Snowdonia Marathon success!

Yesterday we had 2 athletes run the Snowdonia marathon, this was their A race for the season, so as you can imagine this was a very important race for them. Here's a quick bit of background for the race:

The inaugural Snowdonia Marathon was held in 1982, and was conceived as a dramatic alternative to the numerous city and town races becoming so popular. The demanding and spectacular route, encircling Snowdon, Wales' and England's highest peak, has given the event a unique place in the annual marathon calendar ever since.

In a 2011 poll by Runners World Magazine, the Snowdonia Marathon was voted the best Marathon in the UK for the second time. This is somewhat ironic since it is also regarded as one of the most difficult! Our success has been credited to three things; the beautiful scenery, the runners that organize the race and the hospitality of the local people. The 2012 race will be the 30th Snowdonia Marathon and the biggest so far - little did we realise in 1982 how popular the event would become.

We're pleased to report that our 2 runners both had amazing races, both easily beat their predicted times, one coming home in 3hr48 (she wanted to go sub 4 hours) and the second coming home in 4hr17 (she wanted to beat 4hr30). They both had a great day, making the WhittleFit coaching staff very happy in the process - very well done ladies!!!  

Product Review: Sufferfest Indoor Cycling Videos

By now hopefully you'll know that Delme and I both love endurance sports, especially running and triathlon (swim/bike/run). And as both of us are time-crunched due to family, work, sports and social commitments, we need to find methods of fitness training that are effective and that we can actually fit into everyday life. Well, as far as our cycling training is concerned, this is it!

The Sufferfest group of training videos are intended for cyclists, triathletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to get seriously fit, but are limited for time. However, I warn you now - they are not easy! In fact they are designed to seriously kick your butt; they are evil! But they work!

So what are they exactly? They are downloadable videos for you to use on your indoor bike trainer (known as a turbo trainer in the cycling and triathlon world), spelling out the exact intensity and time interval required for that section of the training session, all set against the backdrop of some amazing pro cycling race footage and some great music tracks.

So in essence each Sufferfest video is based on a specific workout (like flat out sprints, short intervals, climbs, time trials efforts, even 20 minute race simulations), and tells you how hard to go and for how long, and during that interval the footage shows you what you should be doing (so if you should be sprinting, you'll see some amazing sprint footage). How simple is that? Even I can follow it!

The 2 videos I bought are "Revolver" and "Downward Spiral", each being 45 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. Revolver is billed as simple, brutal, uncomplicated and it doesn't disappoint. The main set is 1 minute intervals, with 1 minute recovery, it is tough, tough, tough, as you have very little time to recover before hitting the next interval. This is a great training session when you are very short on time and just want to get your ass kicked! Downward Spiral is 60 minutes of maximum intensity intervals, which gradually decrease in duration, with decreasing recovery intervals. This intense session even has you chasing Tom Boonen during his solo breakaway in Paris-Roubaix! Another great training session.

For me these training videos are a very welcome change to staring at a concrete wall in your garage, listening to music or watching a movie and have been a stable part of my triathlon training for a long time, in fact they were integral for me in qualifying for Team GB last year for the European Triathlon Long Distance Triathlon Championships. The combination of the intervals, the awesome cycling footage and the pounding, motivating soundtrack just makes it so much easier to train harder!

The Sufferfest videos are incredibly cheap too, I bought mine last year for less than £10 each ($12.99) and I'm really surprised they haven't increased in price yet. For your $12.99 you get a downloadable video that will see you through many a tough training winter, or even when you just need a kick up the butt to reinvigorate your training! You can check out the full range of training videos at the Sufferfest website, I would definitely recommend trying out one of their videos, but only if you're ready to work hard!!! Did I mention they are evil? Enjoy!

Cardiff half marathon training plan

The Cardiff half marathon is only 6 weeks away, how is your running training going? Your training should be starting to build towards a peak very soon, with your longer runs starting to increase to build your race specific endurance. But what else should you be doing? How many times a week should you be running? How fast should you be running?

This and all other questions can be answered by our running coach, Mark Whittle. Mark is able to design a bespoke half marathon training plan, one that is designed specifically for you, nothing just copied from the internet! Mark will look at your previous running experience, your current fitness level, the amount of time you have to train and also take into account all the stresses and commitments of your daily life (family, work, social, etc).

So if you're doing the Cardiff half marathon and need someone to take the stress out of planning your training schedule, give Mark a call on 07947010276 or check out the website at Vale Sports Therapy.

Hidden injuries and how to avoid them

Sometimes when you are feeling great about your training, you appear to be injury free, and you are looking forward to achieving new heights in performance, your muscles may actually be in a state of chaos. No hobbling, or even niggling pain will necessarily reveal this chaotic state, and only a disappointing performance in a key competition will show that something has gone seriously wrong. The poor performance will be an indication that your training has injured your muscles significantly – and yet kept you in the dark about the nature of the problem.

How can athletes be unaware of the damage they are doing to themselves during training? Unfortunately, some muscle problems can exist below an athletes “radar screen”; they may significantly interfere with muscle function and yet produce few or no symptoms that something is wrong.

For example, think about what happens to an Ironman triathlete or a marathon runner after completing their event. A week after the event is over, the athlete usually feels great, with no pain, stiffness or swelling to announce that anything is wrong with their muscles (unlike the day after a race, when their discomfort is usually intense). However, if the athletes muscles were biopsied and the cells examined under a microscope, many problems would be apparent. Recent research from Harvard reveals that portions of some muscles would be missing, other cells would be swollen, muscle membranes would be ruptured, blood vessels would be damaged and glycogen levels would be low. Yet, despite this, the athlete would be “feeling fine”.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take an Ironman event or a marathon to induce such muscle damage. If a significant increase in training is undertaken over a prolonged period, then this will produce a similar effect. Causing such damage is not a trivial thing. For one thing, it is simply not possible for muscles to perform at optimal levels when muscle glycogen levels are low, energy producing mitochondria are damaged and contractile proteins within muscle cells are disrupted. For another, these kinds of problems can not be cleared up overnight. The research from Harvard suggests that it may take three months for muscles to be restored after such damage, and complete restoration may occur only if an athlete trains lightly or not at all.

As an athlete, what should you do to achieve your greatest possible improvement in fitness without doing damage to your muscular system? First, you should make sure that your training program contains adequate recovery time; at least one day off each week and at least one week of light training for every three weeks of strenuous training. Recovery periods allow your muscles to “catch up” on key repair processes, which are often retarded by the relentless pace of high frequency, high volume training.

Second, you should attempt to emphasise quality over quantity in your training. High intensity training is the most potent producer of fitness, and pathological changes in muscle cells appear to be much more closely related to training volume rather than training speed. Research shows that when a comparison is made between what happened to runners muscles following a marathon and a 25km race, they found the muscle damage to be much more extensive after the marathon, even though the 25km competition was completed at a much faster pace.

Third, you should engage in functional strength training two to three times a week. Such strength training should revolve around movements which actually mimic the biomechanics of your chosen sport, so that you will be less likely to get frayed around the edges as a result of your training and competition (compared with weak muscles, strong muscles are damaged much less by the forces created during exertion).

Finally, you should devise a performance test with which you can assess your progress over time. For running, this could be a 6 minute test on the track, for cycling it could be a 10km time trial and for swimming it could be an 800 metre all out effort, and so on. Such tests can be performed every 4 to 6 weeks or so during training, and if you are feeling good but you test results are getting worse rather than better, chances are good that there are muscle problems “below your radar”. The solution is not to work harder and damage your muscles further; the optimal strategy is usually to significantly reduce training volume, maintain fitness with an occasional intense workout, and thus give your muscles a chance to recover from all the abuse you have put them through. For most athletes whose performances have headed south, such periods of lighter training will help to wipe away any muscular chaos and get performance capacity on an upward slope again.

So if you're a runner, triathlete or endurance athlete and would like some advice on training concepts, training plans or injury prevention check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

4 running tips for getting faster!

Recently some runners have been asking me how to get faster, so here are my top 4 running training tips that can take your running to new heights:

1. Run faster
It might sound obvious, but to run faster, you have to run faster! So, instead of simply plodding around in training you have to add some “speed” sessions into the mix. Your fitness and chosen race distance will dictate how far/fast your intervals should be, but simply adding in some shorter faster sessions will transform your running. Tempo/threshold and fartlek run sessions are ideal for this.

2. Get stronger
Strength underpins endurance. To be fast you have to have an element of strength in your training program, there’s no point in having a great "engine" (heart & lungs) if you have a weak "chassis" (body structure). You can add some simple strength exercises into your program without any impact on your normal running program, not only will it increase your speed and running economy but also help prevent overuse injuries.

3. Lose weight
By shedding some body fat your speed will automatically increase. Have you tried running with a rucksack that weighs 5 or 6 pounds? It’s hard work, but losing those extra pounds will make your running much, much easier.

4. Improve your technique
How many runners do you see heel striking, sagging in the mid-section, being tense around the shoulders with arms crossing their body? By moving to a mid-foot strike, holding a nice tight core, relaxing your posture around the neck and shoulders, and driving your arms forward and rearwards will result in a running style that looks light, relaxed, smooth and ultimately quick.

By adding some or all of these tips into your training program you’ll be amazed at how much your running will improve!

In fact, I'll break down these 4 top tips further in future blog posts, just so you know exactly how to take your running to a new level and get faster.

If you're a runner in the Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge area and are contemplating running a 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact coach Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

Cardiff half marathon

There are just over 10 weeks until the Cardiff half marathon, so how's the running training going? By now you should be getting in the long runs and starting to get near double figures in the longer ones ; if you're not, it's time to get moving! Whether you're going for a personal best time or simply trying to complete your first ever Cardiff half marathon, it's vitally important to start thinking about your training plan (what running training are you actually going to do), your recovery techniques (rest, sports massage, compression clothing, etc), your training and race day nutrition (will you use your own nutrition or use what is provided on the course?) and the race itself.

If you need any running tips and tricks for the Cardiff half marathon please do not hesitate to get in touch with Mark on 07947010276 or take a look at Vale Sports Therapy website. 

Magor Marsh 10K

Yesterday Mark raced the Magor Marsh 10K near Newport, about 15 miles from Cardiff. This race was part of Mark's training schedule in the lead up to a Half Marathon race that he's doing in September, so he knew he wouldn't be peaking for this 10K race but still would race it as hard as he could.

Over 220 people turned up for the race as it's renowned for being a flat, fast course. The race turned out to be a little slower than everyone had hoped (it was quite windy) but Mark still managed to come home in 13th position. Not quite a personal best time, but Mark was happy with his race, especially as it was not a priority race for him.

If you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact coach Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

The Pareto Principle: as applied to coaching

This is a post from Vern Gambetta, an expert in Functional Training; I think it applies to a lot of people who read this blog. I hope you enjoy it!

The Pareto principle states that 20% of the input creates 80% of the result. I would not get too hung up on the numbers as absolute, the key here is the concept. Everything is not weighted equally. You do not do a unit of work and get an equal result from that unit of work. Some types of training or methods can and will contribute more than others. The challenge for us in coaching is to carefully evaluate what we are doing in our training design and implementation to determine where we are getting the most return. We may have a favorite exercise or a workout that we think works, but if you step back you may see that it is not doing what you think it is doing, it is not where the results are coming from. In fact the results may be coming from something or somewhere else. It would be nice if every training session or method contributed equally to the adaptive process but that just does not reflect reality. 

According to the Pareto principle the majority of the results come from a small percentage of the work. So find out where the results are coming from and focus your efforts there for the best return. To use a cliché, separate the wheat from the chaff, focus on the need to do and minimize the nice to do. A corollary to this is that more is not that much better; optimize the volume of work to minimize the law of diminishing returns. Make your decisions in training based on the return, know where you best results are coming from and focus your efforts there. 

Wise words from Coach Gambetta, I think there are a few points that all of us could take on board from this. Any thoughts?

Running coaching testimonial

Here's a really cool testimonial I got last week from a running client that I'm coaching that I thought I'd share with you.

I had been running for a while when Mark and I had a chat about if he could help me achieve my goals. I was sure he could and we started working together about 6 months ago. I haven't looked back since, I've dropped 7 minutes off my half marathon PB, 4 minutes off my marathon time and even taken 2 minutes off my 5k. For me the best thing about working with Mark is how much more I'm enjoying my running. The training isn't boring, it can be tweaked to fit in with your life and Mark constantly monitors how well you're doing and adjusts the plan accordingly. It's also taken away all the stress of training for a big event. I don't have to worry about if I'm doing enough or too much, I trust the boss and the results speak for themselves.
Victoria, Cardiff

Victoria is a an amazing client, her belief in the coaching program has led her to success and exceed her running goals, including a recent half marathon and marathon, and even the Everest Marathon!

So if you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

TRX training for runners and triathletes

Runners and triathletes are usually very busy people, trying to juggle training with work, family and social commitments.  And as such, core (and strength) training is often overlooked, in the hope that simply doing the swimming, biking and running sessions will suffice. This is where many people miss out. By simply adding in some core stability sessions it increases strength, stamina and endurance, allowing you to train and race faster, and helps to keep injuries at bay.

The TRX is a great tool for this. The TRX is a Suspension Training tool that allows you to leverage your own bodyweight to improve your strength, balance, stamina and flexibility all at once. With TRX bodyweight training, your entire core is activated as a stabilizer in every TRX exercise that you perform.

Check out the video below of professional triathlete Chris Lieto and his coach Matt Dixon demonstrating some of the key TRX exercises that Chris uses to develop his core strength for triathlon.

Train less to get faster!

How would you like to train less and still get fitter, faster and stronger? Well, it’s easier than you think. The number one mistake that self-coached athletes (and some poor coaches) make is that they simply train too much!

Some people believe you should do more training just for trainings sake. Unfortunately this ultimately is their downfall. Training too much has a significant effect on your progress, you’ll stagnate, you’ll feel you should train more because you’re not getting the results you want and head into a downward spiral.

I believe in doing the bare minimal to achieve the results you want.

Why? Because doing anything more than the bare minimum is a severe waste of your time and will probably end up in poorer and poorer results. This might mess with your head and sound counter-intuitive, surely if you can train more, then that’s what you should do?

Absolutely not! It’s called the bare minimum for a reason; it’s the least amount of work you need to do to achieve the results YOU want. You don’t need to do more, just to do more!  

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that minimum training means easy training. It doesn’t, it just means being smart and doing the training required to achieve YOUR goals. Effective training means stressing the body, resting sufficiently to allow the body to absorb the training stimulus and then doing it all again.

So be smart, follow the bare minimum protocol and you’ll achieve the results you always wanted!

Train smart all! 

Cross training for runners

So, do runners need to do cross-training? The easy answer is no, runners don’t need to do cross-training. However, cross-training does have some very distinct advantages, the main one being able to increase your training “mileage” without pounding the joints that comes with running and avoiding over-use injuries. 

So what cross-training should you do? There are numerous types of cross-training you can do, but the one you choose should complement your running training, add some aerobic/anaerobic conditioning to your program and not open you up to injury (therefore avoid sports that have no relevance to running, like rugby or football, where there is no carry over to running and also opens you up to potential injury through physical contact and the short, sharp changes in direction required in these sports). 

Here are my top 5 cross-training activities (in no particular order):

Cycling:

Road cycling, mountain biking and spin classes all have cross over to running. The beauty of cycling is that it is non-impact (less potential for injury) and uses a similar muscular pattern to running, therefore can supplement your aerobic training in a very time-efficient manner. Also the variety between road, mountain and indoor biking adds different stimulus to your training program which keeps your training exciting. 

Cross-trainer/Elliptical:

The cross-trainer/elliptical machine provides a great low impact, full body workout. The smooth action of the machine aids injury prevention and injury recovery, whilst the addition of being able to use a backwards motion targets slightly different muscle groups, thus hitting the smaller supporting muscles. The programmable nature of the cross-trainer/elliptical machine also allows the user to match the training session to their needs, varying from an easy flat session to a demanding hill repeat session.  

Swimming:

Swimming is a great non-impact exercise, working on your strength, endurance and flexibility. It mainly targets your upper body, but when done correctly it works your legs and core muscles very effectively too. Like the cross-trainer/elliptical machine, swimming is a very good tool for injury prevention and injury recovery.

Aqua-jogging:

Aqua-jogging is another non-impact exercise. For those who aren’t too familiar with aqua-jogging, you put a floatation belt (an aqua-jogger) around your waist and “run” through the water in an upright manner. You should remain tall (do not hunch over) and move your arms and legs forwards and backwards in a running motion. You should try to keep a fairly high cadence (fast arm and leg movements) to propel yourself forwards in the swimming pool, however you can control the effort level to match your training needs. You can keep a steady continuous effort or add in faster high intensity efforts for variety, with little or no chance of injury.

Strength training:

I love strength training for runners. I absolutely believe that strength underpins endurance, there’s no point in having an amazing “engine” (heart and lungs) if you have a weak “chassis” (body structure), therefore exercises that increase running functional strength should be targeted. Now for the science part, most runners (and many coaches) believe that runners should lift a light weight many times to build endurance, however many studies have shown this to be false. The new viewpoint is that the runner should lift heavy weights to build strength; allowing the runner to generate more power or force quickly (into the ground) and also making the runner strong enough to resist over-use injuries.  Some of the exercises to be considered should be squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull ups, presses and rows; and if you’re doing theses exercises correctly, you’ll be working the core muscles at the same time, bonus!

Adding some cross-training into running program can be very beneficial, bringing your running to the next level. But beware that the cross-training doesn’t get in the way or take over from your running. To run fast, you need to run; you need those miles in the bank to build your endurance. Cross-training is great, but use it to complement your running training, not replace it! 

Cardiff half marathon training plan

The Cardiff half marathon is fast approaching! With just over three months to go until race day, you should be starting to build up your longer runs to increase your endurance. But what else should you be doing? How long do I run for? How fast should I be running?

This and all other questions can be answered by our running coach, Mark Whittle. Mark is able to design a bespoke half marathon training plan, one that is designed specifically for you, nothing just copied from the internet! Mark will look at your previous running experience, your current fitness level, the amount of time you have to train and also take into account all the stresses and commitments of your daily life (family, work, social, etc).

So if you're doing the Cardiff half marathon and need someone to take the stress out of planning your training schedule, give Mark a call on 07947010276 or check out the website at Vale Sports Therapy.

Fartlek running training

A friend asked me the other day what fartlek training was, so here goes. The word fartlek means “speed play” in Swedish and it essentially means running and playing around with the speed and duration of running during your training session.

Fartlek training basically means you run in an unstructured manner with the intention of stressing both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems that means you are training for both speed and endurance in the same session. So you have to run faster efforts (speed and distance of your choice) interspersed with slower recovery efforts (again, speed and distance of your choice)

Apart from challenging both energy systems and working on speed and endurance in one session, fartlek training also has the advantage of being fun and varied (you can change the speed and duration of the interval as you see fit), whilst being appropriate for all phases of training and seasons of the year.

But don’t get me wrong; whilst fartlek training is very good for you (and fun), it is hard work! Don’t underestimate the stress this places on the body.  Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed! 

For more information on running training or running coaching in Penarth, Barry, Cardiff, or anywhere in the Vale of Glamorgan, give Mark a call on 07947010276 or visit Vale Sports Therapy. 

London marathon 2012

Congratulations to all our friends, family and clients who ran the London marathon yesterday!

The London marathon is an awesome event and those who completed the whole 26.2 miles should be very proud of themselves.

We had a few of our athletes running and they all did a great job! Here's to 2013 and you never know, you might find one of us towing the line next year!

FREE 5K beginner running training plan!

That's right! Coming very soon to all Vale Sports Therapy clients will be a FREE 5K beginner running training plan. The training plan will allow a total beginner to start training in a structured manner, allowing them to build up their run fitness over a period of 10 weeks. This plan takes someone who is a self-confessed couch potato, gets them moving, with a view to complete a 5K run in just over 2 months. We've found that clients who follow this approach reach their running goals in a safe and controlled manner, whilst having fun and getting fit!

So if you're one of our clients in Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, Cowbridge or Bridgend and want to train in a structured way to run your first 5K race or to simply boost your fitness, keep watching this blog, it's coming very soon!

Running training plans coming soon!

Do you need help with your running training? Do you have a big race coming up? Need some advice? Well, you've come to the right place.

Mark Whittle will be providing running training plans very soon. Mark will write you a personalised running plan, that fits in with your lifestyle (family, work, hobbies, etc) to help you achieve your goals. Whether it be to complete your first ever 5k or run the London Marathon in a new PB time, Mark can help you!

Mark also offers advice on running technique and general fitness (strengthening, toning, conditioning, etc) as well as race day advice (what pace to run, nutritional strategies, equipment, etc). For more information, contact Mark on 07947010276 or email him at valesportstherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Cardiff half marathon

I had 3 or 4 people running the Cardiff half marathon yesterday and I'm pleased to say they all had a great day! Admittedly they're all novices, so improvements are perhaps expected, but working with novices makes it so exciting. They're all short on time due to work and family commitments but work hard with the limited time they have to train, and it showed today. I'm really proud of all them, very well done guys!

Running workshops in Cardiff

Mark has just finished a series of 4 running workshops in Run and Become in Cardiff in the run up to the Cardiff half marathon. Mark was joined by Personal Trainer John Bruno and Physiotherapist Karen Pearce to provide advice to the half marathon runners on running injuries, run technique, nutrition, mind focus and general run training advice.

The workshops were well received, giving the novice runners a boost before race day. Look out in 2012 for more running workshops in Cardiff, as we'll be supporting the Cardiff half marathon again next year. Have a great race everyone!

European Long Distance Triathlon Champs

Well, here it is, the race report from the European Long Distance Triathlon Champs that was held on Sunday in Finland:

We arrived early (we, being the 4 RAF guys who had made the team) and had lots of time to recce the swim, bike and run courses. The swim looked very long, the bike looked pretty flat (and boring) whilst the run looked like the only interesting part of the race, sweeping around the lake through a slightly wooded area with gravel trails. We attended the race registration and race brief and to be honest, the organisation wasn’t great, this definitely wasn’t a WTC event!

Back to the race, morning arrived and we had a quick breakfast in the hotel before heading off to the transition area. The location of this race was actually very good, with an athletics stadium being used for T1/T2 which was only 5 minutes walk from our hotel, with the lake being adjacent to the stadium. After putting all our nutrition onto our bikes we headed down to the start area. The elite men and women went off first, with the age group men going next (us) and the age group women to follow.

We all jumped into the water and after a minute or two, the horn went and we were off. With less than 200 men in our wave start, there wasn’t the usual biff you get at the start of an Ironman race, I quickly found some open space and headed the 300m or so to the first turn buoy. After this turn, we essentially had to swim in a big rectangle finishing down a canal next to the stadium. The out leg seemed to take forever! I managed to find some feet to sit on for a while and settled in to a pace that I thought I could hold for 4k. We eventually got to the far turn bouy (maybe 1.8k into the swim leg), turned, swam another 200-300m and turned again for the return and final leg. We were now swimming into a bit of current and the sun was rising in front of us which made navigation a little difficult.

I was starting to feel a little tired now. The current was sapping my energy and the navigation meant sighting was harder, fortunately someone swam up to me, so I jumped on his feet and trusted he was sighting correctly. It seemed his sighting was spot on as we arrived at the mouth of the canal in fairly quick time, I knew it was another 300m or so to go, so decided to stay with my new friend and let him direct me into the exit point. It got a bit congested here and I got a smack round the head for my troubles, but all in all it was an uneventful swim – just what I was hoping for. I stood up, checked my watch and saw 1:06. I was particularly pleased with this as I was expecting to see 1:10 – 1:15. Good start!

Quickly into transition the wetsuit was off and I was ready to exit T2. As I grabbed my bike Marc P (an RAF team mate) came into T1, I was quite happy about this as I expected Marc to beat me out of the water, but as he is a better biker I knew he would catch me quite soon. Anyway, out on the bike I went, I settled into the aero position and started pushing on, knowing Marc would be chasing me hard! Once I settled down I started thinking about my nutrition, I looked down at my Speedfil bottle (fits on the down tube, with a tube coming up to bike cockpit) and realised it was half empty! It was leaking! Things like this can put you right off your game, but there’s no point in worrying about it. I knew I had plenty of nutrition on me and I could always pick up some more from the aid stations as my cast iron stomach can cope with most types of sports drinks and gels.

The bike was 6 laps of 20k (well, it was a little shorter than 20k as they cut off a little part of the course for safety reasons), and it was a bit boring. We biked out of town, onto some fast roads, then onto a motorway for a mile or so, then climbed up a long shallow climb, back down the motorway and into town again. Coupled with that a few dead-turns (which really slowed you down!) and quite a bit of wind, it was not the most exciting of routes.

Marc came past me at the end of the first lap (as expected), so I estimated he was putting about 1:30 into me on each lap. I was ok with that as I knew my run was strong enough to pull that back later on in the day. The laps ticked away, and apart from some Spanish pro’s and some Finnish age groupers drafting, it was a very clean bike race. I came towards T2 quite glad the bike leg was over, I checked my watch and saw a bike split of about 3:26, I was ok with that. It wasn’t great, but it was ok, and I had my strongest leg to come!

The run was 4 laps of 7.5k, so it would be easy to gauge your pace and spot other age groupers and see where they were in the race compared to you on each lap. I set out on the first lap with the intention of going easy. As I was approaching the first turn point (at 3.75k) I was very surprised that I hadn’t caught anyone! This wasn’t normal. Was everyone else really running that fast? Was I running slow? Too slow? I put this to the back of my mind and continued on.

As it turned out I shouldn’t have worried as I caught 9 people in the next 3.75k (including my team mate Marc). The pace felt easy and I completed the first lap in about 33 minutes. Now it got a little confusing, as there were quite a lot of people on the run course, you didn’t know if they were on their first lap or third lap. It didn’t really matter though, as I continued to run at my own pace, I felt good and people were coming back to me fairly quickly. The laps ticked away and I continued to sip my energy gels whilst taking water and coke from the aid stations, everything was going to plan.

I was now coming towards the end of the third lap and I could feel myself slowing down. It wasn’t quite the Ironman-shuffle, but I was definitely slowing. I started the fourth and final lap knowing that if I ran the last 7.5k in 40 minutes I would break 7 hours for the race. This was now my motivation. I didn’t care who I was passing (I stopping counting after passing 25 people), I just wanted to keep pushing on to break the 7 hour barrier. I got the final turn point and worked out I had 20 minutes to do the last leg in, this would be a tough ask. I was now very tired. I had walked the last 2 aid stations, taking on lots of water and coke, so to get back to the stadium and do a lap of the athletics track and finish in 7 hours was going to be hard, hard work.

I pushed on, I was now hurting. I wasn’t out of breath at all, just tired and my muscles didn’t want to respond to my brain telling them to move – faster! I could now see the stadium and hear the crowds. I guessed I had about another 5 or 6 minutes of pain to endure. Surely I could do that? Could I?

I was pushing again, pain filled my legs and lungs but its amazing how the crowds drive you on. I entered the stadium and saw 2 Finnish athletes in front of me. I had about 350m to go and there was no way I was going to let them beat me! I pushed again, passed the first guy, reached the second guy, he tried to react but he was spent, I was past him and driving on to the finish line. I looked at my watch with about 50m to go, I knew I was under 7 hours, it was instant relief! With the Finns behind me and 7 hours in the bag, I could coast to the finish line savouring the atmosphere.

I’ll blog more later about my post race feelings, my crazy taper strategy and my views on the whole GB representation, but needless to say, I was very pleased with my race. I came 11th in my age group and went sub 7 hours, I’ll take that! Many thanks to my family, friends, coach and sponsors for all your support, I know it’s a cliché, but without all your help I would never have made it to Finland to represent my country. That means a lot to me, so I thank you all.