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.