Tri Fitness

OK so another sport that I used to take part in during my youth that I am getting back into is Triathlon.

Last year a friend of mine convinced me to take part in a Long Distance triathlon, his wife had just completed the UK Ironman and during a twitter exchange I agreed to enter the following year if he did, his response “your on”

Following on from this we agreed that we would enter The Outlaw rather than the Ironman, they are the same distance but it’s all to do with branding and copyright etc. So I duly entered, this would be my first triathlon in about 20 years, what was I thinking?!

Fortunately another friend of mine, who had also been convinced to enter The Outlaw, suggested the Mid Sussex Triathlon was a good short distance event to do, so I duly entered this one too so that I could at least remind myself of what it was like to go from swimming to cycling to running and the techniques involved in a transition!

Having completed the Mid Sussex Tri I was feeling a little better about the big one but my Swimming was definitely a weak area! By the way anyone thinking of trying a triathlon I can fully recommend the Mid Sussex, it is a very friendly event and very well run for the enthusiast to the beginner all are made to feel very welcome!

So roll on to July and the Weekend of The Outlaw, all my kit was distributed to the various bags and stored in the relevant area, my bike was racked and ready to go all I needed to do was turn up the following morning!

The swim started badly I didn’t get my breath right and swam the entire 2.4 miles with my head out of the water, not a good look. I was so glad to go into transition and get my wetsuit off and then on to my bike! As I left transition my mate who had convinced me to enter was standing there cheering me on.  Did I forget to mention the fact that he didn’t enter? Although he did compete as the cyclist for a team!

The bike and the run course were very windy but I managed to get round ok and crossed the finish line in 14 hours 51 minutes and 32 seconds, I had done it I had completed a long distance triathlon! I decreed never again!!

So when my mate, the one who did complete The Outlaw, asked if I would be up for Challenge Henley you would think that I said no chance, well no actually I was keen to take part and fortunately my parents bought me an entry as my Christmas / Birthday present! So 8^th September this year I will be taking the plunge again! Not sure my son is too happy it is his 16^th birthday that day.

As per last year my preparation included the Mid Sussex triathlon which I completed a couple of weeks ago and managed to achieve a PB, despite suffering the same problem in the swim that I had at The Outlaw, fortunately I managed to recover my breathing after the 2^nd length!

Oh and I have Ride London to prepare my legs a month before the big event too! Go team Skoda!

Team Skoda

OK so this is my second post in 2 days, I promise they won't be as frequent now!

As I mentioned in my last post I have been lucky enough to secure a place on Team Skoda for the Prudential Ride London 100 event.  In preparation for this I have been on a training ride starting at Crawley Down and taking in the delights of Leith Hill, it was definitely a change riding in a group rather than on my own!

There was a lot to remember about riding in a group that I have forgotten over the years so I deliberately stayed near the back to avoid getting in my fellow riders way. This also allowed me to observe the proper etiquette for riding in a group from people who were more used to it. 

Most of this is common sense, lots of signalling and not only which way you are turning at junctions! Slowing down, moving out to pass park cars and other obstructions on the side of the road, pointing out potholes in the road!

As we were approaching the bottom of Leith Hill the Pro’s from Rapha Condor,

who were guiding us, passed along the group advising us to top up on our nutrition before we hit the hill. 

Then we were on to the climb, something I was not looking forward to, my legs are not used to hills!  I was pleasantly surprised as I started to climb, my legs were being tested but them and my lungs were a match for the hill and I managed to get to the top in good time.

After a rest at the top waiting for all the riders to re-group we were off on the descent, as we set off I realised how much I didn’t like going downhill! My dad once took me down a hill at a cyclocross event on the back of a tandem to show me how quick I should go down it!! Going downhill in a group is definitely something that I lacked experience in, lots of space between riders on the descent was important to ensure that all riders could get down safely!

So safely back at base and a few more miles in my legs but a big benefit of this ride was the experience of riding in a group and the protocol required!

Another day that I spent with Team Skoda involved riding along the same bit of road several times, then getting in a team car and being transported to another location to ride along another bit of road several times, 4 locations in all. There was a purpose for this there were a number of other people around all carrying cameras!

I felt very privileged to be on this day and in the presence of some fantastic people, sitting in a team car with 2 of my Team Skoda colleagues, a top team boss and the women’s European and National Cyclocross Champion, who also happens to be ranked 2 in the world is not something that happens every day!

Talking cyclocross on this day has pricked at something in me, taking me back to my youth and memories of the fun times I had getting covered in mud! I’m now wondering if taking on The 3 Peaks is an option for next years challenge, anyone got a cross bike they can lend me for a season (or 2)???

Challenge to Train

My cycling history has been varied, aged about 8 I started to ride in competitions, mainly cyclo-cross but never really had the motivation to train.

Then my brother won the under 15 National Schools Cyclo-cross championship and I thought I needed to try harder, I never reached that height, the  best I could manage was 4^th in the Nationals.  Thanks to big brother winning the Over 15 champs that year we did win a nice team trophy though!

Fast forward to my adult life and I still lacked the motivation to train so thought I would set myself a challenge that would force me to get fit, I talked a good friend into riding with me from Lands End to John O Groats.  This we managed to complete in just over 7 days (7 Days 5 hours and 10 minutes, it’s indelibly engraved in my memory!)

A few years later I convinced my Sister-in-Law to accompany on a ride from John O Groats to Lands End, I needed it to be different from the previous End to End to avoid me saying to myself “I’ve already done this once” and giving up if the going got too tough!

Other challenges have involved Marathons and Triathlons and through my running I helped to raise money for the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund and subsequently discovered that Ron was instrumental in the creation of the Eastway Circuit that I used to race on as a Junior.

Having realised that the old Eastway circuit was now the Olympic Park and the start of Ride London I was gutted to have missed out in the ballot to gain a place to ride.  All was not lost though as I was lucky enough to win a place to ride with Team Skoda, now I had another challenge to encourage me back onto the bike again this year.

The other challenge around training is finding the time to fit it in! Riding to work seemed to fit the bill, 16 miles each way is a good start and means that I should be able to fit in at least 160 miles each week.

When I first started to ride to work I thought I was doing ok but then someone would come past me as if I was standing still, now I have been doing it for a few months I am passing more people than I get passed by! It must be working I am getting fitter and faster.

The only problem with my ride to work is the lack of hills, so when I went out with team Skoda and the Rapha Condor riders to tackle a training ride recently I was concerned about the prospect of Leith Hill, happily I managed to get up it quite quickly although my legs were complaining at the top!

Roll on 4^th August and Ride London, oh and then there is a little matter of an iron distance triathlon in Henley the following month!

What challenge can I think up for next year to keep my motivation to train going??