My season got off to a cracking start at the Beaver Middle which i won. I was hoping to build on that performance and fitness to set myself up for a great year. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worst. Post Beaver i struggled with acheillies issues. Learning from previous injuries i backed off completely which stopped it going chronic. This worked but it also knocked a few weeks off doing anything constructive training wise. Plus i had to DNF from the outlaw half with Karl Alexander and Ian turner making me feel like a donkey in the grand national when they went past and left me for dead.
The one thing i could do with the bad achellies was swim. I’ve been doing all my swimming in Cambridge’s famous Jesus green lido. A glorious 91m pool that is possibly the longest and coldest pool on earth, so much so that all my swims have been done in a wetsuit. That is until my Super duper Huub Archmedies started to tear at the seams. For a brief 2 week period i thought i would man up and swim without a wetsuit (i still don't know how all those old biddies just breaststroke around chatting in 14 degree water). I would jump in and swim as hard as i could until i got too cold. This was a fantastic plan until i got ill (Im thinking there may be a strong link between being almost hypothermic and getting ill). I’ve since bought a cheap training wetsuit from Zone 3, having been so pleased by it in training i decided that i would race in it instead of my Mega Huub suit.
First achellies and now ill, so frustrating. I was feeling down. I felt i was getting slower and slower and seeing all these people on Facebook and twitter do amazing rides and races. I just wanted my body to come together.
The illness passed on the Wednesday. The next race (Grafman) was on the Sunday! having working lungs again was incredible, after weeks of being useless it felt great to go hard again. I did a good session with Goss the boss thankful that she wasn't on super form.
It was a hard decision to even start the race on the weekend. Part of me didn't want to race. I didn't want to give my scalp up easy, i wasn't sure my pride could take getting thrashed by guys who i usually beat and being miles off the pace of the big boy. i didn't want the race to be a negative experience and leave me disheartened. I very nearly pulled out on race morning as further to my fitness crisis my back was feeling really dodgy (like i pulled something). In the end it was the wise words spoken by Goss that convinced me to do it. “you wont be able to train that hard without doing the race, so you might as well do it” Thinking of the big picture i suited up!
Swim. 26-38
I lined myself up on the far left (the racing line) behind training partner James Gill who i know for a fact actually sleeps in a giant fish tank (i used to live with him). Once the gun went I got off to a great start, clean water ahead, nobody bashing me on the head or climbing on my back. After about 200m i settled back into the line of swimmers and found my rhythm.
Bike - 2:13:17
Exiting transition i saw Karl Alexander just ahead of me (this the first race he as beaten me in the swim). He is a beast on the bike. I tried to go with him in the first few km’s but he started pulling away. The blood was still in my arms and my legs were not ready for some big power spikes. I settled into my own pace and let my body re calibrate itself for biking.
As it was the national championships there was a good depth to the field, before i knew it a few guys had joined me, and at the first out and back section you could see a few more on there way. The pace line formed and it would be the pace line that would almost stay together for the whole race. Unlike the national sprint champs at the start of the season nobody was completely taking the piss. There were gaps between riders but it was defiantly easier in the line.
Once Chris Goodfellow caught us we started to really push on. When he caught the little group he blasted straight past. He is a bigger guy, blocks a lot of wind even at a distance, so i thought I need to be following that guy. I attacked across to him, the other guys followed.
About half way round we merged with the fish at the front. Now there were about 8-10 of us. Being a runner I was happy to just sit in and follow the moves. Eventually a couple of guys escaped off the front and took 45sec or so and towards the end Karl finally jumped off he front and took about 10sec
From almost not starting the race due to the multitude of problems I had in the build up I was feeling bloody good. I was happy to follow Karl’s multiple attacks on any bump or lump and to be honest riding into transition i was thinking this race is mine for the taking.
Run - 1:21:34
I ran out of T2 with confidence. Forgetting that i have done next to no training. My race brain just said attack. I reeled in the breakaways and for about 2km i lead the race! I soon felt that my legs were not firing, it was like somebody had taken the springs out. Micheal Birchmore flew past and then Andy Hamilton came through too. I was not feeling great, almost bonking because the high five drink at the aid stations was so dilute it could barely sustain a child Ant. Fortunately one of the aid stations had gels! In the end I was happy to hold onto 3rd. I would have bitten your hand off if you offered me 3rd before the race. My body really surprised me on how it performed i must be getting more durable as i get older.
Cambridge Triathlon club did fantastic. With loads of great performances and plenty of Age group National champ medals to bring home.
Below: Left to right
Me, Cookie Monster (4th Lady Overall), James 'Fishy' Gill (1st in age), Juliet 'she isn't my mum' Vickery (3rd Overall), Lauren 'my Lovely Girlfriend' Bradshaw (1st in AG), The Barnacle, Mary Twitchett (1st in age), K Dog (3rd in Age)
The one thing i could do with the bad achellies was swim. I’ve been doing all my swimming in Cambridge’s famous Jesus green lido. A glorious 91m pool that is possibly the longest and coldest pool on earth, so much so that all my swims have been done in a wetsuit. That is until my Super duper Huub Archmedies started to tear at the seams. For a brief 2 week period i thought i would man up and swim without a wetsuit (i still don't know how all those old biddies just breaststroke around chatting in 14 degree water). I would jump in and swim as hard as i could until i got too cold. This was a fantastic plan until i got ill (Im thinking there may be a strong link between being almost hypothermic and getting ill). I’ve since bought a cheap training wetsuit from Zone 3, having been so pleased by it in training i decided that i would race in it instead of my Mega Huub suit.
First achellies and now ill, so frustrating. I was feeling down. I felt i was getting slower and slower and seeing all these people on Facebook and twitter do amazing rides and races. I just wanted my body to come together.
The illness passed on the Wednesday. The next race (Grafman) was on the Sunday! having working lungs again was incredible, after weeks of being useless it felt great to go hard again. I did a good session with Goss the boss thankful that she wasn't on super form.
It was a hard decision to even start the race on the weekend. Part of me didn't want to race. I didn't want to give my scalp up easy, i wasn't sure my pride could take getting thrashed by guys who i usually beat and being miles off the pace of the big boy. i didn't want the race to be a negative experience and leave me disheartened. I very nearly pulled out on race morning as further to my fitness crisis my back was feeling really dodgy (like i pulled something). In the end it was the wise words spoken by Goss that convinced me to do it. “you wont be able to train that hard without doing the race, so you might as well do it” Thinking of the big picture i suited up!
Swim. 26-38
I lined myself up on the far left (the racing line) behind training partner James Gill who i know for a fact actually sleeps in a giant fish tank (i used to live with him). Once the gun went I got off to a great start, clean water ahead, nobody bashing me on the head or climbing on my back. After about 200m i settled back into the line of swimmers and found my rhythm.
Bike - 2:13:17
Exiting transition i saw Karl Alexander just ahead of me (this the first race he as beaten me in the swim). He is a beast on the bike. I tried to go with him in the first few km’s but he started pulling away. The blood was still in my arms and my legs were not ready for some big power spikes. I settled into my own pace and let my body re calibrate itself for biking.
As it was the national championships there was a good depth to the field, before i knew it a few guys had joined me, and at the first out and back section you could see a few more on there way. The pace line formed and it would be the pace line that would almost stay together for the whole race. Unlike the national sprint champs at the start of the season nobody was completely taking the piss. There were gaps between riders but it was defiantly easier in the line.
Once Chris Goodfellow caught us we started to really push on. When he caught the little group he blasted straight past. He is a bigger guy, blocks a lot of wind even at a distance, so i thought I need to be following that guy. I attacked across to him, the other guys followed.
About half way round we merged with the fish at the front. Now there were about 8-10 of us. Being a runner I was happy to just sit in and follow the moves. Eventually a couple of guys escaped off the front and took 45sec or so and towards the end Karl finally jumped off he front and took about 10sec
From almost not starting the race due to the multitude of problems I had in the build up I was feeling bloody good. I was happy to follow Karl’s multiple attacks on any bump or lump and to be honest riding into transition i was thinking this race is mine for the taking.
Run - 1:21:34
I ran out of T2 with confidence. Forgetting that i have done next to no training. My race brain just said attack. I reeled in the breakaways and for about 2km i lead the race! I soon felt that my legs were not firing, it was like somebody had taken the springs out. Micheal Birchmore flew past and then Andy Hamilton came through too. I was not feeling great, almost bonking because the high five drink at the aid stations was so dilute it could barely sustain a child Ant. Fortunately one of the aid stations had gels! In the end I was happy to hold onto 3rd. I would have bitten your hand off if you offered me 3rd before the race. My body really surprised me on how it performed i must be getting more durable as i get older.
Cambridge Triathlon club did fantastic. With loads of great performances and plenty of Age group National champ medals to bring home.
Below: Left to right
Me, Cookie Monster (4th Lady Overall), James 'Fishy' Gill (1st in age), Juliet 'she isn't my mum' Vickery (3rd Overall), Lauren 'my Lovely Girlfriend' Bradshaw (1st in AG), The Barnacle, Mary Twitchett (1st in age), K Dog (3rd in Age)