2 weeks after IM Lanzarote this race was a bit early to have recovered well, or regain proper focus, but I had entered it well before Lanza, and I absolutely had to do it to finally get over my unfinished business in the New Forest. So it was a bit like a tourist that I went there, only initially wanting see how I would race being a bit tired, and also to give Matthew from D3 Triathlon a good kick in the backside and motivate him to go faster!

Another pirate

If you had told me a couple of years back that I would finish one of the renown toughest ironman races on the circuit, I would have laughed at you. Ironman Lanzarote was the first race of my bucket list, so it was mostly about finishing and having a good time, but I’m happy that I have more than honored my training and the people that keep supporting me. On a personal level, this was a fantastic race and a dream come true on many levels. Forget the finish time, it’s good indeed and I’m really happy about it, but enjoyment was the goal and I really had a blast!

A review I posted a long time ago on bikeradar that I always wanted to repost here: a fantastic saddle that looks funny but that you’ll love very quickly!

The problem with reviewing a saddle is that it’s always heavily skewed towards the tester’s body shape, and will definitely not be a fair test like you could do for a pair of wheels. As said in the article, do try (extensively) before you buy!

ISM Podium

I have an ISM adamo podium on my road bike and I love it! I also have a roadII on my TT, and my girlfriend who suffered horribly from saddle sore in the past now has a Century on her road bike.

Like for wheels, it’s important to test these in the conditions they are expected to be used.

From my own experience:

• The RoadII is designed primarily for an agressive TT position. It does not always work and can be uncomfortable in an upright position. That’s why it’s on my TT and not on my road bike. That said, I do use it for hilly TTs and triathlons.
• The podium took me a little to get used to, but now it’s perfect. However, it’s also designed for a fairly aggressive riding position (understand low on the bars, or on the drops), hence I’d reserve that for a race bike, not for touring.
• The Century seems (as my GF says) perfect for a more relaxed and upright position.

For these saddles and the radical change of design in where it supports your body, I’d advise everyone to try them for a full week of riding, not just a 10K loop or 5 minutes on a turbo in a bike shop. With these saddles it’s imperative to find the sweet spot or it will not feel good at all.

If you’re in the UK, you can try these saddles from http://trybikestore.co.uk/ We’ve done it at home for all 3 models and you can use them for 7 days until you return them, or buy them.

Don’t judge only on the looks! It’s a bit weird I admit, but for many, it works very well. Just see how many are now used in triathlons everywhere and you’ll get the idea.

At the end of the day, it’s a totally different kind of support, so you have to give it time to adjust, but if it works for you, you won’t come back to your old ones.

Today there’s a bit of everything early morning. 15 min swim, a quick spin on the bike around Puerto del Carmen and a little run. Stretching the legs and re-invigorating the body. Then it’s time to play with lots of sticky numbers on bags, helmet, forehead of my dad (well, maybe not this one, but there are some if you want them!) Everything’s ready in a flash, and as usual I can’t find anything else to do. Boring times, just waiting. A nap. Then going to rack the bike and put the bags in place.

There’s as usual a lot of money on the racks there! And lots of testosterone pumping! Some look properly scared, and some even comment they don’t like the wind… 3 of ‘them’ will be doing their first ever triathlon tomorrow! I hope they’ve trained a bit at least! Sounds like a dare gone wrong, but I wish them all the best.

The bike is racked in possibly the worst place in transition, between a fire hydrant and a concrete bin that I’ll have to get around, but the race will happen somewhere else. Keeping a smile on my face, I’m here to have fun!

Racked

Number 411, ready to go…