A good paddle with Wellington Kayak Club
on the Barle today, a decent level and plenty of fun had. And another
video...
Wednesday 30th November, 2011
I've completed a video for the
White Water Safety and Rescue Training weekend, worth a view for anyone
paddling white water.
Monday 28th November, 2011
I was asked by
SCAT to run another
wheelchair basketball session for their students. Many of the first group had
played before and it was good to see their skills hadn't dimished from last
time. The beginners made a good effort and pretty much everyone improved during
the day. It was a long day though, and four hours in the chair
coaching/refereeing took it out of me, particularly as I was tired from the
weekend, and woke up very early this morning. By 7pm I was fast asleep in front
of the TV, didn't hear the phone or Jane leave to go out to Zumba class. Sleep,
lovely sleep...
Sunday 27th November, 2011
Second day of the training weekend. Lots
of time in the water today, highlight of the day was probably being "dunked" a
couple of feet under when Gary landed on top of me whilst doing a live bait
rescue! Video to follow shortly. We all passed.
Saturday 26th November, 2011
A group of paddlers from Taunton Canoe
Club are attending a white water safety and rescue training weekend on the
Dart. I've had my camera with me and have been taking short video clips to
compile into a record and basic training video. But this "incident" from today
is well worth a view, even if you have no interest in white water
kayaking...
Thursday 24th November, 2011
I've turned into a video making machine.
This short clip was from last April when Marty was staying with us.
Sunday 20th November, 2011
The Pete Collins Memorial Race and Tour.
This is one of the highlights of the season and Taunton Canoe Club had a
mammoth turnout, with 27 paddlers, including a vast array of beginners as well
as many of the veterans. The level was low but that didn't dampen the
enthusiasm, particular of the younger paddlers at the Waterworks play wave,
where "Lemming Fever" seemed to take over.
Sunday 13th November, 2011
White Water beginners trip, so we took a
few youngsters along to paddle the Exe (again!). Level a bit lower than a
fortnight ago but everyone enjoyed themselves with plenty of paddling, and a
little swimming...
Sunday 30th October, 2011
Yay, White Water season has arrived. First
trip in a year for me (I made it out just once the whole of last year, other
commitments, injuries, training for paratri, etc, getting in the way). The
original plan was to paddle the Dart, but there was a big event on this weekend
so we headed for the Exe instead. The usual get in was heaving, but the layby
three quarters of a mile upstream was quiet, and that short extra stretch
includes another small but fun weir. The level was decent enough, about one
foot ten, and everyone enjoyed the paddle. But probably best to let the video
do the talking...
Friday 7th October, 2011
I ran a session for students from Richard
Huish College who are including wheelchair basketball as part of their sports
foundation curriculum. It was a good session, I managed to stick to the plan
fairly well, lots to be coached, including chair handling, ball handling,
rules, etc, and then let them play for the last half an hour.
Wednesday 28th September, 2011
My new Bromakin Race Chair arrived today.
I managed to sit in it for about 10 minutes until the pain (from the rib)
became unbearable.
Tuesday 27th September, 2011
A Bit of a disaster at wheelchair
basketball this evening, when racing back to defend one of the attacking
players changed direction abruptly causing me to veer sharply to the left,
colliding with a team mate. His backrest support hit me in the ribs and has
caused a fracture. Fortunately it's right at the bottom of the rib cage so
doesn't hurt for normal breathing, but is very uncomfortable laying down,
taking deep breaths or trying to exercise. Bummer.
Sunday 25th September, 2011
The Taunton 10K. The first time I raced at this event I
crashed out at the bottom of a big downhill, and "limped" home with a bent
wheel and cut elbow. My time has steadily improved from that 55 minute effort
in 2004, to 35:26 last year. This year, despite the light drizzle, I managed
34:04 with only Luke, the winner, passing me during the race. Next year, with a
new chair, I'm determined to beat him home... Ideally I'd like to be hitting 30
minutes, but that's a big ask on such a hilly course. But very pleased with the
race today.
I was out wheelchair training when one of
the bolts on my footrest snapped, I had to return at half speed with my feet
half resting on the compensator. Very fortunate that this didn't happen on
Sunday.
Sunday 11th September, 2011
It's the
Bristol Half Marathon... I had an email a few days ago
informing me that there would be four of us racing this year, two men and two
women. The other man was Jack Eyers, the very same person I bought the hand
crank machine off (see blog posting on 11th April this year). He's a wheelchair
basketball player I knew from my time with the Otters in Exeter a few years ago
but has only very recently started training in a racing chair (the one Hattie
Dingle used to use when I coached her last year). Of the two ladies, Sarah
Piercy was an accomplished athlete and Julie Darwin had only recently having
taken up the sport with a target of sub two hours. As we lined up at the start,
Sarah revealed that she'd won the London Marathon in 2000 and had a pb for the
half of around 55 minutes, rather faster than the 81 minutes I managed here in
2009. It looked like the finish line results would be Peircy, Cooke, Eyers and
Darwin... The start hooter went and I made use of my low weight to sprint ahead
and go flat out for three or four minutes until the climb up over the first
bridge. Sarah wasn't far behind though, so it was a case of working really hard
on that initial hill climb to try and extend a lead. It seemed to work, but as
we hit the Portway she was still fairly close. It's a good stretch of the race
and I did my best to keep up the pace to the turn about four miles in. Coming
back along the Portway I shouted across at her coming the other way, telling
her that the gap was about 30 seconds. Jack was around 4 minutes behind at this
point. With a tail wind on the return I managed to pick up the pace a bit and
by the time I made it back to the bridge Sarah was barely in sight. So with the
easy par of the race over it was now a case of working hard for the last 5
miles, with lots of turns, cobbles, gravel and hills to look forward to as the
course twisted in and out of the city centre. Last year I was caught by the
fastest runners on the Portway (in dreadful, wet conditions) but the start they
gave us was longer this year and I was probably around 10 miles in on one of
the hill climbs when the Kenyan Kipyego finally passed me. At 11 miles in
there's a quite horrendous climb where a couple of other runners finally caught
up, then a nightmare cobble section which rattles the fillings from your teeth.
Probably a good remedy for constipation too I think... I latched on to the
third or forth placed runner for as long as I could to try and pick up the pace
and was really pleased to keep going so well for the last couple of miles,
finishing in a huge pb of 74:44. Sarah came home in 79:12, with Jack managing a
quite excellent 82:38 and Julie hugely under target at around 100 minutes. We
all receive Bristol Blue Glass tropies at the prize giving, along with engraved
medals (to go with the finishers medals), and the goody bag included a T-Shirt
(a decent running one rather than the cotton variety) and Asics bag (great for
wet suits) along with the usual recovery bar, booklets and drink. And just for
good measure I was given a spare T-Shirt for Jane. Next year I'll be in the
new race chair. If I can't take 5 to 10 minutes off that time I'll be
disappointed.
Sunday 4th Sepbember, 2011
Time once again for the
Stert Island Swim! With the legs holding up I started
"crutch free" as it was a high "high tide" so only a few yards to walk to the
sea from the start line. A stiff on shore breeze meant for a bit of swell, and
after the start I found myself towards the back but heading into the middle of
the field, quickly passing the slower swimmers who'd made it into the water
ahead of me. No allocated kayak with me this year, so I regularly sited the
buoys and tried to keep a clean line, trailing other swimmers where possible
and passing them when they started to tire. Heading into the island shore my
shortness meant I could keep swimming well beyond where most others had to
start walking, but about 10 yards off short it was very muddy and slippery and
I had to effectively "crawl" through the mud until another competitor offered
me a hand for the last few yards around the turn on the island. Quickly back
into the swim for the return leg and I cramped up a little so had to take it
easy for five minutes or so. I managed to hold position though and as I neared
the finish realised that my crutches were no where to be seen. Fortunately
Steve Toon was wading in the shallows helping out other swimmers, so gave me a
supporting arm to get up the beach to the finish line. I heard over the tannoy
that my time was good, but I was surprised to see that I'd completed the event
in 42:19, almost six minutes faster than last year, and finished 31st out of 64
to complete the swim.
ResultsReviewVideo
Monday 29th August, 2011
At the race yesterday they mentioned a 5
mile road race over the tannoy. I looked it up on the internet and found it to
be the
Baltonsborough 5 Mile Road Race, which was being held at
the same time as the Baltonsborough Show. So we headed out to Glastonbury and
on to the village. Great weather yet again (this is August bank holiday in
England, where's the rain?) and the race director was quite happy to
accommodate me, setting me off at the front. It was actually quite lonely, as
the runners didn't catch me until the hill climb at around half distance, and
then only three or four came passed. The climb isn't particularly steep, but
it's quite relentless dragging on for some time. The subsequent downhill is
very fast and actually quite scary towards the finish, with a fast right hand
turn requiring serious braking. I repassed all bar the eventual winner on this
section, and completed the event in a time of 28:07. The organisers asked me to
go the the presentation and gave me a bottle of wine for being the first even
wheelchair racer to complete the event. Another one to add to the calendar for
next year.
Sunday 28th August, 2011
Though the rib still hurts in the racing
chair, I put an entry into the
Langport 10K a while ago and it's such a great race I
wanted to give it a go. The "5 minute lead" I was given at the start was
nothing like it, the runners caught me after about eight minutes not far into
the hill climb near the start. I managed to pass most of them on the downhill a
bit later, but a few stayed ahead. Conditions were ideal and despite the
discomfort I still managed a marginal pb, at 34:40 I was 5 seconds faster than
last year. Once again the finishers prize was a towel rather than a T-Shirt.
Which was nice. Next year we need more wheelchairs, the organiser seemed
disappointed that it was just me!
Sunday 21st August, 2011
We all cycled up to Preswold circuit for a
few training laps and to practice transitions. I found this a bit slow to get
going, most of the athletes were hanging around a while before the coaches
finally decided what was happening, but the circuit is a great training
location. I think it would be great to run a handicapped training race here
next year, slower racers heading off first, faster ones behind and the tandems
at the back, 6 laps on the cycles and two laps running/in wheelchairs. Take
note coaches! Did around 24 miles in total on the handcycle and a couple of
miles in the racing chair, which was about as good as I could manage with the
rib still sore. In the afternoon it was down to the pool for another hard
session, around 2.4K in total including numerous 200m sets at near race speed.
Fastest was about 3:14. I think I should be looking at 12:45 pace for a
750...
Saturday 20th August, 2011
Back in Leicester with the GB
Paratriathlon Squad for open water swimming. My rib remains sore but it's a
case of pushing through the pain. Still can't sleep on my left side, which I
take as an indication of how injured/healed something is. Anyway, had a great
swim session, some good fast work and keeping up with a couple of athletes who
usually swim a bit faster. Then in the afternoon it was handcycling in
Loughborough, covering nearly 18 miles including some faster work.
Friday 5th August, 2011
Have been taking it easy all week, very
light training. But last night I went for my usual swim with the tri club. This
morning I can barely breath. The pain is excruciating, similar to when I broke
a rib (and in the same area!) so though it's a huge disappointment I've had to
tell the organisers I won't make it to Hyde Park. :0(
Monday 1st August, 2011
A bit of a disaster today. It started
well, handcycling up to Wellsprings for a Body Pump Class, great weights, some
of the heaviest I've managed. Then out in the racing chair, starting well but
then something in my rib cage started hurting. The pain grew. And grew.
Eventually, about half way round my route, I was in significant discomfort and
had to pretty much coast home. It may be a torn intercostal, or could be a
recracked rib (I broke one in the same area of the pain a few years ago playing
sledge ice hockey). Hyde Park under a week away. Fingers crossed it heals in
time.
Sunday 26th June, 2011
I read about a charity cycle ride from
Wellington in aid of Cancer Research so went along to offer my support. The
choices were a 100K or 50K route and I selected the latter. In lovely sunny
weather (a bit warm truth be told) a group of about 20 of us set off, and in my
usual way I fired off to the front of all bar the serious riders to show what
someone could do using only their arms. This was a bad move, as a couple of
miles in I mysteriously found myself on a muddy traffic free lane instead of
the relatively busy main road, with no idea how I got there. It transpired that
despite wearing sun glasses, I'd been dazzled by the sun at a ninety degree
left hand bend and headed straight on and up a lane, having crossed the
oncoming traffic without realising. I travelled a couple of hundred yards until
it became so rutted with mud that the jolting brought me out of my reverie and
back to the real world. I turned around and headed back to the main road to see
much of the group cycling past. I rejoined at a more sedate pace. The route
took us through Milverton and on towards Taunton, with some great fast
straights and not too many hills after the initial few miles. Then out of
Taunton and up to North Curry and a well earned break at the
Community Coffee Shop at around half distance. It's a fair
hill climb coming out of the village, and then on for a very brief section of
the treacherous A358 (downhill and very fast) before heading back into the
country lanes and the long slog back towards Wellington. The roads had been
painted with colour arrows to ensure we didn't get lost and at about 30 miles
in I was tired and thirsty so stopped for a break and to finish off my drink
supply. I decided I'd better check the map, just to make sure I'd not missed a
turn. To my horror (having just "drunk out" on a hot afternoon), I found I was
still around 7 miles from the finish. Nothing for it but to "crank on" to the
end, crossing the line after three hours of handcycling and gasping for water.
After a few minutes I'd recovered, so decided to tag along with the kids 5K
ride which was about to head out. So by the end of the afternoon my 32 mile
cycle ride had turned into 42 miles, but I was felt pretty good, if a little
tired. The event raised plenty of money for Cancer Research and I'll be keeping
an eye out for this one again next year.
Tuesday 14th June, 2011
As chairman of
Somerset Wheelchair Sports Club it was an honour to
represent the club at a ceremony held at
Taunton School to
receive a cheque for £2000 raised by the students throughout the year.
This will buy us new chairs, basketballs and spares and secures the future of
the club for some time. I'm sure every member would like to thank the students
at the school for selecting us as one of their nominated charities.
Saturday 11th June, 2011
GB Paratriathlon Squad Training Weekend.
We started with an open water swim in Leicester, which included a bit of
distance work but also quite a few sprint starts. Then I had to head to the
track to complete the second of Scotts time trials having been sticking to his
weight training schedule for the last eight weeks. The cycle was well over 20K
as it was on the outside lap of the track in Loughborough and included six warm
up laps plus numerous blood lettings. Likewise the wheelchair session, also in
the outside lane. My cycle was around five minutes faster than two months ago,
though I faded badly in the wheelchair, fatigue setting in and my seating
position made my right hip ache chronically. Still, I was still a bit faster
than last time.
Thursday 9th June, 2011
The casual reader probably won't know that
both myself and my wife Jane are level 2 kayak coaches. The BCU is changing the
coaching system to comply with SportsCoachUK standards, which means you either
have to update your qualifications, or leave them as they are and have no
opportunity to progress without starting again at a later date. So four of us
from Taunton Canoe Club attended a day long Level 2 Transfer Course today. The
amount of paperwork you need to complete before going for your assessment is
simply mind blowing. The course was useful and imformative though.
Sunday 5th June, 2011
Race Day! Big early breakfast then headed
to the event. Was dithering a bit at the start and didn't realise my wave was
almost ready to go, so only had about 2 minutes to warm up in the water. And it
was cold. I mean really cold. For a June triathlon anyway. The air temperature
was about 10 degrees. So off we went, swim went well I thought, and I exited
the water just ahead of Haseeb this time. Job done. Swim time 13:29, which was
ok. Onto the cycle and kept it going at a steady pace despite the cold, the
light drizzle and the strong side wind for pretty much the whole circuit. Was
pleased with a 49:36 for a 23K in those conditions. Into the chair, no sign of
Alan so had a relatively easy first lap. Coming past transition into the second
lap, Alan was exiting just ahead of me, so trailed him for a while whilst we
had a chat about the event, life, the universe, etc. When we hit the hilly
section I took over the work expecting him to draft but his lack of training
(due to commitments, kids, coursework, etc) showed and I dropped him on the
first climb. I completed the chair route in 26:20, probably 9 minutes slower
than a "typical" 5K but with the route, wind, rain, hills, irregular tarmac and
other runners getting in the way I felt it was still a satisfactory
performance. So job done, another win and another GB series win wrapped up
too...
Saturday 4th June, 2011
On up to Ashington in Northumberland and
headed to the race circuit. The wheelchair circuit looked quite a challenge,
lots of turns, climbs, narrow sections, dodgy tarmac and even some bollards.
Did a quick circuit with Alan before realising we'd gone round the wrong way,
so did another for good measure. Then this very helpful chap said he'd come
round the bike circuit with me. It's long! 23K and lots of very poor tarmac and
a fair amount of hills. Not a circuit for the carbon wheels, and the weather
forecast is looking a bit naff too.
Friday 3rd June, 2011
I decided to enter the QE2 triathlon in
Northumberland. It's the second of three events in the GB series and I can wrap
up a series win with a decent result there, regardless of what happens at Hyde
Park. But it's a heck of a drive from the South West so it was decided the
journey should be broken up. I drove to Rotherham and stayed at a pleasant new
hotel on the outskirts, had the gym all to myself and then did a few miles in
the racing chair on the local cycle lanes
Thursday 2nd June, 2011
And today a new pb on my 9.9 mile cycle
route. It's a bit hilly, and there are several turns, a couple of stops, and of
course traffic, but I've been using it to try and gauge any overall
improvement. It will also be useful long term, so next year I can see where I
was at various points during 2011. Anyway, what it tells me is that my average
speed on the circuit was 12.71mph in January, had risten to just over 15mph in
March and I was hitting 15.6mph by April. Then in late April I played around
with the seating position and managed to find some "free" speed, getting my
average to over 16.5mph. Improvements were hard to find until May when I hit
16.72mph. Today was 16.8mph, my target of 17mph remains a tad ellusive... Oh,
and I hit a new pb in the racing chair too, so all going well.
Wednesday 1st June, 2011
Back on the normal diet and an immediate
improvement, a minute faster on my cycle route, and, oh wow! a new pb in the
racing chair on my local circuit. My experiment may have note been very
scientific, but at least I know what works for me.
Tuesday 31st May, 2011
I do occassionally like to experiment with
my diet. I know of various athletes that sometimes train on high protein/fat
but low carbs. We've been on this for three days now, so today I decided to see
how it affected my performance. Frankly, it was crap, Average speed over my 9.9
mile circuit a good half a mile and hour slower and worse still over the flat 3
mile sprint section. I was also slower in the racing chair. I feel lethargic
too. Enough of this crap, give me carbs!
Saturday 21st May, 2011
Felt inspired today. Handcycled to the
centre for a bodypump class, then did a four odd mile wheelchair circuit, then
out handcycling again (another 9 miles) and then to the gym. Feeling tired this
evening though, three and a half hours in one day and I'm pushing my
limits.
Thursday 19th May, 2011
Yet another handcycle pb on my usual
circuit, 16.72mph for the ten mile cycle and an average of 17.9mph on the 3
mile flat section.
Saturday 14th May, 2011
It's Race Day! A humungous cooked
breakfast and then off to Holme Pierrpont to meet up with the GB gang. Great to
see everyone. We had a couple of competitors pull out through injury or other
commitments. Then Jane, defending Tri1 lady, managed to get herself into an
argument with the organisers and was told she wouldn't be allowed to race,
which put a dampener on things a bit. Plus the weather was looking none too
promising, the odd light shower but the wind strenghening all the time.
Fortunately the rain held off as we set up the split transition, and double and
trebled checked everything, from tyre pressues to klister on the racing wheels.
Then it was on to the start line, and once again no chance for a decent warm up
before the hooter. Into a reasonable pace, but I was confused by the VI athlete
just ahead of me, who appeared to be Haseeb but of course couldn't be as he
swims much slower than I (it was Haseeb, Turbo Charged and on Nitro
apparently). After the first turn I could see a red cap probably only 20
seconds behind, I assume it must have been Jimmy and was surprised at just how
close he was. Out of the water in a mass of other racers, a decent transition
and onto the handcycle. Flying down the straight with a strong side/tail wind,
but the gusts were causing problems with the carbon wheels, causing me to veer
to the right on a few occassions. At the end of the lake I managed to keep the
speed up until completing the turn, and then the nearly full on wind slammed in
as though the brakes had locked up, 21mph dropped to 15mph in an instant.
Nothing for it but to hunker down and crank like hell. A glace accross the lake
and I spotted a white handcycle, something between a half and one minute
behind. Blimey, that has to be Jimmy and I should be three minutes up at this
point. On to the second lap, some respite with the (mainly) tail wind, another
length of the lake and turning back into the breeze. A further glance across
the lake and, hey, surprise, the gap has opened up a bit. That's encouraging.
The wind is relentless but nearly half way now. Passing Liz on her handcycle as
she stuggles pushing into the teeth of the gale. "Keep it up, good work" I
shout, or tried too through the wind. Third lap, another brief rest, but I can
feel my arms and shoulders tiring. Round the bottom of the lake and into the
wind yet again. Another glance across. Oh heck, I see a white handcycle and
this time it's MUCH closer! Knuckle down and get too it. Forth and final lap,
thankful for the tail wind, but wishing I'd gone with the wire wheels, the
carbons are proving to be very hard work in these conditions. Round the bottom
and back into the head wind. Oh nice, it's started raining. So the last couple
of K into a 20mph head wind and lashing rain, who ordered this? But I can't see
the white handcycle this time. Keep checking the mirrors. Round and into T2.
"Jimmy's pulled out". Shame was my only thought as I climbed into the chair. My
hands were freezing, I could barely get the gloves on as the rain and wind had
caused a big temperature drop. Not sure how far back Alan is, but had to be
three or four minutes I think. so just get round in the chair, nothing risky.
The wheelchair course is rather changed from last year. MUCH harder, lots of
turns, drains, pot holes, insufficient space between the kerb and cones, a
little gravel, some speed bumps and a short but very steep hill. And then we
had to do it all again. So 5.6K (instead of the usual 5K) of challenging
pushing, when your arms are already shot. No one coming up behind, I managed to
pass a few other athletes (including VI Charlotte, having a relatively poor
race, unusual for her) and into the final straight and the push to the finish
line. Gold for the third time in four years, and a satisfying performance in
challenging conditions. Thanks to Scott for my splits, I was nearly three
minutes up on last year at the exit of T2, though the overall time was down
because of the difficult (and much longer) wheelchair race.
Friday 13th May, 2011
Decided to book a hotel rather than camp,
with rain, wind and low temperatures forecast. So we stayed at the Nottingham
Gateway, a bit dated but pleasant enough, and with free internet...
Wednesday 11th May, 2011
Second
Yeovilton
5K road race, and yet another pb, 16:25 and some 39 seconds faster than the
race last August. Very welcome, coming three days ahead of my attempt to defend
my GB Paratriathlon title...
Saturday 7th May, 2011
A day out from training to get updated in
Canoe and Kayak. A group of us completed the Foundation Safety and Rescue
Training, which meant an aweful amount of time upside down in a kayak or
swimming with a canoe, numerous rescues, and a couple of disaster scenarios.
And just to round off the day I completed my 2 Star (I'm 4 Star in a Kayak but
needed 2 Star Open to update my coaching qualifications).
Thursday 5th May, 2011
Still managing around 16.5mph average on
my local handcycle circuit, but on the 3 mile flat section a new pb today,
17.8mph!
Monday 25th April, 2011
The
Easter
Bunny 10K. Run by Yeovil Town Road Running Club the event takes in the 5K
series race route along with an extra loop into local villages, with a few
turns and small hills to add a little spice. Decent weather condition and in
the main a fast flat course meant it had the makings of a new pb, and thus it
proved. I managed the first 5K in 16:52 which was faster than my previous 5K
pb, and the second in 16:37, for a total time of 33:29, some 1:16 faster than
my previous best from Langport last year.
Saturday 23rd April, 2011
The "Go Commando Triathlon". The event was
run at Esporta in Taunton in aid of the charity set up by 40 Commando. It was a
bit too relaxed for me, turning up and getting on with it in your own time. I
managed to borrow some wheelchair rollers and took my turbo along so was able
to complete the sprint distance using both handcycle and racing
wheelchair.
Wednesday 20th April, 2011
Extraordinary! Went out on the same route
to prove to myself yesterday wasn't a fluke, sunspots and all that, and posted
an identical average of 16.52mph in windier conditions.
Tuesday 19th April, 2011
I decided to examine my handcycle seating
position. Many racers seem to crank from a much lower position, so I dropped
the seat down by two or three inches and found I could also lower the cranks a
notch, still keeping my eyeline high enough to be in a legal position. The
trouble was that the cranks were a bit far away and moving them forward put the
chain under significant tension in low gears. I had to head to a local bike
shop (Ian's Cycles) where the guys donated a small length of chain which
allowed me to fix it. Then out on to my usual route. Wow! Immediately showing
an improvement, 0.88mph faster with an average on the fairly hilly circuit of
16.52mph and 17.6mph on the flat 3 mile section I use as a guide to what I
should expect when racing a flat course.
Sunday 17th April, 2011
Some sleep but not a great night, though
the bed was very comfortable. The morning consisted of a ninety minute
handcycle around the Loughborough hills, a tad over 21 miles and not a bad
average (14.72mph) considering the
starts/stops/traffic/horses/breaks/etc. In the afternoon it was off to the
gym for Scott's training session, which was to see just how heavy we could
push, pull or lift for a half a dozen exercises. The training that will be
based on this will last for eight weeks, at the next GB training weekend we get
tested again to see if (or should that be, by how much?) our performances have
improved.
Saturday 16th April, 2011
GB Training weekend at Loughborough. A
reasonably early start before the (almost) three hour drive to the Link Hotel.
The (very sensible) decision was taken to base training from there with the
athletes booking in, though a slight cock-up on the part of the hotel meant the
"special" price negotiated for the night was actually dearer than booking
independantly on line. Still, the rooms were good and we weren't spread across
various locations in and around the city. The hard work started with a couple
of hours in the pool. I did around 3K wearing a wet suit the whole time, and
was particularly pleased to put in a 3:02 200m sprint and the equivalent of
around a 12:30 750m. However, the really hard work was reserved for the
afternoon. Scott Murray had been allocated track time for a study he's running
on how weight training affects the performance of Tri 1 athletes. The session
consisted of numerous lactate tests before and after handcycling and wheelchair
racing, starting with a 2.8K handcycle warm up, then a 23K handcycle race and
finally a 5.8K wheelchair race, all on the University track. The distances were
far longer than the 20K and 5K we had expected as we only had access to lane
eight. And after the lengthy swim session I was already pretty tired. Needless
to say the times set were not particularly impressive.
Wednesday 13th April, 2011
The first
Yeovilton
5K road race of the season. It was damp and a tad drizzly so I was very
glad to have remembered to take Klister along, particularly using the hard
leather Harness racing gloves. My pb from last August at this event was 17:04
so with the damp and a bit of a breeze that was unlikely to be challenged so
early in the season. But have to admit to being reasonably pleased with a
17:15.
Monday 11th April, 2011
I bought an older version of the
Scifit
Pro 1000 in the autumn. However, when I went to pick it up it wasn't
working. We tried everything obvious such as the power lead and fuses, but
couldn't get it to switch on. I bought it anyway (for a knock down price)
thinking I could get it fixed, but the manufacturer wanted something like a
hundred pounds just to take a look. I tried to find someone local but to no
avail. So a couple of weeks ago I dismantled the sides and found what appeared
to be cable fouling, as it started working, though intermittantly. But today it
stopped working again and no matter how much jiggling and kicking I couldn't
get it to switch back on. With closer inspection I could see sparks around the
switch area, so I dismantled it to find the switch mountings had come away from
their PCB. Time to dig out the soldering iron (still working though probably 25
years old) and set to resoldering the switch. It was fiddly, but perseverance
paid off and we're fully functional again.
Sunday 10th April, 2011
I couldn't justify a whole weekend without
training, hence didn't enter the Taunton Wheelchair Tennis Tournament this
year. But after the exertions of yesterday I was asked to step up and play some
doubles today, to take the place of an injured player. We lost both sets, but
4-6, 5-7 was reasonable considering. And it's pleasing to have been able to
support the event in a small way. (I also put in a few miles on the handcycle
too!)
Saturday 09th April, 2010
The
Swimathon. This is the
second year I've entered the event. Last year I had a stinking cold but was
still pleased with 1:48 odd. I was hoping for under 1:40 this time round, and
indeed kicked that one into touch and by some way. My time of 1:32:59 was
better than I could have hoped for. For some reason I'd thought it was 156
lengths (the local pool is 33m) so was very pleased to be told I had two
lengths left when I thought it was further. Finished with a mighty sprint
(well, it felt mighty!) and all this after a body pump class and a 7.5 mile
handcycle. Oh yes, and I also managed a new pb to Blackbrook, 06:55...
Thursday 07th April, 2011
Just another training day, but of note for
me as I managed to set a new pb on my local circuit (which is hilly and with a
couple of "Give Way" junctions). To date I've managed an average of 15.1mph in
2011, today it was 15.64mph and that was having switched back to wire
wheels.
Sunday 03rd April, 2011
Another attempt at the
Taunton
Marathon. It was a bit breezy so my original expectations of a sub 1:45
were to be dashed. The first lap went well enough, a tad over 51 minutes, but
on the second lap I had several near misses with the support motorbike who was
trying to get runners and cars out of the way, and spent most of the downhill
sections coasting and trying to avoid fun runners, pedestrians, dog walkers,
traffic and cones. 1:48:23 was a tad slower than last year, but with the
conditions, obstructions and racing in a recumbent (as opposed to upright last
year) on a particularly hilly course, I shouldn't really complain. It took
little out of me, I went to play wheelchair tennis for an hour and a half in
the evening too.
Sunday 20th March, 2011
Wheelchair Race Training Day at Bath Uni.
Nice weather and a good track (though a tad slow by most accounts). Best I
could managed on 400m was 1:19, totaled 16K for the day and managed to blow out
a tyre. However, highlight of the day was just before the end of a 6.5K pyramid
session, when two laps from completion I managed to run into the back of a near
stationary wheelchair athlete, spinning him from his chair and onto the track.
It was fortunate that I spotted him just before impact, otherwise he could have
been catapaulted into the grandstand. Fortunately he was uninjured and his mum
took it in her stride, as if it were a daily occurence...
Sunday 13th March, 2011
River Axe Canoe Race. I've won this for
the last two years despite racing in a slalom kayak (against some decent
shorter tourers) and this year am well ahead training wise compared to last.
The plan was to get away at the start and then try to stick with whoever was
fastest until the estuary, wash hang them to the bridge and then outsprint to
the finish. Things didn't go to plan. I made a good start, was at the front of
a small group for the first few bends. Then on one particularly tight and
shallow turn caused a mini pile up behind me and I managed to stretch out a
lead of three or four boat lengths. I continued to work hard through the bends
and steadily increased the gap so by the first bridge was probably fifteen
lengths up. By the time I made it to the estuary the breeze was at my back and
the sun shining warmly, the nearest kayak perhaps thirty lengths behind. That's
a lot to make up, even in a tourer which is better on the straight compared to
my slalom kayak. I was pulled in, but had enough of a lead and won by perhaps a
minute. A good start to the racing season, even though it wasn't a
swim/cycle/chair race...
Tuesday 22nd February, 2011
Another track session, 10K with two timed
2K efforts of 7:00 and 7:05, the faster just 15 seconds off my pb from last
summer. February last year I was managing 7:45 and I didn't get down to seven
minutes until May. First lap in 1:22, which is quicker than I was getting in
June 2010. Strength better this year, hopefully if I can avoid further injuries
the fitness will come in time.
Saturday 19th February, 2011
Training day in Yeovil. Most of the usual
suspects were present, though a few absentees. Plenty of laps of the track in
reasonable conditions, when I totted them up at the end I'd managed 20K! Timed
a couple of the 2K stints and managed a 7:14, an improvement on Wednesday so at
least heading in the right direction. Also had a go at the seated javelin for
the first time ever. Can't say I'll ever win anything other than the wooden
spoon though, my arms are too short.
Thursday 17th February, 2011
I was asked to run a couple of sessions to
introduce able students and children to wheelchair basketball. The first was a
SCAT, for sixteen to eighteen year olds, the second at a youth club in Weston
for mixed ages from about ten to fifteen. The SCAT group were very
enthusiastic, attentive and did their best to play by the rules. The Weston
group didn't. A long but ultimately satisfying day.
Wednesday 16th February, 2011
What with three muscle injuries since the
start of the new year it's been four months to the day since getting into the
racing wheelchair. So I headed down to the track at Castle Sports Centre with
not a little trepidation. Starting easy and speeding up after a few warm up
laps, I could see the times were well down on what I was achieving last summer.
A total of 10K with a best 2K of 7:46 wasn't quite so bad though, and at least
faster than I was putting in this time last year at the GB trials. A base on
which to work...
Friday 28th January, 2011
I was invited to give a presentation at
Creech Village Hall on my life and sporting experiences. So I updated the talk
from just over a year ago, shortening it somewhat and including the latest
events. I received plenty of "inspirational" type comments after, and I didn't
see anyone fall asleep or hear any snoring, so a success then.
Tuesday 25th January, 2011
OK, it's my birthday but that doesn't mean
I don't need to train. 2K in the pool at lunchtime was the serious part of the
day, an hour playing full on wheelchair basketball in the evening the fun
part.
Monday 24th January, 2011
First day back training since my latest
injury. Nine and a half miles on the handcycle then an hour in the gym in the
evening. Feeling a bit sore but nothing I can't handle...
Sunday 23rd January, 2011
I was invited to come along to Hillingdon
in West London to assist on a course for Triathlon Coaches wanting to become
involved in Paratriathlon. It was run jointly by the EFDS and the BTF and I ran
three sessions on Tri 1 athletes, mainly concerning kit and transition. They
were a very enthusiastic bunch, ranging from level 1 to level 3 and everyone
seemed to enjoy themselves and left with more knowledge than when they
arrived...
Thursday 13th January, 2011
Oh the damage a sneeze can do. The
intercostal is now almost unbearable, I can hardly breath. That's put me back a
week or two...
Saturday 8th January, 2011
Body Pump in the morning and a 14 mile
handcycle in the afternoon. What with my torn intercostal and arm sore from the
flu jab it's not surprising I'm feeling a little weary. In a highly satisfied
way of course...
Friday 31st December, 2010
First time doing the new Body Pump release
today. To call it hard would not be an understatement. Feel good afterwards
though.
Saturday 25th December, 2010
Exceptionally cold on Christmas Day, but
so bright it felt necessary to get out in the air. Probably the slowest ever
training session, three miles struggling through the snow took about half an
hour...
Monday 20th December, 2010
No chance of getting out on the handcycle.
Forget the racing chair, not a hope. Pretty dodgy even getting to the gym. So
what else is there to do when one feels the need to exercise...
Sunday 19th December, 2010
Somerset is pretty much snow bound, our
estate is like an ice rink and the roads are looking pretty dodgy. Was meant to
be heading up to Yate for a wheelchair racing session but not prepared to risk
it.
Tuesday 7th December, 2010
Numbers swelled with a few of the Richard
Huish students coming along to see how we run our sessions, so split everyone
into three teams to ensure all had a taste of the game. Everyone seemed to
enjoy themselves well enough.
Tuesday 30th November, 2010
Ran a two hour session of wheelchair
basketball for students from Richard Huish College to support their foundation
degree. Busy first session with a group of young ladies on a course involved
more on the social side of disability. Then for the second session the sports
group came along, with several of the first group staying on as they were
really enjoying themselves, always a good sign.
Sunday 21st November, 2010
Second day of the course. All went well,
everyone passed. Need to look out for a level 2 course next...
Saturday 20th November, 2010
Level 1 Wheelchair Basketball Coaching
Course at Taunton Vale Sports Club. Our club offered the use of its chairs and
around sixteen people attended. As a level 2 sports coach a lot of the
information was pretty basic, but it was good to get to grips with some
coaching skills aimed specifically at wheelchair basketball. I tried to hold
back a bit as apart from the course delivered I was clearly the most
experienced there. Then one of the trainees said there'd been a comment that it
was a shame I wasn't getting involved much as I was clearly a decent player.
Shackles off!
Sunday 14th Nobember, 2010
Wheelchair racing training at Yeovil.
After my enforced rest because of the broken rib it was never going to be an
easy session back in the chair, and so it proved. Times were spectacularly down
on what I was achieving a couple of months ago, but I still managed 10K.
Thursday 11th November, 2010
It seems a shame to be generating
electricity and then wasting it so I've installed an
OWL
Wireless Electricity Monitor. This unit has a sensor which fits over the
power lead in the electricity meter cabinet and sends a signal to the receiver.
The receiver allows unit rates to be entered and the display provides current
and historic usage in terms of kW, £ cost or Kg of carbon saved. It's
quite fascinating to see the usage rise and fall as gadgets are turned on and
off, it makes you realise just how much energy we waste. For example, the main
lights in the lounge consists of 3 X 60 Watt incandescant bulbs, whereas the
wall lights are 2 X 11 Watt low energy bulbs. The main lights cost a tad over
2p an hour to run, against around a quarter of a penny for the wall lights. To
put that into perspective, leaving the lounge lights on for 4 hours an evening
over the year costs £32 for the 3 older bulbs, or under £4 for the
2 low energy bulbs. Along with the electricity monitor I bought a couple of
sets of remote sockets, to enable all the kit left on standby to be switched
off via a simple remote control. The PC I'm currently working on has a couple
of video monitors, a speaker system and a printer attached which were
previously left on. The remote plug, sold in a pack of four for under a tenner,
will save over £10 a year in standby power. A few more strategically
placed will easily double that. With reduced usage and generating our own
electricity I think we can more than halve our electric bill and thus that part
of our carbon footprint, in the next 12 months. It's cool to be green,
especially when it's good on the wallet...
Tuesday 9th November, 2010
PV installation complete. It's a
particularly dull day so not really generating much power, but to be getting
what feels like free energy (at least after the initial outlay) is decidedly
satisfying. If it wasn't for the
Feed In Tariff it would be prohibitively expensive, but the
tariff per unit of energy created is set at a level making the decision to
invest a relativey easy one.
Monday 8th November, 2010
Today is the start of our 'Green
Adventure'. We decided a month or so ago to have solar panels installed and
with the house covered in scaffold the electricians have been working at it
most of the day, and by late afternoon the 14 panels were fixed to the room
with only the electrics to complete tomorrow.
Saturday 6th November, 2010
It seems extrordinary to me that I should
manage a pb on the rower at the gym, 2:19 average for 30 minutes, when I
typically try to get under 2:23. Perhaps I needed the enforced rest after a
long summer of training and competition. It was very hard work, but extremely
satisfying.
Tuesday 2nd November, 2010
I've managed two more gym sessions which
have been a bit easier, today it was back to giving Wheelchair Basketball a go.
Every push, pass and catch was nearly bringing tears to my eyes. Good to be
back, but glad when it finished.
Wednesday 27th October, 2010
First trip to the gym, and it was rather
painful, managed a few minutes on the rower, cross trainer and cycle before it
became unbearable. At least it's a start.
Saturday 23rd October, 2010
Was meant to be at a training day in
Exeter but with the broken rib it was not going to be feasible. Still, I went
along to the event anyway to meet up with everyone, and also to see if I could
be formally classified. There was an issue though, as I can walk a bit, have
full use of most muscle groups and wasn't fitting into any obvious class. The
classifiers spent a while scratching their heads and trawling through the
regulations before finally finding the appropriate test, leg strength. They
determined that my legs were sufficiently weak compared to an able person, to
rate me as a T54. So finally I've been classified for Athletics...
Thursday 21st October, 2010
The pain has become quite severe, any
doubts or hopes that this is just a bruise have been quashed. A few weeks of
little activity will drive me nuts.
Wednesday 20th October, 2010
A visit to the doctors and then on to
hospital for an X-Ray to try to ascertain the extent of the damage, being an
International Athlete :0) persuaded the NHS to do more than send me home with
Ibuprofen.
Tuesday 19th October, 2010
If you are going to have an accident, the
best time is probably a couple of days after the last training event of the
year... A nice day for a bit of work in the garden, so out with the lopper
and to work on the 25ft high tree in the garden. I was perhaps 80% done when a
particularly stubborn branch had the better of me, when it finally gave way the
end of the lopper slipped and with all the force in it crunched into my third
rib on the left of my chest. Having broken two ribs before I was pretty sure
that this made it three, but after a few minutes the pain subsided so I carried
on to finish off the tree. Give it a couple of days and I'll know for
certain...
Sunday 17th October, 2010
Blimey it's cold! Van frozen solid at 8am,
it was clear that the bike ride would not start when scheduled (at 08:15) so
plenty of time for a "serious" breakfast and a short drive to the meet point. I
suspect we managed to get away for 08:45, which wasn't so bad. I was extremely
glad to have packed my "odds and sods" kit box, in which I found my thinsulate
gloves, since handcycling in 2 degrees would have been pretty unpleasant
without them. The route was reasonable, but with a couple of very challenging
hill climbs for the handcycles, and we had to stop for a horse meaning we lost
the main group and spent a while hanging around for someone to return with
directions. Still, it was a satisfying morning and I managed about 40K in the
two hours out. In the afternoon we had another strength and conditioning
sessions. A bit too much waiting around for me, since I spend plenty of time on
gym kit anyway and would rather be working with weights rather than watching
other people. But I did get to try out a few new pieces of apparatus and gained
a few ideas on how to structure my winter training, which will be primarily
strength based. The rest of the afternoon consisted of athlete interviews in
front of the camera, (including a three take effort when noisy b'stards kept
coming in and spoiling the shoot), chatting to coaches about winter training,
looking at bike maintenance and finishing up with a photo shoot out in the
cold. Overall a very satisfying weekend.
Saturday 16th October, 2010
GB Training Weekend at Loughborough. Good
drive up and there in plenty of time. The place was heaving, lots of new
coaches and a large bunch of people interested in getting into the sport,
including a couple of promising Tri1 men. After intros we headed down to the
track for a session initially indoors working on rollers. I found this dragged
on, there are only so many questions you can ask and watching everyone else
doing what you're about to do (or just done) gets tedious after an hour. It was
none the less a fruitful session, looking at improving technique and trying out
some kit gloves available in the states. Eventually the need to exercise became
irrisistable so I headed out onto the track and managed 6K (15 laps) when no
one was looking... After lunch everyone headed to the pool. I was one of the
first in and by the time the stragglers had arrived was already over 1K into my
session. The coach arrived to work on technique and decided ten 100s off 1:55
was called for. After that a few sprint and easy 50s and by then I could feel a
little fatigue setting in. For the last half hour we all swapped to the other
half of the pool, set up for open water, where we practiced buoy turns,
swimming in groups of two, four, eight and, well pretty much everyone. A
typical free for all... Then it was off to the resteraunt for an energy
refill and a chat, before heading back to the hotel for an early night.
Thursday 7th October, 2010
Great session today with students from
Richard Huish College on
a Foundation Degree in Sports. Several of them are doing a module on Wheelchair
Basketball, so met up with the group and their teacher at Taunton Vale for a
couple of hours coaching and playing. Some good play and quite dramatic
improvements from them over the two hours...
Sunday 3rd October, 2010
It's that time again! Whitewater season has arrived at
last and today was my first trip of the year. Plenty of rain this week too, so
a decent level on the River Exe for an easy trip from Bolham to Tiverton.
Bolham was a portage but everything else was running well, although most fun
was had at the last wave at Walrons Weir near the get out.
Saturday 2nd October, 2010
South West Athletics Squad Day at Yeovil. Plenty of
disabled athletes in attendance and some good training had by all. I did a
brief paratriathlon presentation in the interval.
Sunday 26th September, 2010
Probably the last wheelchair race of the year, the
Taunton 10K. Having set a new pb at Langport last month, I was expecting to go
pretty well, at least compared to last years time. Conditions were very good,
cool, sunny and light breezes. I managed to get to the bottom of South Street
before the first runners eventually caught me, and though a few past me on the
hills I managed to retake most of them on the downhills. A finish time of 35:24
was very satisfying, and 1:49 knocked off last years time. A similar
improvement next year will see me home ahead of all of the runners...
Press
Report
Sunday 19th September, 2010
Royal Windor Swim. This was the first time the event
had been held, and I entered the longer 3.8K distance. An 8am start was a tad
early but at least it wasn't too cold. Started well enough and in a good group
swimming at a decent pace, but after about 1K my goggles started leaking.
Reseating them meant I'd lost touch with the group. I had to stop a further
three or four times, once having to remove and reseat my swim cap and goggles.
I suspect that all cost me a couple of minutes, but a finish of 1:09:36 was a
good result.
Saturday 18th September, 2010
Headed up to Loughborough to collect my kit, some of it
was rank but fortunately I'd asked Jon to get out the wetsuit and gloves to dry
them off. Then went down to Stoke Mandeville to check out an old racing chair
that Ian Thompson had left out for me. It had smaller wheels for me to see how
I could get on with it, though was a bit creaky and slower than my current
chair. Whilst there I spotted a large group of handcyclists, it turned out to
be the UKHA AGM, so I joined them in the afternoon for a 16 mile cycle around
the local countryside. Then down to Windsor for a small B&B, ready for the
race tomorrow.
Monday 13th September, 2010
Home time. Flight delayed again, but as we boarded a
stewardess pointed us in the direction of the extra leg room seats (clearly no
one had wanted to pay for them on this flight). Only taking hand luggage meant
we had no baggage wait on arrival in Luton and were back to the van quite
quickly. But calls to Jon weren't being answered, neither were texts. So the
plan to collect the kit from Loughborough was looking shaky. A couple of phone
calls to the BTF informed us that Jon wasn't back in the UK yet, so assuming
he'd been delayed we headed home. A text received when we'd were just getting
to the M4 asked what time we'd be at Jons. Too late to turn round by then, we
had to carry on home and arrange another time to collect the kit.
Sunday 12th September, 2010
A day of sightseeing, up to the castle and into the
labyrinth, then a bus ride down to Memento Park. Sundhine and no rain. What a
change!
Saturday 11th September, 2010
Race day. Not much sleep, half hours snatched here and
there. Up just after 4am for a hearty breakfast and out to wait for the bus. It
was late getting away, so we arrived at the race site getting on for 6am and
had a bit of a rush to get kitted and to the start line, wth no chance of a
swim warm up. Barely light when the hooter sounded, and 85 of us made of an
interesting start with a few collisions until we started to spread out. In
hindsight, I took it too easy and should have pushed harder, I know I'm only
slightly slower than Faye who did a 13:21, I came out in 14:16 but stayed with
her for the first 300m before easing off. Still, T1 went well, I didn't have
the sports chair so used crutches and Jane did well, getting them to me on
water exit then pulling down the wetsuit zip and removing the goggle and swim
cap as we raced up the grass. Into the handcycle and away, in fourth as it
transpired. Some of the faster cyclist began to reel me in, though I was well
into the second lap before Oz came past, and almost at the end before Jimmy
caught me. Even so, my cycle of 41:20 was a new pb and very satisfying. T2 was
a bit of a disaster, the marshalls insisted we go round a load of bollards
rather than cut across but I became pushed up against a barrier, losing around
10 seconds static waiting the a marshall to move me. Then the route was down
and up the hill in very marshy conditions and I lost my bearings briefly before
getting bogged down. Eventually managing to get to my wheelchair, a friendly
push back out had me just ahead of Jimmy but with the gloves slipping in the
wet. He past me quickly and with the start downhill shot off into the distance.
Fortunately Jane had cadged some of this wheelchair glove substance that helps
them stick and after a minute or two it had spread from the rims to my gloves
and I was getting really good purchase, despite the wet. Eventually we hit a
slight incline and I started working hard to close the gap, pulling it down to
maybe 20 seconds. Then nearing the finish we came to the chain bridge and I
could see Jimmy slowing significantly, another push and I was perhaps 10
seconds behind. The final 100m or so had a 180 degree turn, which meant
stopping the chair and wheeling (something I'm not good at) before a sprint to
the line. My best effort closed the gap to 8 seconds, less time than I was left
stationary by the marshalls in T2, so a good result, and a finish in 7th.
Despite the T2 problems, I was still fastest overall in transition, by 5
seconds over Francesc, who finished third. After the race it was a boat trip
back down the Danube to the start area, and then a complete drenching getting
the kit back to the age groupers hotel in near monsoon conditions. It was great
to finally get back to the apartment and get dry...
Friday 10th September, 2010
Since the Spa took precedence yesterday, we had to head
down to the start area to register and wait for the van to arrive with our kit.
Still raining. Covered the cushions in black bags, hope it helps a bit...
Thursday 9th September, 2010
I think it's time for the ITU to realise that
paratriathlon is a disabled sport. It's great "us" being treated like everyone
else, but come on guys, is it really that difficult to arrange a single time
and place for briefing, registration and kit check in? Well, clearly it is, so
today was half wasted in getting to the briefing, which was at the hotel near
the finish line, which was 5Km away from registration and check in. Still,
afterwards we went to
Széchenyi Spa for a very pleasant time relaxing in
38 degree water. I also managed to fit in another 2K pool session in the large
outdoor pool (at a more modest 28 degrees). And the rain held off whilst we
were there too.
Wednesday 8th September, 2010
Up early for a gym session before heading off to the
airport. No surprise, Wizz-Air (!) flight delayed, though not by much and we
managed to find a pair of seats together once the eager masses had looked after
themselves in their sprint to be first to the aircraft. An uneventful flight
and then it was a case of trying to work out how to buy the right tickets for
public transport, when most Hungarians have little English and we only had one
word of Hungarian! One Bus, two Metros and one Tram journey later and I'd
managed to navigate our way to the
Premium
Apartments. Very decent accommodation if you want self catering, and
although a little way out of the historic city they are close to a tram line
which gets you to the metro in 5 minutes. And oh yes, it's raining. And
forecast to do so until Sunday.
Tuesday 7th September, 2010
Headed up to Loughborough to drop off my kit and then
down to Luton to overnight at a Holiday Inn. Very nice too, only a small pool
but still managed a 2K training swim
Sunday 5th September, 2010
Had quite a hard time at the
Bristol
Half Marathon this morning. Up at half six and was there in good time and
managed to park fairly close to the start. I was allowed into the elite area
which saved queueing for half an hour for the toilets :0) And they set me off 5
minutes ahead of the field, as the only wheelchair athlete. But within the
first few pushes I could tell it would be a slow time. The drizzle was to prove
relentless for the first 12 miles, and the hard Harness gloves were slipping on
the pushrims like skates on ice. On even the slightest incline I had to stick
the thumbs of the gloves into the spokes to get any purchase. The cobbles
though town were rattling and treacherous, and the area around Queens Square
was like pushing through sand. Still, 1:25:56 was only three minutes down on
last year, though well outside my expected target of 1:18 or so. Curse the
rain!
Sunday 29th August, 2010
At body pump class yesterday the instructor Liz
mentioned that she was going light on the weights because of racing today. So I
asked her where and she said the
Langport 10K, an on road race just a few miles from where I
live. So last night I called the organiser, who was very obliging and quite
happy to have me race. So up this morning not so bright and early, and headed
out to Langport for the eleven am start. A big field had entered, they sold out
early in the morning up to the 500 racer limit (so a good job I'd booked in
yesterday) and the organiser said he'd set me off a few minutes ahead to give
me a chance to get up the two fairly steep inclines near the start of the race
befor the field engulfed me. So off I went, the first section fast and flat,
with a cycle outrider to stop me getting squashed by the traffic. The first
runner (starting as it happened less than two minutes behind) past me during
the first climb, with another 20 or so coming past into the second. But then it
was round the corner and pushing close to 20mph on the first downhill, passing
all bar the leader on the way. It was a bit breezy and into a head wind for a
good part of the race, which took the speed off a bit, but I was happy to get
the first 2K out of the way in under eight and a half minutes, and passed the
5K marker at 17:20, quite respectable for me considering the hills. The
remainder of the race wasn't quite as flat as suggested, it undulated with one
or two short sharp inclines, and a few of the faster racers managed to close
down and get past, but it was clearly going to be a fairly fast circuit and the
rain held off. I came across the line in around 34:45 which was two and a half
minutes faster than the Taunton 10K last September, and over a minute and a
half quicker than my track 10K pb from a couple of weeks ago. Good work, and a
really nice towell for all finishers (similar to the Stert Island Swim) made a
nice change from a T-Shirt.
Sunday 22nd August, 2010
It's the British Paratriathlon Championships today.
Camping out probably wasn't a good idea given the weather forecast and
yesterday was very wet, at least this morning it was bright and calm. Another
restless night but I was feeling pretty good after a hearty breakfast and
packed up and headed off to the course early. With problems earlier in the year
at Rother Valley, the event had been moved to Nottingham. Our wave was due to
head off 5 minutes after the main female wave, which was only about 80 odd
racers, so we wouldn't have the issues faced at London. Transition was split so
the handcycle was placed close to the swim exit, the racing wheelchair slightly
further down the course. Setting up in transition and getting kitted up, I
realised I was missing my swimming cap. Fortunately a replacement was quickly
found, and we headed into the water to find the lake extremely weedy. The start
is on the far side, so a useful warm up to get to the start line. Off at the
hooter, only the odd minor collision as we all settled down. I did find the
weed a real slog and had to stop at one point to remove it from my head and
goggles. Some of the visually impaired athletes faired worse though, dragging
large clumps on their tethers... The swim time was a bit on the slow side, some
questions over the distance, but more likely it was just the weed. Transition,
despite being short, was a bit slower than I'd have liked as I was a bit tardy
getting the wet suit off, but on to the handcycle and out on to the course at
over 20mph with a tail wind. Round the turn and reality hit home as the speedo
dropped dramatically and it was an effort to keep it in the 14-15mph range.
Getting on for half a lap in and I could see Alan (who to be fair was
recovering from illness) on the other side of the lake, so a lead of five or so
minutes, was a good start. After a couple more laps, and with the arms tiring,
my speed into the head wind was dropping, struggling to make 14mph, but clealy
Alan had the same problem and was dropping very slightly further behind. It was
the third lap in and just about to lap Jane that I realised I was cycling with
my road flag on the back. OK, it won't have caused a huge drag, but could have
made a difference if it had been a close run thing. Into T2 and I was well
ahead, so took it a little easier with a break for fluids and then pushed hard
in the racing chair with the wind behind. Round the turn and into a headwind,
it was hard going but baring a catastrophy this would be a pb by a significant
margin. And so it transpired, 1:17:26 obliterated my previous best, and the run
(which was about 200m short I think) of 17:15 was particularly satisfying.
Those twice a week sessions down the track had finally paid off. So very
pleased to have regained the British Championship after being runner up last
year.
Thursday 19th August, 2010
Some good coverage of GB Paratriathletes in TRI-News
which arrived today, including
this page on
the European Championships...
Wednesday 11th August, 2010
Yeovilton 5K series race this evening. I managed to get
some other wheelchair racers along, Dan Cook, a fast young lad, with a spanking
chair - probably why he's faster ;0) and Hatti Dingle, who I coach on a
Thursday evening. Conditions were very good, mild, light winds and dry. We set
off together but it was clear Dan's pace was going to be a tad up on my own. He
was in sight for almost all of the race but although my stamina was up to the
task I simply can't move the wheelchair fast enough, partly because my arms
aren't long enough on these 700C wheels. Still, it was good that all three of
us set PBs, Dan at 16:08 (6th), myself at 17:03 (11th), another 18 seconds off
last months time, and Hatti 20:30 (82nd) and way under the 23 minutes I'd hoped
she would do. Unfortunately I won't make it next month as I'll be travelling
to the Paratriathlon World Championships in Budapest...
Saturday 7th August, 2010
Not a great nights' sleep, despite the accommodation, I
rarely sleep very well before a race. Our start was scheduled for 4pm so plenty
of time to rouse, check out, head over to the
Excel Centre and
get registered and racked in transition. Perhaps it's the recession, but I was
surprised at the food prices in the concourse, which seemed quite cheap to me
this year. A good fill of pasta from "The Italian Kitchen" for about a fiver
and I was ready for the start. This year the paratriathletes were starting in a
wave of about 400 competitors, and it was a real free for all at the hooter. I
took a lovely right hook to the side of the head, and kicked as vigorously as I
was able as I passed the guy. A few incidents of having feet clawed by those
just behind and the odd slap and knock before the turn, but after the field had
spread out a bit and there was relatively clear water. I did have a mild point
of panic when someone kicked a footfull of water into my face just as I turned
to breath, but otherwise the swim was uneventful. Exit was good, the handlers
efficient and quick, then off with the wetsuit and into the long transition,
with the lift waiting, no problems. Into T1 and a quick switch into the
handcycle and away. The cycle route seemed more hilly this year, which I think
can be blamed on the switch from an upright to a recumbent handcycle, which is
harder work going up hill and easier down. My decent swim lead was clearly
stretching into the cycle, each passing point I was further ahead of the
competition and started to take it easy on the second lap. Into T2 and I found
my racing chair facing the wrong way, but little delay and off onto a slightly
more challenging run route, complete with some tightish turns, uneven plastic
matting and the steep incline back into the centre. I was assured that as last
year, there would be pushers to get the wheelchairs up these rises, but no sign
when I reached that point, so I struggled up as best I could. At the start of
my second lap Alan came past, but was a lap down. Still, when we came to the
incline again I was a bit miffed to see him getting a push up from a sqaddie
whilst I had to manage on arm power alone. Had we been on the same lap I'd
probably have not taken it so well! On to the finish, and over the line in
1:27:28, first Tri 1 Paratriathlete and placed 252nd out of the 1433 starters,
Which was nice!
Friday 6th August, 2010
Headed over to London for tomorrows race. Last year I
stayed at the Custom House, which was OK if a little basic, but this year their
prices were much higher and I couldn't find anywhere close and in the "budget"
category. But for the price of a room at the Custom House I managed to book in
to the Docklands
Radisson Edwardian. A rather pleasant place to stay, if I
do say so.
Sunday 24th July, 2010
Hyde Park World Invitational Paratriathlon Competition.
We had a few drop outs, which was a little disappointing. There were thus four
of us fighting for three medals. My main competitor was Francesc, who beat me
in the Euros three weeks ago. The choice was simple, accept he was unbeatable,
or try and get so far ahead in the swim that he would have trouble catching me.
The difficulty with the second option was two fold. He's a decent swimmer, and
it was a short distance (400m). Anyway, I did my best, worked really hard and
came out reasonably ahead, at least until T1, when my wetsuit didn't want to
come off, my trainers didn't want to go on and my lead leached away rather
rapidly. Still, the other guys were well behind so it was a case of trying to
work hard and consolidate second. Not so easy, for some reason the handcycling
seem laborious, it just didn't seem to want to move with any speed. It was a
real slog, but I completed the two laps in a modest time, and appeared to still
be reasonably ahead of third. Into the wheelchair fairly quickly and away,
nearly crashing when I hit a bollard just out of transition with a ponderous
Spannish competitor ignoring my requests for him to move over. The wheelchair
discipline went well though, and I finished a full minute ahead of the time I
posted in the same competition last year. So second it was, better than I'd
hoped and quite respectable. It also maintains the record of having always been
placed in the top 2 in any paratriathlon competition I've entered to date.
Sunday 18th July, 2010
Stiffer than stiffy mcstiff after all night on a
stiffathon. And not in a good way. The swim actually helped, perhaps it was the
cold(ish) water, but I felt better afterwards. 48:08 was ok. Web review
here.
Saturday 17th July, 2010
Good training since getting back from Ireland, 6
Handcycle sessions, 3 swimming sessions, 2 wheelchair training sessions plus
various classes and other sports events. However, may have overdone it today
spending six hours on a platform cutting the top off a row of leylandii.
Feeling pretty rough after that, and have the Stert Island Sea Swim
tomorrow...
Monday 5th July, 2010
Though feeling a little tired after the long journey
home yesterday, I decided to hit the pool and see how my energy levels were
doing. As it happens they were doing just fine, 1500m in 26 minutes which is
probably a pb, though that was with a pull buoy. 2K in the pool and around 28K
on the handcycle was a decent return to training...
Saturday 3rd July, 2010
Race Day. I can hardly believe I slept for
seven straight hours last night, four or five is normal just before a race.
Down to transition in plenty of time, but as usual something was forgotten,
this time it was resetting my cycle and wheelchair computers. Still, into the
river for the swim warm up to find the leg strap they'd given us was falling
off. Tightened that up and it felt secure enough, at least I wasn't needing to
use the section of inner tube I practice with in open water. Into the water for
the start, a bit off fisticuffs at the off and into a moderate pace, nothing
too stressful. First half went by and then I noticed my main competitor just to
my left, time to pick up the pace. On to the finish with no problems, feeling
fresh and fit, then the long slog on the sports chair into transition up a
steep carpeted hill. What a nightmare, four and a half minutes for T1 was as
good as it was going to get. Onto the handcycle and out into the gentle rolling
roads, unfortunately with a head wind all the way out to the turn. Barely a
mile and a half gone before the gold medal sped past, no way was I going to
catch Francesc baring an accident, puncture or other mechanical failure. Still,
minor medals to race for. No one else had caught me by the turn and I was well
on the way back with tail winds and a good speed before Rafael went past
heading to the turn, around 3 minutes behind, with Alan another minute and a
half further behind. A good fast return cycle and neither of them had caught
me, a quicker transition and into the wheelchair for two and a half winding and
very hilly laps on a narrow street course. Heading to the finish line for the
first time, I passed Francesc coming the other way, so he was a few minutes
ahead and no chance of being caught. It was all about trying to stay in second.
On to the second lap and Rafael was behind and no doubt closing, but Alan still
perhaps four minutes down so not a worry. No sign of anyone for the last
section and I finished with a clear margin over third, finding out after that
Rafael had caught Francesc and crossed the line with him, not realising that he
was a lap down. Rejoining the course cost him dearly, no doubt to the delight
of Alan who raced past to take the bronze.
A very enjoyable race and a decent outcome.
1st
Francesc Sola Garcia
1:24:14
2nd
David Cooke
1:28:22
3rd
Alan Rayment
1:33:24
4th
Rafael Lopez Ordonez
1:35:28
Tuesday 29th June, 2010
I have just completed and passed my last assignment of
the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Sport Coaching. It's been a bit of a slog,
taking 9 months to complete in my spare time, but I should shortly be receiving
my certificate which tells the world I'm a bona fide and qualified
coach...
Wednesday 9th June, 2010
At bodypump class last Saturday, the instructor Liz
mentioned the Yeovilton race series, run once a month through the summer. So I
contacted the organiser, who had no objection to a wheelchair athlete
attending. 5Km on as close to a completely flat course as you could imagine,
with a field of 150+, marshalls at all turns and all on road. This must be just
about the perfect event for to use as a training exercise for a paratriathlon.
They started me a minute ahead of the field, to ensure I didn't run anyone
down, and it was a few minutes before the really fast guys started passing. I
managed to get home well under my 19 minute target, in 18:32, with only 7 or 8
of the able guys passing me. Pleased with the time, considering the damp
conditions. I'll be back...
Sunday 6th June, 2010
It was supposed to be the British Championships today,
but as that's been postponed until August I decided to enter the British Heart
Foundation Somerset Levels Bike Ride. It started well enough, the first 14 or
15 miles being flat and fast, despite a bit of wind and some moderate showers.
But when I reached the hills the energy levels had run low and the next 12
miles was quite gruelling. 2 hours for the 27 mile route was a bit slow and I
headed home feeling a little weary. To cheer myself up I hit the road again in
the evening, for a quick six miler in under 24 minutes...
Sunday 30th May, 2010
Met up with some of the folks from Somerset RC Tri Club
on the beach at Lyme Regis for a sea swim. Blimey, I couldn't believe how cold
the water was, most of the group were wearing two swim caps to try and stop
their heads from exploding. Managed a good session though, a couple of K I
would think, in 50 minutes.
Monday 24th May, 2010
Apart from being a bit tired due to not sleeping very
well Saturday, I've come through the weekend relatively unscathed. I didn't
fancy a gym session this evening though, so decided to go for a short handcycle
on my usual route through to Ham and back, to test the new seating position.
Wow! 8 miles in 29:34 and that included stopping at junctions and turns. That's
averaging over 1mph faster than yesterday. Hope for me yet...
Sunday 23rd May, 2010
7am breakfast and down to the lake by 8am for an open
water swim. It was a bit weedy but very pleasant in the early morning sun. Then
it was out on the handcycle for a 12.75 road course, with a coupld of quite
serious hills. Average 15mph which was ok, but my head was taking a battering
from the headrest so I spent a while making some adjustments afterwards to try
and make the new handcycle more comfortable. In the afternoon we had a
Sports Psychology session (bottom line - positive mental attitude = winner,
negative mental attitude = also ran) before heading to the gym for another
strength and conditioning session to round up the weekend.
Saturday 22nd May, 2010
GB Paratriathlon Training Weekend, Loughborough. We met
at the race track in Leicester for some 400m time trials. 8Km in total,
including 15 laps at an average of around 1:31 or so was reasonable going, for
me. Then to the pool, 2400m, with two 400m timed swims at race pace. Slower
than last month, I did a 6:53 with wetsuit and legs bound, and a 6:49 unbound.
But I felt I had a bit of an epiphany. Swimming without using my legs was
slower, but required far less energy. I was able to put in 100m in about 1:40,
implying 6:40 for a 400 (though it would be more like 7:00 over the longer
distance). If I can manage a 750m in 13 minutes I'll be very satisfied and
finish the swim much less exhausted. So perhaps the ITU rule change saying I
must swim with my legs bound will have a benefit after all. In the evening
it was back to Malory Park for about 7 miles of handcycling, then a 2 mile time
trial in the racing chair, by which time we were getting pretty tired.
Friday 7th May, 2010
It's here! The new handcycle has finally arrived. It's
a
Top End Force R and I've had to buy it because of the rule
changes imposed by the ITU for international competition from 2010. The main
one affecting handcycles states that all riders must be in a "recumbent"
position with a backrest angle between 30 and 45 degrees, which wasn't possible
in the XLT Gold I've been using for 6 years. Big thanks must go to one of my
sponsors, 218Strand. Without
their donation I would not have been able to buy this and therefore would have
been unable to race in any international competitions this year.
Sunday 2nd May, 2010
The Great West Run This event takes wheelchair entries but
states that the course is not very wheelchair friendly. Having not entered
before and always looking for events to try and improve my wheelchair
performance I decided to give it a go. One of only two entrants brave enough to
face the hills (and the other was in a day chair!) it wasn't looking promising
before the start, the rain coming down and wind picking up. So sitting near the
start line with wearing a rain jacket and close to shivering was probably not
ideal preparation. They gave me a cyclist outrider, since it would be two laps,
the second passing hundreds of fun runners on the way. Off at a reasonable pace
round the stadium (you have to put on a show for the spectators) before out and
along a fast downhill, with the odd scary skid in the wet. Then onto a hilly
section and back round past the stadium before heading out on the long slog up
the big hill. Hard work and no let up for what felt like a good mile, but was
probably a bit less. Down the other side was better, a good chance to rest
before a town loop and then heading back up the other side. Then had to do it
all again for a second lap, only this time weaving in and out of the fun
runners and plodders, some of whom didn't appreciate my comment that this was
the Great West "Run", and not the Great West "Stroll" or "Walk"! Time ticking
away, I did as well as I could in the conditions, getting to the finish in
1:30:32, just outside my hour and a half target. The event was marred a bit
though. I was sitting in my van eating lunch afterwards, when the Asics (a well
known sponsor) marquee decided it wasn't tethered properly and lifted into the
air before crashing down onto my vehicle, badly scratching the paintwork on
several panels. To add insult to injury, the Asics staff appeared to deny all
responsibility, claiming it was a freak gust of wind. Sure. See you in court
guys. Well, I'll leave it to the insurers to sort out, for now. So would I
recommend this event to wheelchair athletes? Well, yes. It's a hard event, all
hills and with lots of other competitors to slow you down on the second lap.
But it's a good work out, well organised and with great crowds in a good
location for anyone living in the South West. Only next time, I'll park well
away from the Asics marquee...
Monday 26th April, 2010
After the exertions of the weekend I took it easy today
with a 2K swim in the pool at a good steady pace.
Sunday 25th April, 2010
Up at half six, breakfast (full English and the
trimmings) at seven before getting ready to head out for a handcycle around the
hills at eight. Or would have been eight if Jimmy had turned up on time. Still,
it was a good cycle, out in the hills around Loughborough, with one scary
moment skidding out on a corner of a fast downhill. An hour or so out, and
about 13.5 miles covered. Then back to the track for some indoor wheelchair
work, though I seemed to be the only one that could be bothered to take my
chair in. Some interesting class room stuff on nutrition (filling in a few
blanks from the course I did last year) and then a review of the swimming
videos from yesterday. Some work to do on improving technique I
think! Finally a Stength and Conditioning session, not really anything new
to me apart from the 'rolling' since it's all covered in gym work and
bodypump/yoga classes. Great way to spend a weekend, next one in four weeks
time...
Saturday 24th April, 2010
Up to Loughborough for the GB Paratriathlon Squad
Weekend. First active session was the swim, probably overdid the warm up with
1Km plus 300m of drills before the 400m time trial. Was slow, 7:18 I think and
couldn't decide if this was due to a) coming off a bad cold, b) a very large
lunch, c) too much of a warm up or d) not wearing a wet suit. On to the video
session, 200m or so being filmed from all angles. Then I went for another go at
the 400m, this time with my wet suit. What a difference, 6:35, 43s faster.
Session spoilt a tad when my goggles went missing at the end. In the late
afternoon we headed out to Mallory Park for some drills and training on the
handcycles, followed by a 4 lap (8km) time trial. Still awaiting the results,
but on that circuit with 1 hefty hill I was faster than Jimmy, but slower than
Alan, though to be fair Alan does have a heck of a new handcycle. Evening
meal (healthy option all round) with the squad before an early night at the
Charnwood Lodge
ready for tomorrow. Full credit to the staff there, breakfast 8am to 9am for
guest on a weekend, for us they will be getting up to sort us out early...
Saturday 17th April, 2010
Woke up with a stinker of a cold this morning (at 2am).
Dragged myself along to bodypump and then took it easy for the rest of the
morning and into the afternoon, heading down to the pool for half four for the
Swimathon. It was the
first time I'd done a 5Km and despite the cold was satisfied with my pace,
finishing in 1:48:36. A few more
sponsors would be good though, all in aid of a worth cause,
Marie Curie Cancer
Care
Monday 12th April, 2010
I should probably be resting, but felt fine so went for
a 10Km handcycle and then a 1Km swim at the pool. Good stuff.
Sunday 11th April, 2010
The Taunton Marathon. Yesterday was perfect, mild, sunny,
virtually no wind. Though it probably wasn't the best preparation for a
marathon to go to a Body Pump class and then handcycle for 45 minutes. Not a
great sleep last night either. Still, this morning, all looked good, apart from
the wind picking up a tad. A good entry for the event this year, 1700 or so
the organisers said. As usual they started me off first, and I had the lonely
first lap to look forward to, with just a few spectators to cheer me on for
most of the way round. I set off at a decent pace into a head wind through the
town, but heading out into the countryside was a pleasant surprise, with the
wind almost directly behind. Consequently mile times were coming well inside 4
minutes, at least until the hills, starting at Bradford-on-Tone. Then it was on
to the main road and up the 'killer', Rumwell Hill. Get rid of that and my
first lap would have been closer to 45 minutes, rather than the 51 and a half
it took me. Still, very pleased with that, a PB for the distance by a couple of
minutes. On to the second lap, some numpty in a car tried to take me out at
traffic lights and received several punches to his bumper in reward. It was
another 20 minutes before I started passing the back markers. I could feel (and
see) the speed dropping off a tad as my arms tired, but the pace was still
decent. And then I hit the bulk of the runners. And cars. And cars trying to
pass runners. Quite frustrating having to hit the brakes on each fast downhill
to avoid mowing down other competitors. And then on to Rumwell again. Slower
this time, but strangely euphoric. And then the last couple of miles, mostly
downhill (and with brakes) to the finish. Original target of 2 hours was
never going to be a problem. But the real target of 1:50 (decent on such a
hilly course) was easily beaten, 1:48:04 and 8 minutes off my pb from
2007.
Thursday 1st April, 2010
Had a visit from Jonathon Riall today, the National
Paratriathlon Programme Manager at the BTF. He's getting round to everyone on
the GB squad to discuss our aspirations and schedules for the coming season.
Two particulary important pieces of news were that the ITU aren't budging on
the rule changes this year, and the British Championships have been moved to
late August in Nottingham. The rule changes (see my post, 26th February)
mean that I now HAVE to buy a new handcycle for the current year, at least if I
want to compete in any international events, such as Hyde Park and the
Europeans. And moving the British Championships to August makes it a very
busy summer!
Sunday 28th March, 2010
Wheelchair Race Training Day with UKA. Generally these
things happen miles away so it was refreshing to have one on my doorstep, using
the race track at Castle Sports Centre. The day consisted of a couple of hour
and a half long sessions with anything from 100m sprints to 1600m spells at
race pace. A 15 year old keen racer called Dan was present with a very nice new
Bromakin chair with tri-spoke carbon wheels. Needless to say he was a tad
faster, about 10 seconds a lap. But I did my best to give him some competition
and plenty of encouragement. He doesn't yet have that winning instinct, tending
to slow down when finding himself in the lead, but it will come with age no
doubt. I probably managed about 13K overall, but very close to the end of
the last session gave both biceps a severe knock on a 100m sprint. Desperate
for a new chair now, this one just hurts too much, but until I hear from
WheelAppeal I can't move on... Oh yes, just to round off the day, 90 minutes
playing wheelchair tennis. Tommorow? Rest day.
Saturday 27th March, 2010
Tennis camp in Swindon. A good day, with plenty of
coaching from the likes of Jyant Mistry. I thought this was better than the
last I attended (which was in Nottingham), as they mixed the groups up
regularly and everyone received some instruction from all of the coaches
present. Two minor negatives, too many calories in the lunch (I know I didn't
have to eat it all!) and six hours in a chair was hard on my legs. But overall
very positive including learning a new back hand and some adjustments to stroke
play.
Sunday 21st March, 2010
Today was meant to be a canoe polo competition at
Millfield. We duly turned up (the whole team on time for once) to be told that
the pool had been double booked and we weren't going to be playing. So it was
back home and out with the hand cycle for a hilly and windy 21 miles around and
about Taunton, and then off for 90 minutes of wheelchair tennis at Blackbrook.
So what might have been a disappointing day turned out rather well.
Friday 12th March, 2010
Had a comment back from Oz Sanchez today via facebook
regarding the TRI 1 ITU rule changes in which he states that "past regulations
will remain in effect until next year." This changes everything, since it give
me this year competing without the need for a new handcycle until 2011.
Awaiting confirmation from the BTF, who will no doubt be awaiting the same from
the ITU...
Sunday 7th March, 2010
River Axe Race today. Last year I lead much of the way
to be passed by arch rival Mike at the estuary, wash hang in into the finish
then outsprint him to win when his faster but slower turning kayak overshot the
finish turn. It didn't look likely to happen again this year, especially with
his son also racing, in an equally fast boat. A good start with a couple of
others in the mix from the off, but soon the three of us opened up some clear
water. A bit of swapping around lead, I was ahead whenever it went shallow and
for the turns, but did some good wash hanging of the back of Mike too. By the
'half way' bridge I was leading by a couple of lengths and held it through
perhaps half of the estuary, until Mikes son powered by in his hot rod. I
managed to hang on to his wash, with Mike three or four lengths behind shouting
instructions to his son every few seconds. Eventually with 200 yards to go he
yelled at him to "go, as fast as you can" and the effort of trying to keep up
nearly did me in. I was getting further and further to the back of his wash,
and as kayak racers know, once off it you're paddling uphill, with little
chance of getting back on. But then his arms gave out and I was back on his
wash. We came in under the bridge for the turn, to find marshalls waving at us
to go left of the pontoon, which I did. Mikes son didn't though, he went right,
which would have meant a longer run up the bank to hand in the tag. Tash was
there waiting with my crutches and I jump out, hobbled up and claimed my
victory. It transpired that my competitors legs were shot, he really struggled
to get out of his kayak. Mike came in third. So a hard earned, and perhaps just
about deserved victory on the back of a tenacious effort.
Saturday 27th February, 2010
I really can't say why it's taken so long, but today I
went out and bought a cycle trainer. I took my hand cycle along to ensure that
it would fit without adaptations and it did. So now, whenever I feel the need
for exercise and training, I can head out to the garage whatever the weather
and knock out a few miles, using the same muscles as I would when racing for
real. This probably means more time in the garage and less in the gym, but we
all have to make sacrifices for our sport...
Friday 26th February, 2010
Everything ticks along as usual and then once in a
while along comes a bombshell. Today it was the turn of the ITU to turn my
world upside down. In their limited wisdom and without consultation (at least,
not with the athletes I've spoken to anyway) they decided to change the TRI 1
rules, the bottom line is we now need to swim with our legs bound together and
cycle using "recumbent" hand cycles. Now I can see the reasons behind this, the
kneeler hand cycles are blindingly fast, the rest of us have no hope of keeping
up. But it seems to me to be a daft idea that where the classification system
is at fault in racing recumbents against kneelers, the solution agreed upon is
to ban the latter, rather than separate out the classes. The swim thing is just
plain ridiculous and a health and safety nightmare, particularly for weed
filled swims such as the Bedford Triathlon. And from a personal perspective it
means I have to learn to swim in a new way to that which I have for the last 40
years. Ridiculous.
Friday 19th February, 2010
Disabled Sports Day at Castle School. I was asked to
assist but ended up running the wheelchair basketball session for the first
half of the day, introducing about 20 disabled youngsters to the sport. Then
headed out to the track in the afternoon to offer some guidance on wheelchair
racing and encourage a bit of effort from a couple of first timers. What an
enjoyable day.
Tuesday 8th February, 2010
Heard today that I'm officially on the GB Squad for
Paratriathlon for 2010. Great news.
Sunday 7th February, 2010
A pleasant trip down the River Exe today. Water level
was quite good, better than expected up around a foot and a half, a bit chilly
though. I've found that my new camera needs better software than the free stuff
to convert the videos
Thursday 28th January, 2010
Headed down to the track with my racing chair and after
a bit of training donned my coaching hat to help train a young lad, Adam.
Almost immediately had him moving fasters in his chair, up from walking pace to
fast joggin pace. More to come I think.
Saturday 23rd January, 2010
Selection day for the British Paratriathlon Squad.
Hardly any traffic on the drive up so there well early. Intros and talk, then
individual interviews, a wheelchair time trial, a swim time trial and then
home. All went well, did a decent 12:23 for the 3K and 6:41 for the 400m swim.
Then did another 200m in 3:37 without the wetsuit as a comparison. My 400m was
a 3:11 and 3:30 split, so my conclusion is that there is virtually no
difference to my overall speed with or without the wetsuit.
Sunday 17th January, 2010
Polo Tournament at Millfield. As I was the only
'proper' team player to turn up at the last event we had to enter a scratch
team and so were put into the lower half of the league for the rest of the
season (no surprise there though). Today was tough. Played 5, lost 3, drawn 2
and at the bottom of the league on goal difference. However, the two teams we
drew against we could easily have beaten, so can get forth if we can beat at
least one of them next time. Frustrating day, although I scored a blinder, I
missed two sitters, but also managed to save two certain goals.
Monday 11th January, 2010
Late evening whilst heading for bed we heard the usual
altercation outside. Assuming it was our cat Humphrey fighting one of the
neighbors cats we looked out of the window, the intent to shout or bang on the
window to distract them. But it wasn't Humphrey, it was a fox doing its best to
get round the back of Clyde, the neighbours cat. His little sister, Bonnie, had
been attacked by an unknown predator a couple of nights before, and it now
appears that the fox was back to finish her off, with her brother doing his
best to defend her. And himself. Jane went out and managed to just about scare
the fox off and then let the neighbour know so she could keep her cats in
overnight.
A check on the internet suggests fox attacks on cats during
our cold spell, are becoming more common. I picked up this little gem from a
web site: Stephen Harris, a professor of environmental science at Bristol
University, said, however, that increasing fox attacks on domestic cats was an
"urban myth". Well Mr Harris, I think you need to do a little more
research on that...
Wednesday 06th January, 2010
Well the weather men predicted snow overnight, and snow
there was. It looks set for a while, but of course is only really 'useable' for
a day or so. So we set to it as quickly as practicable...
Sunday 3rd January, 2010
Cold spell expected so this may be the last chance for
a paddle for a couple of weeks. Small group again, as the more adventurous
decided to paddle the Upper Dart, whilst us with sense went on the Loop. The
level wasn't quite as low as I'd expected, and Pete loaned me some Pogies
(palmless mitts are now on order) to prevent me throwing a tantrum. Oh lordy,
another video, but a sedate soundtrack this time to reflect the
group!
Friday 1st January 2010
It's obligatory to have a New Years Day paddle, so
despite zero degrees we headed for the lower Barle, from Dulverton down to
Exebridge. Extremely glad to borrow some palmless mitts from Chris for half an
hour, otherwise I'd have been in extreme discomfort. Nice warm coffee in the
Anchor after...
Sunday 27th December, 2009
Just four of us turned out for a cold and wintry paddle
on the River Exe. Low water but still fun, and yet another video...
Saturday 26th December, 2009
Nothing like a 10K to blow away the Christmas cobwebs,
so I thought I'd give the
Stoke Stampede a
go The weather has been very cold and icy, but today the sun shone. I'd not
done this before so contacted the organiser beforehand to check that he was
happy for a wheelchair racer to enter, and that the course was ok for a chair.
"Yes", it was all on the roads, and "there's one small hill". Bollocks. It was
seriously hilly, all up and down, 2-3mph on the steeper sections. And the road
was covered in mud and cow poo. Along with the odd puddle. Perhaps the hardest
10K I've ever tried, and it took 47 minutes, 10 more than the Taunton 10K in
September.
Sunday 13th December, 2009
Where's the rain? Well, we had a good autumn, now it's
drying out and the levels are dropping, some good paddling still to be had
though. Today we took a trip down the Dart, the level was a tad low and the
water exceptionally chilly. Not a day to roll, so of course I had to. Three
times. Though to be fair each was following a pop-out. And it goes without
saying, another video!
Monday 7th December, 2009
Ah, the joy of the gym. It's been a while and I've
missed you...
Sunday 29th November, 2009
The rain has been falling, the rivers are up and it was
looking very good for a paddle today. We decided to head for the River Exe,
since we had a couple of novice paddlers and the Dart would likely be running
rather high. The Exe was flowing well, but not in spate. After the get in we
had a quick portage of Bolham and then rather uneventful down to Salmon Ponds.
This was running quite high with a pleasant wave across the full width, plenty
of time to practice surfing and, for the better paddlers, spins. Then on to
Tiverton 1, again a good level and a great place for a play. Finally to
Tiverton 2, where the level was spot on for a perfectly clean and reasonably
big surfing wave. The only downside was the flow was too high to get on it from
below, it needed a portage and dropping in from up stream. Still, another great
trip and with three of us filming at various times I had enough footage for a
decent video...
Sunday 22nd November, 2009
There was a fatality on the Upper Dart yesterday. An
experienced and well respected canoeist that became pinned on a tree. It's a
reminder that white water is to be respected and taken seriously. Today was a
pleasant paddle on the middle Dart, more commonly called the loop. The water
level was fairly high, but not dangerously so. It was an eventful day. We had a
few swimmers in our group and in rescuing a boat and paddle I became
temporarily separated from the rest. Not wanting to get bored whilst they
caught me up, I found a nice little play spot and went for a few pop-outs. Good
fun until the inevitable, and for some reason I found it inordinately difficult
to roll up. Two and a half attempts later I was breathing again, and much
relieved that the extreme embarrassment of a swim had been avoided this time
round. Later, at the third of triple, I tried to avoid a lady paddler playing
in the hole at the bottom who was so concentrating on her moves she'd failed to
see me. The resultant capsize was highly fortuitous, since my plunge into the
hole upside down meant she surfed safely across my upturned boat putting
neither of us in any danger. The hefty crack on the top of my helmet as I hit
the bottom did no lasting damage, and an easy roll on exiting the play wave
left no one any the worse for wear. The only real issue of the day was Neil,
one of our repeat swimmers, who decided to portage triple and then went AWOL,
not a good thing to do. He'd made his way to the get out without informing
anyone. Very naughty. Roll on next week.
Friday 20th November, 2009
Way back in August I won the third event in the British
Paratriathlon Series (TRI 3 class) meaning I was the series winner. Yet none of
the class winners ever received any acknowledgement or reward. Today, the BTF
have put the results on to their
website...
Friday 20th November, 2009
What appeared to be junk mail was sitting on my desk.
When I opened it, it was from the
Somerset
Community Foundation, informing me that the application I put in for a
Grass Roots Grant on behalf of
Somerset Wheelchair Sports Club has been approved!. This is
great news, as it funds us through 2010 and should keep the club financial
secure for the next couple of years.
Tuesday 17th November, 2009
I've just had an email from Jonathon Riall from British
Triathlon informing me that I've been invited to trial for the GB Paratriathlon
Squad for the 2010 season.
Sunday 15th November, 2009
Yesterday was blowing a gale and the rain was lashing
down, not a great day for a paddle. Today, it's bright, sunny, mild and with
plenty of water, perfect conditions for the Pete Collins Memorial Race and
Tour. The day didn't start so well though as when I arrived early at the
clubhouse I found the boat I'd planned to race in, a Perception Mirage, had
been taken by someone else. So it was the backup option of a junior dancer. A
very decent turnout at Tarr Steps meant we had 20 people racing (up from about
8 last year) and a competitive field in both adults and junior classes. A
decent start had me in forth position after the steps, and a good water level
kept things relatively rock free. The problem was the boat, a junior dancer
being on the short side and hard work to keep the pace up. I was passed by a
couple of the junior in longer boats, though managed to overtake John about
half way down. The eventual winner, Clive, was paddling my missing Mirage, but
I was pleased to hang on for third spot (though to be fair, it was really 5th
as two juniors were ahead of me).
Sunday 8th November, 2009
Plenty of rain in the run up to our trip on the Dart
today. Mild, pleasant and the water level nicely up over the slab, what more
could we ask for. Great day on the water, my playboating skills may not amount
to much, but I can hold it together reasonably well when surfing the playwaves,
and did some highly acceptable pop-outs on the wave below the Washing Machine.
Was pretty tired at tennis in the evening, but all in all, a near perfect
Sunday.
Sunday 1st November, 2009
Now that's more like it! This week we pottered on down
the River Barle from Tarr Steps to Dulverton. And a near perfect water level
after a few days of rain. Who needs training when you can have this much
fun?
Sunday 25th October, 2009
A fairly quiet month, but once again the whitewater
season is upon us. What joy to be back on the water (with
Taunton Canoe
Club), even if it was a trip on the Exe from Bolham to Bickleigh in fairly
low water. Mild and (mostly) sunny and a decent spot of playing. What more
could I ask for? Well, another foot on the river level for a start...
Saturday 17th October, 2009
When I agreed to do a talk on my life and in
particular, sporting experiences, I had no idea just how long it would take to
prepare. I've probably spent ten or twelve hours writing presentation slides,
but felt I reached a decent mix of factual information and humour. About 16
people for the talk, which wasn't as bad a turn out as I feared and I managed
to raise a modest sum for the
Wheelchair Sports Club. The talk went well, drinks and home
made cakes afterwards. People were surprised that it was my first such event,
which suggests I came across as rather more confident than I felt.
Sunday 27th September, 2009
It was the
Taunton 10K today.
My aim to finally beat 40 minutes in this unfitting wheelchair was realised,
and, though I say so myself, in some style. I came home in 18th place overall,
in 37:33. When I finally get round to buying a new chair I hope to improve that
significantly. The winners time was 34:24, so another three or so minutes
faster will be next years' target.
Friday 25th September, 2009
No sooner is one course completed, than the next
begins. I'm now enrolled on
Essential Sports Coaching Skills which, assuming that I
pass, will lead to an NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Sports Coaching
Thursday 24th September, 2009
Back in March I came across an on line training web
site called vision2learn. This offers a variety of free home study
courses, and although the course I wanted to enrol on (Sports Coaching) was
being rewritten, I decided to enhance my coaching knowledge by signing up to
Healthy Living. I completed this in July, and have today received my NCFE
Level 2 Certificate in Nutrition & Health
Sunday 20th September, 2009
Blimey. This is a bit of a red letter day. Thanks to
Hattie Dingle for her hard work in getting me my first independant sponsor!
218 Strand is a venue
for lawyers and they've made a significant contribution towards the cost of a
new racing wheelchair. Despite my success this year, my current chair has been
letting me down. I bought it a few years ago and although in very good
condition it was second hand. The seat is too narrow and the wheels too big, so
I get bruised ribs and can't pull through the way serious wheelchair racers do.
The wheelchair discipline is where other racers usually start to catch me in
triathlon races, and despite some hard training the kit has been limiting my
progress. There are only so many bruised ribs I can put up with. So towards the
end of this year I'll be putting an order in for a replacement.
Saturday 19th September, 2009
Oxfam cycle ride today. We took the van down to
Tiverton early on, then at 11am I headed off to the Oxfam shop in Taunton to
meet up with the other cyclists, many of whom had started at Bridgwater. The
route was via back lanes to Wellington and a stop for lunch, before heading on
via further lanes and then along the Grand Western Canal to Tiverton, finishing
at the shop mid afternoon. The pace was slower than I'd usually train at but
still, it was an enjoyable three hours to cover the 30 miles. There were a few
sore backsides in the group, no such problems on a handcycle though. Nice bunch
of peopleSome details of the event
here.
Thursday 10th September, 2009
I recently tried an experiment. The hand wash in the
cloak room was getting very low, so I topped it up to a third full with water.
A few days later it was almost out again, and having failed to buy a new one I
topped it up a second time. Interestingly, the hand washing capability after
this second dillution was all but non existant, it was barely better than
rinsing your hands in warm water. Now had I continued with this experiment and
topped it up a few hundred times over a couple of years, it would still be far
more concentrated than the equivalent content of a Homeopathic Medicine. I now
know why I have zero belief in
Homeopathic...
Sunday 6th September, 2009
A bit disappointing to find only one other wheelchair
competitor for the
Bristol
Half Marathon. He'd completed one recently in 1:25 and was looking for
1:20, whilst my target was 1:30 so it looked like a one horse race. We started
very evenly, my light weight meant I was away at the start, he passed me after
perhaps 50m, then I worked hard and passed him. He tucked in behind and then
came passed again. We swapped positions a few more times until we came to the
basin and the steep incline. I was thankful for my light weight and good power
to weight ratio as I was much more able to keep going up the hill and opened up
a small gap. This stayed fairly consistant on the flat and downhill sections
but opened up a little more on each ascent. By the time we hit the turn a bit
over 5 miles in I was getting on for a minute ahead. I didn't see him after
that, but kept up a modest pace and finished in a very surprising 1:21:50, with
my competitor at 1:25:25, though he did confess to overrunning on the turn and
losing a minute tangled up with the cones. Great presentation along with a
small 'on camera' interview, and the nicest trophy I've ever had, a Bristol
Blue Glass Jug. Marvelous. I raised Money for Clic Sargent, I can be sponsored
here. Though a little weary, today was the first day
back at Wheelchair Tennis after the summer break, so went along for about and
hour and a half. Stuggling with sore tendons in my racket arm though...
Friday 4th September, 2009
Weather has been quite poor, so not so much training,
and it's harder to motivate myself with the triathlon season over. Still,
managed a couple of sessions on the handcycle, on the wheelchair and in the
pool, plus playing Canoe
Polo at Wellington so it's not like I'm sitting around doing naff all.
Bristol Half Marathon on Sunday, and very much hoping I can beat 1:30, which
would qualify me for the London Marathon.
Sunday 23rd August, 2009
It's been a fairly lazy week. About 3km in the pool,
10km on the track in the chair and just a single 16m handcycle. The good news
is my chair times are still improving, hitting an average of around 11:20 for a
3km now, which is probably 3 minutes off a 10km time compared to a few weeks
ago. Oh for a racing chair that fits! Some great kayaking this week too, a
blinding game of canoe polo at Wellington on Friday night and then 2-3ft of
clean and green surf at Westward Ho! this afternoon. Then eight of us pile into
the karts where I gave them all a good thrashing. Contentment.
Saturday 15th August, 2009
Race Day at Hyde Park for the
Dextro Energy ITU Paratriathlon! Long old briefing, but at
least we were given our new racing kit. Though a pain to have paid £70
for one already (which was needed when we raced in Holland in July). Still, no
complaints, the BTF has funded the whole weekend except for travel/parking.
Super sprint so decided NOT to go for a wet suit. Consequently after the warm
up and the long wait around I was ABSOLUTELY FRIGGIN' FREEZING! Fantastic
introduced entry to the waterside, each competitor named and with their
achievements listed. Not long a wait in the water before the off, and then swim
like feck for 300m. Out of the water second (just) behind Oz and well fast in
transition so leading briefly on the handcycle. He's the Olympic Champion in
that though, and five minutes in he came flying past. Managed to keep the gap
open over Jimmy and another quick transition into the wheelchair for one quick
and fairly flat 3.5km lap. Very pleased to come in second, and three minutes
ahead of Rafael who was third, beating Jimmy into forth by a few seconds
following his minor disaster on T2. What an event, one to remember for quite
some time...
Friday 14th August, 2009
Off to London for tomorrows race. Excellent drive, was
the quickest we've had into London. Easy to get to Imperial College, but then
the problems started. No where to park. And no help from the college or BTF
staff. Was sent to several places, including a local underground car park which
wouldn't be open over the weekend, and an NCP park about a mile and a half
away. And this is a Paratriathlon race, don't these people understand that we
are all disabled? Eventually managed to find a garage close by, £28 a
night but needs must.
Thursday 13th August, 2009
A brief stint in the chair to the local bike shop. The
problem was a couple of loose spoke, nothing to worry about. In the evening we
headed down the river to help out with one of the Taunton Canoe Club open
sessions. Dozens of kids splashing about on the river for 90 minutes. Then down
the pool for the weekly session with the Tri club.
Tuesday 11th August, 2009
Today was a good training day. A modest pace 12 mile
handcycle in the afternoon, then down the track for 10km in the wheelchair
(including knocking out a 3km in 11:15, which was good, for me) and finally
into the pool for a 1km swim. One of the wheels on the chair is rubbing the
frame, will need to get that sorted.
Sunday 9th August, 2009
Weymouth Sea Swim. Too early a start really, up before 7 to
drive to Weymouth. Outrageous parking charge, £5 for 4 hours and no
concessions. Big crowd for the start, something like 500 people. Started out of
the way of the main field, who generally legged it into the water when the
5-4-3-2-1-Hooter countdown hit 2. Was soon into space and being dragged along
by an unsuspecting lady, until my swimming cap came off. Around half an hour I
think, ok for a mile across the bay, and a top 20 exit. Afterwards met up
with Dave from Bournemouth for a spot of handcycling. Tried taking him around
the hills of Weymouth but he was struggling, so we headed off for a few miles
around the outskirts of the town.
Wedenesday 5th August, 2009
Another punishing handcycle, 7.7 miles in just over 30
minutes, a good time considering it was around town including stops, lights,
turns, etc.
Tuesday 4th August, 2009
Good training day. 40 lengths of the local pool (1320m)
at a good fast pace. Then down the track with Taunton AC in the evening where I
punished myself with 3 X 3km sessions, 12:15, 12:00 and 12:10, which was fairly
consistant. The super sprint event in just under a fortnight will include a
3.5km push, hence the schedule.
Sunday 2nd August, 2009
A tad tired today, so just an hour and a half of
wheelchair tennis this evening to loosen up the muscles.
Saturday 1st August, 2009
The London Triathlon! Dreadful nights sleep again, about 3
hours and was awake most of the night. A hearty breakfast at half six before
back to bed for another hour. Running on adrenalin from then until the race
start. Great swim, out of the water in second place and well ahead of the other
Tri 3 competitors. Great transition (I practiced it time and time again in the
transition area) and what a surprise to actually increase my lead in the cycle
(though I didn't know it at the time) by a further minute. The run route was
vastly improved this year with 'pushers' on the steep but very short uphill
sections (into the Excel Centre) and decent long runs. My time of just outside
20 minutes, though frankly rubbish compared to 'serious' wheelchair athletes,
was very good for me and a pb over this distance (and over 5 minutes faster
than I managed at the British Championships in June). Anyway, bottom line was a
great win, over 5 minutes ahead of my nearest competitor, and a series win by a
single point. Feeling pretty ecstatic!
Thursday 30th July, 2009
My last training before race day on Saturday. A 2200
yard effort in the pool, with a photo session beforehand so Tone Leisure can
show off their European Champion :o)
Tuesday 28th July, 2009
Went to the track again for around 6.8k of laps before
it started pelting down and the gloves were slipping on the racing chair push
rims. It looks like about 23 minutes for a modest 5k, although the track is
slower than tarmac. If I can get in sub 24 minutes at London I'll be
pleased.
Saturday 25th July, 2009
A probably overdid it today. A two hour plus, 25 mile
cycle in the morning, then another (easy) 10 miler in the evening. The morning
session included a nightmare ride up Corfe Hill, which is about 25 minutes of
unremitting hell on a handcycle. A constant climb which saps the will to live.
And a descent time of around 3 minutes averaging over 30mph, which when you're
four inches off the road does seem pretty fast.
Friday 24th July, 2009
A blinding game of Canoe Polo at Wellington, fast,
furious, and for once fairly even tempered.
Thursday 23rd July, 2009
Another pool session. 2100 yards with a few lengths
underwater to finish off.
Wednesday 22nd July, 2009
Easy 8 miler on the handcycle today as shoulders still
suffering after yesterday.
Tuesday 21st July, 2009
My first training session with Taunton Athletics Club
on the track at Castle. Decent work, sprinting 400m with short rests. Very
consistant times around 93-95 seconds. Sore shoulders at the end of the
session, which is unusual.
Sunday 19th July, 2009
Bedford Triathlon Race Day. A poor sleep, perhaps 5
hours and up at 5am to breakfast and decamp. Then setting up transition, just
the tyres to pump up and we're ready. Started a little slow in the swim but
soon into a rhythm and caught up with the leaders quickly. Briefly led the
paras before being dropped a tad by the quickest but still managed to come out
second. T1 modest, a longish walk in and cycle out. Slow start on the hand
cycle into the wind and the 'killer' hill at 25 minutes. But after that
positively flying and a good spell averaging 18mph. After the second hill hit
30 on the downhill side. Cycle computer tells me I beat 1hr 40min, an average
of 15mph, which is my target. Wheelchair a bit shaky again, nearly tipped
dropping over a kerb, but took it wide for the second and third laps. Modest
pace but don't think I slowed much. Finished in 3:00:50, first in class. A good
day.
Saturday 18th July, 2009
Carb loading day. Oh the joys of not having to hold
back on what you eat! Still calorie counting, but in order to ensure I hit 3000
rather than trying not to exceed 2000... Registration, then sorting out kit,
loading drinks, attaching numbers, checking and double checking everything.
Very large pasta and chicken dinner then an early night.
Friday 17th July, 2009
In East Anglia visiting family so a very flat cycle
session today, a tad over 16 miles. Fortunately the rain held off
Saturday 11th July, 2009
A good hard session in the gym this morning and then
16.5 miles on the hand cycle in the afternoon. Shame about the rain and strong
winds!
Thursday 9th July, 2009
Down the pool with the Tri group. Cheers and
congratulations all round. Helen pushed us hard as a reward. 2250 yards this
evening as we tailed off a bit towards the end.
Wednesday 8th July, 2009
First training on the hand cycle since the race.
Weather windy so a bit slow, didn't overdo it, about 14 miles in a tad over an
hour. Not long now to Bedford. No rest for the active.
Tuesday 7th July, 2009
After a couple of days rest it's back to the exercise.
Badminton and Basketball this evening.
Sunday 5th July, 2009
Headed off home. Quite a drive back to Calais but
uneventful and quick. Good old Eurotunnel, happy to change my booking from
Monday at no extra charge. Home mid evening, feeling tired but pretty
exultant.
Saturday 4th July, 2009
Presentation time. Nearly late getting there. Amazing
to be awarded medals in front of a crowd and was great to have two GB athletes
first and second. Smiles for the rest of the day. Back at the campsite many of
the other campers came over for congratulations and photos. Nice bunch the
Dutch.
Saturday 4th July, 2009
Race Day! Serious cock up in the swim, following a pair
that were heading in the wrong direction. Was eventually flagged by a safety
boat and rejoined the main group. Cost me a minute or so. Second out of the
water but a small lead after T1. Very hot on the cycle route, the initial 7.5km
was flat and a bit windy. Then into the hills. Exceptionally hard work and ran
out of fluids on the second lap, but managed to beg water from a marshall and
just as well. Realised I still had a decent lead at the end of the second lap.
I put it down to the hills and all that hill training around Taunton. I'll
never curse the hill in to North Curry again. But I know I'm slow in the
wheelchair so had to work hard. Incredibly I managed to maintain a lead, 6
minutes up after T2 was whittled down lap by lap. BUT I WON! Ended up 2 minutes
47 seconds ahead of Jimmy in second, with Rafael from Spain just a further
second behind in third. UNBELIEVABLE!
Friday 3rd July, 2009
Have just registered for the race tomorrow and it's not
looking good. I have to say my expectations are low. There's a guy from Holland
that set a pb of 2:48 recently (my best is 3:05). Another from Spain who the
Dutch guy thinks is faster and who completed an Ironman no less, in around 12
hours. And Jimmy, who is faster on the hand cycle and wheelchair, and who beat
me at the British Championships a month ago. And they all have better
kit. Still, the good news is I'm carb loading and absolutely stuffing
myself. Quite hard to do in the heat, though tomorrow is meant to be
cooler.
Thursday 2nd July, 2009
Headed out to Holten via
Eurotunnel. So quick and easy, frankly I wonder how the
ferry companies survive. Who ordered the hot weather? It's like a furnace out
here, temperature well into the 30s. Tried out most of the cycle route, I
thought the Netherlands were meant to be flat? It's REALLY hilly. Did an
eighteen mile circuit to aclimatise. Frig it's hot.
Tuesday 30th June, 2009
Spent the last few days training hard. Nearly 50 miles
on the hand cycle, plus gym, canoe polo, basketball, tennis, hockey and
badminton. Not all relevant to the race it's true, but all good calorie burning
exercise and a mixture of intensities.
Thursday 25th June, 2009
Pool training with the Tri club. A good hard session,
just what I needed in the run up to the race in just over a week. 2400
yards
Tuesday 23rd June, 2009
Late evening, just back from Wimbledon and en email
waiting telling me that I do now have an entry into the
European Paratriathlon
Championships in just under a fortnight! So camping weekend on hold, cancel
Millfield and start getting ready for a road trip.
Tuesday 23rd June, 2009
A day out at Wimbledon. Centre Court seats no less and
fortunate to watch Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray all win their
first round Matches. Have to say that it was a bit warm in the sunshine though.
Grateful thanks to Ivor for arranging the tickets.
