I've posted a 'review' of the purchase, set up and use of my Parcours 'Chrono' wheelset.
Head over to the 'tri'd and tested' section to read what I have to say.
A Dad's guide to the world of Triathlon.
Thursday, 16 August 2018
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Not qualified to give swimming tips..but I couldn't keep this one to myself
I deliberated for a good few days about writing a post that suggested I would be providing a swimming tip - yep, quite absurd isn't it. If you've read some of my previous posts on swimming, you will know it isn't my forte.
Does this really qualify as a tip in the sense that you will see a drastic improvement in your swim technique or speed ? Highly unlikely. Is it perhaps more just a case of common sense - more likely.
But, in an effort to get my 'page views this month' up from zero, I thought anything was worth a try. If this doesn't work, I still have the option to turn on the setting that records a page view every time I log on myself to check my page views.....
Does this really qualify as a tip in the sense that you will see a drastic improvement in your swim technique or speed ? Highly unlikely. Is it perhaps more just a case of common sense - more likely.
So, to set the scene. It's a regular kind of Thursday, my good friend and some time training and racing buddy is on a taper week for an upcoming Iron Man race and invites me to join him for a lake swim after work. So, we arrive at the Tri Farm (See here), get changed and wander down to the lake. I remember to dip my goggles into the water first so they don't fog up....but as soon as I'm in the water and put them on, of course, they fog up. So I clear them and set off for the first marker buoy. En route, they fog up, so I stop at the marker, clear the goggles and off I go again. No sooner do I set off, than they fog up. This time, I can't be bothered to stop again so just plough on.
My navigation gets worse and I have to keep stopping to see where I am versus the next buoy. This process repeats itself for the first lap (800m). At the end of the lap, I clean the goggles, they fog up and again, I leave them. I complete another awful lap of unsighted swimming, going off course, stopping to see where I am and become increasingly more frustrated at what feels like a waste of £7 quid entry on what is a lovely evening to be swimming.
At the end of my second lap, some strange things happen. I challenge myself to an extra lap, the lake isn't due to close, I'm sure I'll have time to get round once more....that'll be an all-time open water distance PB for me. But what if I can't make it, can I cut across the lake and take a short cut - as with me, the usual doubts try to outweigh everything else. After a few seconds deliberation, I decide I owe it to myself to get one more lap in, I can't get out now after two awful laps. But, the goggles...the fog will surely return and make the last lap just as rubbish as the other two. And then I recall, didn't I see my training buddy spit into his goggles before he set off? But surely, that's an old wives tale, it can't work can it?
So there I am, treading water and spitting into my goggles. Back on they go and off I set, expecting 'the fog' to descend any time. But, guess what, no such fog descends. The goggles stay clear as day to the first buoy and the second.....my navigation is immediately much better and it feels as if I'm swimming quicker, my confidence has returned. What a great last lap, I was amazed at how much better I swam. It had to be faster I assumed, based on the fact I didn't stop and my navigation was better as the goggles stayed crystal clear for the whole lap.
It seems obvious really, but I'd never considered how much fogged up goggles could impact a swim. The change in my swimming for that last lap was remarkable, just from having clear goggles and being able to see where I was going.
So there you have it, my first (and I'd suggest maybe last) open water swimming 'tip'. Make sure your goggles are treated to a pre-swim anti-fog treatment or you are spitting on them before you start and as I did, reap the benefits of a better, more confident, straighter and generally more enjoyable swim.
At the end of my second lap, some strange things happen. I challenge myself to an extra lap, the lake isn't due to close, I'm sure I'll have time to get round once more....that'll be an all-time open water distance PB for me. But what if I can't make it, can I cut across the lake and take a short cut - as with me, the usual doubts try to outweigh everything else. After a few seconds deliberation, I decide I owe it to myself to get one more lap in, I can't get out now after two awful laps. But, the goggles...the fog will surely return and make the last lap just as rubbish as the other two. And then I recall, didn't I see my training buddy spit into his goggles before he set off? But surely, that's an old wives tale, it can't work can it?
So there I am, treading water and spitting into my goggles. Back on they go and off I set, expecting 'the fog' to descend any time. But, guess what, no such fog descends. The goggles stay clear as day to the first buoy and the second.....my navigation is immediately much better and it feels as if I'm swimming quicker, my confidence has returned. What a great last lap, I was amazed at how much better I swam. It had to be faster I assumed, based on the fact I didn't stop and my navigation was better as the goggles stayed crystal clear for the whole lap.
It seems obvious really, but I'd never considered how much fogged up goggles could impact a swim. The change in my swimming for that last lap was remarkable, just from having clear goggles and being able to see where I was going.
So there you have it, my first (and I'd suggest maybe last) open water swimming 'tip'. Make sure your goggles are treated to a pre-swim anti-fog treatment or you are spitting on them before you start and as I did, reap the benefits of a better, more confident, straighter and generally more enjoyable swim.
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Double...Triple...Quadruple....Quintuple...Deca...Double Deca...what's it all about and why I don't get it
For someone like me, who is fairly new to Triathlon and has not long just completed half iron man distance, the challenge of completing a full iron man still swirls around my mind....could I do it, do I want to do it....where would I find the time to train?
As I struggle to get to grips with the thought of taking part in an Iron Man distance event - and believe me, you have to get it right in your mind first, I was drawn to a race report on a Tri website as I was browsing one lunch time over my plain chicken and brown rice (I must get some better lunch recipes). This race report appeared to be talking about some people that had just taken on and completed ten iron man distance races (yes TEN)....I must have read that incorrectly....but it turns out I hadn't. I carried on reading and there it was, in black and white. A race that consisted of ten back-to-back IM distance races. Well, when I say 'race' it would seem more like a holiday doing that many IM races one after the other surely.
Imagine the conversation with the wife/partner. You: "I'm just off to this race, you know, the one I entered last year...' wife/partner: 'oh yes, sure...remind me, what time are you due back so I can get dinner ready......You: 'About this time next week....'
I started to contemplate this more and thought, well, other sports have their 'extreme' or ultra versions don't they. There are 'ultra' distance runs (100k runs, London to Brighton etc.) and races across deserts, bike races across whole countries. So I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that triathlon has developed something similar and gone 'extreme' or 'ultra' as it were. I was still struggling to get my head around it though - I don't get it, what is the point of it all I thought? Further research was required to slate my thirst for more information and to try and make sense of it all.
Why does it bother me so much, I hear you ask (well maybe you don't ask but go with it for the sake of effect...pretend you are interested). Well, it goes like this. I love the history and back-story of some of the 'marquee' endurance events. The Marathon for example, with its length having been based, according to the myth, on the distance the Greek messenger Pheidippides ran to get from Marathon to Athens and of course the name of the event being a nod to the town he left from. I have entered and completed 7 marathons and I always think of it as 'the' distance to make a claim to having completed. And that is where it ends for me, I have no compulsion or interest to take up Ultra distance, or any distance beyond the marathon, it just doesn't appeal to me to go further.
Triathlon is the same, I love the backstory to 'Iron Man' and the 'how and why' behind how it came about. A debate at the Waikiki swimming club awards to figure out who were the fittest athletes, swimmers, runners or cyclists. The idea was sprung that the way to find out would be to combine the Islands three toughest endurance events of the time on the Island (the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally over two days) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles)). Whoever finished first would be called the Iron Man. Isn't that just a great story and a fascinating way for an event to unfold. Again, for me, just starting out in Triathlon, this would be the 'marquee' event for me, the one I strive to complete, to be called an Iron Man. But would I want to go beyond that, I'm not sure I would, what would be the point? Nothing else has that history to it, a reason for being.
So, back to that ten consecutive Iron Man race. I'm still fairly new to Triathlon so hadn't yet worked out if this was some sort of once-off race or something more regular, were there less than 10 race formats, more than 10? I was curious to make sense of it so started to use the power of google to see what I could find out.
A few searches later and I arrived at the 'International Ultra Triathlon Association' (http://www.iutasport.com/). I thought triathlon in its 'standard' guises (sprint, Olympic, 70.3, Iron Man) was 'Ultra' enough. It certainly feels that when when I'm training, or racing, even over shorter distances. But no, here was an association that clearly catered to a different level of triathlon event.
I couldn't believe what I was reading. I'm sure you might want to browse the site at your leisure (you can check world records at these distances), but the standout point for me was the race distances, all based on full Iron Man race distance:
So the race report I read about the ten iron man race wasn't even the half of it....you can race twice that...the Double Deca. The only double deca (ok, not quite the same but you can see what I did with the play on words there) I am ever likely to complete is the cadbury version...readers of a certain age will know what that is....but here it is if you aren't so sure....
But of course, that isn't the end of it, once you've had your double deca, you can upgrade to the triple deca if the double deca didn't satisfy your appetite. Just look at the numbers....Swim 114km, Bike 5400km and run 1260km. To get some context on that, I had a fairly busy season last year (2 half iron mans and an Olympic distance) and managed to cover the following in training AND racing:
Swim - 51km
Bike - 1762km
Run - 487km
So what I managed to accumulate in one year of training and racing doesn't come near some of these races ! I really struggled to put that into context - I'd spent a whole year effectively, covering less distance than some people would cover in one race.
And this brings me back to that question I keep asking myself - what is the point? I guess you could say that about any endurance event, why do a Marathon, why do an Iron Man? But, where does the idea come from to do 10, 20, even 30 Iron Man distances back-to-back. Why not 15, or 25, why not more than 30? 40, 50 maybe. Where would it stop and why would it stop at any given number, who would decide? This is the bit I struggle to get.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from anyone who wants to do, or has done a double Iron Man, or even a Triple, or even 30 of them back-to-back. These are super-human feats of endurance for sure and deserve the utmost of respect.
And I get the desire to strive to take on better and bigger challenges. Its how most of us, I guess, get to run half marathons, or marathons for example. We might start with a 5k and then strive to complete a 10k and so on, until we run a marathon, or more. I get that, it makes sense. After you've done the Iron Man, what next....where do you take it. I guess where there is a demand for more ultra and extreme versions, they will be provided. People always want the next challenge.
Having said that, you don't hear of people climbing Everest, coming down, then doing it again....and again...and again. Maybe there are some challenges for which an exponential increase in the amount of times you do it in one go, is just not feasible.
For me, as I mentioned earlier, it is the provenance and history of certain distances or races, their background, how they came about, that attracts me to want to take them on.
I thought doing some reading and research and writing up my thoughts here would help me get it....but I still don't. Why 10, 20, 30? Maybe in the same way that the debate started at the Waikiki swimming club, perhaps a similar debate started after a 10 Iron Man event and the conclusion was that a 20 race combo was the only real way to settle it...and then at the 20 race event someone said, you know, we should really be looking to do 30 Iron Man back to back. Who knows.
So there you have it, my views on the crazy world of ultra triathlon, I take my hat off to those that are involved and take on such feats of endurance, but I'm still not sure I really 'get it'.
As I struggle to get to grips with the thought of taking part in an Iron Man distance event - and believe me, you have to get it right in your mind first, I was drawn to a race report on a Tri website as I was browsing one lunch time over my plain chicken and brown rice (I must get some better lunch recipes). This race report appeared to be talking about some people that had just taken on and completed ten iron man distance races (yes TEN)....I must have read that incorrectly....but it turns out I hadn't. I carried on reading and there it was, in black and white. A race that consisted of ten back-to-back IM distance races. Well, when I say 'race' it would seem more like a holiday doing that many IM races one after the other surely.
Imagine the conversation with the wife/partner. You: "I'm just off to this race, you know, the one I entered last year...' wife/partner: 'oh yes, sure...remind me, what time are you due back so I can get dinner ready......You: 'About this time next week....'
I started to contemplate this more and thought, well, other sports have their 'extreme' or ultra versions don't they. There are 'ultra' distance runs (100k runs, London to Brighton etc.) and races across deserts, bike races across whole countries. So I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that triathlon has developed something similar and gone 'extreme' or 'ultra' as it were. I was still struggling to get my head around it though - I don't get it, what is the point of it all I thought? Further research was required to slate my thirst for more information and to try and make sense of it all.
Why does it bother me so much, I hear you ask (well maybe you don't ask but go with it for the sake of effect...pretend you are interested). Well, it goes like this. I love the history and back-story of some of the 'marquee' endurance events. The Marathon for example, with its length having been based, according to the myth, on the distance the Greek messenger Pheidippides ran to get from Marathon to Athens and of course the name of the event being a nod to the town he left from. I have entered and completed 7 marathons and I always think of it as 'the' distance to make a claim to having completed. And that is where it ends for me, I have no compulsion or interest to take up Ultra distance, or any distance beyond the marathon, it just doesn't appeal to me to go further.
Triathlon is the same, I love the backstory to 'Iron Man' and the 'how and why' behind how it came about. A debate at the Waikiki swimming club awards to figure out who were the fittest athletes, swimmers, runners or cyclists. The idea was sprung that the way to find out would be to combine the Islands three toughest endurance events of the time on the Island (the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally over two days) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles)). Whoever finished first would be called the Iron Man. Isn't that just a great story and a fascinating way for an event to unfold. Again, for me, just starting out in Triathlon, this would be the 'marquee' event for me, the one I strive to complete, to be called an Iron Man. But would I want to go beyond that, I'm not sure I would, what would be the point? Nothing else has that history to it, a reason for being.
So, back to that ten consecutive Iron Man race. I'm still fairly new to Triathlon so hadn't yet worked out if this was some sort of once-off race or something more regular, were there less than 10 race formats, more than 10? I was curious to make sense of it so started to use the power of google to see what I could find out.
A few searches later and I arrived at the 'International Ultra Triathlon Association' (http://www.iutasport.com/). I thought triathlon in its 'standard' guises (sprint, Olympic, 70.3, Iron Man) was 'Ultra' enough. It certainly feels that when when I'm training, or racing, even over shorter distances. But no, here was an association that clearly catered to a different level of triathlon event.
I couldn't believe what I was reading. I'm sure you might want to browse the site at your leisure (you can check world records at these distances), but the standout point for me was the race distances, all based on full Iron Man race distance:
Source: International Ultra Triathlon Association (http://www.iutasport.com/)
So the race report I read about the ten iron man race wasn't even the half of it....you can race twice that...the Double Deca. The only double deca (ok, not quite the same but you can see what I did with the play on words there) I am ever likely to complete is the cadbury version...readers of a certain age will know what that is....but here it is if you aren't so sure....
 |
| The only 'double deca' this writer is likely to partake in |
But of course, that isn't the end of it, once you've had your double deca, you can upgrade to the triple deca if the double deca didn't satisfy your appetite. Just look at the numbers....Swim 114km, Bike 5400km and run 1260km. To get some context on that, I had a fairly busy season last year (2 half iron mans and an Olympic distance) and managed to cover the following in training AND racing:
Swim - 51km
Bike - 1762km
Run - 487km
So what I managed to accumulate in one year of training and racing doesn't come near some of these races ! I really struggled to put that into context - I'd spent a whole year effectively, covering less distance than some people would cover in one race.
And this brings me back to that question I keep asking myself - what is the point? I guess you could say that about any endurance event, why do a Marathon, why do an Iron Man? But, where does the idea come from to do 10, 20, even 30 Iron Man distances back-to-back. Why not 15, or 25, why not more than 30? 40, 50 maybe. Where would it stop and why would it stop at any given number, who would decide? This is the bit I struggle to get.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from anyone who wants to do, or has done a double Iron Man, or even a Triple, or even 30 of them back-to-back. These are super-human feats of endurance for sure and deserve the utmost of respect.
And I get the desire to strive to take on better and bigger challenges. Its how most of us, I guess, get to run half marathons, or marathons for example. We might start with a 5k and then strive to complete a 10k and so on, until we run a marathon, or more. I get that, it makes sense. After you've done the Iron Man, what next....where do you take it. I guess where there is a demand for more ultra and extreme versions, they will be provided. People always want the next challenge.
Having said that, you don't hear of people climbing Everest, coming down, then doing it again....and again...and again. Maybe there are some challenges for which an exponential increase in the amount of times you do it in one go, is just not feasible.
For me, as I mentioned earlier, it is the provenance and history of certain distances or races, their background, how they came about, that attracts me to want to take them on.
I thought doing some reading and research and writing up my thoughts here would help me get it....but I still don't. Why 10, 20, 30? Maybe in the same way that the debate started at the Waikiki swimming club, perhaps a similar debate started after a 10 Iron Man event and the conclusion was that a 20 race combo was the only real way to settle it...and then at the 20 race event someone said, you know, we should really be looking to do 30 Iron Man back to back. Who knows.
So there you have it, my views on the crazy world of ultra triathlon, I take my hat off to those that are involved and take on such feats of endurance, but I'm still not sure I really 'get it'.
Thursday, 22 February 2018
How much ?!! What might it cost to get into Triathlon
As a newcomer to triathlon, one of the things that first struck me was the cost of entering races. My first race, which was a sprint distance, cost probably twice as much as the most expensive run event I'd entered. Also, as I started to take advice and tips from experienced friends, I realised there was almost an endless list of kit that I could buy, some of which I would class 'nice to have' (Aero wheels), others pretty much 'must have' (e.g. wet suit).
At around the same time, a friend pointed out to me a series of articles by a pro athlete, Brad Williams (https://www.bw-tri.com/) who was writing a similar series of articles, giving insights to the costs of being a pro athlete (income from sponsors, race placings etc.versus the costs of being an athlete). It made really interesting reading to get an insight into the finances of a pro athlete.
I can't imagine for one minute that reading how much a part-time age-grouper spends is anywhere near as interesting as it would be versus a pro athlete, none-the-less I thought it would still be interesting - and sobering - to see how much my foray into the world of tri had cost me...so far, without the 'benefit' of being able to offset any costs against race winnings and sponsorship.
As I mentioned at the start of this post, you could look at this list and think, in order to race, you don't need half of that kit - and you would probably be right. After the 'must have' items, its all very personal what we choose to buy and spend our hard-earned on. What I've done is just list out here what I've bought or had to spend on and the associated cost, on my way to competing in my first half iron man distance events.
I didn't put the list together to dissuade anyone from taking up Tri, more to give some sort of insight in to the sort of money you might part with as a result of getting hooked on the sport. I've probably missed things....like lake swimming for example, how could I forget that ! £10 per swim and from memory I had at least 4 or 5 before my first race and thereafter for ongoing training. But at least here are some of the key things I thought were required to see me onto that 70.3 start line and to see them all in once place, reminds me of all the smaller items which don't compare to say a bike purchase, but do rack up to a fair amount over time.
After all the expense though, I'd not change anything. I don't regret spending any of the above to take up Tri. I love it and it has turned into a lifestyle, rather than just train and race. So, spend as much or as little as you want, go in fully aware, 'eyes wide open' to some of the outlay you might face, but whatever you do, don't let it put you off taking up this amazing sport, or carry on participating if you've already started.
I have no intentions of stopping and will still be 'investing' here and there when the opportunity arises !
At around the same time, a friend pointed out to me a series of articles by a pro athlete, Brad Williams (https://www.bw-tri.com/) who was writing a similar series of articles, giving insights to the costs of being a pro athlete (income from sponsors, race placings etc.versus the costs of being an athlete). It made really interesting reading to get an insight into the finances of a pro athlete.
I can't imagine for one minute that reading how much a part-time age-grouper spends is anywhere near as interesting as it would be versus a pro athlete, none-the-less I thought it would still be interesting - and sobering - to see how much my foray into the world of tri had cost me...so far, without the 'benefit' of being able to offset any costs against race winnings and sponsorship.
As I mentioned at the start of this post, you could look at this list and think, in order to race, you don't need half of that kit - and you would probably be right. After the 'must have' items, its all very personal what we choose to buy and spend our hard-earned on. What I've done is just list out here what I've bought or had to spend on and the associated cost, on my way to competing in my first half iron man distance events.
 |
| Spend to arrive on start line of first half Iron Man Listing everything out I was moderately surprised but not shocked at how much I'd spent. My wife counted in every parcel and packet and reminded me 'something seems to arrive every day for you....what could you possibly need still'. My consistent repetition about having to cover three sports probably lasted for the first week of deliveries but thereafter I was having trouble making up credible stories !!! I guess the amount and range of kit you buy depends on a lot of things (budget, aspirations etc.) and any previous endurance sport background - so for example you might already have a decent bike and not need to buy another. Although I had a road bike already, I had it built in 1997 and wasn't sure it was up to getting me round a half iron man which was my main goal. My most recent history, before taking up triathlon, was running marathons, so I had very little run kit expenditure. Also, it is fair to say I didn't buy a lot of this equipment just to do one half iron man. Unless you are confident enough to select that distance for your first event, you will want to do some shorter distances beforehand, so a lot of this gear I had already bought and tried out beforehand. But the intention was to buy equipment I knew would support me on the journey to my first 70.3 start and beyond. So these costs above reflect an accumulation of spend over 18 months or so. Of course, although I didn't realise it at the time I started, you can actually hire a fair amount of the kit you need to start racing, for example bikes, wet-suit etc. You could buy second hand off other triathlon mates you might have, given there are always upgrades going on. So again, where I have racked up a fair chunk of costs here, that is because I have bought everything new, but there are other options. If you think Triathlon might not be for you, then used or hiring might be the way forward. That said, when it came to a wet-suit, I just couldn't get over the idea of hiring a suit that someone had already used !! So, what have I learned from writing all this down? First and foremost, Triathlon isn't a cheap sport to enter, whether that is to cover the cost of the kit you will need, or from the expense of race entries. Unlike me, you might want to take some time to consider some of the more expensive investments if you think your career might be short lived. I just didn't consider that - I just went out and bought what I needed with no thought as to whether I'd like it or not. That said, for things like my wet-suit, I did go in at entry level as I couldn't see how much better a £500 suit would be to my £150 version. There were cheaper suits than the one I ended up with, but like I said, I wanted to try and ensure I bought kit that, despite being at the cheaper end of the scale in some cases, could serve me well for a few 'seasons' as I was convinced Tri would be for me. Like any 'investment' it is worth spending time on some research and speaking to friends who are already racing and had to make these decisions. Where I've spent money over many months on a wide range of things, kit, nutrition, race entry, getting to races etc, I quite easily lost track of just how much I had spent. Putting it all down here is a timely reminder of why my Wife was so concerned every time the DPD delivery guy arrived at our front door and maybe gives some insight into the sort of money you could well part with over time. Clearly, there are a lot of variables here. I could have bought a cheaper bike, I could have bought one for thousands more. I have not raced abroad, which itself, brings additional costs and expenses. The bigger races I've done I've raced with a friend which cuts down on travel and accommodation expenses for example. As such, you could well spend a lot more than I did to get started, or spend a whole lot less. But, at least by looking at this list, you get some idea of some of the costs to be considered if you are considered starting out in triathlon. Now I have got this kit though, subsequent seasons shouldn't be so expensive in theory, unless I cannot resist upgrades and sales (yes, I know, my wife is right, it is only a bargain if you need it). But, seeing how much I have spent so far, I've a feeling that unless I start winning races and/or get sponsors, my buying might begin to level out for a while..... |
After all the expense though, I'd not change anything. I don't regret spending any of the above to take up Tri. I love it and it has turned into a lifestyle, rather than just train and race. So, spend as much or as little as you want, go in fully aware, 'eyes wide open' to some of the outlay you might face, but whatever you do, don't let it put you off taking up this amazing sport, or carry on participating if you've already started.
I have no intentions of stopping and will still be 'investing' here and there when the opportunity arises !
Sunday, 10 December 2017
My First Half Iron Man Part 2 - More Sleepless nights...Living it large on the M6.....and race day
Well, where did that time go? Race week had come around quicker than my salary disappears to Wiggle or Sigma Sport.....
This was my 'A' race for the year, my first Iron Man branded event and the first time I'd raced 'away' where I needed to pack and try my best not to forget anything. I'd be a long way from home if I did. So, in these scenarios I resorted to what always works best - a list. I was rather proud of it, I'll share it in another post. It consisted of all the kit and gubbins I needed, a box to tick when I'd added it to the pile in the conservatory and another box to tick when I'd packed it.
I'd already given the bike a final test and clean and it was looking resplendent with its new 86mm aero wheel set and luminous tri bar tape to help me in transition. Luckily for me a very generous friend had fitted a new cassette to my new rear wheel for me. Packing took place over two days and eventually, I was ready to go. List ticked and double-checked.
I was racing with a good friend, Ian, who had also volunteered to drive. With the bikes and all the gear packed, we were on our way. We spent the whole journey chatting about Triathlon, the race and our expectations. Finally we arrived at Jct 13 of the M6, our home for the next couple of days.
I hadn't considered that the hotel would be full of competitors, it was great to see lots of other athletes buzzing around, getting bike envy as people wheeled in gorgeous TT bikes. There were IRON MAN event people there doing IRON MAN event type things wearing IRON MAN clothes. As a novice I hadn't realised it was the thing to do to wear a 'Finisher' t-shirt from a prior event. Anything counted, Triathlon, Marathon...Something to remember for my next race ! There was some bad news when we checked in - the presidential suite we thought we'd booked was actually being refurbished, so we had to make do with a standard twin. Oh well never mind as long as it was clean and comfortable, it would do just fine.
Saturday dawned a lovely day and I was looking forward to getting to the venue and soaking up some Iron Man atmosphere. Lucky for me, my mate was so well prepared with knowing where he was going it all made for an 'easy' weekend for me. On arriving at Race HQ, we headed for registration. It was seriously warm so I was happy to hit the shade of the Iron Man shop and registration area. Of course, I bought the obligatory Iron Man t-shirt for the race, with my name in microscopic print on the back.
There wasn't much of a queue at registration (compared to the queue for merchandise !) so after a short wait it was my turn to register. I handed over my BTF license and drivers license and then started to panic as there seemed to be a problem...I imagine it was the usual problem I encounter.....he's registered in the M45-49 age category...but that can't be right...those young looks working against me again I thought.....haha, no chance. It seemed the date of birth on my race license didn't tally with my id. Another 'race rule' immediately came to mind - No id = No race. It was an anxious wait but I got the all-clear eventually, and was tagged with my wrist band and got my ruck sack and race pack. The race briefing was next and my abiding memory was of being told, well actually begged, to take it easy and go slow, due to the high temperature predicted for race day. Note to self...don't go fast on race day ! That would be quite easy I was sure of it.
Then it was off to complete racking and transition set up. Another first for me was the split transition. I'd heard a lot of negative things about it and how awkward it can be. In all honesty, thanks to the efficiency and preparation of my mate it all seemed easy. Iron Man themselves made it pretty clear. We had a bike bag and run bag where we placed all the items we needed for transitions in the respective bags.
This part I found nerve-wracking as you don't want to arrive at transition to find you've forgotten something, or put the wrong items in. T2 was first as this was where registration was. To sooth my OCD tendencies, I go through a 'dry run' for the T2 bag (at least three times), so I visualize coming into T2 and go through the changing process in my head to make sure I have packed the right bits.
Then it was just a matter of hanging your bag on your numbered peg. The bags are all neatly lined up in rows in a marquee with seating. Real luxury compared to other races. I later learn, or figure out for myself that this is what is known as a clean transition. So last job is to memorize the bag location, dry run the route from the transition 'in' door and make sure I know where I'm going. Of course, I'll forget that on race day, but at the time, it makes you feel like you are in charge and have planned and rehearsed.
It was a drive back to a local rugby club to part up and bag the kit for T1. Tyres were checked and the same routine performed, the dry run of changing from swim to bike kit to ensure everything was in the bag. Numbers stuck to bag and then set off for T1. There was a fairly long walk to T1 to rack the bikes, but it was a hot summers day and there was nothing else pressing to do, so it was a leisurely walk. We came past the reservoir on the way and made a note to reccy that the best we could on the walk back.
At the transition for the bike (T1) we perform the same routine and then collect our race chips on the way out. This was an odd way to do it I thought as usually the race chip is in the race pack. On race day, we would be asked by some lads where they get their race chips from.....so it clearly caught a few people out who racked their T1 gear but went out the same way they arrived, rather than the T1 exit to collect their chip. If ever there was a reminder to read the race pack and/or attend the race briefing, that was it. I wouldn't want to be running about on race morning trying to find where I should collect my race chip.
As we exit the T1 tent, race chips in hand and leave behind the greenhouse warmth of the gazeebo, we are done. Registered, racked and ready to go. Of course, we spend some time wallowing in bike envy (again) on the way back to the car, seeing if we can spot the pro-bikes and guessing how much they might be worth - but we know, you can't buy speed, so we don't regret the fact we haven't racked similarly priced equipment as come race day, surely we will be as fast as those guys....wont we?
On the walk back, we stop at the reservoir to try and suss out the swim entry point and course. I recall the copious warnings and reminders about the reservoir being a site of special scientific interest and how we should ensure our wetsuits are spotless and that, if we enter the water outside of the race or an official familiarization swim, we could be removed from the race. It all seems somewhat over the top as I watch families and dogs playing in the water and some lad, ill prepared for the heat wave but deciding he'll just go in the water in his pants. I notice a few beer cans floating nearby. Maybe the special scientific interest parts are elsewhere....
Anyhow, we think we've sussed the start point and then I begin to follow the buoys to plot the course. Immediately panic sets in again. How on earth can that be 1900m, it looks more like about 3 miles ! My local lake where I train is much smaller and has about a 900m lap, so usually I'm doing 2 laps of this. This is a straight 1 'loop' swim, no laps. The distance looks massive. I can't quite comprehend it in my mind. My mate does a great job of reassuring me it is no further than I'm used to swimming in the two laps of my local lake - I know he's right, but it just looks bigger. Anyway, it is what it is and I know it is only 1900m so lets not worry any more. For now, a night of comfort and relaxing awaits on the M6.
Food is dispatched at the local Michelin starred Hungry Horse. Back to the room and showers had and then the best bit of the day so far. I realize the race pack contains actual proper Triathlon race tattoos. They did mention this in the race briefing but I was to focused on reminding myself not to go fast on race day ! The thought of that swim soon subsides as I contemplate the opportunity to look like a real triathlete, with the addition of my race numbers on my arms. I spend the next hour making a right pigs ear of applying said Tattoos and sending pictures to my family and friends.
Bedtime beckons and alarms are set for 4am(ish). This is the point you appreciate what a tough sport this can be, just the getting up times are hard ! I try to drift off to sleep and can remember as clear as day, I have two dreams as a I doze. One sees me swim with almost perfect navigation and easily beat the swim cutoff, followed by the opposite where I have a mare and get hauled from the race before I reach my bike....I hope it is the former come race day......
I'd already given the bike a final test and clean and it was looking resplendent with its new 86mm aero wheel set and luminous tri bar tape to help me in transition. Luckily for me a very generous friend had fitted a new cassette to my new rear wheel for me. Packing took place over two days and eventually, I was ready to go. List ticked and double-checked.
I was racing with a good friend, Ian, who had also volunteered to drive. With the bikes and all the gear packed, we were on our way. We spent the whole journey chatting about Triathlon, the race and our expectations. Finally we arrived at Jct 13 of the M6, our home for the next couple of days.
I hadn't considered that the hotel would be full of competitors, it was great to see lots of other athletes buzzing around, getting bike envy as people wheeled in gorgeous TT bikes. There were IRON MAN event people there doing IRON MAN event type things wearing IRON MAN clothes. As a novice I hadn't realised it was the thing to do to wear a 'Finisher' t-shirt from a prior event. Anything counted, Triathlon, Marathon...Something to remember for my next race ! There was some bad news when we checked in - the presidential suite we thought we'd booked was actually being refurbished, so we had to make do with a standard twin. Oh well never mind as long as it was clean and comfortable, it would do just fine.
Saturday dawned a lovely day and I was looking forward to getting to the venue and soaking up some Iron Man atmosphere. Lucky for me, my mate was so well prepared with knowing where he was going it all made for an 'easy' weekend for me. On arriving at Race HQ, we headed for registration. It was seriously warm so I was happy to hit the shade of the Iron Man shop and registration area. Of course, I bought the obligatory Iron Man t-shirt for the race, with my name in microscopic print on the back.
There wasn't much of a queue at registration (compared to the queue for merchandise !) so after a short wait it was my turn to register. I handed over my BTF license and drivers license and then started to panic as there seemed to be a problem...I imagine it was the usual problem I encounter.....he's registered in the M45-49 age category...but that can't be right...those young looks working against me again I thought.....haha, no chance. It seemed the date of birth on my race license didn't tally with my id. Another 'race rule' immediately came to mind - No id = No race. It was an anxious wait but I got the all-clear eventually, and was tagged with my wrist band and got my ruck sack and race pack. The race briefing was next and my abiding memory was of being told, well actually begged, to take it easy and go slow, due to the high temperature predicted for race day. Note to self...don't go fast on race day ! That would be quite easy I was sure of it.
Then it was off to complete racking and transition set up. Another first for me was the split transition. I'd heard a lot of negative things about it and how awkward it can be. In all honesty, thanks to the efficiency and preparation of my mate it all seemed easy. Iron Man themselves made it pretty clear. We had a bike bag and run bag where we placed all the items we needed for transitions in the respective bags.
This part I found nerve-wracking as you don't want to arrive at transition to find you've forgotten something, or put the wrong items in. T2 was first as this was where registration was. To sooth my OCD tendencies, I go through a 'dry run' for the T2 bag (at least three times), so I visualize coming into T2 and go through the changing process in my head to make sure I have packed the right bits.
Then it was just a matter of hanging your bag on your numbered peg. The bags are all neatly lined up in rows in a marquee with seating. Real luxury compared to other races. I later learn, or figure out for myself that this is what is known as a clean transition. So last job is to memorize the bag location, dry run the route from the transition 'in' door and make sure I know where I'm going. Of course, I'll forget that on race day, but at the time, it makes you feel like you are in charge and have planned and rehearsed.
It was a drive back to a local rugby club to part up and bag the kit for T1. Tyres were checked and the same routine performed, the dry run of changing from swim to bike kit to ensure everything was in the bag. Numbers stuck to bag and then set off for T1. There was a fairly long walk to T1 to rack the bikes, but it was a hot summers day and there was nothing else pressing to do, so it was a leisurely walk. We came past the reservoir on the way and made a note to reccy that the best we could on the walk back.
At the transition for the bike (T1) we perform the same routine and then collect our race chips on the way out. This was an odd way to do it I thought as usually the race chip is in the race pack. On race day, we would be asked by some lads where they get their race chips from.....so it clearly caught a few people out who racked their T1 gear but went out the same way they arrived, rather than the T1 exit to collect their chip. If ever there was a reminder to read the race pack and/or attend the race briefing, that was it. I wouldn't want to be running about on race morning trying to find where I should collect my race chip.
As we exit the T1 tent, race chips in hand and leave behind the greenhouse warmth of the gazeebo, we are done. Registered, racked and ready to go. Of course, we spend some time wallowing in bike envy (again) on the way back to the car, seeing if we can spot the pro-bikes and guessing how much they might be worth - but we know, you can't buy speed, so we don't regret the fact we haven't racked similarly priced equipment as come race day, surely we will be as fast as those guys....wont we?
On the walk back, we stop at the reservoir to try and suss out the swim entry point and course. I recall the copious warnings and reminders about the reservoir being a site of special scientific interest and how we should ensure our wetsuits are spotless and that, if we enter the water outside of the race or an official familiarization swim, we could be removed from the race. It all seems somewhat over the top as I watch families and dogs playing in the water and some lad, ill prepared for the heat wave but deciding he'll just go in the water in his pants. I notice a few beer cans floating nearby. Maybe the special scientific interest parts are elsewhere....
Anyhow, we think we've sussed the start point and then I begin to follow the buoys to plot the course. Immediately panic sets in again. How on earth can that be 1900m, it looks more like about 3 miles ! My local lake where I train is much smaller and has about a 900m lap, so usually I'm doing 2 laps of this. This is a straight 1 'loop' swim, no laps. The distance looks massive. I can't quite comprehend it in my mind. My mate does a great job of reassuring me it is no further than I'm used to swimming in the two laps of my local lake - I know he's right, but it just looks bigger. Anyway, it is what it is and I know it is only 1900m so lets not worry any more. For now, a night of comfort and relaxing awaits on the M6.
Food is dispatched at the local Michelin starred Hungry Horse. Back to the room and showers had and then the best bit of the day so far. I realize the race pack contains actual proper Triathlon race tattoos. They did mention this in the race briefing but I was to focused on reminding myself not to go fast on race day ! The thought of that swim soon subsides as I contemplate the opportunity to look like a real triathlete, with the addition of my race numbers on my arms. I spend the next hour making a right pigs ear of applying said Tattoos and sending pictures to my family and friends.
Bedtime beckons and alarms are set for 4am(ish). This is the point you appreciate what a tough sport this can be, just the getting up times are hard ! I try to drift off to sleep and can remember as clear as day, I have two dreams as a I doze. One sees me swim with almost perfect navigation and easily beat the swim cutoff, followed by the opposite where I have a mare and get hauled from the race before I reach my bike....I hope it is the former come race day......
And no sooner have I gone to sleep, or so it seems, I am waking up on race day. This is it, my first half Iron man awaits. Breakfast, as always at this time of day, is hard to eat but a necessity, so it is dispatched with less focus on enjoyment more on the fact it is fuel for the swim. A make in the pot porridge in the room and a mug of tea. Sun cream is liberally applied. The hotel has actually laid on their full breakfast for us but I struggle with anything additional than some fruit juice. We set off for the race start on schedule. We are allowed into T1 to check bikes and add bottles and gels etc. After that, we wait near the swim start to see the pro's depart and then move to T1 to see them come out on their bikes. By 8am the day is already seriously warm - it is forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far - great ! As a result, wetsuits are left to the last minute....but soon enough that time comes and we don the gimp outfit and saunter over to the swim pens. I pick a time suited to my ability, so near the back. I get chatting to a group of lads who feel the same of their swim ability, but the chit chat and banter eases the nerves as we await our start time. The queue ahead starts to move and before I know it, we are near the pontoon. I rinse my goggles in the bucket of special scientific reservoir water and shuffle toward my nemesis. My race will be defined here, by the swim. If I make the bike, I know I'll make all the other cut off's (barring unplanned bike issues).
Before I know it, I'm snapped out of my dreaming by a soft shove in the back and someone shouting 'Go'....I perform less of a graceful dive into the water, more of a comedy stumble and we are off, my race has started. No matter what the air or water temperature, there is always that initial shock as you hit the water and it fills your wetsuit. As is usual for me, it takes me a while to settle down into my swim, but as soon as I do, I feel good. I settle into a nice consistent pace and rhythm and to my surprise am having one of my best navigation days, hitting all the markers and hardly having to detour. I am starting to enjoy myself.
Typically, as I hit the turn point and start to head for the finish, the markers are less frequent and I rely on some kind water marshals to nudge me in the right direction. Soon after, someone swims right over the top of me....why - I wonder, do you have to do that, you have all that space and you swim over me. I bet they are the same people that, on entering a massive car park will park right next to the only car already parked ! So in the later stages, as I start to tire in the swim, I naturally slow and start to drift off the target finish point, but I check my watch and I'm certain I'm way inside the cut off. Eventually I exit the water, still I feel ok, legs are good and I start the undressing process as I run to T1. Must be one of the longest transitions ever...the gazebo never seems to arrive. As usual, there is some good natured humour about the length of the run from the water. My transition isn't bad and soon I'm running to the exit, bag in hand. In my eagerness to dump my bag I realise my bandanna is still inside so I have to flap my arms wildly to get attention of the baggage guys to get my bag back. I struggle with sweat running into my eyes so the bandanna would be a big miss on such a hot day. Luckily my arm waving helps and I'm able to retrieve my bandanna.
The one benefit of being such a poor swimmer is that it makes it so much easier to find your bike ! The day-glo yellow tape on my Tri bars though is a revelation...what a great idea ! In no time I'm pushing my bike towards the exit and looking forward to some food and drink. I soon settle onto my bike and am taking in some gel and water. I find the bike course quite frustrating as it feels like as soon as I get onto the TT bars, I'm off again for a turn or an incline. But the closed roads are nice. Not even a few miles into the bike I see people stopping to fix flats, I feel so sorry for them having to stop so early. Luckily for me, the bike is trouble free. My bike does develop a niggle where the gears don't seem to be indexing properly but this doesn't stop me and the bike is still running well. I plug away on the course, making sure to take my gels and water regularly and tick the miles off. Oddly for me, at about 10-15 miles to go, I can't wait to get off the bike. Something I've never felt before, but for some reason, after 40 odd miles, I seem to have had enough.
As I enter the last few hundred metres, my legs feel ok. I haven't hammered the bike but have still made good time. As I dismount, things take a rapid turn for the worst. Wow, are those my legs...really. They aren't the same one's I was just riding on I'm sure. They feel weak and wobbly. My thoughts immediately turn to the fact I now have to run a half marathon...on these legs? Well, no one said it would be easy, so just get on with it. I locate my bag and take the luxury of a plastic seat and take my time getting changed. I don't have a Tri suit so am making a full costume change. Luckily someone left some sun cream lying around, so I take the opportunity to reapply some. I trot out of the tent and at once know I'm in for a tough run. My legs aren't working properly and my whole core seems to be hurting.
I tell myself I'll be fine once I've run for a few minutes and re-adjusted the legs. As I crest the first hill and take some drinks, I start to pick up pace and as I go downhill, I'm near 7 min miles. This is more like it. The crowds are superb, I'm feeling good about the run...It doesn't last long. As I reach the flat and swing right, all the pace goes and I'm back to near 9 min miles. I work out at that pace I'll be way outside my target time of sub 2hr for the run. It is really hot now and I'm struggling already. As I shuffle through the grounds of the estate, I follow the lead of others and weave into shaded areas. I start a conversation with myself, I've been found out already, the run will be my downfall...hang on, you've done the beachy head marathon, this is nothing near so hard....you have to get that medal...dig in, get on with it. But I'm resigned to the fact that after the first of four laps, I'm in survival mode. It will be a mix of running and walking to see me through. Walking really pains me. I've never had to walk in a half marathon, or marathon before now. But I simply cannot run all the time and when I do, I'm 'running' at near 10 min mile pace. But I'm not the only one walking in parts which eases the pain of having to do it. There are upsides and downsides to the run course, laps makes it easy to compartmentalise, you can tick off each lap and count down laps rather than miles. The downside is reading the signs telling you, if you are on lap 2, this is 9 miles....I really wanted to be at 9 miles already ! I carry on with my mix of walking and running but really, even the running is not really much quicker than the walk. I search out the hosepipes and locals spraying water over us...it really is so hot. I come to another drink stop and do something I've never done before, not in a race, not even in day to day existence....I take a cup of Pepsi. Why, is anyone's guess, but I think it turns out to help me get through the rest of the day. If I were to ever have a fizzy drink, it was always Coke, never Pepsi. But there is Pepsi on offer...It tastes lovely. I take a second cup, it tastes even better and I'm off again on my run/walk. But now, with a renewed focus. If I can get to the next drink stop, I can have my cup of Pepsi. This is the pattern for the rest of the run, I crave the next drink stop so I can taste that Pepsi again.
The crowds keep me going between the drink stops and I'm counting off the laps slowly, this run is just taking forever. I relish the parts of the course that are shaded as it offers some respite from the heat. When I stop at the drinks stops, I can feel the heat start to build and I'm glad to get moving again. As I continue to shuffle around the course, I see people being sick in the side of the road, people on stretchers, someone taking oxygen, a paramedic on a bike whizzing off somewhere. In a bizarre way, this gives me a lift, I'm suffering, but not as much as some others. Again, that sense of feeling sorry for fellow competitors comes back. All that training, all that preparation only on the day to fall short, probably scuppered by the heat? It makes me more determined to press on.
Eventually, I am entitled to make the left turn that will take me to the finishing shute. This is what it has all been for. This is my moment, I am going to finish my first half iron man, I've made it. Somehow, I cross the line and don't really feel that elated or overjoyed. I think the battle with that run has exhausted me and I don't feel like a celebration is deserved at that point. It is sheer relief only at this point. I wander through the finishers shute and get my medal...and it is a nice one. Big and weighty and it says 'Iron Man' on it....that's what I wanted ! I enter the finishers tent and collect my finishers t-shirt and know that I need to stretch. I feel dreadful. I'm sure my mate has finished hours before me and I hope he hasn't got bored and left without me. I try to look for him but no luck. I wander to the bag claim and get my 'street clothes' bag. My mate has obviously asked the guy manning the re-claim If I've been in as he says someone was looking for me. I get on with my stretching. And then a lovely volunteer wanders over to me and asks me if I'm ok....yes I say, I'm just stretching. I'm not sure she's convinced - I must look that bad ! I finish some stretching and suddenly I have the urge to get out of this race kit. The heat has turned the whole thing into a sweat laden millstone that seems to be weighing me down now. I drop to a seat....and there she is again, the volunteer....are you ok she asks me again. I laugh to myself, do I really look that bad.
Changing makes me feel instantly better. There is food on offer and lots of it, but I cannot face it. I'm certain that existing on gels and liquid for 6 hours upsets your appetite for real food. All I can manage is - yep, some Pepsi ! Eventually, my mate tracks me down and I'm grateful for the banter, which of course I was expecting. Where have you been....what took you. We exchange congratulations and I'm amazed by his finish time. We decide not to linger and start the journey home, taking the obligatory selfies and pictures before we go.
As we load up the car and discuss our races, it starts to sink in what I have achieved. I've gone from a virtual non-swimmer, to swimming 1.2 miles, riding 56 miles and running a half marathon. I start to feel proud, the time doesn't matter, the finishing position (which I don't have a clue about) doesn't even matter. I finished. I can still walk and talk. I live to tell the tale and do it again. The drive home is great, congratulations from friends and family trickle in over the phone and the sense of achievement grows and grows.
Above all, those reservations about the swim cut off are now distant memories....when I get home, I don't have to explain why I might have paid nearly £200 to swim round a reservoir !
I am a half iron man, I somehow feel part of a special club. What a day, what a journey to get here to this point. I've loved the whole process. I can't wait to do it again.
Before I know it, I'm snapped out of my dreaming by a soft shove in the back and someone shouting 'Go'....I perform less of a graceful dive into the water, more of a comedy stumble and we are off, my race has started. No matter what the air or water temperature, there is always that initial shock as you hit the water and it fills your wetsuit. As is usual for me, it takes me a while to settle down into my swim, but as soon as I do, I feel good. I settle into a nice consistent pace and rhythm and to my surprise am having one of my best navigation days, hitting all the markers and hardly having to detour. I am starting to enjoy myself.
Typically, as I hit the turn point and start to head for the finish, the markers are less frequent and I rely on some kind water marshals to nudge me in the right direction. Soon after, someone swims right over the top of me....why - I wonder, do you have to do that, you have all that space and you swim over me. I bet they are the same people that, on entering a massive car park will park right next to the only car already parked ! So in the later stages, as I start to tire in the swim, I naturally slow and start to drift off the target finish point, but I check my watch and I'm certain I'm way inside the cut off. Eventually I exit the water, still I feel ok, legs are good and I start the undressing process as I run to T1. Must be one of the longest transitions ever...the gazebo never seems to arrive. As usual, there is some good natured humour about the length of the run from the water. My transition isn't bad and soon I'm running to the exit, bag in hand. In my eagerness to dump my bag I realise my bandanna is still inside so I have to flap my arms wildly to get attention of the baggage guys to get my bag back. I struggle with sweat running into my eyes so the bandanna would be a big miss on such a hot day. Luckily my arm waving helps and I'm able to retrieve my bandanna.
The one benefit of being such a poor swimmer is that it makes it so much easier to find your bike ! The day-glo yellow tape on my Tri bars though is a revelation...what a great idea ! In no time I'm pushing my bike towards the exit and looking forward to some food and drink. I soon settle onto my bike and am taking in some gel and water. I find the bike course quite frustrating as it feels like as soon as I get onto the TT bars, I'm off again for a turn or an incline. But the closed roads are nice. Not even a few miles into the bike I see people stopping to fix flats, I feel so sorry for them having to stop so early. Luckily for me, the bike is trouble free. My bike does develop a niggle where the gears don't seem to be indexing properly but this doesn't stop me and the bike is still running well. I plug away on the course, making sure to take my gels and water regularly and tick the miles off. Oddly for me, at about 10-15 miles to go, I can't wait to get off the bike. Something I've never felt before, but for some reason, after 40 odd miles, I seem to have had enough.
As I enter the last few hundred metres, my legs feel ok. I haven't hammered the bike but have still made good time. As I dismount, things take a rapid turn for the worst. Wow, are those my legs...really. They aren't the same one's I was just riding on I'm sure. They feel weak and wobbly. My thoughts immediately turn to the fact I now have to run a half marathon...on these legs? Well, no one said it would be easy, so just get on with it. I locate my bag and take the luxury of a plastic seat and take my time getting changed. I don't have a Tri suit so am making a full costume change. Luckily someone left some sun cream lying around, so I take the opportunity to reapply some. I trot out of the tent and at once know I'm in for a tough run. My legs aren't working properly and my whole core seems to be hurting.
I tell myself I'll be fine once I've run for a few minutes and re-adjusted the legs. As I crest the first hill and take some drinks, I start to pick up pace and as I go downhill, I'm near 7 min miles. This is more like it. The crowds are superb, I'm feeling good about the run...It doesn't last long. As I reach the flat and swing right, all the pace goes and I'm back to near 9 min miles. I work out at that pace I'll be way outside my target time of sub 2hr for the run. It is really hot now and I'm struggling already. As I shuffle through the grounds of the estate, I follow the lead of others and weave into shaded areas. I start a conversation with myself, I've been found out already, the run will be my downfall...hang on, you've done the beachy head marathon, this is nothing near so hard....you have to get that medal...dig in, get on with it. But I'm resigned to the fact that after the first of four laps, I'm in survival mode. It will be a mix of running and walking to see me through. Walking really pains me. I've never had to walk in a half marathon, or marathon before now. But I simply cannot run all the time and when I do, I'm 'running' at near 10 min mile pace. But I'm not the only one walking in parts which eases the pain of having to do it. There are upsides and downsides to the run course, laps makes it easy to compartmentalise, you can tick off each lap and count down laps rather than miles. The downside is reading the signs telling you, if you are on lap 2, this is 9 miles....I really wanted to be at 9 miles already ! I carry on with my mix of walking and running but really, even the running is not really much quicker than the walk. I search out the hosepipes and locals spraying water over us...it really is so hot. I come to another drink stop and do something I've never done before, not in a race, not even in day to day existence....I take a cup of Pepsi. Why, is anyone's guess, but I think it turns out to help me get through the rest of the day. If I were to ever have a fizzy drink, it was always Coke, never Pepsi. But there is Pepsi on offer...It tastes lovely. I take a second cup, it tastes even better and I'm off again on my run/walk. But now, with a renewed focus. If I can get to the next drink stop, I can have my cup of Pepsi. This is the pattern for the rest of the run, I crave the next drink stop so I can taste that Pepsi again.
The crowds keep me going between the drink stops and I'm counting off the laps slowly, this run is just taking forever. I relish the parts of the course that are shaded as it offers some respite from the heat. When I stop at the drinks stops, I can feel the heat start to build and I'm glad to get moving again. As I continue to shuffle around the course, I see people being sick in the side of the road, people on stretchers, someone taking oxygen, a paramedic on a bike whizzing off somewhere. In a bizarre way, this gives me a lift, I'm suffering, but not as much as some others. Again, that sense of feeling sorry for fellow competitors comes back. All that training, all that preparation only on the day to fall short, probably scuppered by the heat? It makes me more determined to press on.
Eventually, I am entitled to make the left turn that will take me to the finishing shute. This is what it has all been for. This is my moment, I am going to finish my first half iron man, I've made it. Somehow, I cross the line and don't really feel that elated or overjoyed. I think the battle with that run has exhausted me and I don't feel like a celebration is deserved at that point. It is sheer relief only at this point. I wander through the finishers shute and get my medal...and it is a nice one. Big and weighty and it says 'Iron Man' on it....that's what I wanted ! I enter the finishers tent and collect my finishers t-shirt and know that I need to stretch. I feel dreadful. I'm sure my mate has finished hours before me and I hope he hasn't got bored and left without me. I try to look for him but no luck. I wander to the bag claim and get my 'street clothes' bag. My mate has obviously asked the guy manning the re-claim If I've been in as he says someone was looking for me. I get on with my stretching. And then a lovely volunteer wanders over to me and asks me if I'm ok....yes I say, I'm just stretching. I'm not sure she's convinced - I must look that bad ! I finish some stretching and suddenly I have the urge to get out of this race kit. The heat has turned the whole thing into a sweat laden millstone that seems to be weighing me down now. I drop to a seat....and there she is again, the volunteer....are you ok she asks me again. I laugh to myself, do I really look that bad.
Changing makes me feel instantly better. There is food on offer and lots of it, but I cannot face it. I'm certain that existing on gels and liquid for 6 hours upsets your appetite for real food. All I can manage is - yep, some Pepsi ! Eventually, my mate tracks me down and I'm grateful for the banter, which of course I was expecting. Where have you been....what took you. We exchange congratulations and I'm amazed by his finish time. We decide not to linger and start the journey home, taking the obligatory selfies and pictures before we go.
As we load up the car and discuss our races, it starts to sink in what I have achieved. I've gone from a virtual non-swimmer, to swimming 1.2 miles, riding 56 miles and running a half marathon. I start to feel proud, the time doesn't matter, the finishing position (which I don't have a clue about) doesn't even matter. I finished. I can still walk and talk. I live to tell the tale and do it again. The drive home is great, congratulations from friends and family trickle in over the phone and the sense of achievement grows and grows.
Above all, those reservations about the swim cut off are now distant memories....when I get home, I don't have to explain why I might have paid nearly £200 to swim round a reservoir !
I am a half iron man, I somehow feel part of a special club. What a day, what a journey to get here to this point. I've loved the whole process. I can't wait to do it again.
Thursday, 12 October 2017
My first Half Iron Man - Part I - Race application, swim cut off and sleepless nights....
As with most events I've entered, the amount of anxiety I feel pre-race is proportional to the amount of time in advance I enter, the earlier I enter, the less I worry....initially.
And so it was, on a typically beautiful day in Greece whilst on holiday, I made use of the free wi-fi and after much panic and reliance on a friend sending me event links, I entered my first half iron man - Staffs 70.3. In Tri-talk, this was going to be my 'A' race for the coming year.
I entered on the first day of availability, not only to make sure I got the cheapest price but also Staffs was known as an event that usually sells out very quickly. So, on the anxiety-o-meter, I was fairly comfortable. Ok, I'd just entered my first half iron man and up to now, had only completed one super sprint and an Olympic distance, neither of which I could safely say I covered myself in glory at ! However, I had faith in my ability to do the required training and be in the best shape I could come the day and, on top of which, race day was months and months away...what could possibly cause me to worry unduly.
I hadn't stopped training since I did my super sprint and Olympic earlier in the year. I carried on training after those events and now with the goal of completing a 70.3 race, I continued to train virtually every day through winter. Training was going well, it was consistent and I was getting in some good sessions. And then it happened....
The first 'Athletes Guide' arrived from Iron Man and I duly started to read and digest each and every word on my daily commute to and from work. And then I spotted it, whilst reading the swim guide, those two words that sent my anxiety-o-meter through the roof - "CUT-OFF". There it was in black and white, the two words guaranteed to start second thoughts about my ability to complete the event.
No one told me !! No one mentioned it, there had been no cut off's in the previous races I'd entered and completed. Clearly, still being a novice had meant that I was not aware that in most (if not all) middle and long distance events, cut offs are common. I had vaguely remembered friends mentioning cut off times when doing Iron Man events, but hadn't really taken it on-board, as at the time I had no ambition to complete at Iron Man distance.
I couldn't get it out of my mind, I read and re-read the athletes guide, maybe I invented it, dreamed it. When it was clear it was for real, I started to ponder how it would work. Would there be an official at the swim exit waiting for me and telling me I couldn't continue, maybe I'd get a tap on the shoulder in T1..."sorry son, you can't carry on, collect your gear and follow me..." I went through all these different scenarios, genuinely believing there was a real opportunity of me not making the grade. But, I had to, I had to get to my bike ! The bike and run were my better disciplines, where I could hope to make progress to my goal of that Iron Man finisher medal.
So back to those two-words, CUT OFF. For the swim, it was 1hr and 10m in total. I started to calculate in my head if I was capable of completing 1900m in that time. I was fairly sure I could based on previous lake swims where I was completing 2 laps (1800m give or take depending on navigation!) around the 50 min mark. However, at the time, I was only swimming up to 1500m really as I was only training at that time for an Olympic distance event, so I wasn't going 'all-out' for these two laps and didn't consider it a reliable benchmark.
But even so, based on this approximate benchmark, the margins for predicted 1900m weren't great and I convinced myself that any mishaps on the day, or some poor navigation could easily eat into whatever margin I had and see me fail to complete the swim.
Over the following weeks and months I had to make a concerted effort to improve my swim, buying paddles and a pull buoy to focus on technique and referring to my 'swim smooth' book. I had a friend who happens to be a swim instructor come and watch me swim and leave me with lots of things to work on. It was good to have this focus in the pool, so I could make sessions count toward improving the areas where most gains might be made and then see how I was doing as soon as the lake opened in April. All the time telling myself, you have to get to the bike, you have to ! Besides, imagine telling my wife when I came back, that I'd just paid £200 for a swim !
Now here comes the really interesting part. During my training, when friends, family and other tri friends would ask how I was getting on, I always said it was going well. I said the swim was my big challenge and this was (still is) true. However, what I never let on about was my approach to the swim training, which at the time, made sense to me, but writing this now seems somewhat odd. So in the pool, I was averaging 2 swims per week. Monday was always my endurance set, Friday's was technique. In those Monday sessions, I would swim 1500m, nothing more and note my time for this. On average I would be hitting 37 minutes for 1500 (yeah, ok, its slow, I get that!). On some days, I could get near 36 mins or 35 mins. I knew 400m was taking me in the region of 9 minutes so in order to assess my capability to get inside the time limit of 1hr 10m for 1900m, I would just add the two times together and tell myself, I should be ok, especially as I was banking on gaining a small amount of time from the wet suit.
What I wouldn't do would be to swim 1900m so I could see my ACTUAL time for that distance, the distance I'd need to cover on race day. I knew I was kidding myself that adding times from a 1500m swim and a totally separate (not even on the same day!) 400m swim was no way to gauge my estimated finish time. But the thought of swimming 1900m and being somewhere near an hour, really made me nervous...I'd rather not know.
This game carried on for many sessions until the point where something got the better of me. I had to start swimming the distance to see (a) if I could make it and (b) more importantly if I could be inside that cut off. I started to work toward the 1900m distance in my Monday sessions and once there, I was always 'comfortably' under the hour, although there was still that nagging doubt that, on the day, with perhaps only a 10 mins or less buffer, I was cutting it fine if my navigation was off on the day.
I did consider looking at early 70.3 races in order to get some practice in but in the end, decided my first attempt at the distance would be the Staffs race day. In the meantime training continued to go well, I was getting in consistent sessions and feeling like I was making good progress. The swim still loomed large so I just kept plugging away at it - got to get to the bike, got to get to the bike I told myself.
Friends would ask me when they saw me how training was going, I always said it was going well and always added...and I've got ages yet until race day - I've got 3 months to go...2 months to go, 1 month to go......before I knew it race week was upon me. Where did that time go? It was almost time to get started on my packing and organisation for the big day.
Join me for part II where I talk about race week, packing, more pre-race nerves and the excitement of a stay at the Holiday Inn on Jct 13 of the M6.....
And so it was, on a typically beautiful day in Greece whilst on holiday, I made use of the free wi-fi and after much panic and reliance on a friend sending me event links, I entered my first half iron man - Staffs 70.3. In Tri-talk, this was going to be my 'A' race for the coming year.
I entered on the first day of availability, not only to make sure I got the cheapest price but also Staffs was known as an event that usually sells out very quickly. So, on the anxiety-o-meter, I was fairly comfortable. Ok, I'd just entered my first half iron man and up to now, had only completed one super sprint and an Olympic distance, neither of which I could safely say I covered myself in glory at ! However, I had faith in my ability to do the required training and be in the best shape I could come the day and, on top of which, race day was months and months away...what could possibly cause me to worry unduly.
I hadn't stopped training since I did my super sprint and Olympic earlier in the year. I carried on training after those events and now with the goal of completing a 70.3 race, I continued to train virtually every day through winter. Training was going well, it was consistent and I was getting in some good sessions. And then it happened....
The first 'Athletes Guide' arrived from Iron Man and I duly started to read and digest each and every word on my daily commute to and from work. And then I spotted it, whilst reading the swim guide, those two words that sent my anxiety-o-meter through the roof - "CUT-OFF". There it was in black and white, the two words guaranteed to start second thoughts about my ability to complete the event.
No one told me !! No one mentioned it, there had been no cut off's in the previous races I'd entered and completed. Clearly, still being a novice had meant that I was not aware that in most (if not all) middle and long distance events, cut offs are common. I had vaguely remembered friends mentioning cut off times when doing Iron Man events, but hadn't really taken it on-board, as at the time I had no ambition to complete at Iron Man distance.
I couldn't get it out of my mind, I read and re-read the athletes guide, maybe I invented it, dreamed it. When it was clear it was for real, I started to ponder how it would work. Would there be an official at the swim exit waiting for me and telling me I couldn't continue, maybe I'd get a tap on the shoulder in T1..."sorry son, you can't carry on, collect your gear and follow me..." I went through all these different scenarios, genuinely believing there was a real opportunity of me not making the grade. But, I had to, I had to get to my bike ! The bike and run were my better disciplines, where I could hope to make progress to my goal of that Iron Man finisher medal.
So back to those two-words, CUT OFF. For the swim, it was 1hr and 10m in total. I started to calculate in my head if I was capable of completing 1900m in that time. I was fairly sure I could based on previous lake swims where I was completing 2 laps (1800m give or take depending on navigation!) around the 50 min mark. However, at the time, I was only swimming up to 1500m really as I was only training at that time for an Olympic distance event, so I wasn't going 'all-out' for these two laps and didn't consider it a reliable benchmark.
But even so, based on this approximate benchmark, the margins for predicted 1900m weren't great and I convinced myself that any mishaps on the day, or some poor navigation could easily eat into whatever margin I had and see me fail to complete the swim.
Over the following weeks and months I had to make a concerted effort to improve my swim, buying paddles and a pull buoy to focus on technique and referring to my 'swim smooth' book. I had a friend who happens to be a swim instructor come and watch me swim and leave me with lots of things to work on. It was good to have this focus in the pool, so I could make sessions count toward improving the areas where most gains might be made and then see how I was doing as soon as the lake opened in April. All the time telling myself, you have to get to the bike, you have to ! Besides, imagine telling my wife when I came back, that I'd just paid £200 for a swim !
Now here comes the really interesting part. During my training, when friends, family and other tri friends would ask how I was getting on, I always said it was going well. I said the swim was my big challenge and this was (still is) true. However, what I never let on about was my approach to the swim training, which at the time, made sense to me, but writing this now seems somewhat odd. So in the pool, I was averaging 2 swims per week. Monday was always my endurance set, Friday's was technique. In those Monday sessions, I would swim 1500m, nothing more and note my time for this. On average I would be hitting 37 minutes for 1500 (yeah, ok, its slow, I get that!). On some days, I could get near 36 mins or 35 mins. I knew 400m was taking me in the region of 9 minutes so in order to assess my capability to get inside the time limit of 1hr 10m for 1900m, I would just add the two times together and tell myself, I should be ok, especially as I was banking on gaining a small amount of time from the wet suit.
What I wouldn't do would be to swim 1900m so I could see my ACTUAL time for that distance, the distance I'd need to cover on race day. I knew I was kidding myself that adding times from a 1500m swim and a totally separate (not even on the same day!) 400m swim was no way to gauge my estimated finish time. But the thought of swimming 1900m and being somewhere near an hour, really made me nervous...I'd rather not know.
This game carried on for many sessions until the point where something got the better of me. I had to start swimming the distance to see (a) if I could make it and (b) more importantly if I could be inside that cut off. I started to work toward the 1900m distance in my Monday sessions and once there, I was always 'comfortably' under the hour, although there was still that nagging doubt that, on the day, with perhaps only a 10 mins or less buffer, I was cutting it fine if my navigation was off on the day.
I did consider looking at early 70.3 races in order to get some practice in but in the end, decided my first attempt at the distance would be the Staffs race day. In the meantime training continued to go well, I was getting in consistent sessions and feeling like I was making good progress. The swim still loomed large so I just kept plugging away at it - got to get to the bike, got to get to the bike I told myself.
Friends would ask me when they saw me how training was going, I always said it was going well and always added...and I've got ages yet until race day - I've got 3 months to go...2 months to go, 1 month to go......before I knew it race week was upon me. Where did that time go? It was almost time to get started on my packing and organisation for the big day.
Join me for part II where I talk about race week, packing, more pre-race nerves and the excitement of a stay at the Holiday Inn on Jct 13 of the M6.....
Saturday, 23 September 2017
From Iron-ing man to (half) Iron Man. Training 'smart' to achieve some race goals
Free-Time, the one thing you cant really put a price on, yet it has so much value and is so precious to us. The one thing we always seem to run out of.
But....you want to compete in a Triathlon, it is next on your list of things to achieve and one thing a triathlon requires, above all, is time (and money....but that is for another discussion).
However, you are a working Dad (or Mum) but that doesn't impact your enthusiasm, desire and drive to complete a triathlon or many triathlons for that matter. You have the motivation, the drive, the energy, or maybe one of those three ! But guaranteed, the one thing you are likely to experience a deficit of is time.
One of the very reasons it has taken me a while to write this article is in the main for this very reason. A lack of time to dedicate to writing, other things taking up any time I might otherwise be putting fingers to keys.
However, let this not be a barrier to realising your triathlon ambitions. With some planning and diligent use of time and a smart approach to training it is surprising what you can achieve. I'm pretty certain much of what I say here you wouldn't have already thought of or considered yourself, or will (might) read and say, 'well, that is just common sense' and you'd be right. There is no real science here, nothing world or life changing, but yes, just a common sense way of approaching training and getting the consistency I think you need to prepare for those first races.
To set the scene in context of my background, I work full time and my main sponsor (my better half of course) works part time. My two boys are active lads playing basketball and football. Basketball in particular trains 2 nights per week with games usually on a Saturday. The range of travel can be very wide and regardless of tip-off time requires all players to be at the venue an hour beforehand, whether that is home or away. Football and basketball follow similar seasons, albeit football generally trains once per week and luckily games are on Sunday. Travel isn't as far for away games and unlike basketball doesn't require that we are there 1 hour in advance.
So where to start. I think before you even set off on training, or targeting a specific event, it is useful to be realistic about targets and goals, especially if you are going to be restricted on the number of hours you can train. This is something I didn't do at the start, it didn't really cross my mind. I had visions of not only being able to finish events I entered, but in my age group, I thought, how many decent people can there really be doing triathlon at the age of 47.......well, you'd be surprised ! I guess it is specific to events and who turns up to what races. Suffice to say there are some seriously good age-group athletes out there. I mentioned previously about not over-estimating your ability when choosing the first event you enter - I did the exactly this with my overall assessment of my triathlon capability. I thought, even assumed, that given a decent endurance background, I'd be half decent but those first couple of races I did were real eye openers for me in terms of where my ability placed me.
With this in mind, set realistic targets about what you think you can or might achieve given the time you can commit to training. Having raced my first half iron man on probably an average of 6hrs or less training per week (which I felt was a lot), come race day, that felt like the minimum. I'm not sure I would have wanted to attempt it on less training than I did. Again, we are all different. Many people will arrive on the start line on less training than I've done and still finish.
But....you want to compete in a Triathlon, it is next on your list of things to achieve and one thing a triathlon requires, above all, is time (and money....but that is for another discussion).
However, you are a working Dad (or Mum) but that doesn't impact your enthusiasm, desire and drive to complete a triathlon or many triathlons for that matter. You have the motivation, the drive, the energy, or maybe one of those three ! But guaranteed, the one thing you are likely to experience a deficit of is time.
One of the very reasons it has taken me a while to write this article is in the main for this very reason. A lack of time to dedicate to writing, other things taking up any time I might otherwise be putting fingers to keys.
However, let this not be a barrier to realising your triathlon ambitions. With some planning and diligent use of time and a smart approach to training it is surprising what you can achieve. I'm pretty certain much of what I say here you wouldn't have already thought of or considered yourself, or will (might) read and say, 'well, that is just common sense' and you'd be right. There is no real science here, nothing world or life changing, but yes, just a common sense way of approaching training and getting the consistency I think you need to prepare for those first races.
To set the scene in context of my background, I work full time and my main sponsor (my better half of course) works part time. My two boys are active lads playing basketball and football. Basketball in particular trains 2 nights per week with games usually on a Saturday. The range of travel can be very wide and regardless of tip-off time requires all players to be at the venue an hour beforehand, whether that is home or away. Football and basketball follow similar seasons, albeit football generally trains once per week and luckily games are on Sunday. Travel isn't as far for away games and unlike basketball doesn't require that we are there 1 hour in advance.
So where to start. I think before you even set off on training, or targeting a specific event, it is useful to be realistic about targets and goals, especially if you are going to be restricted on the number of hours you can train. This is something I didn't do at the start, it didn't really cross my mind. I had visions of not only being able to finish events I entered, but in my age group, I thought, how many decent people can there really be doing triathlon at the age of 47.......well, you'd be surprised ! I guess it is specific to events and who turns up to what races. Suffice to say there are some seriously good age-group athletes out there. I mentioned previously about not over-estimating your ability when choosing the first event you enter - I did the exactly this with my overall assessment of my triathlon capability. I thought, even assumed, that given a decent endurance background, I'd be half decent but those first couple of races I did were real eye openers for me in terms of where my ability placed me.
With this in mind, set realistic targets about what you think you can or might achieve given the time you can commit to training. Having raced my first half iron man on probably an average of 6hrs or less training per week (which I felt was a lot), come race day, that felt like the minimum. I'm not sure I would have wanted to attempt it on less training than I did. Again, we are all different. Many people will arrive on the start line on less training than I've done and still finish.
Schedule or non-schedule
Again, this is going to be mostly individual as to whether you follow a set plan or not. There are plenty of free one's around on the web and there are schedules you can pay for from triathlon specific coaches. Personally, I don't follow a set plan mostly because of the unpredictable nature of any given day. Train delays, work delays, the wife having to go out to meetings, uber jobs...etc. If I was fixed to a timetable, I would quickly get annoyed at missing things. Of course, you can shift any timetable around, but for me, I work better not having one. Does this impact how I train and my results - I've no idea. Probably. But it is what it is. I took a few training schedules from the web for the distances I was looking to race and saw what sort of volumes they covered (longest swim, bike and run, frequency of each etc.) and used that as a guide. Above all else, I try to aim for consistency in my weekly training load. By that I mean always being able to fit something in somewhere and somehow. That said, I have learnt to accept that if it isn't possible and one or two days pass with no session, then the rest is just as important.
Sort of planning
At the start of any week, I will try and plan as much as I can, to see what uber runs I am lined up for, what meetings or other plans the wife has and this gives me a sense of what I will be able to do and when. If I'm feeling adventurous, I might even pluck up the courage to ask what the weekend looks like, again if only to get a sense of what might be possible.
Despite not following a fixed timetable, there are some sessions I try to stick to but only because they happen on certain days (e.g. lake swim, or the only session at the local pool where you can use floats, paddles etc.). There is no guarantee I'll make these, but will try my best to keep to them if I can. These sessions aside, most other days are random and I try to keep a balance between the runs and the bike during the week. Bike sessions are tricky during the week, so the turbo comes in handy here. Weekends are for longer sessions and even brick sessions if time allows. So on average, the week might look something like this:
The week
During the week, when time is always at more of a premium, I tend to only have time for 5k runs, so I will make sure at least one session is a decent pace, or some fartlek to try and keep the speed in the legs. Just because it is only a 5k run, it doesn't mean it can't be effective. I have no issues with doing an 'easy' or steady 5k and just seeing it as a tick-over session. If the wife is out and a run is out of the question, because there are basketball or football sessions to do drop off or collections for, then the turbo is usually the best option. Again, it might only be that I get 30 mins or 45 mins, but the turbo can still allow for a really decent session in this sort of time frame. Often, the turbo session might be a late starter, 9pm or later, depending on collection runs, so there is an amount of dedication and commitment needed to climb on the bike after 9pm but that turbo is a great investment, it's always there to offer a session, any time of the day or night.
The mix of runs and turbo sessions will really depend on all the factors above, work, commuting reliability, Uber runs etc. If I manage to get my Monday and Friday swims in and a mix of runs and turbo sessions in the week, I consider that a decent week.
The weekend
When the weekend arrives, longer sessions may be on the cards, although even here, it may call for some early starts, depending on what other commitments there are. Where I choose to swim at my local lake, the saturday session requires at least a 5.30 am start. There are other lakes I could use with later starts, but in this case, I can do my long open water swim and still be back before 9am. If I'm lucky, that will even allow me to get 40 miles or more on the bike afterwards - or, if I need to be indoors, the turbo will suffice.
'Smart' training
Saying 'smart' makes it sound as If I am some sort of expert here, or have some sort of insight into clever training sessions - nothing could be further from the truth. What I list below just comes from the reality of trying to be the best that I can be at Triathlon whilst at the same time having to fit in everything else that has to be done in any given 24 hour period. And, I have to add, not all of these are my own work, but ideas taken from other triathlete mates in the same boat trying to achieve the same end result. Many of these are based on how I try to fit sessions in and around the chores and tasks and work I have, so may not always specifically relate one-to-one with what you are doing in any given day, but, I'm guessing the approach or ideas will translate
- Bike ride to/from weekend sport events: One of the larger time consumers at the weekend is the transport and watching of my boys sport events (football and basketball). In particular, basketball requires us (for reasons unknown) to arrive an hour before 'tip off'. For home games I can set off on a bike ride making sure I finish up at the venue in time to change and watch the game. Pack baby wipes and some deodorant so as not to offend too many other supporters who you might sit next to. You can ride home again after or just take the car with the family (assuming the bike fits in the car !). Football isn't so generous, as you do not need to arrive so far in advance but again, set off an hour or so before kick off, do your ride and end up at the ground. If you are lucky and your wife or partner is watching, they can take some trainers, food and a warm coat. If not, you'll look slightly odd supporting in your cycling gear. But, to be honest, at my boys clubs, they've got used to me doing this !
- Run to/from weekend sport events: Same rules apply as above. For away games of basketball, that spare hour before, depending on your run pace, is a window for a 10k, with time to get changed and in the crowd to watch. If you are lucky and the game is at a school, you will have changing facilities and perhaps even an Ice cold shower - good for open water swim acclimatisation! I always enjoy this type of session as invariably it is in a new location and it is nice to not really know where you are headed, just out and back making the route up as you go. In some cases, usually only with basketball, the match is held in a sports centre where the is a pool. So always worth adding some trunks to the kit bag in case.
- Cycle or run home from a family day out: If there is room in the car, I often load the bike into the car with some appropriate kit and drink and at the end of a family day out, will cycle home. I even like to 'race' the family and see how far I can get before they over take me ! Alternatively, chuck some running kit in and if the distance is agreeable, run back from the day out.
- Training with the kids: Taking part in Triathlon can often involve a high volume of training so in order not to miss time with the kids, involve them in some sessions. I often take my boys swimming and am lucky they are both strong swimmers so whilst we all share the same lane, we can go at our own speeds and do our own thing - which usually involves me trying to see if I can go quicker than my eldest (I cant !). One of my favourite sessions to do with the boys is a brick run. Come back from a ride, the boys join me on their bikes and I'll run while they ride. They can help set my pace, provide me drinks on the go and take some great pictures for Strava.
- Training as part of commuting: Not an original idea by any means and not one I've made the most of. A lot depends on shower and changing facilities if you run/ride to work and then remembering to have your work clothes/shoes etc. ready to go. I find it too much to plan ! But I've done a few runs to work, taking the train part way and running the rest. Or doing the same but in reverse, running part way home and getting the train the rest of the way.
So there it is, my take on some ideas and suggestions for how to try and fit training in around a busy life. It isn't easy, it might mean some early starts or some later evening sessions, or some planning to combine something with a commute. One thing I'm sure you will find though, when you do make the start line for that first...or 100th race, when you cross the finish line, the satisfaction of completion is made all that more special (I think) when you consider the challenges and sacrifices made getting your training in.
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