10th Pro at 70.3 South Africa

Well I am back in the UK, can't sleep even though ive been up for 30 hours now so thought that there couldn't be a better time to report on the goings on in Buffalo City at the weekend!

I left committing to this race very late in the day and only actually decided I was 100% on it 5 weeks beforehand. The original plan was to do Powerman Florida at the beginning of December but unfortunately not through my own fault it didnt come together. So new advisor and coach Dr Martin Yelling of http://www.active-futures.com/ suggested 70.3 South Africa and with Christmas allowing plenty of time to train with no work I figured it would be a good and exciting opportunity, or so I thought! What I hadn't accounted for was the huge amount of snow that decided to dump itself on most of the country for the best part of my build up! I can remember one day in particular very well, on my plan I was supposed to run but everywhere had iced up badly so thought I would swim instead but the pool was shut so thought no big deal will run on the treadmill but the gym shut as well! So preparation was not ideal and unfortunately no squad to swim with over Xmas either so was very nervous going into this about holding my own and pulling out something respectable.

I touched down in Buffalo City, East London on the Tuesday before the race to overcast sky's but very humid conditions, the weather here though can change at the drop of a hat and it wasnt long before the sun was out I think if I were to race here again then I would get out the weekend before just to allow enough time to fully acclimatise because on that run course on race day it hit 33 degrees!

What made the lead up to the race very easy was meeting up with first timer and Liverpudlian Richie Williams of Tri Central. It was a chance meeting, I found him on the road on my way back from the bike shop on my first day. The guy has so much enthusiasm its scary and has only been in the sport 7 months. It was a welcome distraction from my own agenda listening to his experiences and thoughts about the race. Plus he had been out there a little longer than me so knew about where to go and more importantly where not to go!

By Thursday the buzz of the race had started to filter into town and the area was starting to look more like an ironman venue. The pro briefing was straight to the point and a fairly relaxed affair, organisation was very slick as to be expected.

Race day came around in no time at all and i found myself on the start line for the beach start into the water. For reasons discussed previously the swim was going to be about damage limitation and I think I executed an ok performance here but unfortunately didn't have the miles in the pool to keep with the guys a little further up in the water where i would normally place myself but in terms of time it wasn't much to speak of.

Through transition fairly sharpish and out onto the bike. Now if you look at the course profile map it gives you the impression that its all up hill heading out to the turn and all down hill coming back. This is true but its rolling the whole way so your either going up or down. What I hadn't accounted for was the fact that the wind would be behind use on the way out and into our face coming back which really screwed things up especially because I went out far too quickly and by 45 minutes my lack of time on the road over the last few weeks was telling, the turbo is great but its by no means a full replacement for riding on the road. Towards the end of the bike I was suffering and my lower back wasn't great, not helped by the fact that I dropped my bottle at the final feed station. I had lost a lot of ground and I think was around 17th. I wasn't feeling good going into T2 but once out onto the run that started to change despite feeling like I was running in an oven. It was clear that I was running down most of the field in front of me and was actually feeling good despite the poor bike.

Onto the last lap of the run and I knew by the shouts from the crowd that I was catching two of the Storm brothers who are very popular South African athletes so this gave me the push I needed on the final lap to empty the tank and to my surprise it was enough to run into 10th position out of the pro's and 11th overall (an age grouper just nicked in front!) So of course with the position in the race I am delighted. The performance had good points but also bad points particularly the bike but under the circumstances I felt I did the best I could and can certainly improve on this, plus the year is young so plenty of time to plan my next outing!

A big well done to Richie who nailed his first effort and is off to Clearwater! A tough first effort too considering I reckon that South Africa is one of the tougher courses on the circuit.

I am off to soothe my sunburn!!

Peaks and Troughs!

Pictures of my tritastic birthday, 30 but faster than I was when I was 20!!

First race back, 2nd place at Silverstone duathlon, not too shabby.

Good to be back on the podium. 3rd place at the final round of the National Ranking Series.



The infamous Box Hill. 5th Place at the 20th Anniversary addition of the Ballbuster.

Long time no blog I know. Its certainly been a roller coaster these last few months. After my last post ive been through a bit of a rough patch and bad form and in the end was just flogging it to death for no return. I suffered with breathing difficulties at Wimbleball and was as a result put on a steroid inhaler as I seem to react really badly to the pollen and its not the first time its happened. So after another setback I struggled to regain form and in the words of Austin Powers I "lost my mojo". The problem I think was getting so up for New Orleans earlier in the year I couldn't deal mentally and physically with the disappointment after being in such good shape so ended up training for the sake of it and really should have backed off. On the plus side I had a great 30th birthday did win the Harwich triathlon wining a holiday to France and got 3rd at Northampton but wasn't right. My back was niggling me every race and got to August with no enthusiasm or form and wounded so decided to back off and just tick over and take a mental and physical break.

So this second phase of the season has been dedicated to the duathlon circuit, finding my mojo again and I have had results that prove things are moving in the right direction, but its all about next year now. I was particularly pleased with my result at Box Hill in the Ballbuster as being the 20th year anniversary the field was loaded! 9 former winners in total not to mention vaious international triathletes and duathletes, it was some burn up. I took everyones advice and took the first run real easy but made the mistake and blasted into the lead on the first lap of the bike and paid the price, but I took a gamble which might of paid off, it maybe cost me a couple of places but better to try these things and fail than not at all.

This year is not done and dusted yet so watch this space, ive something big on the horizon!

Change!

Swim Bike Run

Long time since my last post I know! Well June is all about change for me, i'm about to enter the third decade of my life (30 shit!) which has prompted me to sit back take stock and work out where i'm heading and make a few changes.

New Orleans was a fantastic experience and one I will never forget but I came away extremely disappointed with the result and nearly cracked. I stumbled over the finish line into the arms of a medic and was whisked away to the medic tent and put on a drip for an hour. I made the simple mistake of not arriving in America in enough time to acclimatise and come race day the temperature had cranked up and we were faced with 99% humidity and I just couldn't cope. From the start of the swim I tried to go off as hard as possible and from the first breath I took I just couldn't seem to get enough oxygen on board and found it hard to breathe. Tried to play catch up on the bike going off very quickly but suffered coming back and couldn't put together a good run as a result. I ended up 21st professional out of 32.

Despite my lack of preparation with the conditions its made me realise that my task racing as a pro and working full time is probably too much of an ask and its just not a level playing field racing against guys that are full time athletes or only work part time. So as of next week I am regrettably leaving Hunters, who have been my employer for the last 7 years who I would like to thank for their support, to start a new job in Highgate working for another agent called Barnard Marcus who are going to employ me on a more flexible basis allowing me more time to train which will hopefully allow me to bridge the gap in the professional ranks and achieve what I feel i'm capable of. So i'm excited and optimistic about what will be possible now.

I have had a few more outings since New Orleans including the Tri Force Where Tri where I had a pretty average swim and was going well on the bike until my front tyre blew, turns out I was inflating them too hard! Anyway I rolled back into transition and ran a very swift 6k off the bike and still finished the race, it was more for fun than anything. My attention recently has turned to time trialing on the bike and ive had some good form finishing 2nd by 1sec at round 3 of Brickendon and winning round 5 also by 1 sec. The result though I am most chuffed with was finishing 4th in the Norland Combine on a wet and windy Sunday with a PB of 1:55:39 for 50miles, to finish 4th in a good quality time trial like this up against pure cyclists is very pleasing indeed! Last night I managed to shave 6 seconds off my course record round Colney Heath at the tri force midweek TT.

My attention at the moment is focused toward 70.3 UK in 10 days time. My new working arrangements unfortunately won't come in time for this but i'm still hopeful of putting together a good result after mechanical failure last year. After that I have quite a few tri's planned and hope to start getting some wins for the team under my belt.

New Orleans here I come!

http://www.ironmanneworleans.com/

Well after an eventful winter I am now just under 4 weeks away from my first big race of the season which will be 70.3 New Orleans. I have 2 weeks left of hard training before I start my taper and despite the worst weather this winter in the UK for years I think I have made progress under the guidance of Fiona at Tri Europe http://www.triathloneurope.com/. Having the benefit of a season already behind us of working together we have been able to really concentrate on what we know actually works for me.

My track record thus far in any Ironman branded race has not been good. Last year I raced Austria when I shouldn't have after suffering a nasty cough and chest infection, in hindsight I should have never got on the start line and at UK I still wasn't in great shape but couldn't finish due to mechanical failure. But its not been all doom and gloom as I finished the season in the prize money at the Home D Ferro in Ibiza and mixed it with some big names in Lisbon so I know i can do it, third time lucky I hope!

Ive recently linked up with a new swim squad. In recent years ive let my swimming go with it being less important in long races. But now i'm racing as a pro I really need to be as competitive as possible so I have upped my game and been swimming with some very fast youngsters. Its certainly paying off and I am swimming times I didn't think were possible whilst training for two other sports. During the second Tri Europe camp I put myself on the line and did a 400m time trial in my wetsuit and was surprised though delighted to swim 4:46 with no dive! My previous best which was with a dive was 4:58 so i'm hoping this will pay back a lot of time over 1900m.

Despite having a couple of weeks off running due to a slight niggle with my achilles I seem to be still running better than ever and am confident I have at least maintained if not improved upon the 32:42 min 10k I ran at Christmas. I was honoured to be picked to run for Hertfordshire but unfortunately had to decline due to it not fitting in my schedule.

In action during the North Road Hardriders

The North Road Hardriders was my first competitive outing for the team this year. It was a big eye opener to see how competitive it was, some of the best riders in the country turned out for what has been a very well established race and now classed as a classic. I rode 90sec quicker than last time I rode this course in 2007 which is of course progress, but a little disillusioned to finish 20th! My time would have been good enough for 9th in 2007 so that just shows you the class of field this year. Anyway I can hide behind the fact i'm training for three sports and not one!

Testing at the University of Essex

Lab testing has showed that I am able to produce more power than last year though am not quite as efficient in terms of oxygen up take and heart rate which we think is down to not being able to get many miles in on the road due to the harsh winter. Hopefully this is set to improve with the better weather, lets face it the weather can't have got any worse!

So on the whole i'm happy and optimistic about New Olreans. I realise i'm probably going to be one of the few pros with a day job and am not going to be challenging Macca and co but I do think I can be competitive and my dream of securing a slot for the world champs is possible, what will be will be!

Happy New Year!! 1st Jan 2009 a win and course record!!

Final descent to the finish!

A nice bottle of Moet which will be kept on ice until the first big win of the year is nailed!

Well its been a great start to the year. I knew after getting over the lurgy that I was in good running shape after my 10k a few days ago and my best track session to date on Tuesday. I actually think I can go a lot quicker than I did last weekend as I still reckon I was carrying a bit of a chest infection so things are looking better than they have ever been before running wise at this time of year. The next goals for my running are the county champs next weekend where my aim is to make the county team which is easier said than done with the standard of running being so high in Herts at the moment. Following that I am racing the Wokingham Half Marathon where my goal is to break 70min, even if I don't then i'm sure I will smash my PB!

I spent New Years Eve over in Teddington with Fiona Moorehead-Lane (my coach), hubby Rob and Rav and Suhela Dihegi and little one Eva. Anyway nothing too hard core just 4 or 5 beers (which is a lot for me!) and some Wii action after midnight, two hours later still playing! well I say playing I was actually being given a golf and baseball lesson, but tennis I rock!

So anyway not best race prep but hey you can't be no fun on New years eve. The race is call The Knacker Cracker have a read and you will see whyhttp://www.trionium.com/knackercracker/ The course goes up different parts of the infamous Box Hill with a mixture of mainly trails a bit of mud and a tiny bit of road. The descents are so steep if you get them wrong you won't stop rolling! and a couple of times I actually had to use my hands to stop falling over. I would hate to do this race on a wet year!

Training with my new buddies has got me in the habit of going off very quick whenever I run and hold on. This race was no different, straight to the front up the first hill and kept running until I couldn't hear my chasers breathing anymore. I took the descents very easy so as not to do anything silly and concentrated on putting time into my rivals on the climbs. The final climb was by far the worst and I was warned about this but did I listen, nope.

It was great to see so many in fancy dress from a Masai warrior to the tin man, maybe next year! Well done to Fiona who was 3rd woman after not really doing much training since Busselton, I couldn't have done that of next to no training. Rob was the smart one and spent the morning on the golf course.

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.

Not even a puncture can stop me! Another podium, this time in Texas at The Longhorn Triathlon

1st John Phillips, Denver 4:30:40

2nd Liam O'Connell, Houston 4:33:08

3rd Darren Treadaway, Arctic Shorter Rochford 4:34:06

2000 athletes in total took part in the Longhorn festival

This was to be the last big triathlon for the year for me which I only committed to 6 weeks prior to flying out. The original plan was to race the final of the 101 series in Houston in November but this was cancelled due to problems with the course. So fellow tri force member Mark Cathcart who kindly put me up suggested this race as an alternative. My only concern with this was that I had 5 weeks to recover from my efforts at The Big Woody so it was touch and go as whether I was going to get the most out of this race.

On arriving in Austin a week prior to the race it was evident that the weather was going to be a huge factor on race day, it pretty much stayed in the 90's from when I arrived until race day, which was about 5-7 degrees higher than what it should be at this time of year. So I looked at the race as more of a battle of me against the elements rather than the opposition. Prior to the race I made sure that a lot of my runs and rides were in the heat so as to try and acclimatise myself to the conditions and slowly as the week progressed my tolerance to the heat increased and I would certainly go out a week prior to racing should I race in these conditions again.

Before the race not knowing many of the American names I wasn't really sure what expectations I should have so I didn't really have any goals other than to give it my best shot and I would have been happy to place top 10. The race proved a good opportunity for me as a lot of the top guys in the world were of course preparing for Kona the following week, maybe next year for me! It was also the first year they have run this race so the course was untested which meant I could approach it with an open mind and not analyse where I should be on the course at certain times which allowed me to just get my head down and race as hard as I could.

Racing in the pro wave meant that I was going to be given a low start number so after the packet pick up I was given number 13! I'm not particularly superstitious but after what was to unfold maybe I should be. I thought to myself its just a piece of paper with two numbers on it. On entering registration I noticed a guy with a Bedford Classic shirt on! I couldn't believe it ive come half way across the world and there is a guy who raced at Bedford 6 weeks ago, amazing!

Due to the high temperatures and the lake feeling like a bath! the swim was made non wetsuit. Austin Tri-Cyclist kindly lent me an Xterra speed suit to wear for the swim which basically is the closest thing you can get to swimming in a wetsuit without actually wearing one. It must have done the trick as I had one of the best swims ive ever had, which was also due to being able to swim almost every day leading up to the race. The start was calmer than expected and everyone seemed to space out nicely. I went off maybe a little too conservatively as at halfway I decided to try and bridge the gap to the small group in front and caught them with ease. I excited in 5th place and very happy as I was only about 90 seconds back and right up in the mix.

Transition was smooth and it was off onto the bike. My first thought was wow ive got good legs today. I was feeling awesome and trying to hold myself back. It was quite clear that I was reeling the field in and after 5 miles I could see the lead car in the distance and thought its not going to be long before that lead is mine. At 10 miles the lead was very much in sight at 11 miles I was 10m back and ready to become the new race leader and pop my back tyre blew! My first reaction was jack it in, your never going to win now I then started thinking what it is going to be like for the next few weeks at home with people asking me how I got on and finishing the season on a downer. So I had my Norman Stadler moment at the side of the road and threw my toys out my pram and then set about fitting a new tube. The problem I had was that I was sweating so badly that whatever I touched just seemed to slip. I eventually got the new tube in and the race support vehicle arrived and put some air in the tyre and pushed me back into the race Tour De France style! It seemed to be for ever that I was at the side of the road and looking at the results I reckon somewhere in the region of 11 minutes.

I re joined the race from what I worked out later to be in twenty something position and decided just to enjoy riding my bike and the support from the crowd and see if anything was salvageable. I was certainly riding strong and was regularly catching people. The weather was getting hotter and hotter although it was over cast which was a good thing but it was very humid. I finished the bike leg in 14th position and remember thinking to myself while in transition that it would be nice to make the top 10 and that would certainly be respectable.

From the first step I took out of transition I knew that I was running well and it wasn't long before I was running down the first athlete in front. The run consisted of 2 laps partly on road which was quite exposed and tough going in the heat and the other part was on grass tracks with a very steep climb that you had to do twice which most people I ran past were walking! After the first lap I worked out I was in about 7th position and I was flying! I don't think ive even run as well before in an Olympic distance race let alone in a half ironman. On my last pass through the transition area the crowd were really getting behind me and the commentator was going nuts, they must have noticed that I was running through most of the field. Towards the end I didn't really know what position I was in, I was just enjoying the experience. I crossed the line to find out I had made the podium and I took the fastest run of the day by nearly 4 minutes, where did that come from!

So it just goes to show you should never give in. Of course I think I could have won the race and probably should have won it but to go from nearly giving up to making the podium completely turned things around for me. My expectations as I said before were to hopefully make the top 10 so if you had asked before the race if I would have been happy with 3rd then of course the answer would have been yes. It is quite clear there is a hell of a lot more to come. It was a great way to end the season on a high!

A big thank you to Mark for putting me up and showing me the sights of Austin. Its time now to relax and think about where I go from here.......

Winning is starting to become a habit I like!

1st Darren Treadaway 02:00:43
2nd Andrew Forth 02:06:08
3rd Steve Osborne 02:07:53
4th Howard Wimpory 02:09:50
5th Mike Jubb 02:10:33

277 Finishers

This one is long over due after having to run around like a mad man sorting out all my loose ends before heading off to sunny Texas (more on that later).

The plan here was to have one last run out before the big one two weeks later. I changed my focus before hand slightly towards my swim which to be honest ive neglected a bit this year as the focus has been geared more towards Ironman and i'm pleased to say it worked nicely.

The start was a mass start of around 277 athletes which I prefer because its a simple race in that first past the post wins. With quite a wide start I managed to get clear water and off to a good start. I managed to stay on the feet of the leaders and in sight of the lead canoe until the turn around point where I lost contact but I exited the swim around 40 seconds down so this was a job well done.

A swift transition and out onto the road, I managed to slip my chain off so had to stop and put it back on by hand, no big deal a few seconds lost. I managed to ride through to 2nd place by the end of the first mile and felt strong, the current leader took me a little longer to catch but by the end of lap 3 just before half way I had taken the lead. By this point the wind was getting really strong and riding the disc wheel was a mistake as I nearly got blown back into the lake! I backed off a little on the next few laps so as not to make any silly mistakes with the wind getting stronger and stronger.

Into T2 and I couldn't find my running shoes! school boy error number 2! by now the 2nd placed athlete was into T2 but I was off and decided to put the boot in for the first lap of the run and see what he had in the tank but he didnt respond so once I knew it was in the bag I ticked over for the rest of the run hoping not to tax the legs too much with the big race in a couple of weeks looming. In the end I won by just under 6 minutes so a nice confidence booster. Fellow tri force athlete Mike Jubb is clearly coming into form again running into 5th place with the fastest run split of the day. I was off to celebrate with a large slice of chocolate cake and coffee with training buddy Jez Cox who had just won the Maidstone Duathlon on the same morning.

A win at The Big Woody!

3 time world champion Spencer Smith presenting me with my prize

1st Darren Treadaway Arctic Shorter Rochford 08:50:36
2nd Andrew Davies 08:52:07
3rd Gavin May FVS 09:31:51
36th Simon Perkins Tri Force 11:25:31

57th Roderick Elder Tri Force 12:31:26

81 Finishers

This is probably the most satisfying race win ive had to date for a number of reasons. Firstly I had to contend with crashing my bike while doing a recce of the course 5 weeks before the race and secondly I contracted a stomach bug 3 weeks before which really messed up my training. Not to mention having to work 6 days a week covering holidays. But I had hoped the work had gone in pre Austria and that it would see me through and whatever the result was it would be something to build on and improve. Ironman Austria which I didnt finish because of back problems was my only taste of Ironman racing thus far.

Unfortunately my arrival to the race venue was delayed by tail backs coming past Oxford and I didn't make it to the campsite until 10:30pm and Rod and Simon my tri force club mates had already setup up camp and had left me half a pizza. I was hungry after my journey so tucked right in and got to bed by 11pm, not great race prep I know! Didn't get to sleep until 1pm as a group of yobs, hoodies, youths whatever they are called these days were keeping everyone awake until they eventually got board and left.

The Alarm went at 4am and it was time to force a bagel and some cereal down in preparation for the big day ahead. I felt much better after the sleep and we left the camp at around 5am taking a slight detour to get to the lake! Eventually arrived in plenty of time to setup the bikes and started to walk to the start. Everyone seemed so relaxed and chilled out, absolutely no ego flying around, maybe it was because we all respected what was ahead and were more intimidated by that than each other.

Before the race I did have my eye on the prize of a wetsuit for leading out the swim as I broke the collar on mine at Bedford the previous week, so I bodged it together rather than buy a new one because i knew that if I had of splashed out for a new one then I would have ended up winning it! The swim start was quite a relaxed affair and I settled in nicely behind the leader before the first buoy. It was evident that if I wanted that wetsuit then I was going to have to go into the red to get it and in the end I made the decision to hang back rather than sacrifice the whole race. The swim was an interesting and enjoyable affair starting in one lake climbing out and doing two laps in another lake then back to swim across the first lake. I enjoyed getting in and out because it broke things up a bit and kept it interesting. On exiting the water I checked my watch which said around 40min so the swim was obviously short as in Austria I managed the swim in 53:04, I didn't dwell on this as it is the same for everyone. I was about 2:30-3:00 off the lead man and feeling fairly good.

Onto the bike. Now having done a recce of the course 5 weeks earlier I had the up most respect for this course and if anything I probably started a little too conservatively. The first time heading up English Bicknoor I treated it very gently and was well within my comfort zone. On the first lap I was getting regular time checks from people out on the course and towards the end of the first lap I was now 4 min down. I was though feeling awesome and thought lets up things little and see how the legs are today. The next time check was 2 min so I knew I was closing, then eventually at 80 miles I caught the leader and he wasn't looking in good shape at all. This to me was like a red rag to a bull and I immediately attacked the last 30 miles. Every climb I got out the saddle and I really went for it. In hindsight maybe I pushed too hard as I was later to pay the price on the run. The bike course was never going to be fast and on a fast course like Austria I would expect to be around or just under 5 hours, today I rode 5:39 to take the fastest bike split of the day so the difficulty of the course had a large impact on the times and only a handful of us managed to sneak under 6 hours. As a comparison my club mate Simon rode a whole hour slower than what he did in Austria as did several other people.

It was a big lift to hit T2 leading the race and I had built up a reasonable cushion. What I was wondering now was would my lack of training and fitness show and had I over cooked the last 30 miles on the bike! The run consisted of 5 laps of a playing field and an out and back loop though the forest with a very steep section right in the middle. Up until now I had never run a marathon before let alone after an Ironman bike leg! so this was uncharted territory. First lap I was actually feeling surprisingly good and full of running. I took on board what I could from each aid station and tried to avoid the coke until a little later on the run. At the turn point I could see and work out the gap I had, I reckon it was about 6min, the race was now mine to lose. Lap 2 I was starting to get a little bit uneasy and the constant change of terrain was upsetting my rhythm. Lap 3 I started to have my doubts as to whether or not I was going to finish let alone win. I just kept saying to myself on lap 4 just get through this one and the final lap will take care of itself. By this time I was walking the aid stations and not in good shape at all. I could see my winning margin slowly being eaten away. I was relieved to see Simon who gave me some encouragement which really helped because it made me realise I couldn't quit as I was racing for them too and it made me think of everyone back home who has helped me. The last lap was shear hell my lack of running training was starting to show and the win was slipping away. I did hang on though to win by 90 seconds but I was too wasted to even celebrate and collapsed over the finish line. My friend Rob helped me get back on my feet and sort my gear out so yes Rob I owe you 2 now!!

So I am delighted with the win and I did it tough against everything I had thrown at me in the last few weeks! It was clear that the swim and run were short but you can only race the course that's put in front of you. The bike though was mega tough which almost balanced things up and I hope they at least keep this element of it for next year.

The plan now is to head out to Texas at the end of the month to stay with my friend Mark Cathcart and I am racing the Long Horn Half Ironman the week after and hoping to improve upon my best half to date which was at Lisbon earlier in the year where I clocked 4:03:54. Work has settled down again so I should be able to get at least a good 2/3 week solid block with plenty of recovery thrown in. I have taken a lot from my win here and I know what needs to be done to improve and start making the top 15 in some Mdot races next year.

Well done and thank you to the guys at tri force (Simon, Mike and Rod). You are all stars in your own right.