Winter frustrations, a 32min 10k and a 3rd place at the Epsom 10

No it wasn't me! (an over turned car which prevented the Luton marathon relays from going ahead)

Getting festive for a mince pie ride on Xmas eve

Since my last post ive got together with a secret training group to try and kick start my running for next year. Ive been getting my ass kicked every Tuesday evening by two of the best runners in the country. But it has done me good, its only been once a week but I built up such a fantastic base through Fiona's training the track session just seems to be the icing on the cake and its great to try and hang on to guys that have run 30min and under for 10k.

My first outing was at The Epsom 10 in November and at the time I had just really started to reap the benefit of my suffering each week on the track. I knew before even starting the race that it wasn't going to be a fast course as it takes in Epsom Downs with some tough climbs so it was going to be about racing rather than chasing times. Rather stupidly I led for the first two and a half miles and was in very good company indeed but as expected got dropped but did hang on for 3rd taking home £50 and even despite the hilly course a PB of 55.23 which looking at other peoples times I reckon could be worth a 53 on the right course so this proved that the suffering is working.

Next up was the Luton Marathon relays. Felt in good form leading up to this and felt I was another level up on Epsom in terms of fitness so was quite excited about laying down a marker here. But circumstances were out of my control and an over turned car meant that the race could not go ahead, the organiser made the right decision to pull the plug and you don't mind so much when its for charity.

My frustrations continued when I was supposed to be running the Telford 10k last weekend which looked like a cracking race but flu put pay to that.

I had written off 2008 as far as competition goes but last night I was talking to my team mate who told me he was doing a 10k up in Leicester today so despite hammering myself yesterday decided to put myself on the line. I was still a little chesty and preparation was not great after a week off but managed a PB of 32:42 and 12th place in a very good field so it was a nice way to wrap things up for 2008.

If my running continues to improve from the training with my new found friends then I am very excited about 2009 even if I just manage to get my swim and bike back up to where it was last year things are looking good. I reckon with a couple more months on the track then I will be running 31min for 10k which may open a few more doors as far as Duathlons go.

The plan now is to continue improving my running and also start cranking up the swim and bike miles and I am planing to join a new swim squad in 2009. Ive learnt from the improvements in my running that the best way to get better is to surround yourself with much better athletes.

Happy new year to everyone that reads this, I hope 2009 is the one!

Winter is here!

Well the tan has faded, there is talk of light snow in the next couple of days and Ibiza seems now to be a distant memory even though it was only about 4 weeks ago.

I had planned to keep running and riding with the view to carrying on my good form into doing some end of season duathlons. However, the mind was willing but the body was not and I needed some time out so ive been eating and drinking what I want and just training when I want to. Ive been running mainly and enjoying having time to do other stuff.

My competitive urge hasn't completely left me and I am planning to do some running races between now and the end of the year. This Sunday I am running The Stevenage Half Marathon which is also incorperating the Hertfordshire County Championships. I have no real expectations but i'm sure once i get on the start line I will get into race mode again. I am carrying a few extra pounds so probably not in PB shape but reckon I can still be competitive. These days I rarely get to do running races with triathlon taking over so I am looking forward to it. Its been about 10 years since I last won a county championships (scary how time flies!) when I was a Junior so it would be nice to at least make the top 3 some day as a senior in a county event, who knows maybe this weekend!

10th at the Home D Ferro in Ibiza!!

A rather interesting trophy for the collection!

I'm in there somewhere!

Well last big race of the season is done and for me this race would determine whether the year in my view was a success or failure after my two "A" races which were the World Championship qualifiers back fired on me.

I'm please to report that I am happy with the outcome as you will see in this report. It was arguably one of my best international results thus far and gives me confidence going into 2009. Preparation was flawless, apart from the British weather.

The Home D Ferro is an international long distance event that is now going into its 14th year. The race has previously hosted the World Champs in 2003 and this year was also doubled as the Spanish National Championships.

Myself and fellow tri forcer Laurence Pidcock left home on Wed evening. After what was a faultless journey we had arrived at about 2am in the morning. Only we had been dropped at the wrong hotel! After a short panic as we were told in broken English that we were in the wrong place it turned out that we were only a third of a mile away from our destination so dragged bikes and luggage down the hill which later we realised was the run course for the race!

I don't think ive ever been so prepared for a race before, we really had 3 good days to suss out the course and sort bikes etc... which takes some people longer than others! We also had to make sure that we made the most of the weather as it was perfect.

The swim and bike courses were pretty much what I was expecting, the run however was a different ball game. It was 4 out and back loops with about 90m of climbing per lap! Remember that's after swimming for 4k and biking for 120k! So this bit of knowledge was invaluable.

Race day dawned and the hustle and bustle started in transition which I have to say was very well organised with boxes provided for each competitor which kept the racking area free. We were then ushered down to the swim start. They got us off the beach quite quickly which was good and I seemed to get a good start and be in the thick of things. Navigating to the first buoy was hard because it was such a long way, I was really relying on the guys in front to know what they were doing. Onto the back straight and bang something really nasty stung me in the face which later i'm told was a jelly fish. I stopped and ripped my goggles off and was worried that my face was bleeding, turns out it wasn't but it bloody hurt! I got several more stings on my feet but just learnt to deal with it. After the first lap I realised the swim must have been long but same for everyone. For the 2nd lap I set about pulling back some of the time i'd lost, wasn't too worried as its going to be a long day.

I exited the water in 22nd place but there was a large pack just ahead which I had lost contact with earlier in the swim when I got stung. Onto the bike and the first thing I wanted to do was drink because the salt was so strong and just wanted something sweet so took a swig of PSP. The first lap of the bike I started immediately working my way through the field and the new frame that Shorter Rochford had just built up for me was really comfortable and I haven't been happier in a long distance race so looking forward to using it more in 2009.

I managed to spot Laurence out on the course who looked to be riding well but was further back on the swim than I expected him to be. It was difficult to shout encouragement as we seemed to pass on fast bits of the course. For the 2nd lap I seem to constantly be swapping places with a Spaniard who seemed to take a disliking to me and every time I dropped back out of the drafting zone he turned round and accused me of cheating yet he was drafting off the french guy in front! So going into the 3rd lap I was feeling well within myself so took off on one of the hills and left him down the road. I did pay for this a little on the last lap but I needed a kick up the backside and he gave me the motivation I needed and he went on not to finish so justice I think was served! 10th Fastest bike split.

Coming into transition was great. There were loads of Brits, mainly holiday makers who did not have a clue what was going on but it seemed like they were routing for me. The first quarter of a mile I felt like I was flying and couldn't believe how fresh the legs were. I counted on the course which was an out and back that I was around 11th/12th but knew at this pace that it wouldn't be long before I was into the top 10. Half way into lap 3 I was 8th and only 1min off 6th place! This is where it started to go wrong. My stomach shut down and wouldn't take anymore carbs in. I had to make a pit stop at the side of the road! The last lap was hell on earth and I dropped down to 10th and just hung on. i remember Laurence shouting that I had 3k to go but I was too smashed to shout back! I did hang on though for 10th and in the money, though not enough to retire on.

Laurence excelled himself and was 19th but that's as close as I want you to get mate ok?!

So it was a nice way to end the year. I got my confidence back and I am already planning for 2009 where I hope to achieve my goal of a pro start at the World Championships in Clearwater and I really believe this is realistic now.

So a big thank you to sponsors, my coach fiona and friends who have helped me this year. I hope this is a glimour of whats to come!

2008 season nearly done and dusted!

Hope there are still people out there that read and follow this, I know I haven't posted for a while but am back with an update as to whats happened this year and whats on the horizon!

I am currently into my final few weeks of preparation for the Ibiza Long Course triathlon (4k swim, 120k Bike, 30k Run) which will be my last big race of the year, or will it! The race has been long established on the international calender and is doubling as the Spanish Long Course champs and always seems to attract a decent field so I am really looking forward to testing myself here and if ive got the energy a night out in San Antonio is on the cards after the race!

The plan for me this year was to establish myself as a pro in 70.3 races and qualify for the World Championships in Clearwater. My first outing of the year at the Lisbon half Ironman showed a lot of promise and made me believe that my goal was really possible and not just a pipe dream. I placed 17th in 3:52 which may not sound that impressive but being the first big race of the year on European shores it attracted a very high quality field and I was far closer to some of the biggest names in the sport than I thought possible plus taking some scalps along the way. This was all the more pleasing when you consider that I also have a day job to contend with.

Unfortunately my luck was set to turn and shortly after I arrived back I came down with a nasty chest infection. In hindsight I should have backed off but I didn't (lesson learned!) and seemed to have a cough for about a month leading into 70.3 Austria. I felt leading into the race that I was over the worst but right from the first few strokes I knew I was in for a long day and suffered several coughing fits along the way not helped but the high pollen count. I ended up 52nd overall and some 15 minutes down on the guys I finished with in Lisbon. I think if it was any other race then I would have pulled out but having had a DNF at Ironman Austria the previous year due to back problems I wasn't coming home from Austria again without a finishers medal!

Next stop was 70.3 UK. Having rested up and got myself well I was optimistic about my chances and felt that a top 10 was possible. Having ridden the course prior to the race my game plan was to take the first lap mega easy and put the hammer down on the 2nd. I didn't have a particularly good swim but was not that bothered as it doesn't impact the race too much. I rode the first lap to plan and even let people go then on the 2nd started to move though the field. Two thirds of the way through the 2nd lap I got counted as around 12th/13th place which was exactly where I wanted to be with the run one of my stronger disciplines to follow. With about 8 miles to go up one of the last climbs my chain slipped off, it happened 2 further times and finally the derailleur smashed itself into the spokes and that was game over and a long walk back to transition.

With qualification for Clearwater down the pan I turned my attention to some domestic races. I'm sure I will look back on the year with disappointment after not qualifying due to my two A races not going to plan but I can take some consolation in my domestic results. I won the Bournemouth International after it was turned into a Duathlon due to bad weather, another win followed at Andover, 2nd at Cambridge Duathlon, 3rd at the Bedford Classic, 6th at Steyning Duathlon, 8th at Milton Keynes Triathlon.

The year not going to plan is no reflection on the help and guidance that Fiona has given me I feel I have improved and learnt a lot more about my body and it should stand me in good stead for next year where with luck on my side I hope to put my 2008 demons to rest!

Roll on Ibiza! Will report back in a few weeks hopefully with some good news.

You can follow my team news now here http://www.shorter-rochford.co.uk/08/docs/team08.shtml

Things are looking up!

Well, things are looking up again! The last three weeks I haven't raced and really got my head down with some solid problem free training resulting in a good battle with Stephen Harrison at Cambridge Duathlon on Sunday, I ended up with second but it could so easily have been the other way, more on that later.

Secondly ive just agreed to race in Blueseventy wetsuits for the next two years and am looking forward to trying out their latest Helix wetsuit and other goodies that are on their way.

Next Saturday sees me on the start line of the Lisbon Long Distance Triathlon where a very stellar field lines up. For a race that is only in its third year it has attracted an extremely strong men's field, in fact it looks stronger than a lot of the 70.3's which I guess may be down to the fact that its the first major European long distance race in the calendar. I am realistic about my chances in light of my bad luck so far this year and of course the crappy weather! I am looking for a solid race somewhere close to the 4:03 I did last year in preparation for Austria and Uk 70.3's where I am hoping to bag a pro slot for Clearwater.

Testing Times!

http://www.polar.fi/

Polar have kindly agreed to sponsor me this year by way of supplying me with an all singing and all dancing heart rate monitor allowing me to track every inch of my training. More to come on this later!

A tough day out at Round 2 of the National Duathlon series in Steyning where I placed 6th.

The title of the post feels quite appropriate for two reasons, firstly I have just been put through a lab test on the bike at Colchester University which was the first kind of any testing I have done and secondly since my crash there have been further complications. I am awaiting x-ray results for my thumb which has made swimming and riding on the road rather difficult over the last 6 weeks. I do now seem to be managing to cope with regular training again so its a case of playing catch up with about just over 4 weeks until Lisbon. I hope I can now crank things up over the next 4 weeks and at least get back to where I was last year.

Steyning Duathlon was the first multi sport race for me this year and being part of the national ranking series it was sure to be a high quality field. After seeing the start list it certainly didn't disappoint the only question was whether everyone would show because over the Easter weekend parts of the country were covered in snow! It didn't though seem to dampen anyone's enthusiasm and a full field started.

I didn't really have particularly high expectations other than to get round in one piece with no injuries, crashes or going off course! The first run was 7 laps of a 1k circuit so I knew the going was going to be quick. I established myself in a group of 4 which formed as the chasing pack, I felt within myself and running strong and despite the conditions was around 23min for the first 7k, a slick transition and it was onto the bike, now here it where things got unpleasant. With the cold and the wet I was unsure what to wear on the bike in order to be as quick as possible but at the same time keep warm and hopefully dry. I went for the quicker option and half way into the bike was soaked through and started to get very cold. My performance started to drop but luckily T2 was in sight. My second run was down on where I would have expected it to be, I think by then the cold had set in and my legs were just not responding. On the whole though it wasn't a bad result considering I am not at 100% at the moment so its a bench mark of where I am at and i'm sure my next outing will be an improvement.

I do take encouragement from the fact that none of the athletes in front of me at Steyning can swim, which bodes well for when the triathlons start.

Long time no blog!

(Picture taken today, 2 days after crash!)

Well its been a while! Mainly because not a lot happens in the off season but it certainly seems like a lot of water has passed under the bridge since my last post!

Firstly I havent changed sports and taken up boxing! The photo was taken this evening after crashing my bike on Tuesday. The picture doesnt show the full extent of my injuries but shows the worst of it. Ive got 8 stitches in my chin, a bruised face, not to mention some road rash and plenty of aches and pains! One thing is has taught me though is how important it is to always wear a helmet! I'm sure if I didnt have it on then I wouldnt be sat here now typing you this message as I would still be in hospital, or worse! I hit my head so hard it split the helmet down the side. Once the stitches are out I do hope to resume full training at the end of next week and will try and do what I can until then.

Since the end of the season I have had a long time to reflect on where I am going to take things from here. For 2008 I have made the decision to step away from full ironman and concentrate soley on half ironmans with the view to making the World Championships in Clearwater as a professional.

What I didnt like about 2007 was that I put all my eggs in one basket focusing on Ironman Austria and I felt there were decent races I missed out on and races I felt I could have performed better in. On the whole though I was very pleased with how the 2007 season went and I learnt a hell of a lot. I think the halfs at the moment really play to my strengths and it is where my best performances currently lie. It will mean I will be able to race more often which is hopefully going to mean more wins!

My coaching arrangements have now changed for 2008. I will be working towards my goals with Fiona Moorehead-Lane and am very excited about whats in store. The change came about because I was so impressed with how Fiona and partner Rob approached the 2007 season and with their knowledge and input I am very excitied about whats possible for 2008.

I am also very excitied about my sponsored team for 2008 which will be called Shorter Rochford Exclusive Ranges RT. I did race under the Shorter Rochford banner last season but it was more a kick back from their cycling team so I was given some kit and a bike and sent of my way to win some races. This year we have an all singing all dancing proper team with sponsors and kit being finalised as we speak! Exclusive Ranges are a local Potters Bar kitchen company who have kindly come on board to back the team along with other kit providers and various companies which I should know more on soon.

Unfortunatly with all positives you are going to get negatives. This year so far hasnt gone as smoothly as last year. Firstly to start the year I was sidelined with flu, I then caught another cold at the begining of Feb and now ive crashed. I just don't seem to be gathering any momentum this year which is frustrating. But its only mid Feb so with a good 8 weeks before the first big race there is plenty of time. I think last year I got serious too early in the year and felt flat during the middle of the year so it could be a bonus.

So far this year ive place 3rd in the multi terrain Frimley 12k and next week is my first outing on the bike in the North Road Hardriders which I am somewhat apprehensive about after the crash and not having as many miles under my belt. But I will give it my best shot.