Irontwit

Blog Moving House

As this blog is a personal rather than business blog I have decided to shift it over to:

http://irontwit.creativeblogs.net

A new fresh look and all posts re-categorised as well as a new post about the phenomenon of cycle sportives.

Highlights of '08 and looking forward to '09

Credit Crunch notwithstanding, 2008 saw two major personal highlights for me. The first was getting under seven hours for the UK 70.3 Ironman at Wimbleball; and the second was coming in under six hours for the Vitruvian. More pleasing in many ways was the fact that I trained much better for the year and generally remained much healthier - probably a major factor in my success. I also completed the Etape du Dales at the second attempt and the Cheshire Cat at the first - despite an irate local farmer pointlessly removing signage. 

The biggest excitement of the year for me, though was the success of the British track cycling team at the World Champs in Manchester, and then the Olympics. I was lucky enough to got to Manchester for one of the days and watched the awesome foursome break the world team pursuit record (which they would smash again at the Olympics). The big highlight of my day, though, was watching Chris Hoy's match v Dutch sprint legend Theo Bos in the quarter finals. Everybody knew this was the crunch match and if Hoy won there would be little stopping him taking the world title, and so it proved.

So for 2009 there was only one logical step to be made - a full Ironman. I figured that it was now or never. I have had a good year, lost quite a few kilos in weight and hit the training again in early October after a couple of week's off so I felt that another year doing half-ironman would see me losing my focus and I needed a new goal. 2nd August 2009, Bolton it is: UK Ironman.

Because the race is in August, I will need to structure my season differently to the past few (Ironman 70.3 is always mid June). 2009 is shaping up like this:

• March: The Cheshire Cat (cycle sportive)
• April: Lakeland Loop (cycle sportive)  
• May: Fred Whitton Challenge (cycle sportive) 
• May: Beaver Half Ironman (triathlon)  
• June: Spud Riley Challenge (cycle sportive) 
• June: Dambuster Triathlon (olympic distance)  
• July: 3 Counties Challenge (cycle sportive) 
• August: UK Ironman 

There are five challenging cycle sportives in the schedule including the legendary Fred Whitton, and an early half-ironman. The reason for all the cycle rides is that the bike leg is the key to a successful Ironman attempt. Hopefully these rides will get me cycling at a much tougher level than I need to complete the 112 mile Ironman bike course - route details aren't published yet, but it's looking likely to be flat and fast. Hopefully this will mean I will arrive at the marathon end of the race with quite a bit left in the tank. There are two new triathlons in there too in the shape of the Beaver (usually a July date, but I guess they moved it back to act as a training event for Ironman UK) and the Dambuster. I'm going for the Beaver in preference to Wimbleball because it's a few weeks earlier in the season, and I haven't done it before (plus it's half the price to enter). The Dambuster is an Olympic distance race (haven't done one of these for a couple of years), but I'm familiar with the course (same as the Vitruvian, only half the distance) so I know where I can really push the pace. I will be reporting on all these events via my blog as I build up to the big one.

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has done any of these events in the past, as they are all new to me (except the Spud and the Cat - both local events). 

2nd August, 2009

OK, I've gone and done it.

Yesterday the venue was announced for Ironman UK 2009, and I've entered. After five half-ironman races and a score of other triathlons there was only one logical step to take. The fact that the race will take place here in the northwest is just a real bonus for me. The actual route details etc are still not published as the website is still only open to pre-registered athletes (as clicking on the link above will testify).

Here are the gory details:

2nd August 2009

Bolton

3.5km swim, 180km bike ride, 40km run

Given my Twitter addiction, I'm considering renaming this blog Irontwit - it works on so many levels ;-)

Does this count as a tweet from @lancearmstrong?

I use Twitter a lot as a tool in my work as an ICT consultant. As this incredibly popular web app has gained popularity, a number of celebrities have started to use the service. I follow a few, including Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Stephen Fry, Tony Benn and John Cleese. Stephen Fry is a well known gadget freak and his blog is an incredible source of information for mobile phone addicts (honestly). What's more, Mr Fry engages in debates with his twitter followers (he has 31,322 followers and 25,010 friends) - surely the whole point of Twitter is to engage in conversation. Lance Armstrong, in contrast has 11,932 followers but only 34 friends. Having said that, he really does seem to be a Twitter addict as he updates several times a day - gives you quite an insight into what the great man is up to. This evening he tweeted:

I tweeted back using the twitter @ tool i.e. @lancearmstrong

A few minutes later Lance sent this tweet:

(apologies for the image quality - didn't realise I'd set Twhirl to be transparent)

Does this count as a tweet from the man himself? I think it does. And, does this make me some kind of celebrity stalker - I maintain Twitter is reality TV for geeks. 

I am HGjohn on Twitter.

     

Nothing to do with riding bicycles

This post has nothing whatsoever to do with triathlon. Last night Kirsty and I had a night away at a wine-tasting at the Gibbon Bridge Hotel near Chipping in the heart of Lancashire. We had a lovely time, and awoke this morning to an incredibly frosty scene. I wish I had my proper digital camera with me, instead you'll just have to put up with a few photos from my mobile. The hotel is really tucked away in the heart of the Forest of Bowland, and is the perfect place for a weekend break (I think I'll send the hotel a link to this post in the hope of getting a discount ;-). Actually, it would also be a fantastic place to stay for a few days cycling. Hmm, that's got me thinking...

An Excellent Adventure

Yesterday I took part in a track taster session at the legendary Manchester Velodrome. It was an assorted bunch of triathletes, urban commuters and would-be Chris Hoys that walked down the somewhat surgical corridor to the changing rooms. The modern and strictly utilitarion interior of the Manchester Velodrome felt how I imagine the interior of a Stasi police station to be. Grey-green doors leading to secret torture chambers? Only pictures of Wiggins, Pendleton and Hoy adorning the walls gave you any indication that you were in the home of the most successful team in the history of track cyling.

On entering the arena you attention is immediately drawn to the impossibly steep bends at either end, looking even steeper from below than the times I have been here as a spectator looking down. I was wondering if I actually needed the double double espresso I had downed shortly before arrival such was the adrenalin kick as I swung my leg over my hire bike.

"Don't go too slow around the bends." Hold on to that thought. A couple of sighting laps on the light blue strip just below the track proper, then edging up onto the black "sprinters' line". Screw up your courage and into the bend. Didn't fall off. Bonus. Build up speed. Can I overtake the guy in front? Try. it's a much longer way around overtaking. Suddenly I'm going into the bend much higher up the bank than planned. Hold tight, press hard, and round. Exhale. This is real fun!

After fifteen minutes orientation I was already halfway up the banking in each corner. I could do this. Confidence was starting to flow. The coach now tried to add a little structure to the session by setting us up in a pace-line. One lap on the front, then swing off. At least, that's the theory. Our line of seventeen never got organised and gaps appeared all over the place. The pace was extremely uneven, very difficult when you are riding a bike with a fixed gear and no brakes. Things improved as we split into smaller groups and as the guy in front of me swung off I became very aware that I was on the front of a train of cyclists for the first time. It's an odd experience as you feel very isolated: you can't really hear the guys behind you, and you've got an empty track ahead. My second turn on the front was the last lap of our team's pursuit, so I thought I'd really boot it to see how fast I could go. By now I was forgetting all about the banking as I threw myself into the last bend only to find two guys come over the top of me on the final straight.

Next up was a flying 250m. I felt fast, but was actually very slow (29.2mph). My heartrate had gone from near rest to HR Max in two laps of the track (about 45 seconds) This is obviously a discipline I have to work on. The key to a fast flying lap (apart from having thighs like Chris Hoy) is taking a high line out of the final bend, and I still hadn't quite developed the courage to take a really high route around the banking.

The final structured session was a 20 lap scratch race (first over the line wins). We were supposed to build up steadily for the first five laps, but the competitive element went from the off. After half a dozen or so laps I was lying sixth. I was following the only girl in the group who was valiantly trying to close the seven or eight metre gap to the three in front (one guy had bid for glory early and was gone). After following her for about six laps in which she never swung off (must have been brutal) she started to slow and I overtook, having recovered sufficiently by following in her slipstream, to close the gap to the three contesting second just as they put in a really big effort to catch the lone leader. As I took my turn on the front I was absolutely on the limit, but it was a fantastic feeling. I swung off for the last time knowing that I couldn't hold the wheels of the other three and rolled in a very pleased fifth.

The session finished with fifteen minutes free riding during which I worked in a fast group of four trying to work tightly. I'm guessing that we were working with about a 75cm gap between bikes. This seemed really close and made me realise just how hard it must be to ride a four man team pursuit where they work on gaps of four or five cm!

For my last few laps I decided to see how high I could go on the banking. It's a really interesting experience going around a bend with people cycling "beneath" you. It wasn't hard, just a question of holding your nerve.

Would I recommend a session on the track? Absolutely. 24 hours later and I'm still grinning. You can book a session including bike hire for about £22. The only problem is availability; the success of the British Cyling team at the World Champs and Olympics means that demand for sessions on the track has exploded.

Photos and video to follow.

Building Excitement

Early Saturday morning and I've just done the coffee and pastry thing (my favourite breakfast). I'm really excited this weekend as tomorrow afternoon I've got my first session at Manchester velodrome. I've been to a couple of the Revolution meets there, as well as the World Championships earlier this year and it looks like incredible fun. I've been told by a reliable source that it's a really tough gig and a couple of hours on the boards leaves you feelin like you've just ridden five hours round the lanes. Report tomorrow.

First days of autumn

OK, technically it's still summer. But as far as I'm concerned autumn has begun. I've done my last A category event (Vitruvian), school is back, and the conker trees are unleashing their fiesta of fun for children all over (unless their school has banned them). There is loads to love about autumn beyond the usual poetic waffling about reds, yellows and golds: those warm sunny days where you feel you've stolen an extra day of summer and the miles pass swiftly by because you've still got the summer's fitness in your legs; the lack of necessity to hit target heartrates, do extra reps up hills or sprint for a signpost (unless, of course, you want to); and, the Tour of Britain.

Last year I wrote a stinking letter to Cycling Weekly about the poor promotion of Britains premier cycling event - it got letter of the week and I duly received a rather smart carbon fibre bike pump. I felt rather guilty about this, it didn't somehow feel terribly loyal dissing your local bike event, howver, things have improved to some extent. The website is better, and they have even discovered Twitter (follow me on Twitter: hgjohn). If you missed the coverage on ITV4, you missed an excellent bike race, won by Geoffroy Lequatre of Agritubel, who apart from riding his bike rather swiftly has just about the coolest sports website you'll ever see. I went to the final stage in Liverpool - excellent racing, big crowds and some cool pics.

Little Stories

I completed the Vitruvian Triathlon yesterday in a personal best time of 5 hours 48 minutes, some 15 minutes better than my previous best half-ironman. The times was made up by being some ten minutes faster on the bike and five minutes faster on the run. 

 

Unless you've been loving in a darkened room for a few days you can't have helped but notice the dire weather we've had. Indeed, my drive across the Peak District to Leicestershire was at times harrowing with streams pouring across the road. It was a relief that race day dawned (4am start for breakfast) basically dry but blustery, and so it would remain throughout the race.

One of the things I love about long-distance triathlon is that you never quite know who you are chatting to, or who you are going to meet. One example would be the chat I had over spaghetti bolognese on the night before the race with a guy called Chris who last year won his age group at Ironman Clearwater, and so got the opportunity to race at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He was hoping to beat 4 hours seventeen minutes! Or, bumping into Roland Shaw who I know via my father-in-law. I'd heard that in June he'd broken his collarbone fairly comprehensively in a bike crash and had a plate inserted. I was pretty amazed to find him on the start line, and although I subsequently passed him on the bike leg, I was pretty certain that his strong run would see him come past me again later in the race. I wasn't disappointed.

My own race went pretty much as expected. I enjoyed the swim in my usual slow fashion and hit the bike leg hard. I tend to think of the Vitruvian bike course as easy, and it certainly is when compared to Wimbleball, but the first part of the bike is a bit of a roller coaster with some fairly steep hills made harder by the blustery wind and it demands respect. My heart rate graph shows I was working too hard on that opening lap and would definitely be paying for it later. I took the second lap a bit easier and the heart rate graph duly shows a levelling out of effort. My bike leg time was 2 hours 45 minutes, or just about 19mph for the 52 miles. Pretty pleasing, but I knew I'd worked too hard.

 

The run started of reasonably well, I knocked off the first lap in just under one hour and as a result felt very confident of beating my 6 hour target. However, towards the end of the lap my legs were starting to seize - may quads in particular had welded into a solid and inflexible mass, due, no doubt to the pounding I'd asked them to deliver on the bike. It was at this point that Rowland came past. The second lap descended into a real struggle (entirely similar to the last time I completed this race - when will I learn!). I managed to keep running until the turn around point, but with 5km to go the body was no longer willing. The last 5 kilometres were a combination of walk and painful jog, but I still completed the run in a personal best time of 2 hours 12 minutes. Slightly disappointing in that it was only 4 minutes faster than my run at Wimbleball which is a) a much tougher run course, and b) follows a much harder bike. I secretly wanted a time much closer to the 2 hour mark. A look at the heart rate graph shows precisely where the wheels came off: 5 hours and 8 minutes into the race. If I'd managed to maintain the pace of the first lap, I'd have come in under 2 hours for the run, and close to 5:30 for the race (an improvement of nearly 90 places in the results.

 

The question is why do I run out of steam so badly? It has happened in all five half-Ironman races I've finished and really knocks my confidence when considering entering a full Ironman. I'll consider this in my next post. In the meantime I can draw a curtain on the 2008 tri season in which I've felt fitter and stronger than I have for several years resulting in a pb at both Wimbleball and the Vitruvian.

Time to Vitruviate

It's that time of year again. The Vitruvian Triathlon is one of my favourite events. Set around Rutland Water it roughly equates to a half Ironman, but the swim is slightly longer, the bike slightly shorter and the run about the same. The loyal reader will remember that last year I dropped out due to illness so I have got a score to settle. The first time I did it my time was 6 hours and 3 minutes so obviously, my first target is to get under the 6 hour mark. At the risk of courting disaster I'm going to say that my training has gone well, I've lost a few kilos of weight and I'm healthy.

I have taken quite a different approach to training this summer from usual. Clearly I had a good base fitness level as I have already completed the Etape du Dales and beaten my previous best at Ironman 70.3 so instead of lots of long rides and runs etc. I've concentrated on intensity. I've been doing hard repetitions up a hill in Poynton - the locals must think I'm mad, as well as doing plenty of time trial efforts and bike/run bricks. My personal bests on the bike have been tumbling, and my run times are better than any for the last 3 seasons. Even my swims are close to pbs (although that's not saying much). So all is in place for Saturday. However, sport is full of athletes who do personal bests in training and don't perform on the day. I just hope this awful summer has a quiet day...

Race report on Sunday.