Kona Bound - 2 Freespeeders already qualified!

With my Kona qualification already confirmed in IM Cozumel, I returned back to the UK to see that Jenny had entered Phuket 70.3 very last minute....

She had already flown out and was preparing to race. Despite her respite after Vegas 70.3, where she achieved 4th pace in her age. Jen was still in reasonable shape and recorded a PB 10k time and won the ‘Shock absorber’ 10km race in Richmond Park.

Phuket 70.3 is a tough one…. With big hills, humidity and heat and it was set to be a real challenge. Like the rest of Team Freespeed though, we seem to relish the tougher events and this was a perfect race for Jen. Despite struggling with an upset stomach, Jenny won her age group very convincingly by 9 minutes – whoop whoop!!

What a result…. Phuket is one of the few races that has qualifying slots for the Las Vegas 70.3 Word Championships and Kona – The World Ironman Championships and Jenny had qualified for both with her placing. Bravo Jenny


2 Team Freespeeders in…. 2 to go…

Freespeed Dominate - UK 70.3 Wimbleball June 2011

For the first time this season all four of the Freespeed team athletes were down to race at the same event, Ironman UK 70.3. Having been to Devon to practice the course a month ago the decision was taken to combine the race with a camping trip in the beautiful Wimbleball countryside. This looked to be a flawed decision on arrival as 24 hours of torrential rain had left the fields and surrounding roads in a state that had everyone questioning their choice of carbon race wheels.

As luck would have it the rain and wind subsided during Saturday night and clear and chilly conditions greeted the 1600 athletes as they made their way into the freezing lake.

Stuart Anderson Sailfish G Range


This was a good test for the new team Sailfish G Range wetsuits and good swims by the three boys saw them come out of the water ahead of the team fish, Jenny – she’ll get her own back at a future race for sure. In the meantime, all four were on the bike and pushing hard. Stu quickly made it to the front of the age group field and comfortably stayed there until T2, coming off the bike side by side with one other athlete. Dec had worked his way through the field into a good position to attack the run and Tim was well placed in the 40-44 age group. Jen meanwhile was inside the top ten overall, loving her brand new Blue Triad SL and holding a position 3 minutes down on the first female age grouper, Tracy Cook.

Stuart Anderson


Jenny Gowans Blue Triad SL


Once on the run, Stu stormed to victory in the amateur race and 8th overall holding a gap of never more than 30 seconds to the chasing athlete in second place. Dec ran through to 4th place amateur and Tim kept it strong to take the third spot on his age group podium. Jen was struggling to make an impact on Tracy Cook who still held a two minute gap with three miles to go but a late surge brought her to the line in first place and a double amateur race win for Team Freespeed. A dream result and hundred per cent success rate for the team at the awards ceremony.

Jenny Gowans


Tim Bishop



Declan Doyle


Next up was the World Championship roll down and needless to say all four picked up their slots to Las Vegas in September and can’t wait to get out there and race the best in the world.



Team Freespeed Compressport

All of the above wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors and it was a lot of fun to spend time with Tim from Compressport over the weekend – he was also celebrating some great results in the pro ranks. All four of the team are genuinely surprised at how good their legs are feeling in the days after the race.





New race kit from Skinfit has now arrived and custom design training kit is in production – exciting times with a major sponsorship announcement to be made in the next week or so.

Waialua Bakery - Haleiwa, Oahu

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself” is just one of the inspirational quotes pinned to the walls of this cozy Haleiwa bakery, which is just off the strip in Kamehameha Highway, North Shore, Oahu - Hawaii.

There are only a few seats inside, but don’t let that keep you from stopping in to soak up some words of wisdom. On a rainy day in London it's easy to cast my mind back to my time in Haleiwa and remember the lunch I had here and my first Acai smoothie...

Good Times

Freespeed... Anyone need some?

With a new year brings new goals and challenges…..

I wanted to introduce a new Bike Fit studio in West London offering the industry leading bike fit technology, the RETUL fit system. The studio is run by a good friend of mine who is passionate about cycling whether it be road racing, Time Trials, Sportives, Triathlons or mountain biking. Richard is an accomplished rider himself and has raced all the major European cyclo sportives and multiple Ironman events including the coveted Ironman Hawaii. His passion for cycling and experience shows in his FIT's and the time he spends getting you in the most efficient position for your chosen discipline, something which is worth more than any piece of kit you buy for your bike.



A good bike FIT is key to more power, more comfort and injury free cycling. With the RETUL system it is an exact science and you will always have your exact measurements to set up which ever bike you ride.

So what does this mean……?

It means that not only will you be set up in a position where you can maximise your power output over your chosen distance, but you’ll also find you’ll optimise your run potential off the bike. All three of Team Freespeed ran our fastest Ironman marathon splits in Kona this year after being fitted by Richard. Both Declan and I also notched up Sub 5 hour bike splits... I had thought I had my position nailed until, I’d seen Richard. So if you want to run the same set up system of all the top Pros and rule out any race concerns about your optimum position, check out Freespeed.


For all the technical details, specifics and post FIT service its best to contact Richard. He is currently offering a £50 discount for January and if you let him know I passed this on to you he will make every effort to be flexible with FIT times to fit in around your availability.

Start 2011 in the best possible position, its FREESPEED!!

Ironman World Championships

Here's just a few photo's.....My blog will be up this week

Ironman Lanzarote 2010 - A DNS....

With over 20 days on warm weather training camps in Club La Santa –Lanzarote this year. My coach Richard Hobson and I were feeling confident about shape and form to race Ironman Lanzarote. It’s a strange feeling.... but as an athlete, you feel channelled, directed and focused especially when things have been going well. I was really excited at the prospect of laying the smack down…

My training camps in Lanzarote, were all about acclimatising and adjusting to the heat and ferocious wind that Lanza is famous for. Richard Hobson had organised two 10 day camps one in February and the other in April. This was the perfect opportunity to train with a great group of athletes.

I returned leaner and stronger, having dropped down to my race weight. All in all the tide was turning and my body was transitioning to a weight and body fat content that I’d only be able to hold for a couple of weeks. Carrying less weight really impacts on my run. A few less kilos’ on the marathon and it makes for an easier day.
In the build up to a race Richard reduces my training mileage, which allows my body to recover, but introduces a few tempo sessions to make sure my training doesn’t go stale. This called a taper.

I’ve heard Richard say many times that

‘The hardest thing about racing is making it to the start line’.

And he’s right; there are so many things that can go wrong – Illness, injury etc
I’ve always been very fortunate on this front as even when I’ve picked up injuries and had to take time out, I’ve recovered well. In the run up to this race, I seemed to be on fire, I clocked sub 33 mins for two laps of Richmond Park (an undulating 24km) so I knew I was ready.

It was 5 days out from the race and I was on a 20km training run into work, it felt good as the sun was out. Mentally I was in a good place as I was already rehearsing my race in my head when suddenly I turned my ankle over on an uneven paving slab. There was an audible crack and I was reduced to a hobble….

That was it…. Game over!! It was X rayed and fortunately it was just the ligaments. I’ve had this sort of injury before so I knew the routine and the method to improve recovery. I saw the Physio and started my treatment.

I travelled out to Lanzarote, not as an athlete ready to race, but to support my coach Richard who would be racing an Ironman for the first time in 17 years. It was a difficult decision to make to tavel and when I arrived, I was asked by so many friends ‘What was wrong?’ and ‘Why can’t you race?’ My friend Vince said I should tell them
'I slipped on a lime in salsa competition….'

Despite this it was great to get out on the course to cheer on my friends, Tim Bishop,Lee Holdaway,Kit Stokes, James Pete, Steven Lord, Pete Slater, Tom Newman and of course Richard. It was a super day and in his first Ironman race for 17 years..... Richard smashed it!!! coming 41st overall, 2nd in his age category and qualifying for the Ironman World championships in Kona - Hawaii. My good friend Tim Bishop also put in an awesome performance notching up Pb’s in both the swim and the run on his way to being the fastest British Amateur in 37th, also qualifying for the World Champs. Congratulations Tim - I know how much you wanted this.....


So with three of us already qualified … there’s just Declan Doyle, Lee Holdaway and James Pete to go…

Come on fellas...

Congratulations must also go out to Pete Slater & Steven Lord both qualifying again to race in Kona. Both raced with their heart and soul and deserved the result.

Speedfil - is it another Aero Advantage??

I'm just back from having spent 10 days training in Lanzarote, it was an awesome eye opener to how windy the island can be. When I arrived with Richard Hobson and some of the Athletes registered on his Long distance Triathlon camp we encountered the tail end of the hurricane that had been causing damage & devastation across France.

I was concerned by the fact that I'd decided to bring my time trial bike with deep wheels. This meant I was faced with the prospect of being blown off the road and maybe there days where I was unable to ride at all. I had also agreed to trial a new water bottle - Speedfil
This is both aerodynamic and has a 1200ml capacity. It has a simple bite valve and easy to refill. It took me less than five mins to install.....
The Speedfil is a revolutionary product designed to minimize air disturbance while creating fluid-carrying capacity. The down tube-mounted cage creates smooth airflow around the frame while the rider is in motion. Fluid passes through flexible tubing, allowing for easy output through the bite valve. Hydration is immediate as the bite valve keeps fluid at the ready for whenever its needed. It fitted well on my Specialized Transition and having the straw in front of me encouraged me to drink regularly.
On a 60km/10km/40km/5km/20km/5km Brick session I only lost 200grams of weight, compared to some of the other guys losing over a kilo. This demonstrates that I remained well hydrated throughout my session.

In the wind, it seemed to pick up the wind like a sail, blowing me a long - Yipee!!! the only problem I had was when I was caught by gusts, but so long as my weight was over the front wheel on my aero bars it wasn't a problem. Clearly this is the next step in 'aeroness', much better than having the normal parachute that most athletes have attached to their seat in the form of cages, spare tubes and tools.....

For longer distance races 70.3 or Ironman its got to be a winner!

Ride with caution....

With the onset of a New Year, many people would have set resolutions and are ready to hit the gym, Tarmac or their local park of training ground. This is great and I but please air on the side of caution...

I've been practically chomping on the bit dieing to get out and ride a new Time Trial bike that I took delivery of before Christmas, but alas the weather has been such that the risk of loosing the front wheel on a icy patch has far outweighed the benefit.

I was out riding with some friends the other day when we crested a hill and as we did so, a friend lost the front wheel on a patch of ice momentarily before we all went down. This resulted her breaking her wrist and a number of fingers!!

So if you really need to ride, my advice is to take the Mountain bike out or leave your weekend ride until later in the day when the frost has melted.... Its just not worth spending 6 weeks out with a fractured or broken limb....

Punctures....and cheap gas!!!

With the onset of the Winter, comes the inevitable.....


Wet roads increase the likelihood of picking up punctures as grit and road debris sticks to the tyre and slowly cuts into the tyre each rotation. Especially if you're still running those lightweight summer tyres. Ideally these should be replaced with a tyre with some level of puncture protection. I use folding Continental Gatorskins and use a slightly wider 25mm to give me more stability in the wet when conrnering. If I was racing I'd be using Michelin Pro Race 3 Grip, 23mm These a are super sticky and allow me a greater level of confidence when cornering hard.

In any case my main discovery this week was that so many people didn't know about Tyre Inflators www.tyreinflators.co.uk. These guys are simply fantastic and allow clyclists to use Co2 gas canisters much more liberally beacuse they sell them so cheap. At around 50p a cartridge you may never need to use your pump again. It also means that you can be on the road again in mins....

Keep trucking!!

Correct Pre, During and Post Workout Nutrition

So I met this guy, Jarrad Wyett, the other day. We had a really interesting discussion about nutrition. I mentioned that I have been using Infinit products, Pre post and during races. I also explained that I favour their no solids approach both for ease of function, carrying them around and getting an instant hit when I need it, especially when I have low blood sugar; however what we agreed and discussed at length was that nutrition is very personal. Anyway Jarrad said that he would send me something...... and here it
Pre Workout Nutrition:
Correct nutrition is a fundamental part of any exercise enthusiast. Without proper nutrition throughout the entire day you won’t make any serious gains. While acknowledging nutrition is a fundamental part of any training program, pre, during and post nutrition is paramount. The following information on pre, during and post nutrition is not rocket science but rather tried and tested knowledge to maximise your results.
Pre-Workout Nutrition

Two Objectives prior to a workout:
1.) Having a meal 1½ hours before training (This time can vary depending on your metabolism, amount of food consumed, how you feel when you train, etc.).

2.) Taking a proper supplement 30mins before (Protein, carbohydrates and branch chain amino acids are a great idea).

Pre-Workout Meal (Should Contain):

Carbohydrates are the main source energy in a workout. Consume moderate to low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates as they will fuel your body with energy throughout the entire workout. If you only eat high GI carbohydrates before a workout, you will have a lot of energy at the start and little energy at the end.
Some great sources include brown rice, brown bread, lentils, sweet potatoes, whole-wheat pasta and traditional oatmeal.
Many fruits have a moderate GI, including dried fruit. The lowest GI fruits include cherries (25), apples (36) and pears (36).

Glycemic Index Range
Low GI = 55 or less Medium GI = 56-69 High GI = 70+

Protein: Is the essential building blocks of muscles. Without it, your muscles would not grow. Protein also ensures proper nitrogen balances in the muscle for growth and repair. Some excellent sources of protein include eggs, chicken, turkey and fish (Tuna & Salmon). Ensuring protein is part of your pre-workout meal and directly before in the form of a whey powder is ideal.

Fats: EFA (essential fatty acids) are necessary for maintaining high testosterone levels, energy levels and obtaining fat soluble vitamins. However fats slow food absorption and you don't want food nutrient uptake being slowed down before a workout. So fats pre-workout should be limited for those that are hungry all the time and those that train for 100+ minutes. Olive oil, peanut butter, nuts and egg yolks are all sources.

Pre-workout Supplements
Creatine: Enables trainees to train more intensely, for longer time periods and has been shown to assist with recovery.
Caffeine: A widely used stimulate which increases energy levels and if stacked with Ephedrine HCL is an excellent fat burner. Studies have shown that caffeine enhances performance specifically in weight training.

L-Glutamine: An important non-essential amino acid that prevents muscle catabolism. Studies have shown it increases growth hormone levels and assists in muscle recovery by maintaining cell hydration.

BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids): Assists with anabolism by slowing fatigue while the trainee performs and significant prevention of muscle catabolism. Strengthening of the immune system is another benefit apart from the all important prevention of muscle catabolism.

Energy/Mental Focus: B-vitamins, guarana and ginseng. A balanced B-vitamin helps convert the carbohydrates consumed into energy. It is key that B-vitamins aren’t taken singularly (B1 or B2) because vitamins don't work alone in the body. Bananas are full of B-vitamins, along with brewers yeast (natures highest source of B-vitamins). Guarana and ginseng are herbal supplements that can improve energy levels, alertness and mental focus if taken in moderation.

Meal Examples:

Pre-Workout Meal #1: Chicken and Rice
■1 Cup pasta sauce ■1 Chicken breast ■Vegetables ■1 cup brown rice

Pre-Workout Meal #2: Turkey Burger
■Whole wheat bun ■Non-fat turkey burger ■Cheese ■Salad

Pre-Workout Meal #3: Hot Oats
■1 cup traditional oats ■1 ½ cups of skim milk ■1 pear sliced
During Workout Nutrition
During your workout avoid eating to let your body concentrate on the workout and not on ingesting food. Instead consume water. Water is vital to stay hydrated during a workout and enable maximum muscle contraction. Creatine and BCAA’s can be added to your workout water to assist performance and nutrient uptake by your muscles.

Protein Shakes: A protein shake is not a good idea as blood will be directed to the stomach for digestion. This will result in less blood being available for the working muscles where it is needed the most.

Sports Drinks: Only needed if doing vigorous exercise over 1 ½ hours, to replace lost carbohydrates and salts.
Post-Workout Nutrition

Two objectives to post workout nutrition:

1.) Fuelling your body immediately after a workout and fuelling your body 1½ hours after. The goal is to use proper nutrients to assist with recovery; replenish glycogen, amino acids and hydration levels.

2.) Creating an anabolic environment to maximise results from the training stimulus.

Immediately After a Workout:

Following a workout a liquid meal in the form of a recovery shake is one of the most effective methods to optimise nutrient uptake, due to rapid absorption rates. The primary aims being to:
1.) Replace 2.) Stop 3.) Elevate

1.) Replace Glycogen Stores
 By replenishing glycogen you will be creating an insulin spike. Insulin is highly anabolic, fuelling muscle growth and slowing anabolism of muscle tissue.
 Refined types of carbohydrates work best, including dextrose (aka glucose) and maltodextrin. This is because they are both digested rapidly and replenish glycogen stores quickly. A mix of both dextrose and maltodextrin is more potent compared to using just one type, as they activate different transport mechanisms within the digestive tract.
 .8 - 1 grams of carbohydrates per kg of body mass.

** Insulin: If you keep creating insulin spikes, then your insulin sensitivity will decrease. This means your muscles have had too much glycogen shoved into them too often so the muscles will start rejecting the glycogen. Keeping insulin spikes to 2-3 per day will ensure insulin response is not desensitized and maximise the sensitivity of the muscles cells to uptake nutrients post-workout. If high GI foods are consumed regularly less insulin will be produced every time, eventually shutting down insulin production altogether (Diabetes!). The less insulin you produce the less protein synthesis will occur. Therefore by consuming moderate to low GI carbohydrates at the majority of meals, when you do consume high GI carbohydrates your insulin response will be far more significant, as will those muscle gains.**
2.) Stop Muscle Breakdown
 Consumption of protein is essential to stop protein breakdown, repair muscles and build new muscle.
 The 2:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, boosts insulin levels twice as much compared to carbohydrates alone. Insulin is vital as it opens up blood vessels in your muscles, meaning more nutrients such as amino acids and carbohydrates where their needed.
 .4 grams of protein per kg of body mass.

Bulking Stage Ratio - 2:1 Carbohydrate : Protein mix
Cutting Stage Ratio - 1:1 Carbohydrate : Protein mix

3.) Elevate Protein Synthesis
 Training stress causes small tears in muscle fibres and connective tissue. This training stress and the proper intake of foods such as a quality protein powder, will provide a boost in protein synthesis (boost in muscle growth). Studies have shown that BCAA supplementation in combination with an insulin spike can dramatically increase protein synthesis within the body.

** Recovery: As a result of the tearing and breakdown of the muscle tissue, the body needs help to repair this damage. So fluids begin to build up to transport immune cells to the torn muscle debris. While these go to work, free radicals build up. Free radicals are chemically very unstable meaning they bond to anything. They can breakdown muscle tissue and further damage it causing a longer recovery. That is why anti-oxidants are a good thing to keep in mind.
Anti-oxidants bond to these free radicals so they won't bond to your muscle tissue and break it down. Green tea and vitamin C supplements are good anti-oxidants to assist with the recovery process.**

Post Workout Shake:
 Whey Protein Isolate (.4 grams per kg of body mass)
 High GI Carbohydrates: Dextrose & Maltodextrin (.8 grams per kg of body mass)
 BCAA (3-5 grams)
 Creatine (3-5 grams)
 Anti-Oxidants (Vitamin C & E)
 L-Glutamine (3-5 grams)
 Sodium (A pinch will help with electrolyte levels and help make an isotonic solution to improve hydration)
 H20 500ml to 1 litre (H2O for rehydration of cells. Avoid milk as it can slow the uptake of nutrients)

** Instead of pouring the whole thing down your throat after your workout, have half immediately after. After 15mins, the second half should be consumed slowly over the next 1/2 hour to give a sustained influx of protein. The initial hour flowing a workout is key to maximising results by consuming proper nutrients.**

1-2 Hours After Workout:

Consume an actual meal consisting of low to moderate GI foods. Do not create an insulin spike here, as it is better off creating an insulin spike (remember 2-3 max per day) in the morning and directly after training. An ideal meal following a workout should be similar to that of other meals throughout the day. Consume a variety of natural unprocessed foods with a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat.

Examples of foods to consume include:
 H20 (creatine, caffeine dehydrate body)
 Pasta & Whole wheat breads
 Sweet potatoes & Vegetables
 Brown rice
 Chicken, Fish or lean red meat
 Eggs
 Nuts (almonds)
Final Word:
Eat quality food, food that has little or no processing what so ever. While it may seem hard at the start it will soon become part of your lifestyle and the results will come. Training is the fun part of it all, with the nutrition aspect being the hardest part of any serious training program. All the training in the world will not enable you to achieve your goals unless you have nutrition in place throughout the day. And to disregard proper pre, during and post nutrition will limit your success altogether.

Jarrad Wyett
November 2009

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!!!!

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!!

Who said Denmark was flat??

I had prepared myself for a flat fast race and I was even contemplating using a friends disc.... I had been told that Denmark was flat, privately in my head I was thinking I wonder how close to 4 hours I can get?? previously in The World 70.3 Championships in Clearwater, I had clocked 4.12 for the same distance.


It was the Danish National Championships, a Half Ironman, consisting of 1.9km swim in the sea, 93km bike and a 21km run on mostly trail through the woods and coastal path. This consisted of a 1 lap in the sea, 4 laps of a bike loop and 4 laps on the run. This sort of course is very spectator friendly and to be honest its nice to hear the roar and support of the crowd. In the days prior to the race I recce'd the course completing a lap of each.... it was then I realised this wasn't a personal best(PB)course. DENMARK and especially Juelsminde IS NOT FLAT..... The bike course headed out into the prevailing West wind and the parts of the course that were with the wind were up hill!! and at one point a 17% climb...
The run was mostly off road and through woods and trails, momentarily heading through the town, but all in all not a fast straight course.

It started off well for me, after the initial ruckus in the swim I managed to get away from the pack and swim clear. It was then that nature ganged up to conspire against me... I swam through hundreds of jellyfish that had come in on the previous days swell. This was fine until I swam through a school of little pink ones.... Ouch!!! I was stung on both hands and between my fingers...It felt like a bee sting, but I knew it would subside, and maybe the pain gave me little more adrenalin that made me work that little harder...

As soon as I hit the bike, I knew this was where I could make my mark. My biking had been going well. I'm light and hills give me an advantage of the larger athletes. I worked my way through the athletes who had swam faster than me. It was great, each loop I couldn't wait to attack the steep climb again and I took strength from the fact no one passed me or could hold my wheel. I averaged 37km, working to the watts I'd been hitting in training. All was going to plan until I was stung again for the second time that day... a bee flew in to my mouth and stung me on the tongue!!! This was not good, it really hurt....and to be honest, I wasn't very happy!!

When I hit T2 and changed into my trainers, I tried to put this to back of my mind and powered out of the transition area to the roar of the crowd. It was awesome!!
There seemed to be no one in front of me, or if they were, I couldn't see them... I settled into my run and despite the ever changing surface and all the twists and turns I ran consistently. I put a little too much into the bike, so my run wasn't up to my normal pace. I had to hang in there....


It was a great day and a great race, I podiumed, winning the Open category and my age group category. I would have been crowned Danish National Age group champion if I wasn't English...
I was 5th overall... Hooray!! Its looking good for Ironman Wisconsin - Sept 13th

INFINIT - Keep It Simple On The Bike

I have personally used INFINIT for 4 Ironmans and having a product that I have tried and tested allows me to take confidence into my racing.

I have detailed some of my actual experiences so you can learn from me and optimize your plan for your next big race or challenge.

I take all my calories on the bike from INFINIT, this ensures the osmolality (concentration) in my stomach is suitable for easy absorption across my small intestine, no inference with salt or calories from other sources.
I aim to consume 281 calories per hour on the bike on the bike, but I tailor my formulas to suit the different climates I race in. Kona will be very different to racing a temperate race.

Two Approaches To Consider
Superconcentrate Mix 6 scoops of your blend into each INFINIT Bottle. Take two on the bike. Each bottles supplies me with enough calories for 3 hours. During the Bike take in about 1/9 of the bottle every 20 minutes and follow with water immediately.
Notes: Using this method relies upon chasing your INFINIT with clear water after every drink, this will get it back to the intended concentration, so it can be readily absorbed and you stay adequately hydrated. Make certain you take the time to calculate how much water you will be taking in if you are sipping on an aero-bottle straw. I use this method in all my Ironman Racing to calculate your sweat rate I recommend you do a sweat test a couple times during your training season to see what your water loss is per hr for different conditions (hot and cool).
Pros/Cons: Minimal weight for the bike on hilly courses. Easy to take in 1800+ calories on bike. No stop at special needs. If chase amount of water is not calculated/practiced, dehydration can result.

Normal Concentrate - Prepare 4 bottles at normal concentrate (2-Scoops each) for start of bike. Place 3 bottles on bike and empty one into aero-bottle prior to starting race. Prepare 3 bottles at normal concentration and one at double concentration for special needs. Place bottles in ziploc bags with frozen water bottles. Notes: Using this method is simple and requires no thought while on course. I would suggest supplementing this with water as well, say between 200 -300 ml of clear water every hour.
Pros/Cons: Safe, no thinking required on course. Easy to take in 2000+ calories on bike. Requires stop at special needs (30 seconds if done right). Extra weight on hilly course.
Both of the above methods are great ways of setting yourself up for a great run! Both need to be practiced. Remember the number of calories is athlete specific; you may not need 8 servings, only race on what you have practiced in training. This advice was given to me and I recommend this to any Ironman athlete: Conserve your energy and fuel your body the best you can through the swim, the bike and the first half marathon, to allow for your best possible last 13.1 miles.
I prefer formulas with a weaker flavour this means that even when I mix my drinks super concentrated they still taste good. Drinks don't need to have a strong flavour to still have all your calories and electrolytes.

So there you have it, nutrition really is the key to racing successfully at longer distances. This weekend I'm taking on the Danes in their National Championships.... in Jeulsminde http://www.tri09.dk/ . I feel in good shape and will be a good test of my fitness prior to Ironman Wisconsin next month...

Time away is precious .....La Garenne - France

Juggling a full time job and trying to train anything between 15 and 25 hours a week isn’t easy……
I’m fortunate that in the 10 years I’ve been at the Daily Telegraph I’ve accrued 30 days holiday. I’d like to say that over the last 5 years that I’ve taken some leisurely relaxing breaks, but when the truth is told most of my spare time is taken up by either training camps or travelling to races. I’ve raced in some fantastic locations around the world, and after a race there is always an opportunity to unwind and kick back a little and soak up the culture...

I’ve just come back from France. Richard Hobson, my coach has a business based just an hours drive from La Rochelle http://www.livingfrance.org/index.php They have six gites that they let from March to October, and I stayed there for a week to train with Richard and take advantage of the warm dependable climate. The surrounding area comprises of pure agricultural land, fields and fields of sunflowers, which seem to be the main crop surrounding their properties. Once you’re in this region of France, it really becomes evident how much of France is devoted to agriculture. There’s even a vineyard just across the lane, which sells a very drinkable wine at just €3 a bottle.

The terrain is rolling and hilly, there are no real mountains, but it’s certainly not flat!!! Smooth traffic free roads….. I just love it…

This undulating countryside was perfect for my training. We would ride for 5 hours a day and see maybe 2 cars and a couple farmers harvesting their crops. Not like the traffic congested roads I’m used to riding on around Surrey and Windsor. Before breakfast I’d hit the trails for a run around the property. There are endless trails through the woods and farmland that are easy to pick up and I’d run from a steady hour to a more intense 30km off road weaving through the woods and fields….. I love this, it’s a real opportunity for me to de-stress from my Monday to Friday, grind at work. I’m racing The Danish National Championships http://www.tri09.dk/ in August and than the big one….. My Ironman World Championships Qualifier for 2010, Ironman Wisconsin http://www.ironmanwisconsin.com/ on the 13th September and this has really given me the base I need. 7 weeks to go and counting….

Use Your Commute To Go Faster!!

Vince Kamp is both a triathlete and an awesome mountain bike racer, a great friend, advisor and confidante. We've spent many hours chewing the cud about racing, improving and smashing our opposition. He has completed four Ironman races and four 70.3 races with a 3rd place finish at IMUK and 3rd place at World Champs 70.3 Clearwater Florida.I climbed up on to the over the top scaffolding podium full of nervous energy. The tall man in front of me was blahing something through the microphone, which distorted with every letter ‘S’ he pronounced. He grabbed my skinny wrist and thrust it into the air announcing me the winner of the ‘Bluebell Cup mountain bike race’.
The handful of people standing around applauded. I think my parents even cheered a bit. The announcer shoved a small trophy into my hands and yanked my hands back into the air with enough enthusiasm to nearly dislocate my shoulders.
‘So Vince, what kind of training have you done to prepare for this race?’ He asked, his voice echoing around the caravan park.
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Uh oh, I thought. I searched around the crowd for my parents faces, hoping they would have the answer.
‘Er....I have a paper-round.’ I said quietly.
‘Sorry, Vince, speak up a bit please.’
‘I have a paper round’, I said leaning in too far and clinking my tooth on the metal mesh of the microphone. At that moment, I saw my Dad’s face. He smiled and shook his head.
I was quickly ushered off the podium to make way for the elite prize giving.
What the announcer did not give me the opportunity to explain, is that I had two very long paper rounds and for 6 mornings a week, from age 10 till 16 I may have been the fastest paper boy in the south East. Although I didn’t know it then, I was brick training the hell out of my juvenile body with high intensity intervals. I would sprint the driveways, leap over walls and sprint back to my bike, then sprint on my bike to the next road and go again. I would then ride to school, doing the same thing, I was totally smashed every day.
The point of this anecdote is that not everyone has the opportunity to follow a nicely structured training plan with built in recovery, threshold and high intensity sessions. Work, family and social commitments are often just too unpredictable to really follow a decent plan. Before you know it, you miss key training sessions and then get stressed trying to catch up. Sooner or later you’ll put yourself into a hole you can’t climb out of.
I know this, I’ve been there. But it didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to change things back to the days of the paper-round.
I raced several half and full Ironman races at the sharp end of my age group with baby at home and a stressful job.
So how do you stay fast without the time to execute well defined training sessions?
Use the commute.
If you can bike to work, make the route at least 45mins long, get in the usual 10min easy pedalling warm up to get heart rate up and muscles firing, then build the route into interval sections. For most commute journeys, steady tempo is just not feasible, there are traffic lights, pedestrians throwing themselves in front of you and damn cars everywhere. There is just too much recovery built in, so you have to really smash it for the sections of the route that you know are going to be uninterrupted. Time yourself for these sections or try to hit a certain speed, better yet have power targets to hit. Build the motivation in the recovery set before you hit that certain road, ‘I’m gonna smash 450W for this whole street.’ Then reward yourself with really easy spinning recovery so you can hit the next interval at the correct intensity again.
I hit my morning commute without any breakfast on board and just take a bit of fruit juice mixed with water. Despite what you may think, you have plenty of glycogen from last night’s dinner to get through 45mins of high intensity intervals and your metabolism will be properly ramped up for when you do chow down at work, so you will replenish when insulin is at its peak.
There is plenty of research that shows the benefits of high intensity intervals on increasing cardiovascular fitness (read endurance fitness) and fat burning. Save your tempo rides for the country lanes at the weekend.
You can do the same with running, you can use a run, walk strategy to make sure you really hit vVO2max (velocity at VO2max) for the intervals. Take a look at Bobbie McGee’s blog for some real insight into run walk training for triathlon.
Use your commute to your advantage. The commute can be used for excellent high quality training. It just takes a bit of planning.

I agree with Vince, living 20Km from work gives me the perfect opportunity to both run in or cycle in and home, adding a little extra distance in Richmond Park on the way home to make up 2 -3 hours of ride time. Utilising this dead time is paramount to my training strategy.

Too cool for a helmet?

With the coming of the summer at last.... Hooray!!! comes a new road user, the fair weather or summer commuter. I'm all for this... if it were up to me I'd adopt the same sort of system that you see in Holland or Denmark. The roads have designated cycle lanes and cyclists have the right of way, when crossing the road at junctions, very much like the rights given to pedestrians at pelican crossings here at the moment. These sort of systems are safe and allow individuals who are neither road safe or bike competent the safety of their own lane.

Unfortunately this is neither Holland or Denmark, and most motorists in UK despise cyclists more so than the old fashioned milk floats that they used to overtake. They will cut you up, attempt a left turn in front of you and force you into the curb. As an urban commuter, you must be streetwise, second guessing drivers by trying to predict what will happen in front of you. Be aware of parents on the school run, these are often the worse offenders. Often trying to ferry the kids to school with only one eye on the road and the other on the argument going on in the back seat, the chances of them noticing you are slim....

Be aware also of pedestrians stepping out in front of you whilst either on the phone, or listening to their Ipod. Pedestrians will often take one step into the road before turning to look up the road in your direction. Of course this is where you are most likely to be.....and Its fair to say that at a speed of over 30kmh both of you will take a tumble.

In the time I've been riding, I've had lots of crashes, some of them in races where I was careless taking corners too fast- my fault, and some of them where I was taken out by another rider who clipped me - not my fault. I've been hit by cars, been over the bonnet and even been over the roof. I've hit pedestrians who have stepped out in front of me. I've been unconscious, bleeding and lost whole shards of skin, ripping off my Lycra cycling gear in the process. I've been taken to hospital and stitched up but despite this I still love cycling!!!!

There are some things that you can do to avoid this... riding defensively, signalling etc, but my saving grace has always been that I wear a cycling helmet!!! So far I've been through maybe 6 helmets which have all cracked on impact, serving their purpose and protecting my head. I've seen guys hit the deck at 50kmh and be OK.... their helmet detonating on impact saving their skull, very similar to how a car's crumple zones work. They may have picked up some hardcore road rash, but they'll live to ride another day.

So if you think helmets are just not cool - Think Again!!