1 – Sub 50 mins
2 - Top 10 finish (should be do-able if I got the hoped for 50 mins)
3 - Another AG Win (Bit of wishful thinking on my part)

The Victory triathlon is a pool based super sprint at the Victory Swim & Fitness Centre in North Walsham. It consists of a 300m swim, 17km bike and a 3km run.

Registration and racking was swift and painless, and with the race briefing clearing up any issues I had in my head it was off the poolside to wait for the ladies to go firstly then the men.

Never really been much of a swimmer but have been working quite hard recently on improving my pace a little but I’m never going to be a the pointy end of the field especially as with the swim being in the pool, you started at one side, then it was a up & down each lane, duck under the ropes into the next lane for all of the six lanes. Not being able to tumble turn is a real disadvantage and costs quite a lot of time in comparison to those than can, so after being called into the water and counted down I was off. For me it was a decent swim and total time including the short run to the entrance of T1 I had posted a 5.36 swim time.

Through T1 in a very efficient time of 33s as I now never bother with gloves or socks, just helmet, number belt then shoes and I was away on the single loop 17km cycle which takes in a couple of little villages, using some quite fast flowing roads, a few rougher surface narrow country lanes and a bit of main road with a lumpy bit or too for good measure. I didn’t manage to time any of the junctions too well as had to slow down for traffic at most of them but it was all round nice fast route and before I knew it I was back at the pool in a time of 28.44 which ended up as the second fastest bike of the day so very pleased with that!

T2 was again very smooth and I was away onto the run after 27s. The run had seemed to be the bit that was going to cause the biggest headache as although only 3km it was over 3 laps including the playing field and a little bit of Weavers Way and some road, but the race briefing had cleared it up quite nicely and before starting I took a walk round the loop with the family to get it clear in my head. After heading out of T2 I went off at a pace that was putting me a bit out of my comfort zone as it was roughly at my parkrun pace which gives a 21ish minute 5km, which is fine when that is all you are doing but not after a swim and bike! The 3 laps whizzed by and I was soon turning the corner to head towards the finish line. My wife has telling me lately that I need to try to ramp up the pace as head towards the finish so I did just that and gave it everything and sprinted over the line for a run time of 13.03

After a few minutes to recover I knew I had got close to my 50 minute target so headed over to the chip timing people to see what the time was, he advised that it was 48.22 and I was currently in 3rd place overall!!! I was more than a little shocked to be in a podium finish place but as there were still loads of people on the course I assumed that it wouldn’t last but I could have a chance of the top 10 I wanted.

I went and got changed then headed back over to the timing as there were only 1 or 2 people still out on the course and he said I was still in 3rd place, I can safely say I have never been so pleased in all my life as I had never in my wildest hopes imagined I would ever finish on the podium at any triathlon. Not the flashiest trophy in the world mind you but def my most treasured!

Couple of weeks later and i’m still grinning!
:) :)]]>

But now, I am now the proud owner of an 40-44 age group winners trophy that I picked up at the East Coast Triathlon super sprint (300m/16km/3km)last weekend. I went into the event with 4 hopes -

1 - Don't be sh!t
2 - PB (got a 49.30 last year and hoped I could knock at least a minute off)
3 - Top 10 finish (should be do-able if I got the hoped for PB)
4 - AG Win (More wishful thinking than actual real chance)

Was feeling pretty decent as we set off didn't bother timing anything as it was chip timed, just setup the garmin so I could see my speed on the bike and left the rest up to my body to get round as fast as possible!

I was utterly ruined at the finish and can safely say I left pretty much nothing out on the course. It was at least 1 & 1/2 hours before the organisers announced that the results were up, headed over to find I had knocked 3 minutes off my PB to finish in 46.30, which gave me 7th place overall out of 119 finishers and more amazingly I had won my AG by a mere 12 seconds!!

The wife has been banging onto me about upping my speed at the finish of a run which I did for the last half mile or so and I think that it was probably that little injection gave me the small cushion that won me my AG.

Few days later and I'm still buzzing about it! :)
]]>
The first 50 until the food station was a bit quicker than planned as I latched onto a pretty swift group and hit the halfway stop averaging over 20mph. Had a 45 minute wait for the rest of my team as one of them suffered a huge blow out which took a while to sort in the dark! Took the second half a bit easier and came home in 5hrs 22mins

Fritton Olympic Triathlon also went very well and I achieved my aim of a sub 2.30 for the first time with a 2.27.03 finish, swim was a nice easy affair and also managed a sub 30 open water 1500m for the first time! smashed the bike with a 23mph average on my road bike to get the 9th fastest bike out of almost 200 people. Run was a bit of a sufferfest but still enjoyed it, my wife and son were manning the water station near the finish on the run so my little boy came over the finish with me which he loved as he got loads of cheers :)

Next up is another sprint on the 17th July, I have achieved most of my minimum aims for the season so far, so hope to get one of my really hopeful aims at this sprint which is a top 10 finish, fingers crossed I can do it!]]>
Fresh from my first tri for a few years came my second event of the season. The Waveney Valley Sprint which is a nice little event I have done a few times and performed ok at. My main aim was a PB which I thought may be a bit of stretch as PB of 56m 50s was set when I was at what I consider my fittest and was done on a tri bike also. Also wanted a better performance in T1 & T2 after the appalling attempts at my last race!

400m Swim - 7m37s - Pleased with the swim time as the timing chip mat was probably a good 20secs from the poolside so getting closer to sub 7 for 400mtrs

T1 - 53s - Much better but still plenty of scope for improvement!

20k Bike - 32m24s - Well chuffed with this time on my trusty Roubaix and no aero wheels on what is a nice rolling course and not as flat as you would think for Suffolk! Think I may have been one of the fastest times on a road bike which is nice!

T2 - 48s - Again much improved but can do better

3.2k Run - 14m22s - Decent pace on the run as it is quite a nasty little one with almost no flat and up and down for the entire out and back route

Total - 56m05s - 20th place and a 45 sec PB

Beyond pleased with the time but slightly disappointed with the position, but there were some seriously fast guys and plenty of bling bikes so can't be too upset!

Got a 100 mile overnight cycle sportive called chase the rising sun which goes from Hunstanton to Southwold starting at 10pm coming up in a couple of weeks shortly followed the weekend after by a freebie entry to the Fritton Lake Olympic triathlon.

Really looking forward to both these events :)]]>

It has only taken 6 years but I have only gone and actually took part in a triathlon! It was the East Coast Triathlon in Gt Yarmouth so nice and local to me so no stupid early start!

It was only a super sprint but it went very well with a 16th place finish and a 4 minute PB on the last time I entered many years back, so it seems I'm improving with age. Could have improved on that finish if I didn't suck so badly in transition, with 2m45s wasted over T1 & T2, absolutely no idea how it took me that long but at least it's something that can be easily improved. Shame I'm in the uber competitive 40-44 age group as my aim of a AG win is gonna prove very difficult, although not impossible hopefully.

Got my next one in 3 weeks time, so not long to wait for another chance to improve a previous PB! :)]]>
]]>

2013 was a bit of a blowout really, training for VLM was going pretty well, then 2 weeks before I picked up a horrific bout of tonsillitus, which lead to horse pills right up to the very morning of the VLM, and advise from doc to not race, to which I obviously ignored

All started well and I got to halfway in a pretty tidy time, but from there the wheels fell off in a large way which my achilles playing up and the illness I had catching up with me and biting big time Still managed to finish in an awful 5 1/4 hours. That was supposed to be my 3rd and final VLM but I have unfinished business so will be entering on a continual basis until I get in again!

I had also signed up for Rat Race Dirty Weekend (20 miles/200 obstacles) which was 3 weeks after the marathon, due to my achilles and losing a toenail I didn't do one single drop of training until I rocked up to the start line. It went ok-ish, I managed to get to the 13 mile bailout point which I took as the injuries and lack of training had took their toll, still I was pretty pleased to have made it that far considering :)

As for this year, I have no intention of any tri's as just have no time for swim training, so just gonna do obstacle type races and the odd road run race. Did the Supershot Challange last weekend, which was good fun, and got a couple more planned.

That will do for now, will try and update sooner from now on! ]]>
I WILL run 6 days a week from now until I reach the London Marathon start line in April!]]>
It is looking like follows -

London Marathon - 21st April - Sub 4 or bust!!!!!
RatRace Dirty Weekend - 11th May - 20 miles, 200 obstacles, much pain so quickly after London!!
Beccles Triathlon - 2nd June - Sprint distance
Waveney 2 Triathlon - 1st Sept - Super Sprint

Might squeeze another Zombie Evacuation into the schedule as well.

Best start doing some actual training, rather than just my 12 miles of commuting each day!]]> Top drawer fun, lots of hills, mud, water and of course zombies all trying to eat your brains! Also got lots of approving nods for my choice of t-shirt :)

How's this for an action shot!
]]>