Rest of year Race diary

7th September - Southwater tri relays with Zoom Tri Club
14th September - Littledown Fast Twitch tri - www.conceptsport.co.uk
21st September - New Forest Middle Distance tri - www.racenewforest.co.uk

October - Sandy Ball-buster duathlon - www.racenewforest.co.uk
8th November - Ironman 70.3 World Championships, Clearwater, Florida

All races wih the exception of Clearwater will be extended trainig sessions, and not sure whether I will yet finish New Forest middle, depends on the next 3 weeks' training, if I can build up enough strength/muscular endurance.
And then after November a well earned rest. Will start bike base miles in December in prep for next season.

Swanage Classic Triathlon 2008

Well, I had a big rest after my efforts at Wimbleball(Half Ironman UK), and since then I have not been doing much in the way of run training, due to a viral infection, which floored me at Purbeck tri(although managed to bag a 3rd place), and a bit of a knee niggle, due in main to tight hamstrings.

I ummed and arred about doing Swanage but in the end James Gilfillan talked me round and I thought it was not a bad idea to get back to a race just for fun and see how I am doing.

I felt like I needed a bit of a kickstart to get me going for Clearwater in Novemebr, only 10 weeks away!!!

So I did it. And felt good throughout. Had a great first half of the swim, out in around 12 minutes, and then went and got lost on the way back!! Typical, I always do it, just swam too far out and cost me some time just trying to get back on course!

Oh well, had a good T1, and jumped on bike and felt surprisingly strong. Normally at these Olympic distance ones I struggle regulating my breathing from swim to bike, but I was ok. Biking definitely my strongest discipline and even though a bit of a hilly route I still got myself round in the top 10 bike times, and despite my chain coming off again!! My fault. I must just pick a big or small ring at the start of a climb and stick to it. I was caught in 2 minds and it cost me.

Had a good T2 and off on the run, where I planned on attacking the hills. This I did, but my lack of recent run training began to show after half way and my calves were tightening.

Prior to Wimbleball I had been doing a lot of hill running as intervals and I got round that run course without any problems. Swanage was different, and although I was 4 minutes up on last season's run time, I was still off the pace of what I know I can do. But I was not at all disappointed.

High 5 from James G at the end, he won yet again, great performance. And man he can eat some food. Did a bbq in the afternoon and got no idea where he puts it!! We sometimes go out on training rides and you ain't gonna get any draft off him whatsoever!

So Swanage got me back into triathlon again, not that I ever doubted my love of the sport, but it was just the tonic I needed. A good performance, very strong which now puts me in the right frame of mind to continue my journey towards the Ironman 70.3 World Championships!

My Overall time: 2:21:37

Winning time: 2:01:26

I was up on last year's time by 12 minutes. This year the weather made it tougher.

Winning time last year by James G was 1:56 something. So putting it into context a very good performance and had it been an A priority race then could have been better.

Next year James, next year!!!

:)