Race packing - who doesn't love a check-list !

One thing I never fail to be amazed by is the amount of kit I pack for a Triathlon race.  If the race involves an overnight stay or weekend away, then the packing is even more involved.

As for racing abroad, I haven't done it yet, but with my first overseas race approaching in May, I will have to accept the challenge of packing to race whilst fitting into the luggage restrictions associated with flying.

With that in mind, I recalled my first couple of poor attempts at packing for races, before I struck on the idea that a list was the way to go in order to stand the best chance of making sure I had all the kit I needed when I arrived at races.  I'd also decided on a 'system' for checking I had the right gear for each part of a race (e.g. swim, bike, run).  Together with a list...what could possibly go wrong.

So, what is this 'system' I talk about...well, it's nothing more than finding a decent size space in my house (usually the conservatory) and setting out all the race gear I need, as I'll need it. So by that I mean, I set out my swim kit, then separately my bike kit and then my run kit.  Lastly, beside this lot, all my sundry items.

Beforehand I would have compiled a list of what I needed.  Depending on what you are racing (duathlon, triathlon etc.) and where, what you need will typically vary. My list (until now) is just hand written, one column to check I have the item, another to confirm when I've packed it.  
I then take said list and firstly, tick off that I have the kit item.  I cycle through my swim, bike, run and sundries first, making sure I  have everything on my list.  Before I then pack anything away in my bags, I do a 'simulation' of wearing everything I will need.

So, I visualize getting ready for the swim, tri-suit, wet-suit, goggles (hat provided by race organizer), I'm in the water...then I'm out, wet-suit off, bike hat, socks, shoes, race belt/number.... then I'm in off the bike, race peak, running shoes....you get the idea.  At the point I'm happy I have everything I need to race in, then I will pack each item one at a time and tick it off my list as 'packed'.

Then, I'll attend to sundry items like nutrition, drinks, sun cream etc.  Again mostly depending on the race, its location, whether there is a stop over and so on.

And that is it, that is my 'system'.  I've upgrade my list now and made it a pdf version, so I can print off fresh copies each time I need, rather than hand-writing it each time.  

I tried to attach a version here in PDF so it could be downloaded, but didn't realise you can only load pictures.  I tried saving the original as a picture but that didn't work.  For now, I've just taken a photo of it, as below so you can see how I set it out.  It will be tried and tested in my next race in Mallorca so I'll report back on how it worked !

Feel free to copy it if you can, or use it as a template to guide your own checklist.

Race Check list page 1

Race Check list page 2

You are what you eat - is nutrition helping my Triathlon goals ?

Before I moved into Triathlon, I was mostly running marathons until I got to the point where I started to loose motivation for 2hr training runs and generally lost my appetite for running these longer distances.

At the same time, I was really struggling to put together back-to-back runs.  Recovery just didn't seem to be as good as it might be, mostly I put it down to a lack of motivation....and my ever increasing age !  I probably could have gone out the next day but just didn't want to...not another run.  I had told myself that it was probably time to look at my nutrition...I didn't eat badly, but I could eat better.  I bought a book and that's as far as it went.

And so here we are, a couple of years later and I'm hooked on Triathlon, have completed a few races, including half iron man distance and now often train 6 days out of 7 and in some cases, with double sessions at weekends....what changed ?  

Well, a few things....I got older, that goes without saying, I changed from just running, to swimming, biking and running, so the monotony I'd found with just running all the time has gone, as I was now mixing that up with the other triathlon disciplines.  In fact, I'd started to enjoy running again, as part of triathlon.  

But, the main thing, at least how I see it, was that I changed my approach to nutrition and in turn believe this has had a positive impact on my training and racing.  I've said in previous posts, that I'm not a scientist and I have no compelling evidence to prove anything I'm saying here.  I only have the 'results' of the way I feel and am able to train, following changes to what I eat.

If I think back to how I used to eat, as I said earlier, I tended not to eat badly, but felt I could eat better and for a specific purpose.  A lot of my eating before was what I call 'habit' eating.  I'll give an example.  I would make myself sandwiches for lunch at work and what do you eat with sandwiches....crisps.  So I'd add a pack of crisps to my lunch bag.  After my sandwiches, I'd often make a cup of tea...and what did I always have with tea.....a bar of chocolate...so I'd add a small bar of chocolate to my lunch bag.  I had fruit in there and was eating porridge for breakfast.  I was running a few times a week, so I considered I had balance.  I don't drink (aside from the odd glass of wine) and don't smoke.

So for me, eating was mostly shaped by specific combinations of food, or eating certain things when I drank say a cup of tea.  There was almost certainly an element of 'I can eat what I like', given that I was fairly active.

I felt that, if I was going to try a triathlon, I might need to up my game when it came to food.  I'd hunted around the web and found some basic training plans for shorter distance and half iron man, to see what they looked like.  I soon realised that, If I struggled to put together two runs in two days, I was certainly going to find it hard to handle the volume in some of these example schedules.

So, first off I broke the habit eating.  I stopped bringing sandwiches to work, but instead cooked a piece of chicken or salmon and bought a bag of microwave rice to have with it.  The crisp eating stopped.  And what else I noticed, was that the craving for crisps stopped as well.  I didn't really miss then.  Same for the tea/chocolate habit.  After dinner, instead of making  tea and eating a bag of revels/minstrels with it (I could easily tuck away a whole 'family' bag of either), I'd make myself a bowl of yogurt, fruit and honey.  Then later, when I made the tea, I had no craving for chocolate.  So in those two fairly easy steps, I'd broken that 'habit' eating as I called it. 

Next, I started to think about what I ate more.  What I mean by that is, I started to think about food as a way to prepare for a session, or to recover from one.  If I am going to train in the next hour or so, what is best to eat beforehand, or, if I had trained, what was the best thing to eat to help with recovery.

At this stage, I started to look at protein supplements as a way to help.  Like most supplements, I'd read good things about it and also I read that a glass of milk was just as good.  Anyway, I choose to try protein supplements.  I bought some SIS powdered protein.  It's fair to say, I don't use it religiously, but only tend to use it after harder sessions (for me, typically swims or the rate occasions I do run intervals).  Like I said earlier, no scientific proof, but at times when I'd worked hard in the pool, come home aching, I'd use the protein, add in a banana, some fruit and a spoon of peanut butter and I would ache less the next day.  Was it working? It seemed like it to me.

For evening meals, my wife had bought me the 'lean in 15' cook books.  Not that I needed to be leaner, but the idea was that there were healthy meals in there that could be prepped in 15 mins or so, so both of us would benefit.  If I was going to fit in all the training, plus pull my weight with taking the boys to basketball training etc, then this would help.

And so it did, some great recipes that are ready really quickly.  Healthy ingredients and more veg than we'd been eating previously but, and here's the key bit, they taste good ! And like most things, once you get comfortable with the recipes you can customize them, or if you need some additional carbs, add rice, or potato etc.

So, there you have it.  Not that many radical changes, but sufficient enough, in my mind, to have supported me in my triathlon training efforts and races thus far.  Of course, I've said it before, no scientific proof.  But, I'm training most days of the week and in some cases, double sessions on weekend days.  I still enjoy nice food, at weekends I will still have the odd glass of wine and I still love to empty the fridge of the odd bar of chocolate.  

Nothing is for free.  Preparing my lunches for the next day add's time to my evenings, but the upside is well worth it I think.  Making sure you've got all the ingredients you want to hand means some extra preparation and that is key, else I find I'm tempted to go for rubbish if I don't have decent ingredients to hand.

The other aspect which I think helps is that changing my approach to my everyday eating isn't the same as a diet.  So I'm not on a diet, or following a diet (in fairness, I've never followed one in my life nor do I intend to), but what I'm saying is that, I'm not forcing myself to eat the way I do, I choose to eat that way.  So when I fancy chocolate, or a slice of cake, I'll have no issues eating it.  I don't feel as if I've 'failed' or 'let myself down' or somehow cheated - because I'm not following a religious diet.  I won't beat myself up about it.

I like it that way.  I see a lot of people in work, following diets.  They seem to hate what they are 'forcing' themselves to eat.  There seems to be a feeling that they are 'depriving' themselves of things they'd rather be eating instead, but they have to eat this way to reach a goal.  

I've just decided that the best way to support my triathlon efforts is to change the way I approach food and nutrition.  It seems to working for me, it might not work for everyone.  

I'm sure with the changes I've made, I could do a lot better.  But, I'm not a pro athlete, I don't make my living racing triathlon (which is a god send as I'm not really that good !) so I'm not really going to benefit from the nutritional approach of an elite athlete - and I've seen them post on Instagram...they eat cakes and chocolate sometimes just like me !  So it's all a balance and for now, I feel I've got the balance about right for me.

Race Review - Vitality Big Half 11th March 2019

If all goes to plan, the Vitality 'Big half' marathon was the first of four half marathons I will complete this year.  Two being straight half marathon runs and two being half marathons as part of half iron man (70.3) races.

My A and B races are the 70.3's, so this early half marathon was a marker and a good opportunity to get a half under my belt.  I'd been training fairly well and was feeling good on runs.  I'd done some intervals for the first time and had a couple of good 9 mile runs under my belt.  But the half would be my longest of the year so far.

So how did this first race one go? Actually pretty well.  I was running (well, at least starting) with some friends and they kindly invited me for dinner and to stay the night before.  I never turn this invite down if I can help it...home made pizza and bread sticks - its the perfect pre-race dinner.  The last  time I did the same thing before a half marathon, I had a good run, so I needed to keep that tradition going - even down to the exact specification of Pizza - the four seasons !!

Race morning was an early-ish start (a couple of hours lie in compared to some Triathlon race starts) and breakfast was of course tried and tested, peanut butter bagel, banana and a mug of tea.

Weather wasn't forecast to be great, so with fingers crossed we set off.  I was aiming to meet another mate at the start, so we could run together, but I think our typically bloke approach to arranging to meet back-fired.  Agreeing to meet at Tower Bridge probably was hoping for a bit much with 15k other runners and once my kit bag was in the kit lorry, I had no phone.  I'd have to hope, somehow, that we bumped into each other on the course.

So we set off for our start wave and by now at least the rain had stopped but the wind was still gusting, making it feel colder than it probably was.  The usual pre-start worries set in...for me, mostly, do I need the loo or not?  I decided I did, but it looked as if the loo's were all set up specifically per wave start.  On arriving at our wave, this was in fact quite a decent idea and I was quickly into the luxury surroundings of a portaloo.  All done, it was just then a matter of waiting 25 mins or so for the race to kick off.  The sun started to appear from the clouds and although the wind hadn't died down, it didn't look that bad.

And then of course, it happens....5 minutes before we start, I need the loo again.  I'm not sure if it was the luxury fixtures and fittings of the portaloo tempting me back, or just my awful timing with my hydration approach.  Either way, there were still queues, so I'd put it to the back of my mind, start running and then hopefully forget.

And then we are off, finally we'd started.  I hadn't really warmed up at all beforehand, so I eased into the run.  It was crowded and so that slowed down any ideas about belting off at a pace way above what you could sustain.  The first mile came and went and into the second mile, there was that voice again...toilet...toilet...surely not, I was in the grove now.  But, true to form, I had to stop !  Not the end of the world I'm sure...and I'm convinced it's age related and will only get worse !

Back out and up and running again, I settled into a pace.  I was aiming to keep under 8 minute miles so kept an eye on the garmin.  It was a very packed race, so progress was quite heavy going, picking your way through gaps.  The loo stop had separated me from my two mates and there was no sign of my other mate, so I just selected 'auto', sat back and prepared to enjoy the flight.

And then came the Limehouse link.  It's not often that you run through a tunnel crossing.  I'd ridden through it before as part of the London Triathlon, but never run.  Once inside, the acoustics made it mandatory for an 'oggi oggi oggi' chant to start and there was the matter of a short sharp incline to deal with.  And then, you start to notice how warm it is starting to get inside the tunnel.  There is little or no breeze and soon I felt like I was overheating...and the noise of the machinery being run in the tunnel was at times overwhelming.

It was nice, literally, to see the light at the end of the tunnel and once outside, the body temperature started to fall away a bit as the breeze came back again.  And then I felt a hand on my back and the words 'I knew I'd find you'...it was my other mate Joe..somehow he'd managed to locate me.  That  was nice and we settled in to a nice pace and chatted as we ticked off the miles.  At around mile 10, I noticed Joe had dropped back a bit and it was looking as if he was slowing.  He told me to go ahead...but I'd already said we'd run together and finish together, so that's what we did.  Those last few miles were hard for Joe I'm sure, but he dug in and finished in a PB time !  

I didn't get a PB this time, but I hadn't at all thought I was in shape for one.  As it was, I felt just as good a sense of satisfaction in helping Joe to get across the line for a PB.  

Bags retrieved we managed to find the other two in our party and headed for home, exchanging stories of times, the weather, the course and that awful gusty wind.  As we made our way back, I couldn't help but think to myself how good I felt considering I'd just run a half marathon.  I don't recall ever finishing so comfortably or feeling so good after this sort of distance.  Perhaps some of the training is paying off?!!

So, what of the race, would I do it again?  Yes, I probably would.  The organisation was slick and efficient and there were plenty of marshals and volunteers on hand to help with directions etc.  Putting toilets in each start wave, whilst that doesn't seem like a game-changer, is actually a good idea.  It meant that you could make your way to your start wave and once there, use the toilets, at which, yes, there were queues, but nothing like when you just have one set of toilets to use.  The course itself was ok, but like most routes in London, was quite narrow in places so led to some bunching and therefore the need to be careful in navigating past people.  There was a nice goody bag and medal at the end.  All in all a well presented and organized race.

At the time of writing, it's now Tuesday after the run on Sunday.  I'm fully recovered from the race, or at least feel like I am, so training picks up again today as I try to get in the best shape I can for that first half iron man race !

Am I addicted to Triathlon and is technology feeding the addiction ?

I've been taking part in Triathlon now for a couple of years but even after probably my first proper year of racing, I started to wonder if I was becoming addicted to it.  It's a strong word for sure and I got to thinking about this after my wife had casually mentioned it a few times....but of course, I just dismissed it....addicted, me....no.  I'm super keen and love to train and race, but addicted...I doubt it - I can stop any time I want...can't I ?

But....I had bought books and subscribed to a triathlon magazine....but that's not a 'first' for me, I buy a lot of books and thumb through a lot of magazines, but it doesn't mean to say I'm addicted to something.

And so I thought nothing more of it really for a long while until one day a newsletter popped into my inbox from Tri247 and one article in particular caught my eye.....

'Is Technology fueling exercise addiction' ?  Wow, there is now some science or research behind this...not just the odd joke from my wife - I had to read more.  It seems to be a fairly new area of research.  I think plenty has been done before in the field of exercise addiction, but with the advent of new technologies and 'wearables' (I really detest that word), the research is taking a new shape.

This article was published by 'Performance in Mind' and you can still read it via Tri247 here.

I started to read with interest, just a skim at first as I couldn't imagine it related to me.  But then I started to read some sections and then I'd read them again and think, hang on, that sounds exactly like me.  Could I really be addicted?

The abstract of the article talks about the rise of fitness 'tracker' technology and social media as a way of increasing adherence to physical activity and while research suggests this might be proving successful, a side effect might be that these same technologies, when used by people already highly motivated to exercise, might be leading to an increased risk of exercise addiction.

Interestingly for me given my new found interest in Triathlon, was the suggestion that individuals that may be more prone to developing an exercise addiction might be drawn or gravitate towards, endurance sport - especially Triathlon !  Apparently where Triathlon is concerned, the longer the distance raced the higher the risk of addiction and as the number of weekly training hours goes up, likewise that risk does to.

Even so, I still didn't consider myself to be addicted to training, or to triathlon in particular. But maybe further reading would convince me otherwise? 

But before I went any further, I reached for my trusty dictionary to check the definition of a couple of words....'addiction' and 'obsession'.  Here's how they are defined.  

Addiction: (Noun) The fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance or activity.

Obsession: (Noun) The state of being obsessed with someone or something 

Looking at these definitions, I still wasn't convinced it applied to me, but I wanted to read on anyhow in case something in the research made me think differently.

So previously, according to the article, the 'markers' or risk factors that could be identified with exercise addiction were things like, competing in ultra-endurance sports, age, BMI, having an eating disorder and a personality high in Narcissism.  Again, I'm pretty sure none of those relate to me, or define me.

But this is where it got interesting, as the research then asked - would it be interesting to see using connected health technologies could be added to that list.  I think it would, as this is one area where, more than others, that my use of a Garmin and Strava, on some days, has enticed me to train when ordinarily I might not have (e.g. feeling tired).

The paper them went into the details of how the research was conducted, how volunteers were recruited, how their use of technology was measured and so on.  In one specific study it was suggested that from the group studied, Triathlon showed the highest likelihood of creating a risk to exercise addiction (above cycling and running).

A second study raised an interesting point in that potentially there is less a risk of addiction to exercise but more to a sport and to competing/racing in that sport, e.g. some participants were saying that they don't train because they enjoy training but because they want to perform in a race.

Some of the other bits of the research I highlighted started to resonate with me a bit more and made me think that there was the potential that I was addicted (to exercise or a sport).

• Some athletes suggest they enjoy the support and friendships they get from linking up with groups of like-mined people via say Strava or Facebook.  Some of these friends they have yet to met in real life.  

I can relate to that, I have friends on Strava I've not actually met and I do enjoy  getting feedback and/or encouragement from Strava followers.

• Online 'relationships' sometimes replace real world enagement

Not sure they applied to me but I can see how that might happen.

• The possible negative to this support is when you get injured - so I guess here, you can still see what everyone else is doing and that can create despondency and jealousy. 

I agree with that also, as when I had a foot injury, seeing everyone post runs was quite frustrating at times !

• Using technology adds pressure.  Some can be helpful, e.g. honesty of data, ability  to compare to previous data, or other peoples data - potentially helping  people to become more objective.  Using the fact you know people are 'watching' to help with motivation.  But then there is a possible negative side to this....with the suggestion that athletes can start to think about how a session will look before they've uploaded it - whether others will be impressed etc.
• Similarly, athletes agreed that at times they had maybe trained when they should have been resting or pushed themselves harder than they ought to

I can relate to aspects of that, especially to training when otherwise I might not have done, because I wanted  to post something as my fellow athletes had, or I wanted to maintain my consistent approach of training every day.

As the paper drew to its conclusion, it was acknowledged that whilst the strength of any link between technology and addiction is 'fairly small' it seems that athletes who might already be at a higher risk of addiction could create additional (negative) pressures from using technologies that can increase say the pressure to train when rest would be better etc.

So where do I stand?  I thought the article and research was fascinating.  For a while before I read it, I wondered if I was addicted to Triathlon - my wife tells me often she thinks I am !

I hadn't thought about being addicted to exercise (rather than a specific sport), as I have gone through periods where I've either done nothing, or a vastly reduced amount compared to what I do now.

Quite a few points resonated with me, the comments from surveyed athletes about getting upset if you couldn't train, or being frustrated if injured and watching what everyone else loads up to Strava while you do nothing.  I'd say I'm more aware now of not training or having a 'rest' day and not posting anything on Strava, so I'd say that from not using Strava previously to using it regularly now, has changed how I sometimes view training sessions.

But on the flipside, I've also found it motivating, looking at others performances and races is motivating.  Getting access to set pro athletes posting sessions is also a great motivator.

So overall, I don't feel Strava or other technologies have made me more addicted to Triathlon or exercise, or increased my risk of addiction.....anymore than say I am addicted to cleaning cars (but that's a separate blog idea !) which doesn't feature any strava like technologies (that I'm aware of).

That said, I do love Triathlon as a sport in a way that I never did just pure running and I'm convinced that is down to the nature of Triathlon rather than my use of technology.  

If you get chance, read the article/research.  It is interesting and probably still in its infancy so I'm sure will develop and expand over time.

In the meantime, I'll still tell myself I'm not addicted and my wife will keep telling me I am !

I want a team GB spot...but I'm just not good enough (for now)

I think I might have alluded to this in a previous post, about how, when I first started to get into triathlon, I thought, I've always had a decent endurance background (7 marathons completed and always riding a bike on or off road) so I might be ok at this....and how many 45 plus year old's can there be out there racing really fast times.

Well, as you know by now, I was forced to re-set those expectations pretty quickly after the first few races I did.  There are some seriously good racers out there in all age groups, male and female.

And so it was that a good friend of mine told me one day that his wife had qualified to represent team GB.  I was genuinely amazed.  And it got me thinking, how does one go about qualifying.  Imagine the pride, pulling on a GB kit to race for your country, it became a sort of dream, an ambition I kept to myself.

So off I went on a research mission to see what it might take to get one of those kits.  I found out that qualification was open to anyone who was a member of their home nation (British Triathlon Federation for me).  There are races during the year that act as qualifiers and for a small fee (£10 I think) you can nominate the race where you will try to qualify and then it comes down to 'just' finishing within a certain percentage of the time of the winner of your age group.  

There are a few more rules but that's the basic jist of it.  So really, it isn't totally out of the question to be able to qualify for your home nation, as you don't have to meet specific qualifying times but rather finish within a certain % of time from your age group winner in a nominated qualifying race.

The Bedford Autodrome duathlon was once such qualifying race (see my race report on that one for more about the race) and I must admit, in the build up to that race, I did consider paying the ten pounds and registering myself to try and qualify for a GB slot.  As the race drew closer and the weather forecast got worse and worse by the day, I actually started thinking....with the perfect storm (how appropriate for the actual race day weather !) just say not that many people turn up in total, let alone my age group.....and with the weather meant to be bad, say that slows people down......and with no swim, you know, I could actually get near qualifying.  I don't know if you ever let your mind run away with you like this....I do it a lot (I think it might be the paint fumes from weeks of painting walls at home).

Anyway, I didn't pay my tenner and so I raced just to try a duathlon and enjoy myself in the freezing cold and pouring rain.  None of my pre-race predictions came true.  In fact, loads turned up to race and the weather only seemed to slow me down !

Now though, looking back on it and reflecting on my 'performance', I was inclined to look at the race results again.  I was dead last in my age group (if you exclude the guy that was a DNF) but how far away was I on the day.  Well, the results don't lie.

The winner of my age group (M45-49) clocked the following times:

Run 1 (10k)  = 36:56
Bike (40k)    =  57.05 (57 minutes for 40k !!)
Run 2 (5k)   = 19:39

And by contrast, here are my time:

Run 1         =  46:33
Bike           =  1:15:51
Run 2        =   26:16

You might look at my time and think "did he do the whole race twice...".  I don't consider myself to be a slow athlete, but by comparison, you can see how far off I am (or was on this day) to qualifying for a GB slot.  Ok, I think I did one too many laps on the bike and I think from memory it was about 6 minutes per lap for me.  So my bike might have been closer to 1:09 but even then that puts me 12 minutes off the winner's pace still !!

I sit and dwell on these sort of things, probably for longer than I need to.  I've never run a 10k under 40 mins, or a 5k under 20 mins on a standalone race basis - let alone as part of a duathlon in biblical rain and cold ! 

It shows how good the winners are and it is only right that they take the qualifying slots. We all had to race in the same grotty conditions.  After all, if you are going to race for your country, they should only take the best.  

But, as I tell my kids so frequently, there are always positives to take from every game of football, or basketball, or other sport that take part in, regardless of results.

There were a few for me.
1. I had a great day racing with a great mate.
2. I'd never done a duathlon before, I have now.
3. I found out that regardless of how dire the weather is, you can still get out and race
4. I averaged over 20 mph on my bike for a race for the first time ever.  I've always wanted to do that.
5. I finished (10 people didn't)
6. I wasn't disqualified (one person was)
7. I saved a tenner

So there you have it, there ARE always positives.  Ok, so I'm still miles away from that dream of a GB vest but never say never, it might happen one day.  And if it doesn't, well then I've had fun trying.  

And to my mates who have qualified and pulled on that GB vest (there are a few), all I can say is, wow, you are superb racers.   Much respect.

I've paid for it so I'm going to eat it....all from the same plate: Memories from the summer holidays

Looking at title you are probably thinking 'what has this got to do with Triathlon' - that's a fair question, to which a fair answer is, probably not a lot.  Well, I did make a tenuous link, see if you can spot it later on.

So, although this isn't a dedicated triathlon post, I wanted to write it as it is something I feel passionate about and most of all - it makes me laugh.

As the shorter nights creep up on us and the last parts of summer start to disappear and I start running in the dark, or cycling in the rain, I often think back to summer holidays and how pleasant it felt to run in just shorts, no top, the sun warming you as you made progress.  This year I was lucky enough to be in Mexico and that was warm running like I've not experienced before...but that isn't what the article is about....so what is it about then you ask?  As I said, it's something I'm passionate about and is often seen on the yearly holiday travels.

Two words really - Buffet etiquette.  You might have guessed that from the title perhaps.

My holiday in Mexico was a particularly good example and it made me reach for my notebook and pen to note down some observations  (Yep, I take a notepad everywhere).

I don't know about you, but I like order - especially when it comes to food.  When I get up in the morning, I have breakfast. At lunchtime, I have lunch...and so on.  There are variants, granted.  People who don't do triathlon and so aren't up a 5am to swim in a lake, or go on a long bike ride, might stay in bed for longer and get up somewhere after breakfast, but before lunch and eat something called a 'brunch', it is apparently, not a breakfast, nor a lunch, hence a 'brunch' (clever).  They may not have come across the concept of the first breakfast and then the second breakfast either...

Anyway, it got me thinking. When we race a triathlon, typically, things are done one at a time, you don't take everything on at the same time.  I'm not sure about you, but it is the same when I eat.  If I have a three course meal (a bit like a triathlon really, swim to start, bike for main, run for desert) I don't have it all on the same plate, at the same time.  From what I have observed, nor do many people for that matter.

Except that is, when we go on holiday.....and we've gone all inclusive....and meals are served in a buffet format.  There is something about this combination that makes people go a bit nuts, trying to pile everything on one plate.  Why is that?

I got to thinking about this as I dipped some apple pie into my soup at breakfast.....I think there are perhaps a number of reasons, none more so than the  "I've paid for it so I'm eating it" approach.  But I think there might be other subtler etiquette issues at play.

One is my 'recce' theory.  Now, if we were being 'good' triathletes, we would recce all our race locations in advance of race day, get to know the course, where the entry and exits are for transition etc.  Even ride the bike course, swim the swim course.  I'm not sure I've ever done this, I have a quick scout around on race day and that's it....maybe that explains my patchy race results.    Anyway, my theory is, no one does a buffet recce and that is where in my view the problem begins.  You grab a plate and just start wandering....mmmm, that looks nice I'll have that, oh and that....and that....and that.  Before you know it and I saw this exact plate at Breakfast in Mexico......you have a full English, three slices of pineapple and 2 donuts - on the same plate !!  Clearly this is wrong and is not the way to construct a plate of food.

If, like me, you do a buffet recce, then you have a clear idea of what is available at any given time and can make a sensible plan as to what you are going to eat.  So start with a plate (there is no rule that says you cannot make the plate station your first stop) and then take a stroll to each station, size up what is there, do you like the look of it?, do you fancy eating it?....you do this until you have recce'd the whole buffet.  Only at this point, do you then hone in on what you have decided to eat.  This approach always ensured that at no point, did I end up with a full English, fruit and donuts on the same plate....

If, for some bizarre reason (too much sun the day before) I entertained the idea of a full English, pineapple and donuts, then it would have to be three separate trips to the buffet, three different plates.  There is simply no rational reason for all that lot to be on the same plate at the same time.

I found myself every day eyeing up peoples plates as I meandered back to my seat, laughing to myself at some of the combinations I saw.

It got me thinking about my second theory and that is, outside of the all inclusive buffet environment, do people eat like this on a regular basis ?  Can you imagine, you go to a restaurant and order a starter and main and it gets delivered to you all on the same plate....you'd be confused, annoyed...I'm sure of it.  In fact, I think you'd most likely call over the waiter and ask what is going on ?!!  Yet at the buffet, perhaps even only a few weeks earlier, you'd have been quite happy to eat your starter, main and desert off the same plate.

If I cooked for my kids and served them beans on toast, fruit and donuts all on the same plate, I'd fully expect them to look at me with disdain and wonder what I was up to....but yet some of us would have no qualms eating this way at the buffet.  Strange isn't it.  It kept me amused for my whole holiday.

What is it about the all inclusive buffet format that seems to override all we have learnt about how to construct a plate of food and leaves us with a 'freestyle' approach to eating, what has happened to buffet etiquette - did it ever exist?  Maybe its just a figment of my craving for order.

Next time you are on holiday and there is a buffet option, take a look around, see what freestyle food combo's you can spot.  Maybe you already saw some great combo's this year on your travels.  Maybe you yourself are a buffet freestyler....

Race Review - Bedford Autodrome Duathlon 14th October 2018

The good thing (depending on which way you look at it) about being in a triathlon related WhatsApp group is that you often get 'persuaded' to enter events that you might not have considered before and usually events that you probably wouldn't have just entered on your own.

And so it was, that I was 'persuaded' to try a duathlon by a good mate from the aforementioned WhatsApp group.  I've only just really got into Triathlon so hadn't really considered duathlon before.  But the idea sounded like a good one, given that it focused on the two disciplines that I consider myself to be better at (Bike and run) and missed out the one I am not so good at (Swim).

In exchange for £40 and the obligatory booking fee, I was booked into the Bedford Autodrome Duathlon standard distance race.  Standard distance in the case of a duathlon consists of a 10k run, followed by a 40k bike and finishing with a 5k run.

The distances didn't really phase me, the only area of 'concern' I had was the run to bike transition, having never trained specifically for that.  From the time I entered I had a few weeks to at least try that out and see how it felt - which I managed the grand total of one time.  I did a steady 5k and jumped straight on the turbo after for 10 miles on the bike.  Ok, it didn't really get near race distances, but it gave me a sense of what to expect.  To be honest, I didn't find it that bad really - not sure what I expected, but I was happy that I would make the transition from run to bike without issues.

The only other challenge it looked like we could face come race day was the weather which was forecast to be chilly and wet.  But as always with a forecast, you take it with a pinch of salt - I would regret that come race day !

Friday evening before the race on Sunday, I spent a couple of hours getting the bike ready, cleaning it, de-greasing and re-lubing the chain and I even treated the frame to a coat of wax....well, if it was going to rain on Sunday, then a coat of wax wouldn't harm.  Bike cleaned and checked it just needed a short spin on Saturday to make sure all was ok mechanically before race day.

Saturday before race day dawned a glorious day.  Sun, blue sky and unseasonably warm for the time of year.  I took the bike out for a short spin and all was well.  Kit was selected, checked, checked and checked again before being packed.  Roll on Sunday !

Sunday was an early start and again my mate had volunteered to do the driving and so arrived to collect me at 6am.  Bikes and kit loaded....and guess what, it's still mild and there's no rain.   5 minutes later as we enter the M25, it starts raining and it will barely stop all day.

There were, I will admit, a fair few conversations about turning around, heading back, what was the point in racing in these conditions, but we never did turn back.  We agreed to get to the venue and see what it was like when we arrived.  On arriving and parking, it wasn't great, it was overcast, raining, windy and cold...but people were out and about getting set up, registering etc.  That's what we'd do, lets go and get registered and see how we feel.....of course, next, we were on the start line ready for the off.  It was still raining, it was still cold.

And then we were off, I was taking part in my first duathlon.  I'd made a plan to take the first 10k a bit easier than if it was just a 10k race on its own.  I thought 7.30 per mile pace would give me a reasonable finish time.  As with most mass start races, you are taken away with the pace of the bunch so my first mile at somewhere under 7 minutes was more than I planned for, so I tried to regulate it more.  I think this is where I maybe go wrong. My ability to maintain a running pace is possibly worse than my swimming....but still I try to do it and fail miserably.  The moment I try to do that, I seem to swing between going faster, then slowing, then speeding up again.  I think a better option would be just to go as quick as a I feel I can on the day, rather than trying to target a pace.

The rain was tipping down still, the wind was blowing and the standing water was, in places, like one of those water jumps in a steeple chase.  It didn't take long for my feet and race kit to be totally soaked through.   I finished the first run (10k) in a pretty average 46:33 and entered transition to get to the bike.

I managed to spend 2 mins in transition, even though, in theory, I only had to change my running shoes for bike shoes and put on my crash helmet.  Instead, I worried about trying to keep my running shoes from getting more wet than they already were by turning then upside down and wrapping them in a jacket....but in hindsight I wonder if that was actually worth it? Also, given the rain, I elected to leave my riding glasses in transition, and of course that prompted another dither as I wondered where they would be safest.  After being hit up the rear-end by a bike from a guy coming into transition, I eventually grabbed my bike and I was off.   That initial chill and headwind as I picked up speed was awful....I was glad I'd chosen to wear a merino base layer under my tri suit.

The weather was just miserable as I made my way into the bike course...there didn't seem to a clear marker as to where the bike course started and where I should count my 8 laps from.  I was soon up to speed and was surprised how, even in such awful conditions, I was able to hold above 20 mph on the course.  The corners were a bit trickier to navigate but I soon figured out the best lines to take while keeping decent speed.  One thing I enjoy about closed circuits is the surface is generally good, much better than roads and you aren't worrying about traffic, junctions, roundabouts etc.  You can just focus on riding as quick as you can.  In the conditions, you had to be wary of others around you as you certainly didn't want to put your self in the position of having to brake or change direction quickly or force others to do the same.  Safety was the first priority, but I was making good progress.

And then the inevitable happens...is that 4 laps or 3...I can't recall?  I always tell myself, how difficult can it be to count 8 laps...but I'd forgotten where I was on the lap count.  Rain was driving into me, wind was picking up and my feet were feeling awful.  I continued to make good progress and in a way, was enjoying the ride.  As I came to what I thought was the end, I was trying my best to work out if I'd done 8 laps or 7...my time at the point was 1hr:09 mins.  If I'd done the full 40k, then I was about 3 minutes quicker than I'd ridden that distance before....could that be right, in these conditions?  I'd held on to near 20 mph or above most of the way, with no stopping, junctions etc.  maybe that could be right...in the end, I decided not, and went off for one more lap...just to make sure !  I completed the bike in 1hr:15 mins which gave me an average of 20.4 mph - really pleased.

Jumping off the bike at the dismount line is always for me the first time I get to assess how my legs feel for the impending run.  My legs didn't feel that bad, but it was my feet that felt weird....maybe it was just the bike shoes/cleats? Anyway, bike racked I went for the shoes...I couldn't get one undone...my hands were so cold I couldn't undo one of my bike shoes !!  I hadn't even realised my hands were cold on the ride.  But I'd been sat on the TT bars most of the time and the course was that flat I'd not changed gear....so probably hadn't used my hands in over an hour.  I managed to get the shoe loose enough to yank it off, just the helmet....I couldn't get the clasp undone.....what a disaster this was.  I had to ask the BTF official in transition if he could help, thankfully he did.  Thank god I had elastic laces in my run shoes as I'd never have been capable of doing laces up !!  I was ready to go on the last 5k run, just 2 laps to go and I'd be done.

It was at this point, I recalled that odd feeling in my feet...they felt like blocks of granite, very uncomfortable to run...this wasn't going to be a record breaking 5k !! I struggled round that first lap, confused as to what was up with my feet.  Cold, water-logged?  The second lap was a lot better, if just more comfortable rather than quicker.  I eventually crossed/fell across the finish line.  I'd made it, completed my first duathlon.  That last run was dire, it took me 26:16 to run 5k which isn't great, but in the conditions, I was happy to have started the race, let alone finish.

Despite the weather, I enjoyed the format.  The duathlon is a simpler race to prepare for, less to worry about in transition.  I coped with the run to bike transition better than I thought I would - I imagined I might suffer as I wasn't used to running before the bike.  I think on reflection, I should have pushed the first 10k harder but again, as this was my first attempt, I was worried about over doing it on the first run.   As duathlons tend to be later in the year, perhaps thinking about gloves might be the way forward....getting into transition and realising you can't get your shoes or helmet off is a bit embarrassing !

This race was an ETU qualifier for team GB slots.  I had considered paying the extra tenner to nominate the race and try to qualify.  I'm glad I didn't !!! One thing that never fails to amaze me about Triathlon and now duathlon, is the quality of the athletes that enter.  

The winner of my age group did the first 10k in 36 minutes !  10 minutes quicker than me.  I thought if I was ever going to realise the dream of a GB kit, duathlon might be the place to try.  Given how poor my swim is - its unlikely to happen in a Tri.  But again, that dream remains a way off for now....the quality out there is just way ahead of where I am racing currently.  Maybe if I'm still racing in my 90's, I'll stand a better chance !  An interesting fact from this race - I was last in my age group !!

For now, would I do a duathlon again?  Yes, I would.  I really enjoyed it, especially this one, being on a race track and therefore totally traffic free.  My kit choices overall were about spot on really.  Gloves would be a consideration maybe...even to just chuck in the bag.  Counting laps on the bike, I really have to be better at that - there must be a feature on the Garmin to help with that.  

Lets hope that next time the weather might be more favourable and maybe I can upgrade from last in my age group !