TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF TRIJIM

ASICS Tuffman - Frosty Race Report on the Duathlon

2012-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

On possibly the coldest day of the year so far (my car thermometer said -5 degrees C at 8am this morning!), a healthy herd of post Christmas offroad duathletes gathered at Pippingford Park in East Sussex for the penultimate round of the Human Race Winter Series.

Aptly named Tuffman, one of the hardest jobs was getting changed at the back of the car and deciding on just how many layers to wear. Scolded for rocking up at the line by my friends with bare knees showing above my long socks, I was keen to get racing and get warmed up properly.

We headed off on the first 8km run loop at a frantic pace - and still warm from a training camp in Lanzarote, Paul Davies showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels and dragged out a small gap. The run continued and every person was delicately making their way over the hard rutted ground, trying to avoid twisted ankles and get the blood flowing everywhere including fingers and toes.

By the end of the undulating 8km, the positions had mixed up with strong favourite Richard Stannard languishing nearly a minute off the pace. Getting into his stride on his 29er race bike though, he soon cleaved through to the top 5 and started to pull away. The race lead swapped hands on the icy course several times, with poor lines choices, traffic and tricky sections putting riders under pressure.Fortunately I was strong enough to put on a bit off pressure later in Lap2, but ultimately the big Stannard lungs shone through and he led into T2.

Go-Pro-ing Stannard's ass!

Following on in the mens race, the jostle for 3rd to 6th was tight with several regular faces battling it out and some new blood mixing it up. Meanwhile in the women's race, Kate Robson was smashing the field to pieces and threatening an impressive Top 20 overall performance in the field of around 190..

After another 4km undulating dash down into the valley Stannard led home to secure victory in the race and take the series overall. No one can catch him with 3 wins and one second now. I was pleased to put a marker down in 2nd showing me that winter training is on track and the bigger summer challenges I have planned with XTERRA France and the Inferno will be a good chance to really deliver.

Regular podium maker Colin Dixon pulled out a great second run to claim third place although he cited the course as 'too technical' for his biking skills. Gotta be grateful for small mercy's as the way he runs downhill is akin to a real fell runner.

Kate Robson piled home in first place and the only other word I heard from the womens race was from poor Fay Cripps who was forced to retire after taking an unscheduled full body dip (freezing!) in the lake whilst on the bike leg.

Results are:

Men

1: Rich Stannard 1:27.46

2: Jim McConnel 1:28.24

3: Colin Dixon 1:28.54

l-r jim, richard, colin

Women

1: Kate Robson 1:42.24

2: Aileen Anderson 1:47.36

3: Farah Azirar 1:56.43

ASICS Mudman aftermath

2011-12-03T14:27:00.001-08:00

Yikes. What a shock to the system the ASICS Mudman offroad duathlon was this weekend. A shortish set of leg distances were on the menu - 8km run, 16km 3 lap MTB and a further 8km run to finish. Easy huh?

Typical start with a flour line in the woods

With some course tweaks explained by designer Jeremy on the start line, I wasn't alone as it dawned on me that this course was going to be more extreme than ever before.The first 8km run included the usual repeated ascents of Heartbreak Ridge which is a test of every competitor to keep driving up and down. But whilst the all new 50 metre long water splash pit may have made for good photo options, it certainly meant freezing stiff feet for all competitors just 5 minutes into the race! And then toward the end of the 8km run, athletes are somewhat teased by a glimpse of transition before the course delves away again down steep sandy slopes on a final km loop before heading back into transition.

A 12km trail run race kicked off at 0930am and the first athletes from that were seen streaming back thru the trees muddy and fighting hard as the Duathlon lined up for the 1015am start. Richard Lazell led over 150 runners home in an impressive 47.49 with Pauline Dalton in the 45-49 age group bringing the women's first place in 58.39. In the CaniCross race - dog and handler attached! Mark Dunbar finished 5th overall and headed up that category in a great time of 53.19.

Everybody works hard in CaniCross!

1015am. Cue hooter. Serpentine running gazelle Hugh Torry belted off into the distance as the rest of the front pack picked their way gingerly through the water obstacle (there was a dry footed long route as an alternative!). Once into the relentless hills the gaps widened quickly with a flu ridden Richard Stannard managing to push hard, with Mark Chapman and Philip Westoby of ARMY hot on his heels.

I measured my effort through run 1 along with Dafydd Hollis and we entered T1 together already a minute down on the leaders. The bike leg is short in this race. Not very technical at all, the majority is fireroad and the 3 laps seemed to fly by in no time. I was chewing on the bars hard and after Dafydd punctured behind me I was happy to overhaul Hugh, then TORQ rider Chris Panayiotou, and finally split the fastest riding pair of Chapman and Westoby on Lap3.

Leaping into action

That meant that as I climbed off my bright orange Genesis Fortitude 29er I was pumped to have made it back to 2nd place. Just 90 seconds behind Stannard I headed out to do battle with the testing run course knowing I was in a for a tough time, having given a lot on the short but fast bike leg.

Sadly, it was a tough day for me and I struggled with the pace in the final leg, crossing the line after 1hr 54 04 in 5th place. I treat the day and result mentally as a success as I had to dig quite deep to keep some good form to the finish. Fortunately admist the incoming mince pies and Christmas cheer, I will be balancing it up with a constant search for hills to make my legs stronger!

Even though I didn't see it, from the splits, the women's race looked tightly fought with ICEman winner, Kate Robson of BRAT, finally bringing home the victory, just two minutes ahead of Aileen Anderson of Bath Amphibians Tri Club. The girls placed way up in 17th and 22nd overall amongst a large field of over 170 athletes.

Oh yes, nearly forgot, I wore a GoPro chest cam for this race. Some high or more likely lolights will make their way to http://www.trijim.co.uk/ and the http://www.humanrace.co.uk/ in due course so if you're interested in getting involved in offroad duathlon you can get to see a flavour of what's in store!

ASICS Mudman

2011-12-01T04:04:00.001-08:00

Hey all ... once again, I'll be reporting firsthand from the ASICS offroad duathlon this weekend.

I'll do my absolute best to get a proper view of everything that's going on (my biggest apologies to Kate Robson and Mel Brand for skipping the girls race last time out) I plan to share a birds eye view from wherever I see the race and catch up with the other racing detail after - 10K run, womens duathlon and of course, the famous canine race.

Excitingly, you too can join me this weekend, as I will be using a Go Pro chest mounted HD video recording system from http://www.madison.co.uk/ to capture all the action. Edited highlights will be available at http://www.humanrace.co.uk/ after the event.

Go Pro HD Video Camera

I'm looking forward to it. Since ICEman the achilles ache has quietened down, the bike training has gone well and I've got a brand new production spec Genesis Fortitude 29er to complete the bike section on. With a 1 x 10 gear setup it'll be interesting to see how we get on.

Big Wheels - Genesis Fortitude 29er

If you're not already entered .. why not do it now and I'll see you there!

Cheers, Jim

ASICS Iceman - Offroad Duathlon 10k/18k/5k

2011-11-20T03:23:00.001-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, let battle commence.

That’s what it felt like yesterday as the packed field of 250 racers pawed the line at the opening winter duathlon event – ICEMAN – created by the team at Human Race.

Amidst the front row was a 2011 Olympic distance Men’s World Age Group Champion - Colin Dixon, and National Cross triathlon champion Richard Stannard as well as several other XTERRA racers.

The weather was bright and the course hard packed and dry, this was going to be fast.

Just before the start the course setter Jeremy explained the new route which effectively turns the previously flat 5k run loop into a windy lungbusting hilly painfest. And the bike, well that has opened up a bit and is as fast and as flat as one could hope for. A runner’s race.

The race started jovially with the front group making quips as we legged it down the long straight towards the hills, but Jez Cox soon took the bridle and started to tow the group into a single chain of racers. Diving up and down the lumpy terrain for the first time the gaps were already widening and it was clear to me already that some folk have been training to be in form for these winter training events! A little mis guidance on lap 1 of the run saw the front pack shuffled but it evened out again very quickly with Jez being the only sufferer and winding up in a bush dealing with a revisit of his breakfast after pushing too hard to get back in the race. Poor Jez, he is in fine form.

At the end of the first 10K run, Colin Dixon had extended a promising lead to pull him clear of the rest at the change to mountain bike. Several 29ers including my own prototype Genesis Fortitude rolled out of transition and the lap times only go to show the benefit of the big wheels on a fast course – Stannard clocked quickest of the day with me grabbing time on close rivals too.

The redesign on the bike course makes it better for the big field with plenty of passing opportunities, although with the big long straights it was beneficial to employ tactics and share the work with other riders where possible.

The bike leg ended after 3 furious laps with Stannard taking a commanding lead over Dixon.

Then came the game of ‘who has the strongest legs left’.

The uphills on the second run always seem twice as bad and can become painfully slow; power walking is always an option! Finally into the last flatter kilometre and the thrill of the finishing line means every racer pours on the effort, bursting into the arena to the clapping of the excellent supporters by the side of the finishing chute. Glad smiles and faces screwed up from the effort were plain to see as racers shared a few moments in the lunchtime sun.

So, that’s it, Round 1 done. Stannard fresh back from XTERRA Worlds in Maui is looking dominant, but some new faces in the top 10 are bound to keep everyone on their toes as we head to Camberley in 2 weeks time for the infamous MUDMAN. You thought this one was hilly, well you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Pos Name Total Run1 T1 Bike T2 Run2

1 Richard Stannard 1:50:51 0:43:22 0:00:33 0:44:49 0:00:19 0:21:47

2 Colin Dixon 1:54:20 0:41:32 0:00:37 0:47:40 0:00:33 0:23:56

3 Chris Panayiotou 1:54:34 0:43:26 0:00:32 0:47:46 0:00:24 0:22:23

4 Jim McConnel 1:55:56 0:43:57 0:00:37 0:46:36 0:00:44 0:24:00

5 Dafydd Hollis 1:56:47 0:43:51 0:00:48 0:47:28 0:00:39 0:24:00

Watford Joggers Autumn Challenge

2011-11-13T11:03:00.001-08:00

Despite sporting a slight beard, (in support of not Movember but in fact a crazy work bike ride with Genesis in a couple of weeks), I was really happy to come out a put down a short 30 min run for the 5 mile offroad running race today.

I haven't been training properly since the Ben Nevis Tri, choosing to recover and repair a couple injuries before getting back into the swing over the winter. A shock to the system to come out and push along in the front group.

Cassiobury Park in Watford is well known for walkers and provides a great venue for the Autumn Challenge with the route twisting its way through the woods, up and down several leg sapping hills.

The large field of 150 people headed out of the park, across the golf course and into the woods at a good pace given the shortish nature of the run. Sun was shining and it really didn't feel like deep November weather. I settled in 2nd but was quickly overtaken by a Watfor Jogger called Paul who tried to pull away in the first couple of miles. Fortunately I found a bit more than him on the inclines and dragged the gap back to pass him and build a slight cushion. He kept the pressure on all the way around so I was testing my ankles and Pearl Izumi Peak XC shoes to the max to keep the slender advantage. First place was but a glimmer in the distance and not recoverable but I was chuffed to lay down 2nd in the end.

Thanks to Watford Joggers for organising a great event and to the team behind the scenes who rustled up tea, cake and sandwiches as the prize presentation wound up the day.

No Fuss Events present the Ben Nevis Triathlon

2011-10-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ben Nevis Triathlon

Fort William is the second largest Scottish settlement, some 2 hours drive north west of Glasgow. Billing itself as ‘the outdoor capital of the UK’, it is an ideal base from which to find great hillwalking, climbing and premium mountain biking opportunities nearby. One of Fort William’s aces is its close proximity to the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. At 1344m, ‘Ben’ as it’s commonly known is a popular peak for walkers although a somewhat challenging experience with only a 20% chance of a view to be found at the top due to low cloud. The summit is reached by the twisting and rigorous walking trail that begins reassuringly at the Ben Nevis Inn, just outside the main town.

Bedded in the Glen Nevis valley, the campsite at Achintee looks across the valley to the Ben which is a somewhat foreboding sight when you come from the flat lands of Hertfordshire. It’s possible to see miniature figures in brightly coloured Gore-tex at all times of day, working their way up and down the rocky track on the way to the summit. Even in the night on my way back from the shower of the campsite, I could count more than 40 headlamps on the trail, in small clusters like stars, as walkers negotiated the trail in various quests including the famous 3 Peaks in 24 hours.

The Glen Nevis Camping Park was to be the base for my Ben Nevis Triathlon experience this year, and relative comfort was assured as Katie and I had managed to hire a new style VW campervan out of Glasgow (www.caledoniancampers.co.uk) to provide transport, shelter, cooking facilities and somewhere to sleep, all in one.

The Big Triathlon as it’s known is an offroad triathlon and run by local events organiser’s Frazer and Spook of No Fuss Events. (www.nofussevents.co.uk). A relaxed and competent team, these guys ensure that everyone has a great day out, come shine … or more realistically, rain. They set up a massive saddle style marquee at the finish which this year supplied hot beef stew, get up and go music, and massage throughout the event.

Onto the race details.

The swim is in a loch, the bike is mainly offroad and the run is predominantly offroad too. Offroad triathlon’s are by design very natural, and give every competitor the chance to gather experiences more than the race itself. Difficult to explain, but once you’ve tried one, your thirst will take some quenching and I guarantee that you’ll be searching for more.

In offroad tri, it’s difficult to measure between the different races as distances and terrains can vary so much. The sheer magnitude of the area around Fort William told me that that 1.9km loch swim, 88km super hilly MTB course and 21km hill run to the summit of the Ben and back, was not going to be anywhere near a normal half ironman.

Let’s get to preparation.

This race takes place on a Saturday and so after a morning flight on Friday, we arrived to take a look around. Firstly a test of the water in Loch Linnhe. The swim is 1.9km out and back twice if that makes sense and I only needed to dip a hand in the salty loch water to remind me that I was dealing with the Atlantic at the end of the summer period, and therefore I had no further need to get wet until race day. Chilly to say the least, the dolphins that frequent the loch were nowhere to be seen, but the sighting opportunities looked good with a row of buoys down the centre and a large buoy at each end to turn on.

Transition 1 is set at the end of a ribbon of carpet on the exit of the swim, on a patch of grass surrounded by ancient stone walls giving a medieval feel to the race. It’s an easy place to make the necessary changes from swimmer to cyclist for the 88km mountain bike leg. What’s important about the bike route is that it’s a hilly 4 laps of 22km and so that gives you markers to measure your progress. For each 22km lap, 7km is on undulating road, the rest on undulating or more honestly, hilly offroad. So, hardtail MTB’s are a must and my Genesis Fortitude 29er definitely brought the advantage of fast rolling bigger wheels on all surfaces. This year cross bikes were even allowed, and although slow on the more technical wooded offroad, they caught back plenty once on the tarmac. It’s an idea to run with well pressured tires but these must be balanced to give speed on the road but also grip on the loose lengthy climbs over the ridge toward Glen Nevis and the smile inducing hardpacked trail centre style descent. There are two neutral feedpoints on each lap with supportive staff supplying a plethora of the good stuff from bits of banana to slices of mars bars. (very welcome on lap 4!) One little tip I used this year was to tape the centre of my flat bar to provide somewhere to get my ‘aero tuck on’ for the road section and become as efficient as possible. Maybe it helped with speed but mainly it helped keep me entertained and see me through the 4 hours of relentless drizzle and rain that this were thrown in for free this year.

The bike leg ends at Lochaber Leisure Centre just 500m from the swim transition and it is here that you give your bike away to waiting stewards and don your trail shoes and survival pack for the run leg. You have to carry a full upper body covering as a minimum in your pack as temperatures can plummet in the mist on the Ben to single figures and below. Nutrition was SIS energy gels, small and easy to get down. I’d planned on gloves and a Buff to combat the cold as I’m follically challenged and on the slightly skinny side.

Once out on the run, it’s easy to navigate – firstly along the road, then hit the start of the Ben Nevis path and work your way past the Ben Nevis Inn, with its warm fire and real ale (arrghh keep going!). Then the climb starts- from 45m above sea level in Fort William, you climb a brutal 1300m onwards and upwards towards the summit.

It’s important to note that you’re never alone. There are many walkers on this path and you have to give way sometimes and at least be courteous – to be honest the chance to walk a while and take the view only adds to the experience. At a point quaintly named ‘halfway’ the fun really begins. For the half distance racers it’s time to turn tail and head back down but for the questionably sane it’s time to split from the tourist trail and take something called the ‘runners paths’ skywards. Marked with yellow flouro jackets and guided by members of the local fell running club, these volunteers will see you safe up over rocky terrain on an indistinct path, passing you like a package from one to another as you skirt wide of the tourist trail which by now is zig zagging on the steepest part of the mountain. Rejoining the main trail just a km from the top, two more steep pitches see you welcomed to the aged and ruined meteorological station where you gladly ‘dib your dibber’ (wrist mounted timing chip) to prove you made it. There’s a quick opportunity to grab a welcome jelly baby, strawberry or maybe I was dreaming … dram of whisky … it’s your choice!

Then comes the descent, after some 90 mins of hard climbing, tired quads and calfs will complain as you skate and scramble safely down the loose trail, retracing your steps past the encouraging fell runners to find better visibility and warmth lower in the valley. Finally, the Ben Nevis Inn comes into sight and its several short but seemingly long km til the finish at Lochaber Leisure Centre.

This year I finished up fourth out of the 75 full distance race starters, having been overtaken by two skilled locals on the descent of the run. A lack of endurance training was my downfall with me running the red line for too long on the bike and suffering fatigue in the late stages. Ah well, thank god for the feed stations, thank god for the massage afterwards, the hot tea and all the friendly faces of competitors and supporters alike (thank you Katie). The Ben Nevis Tri brings together a complete mix of racers , the male winner Jef Dams, a young professional from Belgium stole it on the bike and the first lady, Hannah Barnes raced solidly the whole way through, and usefully lives just down the road.

Everyone knows this is a long day out and pushes you as a triathlete very hard. But don’t be put off – the event is achievable with some preparation. It is conquerable at your own pace and starts at dawn (7am at this time of year) so you’ve plenty of time to complete. For the faint hearted, the half distance race is 950m swim, 44km bike and 11km run with half the sapping height gain which makes a massive difference.

So, the Ben Nevis Triathlon is one for the diary. Think of something different for 2012, after the Olympics are all finished and done, why not keep the weekend of September 7^th/8^th free next year for one of those life experiences you’ve always promised yourself?

Getting there:

- Fly to Glasgow with Easyjet from Luton and other main airports. Rent a car or camper

- Train to Glasgow and rent a car or camper

- Drive North for a longish while.

Where to stay:

- Glen Nevis Camping and Caravanning (http://www.glen-nevis.co.uk )

- Ben Nevis Inn – ( http://ben-nevis-inn.co.uk/bunkhouse.asp )

- Ben Nevis Hotel (http://www.strathmorehotels.com/Ben+Nevis+Hotel/Home/ )

Where to eat:

- Nevis Centre – outdoor shop, library resources and coffee shop with snacks

- Ben Nevis Inn – high quality pub grub and real ale

- Crannog Restaurant – fish lovers on the side of Loch Linnhe

- Sammy's Fish and Chip Shop – says it all!

Coming back...

2011-08-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

... it's hard. But I'm on the way. 6 weeks now since shoulder arthroscopy and I have a better range of movement and less pain.

Looking forward to my upcoming events to make an end of season return to top class racing:

- 20/8 - Brighton big Dog - 6 hour enduro
- 28/8 - 12:12 Torq in your sleep - pairs
- 10/9 - Dare2b Ben Nevis Big Triathlon - offroad 70.3

Will start swimming sometime.

See you out there!

Trailblazing the Cotswold Way

2011-05-30T12:22:00.001-07:00

Typical TrailBlaze dibber box

It's hardly been a quiet couple of weeks, but fortunately the planned opportunity came up yesterday to escape to the hills again and this time run the 24k stretch of Cotswold Way, starting at Bath Abbey and ending up at Tormarton just shy of the M4.

(Not sure quite why but every time I take on a leg of Trail Blazing, I get a little bit more confidence and add a few k's ... I shy from the word 'ultra' ... but I can feel I am somewhat on a path .. proverbially. ;-) .. will keep you posted.)

We prepped in Victoria Park - this time putting a new Sailfish Comp Trisuit through its paces in this extreme run test. For backup, I'm using a Camelbak Delaney with SiS 600ml water bottle, 2 SiS isotonic gels, GPS and phone. Katie was once again on photo and pickup duty, equipped with her own maps and timings to intercept me along the way. (Awesome!)

Supplies

I jogged down into the city and found the start point adjacent to the Abbey. Clicking Start on the Garmin and dibbing is a handful but within seconds I was threading my way out of Bath through congested streets with lots of Japanese and American tourists getting the fright of their life as a lycra clad figure bounded past.

Heading out through Victoria Park

One thing I knew about Bath was that it is hilly, but OMG, I hadn't researched the route profile enough to know what I was in for. By Dibber point 1 at 5km I'd resorted to a power walk once already but was otherwise pleased to have made it out of Bath without a wrong turn .. map reading on fire (OK, the path signage is pretty good too)

Over the next 20km, I was constantly rewarded with fabulous views over the shire, plummeting woodland descents amidst wild garlic and gruelling climbs truncated thankfully by a kissing gate or two. No kissing, just a pause for breath and then head up .. On on...! Katie shouted encouragement as she checked in with my progress, although Trail Blazing isn't a race, it's important to get out on those trails, make the most of what you've got and post the best time you can.

Sailfish Tri Suit didn't irritate and ventilated well

Bottom line on this trail was 23.87 km completed in 1hr 58 mins and 26 seconds .. with a little under 700m of vertical ascent. See www.trail-blaze.com for the results.

Satisfied and tired, Katie and I headed off to Minchinhampton Common on top of the Cotswolds for a well earned meal at 'The Old Lodge'. Recommended. :-) (p.s. they even have a pale ale on tap called Hill Climb. A fitting reward.)

Trail-Blazing the Ridgeway

2011-05-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was like a little gift from nature .. rain was forecast and we had a shower or two but only enough to take the pollen from the air and keep the dust down on the rock hard trails. Oh yes, there is only one downside, and that is, the nettles get stronger every single day, reaching further across the narrow Ridgeway foot paths.

Sizing up the Ridgeway and taking it on in earnest ...

Starting just outside Tring at the first Trail-blaze.com waymarked post, the climbing starts .. up towards Wendover. The trail is fast and flowing with only a gasping glance to check the OS map copy of the route I'm carrying as I pursue a good time for this 19km leg.

I'm double checking the signage as I go, but I make a massive error early in leg 1 and manage to plummet down a stony bridleway nearly to Tring meaning an unscheduled grinding climb is the result. 2km later and I'm back where I made the error and rejoin the Ridgeway. Pushing on is easy as the trails are empty of traffic and I dib through point 2 and finally sart the long climb up out of Wendover to the viewpoint off the top of Coombe Hill. Passing Katie who is hiding playing paparrazi on the climb, I grab a swig of water from the bottle before heading onwards.

Once over the top I'm eagle eyed not to make another mapwork mistake as I cross a plethora of side paths, but keep good focus and crash on down towards the Prime Ministers hideout of Chequers. Now on open farmland trails, I can read the general direction better than in the heavy woodland and soon enough I'm over the last climb and dropping down to the dibber point at 19km. Beeping in, I jog on down to the road and once again, meet Katie, who's got the car, camera, and a fiver so we can share a well earned drink in the pub at Cadesdon before wrapping up and heading home.

The run took me just over 1hr 40 and ended up being 22k long (with my derail!) so I'm pretty happy overall with the result. I'll submit it to the guys at www.trail-blaze.com this week and hope I can grab a spot on the leaderboard allthough I'm sure it won't stand for long.

There's always something special and exciting about running a new trail, and I'm happy to have seen new sights and learnt more about the great UK countryside we have on our doorstep!

Easter Buny 10K - Yeovilton 25th April

2011-05-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

After an early breakfast on the first of the recent Bank Holidays, we headed out the door and sped down the A303 to join around 300 other runners at RNAS Yeovilton for the Easter Bunny 10K.

After a short warm up we all headed to the start line to learn that the course was a figure 8, with good km markers, and flat. As the gun went, one runner tore off at a blistering pace and the local Yeovil runners were happy to let him go. A different class I thought to myself as the front pack settled down in the first couple of km's. The pace was feisty at 2:59 for the first km, then a 3:05 which meant that soon we were losing runners out the back .. and this included me at arond 4km when the course swung around a bend and went up a slight incline.

I cussed at my lack of speed work and made excuses saying my shoulder was tight, but honestly, I just couldn't go that hard on this day.

Eventually finishing in 14th place with a 35:15 I was clearly off my optimum, but happy with my concentration in the last 2km where the numbers showed I picked the pace back up even though the going was tough. The first race run out for the Pearl Izumi Streak 2's and they performed really well - providing good road feel, super light and comfy uppers. I'll look to push them harder next time.

Next stop is Plymouth for the start of a Devon Coast to Coast cycle ride using National Cycle Network trails (NCN 27 - Granite Way, Tarka Trail etc)

Somerset Road Race Champs

2011-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

After the usual glut of chocolate on Easter Sunday, we're heading to Somerset and RNAS Yeovilton for the Easter Bunny 10K tomorrow. The Somerset Road Race champs are piggy-backing this event and as I was born many years ago on the fringe of Somerset .. it means I get a chance to play in that race too.

Have been focussing on riding the bike plenty recently with an upcoming ride on Stage 15 of the Giro D'Italia up Mt Etna in Sicily next month, and running has taken a second seat. But I'm quietly excited to get out and stretch the legs on a new course amidst new faces .. after all that's half of it right? Confident to deliver a safe best training effort from myself tomorrow, I'll be trialling a new pair of Pearl Izumi Iso-Streaks 2's that will do everything to encourage fast feet.

This trimmed down racing flat has a re-engineered slimline midsole giving good road feel and overall a lightweight package. Let's see what these mean green beasties can do to help me tomorrow.

After that it's onto Plymouth and the start of the Devon C2C by bicycle. Loaded down with panniers, it'll be a continued trial for the Pearl Izumi gear with new PRO bib shorts getting an outing. More on that from the Tarka Trail later. :-)

Supplement produces a ‘striking’ endurance boost - Get on the beetroot!

2011-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

Research from the University of Exeter has revealed taking a dietary supplement to boost nitric oxide in the body can significantly boost stamina during high-intensity exercise.

The study has important implications for athletes, as results suggest that taking the supplement can allow people to exercise up to 20% longer and could produce a 1-2% improvement in race times.

This comes on the back of previous research from Exeter which showed that the high nitrate content of beetroot juice, which also boosts nitric oxide in the body, has a similar effect on performance.

As the proud owner of a new smoothie maker (thanks Jude), you can be sure that in the pursuit of increased performance, I will be blending the little purple fellows in the coming weeks to try this research out.

Will keep you posted on Twitter - @therealtrijim

Asics Iceman - offroad duathlon - 22nd Jan 2011

2011-01-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ahead of the 2011 Human Race Iceman and entries were full. This is happening more and more regularly, meaning that an increased number of folk are converting to offroad events. Support for our sport away from the tarmac is very healthy and growing all the time! Good news, more people will mean more events, more focus in the media, more competition and generally more fun for all.
So, a massive field lined up for the 12k run, followed shortly afterwards by the infamous dog and handler race, where anything can happen, and usually does.

I rolled up fairly on time as usual (ahem) and was slightly nervous to see the usual duathlon race field swelled with the likes of VO2’s Elliot Challifour and French mountain biker with a running streak, Sylvain Garde. All the usual suspects had turned out except Rich Stannard who has a calf injury. As we stood bristling on the line the pre race banter flowed freely as usual but all too soon the horn blared and we were hammering away down the start straight to complete the first of 2 x 5k run loops. It was pretty clear after 5 minutes that the infamous Colin Dixon was in fine form as he warmed up and started to stretch a lead. What was more noticeable was that I had an entourage of 5 or so other athletes around me. These pesky road duathletes are now dabbling in the dark art of offroad to test their early season legs, and it seems they can be quick.

Entering T1 after 10k and I was hanging with the lead pack in around 5^th place. Once on the bike it all got a bit confusing as I took to the front and then promptly got the group containing 3^rd – 8^th place lost by making a wrong turn where the course marking was unclear. After a quick mother’s meeting we rejoined the correct route, settling to work together for a short period in an effort to reel Dixon and Garde in. After gulping an SiS energy gel, I broke the leash of the rest to scrape a slender 40 second gap coming into T2 and was lucky to catch Garde napping whilst doing up his shoes.
Sylvain and I ran tooth and nail for the final 5k, his spikes making much more noise than my very effective and new lightweight offroad treads from Pearl Izumi. Fortunatley the diminutive French man seemed unable to close me down, although I could hear him all the way, as I strained to catch a glimpse of Dixon ahead. In the end, I found him on the finish line, halfway through a cup of tea, looking nonchalant and humble as usual.

Slack jaw syndrome strikes as the cold bites in at the finish.

Well done Colin, you totally deserve this one with quick running and following the arrows, but now we each have a 1st and a 2nd, it's down to round 4 for the series! Stay tuned to see what happens with a more technical bike course at Pippingford in 2 weeks time!

Human Race Duathlon – Mudman

2010-12-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

So, the Grim might have been cancelled this weekend due to poor conditions but there was no such wimping out for those who’d signed up to the Asics sponsored Human Race Offroad Duathlon near Camberley in Surrey. At 10am the first gun went off and the 10k run kicked off, followed by the canine race and then the main event – the Duathlon.

Pushing hard on the bike (Photo courtesy of David Thomas)

A full field was registered and not many seemed to be put off by the weather forecast.
The Mudman course is well respected because of the multiple steep pitches found on the run course. And today, the two lap bike course comprised icy, slippery descents and strangely enough, icy, slippery climbs. It was tough graft from the off even though the distances are a deceivingly manageable 7.5km run, 15km MTB and then a final 7.5km run.
I found myself in the front pack from the gun with 2009 series winner Colin Dixon and well known GB Duathlete, Jez Cox. Richard Stannard was in close attendance with XTERRA regular Paul Davies closing out the leaders.
Colin stretched a slender lead on the super slippery descents, taking insane risks on the treacherous surfaces as we made our way around the first lap. Jez and I traded places on the climbs as Colin eased away, and by T1, he was a minute clear. I was excited to have a fellow racer to work with to get back to Colin on the bike, but it was evident pretty quickly that Jez had a bike problem as he fell away and left me to pursue the leader alone. Fortunately I caught sight of him on a long climb and this spurred me on to steal the lead at the end of lap one and then put the hammer down to try and get clear of the chasing pack. The course was melting as we went around and I was glad to have my clear Sundog glasses on to deal with most of the muck and keep my eyes safe.
Into T2 alone and all was good from my side, no sign of any of the big names, so I headed out onto the final run on a quickly thawing course, gulping a second SIS isotonic gel as I ran.
Although I saw the chasers on the twisting final circuit, I dug deep with my Brooks Cascadia’s grabbing purchase through the snow to extend my lead by the finish to around 1 minute.
I was shocked to cross the line and find a camera right in my face, apparently because the Grim was cancelled, the Sky Sports team headed across to cover the Human Race Event instead… Check Sky Sports News tomorrow night for well muddy clips of a fun day out.
All in all an encouraging result for me, having missed round 1, I’m really happy to have some good points on the board heading into the 3rd event in January.

3,1,2! :-)

Results

1 Jim McConnel - Driven To Tri

2 Colin Dixon - unattached

3 Paul Davies - Mountain Trax

Human Race - Mudman

2010-12-01T09:02:00.001-08:00

It approaches. And I've just read the race course details again. 7.5km run, 15km bike and finish off with another 7.5km run.

It's going to be a hard day out in the woods down in Camberley this weekend, the run course is designed for runners who like to go up .. and then like to go down .. repeatedly .. until the sensation becomes almost sickening.

I'm looking forward to this pre Christmas bash. Apparently Colin Dixon, Richard Stannard, PAul Davies and the infamous round 1 winner Jez Cox are all coming out to play!

Stepping up...

2010-11-24T03:51:00.000-08:00

YIKES! I've gone and done it .. signed up for my first real 70.3 .... you know a day comes in your life when you just feel like you want to explore a bit further, push further, push different and experience a new sporting vibe.

Well, I'm on it. Doesn't mean I'm leaving the offroad, it's just a stepping stone to somethign even more scary and fiendishly difficult ...

Very excited!!! More to follow as planning starts now.

Scott X-Tri Race Series has landed!

2010-11-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

After a long anticipated wait the Scott X-Tri Race Series will hit the UK in the spring of 2011. With the backing of Scott Bikes and four of the UK’s top event directors it is guaranteed to be THE off-road race series to be involved in.

There will be four races spread across England, Scotland & Wales and with a prize purse of £5,000 from Scott bikes and the prospect of competing on some spectacular courses and in amazing locations, it’s going to be a winner for everyone who takes part.

“With over £5000 in Scott prizes to be won, this is a fantastic opportunity to challenge your friends,” boasts race manager Paul Davies. “We know you're going to love it!”

Each location will hold a Scott Championship Triathlon consisting of a 1500m open water swim, a 25-40km mountain bike and a 10km trail run, all with their quite individual unique demands and surprises! At each race there will also be an off-road sprint triathlon and either an off-road duathlon or 10k trail run so everyone in the family can take part. The events will be even more memorable with fun activities for the kids, spot prizes throughout the day and a live band in the race after party in the evening.

Jim McConnel is a regular contender in the Pro Field

We will be using new and established races for the series and with the success of the first ever National Cross Tri Championships at the Durty Tri last year and with the XTT hosting it this year, we have two of the biggest current races already within the series. This together with the addition of new races at the Mud & Mayhem and the Wales X-Triathlon, we have it all in the Scott X Tri Series.

· 22nd May - Mud & Mayhem - Delepre Abbey, Northampton

· 2nd July - Wales X Triathlon - Neath Valley, South Wales.

· 30th July - Durty Triathlon - Tibbie Shiels Inn, St Mary's Loch, Scottish Borders. Scottish Cross Championships

· 24th Sept - XTT - Hawley Lake, Surrey - National Cross Championships

With the support of Active Network, you can enter each event individually or the whole series with a 30% discount. These events will be challenging and fun for everyone, while offering a great excuse to visit places you've never been to before. To sign up for a single event or the entire series, please visit: www.xtriseries.co.uk

Winter Training Races ...

2010-10-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Happily I can report that I will be back to compete in 3 out of the 4 hardest and best training races you can ever ask for as an offroad triathlete this winter.

After a bit of a lay off in September with work, I managed to knock myself up (fnar) on the Cyclo Cross bike a few weeks back and am only just back to regular bike training. Nursing a shoulder and head injury it'll take a few weeks to get properly back on track, but I will be in full attendance at the Mudman, with all guns blazing!

Join me there buying visiting: http://humanrace.co.uk/events/duathlon/mudman-2010

See info below:
The second race in the Human Race off road series brings back to the calendar the infamous MudMan event held in the gruelling grounds of the MOD in Camberley.

This race is not for the faint hearted, though slightly shorter than the IceMan event, it is just as challenging and even more rewarding. The off road run will comprise of a 10km dirty trail run through forests and gullies, ensuring this race will not ensure you a PB but guaranteed adrenaline fuelled fun and sense of achievement.

The off road duathlon will take in the same run course as the runners but slightly shorter distance (7.5km), followed by a bumpy, gritty mountain bike circuit over 15km of rough terrain. The duathlon will finish off with a further 7.5km run, by this time you will be very familiar of the course and the limits that it holds..!

The MudMan circuit is used on the Army military training ground – the ground will be stony, the hills steep and competition fierce.

JOGLERS

2010-09-22T01:01:00.000-07:00

OK, take a look at this clip from two friends of mine at Tall Stories...

They guided these 8 nice chaps from TESCO on a non stop relay JOGLE (John O Groats to Lands End) ride.

6hours on, 6 off. That was for the guides, while the clients did a max of 3 hours each. No wonder James O had a little lie down in the middle. Anyway, 9 hundred and some odd miles in 56 hours ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVvWc9s6y5k

My kind of luncacy. Check out www.tallstories.co.uk for more crazy adventures and challenges.

New Chapter

2010-08-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

Newsflash to all of you who thought I might never do this ....

Well, the ultimate opportunity has presented itself to me and I've grabbed it with both hands:

That's right, I'm going to work at Madison, the UK's upcoming leader in cycle and active outdoors distribution. I start on October 1st so wish me luck.

Don't think it's all change as I will intend to continue to compete at the races, and even rub a pair of legs now and then!! Whilst I manage my shoulder back from the brink of continued soreness, I am focussing on building my bike and run legs to be able to drop the hammer in the winter duathlons!! Follow my twitter for updates @therealtrijim. Laters.

British Cross Tri Champs - DONE!

2010-08-04T13:35:00.001-07:00

There are lots of times when I consider how lucky I am. And this last weekend was one of them. When Kate and I arrived here....

......on Friday 30th July, the stillness and space overwhelmed my senses after the hustle and bustle of London.

By the following day, over 300 athletes had migrated towards St Mary's Loch, just north of Moffat, the race site was prepared and we were game on, ready to go green light British Champs!

BBC2 - Are you nervous?

Me - Yes for sure ... I'm nervous about the post race Ceidlidh... (what?!)

Before we got that far, BBC2 Scotland turned up and did some interviews, mine was pretty short really, and Tim 'Macca' McDowell stole the show by bagging 10 minutes to camera. That guy always has a story, if you ever have trouble going off to sleep, try sharing a family room with him, he'll have you snoring within moments. Actually it's a fib, most of his stories are so hilarious you'll be begging for more!

Soon enough we were all suited and booted for action, my Sailfish One wetsuit

guaranteeing a snug firm fit and giving me a well needed layer of insulation and buoyancy.

I warmed up, then returned to shore to shiver with fellow shiverer, Sam Gardner. After helping a competitor who cut his foot on a sharp rock at last minute, I dashed back to the front line just 10 seconds before the start. Buzzing on adrenaline I managed the best swim I have completed this year, setting a good pace and staying true to the feet of a relay competitor in front of me.

Out onto the bike and it was up up up ... I could see the crazy blue suit of Llewellyn Holmes in front of me as he tediously piled on the pressure on the climb. I seemed to gain, then seemed to lose, to and fro.

After a quick departure into a bog over the bars on the descent I rejoined with care and focus.

Climbing well on the Southern Upland Way

Lap2 and Llew was still there tantalizingly just out of reach. We'd both climbed thru the field to lie 4th and 5th respectively and it stayed that way into the run. I'd pre walked the 10k offroad lap and was ready mentally to drive hard on the 3k climb. I tried and my body responded well, Brooks Cascadia's

dug in well to the rocky forestry tracks and I motored upwards. But, it was a lonely chase and I never saw another racer .. only a single cameraman where I had to pretend I wasn't really puffing!

Across the babies heads (tussocky lumps!) at the top of the course and onto the open moor, which usually would be quiet. Our team of TWAG's were however waiting secretly to simply bellow encouragement and cause tired muscles to respond and drive hard toward the final 2k plummet to the finish line.

Once down it was clear, the UK XTERRA Pros had taken the race by storm, Ian 1, Sam 2, Graham 3, Llew 4, me 5. Nicola Duggan 1st in the women.

Awards ceremony was a constant clapping affair expecially from our table in the marquee as the BTF medals adorned every athlete.

Then it was time to party, HOG roast, ceidlidh and disco .... the night wound on well til the early hours with the help of Tibbieshiels Ale and good Scottish cheer.

In 2011 this could be the Euro Champs. It needs a polish here and there, but we all had a great time and want to go back.. :-)

phew.

British Cross Tri Champs this weekend

2010-07-29T03:40:00.000-07:00

For more info: www.durtytriathlon.com

OK, I'm still packing ... I've heard it's going to be wet in Scotland this weekend so the Brooks Cascadias are in for running as are the clear Sundog glasses to keep muck out of my eyes.

I'm quite apprehensive about this race .. haven't raced too much this year and definitely not a contender in the swim. But I've had some of my athletes out at some of the biggest amatuer races and the feeling I'm feeling right now is similar to what those guys have had in the pits of their bellies in the weeks that have gone before. That's a good sign for me as I revved to do my best.

XTERRA France - pre suiting up chat

Did my final hard run session last night around Clapham Common - 6 x 3 min on ish 5k pace with 2 mins recovery. Didn't feel bad at all and my body loosened up nicely. Training has been sporadic to say the least the last two weeks - a 250 mile charity ride to Paris on my MTB was good base miles, a couple of decent runs and a few dreams about swimmign like a dolphin. :-)

Sam's wedding day - me, TP, Macca, and Sammy G - Fellow XTERRA's!!

Just got off the blower to Tim McDowell who's taking a swimming lesson (he's a swim coach) and he sounds excited, almost ready. As for Sam Gardner he's fresh back from honeymoon which consisted of riding to Paris on a tandem with his nearest and dearest. They were still together when I saw them at the Eiffel Tower this last weekend so that's a great sign ...

Not much more to add at this stage just fingers crossed I can get all my gear to work right this weekend and do a decent clean performance.

Final Thought: I watched the men's 10,000m and the men's 100m in the last two days and those two races were a clear demonstration that you don't just have to be physically strong, but your head has to be in the right place and your focus pure to do your best.. time to get brain engaged!

Swimming with Sailfish

2010-07-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd pen a quick note to let you know how I'm getting on with my Sailfish One wetsuit this year. Hmm, my swimming has been pretty terrible in 2010 owing to a chronic rotator cuff injury. But, the good news is I've been bailed out on several occasions in the water by what feels like the best suit I've ever swum in. Easy to get into and out of, the Sailfish One has a classic bottom to top rear zip, super flexy hip panels and good buoyancy from the 5mm legs.

I love it and urge my shoulder to fix better every day so I can make better use of it.

This weekend I'm going to find out how good it is at the Durty Tri (British Cross Tri Champs) in Scotland along with UK XTERRA mates Sam Gardner and Tim McDowell.

More later, off to pack a bag.

Le Tour de Saddle Sore - The Alps

2010-06-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's the penultimate day of riding here in Morzine. The boys have successfully made their way from the calm shores of Annecy across many reputed tour cols - Forclaz, Croix Fry, Colombiere, Ramaz ... and are happily rested after a day off in Morzine.

OK, so we went mountain biking an dnow Will has two stitches in his knee .. but you know that's par for the course with Mr Daredevil himself.

Today's serve is hilly - Encranaz (+600m), Joux Plane (haute categorie and +1000m) and then finally Avoriaz (+700m at least....) as we form a loop bringing us back to the fabulous Cairn Lodge (http://www.reach4thealps.com/Summer/cairn-lodge.php)

Hopefully the sun might come out. we have had more than a fair serve of precipitation on this fabulous riding week. Legs are getting stronger and I've found some really neat offroad running routes in Morzine and La Clusaz.

Tonight, I'm hoping to dip off after the run and take a dip in the nearby Lac Montriond -- obviously clad in my Sailfish One wetsuit ... swimming at 1500m is likely to be chilly!!

Laters.

Il Giro Toscana with Action Medical Research

2010-06-01T03:37:00.000-07:00

So, Mad May has come to a conclusion ... and encased in there was a trip to Tuscany with specialist children's charity - Action Medical Research. The challenge for the 72 clients from TESCO's and their partners/suppliers was to undertake a 4 day cycling challenge covering over 500km and 8,000m vertical ascent.

The 'Badger's' as they are known come from TESCO, Unilever, BLP, SKY, and many other leading companies based in the UK.

I work for event specialists Tall Stories (http://www.tallstories.co.uk/) as a Tour Leader and Bike Guide. On this trip in Tuscany it was my job to guide around 10 particpants safely around Lake Trasimeno, through Arezzo, onto Siena and finally deliver them into Firenze!

Back Row - Group 3 labelled Team Faff, a strong team

Front Row - Planet X Nanolight and me!

A great week, some rain, plenty of sun, an abundance of bottom gear use for the relentless hills.

The result - over 200k raised for the charity and my ability to mend punctures improved once again!

2011 -- Sardinia!

ooooo errrrrrr, the arrival of the Nano!!

2010-04-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

The build of this beauty has begun and as I'm bolting bits onto the super sexy 920g frame it doesn't seem to be getting much heavier.... :-)

Will update as we go .. but suffice to say for 2k this bike looks like a super deal .... and we'll find out tonite (fingers crossed) on the Oxford Chaingang (6pm Martson Ferry/Banbury Road)

Log onto www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk to see all the other nice new shiny stuff that the boys from Doncaster have in their shed.

Train hard, spend harder.

Jim.

Easter time -- XTERRA Portugal

2010-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

21st place after a very busy swim, steady bike and poor run. Not my best performance by a long way but still a solid opener for the 2010 season on a course which saw many in trouble. I'd hoped to run faster but my legs felt really flat on the 2.5k stretch of beach to close out of the 9.1km run. The sand was hard going for all, and lots of tired legs struggled in the dunes to finish the inaugral 2010 XTERRA Europe race held in Figuera da Foz.

Maybe the fast pace at Eton last week had taken a bit out of me, not sure, but I enjoyed the race none the less.

The bike was all about gorse bushes, plenty of them hiding at the sides of the rockyish trail, ready to leave claw marks on the skin. Fast and flowing in places, rocky and stuttery in others, the track wound up and down and the two laps flew by -- sadly my bottle flew out on Lap 1 leaving me with just water at the aid stations. Even an emergency gel exiting T2 didn't perk me for the run.

The swim was a bundle, pros and age groupers racing 250m for the first 120 degree turn, bodies slipping over and under, lots of people going open water for the first time in 2010. It was obvious, a lack of etiquette meant slurps of estuary water, leaking goggles and a struggle to find a rhythm. One highlight of the swim had to be my new Sailfish One wetsuit, which simply glides when you get the chance. I'm really looking forward to getting some training and better racing miles covered in it this year.

Amongst the other UK contenders, I closed out the list of Llewellyn Holmes, Graham Wadsworth, Tim McDowell and the fast finishing (but sadly double puncturing) Sam Gardner.

Now back in the UK, fixing a sore right shoulder - rotator cuff injury and planning to bring on the biking. There'll be more later.

Eton 1/2 Marathon -- Winds and a Win (almost..)

2010-03-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Always a PB first time over a new distance!!

So a quick note to report on the day's racing at Dorney Lake. I headed to the Lucozade Race Your Pace half marathon. It was my first time racing over that distance and I certainly learnt that over and above my usual 6 mile comfort zone, it was a different story from then on in. The course is pan flat (4 laps of the lake) but a strong side wind affected race times. As the mile markers flew by, I checked my watch and saw sub 5'50 min/miles rack up for the leading group of five. By lap 3, I'd bravely (or foolishly?!?) taken the race on and extended a small lead heading into the final lap. Only as I was in the last mile did I hear the hammer of fast feet behind me, as a surge from Simon James took him ahead of me to the line. Happy with my effort today, and looking forward to the next challenge at the weekend in Portugal when the XTERRA circuit begins on Saturday.

Results:

Simon James 30-34 01:16:39

Jim Mcconnel 35-39 Driven to tri 01:16:49

Caspar Prestidge 25-29 01:16:59

Roger Barr 30-34 Thames Turbo 01:17:18

Matthieu Ribault 20-24 TVH 01:17:29

Jim joins Sailfish Wetsuits!

2010-03-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am totally stoked to have joined the Sailfish wetsuit team for 2010. I'm just packing up to go out to Majorca on my hols for a week but hope to get some good open water swimming practice out there ahead of XTERRA Portugal on April 3rd.

Jan Sibbersen - the boss of Sailfish.. and a nice place to swim

So , if you're looking for the low down on the new Sailfish equipment, then feel free to grab a chat out and about.

I'll be training at Dorchester Lake near Oxford with Oxford Tri (when the weather warms up) and down at the Liquid Leisure lake near Datchett from time to time with Sean Hayhow, UK Sales Manager for Sailfish.

For now, I'm back to ticking things off lists and tieing up the loose ends before a break.

Will be back to UK on 25th March, stronger and rested. :-)

inside Track on Feb training..

2010-03-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

So, this month I have been 'lucky' enough to be the featured athlete in Running Fitness (Thanks to Sarah Russell!). David Castle's magazine covers everything from entry level running technique through good nutrition and getting ready for marathons. Grab a copy a get a read!

Oh .. just remembered ... to ensure you skip knowing some of my schedule in February, avoid Page 19.

:-)

Spring has Sprung and Sundogs land just in time!

2010-03-01T04:35:00.000-08:00

Well it's the 1st of March and the sun is well and truly out ... after the perma-rain of the weekend, it's a great sight to see! Thankfully my care package from the fabulous guys at Sundog Eyewear (www.sundogeyewear.co.uk) has just landed to help me through the 2010 race season with a range of eyewear for all occasions .. from the 4 lens interchangeable Triathlon, to my race fave -- the vented Madman, through to my new chillin'/podium (I wish!) shades, The Hunter Mahan (a golfer I believe!!) signature specials .. in matte white with copper flash tints! Nice.

2010 Lineup from Sundog Eyewear

Right, osteo appointment at 1:15 pm to straighten me up a little, I'm losing power on the bike and rotation in the pool, so Jon Gibbons at Peaksport (http://www.peaksport.co.uk/) is the man to fix the issues with a firm but skilful adjustment.

3 wise men

2010-02-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a little picture of 2 good mates of mine from Merrell Tuffman a couple of weeks back. Sam Gardner and Tim McDowell. It's when I see pictures like this that I think about all the work and effort that goes into preparing for events .. and then you get a run climb like the one at Pippingford where we all had to dig in and see what our technique and form could deliver. With consistent work, built up gradually, you will get faster. When it comes to racing, it may still hurt, but at least you can give your best. Important to remember to give your best. :-)

3 offroad wally's went out to play!

Series upset at Merrell Wildman

2010-02-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

So, the sun rose on Saturday, and then stayed hidden for most of the day. Typical. The wind blew too .. but at least the rain didn't pour, like it threatened. But it had rained before ..a lot .. into the crevasse in the East Sussex countryside that is Pippingford park. A crease in the land, densely wooded (not forested as this would indicate some sort of order that is not present in the chaotic way the trees are assembled.) and running with water off the heavily laden soil down to the network of lakes in the very pit of the Park.

The start line was buoyant with a full house on Saturday .. two newcomers to the Merrell series graced us with their presence -- legendary XTERRA Pro Sam Gardner, and newbie XTERRA hotshot Tim 'Macca' McDowell. Lot's of shiny new lycra, and comments like ' I didn't come here to come second .. (Anon.) were seen and heard as the 1 minute warning was uttered by tthe starter.

And then we were away, galavanting like new born lambs across the field, streaming towards the first red arrow over the soft, off camber, grass. Turning sharp left, racers strode, skidded and slipped their way into the depths of Pippingford. Hearts in mouths, I saw racers around me with hands out for balance on the uncertain surface, lugged offroad shoes working overtime to keep some grip. Turning upwards once more and the series leader Colin Dixon started to pull away. Sam tried to go, and Tim and myself duked on in 3rd and 4th. By the end of 2 laps of the 5k course, we were all very muddy, and Colin was away with a 1+ minute lead over myself then Sam in hot pursuit.

An interstellar transition for me left Sam powdering his nose, but within moments he was riding with me. (note to self: more riding required) Sam stormed off to open a 5 minute lead whilst Colin retired after crashing on the slippery treacherous course and Tim punctured irrepairbaly and was last seem throwing his bike at his girlfriend. Never mind Colin, 3 wins is enough .. and Tim .. I know you'll be back to show us all how it's done later in the season.

Back on the bike course, and I have to say, it was carnage. I'm sliding sideways down descents, past people walking bikes, under bikes, in trees .. all that kind of hearty outdoor stuff. Conditions aren't good and I'm happy to see transition after 20km of hard mountain biking work. As I squidge off for the final 5km run (21 some odd minutes!!) the small crowd around the finish shout encouragement at all the athletes appearing over the brow of the hill looking slightly perplexed at the whole affair.

Soon enough and after a foot-safe final 5km and I'm home in second, and happy to be there. Today was a big lesson in putting the effort in when required, keeping calm on the bike, not looking into the big puddles, closing my eyes when it all looked like it was going pearshaped .. and just hanging in there, with lady luck perched on my shoulder.

A big old gang made it to a local pub to regail stories of how good we all were and how much better we'll be next time, the excuse satchel was wide open with cries of 'I would have been up with you ... BUT ....' and overall it was a great day. That's it for another spring of Merrell Offroad races .. thanks to John and the team, look forward to seeing you all again in the Autumn.

Results:
1: Sam Gardner 1:52.57
2: Jim McConnel 1:58.20
3: Paul Davies 2:05.07

Next Big race for me is XTERRA Portugal on April 3rd, hopefully riding a new On-One Scandal MTB. :-) www.xterraportugal.com for more info!

Race Report - Merrell Wildman

2010-01-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

So, we've been catapulted into a New Year with loads of snow and poor training conditions ... but it doesn't stop the recommence of the Merrell Offroad Duathlon series .. Round 3 saw the Human Race circus pitch up at a brand new location -- Hankley Common near Guildford.

3,1,2! - Paul 'Transalp' Davies, Colin 'the goat' Dixon, Jim McConnel

Arriving at 930am for a 1020 kick off and I was greeted with a packed car park and lots of other excited nervous racers, prepping bikes and pulling on offroad running shoes. The queue for the toilets was super long .. well there were only 4 portoloos (ooo, note to the Human Race team ... please a few more next time!)

Hankley Common is a massvie open area -- the military use it for exercises, very sandy, with plenty of big landrover tracks, and steep sandy gullies running up to the woods and banks above. This course looked hard, open with nowehre to hide. And the recently melted snow was lieing in big wet puddles. A great venue for racing and definitely a top venue for spectators -- a massive black icy bath near transition kept everyone guessing who'd make it through successfully and the big descent on the run meant that the cheering section saw a constant stream of lemmings descending over the top and hurtle in a semi controlled manner to the bottom.

Chilly puddles and steep descents make this course 'Tuff'

At 10:20 sharp the gun went for the Duathlon and the 150 or so competitors negotiated the way around this brand new course -- in some places the sand was deep and it was left up to the front runners to identify the best route through. My Brooks Cascadia's did their usual job of hooking up well in the sand and the usual crowd opened up a gap after the first couple of km's. I was conscious that the 1st run was 12km and didn't want to overstretch it, but I was a bit disappointed to see that my descending speed just couldn't match the mountain goat skills of Colin Dixon and he pulled a comfortable gap by the end of lap 1. With fellow XTERRA athlete Paul Davies in hot pursuit of me, I forged on with lap 2 and headed into transition after 50 minutes, a clear 2nd.

The bike course went by in a blur, but I didn't ride super well. The combination of the cold weather and a hard setup on the bike (mmm, note to self... check tyre pressures!) meant I lost time to Paul who caught me napping nearing the end of the 20km and he came flying past like a steam train. However you don't need to ask me twice, I gulped a second brand new Maximuscle Viper isotonic gel and felt spurred me back into life. Jumping onto his wheel, (oooo, those nasty white tyres on that new bike of his make me wince!), we rode the last 2km through-and-off to transition.

Fired up for the second run I headed out of transition so see a 20 second gap on Paul (powdering his nose?) already and set off in pursuit of the long gone Dixon who I hoped would be tiring. I worked steady hard the last 6km run, feeling the effects of a cold 2hr20 race getting inside me by the end and finished in second, two minutes down. Paul came in 2.5 mins down on me, a lot to lose in that final 6km run. At the line I spoke to Sarah and the friendly (if slightly sadistic) Human Race team. Fellow competitors were cheered in but it wasn't long before I was needing warm kit and tea laced with sugar to revive me.

All in all a good day with huge numbers spread across the different races - 6km run, 10km run, 16km Run and Duathlon. Well done to everyone out there, it was a hard day and only reminds me how much motivation is required by all athletes in January, including mine at Driven To Tri. It's time to push through and get training done with consistency at this time of year to reap rewards in races in the coming months.

Next up is the last round in two weeks at Pippingford Park near Gatwick - Merrell Tuffman, see www.humanrace.co.uk for more. See you there .. that is if my legs have recovered by then!!

TriJim SportsCare Clinic - exciting launch at Beeline Bicycles, Oxford

2010-01-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

From March 1st, the TriJim SportsCare clinic will be widening availability by going instore at Beeline Bicycles on the Cowley Road in Oxford.

As part of an exciting store development program to launch a brand new Specialized BG Fit Facility, you'll now be able to go one step further and take advantage of enhancing your sporting health with the addition of this onsite sports massage and injuries service.

Consultations held in an all new treatment room, and offering all the usual services:

Pre booked sessions - swedish and sports massage will:
- ease away pains and tension,
- encourage healthy blood circulation
- improve flexibility and joint mobility
- relax and invigorate your body and mind

There'll be - Cycling Specific Bodywork – Pre event - Muscle and mental invigoration / Post event - Waste removal, muscle lengthening and tone improvement.

Specialism in Sports Related Injuries:

- Injury assessment
- Return to strength programs -- post care advice offered for all common injuries.
- Core Strengthening - 1 to 1 demos to encourage good technique and overcome common injuries.

Spring Promotion offer in place for all Beeline Bicycles Customers -- call by the shop to pick up your 1/2 price loyalty voucher! (promotion ends 31/3/10)

Jump the queue and get in early -- contact Jim McConnel now on 07890 098086 or email massage@trijim.co.uk to discuss your requirements.

Crimbo Racing - Stoke Stampede 25th Anniversary

2009-12-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

The 25th Anniversary of the classic Stoke Stampede 10K Boxing Day run started bang on time at 11am. Nearly 400 runners chased down the road after the wheelchair entrant and the two stroller entries who'd been set off several minutes earlier.

After 4km, the front pack was stretching away

Ice was evident on the bends and the puddles full of cold water that splashed legs chilled the muscles trying to warm.

The first 4k was leisurely and then what followed was a pulsing effort conducted by Ed Knudsen who managed to break away with Tom Fisher at the 7km mark to fight for main honours.

I was left full of turkey and feeling a little sluggish to keep my head down and finish a grateful 3rd and first in the old mans Over 35 category.

Mike Waterjohns presents a belated prize and medal

A great race, getting bigger every year, with loads of new faces meeting each other and making festive freinds. The race for me has only one small criticism, when the prize presentation is about to start, someone needs to give the people in the pub across the road a shout! I was very sad and apologetic to miss the presentation this year.

Results:

Place Name Time Running Club

1 Tom Fisher 33.42

2 Edward Knudsen 33.44 Wells City Harriers

3 Jim McConnel 34.34 Driven to Tri

Striking lightning at Merrell MUDman.

2009-12-06T01:05:00.001-08:00

Arriving at Merrell MUDman, racers were greeted with treacherous sandy puddles to urge their cars through on the way to parking, even before the event started. Truly we've had some rain this week right? Destined for a gritty soggy race, in my head I was ticking precautions off - clear glasses, check, crud guard, check, mudpack .,.. hmmm, coming soon.

I lined up with an ever increasing field (Human Race are doing a good job of pulling out around 100 new racers each time at these offroad events! Hurrah!!) and 400 of us splashed our way out along the initial fireroad 7.5k run route. At the pointy end the field thinned as we took on 7 of the hardest climbs I can imagine. The closest thing I can relate them to is running up an escalator that's going backwards and doesn't really have steps. Tough.

On we trucked, me, the favorite Colin Dixon and newby road man Lee Rankin making transition first. Onto the bike and my heart settled down after the manic bpm peaks from the run. On the second lap it was going well, I had caught Colin and left Lee far behind. As we flew down a descent toward the end of the lap, I was suddenly sickened to feel my front wheel slide across the track as a puncture hit and I careered off course. Colin shouted encouragement, or it could have been 'goodbye', but whatever, after several attempts to fix the mess with a trusty foam catridge, I had to admit defeat and slowly ride to transition on a flat. Twice in 2 MUDmans, should really learn to ride better?!

After hastily pulling on some warm clothes I put my disappointment aside, joined the Human Race team - and became an official cheerleader as riders and runners appeared in various states of muddiness, smileyness and general total exhaustedness at the transition arena.

Colin took the win (2-0 with 2 to go! Bugger), and there were two fellow Oxford locals in the top five. Well done to Big Jim and Pete Godwin from Oxford Tri, you both looked smashed at the finish.

Well done to Fran and the team for the race, John, hope you had a good day off. You weren't really missed by the team, but they were all looking over their shoulders a little bit like naughty school children. See you in January, :-)

Pictures coming soon.

Merrell Mudman .. pressure is on

2009-12-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

So Tri 247 is saying this today:

Domestic Racing

The cold weather of late should prove perfect conditions for a weekend of off-road racing. The latest in the winter series from Human Race (www.humanrace.co.uk) is the Merrell Mudman Duathlon , and accompanying Merrell Mudman Run. Colin Dixon won the MudMan event last month, and is back again - sure to be challenged by Jim McConnel we would expect.

Where am I at then? Am I bringing a challenge? I damn well hope so!

Bike is all ready to go, check, stack of chicken cooked up for tonite's dinner with rice, check, busy nite of TV surfing and early bed, check. Oh, glass of red to go with that sir? Of course!!

Looking forward to seeing everybody out there tomoro on what is arguably the hardest (hilliest?) offroad duathlon in the South of England.

Sleep well and bring lungs. Lots of lungs.

Driven To Tri Big Weekender Number 1

2009-12-01T02:58:00.000-08:00

Bath - November 2009

What a mess. I cannot describe complete and total disorganisation I was exposed to over the whole weekend. Really disappointing … Driven To Tri coaches, Harry Wiltshire, Pete Freedman, Rich Brady and Jim McConnel (to a less extent of course!) have no concept when it comes to keeping shared living space welcoming.

Of course, the weather could have been ordered in special. A big weekender is not to be underestimated, but made way harder when the elements are against you too! From the moment of arrival on Friday afternoon everyone started the wet/dry cycle. The first getting wet was planned with a sweet swim session held in the legendary Bath University Sports Complex. Every swimmer was videoed and had 3 sets of eyes helping to point out areas for stroke improvement and coaxing them through a fairly big set.

From then on it came out of the sky, like a permaleak from heaven, the rain just didn’t stop. The ‘Lap of Bath’ tempo outing in the drizzle on Friday evening had everyone running on strongly to make it back for an awesome lasagne and salad (thanks to Harry’s mum – as if Harry could prepare such a feast!)

In the morning, the undulating Cheddar Gorge ride commenced. Riders with mudguards were praised as geeky gods with dry bums, although it wasn’t long before the rain had got in everywhere, and the cold wind just made it harder. At the far side of the gorge there’s only 2 hours to go home and so the pace quickened as riders motivated themselves from the depths. Good skills. Getting home after 4 hours meant Plymouth Steve and a couple others took up the gauntlet to join local coach Toby Jameson for a few more hills before a late lunch, as the rest headed off to replace brake blocks, wring out gloves and overshoes and drink lots of hot soup. Big points go to Alistair for doing the whole ride in shorts and with only short gloves. Rock hard.

And so that was the schedule for the rest of the weekend .. home to shower and get dry, only to warm up before eating, resting, and then donning more dry stuff to go out and get and face the conditions again. Hence the state of our room.

The evening technique run was interesting a Pete showed us something akin to moonwalking and athletes hopped, skipped and bounded like rabbits on miaow in an effort to develop a faster running style.

Morning dawned and the hill challenge – reps before brek and then the 5 hills challenge on the bikes, Brass Knocker, Ralph Allen and Bathwick to name but 3 .. a great time and motable use of that 39/25.

Coffee, hot sandwiches, lots of chat at the Uni sports café and then we all did massive high fives some whoops and headed home, very happy with the weekends efforts.

Radiators loaded with clean kit drying gently as the first frost of winter hits, keep strong, train harder and see you all after Christmas for the next Big Weekender .. see.www.driventotri.com/camps.html for more.

2nd Again at ICEman... 10k/18k/5k .. Offroad

2009-11-23T08:36:00.001-08:00

Flag drops and the heat is on...

Well done Colin Dixon. Once again, the over 40's vet racer has shown me how to do it. After leading him tantalisingly for the majority of the race, he showed superior strength in the last section of the second run to catch me and then pull ahead. As my legs were starting to get crampy from the undulating efforts, he glided up to me and slipped away like a fish.

I've been working on my descending...

It was quite a crazy race .. after encountering a dog on the first run that had Colin and it doing a complicated 'Strictly Come Dancingesque' comedy roll down one of the first hills, I was happy to pull away from the majority of the field to re enter transition, see a motivational cheering section, (thanks to Katie, Kate and Inga) and head out on the bike.

Colin, shadowing me like a hawk, was gracious enough to yell as I blasted off course on my Ti On-One at an unmarked fork so I could dive back through the golden winter bracken and rejoin the race.

At the end of the bike, and after an unfortunate crash I may have caused, Colin was trailing me by 25 seconds .. good enough? .. I asked myself as I pulled my BROOKS Cascadia's back on. I wasn't confident but headed out fast and hard to try and get out of sight. After 2km of the last 5km, I heard the pitter patter of Dixon feet and he arrived on my tail which made my heart sink. I could feel the cramp building in my calves and knew I was red lined. He tested the water and pulled a small gap. Closing it down, he dug deep again and this time made a definite break.

I had to settle for 2nd, but we were happy on the finish line together, knowing we'd pushed on at this time of year.

Getting the body recovered and back in shape with a good rub, some running and some good food. I'm looking forward to Merrell MUDman in 2 weeks, it'll be interesting to see who turns up there -- the steep tank testing tracks of this race location are super punishing on the body, both up and down.

Results Here:

		Run 1	Bike	Run 2	Total
1	Colin Dixon	0:34:27	0:50:36	0:17:31	1:42:34
2	Jim McConnel	0:34:25	0:50:11	0:18:37	1:43:13
3	Lee Bartholomew	0:39:38	0:45:47	0:22:15	1:47:40
4	Jim Giffiths	0:39:07	0:51:02	0:21:04	1:51:13
5	Richard Usher	0:38:28	0:57:55	0:19:37	1:56:00

Windy Seafronts .. BROOKS Brighton 10K

2009-11-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

Phhhheeeeewwwwweeeee! What a great weekend at blustery Brighton. Thanks first go to Martin Exley and the rest of the Brooks team who looked after us all so well at this very popular race. Over 2800 people on the sign up sheet making for a busy hour plus up and down the seafront.

Friday night was 'get to know you' time at legendary Brooks lace racing finals at the restaurant. Everyone had a bit of a laugh, shoes got fully laced in as little as 18 seconds and the winner walked away with a 500 GBP prize! Wow!

All the while the sea battered the defences and the wind whipped up and down the front. I chatted with the Cornish legend that is Dave Buzza about the course .. hmm, straight and flat with two 180 degree turns.. I was thinking this is not really going to be my cup of tea as I'm more used to river crossings and sandy banks.

Sunday dawned and we headed out to the race start in our bright blue Brooks warm up suits. Fabulous for spotting each other in! At 10am the gun went off and the mass of runners surged down the seafront for a mile to the first turn.

Making up places from the 10th row I quickly settled at the front of the 3rd pack with the wind on our backs. As we made the turn and passed back through the start finish I knew the day was about to get harder, runners were drafting like crazy, trying to hide in echelons from the gusts across the road. In retrospect I did far too much donkey work as we headed in the direction of Shoreham to the 6.5km turn cone. Sorry Pete, I did listen to what you said before. But in truth, I felt fairly strong up to this point, but after the turn, the whippets I was holding with suddenly found an extra 10 seconds per km and pulled away, leaving several of us struggling in their wake.

I trailed in, finally delivering 34.10 in tough conditions and was happy enough to know I'd had a good workout and come through with no negatives - legs were tight but no lasting soreness or damage. It leaves me feeling positive for the Merrell ICEman next weekend where I expect to be more at home back in my Cascadia's and on the rough stuff! www.humanrace.co.uk for more.

Superfast winners: A win for Chris Davies in this years Brighton 10K, just missing the course record despite blustery conditions, finishing in 29 mins and 4 seconds. There were around 2500 finishers, with fast times resulting from the England Inter-Area race held within the 10K. The womens race was won by Jo Wilkinson of Bedford & County AC in a new course record of 33 mins 48 secs.

Words

2009-11-09T03:35:00.000-08:00

Keep your eyes peeled for some of my very own words in an edition of Triathlete's World due around around the New Year. As you know I've long been a supporter of coaxing people into the world of the offroad cyclist .. and so writing a bike test up comes naturally ..

Kicking up autumn leaves aboard the On-One Inbred

Anyway, when it hits the shelves I'll be sure to let you all know to go buy a copy, and send me your comments..

Jim impersonates a sleeping policeman!

2009-10-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, coaching takes many turns and today was one of them. A friend of mine in Benson has a lad who's a biking hotshot .. an early teenager he's already picking up skills on the road, trail and track .. with a thirst to be the first guy down the road..

I met up with Harry to share some cyclo-cross biking skills -- he's new to this division of the sport and with a brand new bike he is hungry to learn learn learn all the secrets that will help him, in addition to his regular training plan, to move through the ranks and perform at the top of his peer group in competition

I started racing cyclo cross in the mid 1990's, training under the watchful eye of Tony Wirdnam, doing laps of the Redbridge Park and Ride, hopping on and off an old Peugeot cross bike and running up and down banks .. he taught me and my group a hell of a lot on many wet and cold winter evenings, so that we could go out on a Saturday and survive the boggy messes that were .. and still are .. the Wessex Cyclo Cross League.

And now Harry is getting involved ... back to today .. we had a great couple of hours around a makeshift cross circuit, looking at technique needed for taking grassy corners at speed, riding and running banks, dismounting at speed for obstacles, hopping back on and more ...

All in all a good 1 to 1 coaching session with each exercise laid out with an aim, clear demonstration and opportunity to practice with guidance. Thanks to Harry for being a good sport, listening and all the best for his competition at the SRAM Notts & Derby League race next week.

Leaf Kicking

2009-10-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

I think I've said it before, but winter is coming. Long runs need to start before 5:00pm if you want to be back by dark, the chill comes down as the sun gallops beyond the horizon and means that all the winter kit is starting to appear from the depths of the drawers.

So, is that the end of 2009 for training, for racing, for motivation? I hope not! As I'm saying to the guys and girls I coach, let's slow it down over October and November, take a rest, take time for yourself to freshen your mind, have some fun -- dig out the offroad bike and shoes and get out there. Lay the foundations for a good winter base so you can hit the New Year with a bright enthusiasm for the 2010 race season ahead.

We all set goals. Sometimes we change those goals. Mostly, our race goals get set, get shared with friends, family, coaches, get written in the diary, added to the training plan, get trained for. Finally, goals are usually achieved. And that's the good bit. It makes planning and preparation all worthwhile.

So, as winter does definitely approach, why not take the time to think about your goals .. and think about what you want to do to help you achieve them. If it helps to walk in the park and kick some leaves, stamp in some puddles, maybe lose yourself a bit, in an effort to find yourself a bit, then why not.. Whatever you find, why not drop me a line?

XTD Extreme Terrain Duathlon

2009-09-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Addicted to milkshake I couldn't wait to romp around the For Goodness Shakes XTD Duathlon (10K, 24K, 5K) this weekend at Hawley..

The day was really bright .. Watching the sun rise after poking a small bowl of porridge and a banana down my neck at 630am, coffee in the car perked me up. Registration, warmup and it wasn't long before we lined up and headed out on the first 10K. As we passed the 3K marker, I looked down to see 3.45 on the clock and thought .. here we go! .. but as the course unwound the gentle ups and downs saw me ease away from the pack and set the pace steady.

I rode the 24K bike by myself, I kept the hammer down as I knew both Paul Davies and Jez Cox would be doing all they could to cover the gap. A moment on lap3 saw me sliding across the marbles towards a marshal but all was OK, the On-One dug in and we fired off down the track again. I'm happy to report I found the course well marked and marshalled. I commend Toby and Rory on their prep. as in previous years signage has meant athletes getting lost on this course -- me .. Twice!

No problems today as I kicked off on the final 5K run wearing my new supercool Sundog Madmans with the ice blue lens. Around the rolling heathland I kept the pace strong to find myself at the finish line a good 7 minutes ahead of number 2, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK teammate, Paul Davies. Jez came in 50 seconds back in 3rd.

Results

1st Jim MCCONNEL Driven To Tri / Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 01:57:12
2nd Paul DAVIES Panasonic TOUGHBOOK / Scott 02:05:00
3rd Jez COX bike and run / alpha course 02:05:39

A good day at the office, thanks to Humph at MTBworks for the pep talk Friday and the valuable work on the pereneals. :-)

Men's Fitness Roughtrack Triathlon

2009-09-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

Well, what a day! 6 XTERRA Athletes in the Top 6 at Dorney .. and for me, third place!

Men's Elite Podium

1st - Tim McDowell (Inov8)

2nd - Graham Wadsworth

3rd - Jim McConnel (Driven To Tri)

I'm pleased with the result today. I was lucky. What can I say about Dorney? .. well the bike and run course have as many hills as the swim, that's definitely true. So it becomes a bit of a drag fest even on the mountain bike. After coming to a gentleman's agreement to leave the Cyclo-cross bikes behind and all ride MTBs we attacked swim (2 x 400m lap). I held my own in my XTERRA Vendetta wetsuit, only getting clobbered on the turns. Onto the 20k flat and bumpy bike and chasing hard, grateful for my On-One Ti Softail.. Tim McDowell, Sam Gardner and Graham Wadsworth all up the 'road'. I worked with Driven To Tri teammate Ryan Evans to pull back a bit of time in an effective 2-up and headed into the run - using the Brooks Defyance - about 45 seconds down on Graham. Sadly today my gel hadn't settled on the red-line+ bike course and I was a bit crampy - struggling to make good progress.

So I wound up 4th. Solid result. Sam was DQ'd from first for switching bikes when he had a puncture. Sammy, at least you're in flying form!! So, I took the bottom step on the podium with a small smile and then chilled out with friends at the after race BBQ and did the usual race autopsy. I said I was lucky; well it's true, the pain satchel was wide open today and I dipped in -- noticing a big gap in my ability to truly work at threshold. The beauty is I have time to amend my program with quality sessions in the next weeks before we head to the Merrell Duathlon's across the winter.

XTERRA Racers at Dorney - Sam Gardner, Jim McConnel,

Paul Davies, Ryan Evans, Graham Wadsworth

Now I'm back home, chilling out in my 2XU compression tights and writing words, listening to the charts and thinking about next week. Nice. Thanks go today to the Human Race Team for a slick operation and Rachel at Braben for pulling together all the PR -- BBC South and Men's Fitness.

See you at XTT ... and ICEman and MUDman ... oh yeah ....

Conkers

2009-09-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Have you spotted the change? The golden leaves on the ground, the nip in the air, the slanting sun? This time of year is special .. the bridge between summer and winter .. where runners get the chance to see nature going through a fluid season we call autumn.

Suburban escape -- Clapham common

So, refreshingly, I drank in lungfuls of autumn air this week and was excited to see so many people out enjoying the trails and roads. From yummy mummies to night shift workers, everyone was out on the common. A small family doing laps and acknowledging each other with a smile, a nod or just a drop of sweat. Apart from the cases of iPod vision (.. you know the starey look people with iPods get) of course.

Highlight of the morning for me was a determined mother running with her 3 wheeler and toddler on board .. and as I approached all I could here was the both of them reciting the alphabet .. with an animal description for most. You'll never guess what I found myself doing for the next 40 minutes! (I'm still struggling with U actually in case anyone can help!)

Enjoy your running. Share it if you can. And just because the days are shorter and puddles more frequent .. don't let it put you off, you might be missing something special you didn't even realise was there!

Very clean and shiny (and dead comfy) Brooks Defyance.

Enduro Challenge - Tower to Tower

2009-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, what blur my mind is ... and I didn't even turn a competitive pedal on this seemingly sane event. It was sane and well behaved, until it started!

The brief: Run from London Bridge to Dover, have a break, swim the English Channel and then ride all through the night to arrive safe and well at the Eiffel Tower in Paris the following morning. Hmm, not so bad, in a relay team of 6, or so you might think.

But oh oh oh, the reality of running 15km, having a few hours rest in the van and doing the same again is tough .. sore legs for Round 2! I was supporting the team from Societe Generale (who were up against Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, UBS, Barclays and Tudor). My Team were supporting the charity Children's Hospices UK.

Back, Jean-Reynaud, Steve, Ishran, Ian (the boss), Inga, John, Matthieu (Captain), Will
Front, Me, Katy, Maria (support team)

As we drove through the Kent countryside meeting runners, picking up runners, and generally suppporting like mad, Katy and I quickly decided this was going to be one long weekend for the banker athletes. Fully trained -- they'd even recced their run legs -- and we ploughed on into early evening fighting tooth and nail against Team UBS staying high on the cliffs until the final drop in to Dover.

Next morning the swim news was sad. No crossing possible. Boo. Recent storms and bad conditions meant a contingency harbour race ensued. 3 swimmers from each team at a go went in with no wetsuit and did a 2.5km lap before getting out and handing over to the next 3. After 2 laps each of really bumpy harbour water it was decided that although we were still all in Dover, the swim was actually tougher than the enormity of crossing the channel to Calais on a calm day.

Quick rest, (I grabbed 20 minutes sleep in the van) and off we went to Calais by ferry, checking maps and kit on the boat. We disembarked at 11pm and prepared our swimmers -- now cyclists -- for the 50km ish relay legs they were going to do. Bright USE lights shone the way on the bikes with vans in close support all though the chilly night .. and with 5 minutes between each team it was an eery night and strange way to make the trip to Paris.

Shortly after 8am we arrived at first for a lap of the Arc de Triomphe and then finally at the Eiffel Tower. Stunned was the word I would give for the competitors and happy and relieved for the support crews. Every person in one piece (although Will did have a big hole in his foot where I removed a nail he picked up on the beach), we went out for a meal in the evening, followed by tequila .. shortly after which I had to retire .. beaten finally by the sleep monster.

What an event, thanks to all the team at Societe Generale for having me help them and I look forward to being part of the rematch in 2010.

The Big Weekenders are coming....

2009-08-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

Got a big race coming up in 2010? Need help to get in the winter miles?

Then you need Driven to Tri's Big Weekenders!

Go large this winter! This isn't your normal super size meal deal. In fact, it's so big you may struggle to finish it. But that's the point, if you don't challenge yourself you will never find your boundaries. If you don't find your boundaries you will never cross them.
The boring bit:
Three long weekends spread across the winter, come for one, two, or if you're really brave take on the triple.
What you get? A hard, honest and most importantly fun weekends training with expert advice and support from some of the best athletes in the country. No hassle, two night’s Bed and Breakfast and an evening meal included all for £175. Come on all three for less than a warm weather camp (£450)! Whether you’re a long or short distance athlete these weekends will set you up for a great season.
The Bath Big Weekender (27th – 29th November 2009)
Take advantage of the World Heritage City and the incredible facilities at Bath University. Swim in the 50m pool, ride the cheddar challenge and run up the “north face of the Eiger!” It’s early in the winter so this weekend will be a Big ‘technical’ weekend. You’ll get plenty of stroke advice in the pool, a chance to get your run technique looked at whilst still getting in some serious bike miles.
The Dartmoor Big Weekender (19th – 21st March 2010)
A chance to explore the deepest, darkest depths of Dartmoor National Park and the hills it has to offer! Test yourself on some of the harshest yet picturesque bike and run routes in the Country.

The Purbeck Big Weekender (23rd – 25th April 2010)
Training based around Dorset’s World Famous heritage coastline with riding over Creech Grange and running on the coastal paths around Lulworth Cove. We’ll even throw in a sea swim for good measure if you’re brave enough!
The closing date for bookings is 7 days prior to the camp.

Entry
To book your place please fill out the entry form. and send it, along with full payment: Driven to Tri Big Weekends, 10 Great Mis Tor Close, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6DH. Alternatively, click here to enter online.
Cashing of an applicant's cheque or receipt of online payment confirms the applicant's place in the camp. You will find our terms and conditions of entry here.

Ein ei Bitte!

2009-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

XTERRA Austria .. European Championships .. needed something special .. so they say that eggs are the whole food .. and I'm inclined to agree. After a 2 day transfer from Zittau to Klopein, I settled into Pension Agnes (yay for Agnes, what a wonderful host!) and enjoyed mostly breakfast. :-)

After a good breakfast, I feel I can do anything ... and so had some good rides around the 16km bike course -- with its steep ups and downs and noticeable lack of the flat stuff. The run also is undulating -- again 2 laps winding its way around the forest over many many roots. Two days training on the courses and the rest of the British Cross Triathlon Squad started to arrive from the day jobs.. We all got excited at the prospect of rain on race day especially the Welsh contingent) and kept wet tyres handy just in case.

Race day came, and the rain didn't. But the compass in my head behaved a little like Jack Sparrow's .. (and still didn't show the way darn it!) and so I swam an interesting course -- missing the pack badly. After slipping from my super fast XTERRA V0.02 skin, I dashed up to transition -- 800m! -- and hopped on the faithful On-One steed for what turned out to be a fairly anaerobic bike session .. By lap two I was loving it and coping well in the slickish conditions.

Coming off the bike stronger than I have felt in the last 4 months I was shouted on by many friends to really dig in around the 10km undulating run course. The rainbow song (up above the streets and houses.. la la la) and stars came in my head as I climbed 27 million steps (ok about 300!) to some high up Go Ape type overhead gantry that the course designers had thrown in for a laugh .. what a great course .. Launching myself into the final 'Rober Latchschen' special pit of water before the finish line I was happy to get home safe, in 18th a solid time of 2h 46mins. Only 1 minute off Macca .. watch out man, I'm coming back! Top awards go to Sammy G for his 3rd place, Nicola Duggan for a similar bronze in the girls and commiserations to Ryan, Llewelyn and Paul who were out with mechancials.

Noticeably at the after party there were several beers and some music -- a super race video from the day. I finished off a questionable evening of recovery with Franky Batelier (1st), Olivier Marceau (4th), Renata (1st), Carina (2nd), Astrid and Christian from the race team. All in all a great nite and good to see top athletes enjoying themselves!!

Last round of XTERRA Europe in 4 weeks -- Mandilieu, Cote D'Azur. Email me for details!!

XTERRA Germany -- O See Challenge 2009

2009-08-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

It was with some trepidation that I flew into Prague airport and headed to the German border to the small town of Zittau. Not least because this weekend has marked the return to competition for me. After a strong start to the year a chronic achilles and patella tendon issue have had me out of running action since April.

Motivation levels have not always been high up to this time – in fact most of my motivation has come from my own athletes who have been kicking ass all over Europe this summer. Well done to them for sticking to the plan, getting the work done and having some really good races and experiences.

We trod water on the edge of O-See gradually shivering our timbers off in a wetsuit and swim skin free start (German Triathlon Union rules!) until the hooter finally blared and the washing cycle began. To say I struggled with the first lap was an understatement, but after exiting and reentering the water for lap 2 , I pushed home a solid swim. Onto the bike and I knew that this was where the work had to be done. Every climb I attacked, every flat I encouraged others to work with me, and I was loving the descents .. my On-One Ti taking the sting out of all the rocky drops. One bottle did jump free as did all my puncture fixing kit, but fortunately a fellow racer found my tube and CO2 later and was able to fix their own problem! Super course, a proper racers course with a bit of everything. Chainganging back into transition with a Czech and Dutch athlete I headed out for the real test, the run. And, you know what? It wasn’t too bad .. I mean I’m out of shape and speed is not there, but I was able to run for 40 minutes with only a little pain. Using my Brooks Switch a good decision, pretty fast but with good support and comfort on the hard and dusty course. All in all a good sign, today there is no swelling and I am taking it as the green light to start to put a bit more load through my legs in training.

Renata Bucher crossed the line only a few minutes behind me to take the women’s title and Franky Batelier of France had finished some time earlier than me to make a French win.

Afterwards Benno and Torsten had organized a great party with live music and food and there were near on 300 people rocking out to a bit of Van Halen and the rest.. Then today, supporting races – kids and some others – all in all a great weekend in Zittau. Look out for the O-See challenge in 2010! Thankyou to our fab little house in Olbersdorf – our landlords were super nice.

Tuscany, Tall Stories and Supermarkets.

2009-08-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

So, I've been back on my super fast Planet X Superlight Carbon for this 8 day recce ride in Italy..

What does Recce ride mean here? .. well basically I work for Tall Stories, a niche events company specialising in charity cycling events and other challenges. For charities and corporates we organise London to Paris bike rides, London to Barcelona, Wembley to Berlin .. in fact just about anywhere to anywhere in Europe! (see www.tallstories.co.uk for more info) Then there's a suite of more bespoke events .. bringing me back to Tuscany..

Glorious Tuscany

It’s my first visit here and after a week I now know why the pros live and train here. It looks all kind of cool - quiet roads, olives and vines with steady rolling countryside and of course chianti at every turn, but uh oh, just hold on a minute, why are my legs hurting??

Lets look at the numbers .. somwhere near Montepulciano to Arezzo .. hmmm 150km and oh yes .. 2000m+ of climbing! Hmmm, the numbers can go up from there, there are no mountains in Tuscany but one look at the GPS at the end of the day tells me that Tuscany's only visible shortage seems to be flat roads!

So, what fun! Lots of tarmac (some Tuscan tarmac, otherwise known as gravel -- well done Garmin for 99% accuracy on knowing the difference), plenty of 5k leg burners and super kitchens at the end of every day pouring out Gespaccio and sumptuous pasta. And then there's the cities... Siena gets my vote as the most happening coolest place out there. No cars inside the walls, huge yet graceful architecture, and a city square that everyone who has seen Quantum of Solice will remember .. Il Pagio, the famous Tuscan horse race where the contradas from all the different quarters come head to head around a 0.5km circuit in the middle of the city with thousands of screaming Italians to drive them into a furious racing battle. You can run and ride to your hearts content over this area.

OK, so we're here and I need you to ride to here .. via this pretty, I mean hilly, bit!

Can I propose a return visit to this lovely area whenever someone comes up with the idea that they need a little warm weather training .. lets just head off South and see where we get to!

MERIDA Mtb Marathon - Round 3

2009-07-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

The sun shone on Llanwrtyd Wells this weekend. As did the rain fall. And did the wind blow this weekend. All the ususal weather groups for mid Wales .. black clouds against the stark backdrop of heavily forested hillsides and sheer blue skies filling in all the gaps. The weather came from the South .. from the Brecons as I discovered when pedalling down to Llandovery for my road ride yesterday morning. Down .. it felt like UP all the way!!

Anyway, onto business .. the Merida weekend is a combined Saturday sportive sponsored by GORE and Sunday the MTB Marathon with distances at 25, 50, 75 and 100km .. or 20, 40, 60, and 80 as it turned out. Around 700 people turned up over the weekend for the very popular event with all ages and abiltities. Nick Craig took home top honours in the mens 80k class as usual in under 3 hours. All in all from what I heard the course was great if a little short.

The climbs certainly took its toll on riders legs and backs -- I was there in a support capacity this weekend with Humpf from MTB Works (mtbworks.com) offering Sports Massage -- and we had a steady stream of broken cyclists coming to our tent for a little care and attention. It was great to learn a few new techniques from Humpf the 'Pin and Stretch' master .. so to all my clients, look forward to your next sessions!

Well done to everyone who was there, it was a great weekend, thanks to the Cafe2u guys for keeping us full of latte's and those people who simply came by to have a chat about exercise, stetching, recovery and compression, nutrition and of course the Planet X bikes we had on display.

Congested Achilles

2009-06-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

So this is therapy for athletes. It may look a bit Frankenstein but James Thirlwall of MTB Works has assessed the build up in my achilles and is using Electro Acupuncture to relieve what's going on there. Basically, the acupuncture targets the tendon itself and then 2 electric currents are passed through. Strangely it feels like water running down the back of your leg, but the results are very productive.

I am happy to report that the tendon itself feels much more free and flexible after the treatment. My hair is also a bit straighter. :-)

In case you missed it...

2009-06-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks go to Rich Cruse who got wet and bitten by mosquitoes to get this shot for the June Swimsuit Edition of Triathlete Magazine. It's a piece they were doing on XTERRA Guam in March 2009.

I know it looks like I have just fallen over but in fact .... its my super fast way of getting down waterfalls in a kind of scoot on all 4's with your bum above the water action. It's technical, that's all you need to know.

My sincere apologies go to my Panasonic Toughbook teamate Sam Gardner as it was he who won the race, not me. I got second. The words say different. Ah well.. don't sweat the detail I say!

So with content like this .. I'm looking forward to the imminent launch of Triathlete Europe .. 1st issue July ... it'll be great to have a magazine in the UK for us triathletes to read and enjoy rather than the current rags that get used as coffee mats once the pictures have been looked at.

Chainganging

2009-06-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a change to be back in blighty for a few days. Hmmmm, what's different?

My initial observations:
1: Everything is green -- it obviously rains a lot here, the give away is the puddles on the ground.
2: Traffic -- the roads are full, my senses are on super-alert and everything is moving fast .. way fast!
3: Rushing about .. this goes for the cars above too .. but everyone is rushing .. even I'm getting caught up in it .. emailing people like mad, making arrangements to meet up and barely making it .. getting stressed out as a result.
4: Developments -- I go away for just a couple of weeks and lo and behold, there's a new service area on the M40 .. yay, and now there's a Waitrose in Headington (not so cool as Waitrose is out of my price range .. but I like to look at all the nice food anyway!) . Summer appears to be here ... obvious only as it gets dark later, not because it is warm and sunny.
5: Things that are the same -- Horton hill is still steep and encourages your lungs to make a bid for escape, TV is still rubbish and to be avoided, Dad is still building a bathroom - he promises it will be complete in 2009.

So, I guess my conclusions .. am I happy to be back, am I missing something, am I expecting something diffeent? Well, yes is the answer to all of those. My eyes are open, my experiences are getting greater all the time and I still feel that at the age of 35, I'm still learning stuff.

What a random post. I'd better go get some sleep, it always helps.

Islands in the Mediterranean

2009-05-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

So here´s the lowdown. I´m out in Majorca on a recce before a guiding trip that starts next week (www.tallstories.co.uk) -- Tuesday pm. It means I´m road biking around 450km with 5 other guides to double check routes I planned last autumn. Today we did 100 miles and ended up in a lovely hotel in Estellencs on the coast in the hillier part of the island. The sun went down while I massaged my knee with a cold bottle of San Miguel. Perfect.

Meanwhile over in Sardinia, it was the ETU Offroad Champs in conjunction with XTERRA. I´m very pleased to say that my girlfriend Renata won the Pro womens race .. sounds like a hard day at the office, but she´s all in one piece and super happy with the result. Check her news page at www.renatabucher.com for more details.

OK, it´s late here now in Majorca, but just wanted to drop the couple of gems out there. All seems well at home -- I was there for nearly 48 hours this week, the next big excitement is 3 of my athletes will be competing at Windsor Tri .. so I might see you there on the sidelines. All the best for now I need a big sleep! :-)

Home

2009-05-27T23:00:00.001-07:00

So, got back to Oxford on Tuesday, swam in a bloomin cold lake with Oxford Tri at 0630 yesterday and then rode intervals in some mud at Shotover ... hhmmmm. Not sure about that, I had to wash my bike for once .. a strange concept, I'm more used to dusting it off?!!

Just dropped Renata at Gatwick so she can race XTERRA Italy this weekend (wish strong legs to her and all the 30 British who've headed out there!!) Now I'm napping before heading in to see Humph this morning at MTB Works about my various physical ailments ... hmmm, I hope he's set enough time aside. Although wth my achilles and knee the way they are he will probably adivse putting me down! Think positive that's what I say.. find out the lowdown later.. www.mtbworks.com for more info on Humph's services .. he is very good!

XTERRA South East -- it's 'bama y'all!!

2009-05-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

What a great race for spectators! I've never had so much fun dashing around on my bike to different parts of the circuit to see 'the usual suspects' thrash themselves silly on a fun, technical and fast course.. Of course I'd rather have been out there racing but happy enough to be dishing out split times and generally shouting encouraging comments to the lycra clad racers. At blood rock (aptly named) I saw numerous stumbles and slips on the bike, a cowbell clanked wildly and we could have been in Switzerland.. at the run mid point the rain poured down and sweaty runners grimly sucked it all up as they headed into the last 'hillier' 4km.

Needless to say, Conrad continued his domination in the men's, sitting on feet in the swim and letting Craig 'I only train 10 hours a week' Evans do all the work in the front. Dan Hugo gets closer and closer .. I know his time will come soon and Josiah Middaugh, he keeps on goign strong, recovering from injuries. In the girls, Mel McQuaid never looked back after a 2 minute lead in the swim leaving Renata, Lesley and Shonny to battle out the rest of the podium. Lesley put a storming run in to overtake Renata and make it a 2,3 for the Euros. Emma Garrard has made real progress in the pro field to pick up 5th.

The after party at Margarita City was great, some mexican food, cerveza, a douse of rain and lots of chatter amongst the athletes. It's been great to complete part 1 of the US tour with the 'family' that is XTERRA, I will miss you lot over here in the US and really look forward to coming back to Ogden fit and raring to go!

The day after the race Renata and I took a recovery spin around the roads at Oak Mountain park and lunch by the lake. The funniest moment of the day came when we saw a 9 year old collie dog chasing a pink capped swimmer over 500m in the water .. barking every two strokes like a persistent swim coach! Congratulations to Jenny Smith for keeping a good tempo, see you soon Jenny!

Now its a day later and we've been through the usual rigmarole of swtiching stuff from bag to bag at airport check in to get under the 50lb ruling... hand luggage is at breaking point but we're all checked in and making ready to leave the US for this time and head for Europe.

Sad to go as I said before, but thinking it's about time too.. back to the UK to make some plans for the rest of the season and beyond..

Absent Friend - Steve Larsen 1970 - 2009

2009-05-22T07:56:00.001-07:00

I first met Steve Larsen only 3 weeks ago in Las Vegas -- Dave Nicholas invited me to talk to him as we were relaxing poolside after the race. At 39 years old he stormed an excellent 6th on that tough Vegas course. In the short time I spent around him, I was happy to sense what sort of a good guy he was -- pro athlete, awesome biker, decent family man with 5 children, well respected and content in his life.

He passed me some excellent advice for fixing bad achilles and making it back to racing.

It feels wrong that a super person like this has been torn away from life so early.

My thoughts go to his family and those who knew him better.

XTERRA US Circuit moves on ...

2009-05-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

So, XTERRA Michigan in Battlecreek was cold. Sunny but cold .. When the wind blows... Hence the little Tshirt under my race suit. But the swim and bike were good to me and I had some good riding with Will Kelsey and others. Nice to have the racing feeling again and go fast but definitely frustrated not to run. I didn't even put shoes in transition, so I couldn't make a hasty wrong decision on the day!
Steve Bessony our awesome homestay Dad took the pictures on the day .. as well as opening his bike shop Team ACTIVE for pre-registration and pasta night, and then his house for a fab post race BBQ -- thanks also go to April for her welcome, and Madison and Alec -- great kids, it was a really interesting to be invited to talk with Renata at Madison's school in front of 50 5th grade children.)

Now, the circus has moved to Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham Alabama this week. A beautiful quiet location, heavily wooded, with loads of singletrack trails and some sneaky climbs too. The swim is in the main lake and will be a proper 1500m -- non wetsuit for the pros, but after my dip yesterday, I think only just... last year was boiling apparently .. but its cool this year.

Looking at the bike course a full sus is a smart choice -- there are plenty rocks and roots in places - and the weight penalty is minimal as its not super hilly .. but there is one longer climb which is all lumpy and definitely a benefit if you can sit down to ride it.

As somone pointed out .. the run just goes wiggle wiggle then up down up down up down up down, tarmac .. finish. But oh its a good run and definitely you need to save some legs if you want to be fast.

So we are staying with Mark and Diane (local Iron triathletes, THANKYOU) .. and Mel McQuaid (week2!) and the house overlooks our own lake which is good for morning swims and has it's own snapping turtles in. Not so sure about them!! Right now I'm off to have my breakfast .. cinnamon bagel and skippy, oh, and find some more coffee.. seems we've drunk it all. It's packet pickup day, the race is at 0730 tomorrow. Sad to be a spectator on this one, but have my timing split points worked out and hoping the sun comes out! Gotta fly .. byee

Flying again...

2009-05-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last full day in San Diego.. wow, a little time to reflect on all the activity of the past few weeks. Going for a swim shortly at La Jolla cove -- where the surfers like the waves and the swimmers shuffle into the water to avoid disturbing the stingrays that sit hidden in the sand. A special swim on the west coast .. hope to see the leopard sharks today too. Then packing the bikes -- into the new hockey bags .. designed to escape the nasty charges levied on flying customers by most airlines.. Last night attended a swim clinic (with 51 other people and really nice salad laid on) given by Jim Vance .. talking mostly about LENGTH, PRESSURE and ATTACK. I like these words and am trying to visualise in my own head what they mean to me when I'm in the water.. But for now I have to head out and look at a naughty infraspinatus that is giving some trouble so catch you later!! Hmmm, dinner tonite .. thinking already .. if you ever make it to Garnet Street in Pacific Beach, SD, give MIKA a go ... the best garlic Edamame available to man .. for $2!! Byeee.

Back .. Back .. Back in San Diego!

2009-05-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, just got back yesterday from a very hot and dusty XTERRA West Cup in Las Vegas .. I should post simply about the craziness that is Las Vegas .. but suffice to say I enjoyed the fountains in front of the Bellagio, a walk thru Caesars Palace .. where both Renata and I inadvertently lost $20 in the blink of an eye .. cue Get me out of here!! The Sphinx at the Luxor is cool as is the Eiffel Tower .. but very crazy, I was happy to see it all and get back out to Lake Las Vegas for the race. So in the days before the race we swam in wetsuits for the first time in ages ..in the chilly clean lovely water of Lake Mead .. blimey it needs filling up there .. and checked out the Hoover Dam by bike trail - thru old railroad tunnels.. well cool. Chris Federer (local MTB ace) took us for a guided ride around the Mars like bike race course, in the looose, up the impossible climb, down the gullies and along the lakeside .. great course, hard and fast looking. The XTERRA Semi was present .. kind of cool, and all the team .. good to see them. The buzz around was clear with a really stacked field in both mens and womens. I'd chosen to sit it out to rest the achilles (which is getting slowly better thankyou for all the advice) but it didn't help me not get nervous for Renata. Conrad told me he's finished his own 25m pool in his backyard and Will Kelsey was looking all normal with no mohawk.. It's 2009 and we're off.
The flag went down and Amber and I were left on the beach watching all the swimmers paddle off with the current toward T1. The race unfolded with fire in the mens - a showdown between Conrad and Josiah .. really gritty on the run .. shoulder to shoulder at 5k those boys were fast, and in the womens Mel Mc wrestled with it at the front with Shonny, Renata and Lesley trading places and hunting less than 2 minutes back. Thanks to Dominic Keith and the Sunset Racing team for a super race -- see you in 2010. Michigan will be fun for sure, and I hope to join the rest of the boys on the start line.

So, now we're back in sunny San Diego and have 10 days training here. Staying in a garage at Laurens house is cool and relaxed (she's super cool!) and tonite think a view of the ocean over a cold drink is in order. If you've never been here .. consider it, great climate with lots of training opportunities!

OK, gotta head out, hi to all back home .. missing you!!

Tagaman 2k/60k/15k

2009-04-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the Triple is over now .. Guam XTERRA, Saipan XTERRA and Tagaman 1/2ish Road event. And all completed with the nagging achilles .. but also with a nagging smile that has been present for the whole of the 3 weeks in the Northern Mariana Islands .. can't help it, Saipan almost feels like a second home to certainly a few of us! Just wanted to say thanks to all the folks over there who I know, who I have met and have become friends.. you know who you are! Thanks especially to Kieran for not only being a super host but also sharing my achilles pain with his own injuries in the same area. Although, getting kicked in the Taga swim so he spoke falsetto for a few seconds was unneccessary.

Around 30 people turned out to Allan Collinson and my Personal Training/Sports Massage Clinic last week .. we took genuine pleasure in sharing some ideas and thoughts .. come for more in 2010..

Now the bottle has spun .. the airplanes flown and Renata and I have landed up in Vegas .. Day 1 here, its late, she's sleeping, I'm blogging and nodding off. Looks like a crazy place full of promises and gamblers. Can't wait to get up to Lake Mead and see the Hoover Dam. After brekafast I think.

Probably going to rest the achilles this week and not race here - - train on the bike and swim .. but running is just so restrictive and painful .. and the Euro tour is later in the year which I need to be ready for..

But for now, sleep has just flown by on deep section rims and an aero helmet ... zzzZZZZZZ

Dear Saipan

2009-04-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Saipan. I want to say a few words. On Saturday it will all be about the race .. the Crown Jewel of the XTERRA series (don't worry about South Africe and NZ .. they're merely runners up!) The main race is here and a whole family bunch of us are excited and ready to take on the small bay with the rip, Mt Topachau and the new Bananarama plantation (ok so the Terminator is not so stoked about that bit) and then the crazy crazy run, up the jungle, thru the bamboo, thru' the caves and down the dry gorge .. gloves on and we are going out to play!!

So, Saipan. What does it mean? I think it has a different meaning and set of learnings for everyone who comes here. A small island with a mixed local culture and a welcoming and embracing nature. We definitely have a place to belong here and it feels good.

The island entices you take the time to relax, breathe the air and look to the sea or the mountain and look inside yourself a little. I'm not talking meditation or anything like that .. but Saipan definitely encourages an open mind. It enables people to work together and understand each other better.

I love that. It's a good feeling and something I think I could be lost without. So .. you know what, I'll come back. Again. I hope XTERRA and the other races will still be here as they are part of the experience .. but mostly I hope to come back and share a little bit more of my time.

But now I have to drag myself away from this slightly visionary entry and head beck to the P.I.C. to witness a battle more fearsome than the XTERRA race to come .. it's the Terminator / Swiss Miss ping pong battle.. 2:2 .. going into the 5th ... More later.. :-)

Happy easter from Saipan!

2009-04-11T17:52:00.001-07:00

To all my athletes and everyone back home, Happy Easter! Whatever you do on this day (and that depends on your program or state of health .. Jackie! ... ) I wish you all the best. Take a little time at least today to have a think about what you have done since Christmas .. how hard you've worked, what kind of base you have and now, the coming months, the coming training, and of course the races... Looking forward and aiming high!

When the wind blows...

2009-04-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

... it generally seems to come from the direction you want to ride in! .. Hi all. Arrived to Saipan on Sunday and already it's Thursday... time flies when you're training hard and catching up with all the old friends here on the beautiful island. Renata and I are lucky to be staying north of Garapan with friends Joshua and Mami. They're really cool, chilled out and we have a super little apartment to work out of. Already getting used to the heat here we are riding most days at 530am, I remember big climbs on the course and boy oh boy they are still here! Hoping that my legs strengthen up this week. The ocean is still that really tasty blue you can't help to splash around in and we swam Tank2Tank yesterday with the group - around a 1300m lap between two rusty abandoned tanks in the bay that serve as a home to lots of colourful fish.. I went to the track today with Julie (new nickname the Terminator!) and Renata to help them with a track session, but I'm still on light duties owing to sore achilles .. hmm, not really a happy bunny about that. Thankfully the girls looked good and worked hard together! So, tonite on KSPN2 (not a major channel!) there is a 30 minute triathlon programme based on interviews that Team Underdogs (mine and Renata's new nickname) did yesterday .. I'm really a little bit nervous about what I said to camera, Bob the interviewer didn't really give a lot of time to think or answer properly! OK, gotta dash, having a nice coffee right now and have to write some good ideas for my athletes back home!

XTERRA Guam Race Report

2009-04-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting back in the Hyatt hotel writing this blog update .. and to be honest I'm sitting with a mixture of pain and pleasure! Today was an interesting day, started early at 520am, with me, Renata, Sam, Julie, Michael Le Roux and Takahiro something unpronouncaeable getting a lift down to the race start. Once there I set the transition and had an exploratory run - the first really in a few days as my achilles is still pretty sore. Warmup done I went to the swim start pulling on my lovely 2XU super elite suit and XTERRA Vector swimskin in the hot conditions. The conch shell blew loud and 150 or so athletes headed off around the 2 x 500m lap .. I grabbed Sams feet as he desperately tried to hang on to the Dibster's and the race settled down. Michael Le Roux of South Africa (living in Oz) provided a tow for Sam and Renata, I fell off the pace a little and entered T1 about 20 seconds down. By the end of the road climb I'd passed Renata and Michael and headed into the red dirt of the offroad. Tricky corner after tricky corner and Michael and I were really racing, desperately looking for the best lines. We both took falls on the bike and are a bit scratched up. I got away on the later part of the bike and carried a 3 minute lead into T2. Sadly Sammy G was already 3 mins out of T2 and it was going to take a superhuman effort to catch him this time. I did my best and settled into the run, once into the warerfall section I caught Julie, took a lesson from her in diving off rocks into pools and made my way to the finish line to grab a good 2nd place behind Sam Gardner. julie came in 3rd overall to make it a Brit 1,2,3, Renata finished 2nd several minutes behind Julie. We're chilling out now by the pool with an awards dinner tonight before a recovery ride early tomorrow, then pack the bikes and catch the 2pm flight to Saipan ... the carnival continues!! :-)

Sunny San Diego

2009-03-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ey up! Just a quick post while waiting to go rough water swimming this afternoon with Jim Vance and some other guys. We're lookign at the course for Superfrog 1/2 IM on Sunday. Life at the homestay in San Diego is really good, Reg and Kebby .. the foster athletes for Renata and myself are so cool it's unbelievable. their welcome is open and honest. We get along well - I even did a little run clinic this morning for Kebby and Stephanie from next door .. both are competing at IM or 1/2IM and are looking for that elusive stride that will help them deliver good pace!

It's time to head out now and face the waves down on the Ocean Side.. More soon..

Not a single Mushroom found …

2009-03-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Race Report – Agua Brisa International Portobelo Offroad Triathlon

Dstances: 1600m swim, 40k MTB, 10k offroad run

The start of the event is in La Guaria, a simple yet paradise beachfront town on the North West Coast of Panama. Amongst palm trees and small homes the swim leg heads out the 800m to a small island where athletes exit the water, turn on a cone before returning to the mainland. At 0730hrs prompt Allan Baitel, the race organiser counted down the start. Approximately 150 athletes raced for the warm clear water. I was happy to get in the back of the loose front pack, using my new XTERRA Vector 0.02 swim skin to help me glide in the water.

After 1600m, the lead was evident – strung out already with Gonzalez of Argentina leading the way. I exited the water just seconds behind my girlfriend Renata Bucher and we headed out on the bike together. The bike leg comprised road (for that read dirt track!) and a hike a bike mountain with a questionably technical descent with glorious bits of singletrack trail leading down through cow pastures. Horse riders with red flags guided racers over the tough red dirt terrain. Back on the road at the end into Portobelo for the 2^nd transition which was based in an ancient defence structure with cannons and ramparts visible to deter the pesky pirates of Christopher Columbus’ time. I’d worked hard and well on my On-One Ti-Softail to pull up to 4^th place, but neglected to get both my gels down in the heat and with a lack of water .. this was something I would shortly come to regret.

The run segment was simple to start .. up.. then up and then more up, on a narrow rocky path through the jungle. The air was super humid and this was where the lack of food in my body started to hurt me .. I crawled to the top of the hill section, losing a place to Fernandez of Costa Rica and unable to respond. Then on through a sequence of long grass fields and narrow tracks, steep ankle eating downhills and even a waist high river crossing.. Finally we emerged on a wider track which turned a road and I was able to regain a little composure for the last 4km back into Portobelo where the all the townspeople had come out to watch a succession of beaten up athletes cross the line.

Never has post race massage including having ice blocks rubbed all over to get the core temperature back down felt so good!

I ended up 5^th in a time of 2hrs 44 with girlfriend Renata Bucher winning the women’s class in a great time of 2hrs 52.

We had a great few days in Panama and learnt a lot about the importance of this little country of 3 million people, the inbalances in standards of living, but the unique friendliness and welcome of all. How this country has played a significant part in international trading is astonishing. The historic and expanding 50 mile Panama Canal cuts right through the interesting, scorchingly hot and definitely humid land.

See www.triathlon.org.pa for more information on what is proudly billed as the hardest Offroad Olympic distance triathlon in the world. Now back in San Diego for a few days before heading out to race the first XTERRA of the year in Guam .. keep you posted ...

Jumping to Panama for the Portobelo Triathlon

2009-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

So, it's late tonite and I'm finally ready! I never thought I'd achieve it to be quite honest .. what with having to drive to Doncaster to collect a bike, bribe the lovely Emma Davis at Name on Kit to print my suit up super fast and a host of other things you forget when the new racing year is starting. For me this is a chunky part of the season - with 7 races in 9 weeks .. all abroad in Panama, Guam, 2 in Saipan, and 3 in the US.

Oh god, I'd best get some sleep, I'll write more when I not quite so beasted! Gnite.

Insert Jumping photo to bring life to the post! (the things Steve Behr makes you do!)

Happy Birthday Sir Roger!

2009-03-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Team Orangutan (yeah OK, I'm not sure about that either ..) arrived early at the infamous Iffley Road Running track in preparation for the annual running of the Teddy Hall Relays -- 4 runners in a relay, 3.7 miles each..

Some bloke called Bannister started the race ... A sprint then .. head out towards town across Magdalen Bridge, through Christchurch meadow, down St Aldates, left along the river to Donny bridge and then back to the running track via Meadow Lane.. a sporting course across tarmac and good tracks.

Well, needless to say Oxford smashed Cambridge to the floor so they were well chuffed and our international team of 2 English, a Canadian and a Russian did well to finish 16th/115 in a total of 81mins20secs.

Great fun, but not as much fun as the Hogwarts style tea party afterwards in honour of Sir Roger Bannister's 80th Birthday held at St Edmund Hall. Lashings of sandwiches, cake and champagne!

A great afternoon with about 750 athletes .. who can wangle Wednesday lunchtime off work!

I took my nice shiny new Brooks Ghosts out for a spin and was happy to feel light on my feet, but stable too, getting around in about 19:20, something left in the tank to work on for the upcoming racing block.

Thanks to Jim, Jared and Vasili for laying it down when it counted. :-)

Driven To Tri Purbeck Mash Up!

2009-03-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

So there I was, in that surreal place quietly gliding along the beach from Swanage toward Portland when 20 something athletes came pacing the other way .. damn! They'd turned before I could catch them up after shepherding a couple of tired legs homewards .. So, what the hell, the chase is on .. Harry and I picked it up for the return towards Pete and his truck of love .. or jammy dodgers and water! Smooth ocean on the left, firm sand underfoot, and a warm setting sun on the right. Heaven.. it really was in Dorset last Friday evening.

At 7am the following morning we're out on tired 22km legs and spin the coast path before brekkers. Then onto the bikes for a punishing 6 hours or so, knocking the stuffing out of all by the last climb. Nathan .. you owe me buddy! An evening of Italian food, fine wine and doling out the odd massage, everyone's asleep in good time. Sunday and Harry takes a hardy total of 2 for 30 mins around the block before we set off to Wareham for a 2.5 hour road 'race' at pace - a quiet road circuit is the scene of many pained faces trying their best to focus and deliver a good effort. Pop Pop Pop ... Back at the Sports Centre safe and sound (Emma!) and into the pool for a good session .. of 150, 100, 50's increasing with a 400m time trial thrown in for good measure.. Harry solo against Tash solo, against all the other athleles on one team. Well, needless to say, the race was won in just over 4:30. Good going!! Before you know it, we're having a goodbye coffee and swapping sore leg stories, but more importantly thinking about the next camp and how good and strong it will make us all!! Thanks to our Athletes, thanks to Harry, Pete and of course The Brady Monkey, awesome weekend!! For more info www.driventotri.com

It were 'ard

2009-03-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

That's what it says on the back of the T-shirt I was given for finishing. And on the front, a picture of Wayne Randall.

Wayne Randall is an animal. Not a normal animal, more a machine that keeps the pace high at the front of a group with henchmen fondly referred to as the Barnsley Mafia. Glancing around occassionally and calling people thru', he has the ability to lead you to your limits and then simply encourage you to jump off into the unknown. Well that's one of my observations from the last 2 days .. or 350km, or 10.5 hours of riding. The Boggle Hole weekender, the official 2009 Planet-X bikes team launch has led to a lot of carbon zipping along great roads, over big hills, gasping for breath, chewing bars and generally not stopping for anything! With Wayne and his team, some select roadies, TT legend Ian Cammish, Double IM legend Hywel Davies, and the pink man called Spencer it was always going to be a burn up. Kind of a locals versus roadies versus triathletes thing. The Driven to Tri team - Harry, Pete and myself spent 2 days in this fast group defending our love of water and running .. we've come back smashed but with a true sense of achievement from the miles covered. Plus we ground up the steepest road in Britain - Rosedale Chimney - a 1 in 3, and learnt to cram down croissants and bananas at high speed. An experience which my legs are not going to let me forget for a couple of days at least! Oh yeah .. the new bike - Planet-X Superlight Pro Carbon - well I can report that it goes like a missile, and is very comfortbale to boot. Follow the links on my website to find out more about them and look out for anguished faces in a cycling mag soon .. although only pictures from day 2 as day 1 the photographer just couldn't keep up, even in his car!

2009-02-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Merrell Iceman...Frimley, Surrey, UK

21st Feb 2009

The day dawned fine and bright at Frimley for the Human Race Merrell Iceman. Over 200 competitors turned up to bash around the 12km Offroad trail run and 10k/15k/5k Duathlon.

Photo Courtesy of David Thomas

On a flattish non technical course the field thinned out to have me Colin Dixon off the front. It was destined to be a tough day as we swapped the lead and were never out of sight of each other.. Thankfully getting transitons correct and no bike issues other than a minor course diversion (went straight through the tape!) meant that into the last 5k we were a handful of seconds apart. Colin managed to pull ahead on the downhill sections and keep away for the win. I was happy with a solid effort and 2nd place, the race was a great early season sharpener. After cheering in a few of the later racers and a good chat with Olly from Merrell it was time to head home for a little Skins recovery and a good Powerbar recovery drink.