Ironman World Championships 2010 - Kona Hawaii

The lead up to my race hadn't been perfect; I'd qualified in Wisconsin the previous year. Since then I'd had to pull out of both IM Lanzarote and IM Nice due to injury. I had torn ligaments in my left ankle which had affected my running for the rest of the year. My early plans of a sub 3 marathon were slipping away...



Kona would be my first Ironman of the year, with this came the uncertainty of how I would race. I arrived earlier this year than I had in the past, this was to be a very special couple of weeks for me and few weeks that would shape my future. Mette and I were married in St Peters Church, Kailua Kona - Hawaii on the 3rd October. It was a very special day for both us and made even more special by all our friends and family who were there


My race didn’t have a perfect start I had positioned myself two rows back in the middle. As the cannon sounded the paddle boarders were too close to me and blocked my swim. I had to go sideways before I could go forward and this wasn't easy with around 1500 other athletes behind me. From that point onwards I tried to relax in the 'melee or thrashing arms and feet' that was the swim. Exiting the swim, I felt good, relaxed. I hadn't been any where close to the red line; I was conscious that this was where I could make up some time.



I ride to watts and quickly settled into a rhythm passing the faster swimmers. I’ve recently been Retul’d by Freespeed and my position felt strong even in the Trade winds at Hawi. This gave me confidence and a sub 5 bike was the result!! my first ever in Kona…..... I put this down to having a plan and sticking to it. I use a concentrated Infinit Speedfil on the down tube and have a profile torpedo with water on the bars. This is all I carry, no bars, saltsticks or any other nutrition.




The run was hot, and although I was just off my target pace I felt like was just hanging in there...At the turn point I saw Declan Doyle was about 200m behind me and Tim Bishop was a little further back. Both looked strong. I train with both Dec and Tim and know how capable and talented they are, I wasn't sure if I could hold my pace. I saw a sign at the side of the road that said ’ Pain reassures you that you’re alive’ I was alive alright… and hurting!! From the start my run felt hard, I didn't remember 2008 being like this. But this year I was shooting for better than 21st in my age group and it came at a cost. Richard Hobson, my coach, was just ahead and it spurned me on to see familiar faces. I could see that he was hurting too, thank goodness for that as Tim and Dec still looked fresh. Heading out onto the Queen K into the lava fields, I felt alone and strangely took strength from this, my race was in my hands and it was mine to let slip away. I took solace that I was still passing more athletes.

I was so glad to see the finish, there’s nothing quite like the finish on Alii Drive and I will cherish that forever. My friend’s from Disney Tri were there cheering me on and for the first I shared the finishing flume with no one.... It was mine and mine alone.



My fastest race to date in Kona, 89th overall including all the Pro's. 36th Amateur and 10th in age group. 1st British Age grouper again

Swim 1:06.21
T1 3.03
Bike 4:55.30
T2 3.10
Run 3:09.15

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!!!!

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….