrow - and she graciously let me win by 1 second, paying me back for when I let her win in similar circumstances back in frozen Sheffield when we ran Concord parkrun in -5C.

We used the afternoon to cycle up to Wimbleball Lake. The hills were short, and extreme. It was only about 11km but still took about an hour in each direction. It was immediately apparent that my bike was not set up for this kind of terrain. I'd decided to bring my TT bike rather than my road bike. The theory being that if I'm not sure if it's TT bike suitable, I should find out now, rather than bring my road bike and try and work out if I could have done it on the TT bike. I have hardly completed any hill work on this bike, so it took a while to get my position right, particularly when climbing out of the saddle. I found a technique fairly quickly, and was soon able to climb without hitting my bum with the saddle or banging my knees on the arm rests of the extensions - a good start. My gearing however was way off - with an 11-23 on the back I was crippled for low gears. Observation number 1 is that I'll definitely need to get an 11-28 on the back for this course!

The lake was calm and pretty. There was a little café where we had a cup of tea, and collected ourselves before cycling back to the pub. We were both hoping that the route didn't entail 56 miles of this kind of terrain - that would be a real nightmare. There was no flat whatsoever - all steep up and steep down.

We had a hearty meal for dinner, and got an early night - we needed to be at there lake for 7am. Ann and one of the bar staff brought us up a cold platter for breakfast. Cereal, breads, jams, macaroons, and lots of milk for tea. This was a lovely touch - we'd only expected some cereal!

Morning came and we ate and drove up to the lake. Already having ridden the route yesterday was a bonus as we knew where we were headed.

First up, after a short briefing, was a swim in the lake. We were all a bit nervous - it was seriously cold. The lake was at about 9C - 8 or 9 degrees colder than it would (hopefully) be come race day. With wetsuits on, we warmed up with some jogging, press-ups, high-knee jogging, and burpees. Normally this level of exercise in wetsuits would turn us into gasping sweaty messes - but it was so cold we were only just about staying warm. Without further ado we tentatively entered the lake.

A couple of buoys were set out in the same shape as they would be in the race, but much closer together. We had about 200m to swim in total. We started from the same place as the race starts - between two pontoons. It's a long time since I'd swum in open water, so I needed to remember sighting, what it's like swimming right next to other people, and how to swim in a straight line. I got round the course, but was getting very cold. We did a few drills afterwards between the pontoons - swimming backwards and forwards in a pack. I had one panicked moment with a couple of failed breaths and then a lung full of lake water - the shock of the cold made me cough a lot, and I started wheezing a fair bit. There were only two more exercises left so I stuck with it, but I'm very glad that it's going to be warmer for the main event - it would be no fun in this temperature. We'd only been in 15-20 minutes total and my hands were bright red and swollen, and I couldn't feel them or use them for anything. Still, it was good to see the start, get a feel for the run up out to transition, and get a first swim done in my new wetsuit.

Next, a quick change into cycling gear, top-up snack, and get the bikes out of the car ready for assembly (putting the wheels back on) and heading out to ride a lap of the bike course. This was the main reason we were here. Everything we've read about Wimbleball goes on and on about how hard the bike course is. Not an article goes by without some sentence like "52 hills in 56 miles" or "the hardest 70.3 course in the world". It would be easy for these comments to build up into a major psychological problem - how hard is the bike leg going to be? If every report and review says it's so hard, it must be almost impossible! How hard is it compared to, say, The Hell Of The Ashdown? The only was to find out, was to come and see. So, with much trepidation (not helped by yesterday's ride!), we kitted up, clipped in, and set off.

The objective wasn't to race round a lap, but to become familiar with the course. The instructors set the pace for the most part, and stopped to point out landmarks, give gearing advice, and talk strategy. We set off slowly, and after the first climb and descent split into two ability groups. There were about 8 in my group, and about 5 int he second group. To be fair there wasn't that much of a difference in ability between us. It seemed like we stayed about 5 minutes ahead all the way round.

So what of the course? Well, it is tough, there's no denying that - but it's not like the crazy short sharp ups and downs we'd ridden the day before. The first half is fairly rolling with good surfaces. There is strong local support for the event - the council come and fill all the potholes a few weeks before the race, do another check a few days before, and even sweep the circuit the day before! There's no call for over-confidence though, in previous years there have been torrential downpours before (and even during) the race, and that just washes all the crap back across the road. We heard a few times - good tyres are essential, don't pick anything too lightweight and insubstantial. A puncture will knock out any seconds gained by saving a few grammes on tyres, and plenty more besides.

From memory there are three large climbs that stand out among all the small ones. Only two of those stick in my head as being long slogs out of the saddle in 1st gear - on race day I want to be able to get up these hills without rising out of the saddle unless I decide I want to (change of position, little burst of speed, or to relieve an ache or cramp) - a timely reminder that a wider ratio cassette is an absolute requirement.

With lots of ups comes lots of downs. Some of the descents are very (very!) fast - and today in the rain (and occasionally hail) was not the day for showboating. On a few of the downs I had both brakes on full, and was still barely slowing down. Second essential thing - very good brakes, and confident stopping power. I'd been considering riding on wheels other than my current race wheels (HED H3C front and H3CD rear) because they have carbon braking surfaces. Performance is quite "grabby" and feels a bit like ABS in a car, and I would not feel confident descending at speed and stopping under hard braking. They're incredible for flying along in a time trial, but not so great when it gets technical.

We had a car out with us that had some supplies in the boot, so it parked up where each of the aid stations will be. This was very useful as it helps break the circuit into manageable sections. There are two aid stations, each of which is passed twice.

We pulled back into the lake - tired and wet, but very pleased with the ride. I finally had some context for the reports, and something to visualise between now and race day. It's hard, but it's not impossible. Key on the day will be managing effort in lap one, and making sure I don't burn all my matches in lap two, as there's still a run to come.

After lunch at the café and some chat back in the classroom with the TriLife crew and then the Ironman crew who are organising the race it was time to run a lap of the run course. All the press is about the bike course - today I learned that some hills were saved for the run too! It's a mixed terrain course, 3x7km (approx) to make the half marathon distance. There are a few dead turns (stopping to change direction 180 degrees round a marker), and a lot of technical sections - uneven terrain, mud and grass, inclines, adverse camber - you name it, this course has it! However, much like the bike course, I now know what to expect come race day.

When my head is all over the place, and my body is full of adrenaline, I will hopefully remember today - the experience has been invaluable, and I have far less to be concerned about in my head than I would have otherwise. It will still be a big day, there is still a lot to learn as racing a course is very different to just going for a look, but I think as a first timer over a new distance this was definitely the right thing to do, and I'm very pleased we made the effort to come and check it out.

The TriLife crew were excellent (Mike, Dan, and Dean) as were the Ironman team (Richard the Race Director, Dan the UK COO, and the chap who is going to be in charge of the aid stations). We were also joined on the day by Sam Baxter, a top age-group triathlete who placed 7th in his age group at Kona in 2011 - his insight into racing at the highest level was invaluable. There's an interesting piece on Sam here. Massive thanks to them all, and of course to Anne and John at the Anchor Inn. Mrs and I can't wait to see all of you again in seven weeks' time when we'll be doing it for real!

A couple of pictures

I don't normally buy race photos - but I couldn't resist these two. I'm certainly looking leaner than last year (though at between 7kg and 10kg lighter I should damn well hope so!).

How wet?! I was dryer in the swim...

The cycle photo is about 750m from the far turning point, so this would be about 13km into the 21.5km ride. The run photo is on one of the laps, I can't tell which one, so it's either about 2km in or a little way after 4km. I'd like to think I can still look this composed with less than a km to go, but I'm going to suspect it was the first lap :)

Number-belt fail (don't they always?)

The full set of photos are available to take a look at http://www.philoconnor.com/ - select "Sprint Series Race 1" under the Thames Turbo logo, and search in the top right box for number "055". I can't link directly to my pictures, they don't allow that.

Race Report: Thames Turbo Sprint Series - Race 1

An incredibly busy period at work means that it's been hard to find time to talk about my training, but try as it may work hasn't stopped me getting out and getting some miles in. Running and cycling have gone well, swimming has been my challenge, but it's starting to come together - albeit slowly.

Firstly, check out Mrs' Race Report.

Secondly, let me start out by saying I love the sprint tri series organised by Thames Turbo Triathlon. There are 4 held each year, on every bank holiday Monday. I completed them all in 2010 and 2011, and today was the first of 2012. They have a great atmosphere, and feel really inclusive - particularly to first timers. During the race briefing the first-timers are asked to raise a hand - it seems like there are always about 1/3 first-timers. I love events like this - a fun mix of those not knowing what to expect and being there for the challenge of the event, to groups of enthusiastic amateurs trying to set a new PB or shave a few seconds off transition (I'd put myself in this category), right up to accomplished club athletes who are there to stamp their authority all over proceedings.

Last year Mrs and I were caught out when we learned that Race 1 in the series was also the first race in the London League - so there was a really strong field. This year was the same - so there were a few more lean and serious looking athletes around, as well as a few more spanky bikes with trick bits and disc wheels than usual!

My training this year is targeted towards the 4 Ironman races, but this sprint series represents a good general fitness data point, and I'm hoping to see an improvement over last year given I have 3 months of focussed training in the bank, and over the last two years I'm not sure I've even managed 3 weeks of sustained training effort.

There are a few changes in the course this year. Transition is in the same place, but Swim In, Bike Out, and Run Out have changed sides. This makes for a slightly fairer and more logical route through as you move from left to right twice - picking your bike up the first time, and dropping it off the second. The swim, run, and bike courses were all the same (if you want to be picky, run was very slightly different as a corner had been cut and a few metres added on to the finishing straight to compensate, but there's no need to picky now is there?).

The two biggest changes by far are Sunday evening registration and chip timing (provided by Race Timing Systems).

You can now register up at Hampton Pool between 5pm and 6pm on Sunday night. This should alleviate some of the bigger queues in the morning - it did get quite crowded at times and this year they are allowing slightly larger fields. We drove up to pick up our packs (wrist band, race number, bike and helmet numbers, and the all important timing chip) and the place was packed. This would have been a big help to organisation in the morning.

Evening registration proved popular (with Mrs sneaking in on the left of the pic)

The timing chips have been mooted for some time, and it's great to see them now deployed. They placed sensor mats at T1 entrance and exit, bike finish, T2 exit, and run finish - this means we finally get splits for each discipline individually, as well as both transitions. An excellent improvement (previous manual timing meant we got three splits - swim + T1, bike, and T2 + run) , thank you Thames Turbo.

Race day comes around, and we're up at 4:50am for some porridge. The weather was not kind. On top of my tri-suit I wore bib-tights, long socks, a long sleeved base layer, a fleece jumper, and then winter gloves, overshoes, and a waterproof outer layer. I was dressed more for an arctic expedition than a 35 minute warm up ride to the event. With Mrs pulling off a similar Michelin Man impression, we set off - lights a-blinking from makeshift mounts.

Tri-bikes are not designed for easy light mounting

We arrived at about 6:20am, just about the right amount of time to get all set up in transition and ready for the off. Mrs was numbered 35, and I was 55. Competitors start at 10 second intervals from 07:00, so she was due to leave at 07:05:50, with me 3:20 later.

In short - it was cold. Damn cold. And very rainy. And cold. As I was queuing for my swim start I seriously thought we'd made a mistake not leaving clothes to put on during T1. It takes a long time to do this, but it's better than freezing to death! Anyway, too late now. I watched Mrs start, she seemed to settle quickly and be swimming well. I noticed the first few exiting T1 with long sleeved tops and waterproof shell layers on. I fretted a bit.

My swim start came, but with about five people left in front of me the timing start broke, so we were held for a few minutes while they got it sorted out (it was too wet and so the touchscreen stopped working - a replacement was quickly found).

When I finally stepped into the 28C heated pool it felt like it was boiling thanks to the differential with the air.

My swim was poor. I set off and within seconds lost form, regressing immediately back to my old stroke - but as I hadn't been swimming like that for months, I was uncoordinated and inefficient. I failed to tumble turn at the first turn (in the deep end) as I had no gauge as to how close the end was, and by the end of the second length I'd already been overtaken by the person behind me. I focussed hard on trying to think about what I was doing, and did get some rhythm back - but it's clear I need practice, practice, practice to really ingrain my new stroke. It's not there yet. I lost another 3 or 4 places in the first half. My breathing stayed controlled and I wasn't getting tired, so at least I was being slow efficiently! Swim time was 08:31 for the 12 lengths (432m).

T1 took 01:00 on the clock. I had decided to try attaching my shoes to the bike, then holding them in place with elastic bands. This meant a quicker T1 as you don't have to put any shoes on. Instead, once you've set off on the bike, you slide your feet in. The theory is that if you put your shoes on while you're moving, it'll be quicker than putting them on while you're stood still. It was still raining heavily, so my helmet had filled with water and gave me a cold splash as I flipped it onto my head. Thanks, but I'm already awake.

My previous PB swim + T1 time was 09:27 - so to I was surprised to see 09:31 in the results today, only 4 seconds down after what felt like a slow swim. Clearly my T1 had been good.

Off into the rain for the bike leg. I got my shoes sorted out and settled down for the 20km cycle (actually about 21.5km). The bike felt good. Really good. My position has felt a lot more comfortable on the couple of training rides I've had this year - I suspect due to having a lot less round my middle (I'm 6.8kg lighter than race 4 last year, and a massive 11.3kg lighter than I was for race 3 last year). I kept my cadence a little higher than I have had in the past - for triathlon cycling if you can keep your legs turning over a little faster than you would when doing a straight cycle time trial, it should help in the run, particularly at the outset.

I was going fast. It felt really fast. I flew past quite a few people (I don't know how many). Stayed on the tri-bars almost the whole way (exceptions being to brake for a car, and to make the two 180 degree turns at the end points of the course). In previous races I've felt my power decline over the last 10 minutes of the ride, but not today - I felt strong and even found myself pedalling out a bit (when you can't pedal fast enough in your gear for the speed you're going) and so notched up a gear or two to really push to the end.

Clean bikes go faster, right? (Apparently so...)

My time was 35:08 - a massive 01:12 off my previous best. I don't get speed/cadence data from the polar I wear for racing which is a real shame, I would have liked to see a comparison of this race with the last. I suspect the speed would have been comparable for the first 1/2 to 2/3, but then sustained rather than dropped off. I also feel like I was in control of breathing and heart rate during this leg, and I suspect was riding more efficiently. This is good news when there's a run to come, traditionally where I come unstuck.

The Thames Turbo races have a peculiar idiosyncrasy in that the bike finish is a km or so from transition, and therefore there's a "non-compete zone". This permits a maximum 7 minutes from passing over the bike finish timing mat to get back to the pool and pass over the T2 start mat. A smart competitor will take full advantage of this time to drop into a low gear, spin the legs round, and get your heart rate back down.  I caught Mrs right at the end of the bike, so we bimbled up through the non-compete together. As a result I took almost a bit too much advantage of this and clocked 06:51 in the non-compete zone. If you go over 07:00 then the clock automatically restarts and the time is added on to T2.

My T2 time was 01:06 - mainly due to my hands being so cold I couldn't get my running shoes on properly, or unclip my helmet. Got there in the end, and off for the run.

Over the last few months I've been working hard on my running technique and developing a more mid-to-forefoot strike. This reduces the shock and pressure on your legs when you run, and also supports an increased cadence and more efficient style. As a result I decided to get some lighter shoes with a little less heel cushioning for short distance races. I picked up some Brooks Racer T7 from Sweatshop using their now, sadly expired, buy-one-pair-get-another-for-£25 offer. This was their first proper race outing, and I was not disappointed.

I managed a quick turnover right from the start, I felt light on my feet and strong (despite the freezing cold and rain). I kept good cadence for the run, and even overtook a few people (normally people stream past me on the run - all the people I'd overtaken on the bike!). I hadn't thought about my watch at all - but remembered it just before the 4km marker. I had a quick look, it read 01:09:something - I knew I'd spent about 6:45 in the non-compete zone. Therefore I had about 6 minutes to finish, and still get in at under 01:10:00. I started to think - 6 minutes was generous for a km, if I could get in under 5 minutes I may even break 01:09:00 - that was my "wildest imagination" time! I pushed on - and really opened up over the last 500m, putting everything I had into the last couple of hundred. Race over. But what was my time?

I waited for Mrs and we walked back to the pool - both of us shaking with the cold. We warmed up and grabbed a cup of tea. I noticed a timing tent on the roof patio, so we went to investigate. They had a terminal where you put in your race number and a little thermal printer outputs your splits and provisional timings. This is what mine said:

Not bad, eh!

I was gobsmacked - I suspected I may have broken 01:09:00, but to clear it so convincingly made my day! Cant wait for race 2 - 4 weeks to go!

Check out the online results tool!

A fantastic first triathlon of the season. Thanks Thames Turbo, thanks Marshals (all 60 of 'em!), and thanks Mrs for also being into this crazy sport that means we both have someone to get up with at 04:50 on bank holiday Mondays in the cold and rain.

Race Report: Hell of the Ashdown 2012 (100km route)

I had a certain amount of trepidation going into this sportive. As I said previously I had a bad experience in 2010 with this course, and because of that I've always had demons to clear.

I signed up in November last year when entries opened - my friend Chris signed up too, and we secured the same start time of 09:02am. There are two route options, a "100km" route (actually 106km), and a "50km" route (actually 53km) called "Devil's de Tour". Chris and I signed up for the 100km version, and Mrs fancied taking on the challenge too and, seeing as this was her first organised bike event, she opted for the 50km route (her race report is here on www.totkat.org). A good plan - Chris had done the same thing last year.

My car is "in the shop" and so I have an enormous Audi A4 Avant of boat-like proportions for the week as a loaner car. It swallowed the bikes and associated kit like they were a small snack.

You could ship freight containers in this thing - I love it!

We signed in and relaxed with a cup of tea ahead of our start time. 9:02am came and, after a quick commemorative photo, we set off.

Chris (L) overloading the CCD with his jacket and me (R) posing ahead of the "Hell"

Chris and I had agreed before hand that we weren't going to race each other, we'd play it by ear and if one of us naturally pulled away we'd just roll with it.

Right at the start there's a massive hill - don't let it knock your confidence, it's short and sharp and soon over, then it's into the ride proper. I was a little restricted on the flat and downhill due to having a faulty front mech - I couldn't move onto the big ring at all, nor could I use the smallest cog on the cassette. I knew previously that I had been having some gearing problems, but thankfully, it being more about the uphills than the fast rolling flats, I wasn't too crippled.

First lesson: Always check your equipment well in advance of the event.

The first 30km flew past, and we made it to the first of the two feed stations in what felt like no time. There were two climbs I remembered from both years as being Big Climbs that Deserved Respect - the first was encouragingly named "The Wall", and came just after the stop. It's quite distinctive as you round the corner at the bottom and see it stretching up ahead of you into the sky. On the climbs, Chris was pulling away from me - he had a wider ranged cassette so he could stay sat down and plug away keeping a good cadence while I ran out of gears and needed to get out of the saddle a bit more. I caught up over the brows of the hills though, so we ended up staying together the whole way round.

The first feed stop

Second lesson: Think about the gearing you will need in advance, and make sure you've selected a cassette with an appropriate range (and appropriate chainrings to match).

The Wall, despite its imposing name, wasn't the mountain I remember. I felt quite good on the way up, and had plenty of energy left for the shallower climb that ran on from the top of the steep section - overtaking a dozen or two other riders on the way and catching back up with Chris.

It was disappointing not to have the high gears I needed to really take advantage of the rolling ups and downs, but with some occasionally comedic high cadence moments I don't think it held us up too much. I flew up the hill I remember walking up near to tears two years previously, and we made it to the second feed station in high spirits.

I knew it had taken around an hour and a quarter the last two years from the second feed station to the finish, and there was only the mighty "Star Hill" between us and completion. Again, I had this obstacle pretty much the size of Everest in my head, and was amazed that I just dug in and rode up it. I put in a couple of higher cadence out of the saddle moments, but most of the rise was sat down, plugging away, and overtaking people. What a different experience to the last two years!

Spot the comedy cadence and rest stops

It was a bit lumpy

We finished and rode over the timing mat at precisely the same time in order to get an equal time - though it transpires that Chris must have crossed the start mat a second behind me, as he ended up one second quicker! Bah!

I finished 369th out of 956, one place behind Chris, in a time of 4:37:31 - absolutely smashing my 2011 time of 5:23:27 (a 46:56 improvement) and 5 hour target. My secondary objective was to break into the middle third of finishers - as it was I was 39% down the field, so very nearly made it into the top third!

Obligatory finishers picture with Chris (I'm not sure why he was pulling a funny face!)

I'm really very happy about the result, even my most positive estimate put me at 4:45:00 - and I know with a bit less hanging around at the feed stations and having all my gears to hand (or foot) I could knock another few minutes off the time. So I think next year's challenge is to break 4 hours.

My bottle full of gels was an interesting experiment. I didn't get sick of the taste at all, but the liquid was a bit too viscous to eat easily through the bottle nozzle. With a bit of adjustment I think it could be a winning formula though, and certainly an order of magnitude easier than fiddling with individually wrapped gels.

I was particularly pleased about my heart rate - the majority of the time was spent in Zone 1, with 55 minutes in zone 2, and just under 7 in Zone 3. This means for the most part I was well under my functional threshold which means I have more "in the tank" to commit without crossing over into a level I couldn't sustain for an endurance event. This is what endurance training has given me, and proves that I am building a good aerobic base. There's a lot more work to do, but - just like my recent 5km PB - it's a great motivator to see real results-based evidence.

HR plot - lots of Zone 1 (under 152bpm), this is a good thing

Mrs had also done amazingly, and smashed her target with an amazing 02:26:14 finish. She was second female (the margin was under 2 minutes - she's blaming chatting at the feed station for that!), and beat most of the blokes too, coming a stonking 4th overall! Check out her position in the results table here.

My Garmin plot for the event is here.

Finish picture with a squeeeeee-ing Mrs

I got some odd looks when upon finishing I ran into the cafeteria, changed my shoes, and ran out! The 15 minute run I'd been advised to tack on the end was a real eye-opener. I remember the leaden legs I had at the Thames Turbo races last year, I had no experience of running off the bike at all. I'd by lying if I said that my legs were feeling fresh as I ran out - but certainly the long runs and brick sessions had helped. I kept cadence high and form good (and pretty much sweated to death due to running in bib-tights and two tops on the hottest day of the year so far).

A few of my favourite photos from the event, taken en route by Sportivephoto Limited.

Event photos, a couple with Chris, and one with a cheery wave for the camera

Am now very happy, no longer scared of the Big Hills, and actively looking forward to next year and the sub-4 hour challenge!

Official documentation!

Thank you Catford CC for a wonderful event, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and brilliant marshals.

The first event on the 2012 race calendar

Tomorrow is the first event of the year, "Hell of the Ashdown" organised by Catford Cycling Club. A choice of 55km or 110km sportive in and around the Ashdown forest (in, around, and crucially up and down). It's all about the hills.

For the revised 2012 route there are 8 major climbs on the 110km route. Taken from their website:

1. Cudham Test Hill – New in 2009, this literally gives a short sharp shock in the first mile or so. Don’t worry if you have to walk the 1 in 4 stretch at the top because in any case we ask you to dismount to turn right at the T junction.
2. Toys Hill – You'll need to settle in for this 2 mile steady grind.
3. Up to Mark Beech – A new one for 2012
4. Forest Row to Ashdown Forest Heights - Another 2 mile steady slog up the same escarpment as the Wall
5. "The Wall" - This daunting climb was considered so hard that the Tour de France gave it a miss when the stage went over the Ashdown in 1994. On the Ordinance Survey map it’s steep enough to warrant a 'chevron' on two stretches. Although Kidds Hill is 1.5 miles long you will climb for a total of 2.5 miles to the summit of the Ashdown Forest at King's Standing.
6. "Nouvelle Col de Groombridge" - A new addition to the HOTA which we have just discovered. This narrow lane soars skywards seemingly forever.
7. Bayley's Hill – New in 2009 it replaces Ide Hill. We are not surprised if you've never heard of it because it's wisely shunned by those in the know. The quite lane starts on the low levels of the Weald of Kent and arduously toils up for about 2.5 miles, easy at first but it gets steeper until it rears up to crest the North Down’s Greensand Ridge.
8. Star Hill – 'The sting in the tail'. This is the one everybody talks about as it is a vicious climb coming towards the end of a gruelling ride.

I'm excited about this event. It's the first "proper" event since I've started the Ironman training. I definitely feel fitter and faster, and so I'm intrigued to see what difference that makes on the clock.

I've entered the 110km route in the last two years. It used to be held on the last Sunday in January to make it a real winter test, but the bitterly cold and icy days they had in 2009 and 2010 meant that from 2011 it was moved to the last Sunday in February. I can definitely agree that 2010 was a true winter day of near Arctic proportions!

In 2010 I had my only real experience of "bonking" (the cycling equivalent of "hitting the wall") - I ran completely dry - it was one of the most horrible experiences I've ever had. I couldn't get up any hills (even a slight rise) and was so weak that I couldn't keep the bike going in a straight line on the down hills. This kicked in after about 5 hours in the saddle. I sat in a car park by the side of the road and gave up. Tried to call Mrs (or Miss, as she was then), but there was no reception. I felt sorry for myself for a while and realised that if I didn't get my arse into gear I was going to be stuck in the car park for the rest of my life.

After hauling myself up, I was amazed to find the next feed station literally (and I mean literally) around the next corner. I stocked up on hot sweet coffee and the wonder that is Mule Bar, and rode the final hour to the finish. I learned a lot that day, I've never been on empty before, or since, and I never want to repeat the experience.

In 2011 I had a pocket full of Power Bar products so I could fuel on the bike (or by the road) and performed much better. I also stopped at the first feed station (I hadn't done in 2010, a really stupid and junior mistake, and the primary reason for my energy depletion later).

This time, I'm trying an idea for Ironamn fuelling - to put a load of liquid gels into a drinks bottle. You need to use thin liquid ones like the Science in Sport ones below, or the High5 IsoGel, otherwise the mixture is too thick to get through the nozzle.

Save time, pocket space, and stickiness!

There's nothing fiddlier whilst cycling than trying to extract a gel from your pocket, unwrap it, and consume it without dropping any rubbish. This could save a huge amount of time in an Ironman race, so it's a good opportunity to try it out.

12 gels fit, almost to the from

The bottle feels oddly heavy, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be very weird "drinking" the gels, but let's see how it turns out.

Heavy duty bag, perfect for car boot protection

We also took advantage of a good accessories sale at Evans and picked up a couple of soft bike bags - total bargain at about £35 each - 10% off total for two items, with 15% off if you buy 3 items, so we got two of these and a £1.99 water bottle. A bargain for saving the interior of the car!

This was the last two years' performance:

This year, I'd like to get sub-5 hours, but there is a different route so let's see what happens. Finishing in the bottom fifth (80th percentile or below) is a pretty poor show too, I'd like to be in the middle third (33-66%), but there are some kick-arse cyclists that do this every year, so let's just see how it goes.

Oh, and just to make it fun (and more Ironman relevant), I'm tack ing a 15-minute run onto the end as soon as I finish!

So that's it, all ready for the morning. I'll let you know what happens...