tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113040149584591552024-03-13T17:52:09.550+00:00NICK BALDWIN - SEYCHELLOIS TRIATHLETENickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-69960367680697879502012-04-09T22:19:00.001+01:002012-04-09T22:21:14.609+01:00I've moved!Dear Followers,<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm delighted to announce that I have a new website at <a href="http://www.nick-baldwin.com/">nick-baldwin.com</a>! Regular blogging will continue from the website blog <a href="http://www.nick-baldwin.com/blog/">here</a>. All my previous blog entries have been transferred to the website blog, so for anyone hoping to check back through archived posts, that can be done from the new site. <br />
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Thanks for following!</div><br />
NickNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-3195466354807862182012-03-19T23:00:00.001+00:002012-03-19T23:02:24.002+00:00Run Volume 2009 - 2011<div style="text-align: justify;">I sometimes have a tendancy to over analyse things, but this time, I'll keep things simple.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNu1Alh2OXI/T2ewepa3QxI/AAAAAAAABJo/6VVmPuLlLNo/s1600/2009.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNu1Alh2OXI/T2ewepa3QxI/AAAAAAAABJo/6VVmPuLlLNo/s400/2009.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
June 2009 - IM UK 70.3 - Run Split: <b>1:29:57</b><br />
July 2009 - IM Austria - Run Split: <b>3:33:43</b><br />
December 2009 - Mauritius ITU - Run Split (10km):<b> 43:16</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KuqLYkgGQk/T2e0khf14nI/AAAAAAAABJw/uYTdHaRE-9w/s1600/2010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KuqLYkgGQk/T2e0khf14nI/AAAAAAAABJw/uYTdHaRE-9w/s400/2010.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
July 2010 - IM Austria - Run Split: <b>3:26:11</b><br />
September 2010 - TriStar 111 Monaco - Run Split (10km): <b>40:29</b><br />
October 2010 - IM Hawaii - Run Split: <b>3:27:22</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ee5njCUo7Y/T2e1rwVXFII/AAAAAAAABKA/GW_aK--sPgE/s1600/2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ee5njCUo7Y/T2e1rwVXFII/AAAAAAAABKA/GW_aK--sPgE/s400/2011.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">April 2011 - IM South Africa - Run Split: <b>3:24:53</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">October 2011 - IM Hawaii - Run Split: <b>3:18:32</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">December 2011 - IM Western Australia - Run Split: <b>3:22:05</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2009 - 1468.92 miles </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2010 - 1509.18 miles </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2011 - 1804.17 miles </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My run improved in 2010 despite no appreciable increase in total volume over 2009. However, at Kona 2011 there was a good improvement, where between May and September that year I increased both volume and intensity, logging 920.95 miles in that 5 month period. In general, more running = faster run times, but there is of course a point of diminishing returns, although a tiny percentage of triathletes are in danger of reaching that point. Run more and run faster. The trick is getting the balance right, and that's before you've thought about integrating swim and bike training. Getting this balance right is, in my opinion, the most important role a coach plays.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-17907748181236969642012-03-07T12:52:00.003+00:002012-03-11T12:14:02.310+00:00Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 2012 Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Since the inaugural race in 2010, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon has been on my to-do list. In just a few years, the event has already established itself as one of the premier races outside of Hawaii, with the who’s who of triathlon competing. After spending 5 days in Abu Dhabi and competing last weekend, I can see why the event has become such a success – it’s simply a very, very well run event.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My start time was scheduled for 7:05am, which was the first age-group wave to go off. I woke up at 4am to start the morning preparations. Fortunately the hotel we were staying at had breakfast available from 4am for all athletes. At 5:15am I got a taxi to the race site, getting there nice and early with plenty of time to spare. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I spotted Herbert (editor of <a href="http://www.slowtwitch.com/">Slowtwitch</a>) and had a quick chat with him before getting into transition and going through the process of prepping the bike. There were some rumours around that the start had been delayed by 30 minutes, and there was soon confirmation of this on the loud speaker. Purely by coincidence, I’d racked my bike next to two friends who were in the same wave as me, so after we found out about the delay we just sat down and relaxed. With the race start approaching, I put on the sunscreen and wetsuit and headed down to the beach. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9kSl4cQ298I/T1dV3Da_prI/AAAAAAAABH4/zt9vKmo1iso/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9kSl4cQ298I/T1dV3Da_prI/AAAAAAAABH4/zt9vKmo1iso/s400/076.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We had a minute (literally) to warm up, so I quickly jumped in the water, did a few strokes then ran back to shore to get my place on the start line on the beach. With no countdown, the horn sounded and the race was underway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’d positioned myself slightly to the right of centre on the front row. I wasn’t expecting to be one of the best swimmers, but I didn’t want to handicap myself by starting too far back. I managed to run a fair way until diving in, at which point my right goggle filled with water immediately. In a lake swim this wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but in the salty Arabian Gulf, my eye was burning. I wasn’t going to stop to adjust my goggles for a few reasons. Firstly I would have been swum all over, and secondly I’d have made my task of sticking with the leaders impossible. I decided to wait until the first turn buoy to adjust them, which was about 500m into the swim. Unfortunately by that time I’d already lost touch of the lead group, and I remember thinking there were at least 10 guys ahead of me. I swam the remainder of the first lap solo, just about keeping those ahead in sight. As we approached the swim exit for the first loop, I made a bit of a navigational error which cost me a bit of time. There was a short beach run before starting the second and final lap of the 3k swim. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FHS3H_CHfA/T1dWRBF8koI/AAAAAAAABIA/XW2xa6egNwg/s1600/20x30-AUTA0249.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FHS3H_CHfA/T1dWRBF8koI/AAAAAAAABIA/XW2xa6egNwg/s400/20x30-AUTA0249.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The leading group ahead of me had broken up a bit and I could see that I could potentially catch some of them. It wasn’t until this second lap that I started to get into a nice swimming rhythm, and I was feeling a bit more confident in the water. From 2k onwards, I started passing some of the slower swimmers from the wave behind us who were on their first lap. There was a bit of dodging to do for the remainder of the swim, trying to avoid swimming into others. I knew I hadn’t had a great swim, having swum almost the entire portion alone. I looked at the watch to see nearly 45 minutes, which for 3k was a slightly disappointing start to the day. This was going to be a long race though, so losing a couple of minutes wasn’t the end of the world. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cc11pdmdTs/T1dWnI0Z9JI/AAAAAAAABII/HZepk2V961E/s1600/20x30-AUTA0977.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cc11pdmdTs/T1dWnI0Z9JI/AAAAAAAABII/HZepk2V961E/s400/20x30-AUTA0977.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I ran through transition and unfortunately proceeded to waste quite a lot of time. It was a catalogue of errors from not being able to put my wetsuit back in my bag, dropping my nutrition and having to re-pin my race number. I was quite relieved to get on the bike and start what would be the longest ride of my life.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO6wYNYBvvQ/T1dW0nO60WI/AAAAAAAABIQ/K9JMiiZsi3o/s1600/084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO6wYNYBvvQ/T1dW0nO60WI/AAAAAAAABIQ/K9JMiiZsi3o/s400/084.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I was prepared for the bike to be flat and perhaps borderline boring, but it turned out not to be the case. The first 20km or so were flat and fast and I was seeing speeds of 25-30mph for the majority of that time. There were a few athletes around me, some I passed, and some flew by me. My strategy was to stick to my race watts and not get caught up in what others around me were doing. On the way to the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit there were a number of bridges to go over, which provided the chance to get out of the saddle and change position briefly. Around the 40km mark we entered the Yas Marina and had our chance to play F1 driver for the day! I must say, it was cool! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HHW99wXIa_o/T1dXLGm0-oI/AAAAAAAABIY/b4_YNP8-QIc/s1600/20x30-DHAA0052.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HHW99wXIa_o/T1dXLGm0-oI/AAAAAAAABIY/b4_YNP8-QIc/s400/20x30-DHAA0052.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The first 50km went by very fast and I was preparing for a slow ride back to town. Surprisingly, the speed didn’t drop significantly and I made the turn, which should have been approximately 80km, in less than 2 hours. I then realised that without doubt, conditions were giving us a seriously fast bike leg. I made the 180 degree turn and headed back out for the second lap.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZfbes9GFwQ/T1dXaRDNfXI/AAAAAAAABIg/7knuPV_SQfc/s1600/20x30-DHAC1323.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZfbes9GFwQ/T1dXaRDNfXI/AAAAAAAABIg/7knuPV_SQfc/s400/20x30-DHAC1323.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With the halfway point of the ride approaching, this was where the plan was to settle into a nice pace effort than I could maintain to the 200km mark. The course was now quite congested with athletes taking part in the other distance events, so there was a fair bit of concentration needed to ride safely and avoid any collisions. The wind was picking up, but the average speed was staying steady. The thing about a flat course is that, whilst it sounds easy, there’s no opportunity to coast or take a short break from pedalling. It’s a relentless effort. I was now welcoming the bridges as a chance to get out the saddle and change gears. I wasn’t feeling particularly comfortable on the bike, but neither was in any discomfort. It was just one of those days where you get through it. I tried to concentrate on sticking to my nutrition and fuelling plan as my watts started to drop off slightly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hbxfSq5x0M/T1dad9HmcuI/AAAAAAAABJQ/b_YV7SmhjQ4/s1600/20x30-DHAC1322.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hbxfSq5x0M/T1dad9HmcuI/AAAAAAAABJQ/b_YV7SmhjQ4/s400/20x30-DHAC1322.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
The final 40km was quite a bit slower as the wind was blowing harder, proved by more and more cones on the road being uprooted. I’d been keeping my eye on the competition at the various turn points on the course, and I figured that I was in second place in our wave, but about 8 minutes behind the leader who had a really strong ride. As I rode the last few miles back to transition I saw that although my pace had slowed slightly, the ride time better than I had anticipated. Total ride time of 4:56:45, although it should be noted that the bike was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very </i>short at around 188km. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Unlike T1, I went through T2 smoothly and quickly and I was soon out on the run. The plan was to ease into it, starting out at a steady effort and trying to finish the final miles at a good pace. One of the pro women had exited just ahead of me and was going at a nice pace, although a touch faster than I wanted to go. I kept her in my sights for the first three miles, keeping even splits at just under 6:45min/mile. The wind and moderate temperature meant that it felt reasonably cool, allowing for fast running. Aid stations were everywhere, and it never seemed to be long before you were being handed out another sponge or more coke and water. I was really enjoying the run and felt completely comfortable ticking over the miles. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGfiGbUELs4/T1dYmHVN5UI/AAAAAAAABI4/1LDqlJKT2tw/s1600/096-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGfiGbUELs4/T1dYmHVN5UI/AAAAAAAABI4/1LDqlJKT2tw/s400/096-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I went through the halfway point in around 39 minutes, which I was very pleased with. Sticking to 6:45min/mile pace, I was still feeling extremely comfortable. I’d made up about a minute on the age-group leader, but he still had 7 minutes over me with half the run to go. The miles seemed to pass quickly and I soon had 3 miles to go. I made an effort to pick the pace up slightly towards the 6:30min/mile mark. I remember thinking ‘this is great’! I was absolutely cruising at what felt like a low effort. I approached the finishing chute, grabbed the Seychelles flag from my mum and crossed the line, delighted with the way I closed out the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qSXo8PTA1oc/T1dYxmMu6eI/AAAAAAAABJA/Ae0WXoqAbVM/s1600/20x30-ABUA2294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qSXo8PTA1oc/T1dYxmMu6eI/AAAAAAAABJA/Ae0WXoqAbVM/s400/20x30-ABUA2294.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I'd managed an even run split of 1:17:56, but as with the bike, the run was short at 19km. Still, the average pace was better than I expected, especially given that we haven’t been prioritising run training in the last few months. The finish time of 7:05:36 sealed 1<sup>st</sup> place in the 20-24 age-group and 2<sup>nd</sup> age-grouper overall. After chatting with a few pros around the finish area, I went to pick at what was one of the better post-race food areas.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r0xPloznbbQ/T1dZGG8zuCI/AAAAAAAABJI/lbXzgiIz47M/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r0xPloznbbQ/T1dZGG8zuCI/AAAAAAAABJI/lbXzgiIz47M/s400/098.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Overall I’m delighted with my first result as an <a href="http://www.accelerate3.com/">Accelerate 3</a> coached athlete and I’m looking forward to the upcoming training months. There are certainly some things to take away from the race which I can work on, but considering its March, I’m pleased with where I’m at. To anyone considering doing the race, I’d encourage you to give it a go. The distance is unique and there’s a great atmosphere around the event, with everyone from first-timers to the world’s top pros racing. There’s certainly a lot to do in the UAE and everyone that I met was extremely friendly. Who knows, maybe I’ll be back next year as a pro ;) Cheers.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXyR4Sw1YJc/T1dVXRN9S3I/AAAAAAAABHw/VtkYBE46uhI/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXyR4Sw1YJc/T1dVXRN9S3I/AAAAAAAABHw/VtkYBE46uhI/s400/064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-32917280855468554382012-03-03T15:36:00.001+00:002012-03-03T17:38:52.704+00:00Abu Dhabi Diary - Day 4 - Race Day<div style="text-align: justify;">At the time of writing, the long course results are not yet available online and the race website has crashed, so the times that follow are approximations and are not yet confirmed (I'll look a bit silly if it turns out to be wrong)! To confirm the distances: Swim 3k - Bike 200k - Run 20k.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Swim: 45:00</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bike: 4:59</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Run: 1:18</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Finish: 7:05</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I <i>think </i>that was enough for 1st in the 20-24 age-group and second age-grouper overall. I'm about to head off to the awards dinner, so we'll soon find out... fingers crossed! In any case, it was an interesting day out there, with lots of positives, but also some things to take away and work on for the rest of the seasons training. Conditions were, I'd say, sporting. I didn't have a very good swim - more on that in the race report next week. There were strong winds on the bike, but when you had a tailwind you were absolutely flying. It was a fast day out there and the bike splits reflect that. The run was definitely the highlight of the day, as I managed a well paced effort and felt comfortable throughout, without digging myself in too much of a hole. I'll try and get the times and result confirmed as soon as I can, but if I'm not able to before leaving Abu Dhabi, then I'll close by saying thanks to all who followed the Daily Diaries - hope you enjoyed it!<br />
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EDIT TO ADD: The times are slightly off, but the results are correct. 1st 20-24 age-group, 2nd age-grouper overall. Thumbs up :) </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-24355283425672668482012-03-02T17:51:00.000+00:002012-03-02T17:51:07.650+00:00Abu Dhabi Diary - Day 3<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">After a frustrating night with less sleep than I would have liked, I headed out on the bike for a very quick spin, getting in some short intervals above race pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I finished the ride, I jumped in a taxi to get myself to the swim start, which was all of one mile down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day before the race I like to be as lazy as possible, so any unnecessary walking is out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After having a look around, I bumped into Matt Molloy, who’s also racing the long course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only had a short swim scheduled for the morning, so I swam the short course (750m), which gave me a chance to check which buildings to site for during the swim tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water is around the 20 degree mark and all indications are that it will be a wetsuit legal swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have been happy either way to be honest, but the wetsuit will make times a bit faster.</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KWOAuZd5rZw/T1EHM2UBlNI/AAAAAAAABG0/k-c2CnoIDmc/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KWOAuZd5rZw/T1EHM2UBlNI/AAAAAAAABG0/k-c2CnoIDmc/s400/053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">With training done for the day, I was just in time to catch breakfast before the end of service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new 2012 race kit is ready to roll – tomorrow we’ll see how fast red really is… I then spent some time getting my transition bags in order, ready to head down to bike racking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k2Y32y8RVkw/T1EHZ68v3YI/AAAAAAAABG8/bmm6HbFh_vI/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k2Y32y8RVkw/T1EHZ68v3YI/AAAAAAAABG8/bmm6HbFh_vI/s400/072.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f5sC-5JC8SY/T1EHn2FehWI/AAAAAAAABHE/NHt7MG1_9O0/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f5sC-5JC8SY/T1EHn2FehWI/AAAAAAAABHE/NHt7MG1_9O0/s400/055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">The back drop to transition is pretty impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the first race I’ve done that has a real ‘big city’ feel to it, and although there are compromises that come with that - such as difficulty cycling in the build up to the race – it’s really quite amazing to have the chance to race here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4aOpNeAIhXA/T1EH8strcdI/AAAAAAAABHM/Dpr9DD72RnM/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4aOpNeAIhXA/T1EH8strcdI/AAAAAAAABHM/Dpr9DD72RnM/s400/059.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">Unlike most Ironman races, you’re not given a time slot to rack your bike, so you can show up any time during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got there just after 11am and didn’t have to queue at all, which is always good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I chose my spot for the bike (again, no numbered racks, but you are allocated a row), I hung up my transition bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another point of difference with the transition is that there’s only one tent, so both swim to bike and bike to run bags are racked on the same peg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, there are benches below the bags, but space could get tight if there are lots of people around you.</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MgGDcAb-THE/T1EITGwetuI/AAAAAAAABHU/SrT1DdktpqY/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MgGDcAb-THE/T1EITGwetuI/AAAAAAAABHU/SrT1DdktpqY/s400/060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">With the work for the day done, my mum and I had a leisurely lunch. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole race has had a very laid back feel to it, and that in turn has helped me stay relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wave starts at 7:05am local time, which is the first wave after the professionals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should leave the bike course wide open, so I’m mentally preparing myself for a lonely day in the saddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow’s gonna be fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race #82 for those that have the chance to track the race online through <a href="http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com/">www.abudhabitriathlon.com</a></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-53068320901451911082012-03-01T15:00:00.000+00:002012-03-01T15:00:18.178+00:00Abu Dhabi Diary - Day 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">Before going to bed last night (and after a delicious Chinese dinner) I reassembled the bike – a task that I’m well practiced at!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to get just over 8 hours sleep, which was a good start to the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breakfast was a little lighter than the previous day, and afterwards I headed back to the room for some more sleep - coaches orders!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a little reading and an hour of napping, it was time to get my training done for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature was higher than yesterday, hovering around 30 degrees C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m assured that race day should be much cooler, with the temperature in the low 20’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Corniche</i>, I quickly warmed up and started running at a steady pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The run session was very short, with a few strides just to wake up the legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst the humidity isn’t high like Hawaii, the air felt quite stuffy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then jumped on the bike and headed out for a short ride, as much as anything just to check that everything was in working order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gTf4BbVhclI/T0-NXR74eII/AAAAAAAABGM/gWuVBK5cA8E/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gTf4BbVhclI/T0-NXR74eII/AAAAAAAABGM/gWuVBK5cA8E/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRhIrUKJttw/T0-NutSGAzI/AAAAAAAABGU/U-kHSk9wE0M/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRhIrUKJttw/T0-NutSGAzI/AAAAAAAABGU/U-kHSk9wE0M/s400/011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">The morning had flown by and it was time for another late lunch, with today’s choice being chicken salad and risotto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch I headed to the temporary bike shop at the race hotel to pick up some CO2 cartridges for race day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were far more athletes around than yesterday, although it still wasn’t all that busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly I haven’t yet seen a single professional athlete, although in fairness I did skip the earlier autograph signing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure they’re laying low and preparing in solitude for Saturday.</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBfU7PVJVdg/T0-OOGIkhPI/AAAAAAAABGc/pwmb1CCKrTY/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBfU7PVJVdg/T0-OOGIkhPI/AAAAAAAABGc/pwmb1CCKrTY/s400/047.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wfunHsiR8XU/T0-O4y6qg0I/AAAAAAAABGs/d1auS57RQGc/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wfunHsiR8XU/T0-O4y6qg0I/AAAAAAAABGs/d1auS57RQGc/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv1681391881msonormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’m about to go across the road (literally!) to the race briefing, which is followed by the welcome dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be interesting to see how this compares to other Ironman events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a feeling that it will be fairly low key, but we’ll soon see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow will be a fairly relaxed day, with some training in the morning, bike and bag racking before lunch, followed by an afternoon off my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-21509918295578690912012-02-29T15:55:00.001+00:002012-03-04T09:17:32.820+00:00Abu Dhabi Diary - Day 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The first thought I have after landing is of my bike – did it make the journey with me? Thankfully it did. During the 6.5 hour flight to Abu Dhabi I managed to get a few hours of sleep, albeit not in the most comfortable position. After arriving at 7:15am local time, the process of clearing immigration and baggage reclaim was swift, and my mother (my support crew for the race) and I were soon in the taxi headed for the airport. It was a cool morning, with the temperature below 20 degrees C, with a thick fog hanging in the air that limited visibility to a few hundred metres. After 30 minutes in the taxi he driver gestured to the hotel indicating it was ‘just there’, but I couldn’t see through the fog!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ef1j4IeINyM/T05J_o85WDI/AAAAAAAABGE/4Wewawo_Nic/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ef1j4IeINyM/T05J_o85WDI/AAAAAAAABGE/4Wewawo_Nic/s400/045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately the hotel was expecting our morning arrival and we managed to get an early check-in. First thing to do was to head down to the buffet breakfast and restore energy levels. Feeling very tired, I then took the opportunity the sleep for about 3 hours and although I could have slept for longer, I knew that would make adjusting to the time difference more difficult. With a free afternoon we walked down to race registration, which was held at the official race hotel nearby. There were only a handful of athletes around and not a queue in sight, making the registration process the quickest I’ve ever experienced. After collecting my timing chip, race numbers, swim cap and other bit and pieces, we hopped in a taxi and headed to one of the nearby shopping malls for a quick wonder and a late lunch. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I’m about to put the bike together ready for a ride tomorrow morning, which will be followed by a quick run. I haven’t trained today, but the next two days will have some short workouts just to keep things ticking over until Saturday morning. My first impression of Abu Dhabi is that it’s very clean, organised and clearly very wealthy. There’s construction work going on almost everywhere you look, with new buildings cropping up all the time. I’m looking forward to getting the chance to learning more about the local culture and seeing a little more of the area before leaving. For now, hopefully I’ll get a good night’s sleep and will be reasonably well adjusted to the time zone by tomorrow. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-46078123951804564322012-02-27T22:08:00.000+00:002012-02-27T22:08:22.195+00:00Abu Dhabi Race Week<div style="text-align: justify;">When you sign up for an event, it often seems as though you have all the time in the world to prepare for it. That's how I felt in November when I confirmed my entry for the third Abu Dhabi Triathlon. The winter months have flown by, race week is now here and I'm raring to go. Preparation has been great, with some very encouraging training sessions, especially given the time of year. The first race of the season is always associated with a mixture of emotions - excitement, anxiousness, hope, tension - the list goes on. Of course I'm hoping to do well and have a good race, but I won't be placing too much pressure on myself. I'll go out there and have fun, and try to enjoy the day. Whether or not it's possible to enjoy racing 200km on a bicycle is yet to be seen! The 2012 race kit is ready for it's first outing, and the folks at <a href="http://www.xendurance.eu/">Extreme Endurance</a> have given me some cool tattoos for race day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I fly from London to Abu Dhabi tomorrow evening, arriving on Wednesday morning local time. That gives me 3 days before the race to relax, check out some of the course and familiarise myself with the environment. Unfortunately it will be a short trip, as I return to the UK on Monday 5th, just two days after the race. Still, I'm super excited about my first journey to this part of the world and I'm looking forward to the experience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The professional field for this race is absolutely stacked and the age-group race will likely be equally competitive. As with all my international events, I'll be keeping a daily blog, so to find out what's going on in Abu Dhabi during race week, be sure to check in from Wednesday! Until then...</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-49238928990729715882012-02-12T22:09:00.000+00:002012-02-12T22:09:22.282+00:003 Week Update<div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst I may have slipped off the radar slightly with my blogging over the past 3 weeks, I'm glad to say that the same can't be said for my training! It's been a <i>great </i>3 weeks. After gradually easing back into training at the start of January, I'm now in the thick of a solid block in preparation for the Abu Dhabi Triathlon. Here's a breakdown of the last 3 weeks:</div><br />
Swim - 52,750m<br />
Bike - 43h52' (2980 TSS)<br />
Run - 151.6 miles<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Total - 79h55' </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The biggest change in recent weeks has been the increase in total volume. Before this training block, my biggest ever training week was just 24.5 hours, with typical weeks ranging from 12-15 hours. Whilst that may surprise a few readers, that's proof - if you needed any - that you can have success on limited training hours. With that being said, continued improvement requires an increase in training volume. There's no getting around that. It's fair to say that my new coach, <a href="http://accelerate3.wordpress.com/">Brian Stover</a>, has freshened up my training, reigniting (as if it needed any!) my enjoyment of the sport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the higher volume also comes a fair amount of intensity across the board. Other than the 25m sprints, it's the individual medley sets that have me gasping for air! Having always avoided doing any stroke other than front crawl, doing butterfly has been a shock to the system. I've been introduced to the fact that there are intensity levels above threshold, and vo2 intervals and 30s sprints on the bike have become a weekly routine. The lions share of running volume has been at a steady effort - simply a case of getting the miles in, with some structured intervals for good measure. For the swim, bike and run, all training numbers are looking good, especially considering the time of year. It's far too early to speculate about what times or results are possible this season, but I'm confident in saying that I'll be fitter, stronger and better prepared than ever. Racing in 3 weeks time will be a good benchmark to see exactly where my fitness is. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-22791683903818439582012-01-23T23:13:00.001+00:002012-01-23T23:14:49.623+00:002012 Season Starts in T-6 Weeks<div style="text-align: justify;">A while ago my schedule for 2012 looked pretty stacked. I had both Ironman Lanzarote and Challenge Roth planned for the year, but plans change. I remember leaving Kona in 2010, hoping that I'd have the opportunity to race there again in the future. There was always the question in my mind w<i>as qualifying a fluke? </i>Qualifying for the second time at Ironman South Africa last year proved (at least to myself) that it wasn't - I deserved to be there. Leaving Kona a year later in 2011, I promised myself that I'd do everything possible to get back there, and to have achieved that goal is an amazing feeling that can't truly be expressed in a blog post. I love racing and I love racing long, but there is no doubt that racing another Ironman distance event in the next 8 months would impact my training heading towards October. I didn't want to race another Ironman, but I wanted the next best thing, and there was one event that fitted the bill perfectly...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 6 weeks time I'll be racing the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon (long course). The event is a unique distance: 3k swim - 200k bike - 20k run. The swim and bike distances aren't a far cry from an Ironman race, but the run is significantly shorter. Not having to put myself through a full marathon will allow much faster recovery post race, allowing a return to regular training much more quickly than post Ironman. As a side note, this race will be the fifth different continent I'll have competed on. Without even realising it, triathlon has already taken me places I never thought I'd go, and hopefully there's much more to come. The other big race of the summer will be Ironman 70.3 UK, which is an event I've done twice before in 2007 and 2009. This is one of my favourite races, with arguably one of the most challenging courses on the circuit. It's a course that suits me well, with some serious climbing on the bike and run. Where I'll be based during the spring and summer will impact which other races will be scheduled. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's also worth mentioning that for regular users of <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a>, their new drink <a href="http://www.xendurance.eu/products/xecute.html">Xecute</a> is now available in the EU. It's been out in the US for some time and people are already starting to give some very positive feedback. Once I've had the chance to test the product for a reasonable period of time, I'll post a review with some thoughts. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-60582274759025878142011-12-30T21:31:00.000+00:002011-12-30T21:31:12.485+00:004 Weeks of Rest<div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, 4 weeks. This is the first time in years that I've taken this much of a break from structured training, and I think I'll be better off for it. I've raced 5 Ironmans in the last 17 months and a rest was not only well deserved, but necessary. As much as it's important to ease off on the physical side of training, I've found that the mental benefit from the break has been huge. Taking the break over December ties in well with being able to spend some more time with family in the holiday season and not fretting over missing workouts and indulging in Christmas treats! When January rolls round in a few days time, I'll be back in action. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I always like to spend time relecting on each season, trying to be self-critical and look at<i> how </i>and<i> what </i>I can learn from this season, then make the appropriate changes in the future. Even when a race goes well there's a lot you can take away from the experience to make you a better athlete. You'll see from the 2012 race schedule on the sidebar that things look pretty stacked. Well, there will be changes. My original plan was to spend 2012 gaining long course racing experience, but now that I've qualified for Kona 10 months out, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't channel my energy to that race. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I mentioned in my last post that there would be some imminent changes, and the first one has already taken place. As of yesterday I'm now back in the UK, where I'll continue training. It's nice to be back, but it will take a little time to get used to the winter weather again! After spending the last 10 months chasing the sun it's time to buy some winter gear and embrace the elements. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm of course compelled to close out my 2011 blogging with a massive thank you to my fantastic sponsors - <a href="http://www.cwseychelles.com/">Cable & Wireless</a>, <a href="http://www.clickfragrance.co.uk/">Click Fragrance</a>, <a href="http://www.edenislandmarina.sc/">Eden Island Marina</a> and <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a> - whose support I am sincerely grateful for. Here's looking forward to 2012 and all that it has in store. Happy New Year!</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-45389383490526515072011-12-12T07:04:00.002+00:002011-12-30T21:33:55.129+00:00Ironman Western Australia 2011 Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">When the gun went for the pro start at 5:30am, I was standing on the beach with a thousand other athletes, trying to stay calm and collect my thoughts. The age-groupers started at 5:45am, and 5 minutes before the start I got in the water and made my way to the front. My plan was to seed myself a few rows from the front in a central position. I was surprised to see that many athletes were starting further back, so I went straight to the front row and started next to Ryan Waddingon. I knew that I was swimming as well as I was pre-Kona, and thought a 56 minute swim would be on the cards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">As soon as the gun started I was immediately into a nice rhythm. There are times when it takes a while to settle down, but I was in the groove from the get go and felt comfortable bilateral breathing. This swim is the simplest to sight, as you simply swim around Busselton jetty. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zyIWge89xpU/TuWhlM2yc_I/AAAAAAAAA84/Bx02j_3aPIg/s1600/IMGP4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zyIWge89xpU/TuWhlM2yc_I/AAAAAAAAA84/Bx02j_3aPIg/s400/IMGP4743.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">After a few hundred metres I found myself in a good group, following feet until the turnaround point. The conditions were actually a little choppy, but we seemed to reach the halfway point quite quickly. Around 2km into the swim I felt great and decided to make my way to the front of the small group I was in. I wanted to push the pace, but I couldn’t see another group ahead of us. Undeterred, I decided to pick up the pace for about 5 minutes and see if I could bridge the gap to those ahead. I really lifted the effort and thought that I’d have dropped those behind me, but after a quick look I realised that 2 guys had jumped on my feet for the ride. We weren’t about to reach a group ahead anytime soon, so I dropped the effort and let one of the other guys do the work at the front, then sat behind. With only a few hundred metres to go I moved to the front again and pushed for home. I crossed the timing mat in 54:31 – a 6 minute PB. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Going through T1 I ran harder than I normally would, keen to take advantage of the good start to the day. I got through transition relatively quickly and was soon on the bike. I later found out that I had come out of the water second in my age-group – as a non-swimmer, that’s something that I’m hugely proud of.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The bike course at IMWA is defined by its lack of hills – it’s pancake flat. There’s only one small incline on the course. I thought that a ride similar of similar effort to Kona should get a bike split of around 4:45, perhaps a touch quicker. The first lap of the bike went by well, and I managed to stay disciplined, sticking to my target watts quite well, but going a little too hard on occasions. Approaching the end of the first lap I was overtaken by someone in my age-group, but kept him in sight until the end of the lap. The winds today were blowing hard, and I was really surprised how long the first loop took – 1:36. From that moment I knew that a 4:45 split wasn’t on the cards. After 60km, the commentators said that we were 1-2 in our age-group and at the front of the amateur race. He then pulled away a little, but I was joined by Andrew Tyack, so there were now 3 of us in the 18-24 age-group near the front. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WIbvF9MnIvg/TuWm3yYz3hI/AAAAAAAAA9w/4qWk1DyVGkU/s1600/IMGP4746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WIbvF9MnIvg/TuWm3yYz3hI/AAAAAAAAA9w/4qWk1DyVGkU/s400/IMGP4746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AdPNVejBQ9Q/TuWif8tRvdI/AAAAAAAAA9A/los5a1n7q4Q/s1600/IMGP4747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AdPNVejBQ9Q/TuWif8tRvdI/AAAAAAAAA9A/los5a1n7q4Q/s400/IMGP4747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">I knew that Andrew was a good rider, and tried to pick up the effort, ignoring my target watts. This was now a race of tactics – I wanted to stay with him. As the lap progressed, Andrew and I pulled away and were joined by another age-grouper. Andrew worked hard during the second lap at the front of the group, and I stayed at the back, trying to recover from my effort at the start of the lap. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKI6QH8qBlg/TuWjffkDQxI/AAAAAAAAA9I/0SU7ImIaotI/s1600/IMGP4754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKI6QH8qBlg/TuWjffkDQxI/AAAAAAAAA9I/0SU7ImIaotI/s400/IMGP4754.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB">At the start of the 3rd lap with Andrew right behind </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgdTBzpwzfk/TuWnZvLBqhI/AAAAAAAAA94/2UvaxA4--wo/s1600/IMGP4755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jgdTBzpwzfk/TuWnZvLBqhI/AAAAAAAAA94/2UvaxA4--wo/s400/IMGP4755.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">As much as I was concerned about Andrew, I wanted to make sure that we had a good gap on Ryan, as I believed he could potentially run a 3 hour marathon. With that in mind, I went to the front of the group again and prepared myself for another 60km of hard work. Finishing the second lap, the commentator said we were the lead group in the amateur race. Pretty exciting stuff, but in that moment, not something that seemed important. There are a couple of turnaround points during each lap, so I could see how far back the others were periodically. As the last lap progressed, I pulled away slowly. 30 seconds became 60 seconds, which became approximately 90 seconds by the end of the bike. I saw Ryan as well, and calculated that we had about a 20 minute gap on him. Hopefully that would be enough. I came off the bike with some trepidation of the marathon, knowing that I’d ridden much harder than planned, which got me a PB 4:49:20 bike split. For those interested in power, I rode 8W higher than in Kona at 3.3W/kg, with an IF of 0.774 and 287.9 TSS. A hard ride.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2911304014958459155&postID=4538938349052651507&from=pencil" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">I came off the bike as the first age-grouper and ran through transition. I fumbled with my bag a bit, struggling to compose myself. After putting the shoes on and getting some suncream and Vaseline from the volunteers, I left transition, 5 seconds behind Michelle Bremer (eventual winner of the Pro womens race). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JhS17ErlL7M/TuWlieLce0I/AAAAAAAAA9g/bf_fx4WGBSQ/s1600/photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JhS17ErlL7M/TuWlieLce0I/AAAAAAAAA9g/bf_fx4WGBSQ/s400/photo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB">At 2km, first age-grouper on the course </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">As in Kona, my goal was to run a 3:15 marathon. My race at Kona was defined by discipline, but today was about racing in the moment and adapting to what was happening around me. I went through the first 5km in 22 minutes, ahead of any ‘plan’. Without paying attention to my pacing, I went through 10km in 44 minutes. For the first loop I walked every other aid station. At this stage I felt good, running on adrenaline – if I could keep this up then I was sure I’d stay at the front. I felt that I’d pushed the first lap, but Andrew worked hard too, as he’d closed the gap to within 30 seconds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qazCDjw_Z8A/TuWkRwMf3NI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/l8IwLDvl2r4/s1600/IMGP4759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qazCDjw_Z8A/TuWkRwMf3NI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/l8IwLDvl2r4/s400/IMGP4759.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB">Andrew still right behind! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gXPUdiu8tes/TuWmWDQ3jNI/AAAAAAAAA9o/W6lJDF3Z5uM/s1600/IMGP4761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gXPUdiu8tes/TuWmWDQ3jNI/AAAAAAAAA9o/W6lJDF3Z5uM/s400/IMGP4761.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">On the second loop I slowed slightly, but still went through 20km in 1:30, on target for a good marathon time. It was at the start of the third loop that I started to feel the pain, and my stride shortened and pace fell. I was now walking every aid station for 30 seconds, trying to run close to 7:30min/mile in between. There were times where I felt that I wouldn’t finish – something that I’ve never experienced in any other race. On the third lap a spectator told me that there was about a minute to Andrew, which was a big wake up call. I was trying to keep an eye out for him at the turnaround points, but at this stage the course was congested with athletes and I found it difficult to spot him. I went through 30km in 2:18, which shows that I slowed in that third lap. As I started the final run lap, it was a case of now or never. Motivated by the finish line and fuelled on cola, I was running better, but I was still walking every aid station, this time for closer to 45 seconds. The extra time walking really seemed to help me pick up the pace in between aid stations. Approaching the end of any Ironman marathon is always a relief, but this time the relief was greater than ever. I finished with a run time of 3:22:05. Finish time was 9:10:24, 1<sup>st</sup> in the 18-24 age-group, 16<sup>th</sup> overall and 4<sup>th</sup> age-grouper overall.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fCNpFE0lzo/TuWkqTlJs2I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/IO3SZYmwR_0/s1600/finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fCNpFE0lzo/TuWkqTlJs2I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/IO3SZYmwR_0/s400/finish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">On reflection, this was one of my proudest races. Not because of the finish time or PB in the swim or bike, but because I came so close to walking and pulling out. I’ve said it many times before, but Ironman is as much a mental game as a physical one. Admittedly I wanted to run faster, but this was still my second fastest Ironman run, only 3:33 slower than my PB. At the end of a long year and just 8 weeks after Kona, I’ll take that. It’s great to have qualified for Kona with 10 months to go, as I can now plan my 2012 season with that goal in mind. I’m under no illusions as to how tough the competition there will be – it always is. A big congratulations to <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a> athlete Timo Bracht for taking the title and rounding out a great year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">2012 will most certainly be a ‘do or die’ year. I’ll commit <b>everything</b> to being the best triathlete that I can be, which will mean a change of location. It’s very likely that there will be some exciting plans for next year! It’s exciting to think that 2012 will indicate whether I have the potential to start a career as a professional triathlete in 2013. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-87068099398783852372011-12-05T14:52:00.000+00:002011-12-05T14:52:30.110+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 7<div style="text-align: justify;">My post Ironman sleep has become highly predictable - it's practically non-existant. After nearly 4 hours sleep I was wide awake at 3:30am. The only plan for the morning was to head to the race site to claim my Kona qualification slot. Nightmares of my credit card being declined were unfounded as the machine showed 'APPROVED'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After lunch my homestay family took me on a road trip to sight-see some of the surrounding area, namely Margaret River, famous for its wineries. Along the way we drove past countless vinyards, stopped at beaches, visited a chocolate factory and tasted the delights of a local bakery (blueberry muffin was my choice). We also saw first hand the damage that the recent bush fire around the region had caused.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NnEuU7_H-kE/TtzaAOVwLqI/AAAAAAAAA8o/Hh521qicZp4/s1600/232323456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NnEuU7_H-kE/TtzaAOVwLqI/AAAAAAAAA8o/Hh521qicZp4/s400/232323456.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-curFD1nke3E/TtzaPeQtKNI/AAAAAAAAA8w/YL5UOxiA7NA/s1600/232323461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-curFD1nke3E/TtzaPeQtKNI/AAAAAAAAA8w/YL5UOxiA7NA/s400/232323461.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This evening was the Awards Dinner, which again was extremely well organised. We had a great table and I sat with second and fourth place finishers in my age-group, Andrew Tyack and Ryan Waddington. The age-group presentations soon began and the top-5 in each category headed up on stage to collect our prized trophy. It's always great to see some of the amazing performances throughout the different age-groups, especially amongst some of the older categories. After the prize giving for the professionals we were shown a closing higlights video from the race, which included me coming down the finishing chute! Showing the highlights viedo is always a great way to officially end the race experience. I left before the party began, as I have an early coach journey back to Perth tomorrow, before flying to Singapore in the evening. I'll say goodbye to Busselton, but I'll remember this trip with fondest memories.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-89994718166229355202011-12-04T13:52:00.001+00:002011-12-04T14:27:38.283+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 6: Race Day<div style="text-align: justify;">That was tough - probably the most mentally challenging race I've done to date. As always, a full report in glorious detail will follow in the weeks to come, but the jist of the day is:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Swim - I went steady </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bike - I went hard (strong winds put pay to faster bike splits)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Run - I was in the hurt box</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Swim: 54:31 (PB)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Transition 1: 2:26</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bike: 4:49:20 (PB)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Transition 2: 2:02</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Run: 3:22:05 </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Finish: 9:10:24</b> (PB) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st M18-24 age-group and 16th overall (4th amateur overall). I'm heading back to Kona!</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-36188128472708579402011-12-03T12:39:00.000+00:002011-12-03T12:39:52.812+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 5<div style="text-align: justify;">As always the day before Ironman, I got my last bit of training done first thing in the morning. A short 30 minute ride and 12 minute run was all I did, but the day before the race, that's plenty. After a pancake breakfast I got my transition bags sorted and ready to rack later in the morning. My scheduled bike rack time was between 11 and 12pm, the earliest available time slot. Again, the process was slick. Without queueing, I was quickly photographed with my bike and directed to leave my bike on the numbered racks. I then placed my transition bags on the numbered hooks, quickly went through weigh-in (thankfully no nasty surprises), and my work for the day was done. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4BAVjAbh0c/TtoVAzXZK0I/AAAAAAAAA7I/0urbkREE8LM/s1600/232323422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4BAVjAbh0c/TtoVAzXZK0I/AAAAAAAAA7I/0urbkREE8LM/s400/232323422.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4g_yD3Y_IjE/TtoVRr3qJuI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/i6HfH6kaHEo/s1600/232323424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4g_yD3Y_IjE/TtoVRr3qJuI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/i6HfH6kaHEo/s400/232323424.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cakTnmklxUI/TtoVh94CZ4I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/SMHaSbfqg30/s1600/232323425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cakTnmklxUI/TtoVh94CZ4I/AAAAAAAAA7Y/SMHaSbfqg30/s400/232323425.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HDKC3QKo80/TtoVx3mR5LI/AAAAAAAAA7g/RnP2nd3V_U8/s1600/232323423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HDKC3QKo80/TtoVx3mR5LI/AAAAAAAAA7g/RnP2nd3V_U8/s400/232323423.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">A great way to illustrate the drafting distance</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With the formalities out of the way the order for the rest of the day was to relax. I stuck to my ritual of a very large lunch the day before, with two plates of spaghetti bologneise. The afternoon seemed to pass by quite quickly, and before long it was time for an early dinner of lasagna and a movie. My homestay family have looked after me well and it will be nice to see them out on the course tomorrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I haven't talked about my goals, time ambitions or tactics for the race yet, but as you'd expect, there's no secrets. I'm feeling good and well prepared, so what will be will be. The forecast is for a hot day with reasonable winds - just what I'd have hoped for. I'm as excited about this race as any other and I cannot wait to get in the water and wait for the gun to go off at 5:45am tomorrow. Thanks for following the Diary so far, race #51 signing out! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-19112355518126751632011-12-02T13:47:00.000+00:002011-12-02T13:47:38.049+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 4<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been another beautiful day down in Busselton, with the temperature getting up to 31 degrees, similar to what's expected on race day. First things in the morning I headed down to the jetty to get a short swim session in. Looking to the end of the jetty from the beach is quite daunting, realisi ng that we'll be swimming over a mile into the ocean. I've been assured that it never gets too deep, which is a small comfort. The sea itself was a little choppy, but it's always good to get a swim done in the days ahead of the race.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After the swim I walked across the street to the expo area to officially register. After quickly signing a waver and providing photo ID, I quickly received my athlete wristband and race numbers. I had a quick snoop around the expo, and picked up an extra spare inner tube and CO2 cartridges for race day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPpNKf1vAS8/TtjU2KtlSMI/AAAAAAAAA7A/BFBe7JrM3RE/s1600/232323419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPpNKf1vAS8/TtjU2KtlSMI/AAAAAAAAA7A/BFBe7JrM3RE/s400/232323419.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I still had time before lunch to get out on the bike, with some pick ups to race pace and above. I quickly transitioned to a short 3 mile run, again, with some work at and above race pace. For the rest of the afternoon I rested and took the time to put the numbers on my race bike. It's looking pretty sharp!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Welcome Dinner started quite early at 5:30pm, and I'd arranged to meet one of my age-group competitors <a href="http://andrewtyack.blogspot.com/">Andrew Tyack</a>. I also ended up meeting <a href="http://www.triathlontribe.com/page/Blogs/Ryan-Waddington-TT-blog">Ryan Waddington</a>, another guy in my age-group. It was great to meet both guys and chat about the race this weekend. I know the three of us will have a good battle out there on Sunday. The dinner itself was good, with nice food and a great tent for the evening. There were a number of guest speakers, including last years winners. There was also the race briefing, which quickly covered the rules for the race - nothing too different than other events. Tomorrow morning the last bit of training will be done, then it's off to rack the bike and hand in the transition bags. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-12481946923089238682011-12-01T14:02:00.000+00:002011-12-01T14:02:27.004+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The sun woke me up at 6am, hardly what I wanted after another day of travelling. My plan for the morning was to meet an old friend who I went to school with in Seychelles, and who I hadn't seen in 13 years! It was so nice to catch up and have a local show me some of the sights of the city. After two days of little interaction on flights and in airports and hotels, it was great to meet a familiar face. We headed to a cafe for breakfast, not far from the river. We then went to Kings Park, a beautiful park with stunning views of the city centre. I must say, my first impressions of Perth are very good and I hope I'll have the chance to explore the city a little more after the race.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3V_5TJI3CQ/TteGc0RU7sI/AAAAAAAAA6g/bX9rZCKDR2w/s1600/232323414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3V_5TJI3CQ/TteGc0RU7sI/AAAAAAAAA6g/bX9rZCKDR2w/s400/232323414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After catching up we headed back to the International Airport, where I waited for the coach to Busselton at midday. The coach, the final leg of the journey, nothing could possibly go wrong... until an hour into the trip where the driver pulled over, and after deliberation, told us that a hose had split and we'd have to wait for another coach to pick us up. We waitted by the side of the highway for just over an hour until we were rescued, then continued south. At 4pm I saw the 'Welcome to Busselton' sign and was dropped off at my homestay for the week. It was great to meet the family and finally relax after the journey. Time to get some rest ahead of tomorrows plans. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-45984596872006099472011-11-30T14:18:00.000+00:002011-11-30T14:18:07.324+00:00IMWA Diary – Day 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I managed to get a solid 6 hours of sleep in bed last night – much more comfortable than trying to sleep sitting upright on an aeroplane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have too much time to waste in the morning, so I quickly got myself to the gym for a run session on the treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a warming up, I felt surprisingly good considering all the travel from the past 24 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the session done, I headed downstairs for the breakfast buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those that know me will realise that a buffet is perhaps not the most sensible idea for me in race week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With fierce dedication, I limited myself to a very sensible sized and healthy breakfast, ensuring I was giving my body all the good stuff it needs ahead of the weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">At midday I got the hotel shuttle bus to the airport, followed by another coach to a separate terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, the service from Tiger Airways at check-in was impeccable, and with no queue, I had my boarding card within minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting your bike on the oversized conveyor belt is always nerve racking, as you wonder if it will make it on the plane with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With fingers crossed, I let it go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 5 hour flight to Perth was great, simply because I hit the jackpot and had 3 free seats!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave me the chance to stretch out the legs and catch up on some much needed sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight took off promptly and we even landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of airport staff at Perth, I quickly cleared immigration and customs and got the taxi to my hotel, where I sit now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s around 10pm and time for me to get to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow is the final leg of this gargantuan journey – a 3 hour coach ride to Busselton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-49263367877790306432011-11-29T16:41:00.000+00:002011-11-29T16:41:25.883+00:00IMWA Diary - Day 1<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm calling this Day 1 ofmy IMWA Diary, but I'm still not in Australia. At midnight last night I took the 4.5 hour flight from Seychelles to Dubai, where I had a 5 hour layover before a 7 hour flight to Singapore. I must say, the Singapore city skyline was very impressive upon landing. First impressions, it's humid here. We landed around 10:30pm and it was still 26 degrees! The good news - all my baggage has made it here. Trusty Emirates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My flight to Perth is at 3:45 tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll get a good sleep and have a good feed in the morning ahead of the next travel leg. It's just gone midnight here so it's time for me to get some rest, but before I log off, I'll share a picture with you. Here's what a full day of flying/travelling does to your feet - even compression is no match for the mighty <i>cankles</i>! Hopefully they'll go down overnight!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AaxTwTFuUrA/TtUKXn46qqI/AAAAAAAAA54/ALe_Qtb-x-c/s1600/232323406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AaxTwTFuUrA/TtUKXn46qqI/AAAAAAAAA54/ALe_Qtb-x-c/s400/232323406.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<i></i></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-59471562412986876302011-11-27T18:51:00.000+00:002011-11-27T18:51:27.335+00:00Time to Fly<div style="text-align: justify;">In 24 hours I'll be in the waiting lounge, ready to start one of the longest journeys of my life. It will take approximately 60 hours to get from Seychelles to Busselton, Western Australia! I'll be travelling to Perth via Dubai and Singapore - 3 flights and one coach journey - epic!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The taper for this race has largely followed that which I did for Hawaii, but of course there have been a few changes. This season my approach to tapering has changed slightly, being more aggressive and less conservative. Despite logging a reasonable amount of training hours in the last 2 weeks, I'm feeling fresher than I was heading into Kona, largely due to the reduced build up leading into this race. I've hit all my key training sessions well, and all the signs of fitness are there - swim, bike and run. I wrote previously about how I wasn't feeling under pressure to perform, and that's still the case. Of course as always I'm going out there to have the best race possible, but my focus is very much on enjoying my first experience in Australia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know that there will be some tough competition in my age-group (who will no doubt be reading this!) challenging for the win, which is great, and I say that sincerely. You want to be challenged at races and know that you have to be on top of your game to achieve the desired result. The tactical battle that takes place at the front of the age-group race is an exciting element of racing and adds to the experience. It's great to see that there's a strong professional field lining up for the race, including <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a> athlete Timo Bracht. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">From Tuesday onwards I'll be starting my 'Ironman Western Australia Daily Diary', so make sure you keep reading to see what's going on during race week. Time to get packing...</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-90175244062680738872011-11-13T12:06:00.000+00:002011-11-13T12:06:45.228+00:00Ironman Western Australia Countdown<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve been quiet the last few weeks, but it has been a busy period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of October I left the UK to return to Seychelles for the final preparations ahead of Ironman Western Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This race comes just 8 weeks after Kona, which is the closest time frame that I’ll have attempted two Ironman races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that perspective, this presented a new challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m curious to see where my fitness will be on race day, but indications in training suggest that things on that front are looking good. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">My plan for returning to training was to listen to my body with regard to training load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My initial concern was getting adequate recovery from Kona before returning to training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was soon back to regular training in the pool, hitting good paces across all distance intervals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bike seemed to take a little longer to get back into, but the last few weeks have been promising and I am confident that I have retained my Kona bike fitness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seemed to find my running legs quite quickly, but played it conservatively, slowly ramping up the volume and intensity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I’m excited about the run in Australia and am looking forward to seeing what I’m capable of.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s difficult to explain just how excited I am about this race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember watching the highlights programme from the 2007 race, before I’d completed my first Ironman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having watched that programme many, many times, I already have a vivid picture in my mind of the course and location!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that this will be my first trip to Australia makes this race all the more special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regarding race goals, as always, I’ll control what I can, and the result and time will take care of itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be Ironman #7 for me, and I’m confident that my experience will be a big advantage over my competitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kona qualification is of course the goal, but there will be some tough local competition vying for the solitary qualification slot in the 18-24 age-group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funnily enough, I don’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel</i> under pressure to perform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bodes well, as my best races tend to come when I’m in this frame of mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2011 has been a great year and this is a wonderful way to draw the year (and the season) to a close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Earlier this week I was confronted with a rather stressful situation: my upcoming flight from Seychelles to Singapore (where I will get a connecting flight to Perth) was cancelled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no other direct flight to Singapore available, I had to look into other options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although my new flight route is not yet confirmed, it looks like I’ll be travelling from Seychelles-Dubai-Singapore-Perth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that flying to Hawaii was bad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This promises to be an epic journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least I’ll have the opportunity to briefly visit Singapore en route, which is somewhere I haven’t been before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will take more than a flight change to stop me from getting to the start line on Sunday 4<sup>th</sup>December!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">As an aside, there’s some exciting news for US citizens, as X Endurance now have their new pre & post training/racing drink <a href="http://xendurance.com/shop/products/xecute.html">Xecute</a> available for purchase!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m eagerly waiting to try the product for myself, but for all Europeans, it should be available through the <a href="http://www.xendurance.eu/">EU store</a> in the new year.<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-45528244513784333942011-10-27T22:47:00.000+01:002011-10-27T22:47:53.574+01:00Post Kona Update<div style="text-align: justify;">I've been quiet on the blog front for the past two weeks, but there's not been a lot of news to share. My brother and I left Kona two days after the race on Monday, and arrived in the UK on Tuesday evening. As with after any Ironman, the body was pretty sore for a few days, but I continued with the increased dosage of <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a> for a week post race, which helped with the recovery. I was soon back in the pool doing some active recovery. By Friday I made it out the door for a light jog and was reminded that I had a rather hard workout siz days earlier! I'm back in the normal routine of swimming and hitting the same paces I was prior to Kona, although the number of intervals are less.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's been nice to have a few weeks in the UK and catch up with the whole family, but my time here has come to an end. Tomorrow I'm flying back to Seychelles and will soon be back in the sun and the outdoor olympic pool! I'm really looking forward to heading back and getting into my normal training routine. The most exciting thing is definitely the upcoming race at IMWA in just over 5 weeks time. For the majority of the season I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get to Australia for this one, but as of last week the flights are booked! I built up a lot of fitness for Kona and the next month will be a case of trying to regain as much of it as possible. 8 weeks between two Ironman races is a short window, but it's a new challenge I'm ready to take on.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-86787581552561875252011-10-13T16:30:00.010+01:002011-10-20T12:13:23.161+01:00Ironman World Championship 2011 Report<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The alarm was set for 3:50am, but I needn’t have bothered as I woke a few minutes earlier. Within minutes of waking I started the breakfast routine, which comprised of a recovery shake, an energy bar and a plain bagel (and <a href="http://www.xendurance.com/">Extreme Endurance</a>), totalling 800 calories. This is a predominantly carbohydrate based breakfast, with 30 grams of protein and a few grams of fat to help with the feeling of satiation. </span></span><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">At 5am I made the 5 minute walk to the pier for body marking and to set up my bike in transition. This was a quick process as it only involved pumping the tyres and putting my shoes, drink bottle and Garmin on the bike. Once that was done, I walked back to the condo and had 45 minutes to relax. Time went by fast and before I knew it was 6:30am and I was knocking back an energy gel and walking down the steps to the swim start. At 6:45am I got in the water and made my way to the start line, positioning myself centrally in the second row from the front. I was excited but focussed and confident of improving on last year’s 64 minute swim.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-haMR0gPmjLA/TpcD5F79vLI/AAAAAAAAA08/z8DJPtMi04I/s1600/0042_36043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-haMR0gPmjLA/TpcD5F79vLI/AAAAAAAAA08/z8DJPtMi04I/s400/0042_36043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The cannon fired and over 1800 of us were off. Unsurprisingly, the first few minutes were hectic, but I soon found myself with enough space to focus on my stroke and follow feet. The first half went by smoothly, although I felt that my effort level was quite high. At the turn around point I decided to try and lower the effort a little and concentrate on finding a good draft. I found feet, but they weren’t going as fast as I wanted. With some constant sighting I realised I was towards the front of a group and there was a gap to another group of swimmers. I put in a strong effort and bridged the gap, leaving the others behind. This was the first time I’ve swum tactically in a race and really felt like a swimmer. I was feeling great and pushed the pace in the final 500m and exited the water in a new PB of 60:14 in 9th place in my age-group. I was very much in the race.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">I was fairly swift through T1 and soon on the bike. I had to concentrate on not exceeding my target watts in the first 10 miles of the ride, which is difficult when all others start out like a bat out of hell. I had my nutrition plan of 280 cals/hr on the bike dialled and I just needed to focus on staying out of the draft zone. I found the majority of athletes to ride according to the rules, with very few people looking to take advantage. This was good to see. Time was ticking along nicely and everything was going to plan. At every aid station I’d pick up either energy drink or water and pour water over myself to stay cool. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew55eQgj3No/TpceBt0mMZI/AAAAAAAAA1M/e07zqkmomWw/s1600/ST1_3005_2030001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew55eQgj3No/TpceBt0mMZI/AAAAAAAAA1M/e07zqkmomWw/s400/ST1_3005_2030001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Photo credit to TriathlonShots.com)</span></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Approaching the climb to Hawi at the half way point of the ride the conditions were tougher, with strong winds hindering our progress. Once we turned around the conditions were in our favour and we were flying down the highway at 40+ mph. The turnaround point was where I planned to make my move and up the pace. Until that point, I’d stayed just below my target watts and I felt very comfortable. From mile 65 onwards, I wasn’t passed by a single rider. That speaks volumes to my pacing on the day, executing the plan perfectly. I finished the ride stronger than I started, although I did wonder if that would come back to bite me on the run. The 4:54:31 bike split was another personal best, 11 minutes faster than last year’s split. Average power was 199w (202w normalised) which translates to 3.2w/kg. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d07t3QcDqtI/TpcChX_I-oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/LAATi9vPsxk/s1600/nickkonadecoupling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d07t3QcDqtI/TpcChX_I-oI/AAAAAAAAA0c/LAATi9vPsxk/s400/nickkonadecoupling.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Through T2 the volunteers were excellent, giving me cold towels and applying sunscreen on my shoulders as requested. I soon had the runners on and was making my way up Palani Road. In all my previous 5 Ironman races I’ve faltered on the second half of the run. Today was my chance to rectify that, and I had a plan to do so. The plan was to run the first half no faster than my goal average pace (7:30/mile) and to walk through each aid station (roughly every mile) in order to allow my heart rate to drop and to stay cool. Walking the aid stations also gave me the chance to make sure I got in enough fluids throughout the run. For the first 10 miles I was concentrating on holding an even pace and saying relaxed. I had the words of a friend running through my mind, ‘Any chump can run well on Ali’i Drive’. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KtMLpp-_OJo/TpcCyuGrmyI/AAAAAAAAA0k/mN2hWhFHFf8/s1600/a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KtMLpp-_OJo/TpcCyuGrmyI/AAAAAAAAA0k/mN2hWhFHFf8/s400/a.JPG" width="271" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I went through 8 miles in 59:20 and was annoyed that I’d run 40 seconds faster than planned, which shows how much I was committed to stick to the plan. Climbing Palani I kept the effort constant, but of course the pace dropped. Once we crested the hill I walked the aid station and was gearing myself up for the lonely 16 miles along the Queen-K Highway. It was at this point that I started feeling a little impatient, wanting to get to the Energy Lab (the turnaround point) as soon as possible. I managed to keep my pace up and ticked off the miles. I went through 13 miles in 1:37:30, which translates to going through the halfway point of the run in 1:38:15, 45 seconds slower than target pace. I hoped this wasn’t going to become another case of a fading run split.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBDxkJfea0Q/TpcQLfljlNI/AAAAAAAAA1E/FYSIOFby5J4/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBDxkJfea0Q/TpcQLfljlNI/AAAAAAAAA1E/FYSIOFby5J4/s400/043.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I was surprised by how soon we reached the turn to the Energy Lab, which meant we were close to the 18 mile mark. As we climbed out of the Lab towards the highway I caught the second place athlete in my age-group. We ran the next 5 miles together, although we were constantly swapping places. I’d walk the aid stations and he’d pass me, then I’d re-pass him, until the next aid station where he’d re-pass me. At 24 miles we approached the final hill on the course and I made the effort to break away. I was running for home and going strong. I made up a number of places in the final miles as others were slowing. As I made my way down Ali’I Drive I knew I had second place in my age-group sewn up and I soaked up the atmosphere at the finish. The finish time was 9:18:15, which placed me 108th overall. It’s difficult to describe the emotions I felt crossing the line, but the finishers photo tells it all.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WQIHMrgGJks/TpcDReAp8qI/AAAAAAAAA0s/XkofO1zQnOA/s1600/0042_32913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WQIHMrgGJks/TpcDReAp8qI/AAAAAAAAA0s/XkofO1zQnOA/s400/0042_32913.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">My final run split was a PB of 3:18:32, slightly slower than my goal pace, but I executed the run almost perfectly and came very close to an even split (1:38:15 for the first half and 1:40:17 for the second half). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jO9OqqDFmU8/TpcDcyTCwSI/AAAAAAAAA00/tmyOKFZcP5M/s1600/nickkonarun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jO9OqqDFmU8/TpcDcyTCwSI/AAAAAAAAA00/tmyOKFZcP5M/s400/nickkonarun.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I approached this race with huge respect for the course, conditions and my competitors. In retrospect I could have been more aggressive, but ultimately, this was the most enjoyable race yet. To PB in all disciplines on the biggest stage is more than any athlete can ask for. The build-up was about sacrifice and commitment in training, and on the day it was about executing the plan, keeping my ego in check and being patient. I don’t mind admitting that the reward of an age-group podium and coveted <i>umeke</i> bowl makes me extremely proud. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Alhough I'm self coached and set my own training programme, I'd like to thank UK based coach <a href="http://www.trainstravels.co.uk/">Russ Cox</a> for his guidance throughout the past year and for posting a brief <a href="http://www.trainstravels.co.uk/2011/10/13/perfect-ironman-execution-in-kona/">analysis of the race</a>. </span></span></div><div></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-33044785088039790812011-10-09T08:52:00.001+01:002011-10-09T08:53:21.337+01:00Kona Diary - Day 38: Race DayWhat a day. So much to be said, but I'm about to watch the finish line celebrations, so for now, here's the skinny on my greatest achievement to date:<br />
<br />
Swim: 1:00:14 (PB)<br />
Transition 1: 2:24<br />
Bike: 4:54:31 (PB)<br />
Transition 2: 2:34<br />
Run: 3:18:32 (PB)<br />
<b>Finish: 9:18:15</b> (PB) <br />
<br />
2nd M18-24 age-group and 108th overall. Can't wipe the grin off my face!Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2911304014958459155.post-72627828074117201282011-10-08T03:32:00.001+01:002011-10-08T03:34:17.211+01:00Kona Diary - Day 37: Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The bike and transition bags are now on the pier. Nothing left to do now but wait My transition bags are pretty simple. In the swim-bike bag, there's my race number, arm coolers and a beanie to keep my head cool under the helmet. In the bike-run bag there's my <a href="http://www.newtonrunning.co.uk/newton-products/the-shoes/mens-shoes/men-racers/men-stability-racer-09.html">Newton Performance Racers</a>, socks, cap, watch and a caffeinated energy flask.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oxy6N33rQkA/To-xYHnU-4I/AAAAAAAAAzc/1ylG2lI8hnk/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oxy6N33rQkA/To-xYHnU-4I/AAAAAAAAAzc/1ylG2lI8hnk/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And here's my whip for Kona 2011 - the <a href="http://www.scott-sports.com/us_en/product/10054/55746/218124">Scott Plasma Premium</a>. What you see is what you get - a serious machine. There's one bottle cage between the bars and the spares are taped under the saddle. I couldn't be happier to be riding this on the lava fields tomorrow.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wOT1J845gk/To-xyKYRkrI/AAAAAAAAAzg/qBOtNnF7mWo/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wOT1J845gk/To-xyKYRkrI/AAAAAAAAAzg/qBOtNnF7mWo/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was quite busy at the transitiona area, but as with last year, the procedure was painless. I was immediately allocate a volunteer to walk me through the transitiona area and rack my bags. Again, as one of the high numbers, my bike is right at the end of the pier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9jc24cNtZU/To-yAdLsbGI/AAAAAAAAAzk/SOzG2NWrZbI/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c9jc24cNtZU/To-yAdLsbGI/AAAAAAAAAzk/SOzG2NWrZbI/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, that's me done for today. I had a large lunch earlier today, which will be followed by a small early dinner (both a rather uninspiring pasta, tuna and tomato sauce). Thanks to everyone for following what has been a great journey this year, and I hope to do you all proud with a great performance tomorrrow. For live tracking and viedo coverage, visit <a href="http://www.ironmanlive.com/">ironmanlive.com</a> Mahalo. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295367126080023134noreply@blogger.com2