Aqua Sphere AlfaFins - Say goodbye to cramps...

For years I've struggled with cramp whilst using fins... normally within 200 meters into the set I would start to feel the uncomfortable pains of cramp in the arches of my feet.

So much so that every time I had a set that involved the use of fins I anticipated cramps and felt dejected at the prospect. I tried all number of different fins, Speedo, Zoggs and Aqua Sphere, but each time I suffered the same result.

It was only recently whilst attending a Swim For Tri course that I noticed Dan Bullock, their head coach and founder of Swim For Tri, using these crazy looking blue fins which resembled the flippers of a Seal. Despite looking quite funny, they are 70% lighter than normal fins. The EVA foam design not only maximizes comfort but also makes the fins float - no more diving down to retrieve lost fins! The dedicated right and left fins have full arch support which I think is why I've been able to complete long sets cramp free

This has really changed my enjoyment of swimming with fins as I used to loath it!!
Hooray for Aqua Sphere AlfaFins!!!

Great South Run 2009 - Racing out of shape!

So I was roped into running in this 10 mile smash fest, after doing nothing but eating burgers, drinking wine and destroying family size bars of Cadburys Whole nut...
Following Wisconsin I'd decided to take time out to catch up with friends, so Richard (my Coach) had reduced my training and we decided within the downtime to focus on my swimming(more about that later)

Anyway with just three runs in 6 weeks it was never going to be pretty...I'd agreed to race as part of the Daily Telegraph race team, in conjunction with a piece of editorial we were running.
I toed the line with the 21'000 athletes, only I was on the front just behind Mo Farah(GB 2012 Olympic Gold hopeful). What was I thinking.... in for a penny, in for a pound!!It was gonna be fun....

The cannon went and we were off... Within the first 500m I noticed Iwan Thomas running beside me, Iwan is arguably the best GB 400m runner ever and he was running for Macmillan Cancer, he's one fast dude.. We were into the wind so I sheltered at the back of the pack out of the wind. The pace was fast and we went through 2 miles in 10 min 44 secs. This was my finest point I think.... as my limited conditioning and the rapid pace was starting to take effect. I was struggling into the wind and I started to slow.... I was in the hurt zone... Ouch!
At about 4 miles a strong group caught and passed me, I knew this was the Sub 60 min guys, probably running at 57 min pace. They had just been more restrained and controlled off the start. I tried to stay with them but soon fell off the back. Oh dear I thought, this is what happens when you don't train...

I was in no mans land, people in front that couldn't catch and people behind that I was trying to outrun. It was so tough, but I pushed on telling myself not be such a 'whinger' and to push on despite the fact I was hyperventilating.

I went through 8 miles in 47.48 mins and felt good realising I only had to nail two more 6 min miles. I would be home with time to spare and would be on target for a sub 60 minuter. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem, but as we turned to complete the last two miles along the promenade, we turned into a full on headwind. This was really hard work and I tried to make myself really small.... I pushed on catching the guy in front, signalling for him to drop in behind me, so he could shelter and suggested we take turns on the front. He nodded but when it cam e to his turn, the wheels had come off and he'd fallen behind... doh!

I looked at my watch....there was no way I was going to make 60 mins. The headwind meant that I was running over 30 secs slower per mile. With the finish ahead I pushed on and tried to enjoy the last 400m and all the crowd support.
I came in 61.18 mins over 6 mins slower than my PB, but hey never mind... It was fun to be out of my comfort zone. Overall I was 77th and 7th in my age group category. Mo won and did in just over 43 minutes...Wow!!
Its a great race to do and I recommend it as a winter sharpener.. The weather was super and organisation superb.

Thank You Disney Tri.....

As an athlete its easy to take credit for a good performance. The podium or medals are a result of dedication, determination and talent right? Well yes and no....

As an amateur Ironman athlete I work up to 60 hours a week and train up to 25 hours. This means juggling my busy work life with my training and fitting things around my job. My philosophy is where you have a passion for something you will always find the time. I swim before work and use my commute (20Km) to run or bike to and from work. On the weekends I schedule my longer sessions. This means I need to be super organised,I pack bags with kit the night before, ensure I have enough clean shirts for work, enough clean training kit etc, etc.... My life becomes very much swim, bike,run, eat and sleep...

Professional atheletes have a network of people to help with this and of course they don't have to work on top of their training. My network consists of my girlfriend, family and friends. Without my girlfriend all these thing would be so much harder. Our partners make a huge sacrifice for us, after all this 'Ironman lark' may not necessarily be their passion too...

I was recently in Wisconsin to race and I was very touched by the Disney Tri club and how warm and friendly they all were. Not only was I welcomed into their club as an honorary member (being the only Brit in the race and not knowing anyone else within the race) but as I got to know them all and their families who were there to support them. I was so impressed with how much they had embraced their sons or club members achievements. They were there cheering their loved ones on until midnight. Baring in mind the race starts at 7am, this is no mean feat....




So I'd just like to thank The Coleman's, for all their great shouts and all the Disney Tri team for adopting me for my time at Ironman Wisconsin. Truly without the support from our girlfriends, family, friends and training buddies our races would be significantly harder....

The Wisco Disco - Ironman Wisconsin 2009

Short Report
2nd 35 -39 Age group, 5th Amateur, 18th Overall out of 2400 in a time of 9.33:18
Qualified for The World Championships in Kona- Hawaii 2010

Detailed report
My early decision to take a year out from Kona in 2009 wasn't taken lightly. When I qualified again this year in Lanzarote, turning down that golden ticket and all that it meant to me was the hardest race decision I've ever made. My friends all thought I was clinically insane... Tim and Dec my training buddies, who had targeted later races, thought I was nuts!! I had a plan that 2010 would be my special year and I was confident that with the right coaching and support from Richard Hobson, Mette (my girlfriend) and I could make it happen...

I arrived in Wisconsin and hooked up with Tri legend - Ken Glah. Ken had organised my accommodation and transfer. Ken now runs a Ironman specific travel company called Endurance Sports Travel The following day we rode the course. It was every bit as hilly as I was led to believe, not on a Lanzarote scale, but tough enough to play to my strengths. Thank goodness I had selected the right gearing, I was running a 56/39 with an 11/26 on the back. There were lots of fast corners with intermittent steep sections. With the 56 I could make time up on the downhills, where other bikers would be using their brakes or free wheeling.

Come race day I was ready, I woke at 0430hrs for a 0700hrs start. Experience has taught me I need to eat at least two hours before a race in order for nature to take its course! The Ironman had truly rolled into town and nothing would stand in its way. I later found out that the previous day a fisherman had drowned in Lake Monona and they had been dredging all night looking for the body. Thankfully they had found the poor soul, but this wasn't good Karma. I put my thoughts about this aside...but the water was so cloudy and murky that I found it difficult to think of any thing else, whilst tredding water on the start. BOOM..... the cannon sounded and I was off. I had positioned myself on the pace line, a little optimistically in fairness, but I was used to a bit rough and tumble. I normally just put this down to racing. I don't believe its due to anyone being purposefully malicious. At about 800m into the swim I realised I'd gone marginally off course, the sun was in my eyes and I'd gone maybe 70m off course. I had basically been ploughing through other athletes but heading in the wrong direction!! I quickly corrected this and continued to work hard to regain the distance I'd lost. I began to leave the pack and edge up to the athletes ahead. Either they were dying or I was so far off course that the normal guys I'd be up with were long gone!! No one passed me on the second 1900m loop...My Sailfish wetsuit felt great, super comfortable. I exited the water about 3 Min's down of where I expected. In distance terms this is about 100-200 metres and this accounted for my poor sighting....Grrr! I later found out I was 293 overall at this point with a time of 1.04:39.

Transition One - This is totally crazy, it must be the longest transition ever. After your encounter with wetsuit strippers, who make you lay on your back before they peel your suit off. Then you run from ground level up the helix of a multistory car park to the 4th floor, pick up your bag and change before running out to the car park to pick up your bike to descend down another helix....
All this took me 5.07. The fastest pro guys were 3.58. It has to be seen to be believed......
The bike was a 23km out and back from Madison with 67km loop in the middle which was repeated twice. I liked this idea taking the race out on to quiet country roads so the main roads, in and out, of Madison weren't effected. For the first 90 Min's of the bike I pushed really hard trying to make up for my lost time in the swim. From time to time I'd pick up someone who'd try to hold my wheel, but confidently I'd push on. After two hours I caught a group who were riding legally, but clearly rotating through and working together. I knew there were three hills coming up and I left my attack until then, leaving them in my wake. I needed to push and hold over 400 watts to break the group and this would come back to haunt me later. A stronger Czech guy stayed with me but was later red carded for drafting. For the remainder of the race, I had caught two guys, one from Boulder called Shane and German guy called Stefan. Both were strong and we were riding the same pace. We had to keep out of each others draft zone as we were constantly shadowed by the race marshals. At around 3 hours I started to lose sight of them and they pulled away. My mega power intervals had pushed me over my red line and up came my breakfast.... I eased off and left it 15 Min's before I tried to take on some water. Thankfully the answer was yes, this gave me the chance to take on more Infinit energy and within minutes, I was back. I used only 2 bottles of concentrated Infinit on the bike and diluted this with water from my aero bottle. I reeled in other bikers passing the female Pro's who had started 10 min prior. I knew then that I was ii the sharp end of the race and I was charged...I'd biked 5.05:01 averaging 35.5kmh....

The second transition from bike to run was shorter and I tore through it, equaling or beating most of the Pro's in 2.06 Min's

I stormed out of the Monona Exhibition Hall transition area hitting the tarmac hard. I knew I had a 3 hour marathon somewhere, the question was would I find it here in Wisconsin...The first part of the run took us into downtown Madison and I was able to settle into a relaxed pace. I felt good, hydrated with no stomach issues. I was taking a gel every 15 Min's, chasing it with water. After the first 10km this changed.... the course became difficult to maintain a rhythm, It was up down, left, right, onto a sidewalk and then back onto the road and my pace began to wain.. Note to self, always recce the run course too, this was simply bad admin on my part. I should have biked it before the race. It really is a crazy course... at one point we ran into the 100'000 seater 'Wisconsin Badgers' American football stadium, round the touch line and back out!!!

At the half way point Mike Reilly shouted over the speaker that I was the 5th amateur, third in my Age Group and that number one was just in front..... this was like a red rag to a bull, I pushed on. Suddenly I saw a guy walking in front. He was the lead guy in my age... great I thought, 1 more to go. I could see him in front, Brian was his name. I was catching him each mile, but the second lap had become really congested. At the aid stations It had become increasingly harder to be re supplied with sponges and water. Each aid station was laid out in a different format and I found myself having to stop and often walk back to the water supplier, who had missed my shouts for water as I ran passed. This had began to annoy me as I kwew I would have to burn the precious seconds that I had worked so hard for... Eventually I caught Brian and passed him decisively. I could hear his feet disappear, and knew he hadn't come with me. I was now leading my Age group and was third amateur overall. The race was mine too lose.... and this became a real possibility. I had used GU gels for this race,which were not my usual choice and they were giving me gas!!!Not good.... at this point I was concerned about having a You tube incident, so had to duck into a portaloo. Can you believe that the first two were both occupied. Typical ehh...I really didn't expect this, I even mindlessly started to queue. I frantically ran through the next aid station looking for the loo, and thank goodness found one.... I was almost disappointed having burnt all this time to find out it was just wind. Brian had re passed me and was now 200m up the road. I had just the up hill stretch home to catch him..... I had run out of road, despite upping my pace I wasn't able to bridge the gap. I was now surrounded by so many athletes on their first lap he was difficult to pick out ahead. I took solace that I was now finishing my marathon and that my race was almost over. I decided to enjoy it, ignoring the the younger age grouper who ran by me, Thorsten was his name. I celebrated with the crowd, high five-ing everyone and doing a 'Tim Don' aeroplane down the finishing flume... It felt just awesome!!!

3.16:28 not my fastest Ironman marathon, but it had put me 18th overall, 5th amateur and 2nd in my Age Group. I missed 1st by just 41 seconds.....

Job done - Kona 2010 here I come - Hooray!!!!

The Ultimate Challenge.....Everest

For Richard Staite adversity was always interesting.... Having gained an Cambridge Blue at rowing and multiple Ironman finishes it was only a matter of time before Everest beckoned.

Climbing Everest takes a surprisingly long time. We were camped on the mountain for about two months even before making the final attempt on the summit. This time was spent acclimatizing, setting up camps and thinking about what lay ahead of us. We were actually ready for the final ascent after six weeks but due to high winds we were stuck at 6400m for yet another two weeks. At this height the body breaks itself down and you lose weight rapidly. Mentally you start to think you may never make it. When the wind dropped we finally set off and would take another three days to reach our top camp at 8400m, high on the north face. By this point I was already in a daze and feeling weak. It was cold and very windy, not only was there the lack of oxygen, but I hadn’t slept for two nights and had barely eaten anything for several days due to the nausea brought on by altitude sickness. All I could stomach was a few Pringles. This was not a good starting point even to get out of bed let alone try to climb to the summit. We set off for the final assault at 11pm and climbed through the night. The main challenge is not technical but is being able to deal with the altitude, the cold and the tiredness. Technically it’s not too hard except for the infamous second step at 8550m where Mallory and Irvine disappeared in 1924 and which has been the scene of many fatalities. After this point it seemed to get exponentially harder as one approaches the top. Up until then I had been able to progress slowly, one step at a time but then suddenly with about 200m to go I came to a grinding halt, my body felt totally weak. I felt like I was suffocating and gasping for air.

In preparation I always told myself I would never give up but having just stepped over a dead body I also knew I should also try to make some sensible decisions. High on Everest, no one can help you and if you sit down from exhaustion, you get cold and there’s a good chance you may never get up again. I decided to plough ahead and summitted at about 7am in the morning. I felt relieved more than elated. It was an unnerving place to be standing. I barely had the energy to move and to make matters worse my vision was going blurred. After a few quick photos I started the descent. Initially again I felt very weak but with each step lower the air pressure gradually increased and I started to feel a little better. I started to speed up and then risked descending the second step without really attaching myself firmly to any ropes. This was a big mistake, my crampon got caught in an old rope and I was left dangling over the north face. My hands were gradually slipping off the smooth rocks and my breathing went totally out of control. Somehow I sorted myself out and continued on down , determined to descend the 2500m back to base camp the same day. Halfway down I started to hallucinate. Rocks started to look like people. It was pretty weird but not a total surprise given I hadn’t eaten or slept for a couple of days and was very dehydrated. It started snowing and then I was in a white out and couldn’t see anything and really felt like lying down. I stumbled on and finally got back to an empty base camp (everyone else was still up the mountain) at around 4pm on the same day. I was in pieces. I struggled to eat and drink and could barely sleep as my heart rate was much too high. My lungs felt like they were about to give up. I had an awful nights sleep. It was only when I got back to Kathmandu a few days later then I felt normal and then elated to have made it.

Beet the competition!

Beetroot juice boosts endurance!
Infinit does not believe in magic ingredients or outrageous claims; athletes succeed when they train hard and smart. But recently they noticed a University of Exeter study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology that revealed drinking beetroot juice improves athletic stamina and is capable of reducing fatigue. After six days of consuming 500ml of this potent elixir, people could exercise for up to 16 per cent longer. So they got on the phone to Andy Jones at Exeter Uni to learn more. Andy reports that they discovered a significant movement in numbers after around 5 days of beetroot juice consumption. Why? Beetroot juice, better known for turning your pee red or helping fight cancer, is high in nitrates. Andy believes that the high nitrate levels are responsible for stamina improvement, since those h! igher levels have previously been linked with reducing blood pressure.

What does this mean to you? Their initial conclusions suggest that:

* Nitrate-rich food will help you perform faster, longer and stronger
* Root and/or green vegetables provide a natural source of nitrate
* Athletes should "load" for 6 days before a big race or training camp
* After a few days the effects wear offbut your training or performance results while you were "under the influence" obviously remain

The downside? Nitrates have been linked to cancer, both when added to meat and in vegetables grown with nitrate fertilizer. This may seem surprising, considering beetroot's traditional position as a healthful food for cancer patients. The natural coloring chemical anthocyanin is often given credit for the anti-carcinogenic properties. So don't go wild and drink massive doses of nitrates every day at least not until more is known.
They would recommend a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables with a few loading periods for key times in your season. No evidence thus far has led to the conclusion that consuming beetroot while exercising will make you faster; the difference comes during and immediately after the "loading" period. Stay tuned, though I don't doubt that scientists are looking further at this wonder plant, and we may know more soon!

Sram Red Cassette 11-26, The Perfect ratio...

I love the Sram red cassette. The 11-26 cassette is a perfect training cassette – and I think its the perfect ratio for racing hilly courses as it offers a full range of gear ratios. Normally there is a trade off, i.e if you want a 25 you end up losing the 11... But with the 11 -26 you have the ability to take on the hills on the 26 and monster the descents on the 11.... Yippee!!



The cassette is crazy-light and the fact that it is machined from a solid piece of steel is pretty cool. It's also so easy to clean by just spraying a little GT 85 between the cogs and then allow it to drip off.

The chain/cassette combo is slightly noisier than Dura Ace, but not to the point of being distracting or disturbing. The power dome has a cavernous clunk when you change up but this doesn't effect its performance...It works seamlessly with my other Dura Ace components

Its brilliant... but it comes at a price, at around £150 -£175 its not cheap!!