Race Review - The Vitality Big Half Sunday 1st March 2020

This would be the second time of running this race and as previously, the pre-race evening was spent with my good mate Rocco and his wife Francesca - who makes the best pizza, ideal for pre-race carb loading !

Joe, my neighbour and running mate and general all-round top bloke was also running and was staying with us at Rocco's the night before.  This was shaping up to be a great weekend.

Prior to this race, training had been going ok for me.  As usual, I hadn't really done any specific half marathon training, as I was focusing on my first half iron distance triathlon in May.  So this would be my first time out at 13.1 miles this year.  When I say training had been going ok, I had seemed to have picked up a 'niggle' in my back/hamstring.  This was making running uncomfy but not impossible - but it had made me cut my mileage back in order to try and see if that stopped the issue.  So, unusually for me I would be going into a race for the first time I can remember, carrying some sort of niggle.

As with most mass start races I'm not a fan of the start.  It was a cold day, there were thousands of people, no where to easily get to the loo without a massive queue and the bag lorries wanted your kit and warm coat hours before you were due to start.  For the first time in any race I can recall, I'd decided to take an old long sleeve top to wear over my race tshirt to avoid the cold.  Usually I hate throwing anything away, but I was glad of that top as the wind at times was very strong and cold.....I was just willing the start time to come round and trying my best to stay warm in the process.  I guess at least it wasn't raining.

Eventually the start time came and we were up and running and getting warm.  The plan was for Joe and I to run together. Rocco is a lot quicker and Francesca was aiming at a PB.  For me it was really training miles in my triathlon training schedule so I wasn't so fussed on times.

We started off a bit quick and rightly so Joe reigned us back a bit.  I'm glad he did as I'd start to struggle later and would welcome his foresight.  Joe and I ran steadily and together for about 9 miles or so and round about then, or mile 10 I really started to labour under the niggle in my back.  It seemed to zap my energy and I didn't seem to be getting any re-bound from the road, like I was having to really struggle to pull my legs up each stride.  I told Joe to leave me and aim for a decent time as he was still running comfortably.  Although he was reluctant I persuaded him to go.  He did and I did manage to keep him in my sights but those last few miles weren't really that enjoyable.  As it was I think I came in maybe less than a minute behind Joe and struggled over the line about 1hr 48 I think.

Into the finishing chute we collected medals and walked to the baggage reclaim.  What a disaster that was.  I must have taken what seemed like an hour to get our bags back...when you are cold at the end of a race and just want warm kit back it can be frustrating but you have to accept these things are all manned by volunteers to get angry at them would not be acceptable.  We just waited in line and eventually got our bags, got changed and warm.  Met Rocco in the Costa and had a warming drink.  Francesca and Rocco had great run and Francesca bagged her PB !

We took a slow walk to the train and then before too long was back at Rocco's where I packed up the car and was soon on my way home - laden with pizza and other left overs from the night before !

I think for me, the race now has become almost an excuse to meet up with Rocco and Francesca and Joe and all be together sharing the pre-race dinner and also as best you can sharing a few miles together on the day.  Really it could be any run, anywhere at any time, what I've really grown to enjoy is the social aspect of it.  I think I've said in another race report for this run, the course is 'ok', the finish at Cutty Sark is decent, but its not the best course I've run, but that does't matter when you are sharing the experience with close friends.

Writing this now, as I am in April and with Covid-19 all but decimating the race season, be that road running or triathlon, I'm glad I got this early race in as it looks like it could be one of the only ones I do this year.  I still have Beachy Head marathon booked in October and assume that will still be going ahead - but who knows.  As for Triathlon, my Half Iron distance race in May was cancelled and that was the only Triathlon I'd entered so far.  In a way I'm glad I hadn't entered many more.

So as I sit here looking back at what I've written here, you realise that you should be grateful for every training session and race you are able to do.  You just never know when that all might be taken away from you !  

Strength and Conditioning - Is it worth it?

Strength and Conditioning, or S&C as its often shortened to.  Is it worth it?  A year or more into my Triathlon 'career' I found myself still asking myself this question.  I saw and read lots about it, quite a few people I followed on Strava did it, yet still I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to do it, or see the real benefits of allocating time to it.

In a somewhat roundabout way, I'd like to take you through the process of how I got on-board with S&C sessions since I took up Triathlon.

I've personally never been a huge fan of gyms - and associate S&C work to be the same as gym type workouts (I'm not sure I even like the word 'workout').  Gyms seem over-priced for starters, so for that and a few other reasons (that I wont share here), I've never really ventured into them (unless it was for a free 'trial', then why not....and then I only used the pool during that period anyway!).

The other challenge I felt was around how I best allocated my time between the swim, bike and run training I wanted to do.  If I was to add an S&C routine, then the likelihood was, I'd have to replace a swim, bike or run session - which to me felt counterproductive.  I'm not sure I'd be the first new comer to triathlon to have that view.  

I pretty much followed the same approach to my early days of running marathons.  My view being, what have I got to do come race day....I've got to run 26.2 miles, so what should I do for training....well, running and plenty of it.  Never did it occur to me to do much else.

So with my mind made up and my previous 'experience', I avoided the S&C and continued to split my time between swim, bike and run.

From the reading I did, I got the idea one of the benefits to a S&C routine was the contribution it could make to injury prevention.  Now I've either been very fortunate, or smart in my approach to training (I know which is likely to be true...) as I've never suffered from any sort of injury that has stopped me completely from racing or training.  Granted, I've had a couple of episodes of plantar fasciitis where I've had to lay off the running for a while, but that meant just more focus was put on swimming and biking.  So again, where is my motivation to introduce those S&C sessions - for me, it still wasn't there.

And then the light-bulb moment.  I had recently read Chrissie Wellington's book 'A life without limits'.  Being fairly new to Triathlon, I was still catching up with its hero's past and present.  So, when one day I saw Chrissie had a new book out and to coincide with that, was doing 'an audience with' at a book shop in London, I signed up and got my ticket.  I was riddled with excitement.  I'd actually be listening to and hearing from a legend of the sport. I couldn't wait.  So the day arrives, in my over excitement I arrive way too early, buy the new book and settle down right at the very front.

I won't go into every detail, fascinating as it was.  However, the conversation or question come up about S&C, was it important, what did Chrissie think?  This was going to be interesting I thought....and it was.  Her answer was simple - ignore it at your own peril !!

Well, that was pretty conclusive really.  When you are being told that by a four times Iron Man world Champion it suddenly becomes something you HAVE to do.  From that moment on, I was determined I would take on at least one S&C session per week.  Luckily, Chrissie had included a tri specific S&C routine in her new book, from when she was coached by Dave Scott.  That just added to the sense of urgency to start...if it is a routine created by 'The Man' himself, who was I to ignore it.

And that's where it all began for me.  I photocopied the pages from the book, dragged out my wife's knackered old yoga mat, dusted off some old dumbbells and proceeded to set myself up in my conservatory (still couldn't face or justify the gym) and got to grips with the routine.  I had to adjust some sets/reps to fit in with the time I had but other than that, I followed the session plan laid out in that book.

Have I done it once per week like I thought I would.... no I haven't.  I'll admit, it's the first session to be cut if I'm facing time constraints or feel I've fallen  behind on swim, bike or run sessions that week.  That said, the majority of the exercises are done without weights, so its a good session that can in the main be done anywhere, on holiday etc.

Have I benefited from it?  I've said before in other articles that a lot of my views are not evidenced or scientifically backed up.  The same applies here with S&C.  I have no scientific or race based feedback or evidence to prove if I have, or haven't benefited.   I've picked up a slight niggle in my back recently, so it hasn't kept me 100% injury free, but then, I don't do it regularly enough to claim against that insurance policy I'm sure.  On top of which, my training is rarely at the extreme end of the intensity scale, so that probably has more to do with a lack of injury - maybe?

Having said that, last season, after getting in some more regular and consistent S&C, I did feel a long stronger on my brick sessions, running off the bike did feel 'easier'.  Can I attribute that to S&C directly, no I can't.  But it was a difference I noticed and the only significant change to my training was the introduction of an S&C session once per week(ish).

What I have done is continue to read and research S&C in triathlon and find it unusual to come across any material, or any elite athlete that doesn't impart the importance of S&C sessions.  So there you have it, another article that I've written and you've read (hopefully)....got to the end of and thought, well, that was pretty much useless.  What has he told me here?  What have I learnt?  The title of the article was, Strength and Conditioning, is it worth it?  In my view, it is.  I am sure I have felt a benefit, albeit maybe marginal.  I am going to continue and try to get one session in per week.  I plan to mix it up with some sessions or exercises that are not triathlon specific, but are rather just S&C based/focused.  I haven't read anywhere in my continued research that there is any detrimental benefit....and with the words of a four times Iron Man world champion still ringing in my ears...'ignore it at your own peril'....I will continue to try and fit it into my training schedule.

Whether or not you do, is a matter of personal choice I guess - but, I would at least take on board those wise words from Chrissie.