And... We're off! First race of the season.

Eagerly awaited, Sunday, the 31st January, finally arrived, bringing with it the BAM Nuttall LPGP Freethorpe Ten. My first race of 2016.
I woke to a cold, damp day. Not the best weather, but in truth, pretty good for racing.
I arrived about an hour early, as planned. Giving me time to settle down, have a wee warm up run, then get set for the race.
Not having done a 10 mile race for many years, it was difficult to judge a target time to aim for. Last year I did two Spring time 5m races on Gt Yarmouth seafront (pan flat), so, as I felt I was in a physically better place, I decided to aim faster, and aimed for a 4:30 pace.
At the sound of the horn, I set off. Keen not to get carried away and go off too quick, I monitored my pace closely. I'd set my Garmin 920XT for pace (4:15 to 4:30), and kilometre splits, so I'd soon know if I was pushing too hard.
I soon settled into a good pace, and held it for the distance, having enough at the end for a little kick, just to reel a couple of runners in.
Coming in at 1:10:55, I was happy to have held a 4:24/km pace for the 10 miles, covering both 5m splits faster than I covered the distance in last years races, and a negative split, to boot! Yes, you could say I was happy.

Now looking to the Broadland Half Marathon, and taking into account how I felt during and after the race, I am keen to try to aim at 4:15/km, for the 13.1 miles...
I was fine the next day, and felt good enough to increase the 'usual' pace of the Fartlek session, without feeling to battered.
With around 6 weeks until the HM race, I am now increasing my track 5k pace for my intervals, same with the fartlek session I do mid week, too. Target 1:30:00...

What the F........!!!

Since the last entry my training has been going really well.
I missed a few swims over the Christmas period, due to minimum opening times and most pool sessions being based around the children on school holidays.
Aside from that, my training never missed a beat, and is progressing well.
I went back to Tri Harder, after New Year and bought a pair of Newton Gravity, after enjoying running in the demo pair they supplied (cheers guys).
training has gone so well, in fact, that in a moment of madness yesterday, I only went and entered the Manchester marathon!
FFS, as if training wasn't hard enough, I thought I'd enter a bloody marathon!...
Going by recent training and also the Garmin 920XT race time predictions, I was hoping to run it in around 3:11, so why then, did I go and enter to join the 3 hour Asics Pacer team!...
On a plus note, if I hit that target, I'll be fairly stoked, to put it mildly.
Whats 11 minutes spread over 42k. Oh yeah, 4:16/km pace... Starting to scare myself, now.
Whatever happens, the feet will be looking good ;)

2016... New beginnings...

So, with Christmas over and having moved in to the New Year, it's now time to begin selecting my kit for the upcoming season and also trying out a few subtle changes to the bike.
After some initial hiccups in training (colds and DOMS!) things have really started to pick up.
I'm finally getting used to the Z2 runs, but really look forward to my weekly visit to the local running track, for a good hard speed session.
Likewise with the bike, I enjoy the turbo sessions, but also look forward to getting out once a week, for my longer ride.
For the past two seasons, I wore Mavic Helium Tri shoes, but they have proven to be unreliable, in that I sometime suffer from serious pain along the outside of my feet going into the run, which is no good to me.
So, for this season, I have acquired some Specialized Trivent shoes.
I do most of my training miles in S Works road shoes, which I've found to be a very comfortable and a solid platform to ride on, so, when the Christmas sales kicked off, I made the most of it and ordered shoes, including new S Works road shoes, for training miles ;)
Also flirting with a pair of Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL pedals, again, after spending the past 3 - 4 years riding Speedplay Zeroes. Again, nothing finalised there...
The bike will also be fitted with D2Z  40° aero extension poles, and I may play with saddle fore/ aft positioning.

Further to that, I managed to get my hands on a demo pair of Newton Gravity IV's, courtesy of my local tri shop, Tri Harder.
Last year I raced in Zoot Ultra's, but was unimpressed with their built in elastic lacing...
After a few progressive runs in the Newtons, I have decided that they're right for me, so decision made, I'll be racing in them this year.

I think the only other change I'll be making, is with my trisuit.
Not sure whether to keep with ChampSys of next year, or not.
Main reason for change, would be to get a front zip option, as the current suit is rear fastening, and I think that for the long course, a front zip would be much better. With that in mind, I may opt for a HUUB DS suit, whenever they become available!

Finally... Yes, finally, today, I bought a pair of Aftershokz Bluez 2S 'open ear' headphones. Which operate via Bluetooth technology, with my iPhone 5S.
Quite techy, they are designed to transfer sound through the upper jaw, where it is picked up by the Cocchlia.
This (in theory), allows me to listen to music, whilst still being able to hear what is going on around me. Imperative for safety, when cycling/ running. I can also take phone calls on the go, all at the touch of one multi function button!
All very new to me, I'll have to see how they cope with wind noise, etc, out on the road, and also test them for resistance to sweat, etc.

Lastly, I'd like to take another opportunity to thank my new coach, Jason Battle at Performance Coach.Me, for his ongoing support through the transition period of my new coaching strategy.
Everything is settling down now, and there are certainly improvements felt already.

A big thank you also, goes to my local shop Tri Harder, in East Dereham. Ben and James are ever helpful. Their sales and after sales service is certainly the best in the region. I've also benefitted from their introduction of chats and demo days, by pro Ironman Joe Skipper, HUUB and Newton so far.
The Newton Gravity shoes in the above photo, are a demo pair, supplied by them.

Watch this space...

The next phase...

Well, after failing miserably to formulate anything resembling a productive training plan, I finally decided that it was never going to happen.
Coming to that conclusion meant that I needed to become a coached athlete, again. After considerable thought, I decided to contact Jason Battle, at Performance Coach Me and seek his help.
The reason I went to a new coach, was no fault of my previous coach, but based on the fact that Jason is local to me, and, with the amount of new challenges I have ahead of me, en route to my first Long Course event, it makes sense, to have someone I can interact more with.
So, I am now 18 days into my new training plan, and, after a sticky start (shitty cold), I feel that I am progressing well.
An unexpected surprise dropped in my lap a few days ago, due to a late cancellation, I once again had the opportunity to return to Easton & Otley College, to undergo a VO2 Max test on the treadmill, to give us figures to assist with my running training.
A great pleasure to meet up with Russell Board again, and a few of his students.
Once the information has been received it will be absorbed into the plan and I'll just keep at it.

This is the first season that I have been given strength sessions at the gym. Now, I use dot love the gym and weight training, prior to my cycling started, and I greeted this opportunity with great enthusiasm, so much so, that the following DOMS stopped me training for three painful days!
I am also doing 'voluntary' upper body/ core development, too, as want to maintain a balance of strength throughout my body.

Another recent surprise was my complete disregard for my own safety, when I entered Round 2 at  G8 Events MTB Winter Series!...
This saw me dragging myself out of bed on a drizzly 13th December, last Sunday, for a (thankfully) short drive to Santon Downham, to compete in the 2 hour Grand Veteran category.
A very muddy race. I managed to slip, slide and slither my way around for 4 laps, with just a couple of 'offs', caused by others falling in front of me.
More worryingly, I think it has rekindled my love of MTB riding/ racing, which can only mean more expense ahead!

I have also just about finished entering all my chosen races for next season (with the exception of one!)
I may well add a few more, as yet. But, they'll be 'C' races, used to check fitness, or break monotony.
So far, we have:

BAM Nutall Freethorpe 10 RR - 31/01/2016.
Broadland Half Marathon - 13th March 2016.
Manchester Marathon - 10th April 2016.
East Coast Triathlon - 17/04/2016.
Grafman Middle Distance Tri - 22/05/2016.
Fritton Standard Triathlon (Eastern Champs) - 19/07/2016.
Gosfield Sprint Tri (Eastern Champs) - 3/07/2016.
Outlaw Full - 24/07/2016.
Ely Monster Middle Tri (Eastern Champs) - 21/08/2016.
IM Wales - 18/09/2016.

Hopefully(!), I may be adding a marathon in the first quarter of the year, too, but we'll see how that pans out...
Then there's also the newly rekindled love of MTB, so may be a few more dirty races to come... Perhaps leading to a shot at XTERRA for 2017...

Testing times.

Well, as I  have now decided to train myself (no fault of my previous coach), I thought it may be as good a time as any, to perform some tests and get all my base data recorded.
So last week, I visited Jason Battle (Performancecoaching.Me) and was put through my paces at his place.
I took my Canyon Speedmax CF race bike and we used that for the RAMP Test.
Quite a painful experience, I must say! The ramp up of power was linear and steady, but the 'burn' does suddenly creep up on you, and failure is just a heartbeat away, at that point. At regular intervals, Jason took blood samples (Left hand) for recording of Lactate Levels, and this data was recorded, to calculate my LTHR.
Using my own bike was good, as this is the exact position I'll be racing in, plus, the power figures produced will be from my own Quarq, so no issues with different calibrations of other equipment etc... Another 'bonus', was that my FTP had gone up almost 30W!
We then sat and had a good chat over a cuppa, as I rested and prepared for the run test.
For the running RAMP Test, I used Jason's in-house treadmill.
Same protocol as the previous test was established. Jason would control the speed of the treadmill, increasing the speed and taking further blood samples as per the RAMP Test schedule. This time, using the finger tips of the right hand. A similar scenario played out... Starting with a gentle run, this gradually increases in speed and intensity until, faced with the imminent failure to continue, I grabbed the side rails and jumped, to put my feet on the side supports. Jason slowed the speed and I stepped back on, to complete a warm down.
Whilst with Jason, we discussed how to interpret the data and the various ways to use the data gained from the tests. A very educational and helpful few hours (including the testing), which will undoubtedly lead me in to 2016's season ready for my Long Course races, and also both faster and more powerful, than before.
 A couple of days later, I received my results from the tests and although very happy with what I got, I was somewhat surprised at the running graph.
This was followed up by a phone call, with Jason explaining all the graphs and results to me and debating which types of session would benefit my 'type' of athlete.
During the run, it is clear that almost immediately, I begin to burn sugars! Just starting, yet it would appear my body switches both energy sources on. A few minutes later, it realises that I don't need the sugars, yet, so switches that off and you can see the dip (red line), where I return to aerobic state, before ramping up at the end, as I go back anaerobic.
This was definitely something that I couldn't have picked up on, without testing. Consequently, I now have to restructure my run training, to encourage my body to leave sugar stores alone, until really needed, much later in my run.
So, although I was happy to have done the tests, to get my 'Max limits' set out, it was a real bonus to have picked up on this unusual Lactate behaviour!

Following on from these tests, performed on the 12th November, I was offered an opportunity to attend a local college and do a further RAMP Test, this time recording my VO2 Max. This has always seemed like a 'black art' to me...

I regularly perform VO2 Max intervals, to increase (hopefully) my efficiency, and my Garmin 920XT has a setting that can 'tell' me my VO2 Max, but how is that possible, when it clearly isn't attached to anything near my lungs!?...

So, yes, this was definitely something I wanted to do, too. 

So, on Wednesday, 18th, I went trooping off to Easton & Otley College, to meet Russell Board and a team of his students. 

Again, the protocol was explained and each student took up their respective position at various pieces of equipment. 

This time, after warm up, the power steadily sloped up. One student took blood, for Lactate Levels in my blood, one enquired every minute, as to my RPE, choosing from a preset list, while two others sat ahead of me, watching a laptop screen, and they all voiced encouraging comments as the power wound up and the effort levels increased.

Again, it was a good experience, and I was pleased to hear that my VO2 Max was scored at 47, which for my age, put me at the top end of excellent, on the tables they use. 

The new FTP has already proved quite a challenge on my last turbo session! Very surprised at how much effect it has made, but that could also have been down to the previous days testing, or the onset of the cold that I am now trying to recover from.

Over the next few days, I'll complete my training schedule for the coming season, then post back up here...

Rubicon Middle Triathlon.

Finally… My A race arrived.

Drove up to Knaresborough, for our weekend stay in Yorkshire, while I competed in the Rubicon Middle distance tri.

The weather forecast in the days leading to the Bank Holiday weekend had been quite poor, but fortunately, the good weather arrived, as we left home ;)

A brief scout of the bike course done and a visit to registration, and I was ready for the race.

Disappointed to realise that I had left my HRM strap at home! Not necessary for the race, but just a bit of data that I can use, after the race…

Arriving on the Sunday morning at 5am. I went to registration, to get my Timing Chip. 

Pulled all the necessary kit out of the car, to re assemble my bike, and transition box… Then, I discovered that, somewhere along the line, the spring and nut off the end of my QR had disappeared! WTF! Panic quickly set in. Where could it be? Had to be in the car, but where. It was still dark outside, as I scrabbled about in the footwell areas of the rear seat and load bay… I found the spring, but couldn’t locate the end cap.

Just at this point, a guy appeared, asking if he could use my pump, as he’d forgotten his. I immediately saw an opportunity, and replied ‘not at all’, whilst adding ‘you don’t by any chance have a spare skewer, do you?’… Yes he did, and yes, he loaned me it! Phew! (I later found the spring, but the other part still eludes me!).

The bike assembled, I headed for transition. The racking was a little tight, to be honest, but it isn’t a deal breaker. As it turned out, both competitors either side of me didn’t show up, so I had plenty of space.

06:45 and Mark (Livesey) stepped up, to deliver his Race Brief. Very well structured, whilst he left you in no doubt as to what was expected/ not to be tolerated, etc, he did it with a humour that was present throughout the event/ weekend, and shared by all involved.

The Briefing complete, we were instructed to follow him on the meandering walk through the grounds of Newby Hall, treading in God only knows how much Sheep shit. He resembled the Pied Piper!

As we approached the start area, we became aware of the sound of Bagpipes, and a solitary figure, in full Highland Dress, piped us all into the water! Quite charming, really… A nice touch.

Squelching through the mud, as I waded into the river, I soon realised that I had lost my timing chip! Marvellous!

The water was quite cold, and there was a good bit of ‘craic’ being bandied about, as we waited for the last of the competitors to enter the water. No sooner was the last man in, then the horn blast was heard, and off we went.

I was expecting a fast swim, as it was mainly 1700m downstream, with the remaining 200m, after the turn, but it didn’t really appear to be quicker. I did make a concerted effort to swim hard from the off. 

I started about 3/4 of the way back and there was a fair bit of ‘biff’ as we progressed. Everything had settle down as we went, but it seemed that the next wave caught up as we rounded the turn buoy, and it was bedlam! The last 200m was quite physical, getting punched in the back of the head and taking a couple of uppercuts, too! Trying to climb out, up the steps was like trying to exit a burning building! Arms and legs scrabbling everywhere… I did enjoy that bit, knowing that I could no longer drown! ;)

A quick run, along a carpeted section, took us up the boat landing staircase and through a beautiful gardened area heading towards the stunning Newby Hall, then out into T1.

Out of my wetsuit, and on with the bike kit and off I went. A brief stop at the exit, to tell the marshal I’d lost my timing chip and give my number to her.

The ride was very good, if a little bumpy at times. 2 big laps, with a short final lap.

The road out of the grounds was quite rough, but soon smoothed out as we headed over to the A168. A slightly undulating course, it was still quick, and the mainly smooth surfaces enabled a good speed.

Only down side to the ride, was losing my ‘tool bottle’, from the rear cage on my saddle. I noticed this on the last lap, and just hoped that I didn’t suffer a p*ncture, or mechanical…

The Feed Zone was situated in the Hall grounds, in the main hub of transition, etc.

Passing through the Hall twice was quite uplifting, with quite a good crowd shouting encouragement to everyone.

Into the grounds for the third and final time on the bike, I headed into T2.

A brief stop in transition and I was out running. As we exited T2, we encountered a 'scaffold bridge’, built so that the runners could cross the road, without encountering the cyclists. Only needed to be crossed the once, but what an effort it required! Referred to as the Travelator (remember Gladiators), it was a formidable obstacle. I managed it in a oner, hammering up and across the top, then flying down the other side. Many runners needed to pull themselves up, using the handrails, yes, it really was that steep!

4 laps of the grounds lay ahead, mainly tarmac, with some trail/ grass track, and the Sun was beginning to come out... 

There was a separate runners Feed Zone, which was well stocked with water, Coke (genuine, uncut), fruit segments, energy drinks, etc.

Tried as I might, to keep to my plan of 4:40/ km’s, I just didn’t have it in me, and as each lap went by, I watched my hope of a sub 5 hour race slip away. 

My final time was 05:15:10.(Official).

Swim: 43:35

T1: 5:52

Bike: 02:30:04

T2: 1:47

Run: 01:53:36

Above times taken from my Garmin 920XT.

It was a great event, and I fully intend to make this my ‘A’ race again, for 2016.

TE Eastern Region League!..

Just heard that after the Monster Middle, I am now in 3rd place for Vet Males, in the TE Eastern Region Triathlon League!
I'm on the waiting list for the last eligible Sprint race of the season, so maybe able to jump another place... But, then again, plenty of others could do more!..
 Triathlon England East Veteran Men