IM Texas 2024 - You get what you deserve!
IM Texas 2024
I am sitting on plan home from Houston after another great trip to Ironman Texas 2024. The race was the first Ironman distance race as part of the new Pro Series. Unlike the other 4 times I have done this race there was a huge pro field which really changed the nature of the race. Super exciting and so much energy.
Over the last couple of years I have been deliberately doing one Ironman a year very early in the season to allow me to be able to have no big burden of training in the Summer and let me focus on golf. This strategy has worked for golf because my handicap is down from 13.5 to 10.5 which is pleasing!
It’s the hamstring!
The impact of this, however, is that my running has got slower and slower. So after 2023 IM Texas I decided to train for the Marine Corps Marathon in DC in late October. In the last few weeks of training I injured, what I thought was my hip, at the end of a 17 mile run. Thinking it was a muscle injury I rested and then tried again but with a similar pain starting at 13 miles. A few weeks later, I went ahead and started the marathon but had to quit at 13 miles . Very disappointing
After some time trying to figure out the root cause of issue I eventually worked out it was a high hip tendonopathy - a hamstring injury. I connected with Jonathon Pierce in San Diego, a really great therapist I have worked with before and started my journey to healing. Lots of strength work and exercises later I finally got the go ahead to start running again in Mid March, six weeks out of Ironman Texas. Even then the first 3 weeks was simply uphill strides no longer than 200m repeats. The week before the race I completed a 10 mile run. Good progress but not good enough to do 26 miles after 112 miles on a bike.
The plan….
Jonathon advised me to do the bike and the swim but only do 1 loop of the run.. about 8 miles. I did not like the idea but I wanted to go to Houston and at least I would have fun swimming and biking! The most important outcome was to not go backwards in my recovery from the hamstring injury.
On a side note it took me until January to figure out what exactly the problem was and find the right person to help fix it…nearly 3 months. I should have worked this out faster than I did
Lead up to race
Ana and I traveled to the Woodlands, just outside Houston on Wednesday afternoon/early evening. I came in from Dallas where I had been on business for the week and Ana traveled from New York. We had signed up for Ironman XC so we had dinner with the support crew and athletes. Always a great crowd and the XC staff are amazing. Andy and Edyta our friends from Chicago also joined us. Andy and I have done multiple Ironman together so I was great to catch up and spend time with them both.
Thursday morning we got up early and had the opportunity to meet up and do a short run with Tim O’Donnell. He and his wife, Miranda Carfree, have started a training company called Salty bears. He had a number of athletes in the race hence why he was in the Woodlands. Interestingly, like me, he is going to be doing the SOS triathlon later this year.
We then had breakfast together and the pro Matt Hansen came and spoke to us about his experiences with the race. Again, a great athlete and very nice person. He inspired me to get my new Quintana Roo tri bike at the end of last year.
The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent relaxing, preparing and doing short practice swim, bike and runs. The weather on race day was expected to be windy, up to 25mph winds, and the water was warm meaning that it may be no a no wetsuit swim.
Actually the first time I had done Ironman Texas in 2013 it was my first no wetsuit swim race. On race day I was so nervous about this swim I nearly pulled out. Ana had to whip me into shape and basically throw me in the water but that’s a story for another day! Having overcome the mental block I was no longer worried about using a swim skin. Whatever will be will be…
Race Day
After my usual restless night before a race the 4am alarm got me out of bed. I had cold porridge that Ana had prepared from home and brought with her, long with a banana and lots of coffee! Having got my toilet needs sorted out I left the room at 5am and met Andy in the hotel lobby. We walked to transition which is about 10 minutes from the finish line, final set up and then on to the start.
Swim
The swim is in 3 parts. It starts with an out and back in the lake next to Woodlands. It’s murky but quite pleasant to swim and the route is relatively straight and wide swim for the out and back. Apart from the turnaround you can find space to swim without too much churn from fellow swimmers. After returning back to where you start there is right hand turn down the canal that leads into the Woodlands center. The canal is narrow and the pack starts to bunch up making it a harder. swim for the last 800-1000 meters. For those of you who count buoys - 9 out, 9 back and 7 down the canal.
Bike
Short run to transition and out on the bike. The bike is a simple route - 20 miles out to the Hardy Toll Road and then 2 loops of 21 miles up the highway and back. Then a 7 mile ride into the finish. The ride up highway is generally into a strong wind, yesterday it was blustering to about 25mph which made it very tough. However, when you turn around you get the benefit of a very strong tail wind! It’s not an interesting ride, not much to look at, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting! There are very few supporters on the ride so all you have is your fellow competitors and your thoughts for company. The road is closed on one side of the highway so there is 3 lanes marked with cones - one up, one back and one for emergency vehicles.
I had a good ride except for a collision with one of the cones on the road on the second loop up to the turn around. Totally my fault, did not pay attention, ran into a cone and went over the handlebars. Fortunately I landed on my hip and my bike landed on me. I was more concerned about scratches on my bike rather than me! Took me a few minutes to recover but got back on my bike and carried on.
Other than feeling tired on the last 7 miles back to town I felt good on the bike. My nutrition was dialled in. I think I may have missed my last feed before the finish which caused me to be more tired than I should have been.
Run
And so on to the run…I got off the bike feeling sore from my fall. I hurt my left hip and my knee so I took my time going through transition. I started the run and then I quickly realised how unfit I was for the run. The months of no running took its toll! So I ended up run/walking the 8 miles I said I would do.
One thing I have learnt about Ironman unless you are unlucky you get what you deserve…..I had a good day, enjoyed myself, I will be back to fight another day.
Next race is one from my bucket list the SOS Triathlon in September. Here’s hoping my hamstring is back to full strength by then!
Fighting my thoughts to quit 500m into my first Ironman
Flashback to Sunday June 22nd 2008. It is 3am and I wake up in the South of France in a small town about 30 minutes drive East along the coast from Nice.
It is the day of my first Ironman. I have barely slept, the combination of excitement and nerves have left me unable to get into deep sleep despite going to bed at 9pm. If you have read my other blog posts you will know that the journey to get to this point has taken nearly 10 years. By any measure this is a big day.
I nervously eat my breakfast, almost forcing it down because I dont really feel hungry. I have sworn that I cannot leave to go to the race until I have been to the toilet twice. My body doesn’t want to help me….
Eventually, with Ana, my wife, we get in our car rental to drive to the race start. I am half asleep but manage to find an underground parking spot near transition by the sea in Nice. We walk outside with all of my nutrition, pump, wetsuit etc etc. It is now about 4.30am, it is still dark but it is already a warm day. There are people leaving clubs across the street from transition. It is at this point I realise that a few years ago that very likely would have been me leaving the club. A big night just finishing up and a day in bed and by the seaside ahead. How things have changed!
My nerves have subsided for now. It is still in the pit of my stomach but it’s manageable.
I set up my bike, check the tires, my transition bags, my wetsuit, and go to the toilet one more time. All is ready, it is now 5.15am. I have an hour and 15 minutes until the gun goes off and I will run down the pebble beach into the sea to swim 2.4 miles.
I have some drink that I had kept behind and the nerves start to well up in my stomach. Can I do this? Can I really do this?
It unbelievable, 140.6 miles in one day….can I really….The music starts playing and the announcer starts his commentary on what is going on in French. I understand most of what he is saying but I know what is going on.
I did not actually swim 2.4 miles in training. I got to 2 miles…what happens if I cant make it? Did I train enough? I cant do it?
This is where Ana intervened. ‘We have come all this way, you have done all the training, you will be fine go do it!!’ That helps me be stronger but the nerves are still there.
I put on my wetsuit, I warm up and before you know it I am on the beach with goggles in hand. The announcer starts to get more excited in his words. Then the song I will never forget comes on Yves LaRock - Rise Up. Tears started to well up in my eyes…this was the end of one journey in my life and the beginning of another. Could I really do this?
Then, the gun goes off….all of the age-group athletes, including me, start to walk into the water. I start swimming…I am so emotional and overcome I can barely breathe.
I swim, taking a breath, every stroke, which takes so much more energy than is needed. I keep doing this for a couple of a hundred of meters.
I then started to really doubt myself.
I can’t do this, I can’t breathe, I dont belong here, I am not an athlete, why dont you quit.
No just keep going one stroke at a time
Stop kidding yourself, just quit and go back to bed.
Look, your arms are sore, you just not fit enough quit! You dont belong!
No just keep going
This conversation is going on in my head. I am genuinely fighting with myself. I can still hear Yves singing ‘Rise up Rise up’ from the shore.
I cant tell you how close I was to listening to the negative voices and quitting. Somehow I just kept going…forget about how long I have to go…just do one stroke at a time. After a while my breathing and my heart rate settles down. I am just focused on getting the job done. I dont look back…I do the swim and go onto finish the race.
That was the beginning. 18 Ironman finishes later I still have some of those feelings every time I start a race but I know how to deal with them.
I have used this experience so many times in my life.
You will lose your nerve, you will question your own ability…just keep moving forward..never stop.
How I was overtaken by a one legged man on a hill outside Monaco and what I learnt from it
The date is September 3rd 2006, I am super excited. It is the day of my first half Ironman (called 70.3 because a full Ironman is 140.6 miles). I have travelled with my family and some friends to the South of France to take part in the first Ironman Monaco 70.3.
I have been training for this moment for many months and leading up to it over multiple years. I have run several marathons, cycled in cyclosportives including stages of the Tour de France. I have done hours of swim technique and completed multiple shorter distance triathlons. Completing a half Ironman is the next stage in my journey...I dont know where it will end up but I know it is on the path. I am very nervous but confident. I feel like an athlete ready so show my worth. This is going to be great day!
The swim is in Larvotto beach in Monte Carlo, the bike is up the steep mountains around Monaco and into the hinterland. A challenging bike course followed by a challenging run which involves multiple loops of the formula one course. The finish line is by the casino. A glamorous location for a great event.
My family and friends wish me well as I head to the start line. Now I am nervous...but come on, I am fit, strong and ready to go right. The swim is always my most nervous part of a triathlon, I always worry about it. I think the main reason for this is that I came to ‘proper’ swimming later in life. When I started I really could barely swim any length without exhaustion. It is so much harder to learn skills like swimming later in life. Not impossible, just harder...
The swim has two loops and I finish without incident, I come out of the water and head up to get my bike. I had ridden some of the bike course a couple of times in practice and so I know it’s challenging but very scenic. The views over the town are amazing.
Almost immediately after getting on the bike the climbing begins. The traffic has been stopped to allow us to go through what are usually very busy and bustling roads. Soon though we are out of the town and heading up into the country. The apartment blocks and shops give way to villas and then to small farms and villages.
The bike course has three big climbs, each one about 30-45 minutes long. They have switch backs and some very steep sections. I am confident and happy. A number of athletes pass me. No bother, these are faster and quicker than me, and besides being a bit heavier I will catch them on the descent!
Then it happens....without fanfare and quietly a man on a bike passes me like the others. But wait, there is something unusual about him...he has one leg! He also did not have a false leg on. He cycled with such expertise despite balancing on the saddle and pushing with one leg. He had lost his leg from above his knee. To make matters worse he didn’t just struggle past me...he cruised past me with ease.
This turn of events caused me some major concern. How could this happen? Am I that bad that me, a so called, able-bodied man is overtaken by another man with one leg on a bike going up a steep hill?
I went into defensive mode. Well if they guy has only one leg he has a lot less weight than me. Going up hill is so much easier. All is well with the world again!
It then occurred to me - why was I so defensive. Why was my first thought about why a so-called ‘disabled’ man was beating me me be about me? I realized just then that I could have been him. If you read my story you will remember that when I was a teenager I had osteomyelitis in my right ankle. Back then the normal procedure for bad osteomyelitis was to amputate the leg from the knee down. I was lucky. My Dad found a surgeon who was willing to try to save my leg which he did.
It then occurred to me, I have had back issues, dealt with weigh problems etc etc and despite these challenges l got to the start line of the race. I wondered, if I had had my leg amputated like the guy who just overtook me, would I have had the mental and physical fortitude to make it to the start line? Makes you think...
And then came my lesson...I realized it did not matter about being overtaken. I knew I just wanted to finish the race, my first half Ironman.
It didn’t matter what happened with him. It is all about your challenge and your goals not about whether you ‘beat’ someone. Being ‘better’ than someone else is a very shallow way of thinking. Are you the best you can be? Can you be better? Can you achieve the performance of others? If you beat someone then that’s great but it is not about that it is about how you measure yourself relative to your own goals.
This moment was a very important one in my life. There will ALWAYS be someone ‘better’ than you and there will ALWAYS be someone ‘worse’ than you. That is not important. What is important is how you measure and challenge yourself. Be the best you can be...that is all that matters!
Podcast Interview - Nourish Balance Thrive
Have a listen to my interview with Chis Kelly from Nourish Balance Thrive. I have been with the Elite program for a couple of years now. They have really helped with looking after my health and nutrition.
I am working with Megan on a new nutrition strategy that, hopefully, will help with my next races. More to come on this as the experiment unfolds.
Have a listen here
Kona 2018
It has been 2 weeks since I took part in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. I thought I would put fingers to keyboard and write down some of my thoughts about my experience.
I am not going to write a detailed race report detailing how I felt on the swim, how many times I peed on the bike etc. I am happy to bore you with those details but it will have to be in person over Skype, a beer or during a training session. I have a few thoughts that I taken away from the lead up to and the race itself that will live with me that I would like to share
It really is windy and hot….
When I landed at Kona airport, a full week ahead of the race, and started to walk down the steps from the plane two things immediately struck me…its windy and its hot! I know that when you read the reviews and tips about the race they all talk in detail about this but until you actually feel it it does not fully register
As I walked towards the airport terminal I thought to myself ‘what is wrong with you…you have done 14 Ironman races…you have had hot days in Texas, Chattanooga and others…you will be fine!’ But I think the history of the race, the location, the fact that it is the World Championships all added up to make me feel like this could be different. I had a nagging feeling of worry…
OK now I am frightened…
So as is usual when I am worried about something I work the problem. I will go run, bike and swim parts of the course and figure it out. I have done it before, I can do it again. Simon Marshall my coach’s husband and sports psychologist has taught me that the best approach to a worry is to confront it head on. What exactly is worrying you…go and figure this out and a solution in detail and your worry will be reduced…not gone, but you can rationalize it.
So after a relaxing Saturday I decided to take part in a local 10K run for a charity called PATH. After studying the Ironman course and athlete handbook I figured that the hottest part of the run for me would be just after coming off the bike on the out and back along the sea front on Alii Drive. The PATH 10K is on this road.
So I go do this run. I said to myself take it easy but I didn’t. After a busy time at work without exercise in the run up to my trip I needed a workout and so I worked it quite hard. I finished the run in 8 minute miles which is not just an easy jog for me. Furthermore, even though it was in the early morning it was hot, really hot! I felt that run…
So the run will be hot…but I will be ok there was only a couple of water stations during the PATH run out of 6 miles…during the Ironman there will water and ice every mile. I will be fine!
The next day I decided to drive the bike route and to ride what is documented as the hardest part of the course, the 20 mile out and 20 mile back from Kawaihae to Hawi. I figured if I can cycle this confidently then I will feel much better about it on race day. I parked up just outside Kawaihae and started my ride. It was seriously hot but I figured 2 bottles of water will still be more than enough to cover me for the whole route. That part of the course does not look hard on paper in the athletes guide but I can tell you that it is tough! The constant upward route to Hawi and the wind make it hard. By mile 25 I had finished my bottles. I rode the last 15 with nothing and I really felt the heat by the time I got back to the car.
So the bike will be hot and windy but I will be ok…there will be aid stations every 5 miles and I won’t have an issue with getting water and nutrition. I will be fine!
Later that day I decided I will do a gentle run to, hopefully, make me feel better. The run from the Queen K highway to the Energy Lab and back. This is a famous part of the Kona course where, apparently, many a competitors dreams of victory or of a great time have been shattered. How could this be? Its only a 4 mile stretch of flat road!
I parked my car at the start of the route and starting running with a bottle. Normally, a 4 mile run for me would not require any liquid but I thought I would learn from my PATH run. My goodness, it is seriously hot down at the Energy Lab..I finished my bottle after 2 miles! I returned to my car worried and frightened…can I actually finish this race? Self doubt was engulfing me.
What is wrong with you!
The next day was the turn of swimming. It was with some significant trepidation that I stepped on the small postage stamp beach in Kona along with a lot of extremely fit looking athletes to have a practice swim.
I was not saying good things to myself at this time..I did not qualify for Kona by being the best in my age group. I qualified because I have done more than 12 Ironman races and I was invited because I have been loyal (ie spent a large amount $) to the Ironman brand. Furthermore, I was frightened… I did not start the swim with a great mental attitude.
It is such a beautiful swim, the water is so clear and unlike the lakes that I have swum races in the past there are lots and lots of pretty fish to look at. The water is cool but warm and the salty water provides a lot of buoyancy. That being said, the waves are strong and on the way out they are trying to push you back to shore.
So after 20 minutes of so of swimming I took a little break. I looked round at the view of Kona and the surrounding hills. It is really quite breathtaking in its beauty, I was so grateful to be there. Right next to me was another athlete also taking in the view. I introduced myself and he did to me I dont remember his name, he was from Brazil. ‘How did you find the swim’ I asked, ‘Not too bad’ he replied. He paused for a moment and then said ‘Well I have no legs so it takes quite a while to even get here. But I am so happy to be here I will just do my best on race day and will see what happens!’ The penny then dropped with me…get over yourself.. I have all my limbs and I am truly lucky to be here and able to take part. What happens is completely irrelevant! My attitude changed completely in that moment.
Just to nail the point
Later that day I attended an evening reception with all my fellow legacy athletes very near to the pier used for transition. Mike Reilly introduced Ironman CEO Andrew Messick, Paula Newby-Fraser, Mark Allen and other luminaries of the Ironman world. They spoke words of wisdom and gave great advice for the big day ahead. It was a memorable event and it was interesting to meet other athletes who have done so many races and share war stories about difficult days.
I had a chat with a guy who had his arm in a sling. His name was Reinhard from Vienna. I asked him what had happened to his arm. He told me that he went on a training ride the day before, like me, but unlike me, had fallen off and fractured his hand. His hand needed surgery but he did not want to leave before he had a chance to beg the Ironman organization to give him a starting slot for 2019. I felt so sorry for him. He had trained and raced for 10 years like myself to get to Kona to do the race and it was taken away from him days before.
While I drove back to my hotel that evening I felt bad for being sorry for myself and frightened I was just grateful for being in Hawaii and still able to take on the challenge of the race.
Family and Friends
The next day Ana, my wife, arrived from New York along with my very own support crew Andy, Edyta, Dave, Niamh, Gerry, Laura, Nigel, and Jo. It was just amazing to have them with me, especially for race day. Each one of them played an important part in me be able to do the race. Nigel and Jo supported me in 2008 for my first race; Laura supported and fed me ice cream after my first marathon in London; Andy and I trained in Chicago when we lived there sharing many hours together etc etc. everyone helped me in so many ways. There were many more who helped and supported me but could not come to Kona so I was so grateful to have them with me, even in spirit.
Special mention, however, has to go to Lesley Patterson my coach and her husband Simon Marshall at Braveheart Coaching for kicking me when I needed it and being sympathetic when I didn’t; and also to Debbie Ragals who has been my New York training partner for being so supportive (especially coming out those cold winter days) and encouraging.
Then there is Ana, she has been on the course and at the finish line for every one of my 15 races. More importantly she has supported me every day as part of my training. She has put up with my odd dietary requirements, getting to bed early etc etc for year after year. I could not have asked any more - I am incredibly lucky. Jamie and Gemma, my kids also have supported me in so many races. I was disappointed they could not come to Kona to share the day with me but, having turned 18 this year, they had their own commitments to keep.
Thank you so much I love you all!
Celebration
Race day was just a wonderful day I will never forget. After the experiences of the preceding week that I have told you about I was actually very calm the night before and on the day. I was determined to finish but I was also just so happy.
Other than crossing the finishing line, my best memory of the day was at the start line five minutes before the gun went off to start. I looked around at the beautiful view, my fellow competitors, the huge crowds, the waves crashing against the sea walls, the helicopters above me, the TV cameras, and the sun starting to rise. This was the culmination of a journey that began in 1997 when I could not walk without pain, was 300 pounds, and was very unhealthy. I had a chance to change and I took it but I was incredibly lucky even to get the chance….many dont. The day was simply a celebration of my good fortune….what a great celebration!
So what’s next?
What of the great experiences of being in Kona is that I met and was around simply amazing athletes. The level of commitment and athletic ability of the pros and most of the age group qualifiers was astounding to me - very humbling. I found being in their company very inspiring - so much so that I really want to somehow continue my athletic journey. Not sure exactly how yet but I would like to help others start or continue on their journey like mine.
Take a look at some pictures from the race here and our holiday afterwards here.
2018 70.3 St George
I love this race...its a tough test, the scenery is amazing and the town really lays out the red carpet to all the competitors.
This year flew in from New York to Las Vegas Wednesday night and stayed over in Vegas. The reason I did this was to take the opportunity to visit the Valley of Fire State Park on my way up to St George. Its about an hour outside Vegas, half way.
It was definitely worth the visit. The name of the park is very appropriate with all the red rock bursting out of the desert. I took a break for lunch and snapped some photos looking down a road through a thin valley of high rocks either side. Spectacular!
On Friday, the day before the race, I also had the opportunity to use the new Drone that Ana and I bought recently. I took some videos, one of the Sand Hollow lake where we swam, the view over the town of St George, and of Snow Valley where we cycled. Take a look at one of them here
I had a great time as usual in St George, met u with Andrew and Kirsten Rastrick and friends by accident as well as Stefan from the Rye Tri Club. I also had a good day racing, beating my time from two years ago by 12 minutes which was very satisfying.
If you want a good test soon after the winter and enjoy the scenery then I would definitely recommend this race.
Pictures of that trip are here
2018 Race Schedule
Kona is the focus for 2018....
May 5th - 70.3 Ironman St George - my favourite 70.3 and location of my hardest Ironman 2012
June 10th - Lake Placid Marathon - measure how my run training is going
October 13th - Ironman World Championship Kona
Kona - I am in!
I received this email earlier today....
My first Ironman was in 2008 in Nice. 10 years and 14 ironman races later I have been accepted into the Ironman Legacy program and will be racing in Kona on October 13th 2018.
In order to qualify for the legacy program you need to complete 12 ironman events. I actually completed 12 in 2016 - you can see below the races by year that I have completed or at least entered.
When you look down the list it is interesting that several of them have had very high DNF rates e.g 2013 Texas and/or the race has subsequently been dropped from the schedule e.g St George. It has been an unbelievable journey with so many challenging but ultimately enjoyable experiences!
You will also see that I started to do 2 Ironman races a year from 2012. This, obviously, really helped me get to 12 in a quicker timeframe. But the only reason I started to do 2 races a year is because I was bitterly disappointed that I DNFd in Wisconsin. Furthermore, up to then I didn’t think I would be capable of doing two a year. But what is remarkable is that I only DNFd because I had 4 flats, my gears got stuck in one gear and my bottle holder fell off my bike. In a way my bike malfunction actually helped me get to this point. A bad experience led me to an even better experience much later!
For several years it has been my plan to try to get to Kona in 2018. This year is an important milestone...Kona will be my 15th full distance race, 10 years doing Ironman full distance races, Jamie and Gemma turn 18, I turn 50, and early 2019 Ana and I will have been married 25 years.
I have watched the race day coverage for may years and listened to so many podcasts and fellow athletes talk about this famous place. I am really excited to experience the challenge of the Kona course and also to visit Hawaii for the first time. I plan to make to make the most of it!
Finally, for all of you who have helped, cajoled, kicked, loved, supported and assisted me on this amazing 10 year journey thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know who you are!
Wish me luck
2008
1 Nice
2009
2 Nice
2010
3 Wisconsin
2011
Wisconsin DNF - bike fell to pieces!
2012
4 St George
5 Wisconsin
2013
6 Texas
7 Lake Tahoe
2014
8 Texas
Lake Tahoe CANCELLED - forest fires created too much smoke
2015
9 Lake Placid,
10 Lake Tahoe
2016
11 Lake Placid
12 Chattanooga
2017
13 Lake Placid
14 Chattanooga
Why I like to run with a Camelpak
I love running with a camelpak...in fact I dont know how fellow runners can do without something similar for longer runs. Once I get over 10 miles I need to drink something so a Camelpak is the best way to help me keep going. I tend to fill the pouch with an electrolyte or an energy drink.
What I find so useful about the Camelpak is that I can drink when I feel like it. This sounds obvious and a triviality but in a long running race when I am not using the backpack I find it difficult to drink what I want and when due to the lack of reliability of distances between aid stations and also the products they use. The longer I have been doing events the more I want to have my own products and consume them at my own pace.
The other benefit I have found is that I can run with my iPhone. I listen to podcasts or audio books whilst running so I put on my current book and run with Bluetooth headphones. Also I can put on the mapmyrun app and it will tell me my pace and distance every mile...very useful. Strava claims to have this functionality but it does not work much to my frustration.
One downside of a drinks backpack is that you make a lot of sound! If I am running and talking to someone whilst running I make a lot of noise with all the liquid sloshing around...
Final tip: if you use a camelpak make sure you keep you bladder in the deep freeze between runs. This will stop it from getting the annoying build up of black fungus over time. However much you wash it after each use I have found it to be unavoidable.
Happy running!
2017 Race Schedule
2017 is very similar to last year except for the Zofingen Duathlon in May....
May 21st - American Zofingen Duathlon
June 23th-26th - The Ride to end ALS
July 23th - Ironman Lake Placid
September 24th - Ironman Chattanooga
November 5th - New York Marathon
This will keep me busy!
A Sunday run round Dorney Lake and how not to do your first open water swim in a race
Today I went for a run through Bray and on to Dorney Lake. It was a beautiful early summer morning - birds singing, sun rising over the horizon, the smell of horses and wild flowers. There is something so special about a summer's day in England, unlike any other place I have been.
Around 2 miles into my run I came off a public path and through a gap in some bushes to see Dorney Lake in its full glory. As I started to run around it perimeter so many happy memories came flooding back to me.....
Until 2009, we lived about 20 minutes drive from Dorney, in Farnham Common. We regularly came down this beautiful place. We walked the dogs; our kids rode their bikes for the first time here; we debated our dreams and future together; we witnessed some amazing rowing in person at the 2012 Olympics; and I took part in my first sprint triathlon.
It was 2006, 10 years ago this year. I had done several marathons and also some bike cyclosportives in France and Belgium over a few preceding years. I was walking in Windsor one Saturday morning and there was a group of people milling about in the park near the town center. They were setting up long thin poles in lines. I had no idea what they were, but was curious, so I walked over to take a look. I asked someone about what was going on and they said it was the Windsor Triathlon the next day. When I saw all the people, the wetsuits, and bikes I almost immediately became fascinated. Right then I knew I had to do one and soon. A couple of weeks later I entered the following year's Windsor Olympic distance triathlon along with an entry to a sprint triathlon at Dorney Lake as a lead up.
Flash forward three or four months later I stood on the platform at Dorney Lake in my wetsuit ready to get in the water for my wave in a sprint triathlon. This was a 750m swim, 21km Bike and 5K run. I can't tell you how nervous I was. My fear, above all else, was the swim. But, I thought to myself, with my good run I may have a chance to race well in my wave.
Despite being fit enough to run 26 miles and cycle over 100 miles I had never been a swimmer beyond the odd dip on summer holidays. I could swim, my parents made sure I was capable of staying alive in water, but I was never competitive or properly trained. Come on, I thought, I can run a marathon, how hard can it be to swim a mile!
I walked with confidence into my local gym, the Monday after my visit to Windsor, got changed into swimming trunks, donned my rather old goggles and almost swaggered to the edge of the 20 meter pool. 'I will do a quick 500 meters and then get some lunch' I thought to myself. I dived in, belly flopping rather painfully, but unashamed I proceeded to start my best front crawl.
About 150 meters later I stood, exhausted, at the shallow end of the pool, completely out of breath. How could I possibly swim another 1350 meters, then get out, cycle 26 miles and run 10k? I decided to get out, shower, and retire for lunch to consider my next steps. I walked away from the pool certainly more humble than when I got in. Such lessons have been taught to me over and over again in triathlon!
As I sipped on my smoothie and munched my sandwich I decided that I was not going to give in so easy. How to solve this swimming problem? I know, hire a coach!
A few days later I met with Francesca, a GB age group triathlete team member, and so began my long journey of drills and hard work to becoming a very below average swimmer. The most exciting part for me was buying my wetsuit!
Back to Dorney Lake. I had never done an open water swim but I had practiced in the pool a fair amount. Francesca had advised me to try an open water session but I thought to myself 'this can't be that hard' as I looked over the very short 750m course - a half loop from one jetty to another. It's just a lake after all, no real difference to a pool right?
The horn for the wave before me shook me out of my thoughts and the race starter shouted for myself and my fellow wave participants to get in the water. Great...here I go, as I jumped in.
Suddenly I could not breath - the water was freezing cold and was working its way down my back. I literally could not breath! '30 seconds' shouted the starter. My feelings of excitement and nerves were now drowned out, by panic. I wanted to get out of the water now. 'Hey come on, you have run marathons, cycled in the Alps, you can do this' I thought to myself.
The starter's horn bellowed out. All of a sudden everyone in the wave started swimming. I was still out of breath and in the middle of everyone. I briefly got dragged under by one fellow swimmer who quickly went past me in a cloud of bubbles and rubber. Another competitor hit me in the head and my goggles came loose. Water started to leak in.
As the pack started to get quite a way ahead of me I started to swim. Water still leaking into my goggles and the cold environment still taking my breath away, I struggled away with the stragglers. After a few strokes I could not breath any more, I started to do breast stroke to try to get my composure back.
By the time I made the first turn the leaders were already into the home stretch. I was in despair, what a disaster I thought to myself. I am going to be last!! I tried to break into front crawl several times, but ended up quickly out of breath and back to breast stroke.
Finally, it was over, I dragged myself out of the water. I was third or fourth last I think. It didn't matter by then. I ran over to my bike, this was the first time I felt the disappointment of seeing your kit in empty space on the racks. You never forget it!
The rest of my race went great! I cycled hard and did a very fast run. I caught up and passed many of the people in my wave before I crossed the finish line. But I had learnt a very valuable lesson - be humble and always respect the race. I made the same mistake once again, and had a lesson taught to me again 5K from the top of Mont Ventoux, but that a story for another day.
Despite my swim disappointment I loved my first triathlon. I was caught by the bug and still take part 10 years and 10 Ironman races later. But it was a lesson, hard learned, that I have never forgotten.
Funny what you remember on a Sunday morning run!
2016 Race Schedule
Despite being temporarily (I hope) incapacitated with a knee injury I have a busy schedule of races and activity this year.....
May 7th - Ironman 70.3 St. George
June 24th-26th - The Ride to end ALS
July 24th - Ironman Lake Placid
September 25th - Ironman Chattanooga
November 5th - New York Marathon
Looking forward to it!
The Art of Frictionless Living
If you read the article ’11 traits of Top-notch triathletes’ on ironman.com the item at the top of the list is ‘We can deftly balance a jam-packed schedule’. I remember looking at similar articles when I started triathlon and thinking to myself how on earth I can squeeze all this in?…I felt I was busy before I started training!
I don't know if my schedule is any more jam packed than anyone else but I thought I would write about how I make such a simple sentence actually happen.
Basics…how long have I really got?
How many hours really do I have in a week - how much time do I really have the opportunity to maximize and change?
168 Total hours in a week
Have to do time - fixed cost
50 hours sleep - 7 hours per night + 1 extra hour lie in at the weekend
55 hours work or work related activity - have to earn a living
7 hours per week preparing to leave for work and commuting to work
6 hours per week commuting back home
11 hours per week actually eating
So you want to be an Ironman - discretionary but prioritized
So now lets do some Ironman training - even for an age grouper like me, I want to do around 10-12 hours per week. But when you add in all the stuff around it i.e showering, traveling to and from the gym/pool, changing, preparing etc etc - lets call this 15 in total
So this leaves…
This leaves 24 hours available for the rest of your life….roughly 3 hours per day and around 14% of your total available time in the week. This is not a lot of variable time So in this time you have to:
Have to do - you don't want to do
Admin - pay bills, waste time on the phone with cable, credit card, electricity etc etc
Shopping - need to buy food, get your haircut, go to the pharmacy etc etc
Chores - launder your clothes, put them away, cleaning, gardening, honey-do lists etc etc
Extra work - work you need to finish, unexpected items etc etc
Want to do
Spend time with your family - they are, for me at least, the most important
School events - kids sports, concerts etc
Friends - keep in touch, go out together etc etc
Resting - you need quiet time…don't underestimate this...I find that 3 hours of just doing nothing in a week makes a huge difference to help recharge
Reading/Learning - you still need to learn about how to be better at everything!
Any other hobbies that you might have
Make sure you are healthy - doctor, dentist etc
The goal here is to remove as many of the don't want to do and maximize the Want to Do.
How do I make this work?
So how do you maximize the priority items and training and minimize all the rest? To put the idea into two words, I constantly strive for what I call the ‘Frictionless life’…the principles are as follows:
1 Keep it simple - Simplify as much as possible. Companies are constantly trying to sell you products and services that apparently will help you be efficient. Some are worth trying but I recommend keeping things simple. You will have a few tools that really add value....the rest actually make the situation worse.
2 Set the priority - you need to decide what is and isn't priority in your life. You will not be able to do everything you want - deal with it!
3 Outsource - where you can afford it outsource tasks to people who will do them for you e.g cleaners, dry cleaners, some or all of the clothes washing/ironing etc. The more of this you can do the more time you will create.
4 Share - with your family/partner share the tasks that you are unable to outsource. Everyone should have responsibility for some part of the have to do tasks. Once shared let those responsible get on with it and trust it will be done. If you meddle then you are wasting your and the other person’s time!
5 You need a plan - plan out your spare/chore time in the same way as you do your workouts and work. For example we sit as a family and plan out the weekend on Wednesday and Thursday. This works because it generally involves fun items as well as chores so everyone looks forward to the time and maximizing the fun stuff. If you don't have a plan then time will disappear (later I will talk about how sometimes disappearing time is really good for you)
6 Combine - combine some of your tasks together. For example learn by reading/listening whilst commuting or working out. If your friends also work out then do it with them. You can rest with your family - play games, watch a movie etc etc
7 Prepare - for me, like most I am sure, the busiest time is Monday to Friday. My schedule is timed down to a few minutes. The only way to make this work is to prepare in advance. For example my training schedule is entered into Training Peaks by my coach every Saturday. This is based on me communicating late in the week what my schedule for the following week looks like. I then lay out the clothing for each workout for the work week in advance and put it into a bag in preparation. I write out the swim workouts onto individual pieces of paper for each day and put them into my swim bag.
8 Bring those important to you along - you must tell the important people in your life your plan and make sure that they are bought into whatever you are doing. What you will do, won't do and how you will help each other achieve your individual and shared goals. Give and take is vital!
If you can optimize these 8 items then you can create this Frictionless life…when you leave for work your coffee is ready, your car is full of gas, your train and parking ticket is up to date, your bills are paid on time, your bag is ready for training at the exact moment you are ready to walk out to the gym etc etc. Additionally you get to spend good times with your family and get the right amount of rest....everyone is happy!
When things go according to plan it is great. You will make a huge amount of progress towards your goals in very short periods of time. Everyone in your life knows what is going on and what they need to do…..
Consequences of living this way
In my time trying to live this way I have found some interesting things happen that will have an impact.
1 Stop and Fix - because you are constantly prioritizing your life you will find that over time a backlog of low priority tasks will build up. Individually these tasks do not create a problem for your frictionless existence but together, over time they will get in the way. Eventually you have to pause the relentless prioritization and deal with them. I find that this needs to be done around once a month and will cost you at least a day of dealing with them. At the end of the time you will feel as though you have achieved nothing important but you should try not to think this way. Collectively they grease the wheels of your life, accept them.
2 Not everyone lives your way - I find that I sometimes get frustrated with others who do not live in a similar way. For example I stand in line to buy lunch at a buffet and the person in front spends so long putting small spoonfuls of food on their plate and changing their mind while you stand and wait knowing that you have a meeting in five minutes but you desperately need to eat. Accept that others live differently
3 You will not have time - one of the most difficult consequences of this lifestyle is that you will find that you do not have time for a lot of unplanned items. Example, a good friend calls you out of the blue and asks you out for a drink. Based on what you are doing this will unlikely fit into your plan. This means you have to make an instant prioritization decision. Do you drop your plan and go or say truthfully, in your eyes at least, that you are busy. These instant decisions have consequences….be careful.
4 Rest - you will not be able to keep the pace of living a frictionless life going for a long period without rest. You can either do it consciously or your body will force you by getting ill or overly tired. Experiment to know your limits and also plan for periods of rest. I generally find I need a rest of at least a few days every 3 months.
I have found this to be an effective way to live to achieve life goals. However, within the framework described you have to be flexible and adapt. Long term goals are by their very nature longer term...a consistent but flexible approach within your priorities works best.
A drive to San Diego sitting on a tennis ball ...
I am writing this whilst sitting on a plane from LA to NY having spent the weekend at the Braveheart Highland Games Triathlon Training Camp in San Diego.
I got up at 3.45am this morning to get to LA airport in time for a 8am flight to NY. I had to leave early because another winter storm is due in NY later this evening and I promised my family I will be home for the Super Bowl viewing extravaganza.
So I was on the 2 hour journey at 4.30am driving on the freeway north of San Diego sitting on a tennis ball trying to release a rather painful muscle strain in my bottom when it occurred to me 'what the hell am I doing?!'. (The reason for using a tennis ball is another story that I will tell some other day)
I have spent the weekend all around the city of San Diego. Swimming in the sea at Ventura Cove near Sea World Thursday, running intervals up steep hills and cycling the Great Western Loop on Friday, and up Mount Palomar Saturday. Over eight hours of training in two days. Then just to make sure my muscles got a full workout we took part in an old fashioned Scottish Highland Games in NTC Park. This involved, amongst others, teams 'tossing the caber' or in our case a surfboard, racing with 40lb sand bags, and a tug of war.
I have met some amazing people who have told me their unbelievable and inspiring stories. I also saw some really talented athletes training at a pace I will never reach. I have done some great training, captured some great views around the city and seen a glimpse of the triathlon community of San Diego.
Bear in mind that I missed Thursday morning training and will miss swim, bike and run sessions today...I had to get up on Thursday morning in NY at 3am and drive down to JFK. The apparent 'snowmageddon' that was supposed to happen Tuesday cancelled my original Wednesday flight.
So crazy right? I should be heading towards 50 'elegantly'....taking part in more sedate activities more suited to my age group...most normal people would think so.
Definitely not...this weekend has convinced even more that I am living the right life. In fact it has added to my motivation to keep improving and striving to be the best I can be. Life is a one time deal and is lived one day at a time. Every day, in its own way is important. If you have the ability and a passion you must do your best to fulfill it. Live for today not yesterday...I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity and ability to even take part. Long may it continue!
2015 Race Schedule
Here we go again!
March 15 NY Half Marathon
May 2 70.3 St George
July 26 Ironman Lake Placid
Aug 9 USA National Champs Olympic distance
Sep 20 Ironman Lake Tahoe
Tahoe September 2014 - how an arsonist and the wind conspired
One of the principles of Ironman that you explicitly or implicitly buy into when you take part is that you finish what you start. I have been questioning this recently when I think about what has happened to me at Ironman Lake Tahoe in the last two years.
In a separate post I shared with you my experience at the 2013 race which involved snow, cold conditions, and a diversion off the course to get some warm clothes from my hotel. Despite these issues I overcame my additional problem of lack of fitness to collect my finishers medal and return home declaring success but with a desire to go back and perform better. So this year I returned to Squaw Valley, fitter, a year wiser, and with renewed hope that the weather would be fine so that I could turn in a satisfying result.
To add to this I had persuaded Raz and Andy, friends from Chicago, to join me in Tahoe with promises of beautiful scenery and a tough course to challenge their undoubted athletic prowess. They themselves persuaded family and other friends to come and join us....So we were all in on 2014 Ironman Lake Tahoe!
Not to worry, optimism will win the day!
The problems began as we came into land in Reno airport, about an hour's drive from Squaw Valley where the race is centered. We were in our final approach when a pungent smell of burning wood came apparent in the plane. It was so noticeable that we had a joke that the pilot was burning a wood fire because fuel was low...to add to that the landing was very bumpy with an extra hard landing. All was well....
However, when we got out of the plane and walked into the terminal the burning smell got worse and smoke was visible in the terminal building. There seemed to be no concern from our fellow passengers or locals...what was going on?
Google will have the answer....a quick search revealed all. There was a huge forest fire in the area. Well at least we were not going to burn to death in the terminal building. But wait...what about the race, I didn't fancy cycling and running in smoke? The Internet helps again, the organizers announced that race will be not be cancelled. The wind is blowing the smoke away from where we will be on the course on Sunday. All is well again!
We pick up our bags and car rentals and head down to Squaw Valley. We check in to the Plump Jack Inn, have a glass of wine, a snack, and retire to bed, minds starting to turn to how to deal with the hills on the bike course.
Blissful preparation
Friday and Saturday were spent happily preparing for the rigors of Sunday's event. A short swim in beautiful Lake Tahoe, warm up biking and running, and enjoying the local scenery and food - very relaxing.
On Saturday afternoon as we wandered in Squaw Valley, smoke started to blow in over the mountain top and into the valley. The wind had obviously changed direction. As day turned into evening the smoke became quite thick. What did this mean? There were no messages or indications from the organizers on the web site. All must be good right?
We enjoyed a sumptuous early dinner together, nerves and excitement starting to build. Another ironman day was coming, number nine for me....let's do it!
'Race day'
Up at 4am, I had my, standard Ironman breakfast - bagel with cream cheese, granola, coffee and a banana. The hotel served this with no extra cost or drama which makes such a difference. As a side note I would thoroughly recommend the Plump Jack Inn if you are ever in Squaw valley
As we left the hotel to get into the car we were greeted with the same thick smoke....no messages from anyone so we must be game on. There is so many challenges during an Ironman that this would just be another to deal with when the time came.
We drove down to the swim start, all smooth and on schedule. The day was much warmer than the year before. I was delighted that I would not lose feeling in my feet because of ice cold sand as I wait to get into the water to start swimming.
With 20 minutes to the start I put on my wetsuit and strolled down to the lake beach with Andy to have a final warm up swim and preparation. I enjoyed a gentle warm up swim with a beautiful sun coming up over the water. How am I going to do today...have I trained enough?...words from Ana, my wife, and Lesley, my coach, in my mind. Same questions, same answerS every race - you are what you are, just leave it all out there on the course.
Ready to go, I stand up in the water and start to walk back to the beach to get in line. The first thing I see is a guy with his head in his hands..it's a bit early for defeatism I think to myself. The person next to him looks really upset. 'What's going on...' I say. 'Did you not hear, they have cancelled the race!', 'Your joking right?...' I retort. Just then over a crackling microphone a voice comes over saying 'to repeat, due to unsafe conditions caused by the forest fire, the race is cancelled, please collect your bikes and return to Squaw Valley to pick up your running gear...' Unbelievable!
Another competitor next to me then proceeds to tell me his Ironman story, how he had begged a surgeon to fix his knee to get him back to training to be ready for the day. How could this happen he wonders aloud..he was almost in tears. I told him about my race experience the previous year...I said to him that at least his knee is fixed and he can come back again and to it next year! We hugged and promised to meet at the same point the year after if the race was on. What a weird sight, two blokes dressed in wetsuits, hugging in Lake Tahoe at 7am!
I went over to see the support crew. They had found out that the organizers had to cancel the race because of the smoke over the run and parts of the bike course, not the swim. It was a beautiful day over the lake but in the far distance you could see the smoke billowing over the valley.
It was over....
What next?
I grab a cup of coffee and we have a chat about what to do next. I felt that I wanted to do some sort of workout, if only to work off the huge dinner from the night before!
So we decided to do a swim and a cycle. They had left the buoys on the swim course and the kayakers were still out on the water. So, after one mile of swimming Andy and I got on our bikes and proceeded to cycle one loop of the tough bike course. Apart from the top of the tough second hill and thick smoke in Truckee, a small town on the route, it was a lot of fun.
On our way back to Squaw Valley, just over 50 miles into the bike we decided to stop and get some food. The support crew joined us in a great bar and restaurant where we decided to sample their famous Bloody Mary's!
We did not cycle any further.....
Again!
In my view WTC, the race organizers did the best job they could in difficult circumstances. They made the right call canceling the race. Even after cycling only 50 miles in quite good conditions my eyes were starting to burn and my throat was sore. I don't think a full 112 miles biking and a marathon would have done us any good at all.
On Monday afternoon we all got a mail offering us, amongst other things, a limited number of places in races in the following weeks and also $100 entry into the 2015 race.
We decided we will do it all over again...third time lucky and a great race for me next year then!
My Favourite Ride
I have told so many people about my favourite ride on the Mediterranean Riviera that I thought I would put fingers to keyboards and get pictures recorded for everyone to see. Every time I am in France I get excited about doing this ride because I cant imagine a better experience on a bike anywhere in the world. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
As you can see from the map below this is approximately 140Km (84 miles) out and back route from Beaulieu-Sur-Mer in France to San Remo in Italy. The ride also includes climbing the famous Poggio which is part of the Milan to San Remo cycling race every year.
I generally do this ride very early in the morning as soon as it is light so I can see the sun coming up and get it completed before lunch time so I can enjoy wine and food on the beach afterwards!
The first 10km of the day is tough climbing up to the famous road called La Turbie. However, you are rewarded with some amazing views over Cap Ferrat as you climb out of the town and up into the mountains above the sea
Its a steep climb...especially towards the end.
But you get this at the top!
Once at the top there is a short ride over to the village La Turbie
Followed by a very long descent into Monaco...
And after a short climb there is another restful descent into Menton on the Italian border.
Into Italy...
Another 20km or so and I take a rest for breakfast in Ventimiglia..Espresso and Croissant overlooking the square
And now onto San Remo...through the Italian morning commuter traffic
Up the Poggio
Takes some effort!
Great view at the top over San Remo
And now I start my route home...instead of going on La Turbie again on the way back I go through the center of Monaco...and ride some of the Formula 1 route in the harbour
Once out of Monaco and a few towns along the coast road I arrive back at Beaulieu Sur Mer...lunch, wine and a rest on the beach awaits!
Ironman Texas 2014
No race report...but just to say it was a great day 12h48m - felt great most of the race!
