This year, there are only 3 races, and this is the second one. I remembered the hills…

Iceman: Enjoying the mud

Today I watched my girlfriend Ellen (@physiogirl) complete her first ever marathon.

To some, it may be a surprise, and it certainly was to me until recently, that she had never ran one before today. But having set herself a beast of a goal for 2015, this was only a step in the journey she chose for herself, way back in spring. In order to achieve her goal, she is ticking boxes in her preparation, and today was a milestone she needed to get over…

That felt a lot harder than last year on the bike. Having not ridden the MTB at all before the race, it was always going to be hard. Sticky mud and wrong tires didn’t make it any easier, but the overall result was faster with a few higher places up the rankings!

Photo Matt Alexander

Better late than never, here’s my 70.3 UK race report!

At last year’s 70.3 UK, 3 members of my club qualified for the 70.3 World champs It was chucking it down: many dropped out during the race, and many more didn’t bother staying for the roll-downs, which meant a few surprised athletes got a slot for Las Vegas from pretty deep in the field.

Looking at the profile of the course, raining or not, it was one I knew I’d enjoy. At least the bike leg. So I registered very early, knowing I could give it a good go, and have potentially the support of my Coach, Jo Carritt, who’s a local. This was also going to be a second 70.3 target to qualify for the worlds.

I wanted to have a real go at this one after last year’s 4th place overall. Thorpe Park sprint is always pretty fast, but the field is quite small, and it’s a fun race at the end of the season.

Putting my head down!

Having qualified more than 12 months prior to this race, a lot has had the time to happen in the mean time, and the focus of the 2014 season was initially on longer distance with Ironman Lanzarote in May. Jo therefore updated my training plan to re-focus on more speed over the summer, with the intermediate “target” of 70.3 UK in Wimbleball.

For the 70.3 WC at the end of my season, I had no stress, no pressure, and, frankly, no real ambition. All I wanted was to enjoy the trip, the experience, and the race itself. I knew on the day I qualified that I wasn’t going to go for a top spot. That wouldn’t prevent me from giving it all, but I was just realistic about my abilities in that field.

For my first time at a World Championship event, I was ready to be amazed! I was ready to be welcomed as an elite athlete and soak it all up. Being with a few friends from Black Line London and Team Freespeed helped not feeling too lost without the usual support I get from my other half or my dad.

Although now what many would consider a proper geek, I’ve always been an engineer at heart, and I haven’t forgotten my times in mechanical engineering. Watching this video is for me a fantastic highlight about manufacturing processes, all applied to one of the greatest inventions ever: the bicycle.

That was filmed in 1945 apparently, 60 odd years ago. Judging by the amount of workers and machinery in this British factory, the bike was then clearly the most convenient way to get around.

The bicycle is a comfortable and cheap way of getting about. A great boon to man, ideal for shopping, easy to park. And if at work, a faithful friend, ever ready to take tired workers back home, and after work, to bring relaxation, health and happiness.

Thanks to @cyclr for sharing this one!