I'd like to introduce Bunny, she's a beauty!

Here she is, in all her glory, Bunny. I picked her up this morning from Chantie who had the odd bits and bobs to sort on her. She is such a beauty and I was able to take her out for a spin later on that afternoon and I have to say - oh my life, she's fast! I averaged 26 mph for a sprint distance race I've got coming up. Sponsor logos on and Polar sensors sorted, I'm so looking forward to getting to know her over the coming few days ready for Crewkerne Sprint Tri this weekend and then the European Long Distance Champs in Prague in August.

Cranks, work and resting!?

It's not been this best of weeks since Ironman UK 70.3. It was Sarah's and mine birthday last Thursday, which was pretty pants to be honest as we just worked all day - 16hours! On the Wednesday my nice, new Planet X arrived, however the joy was short lived as it was minus a couple of key parts and the cranks thread was all wrong so it has had to be sent back. I really haven't enjoyed the last week of resting, I did do one run, which felt good, but really the week has been a waster quite simply, because I have been so damn bust with work. I am really looking forward to the move out to Dubai, where I can really put into action my plans to qualify for Kona.

Anyhow, back to the training this week thank goddness.

Ed

Ironman UK 70.3

Just over a week ago I was bedding down in my tent on the campsite at Wimbleball Lake in Exmoor National Park. The reason, to race Ironman UK 70.3. I really was not too sure how I was going to get on, as I don't think that I had really been able to prepare fully or as I would have liked to, not enough biking and brick/open water sessions.

We got to bed after a nice early evening walk with some friends, Matt and Justine, who we were camping with, they were also racing. The day started pretty early to be honest, as some of the race team were making a real noise, waking me up nice and early - too early! Once 4am had hit it was time to get some food inside me. Once I'd had breakie I popped into transition to sort the bike out ready for the off. Drinks on, tires pumped it was time to put the wetsuit on etc.

6am was coming around pretty damn fast and in the blink of an eye it was time to go to transition ready for the off at 6am. However, due to conditions a mist had formed on the lake and it was unsafe to enter the water. After an hour in transition and a couple pees for Matt and I, we wondered down to the lake's edge. I struggled to get into position ready for the start, as there were loads of athletes not moving from the start/finish chute.

Suddenly the gun went off and it was all start. It was quite a rough start to be honest, but I soon got into rhythm. I found some feet and worked hard throughout the swim, I got out thinking I had swam well, but a quick glance at my watch showed me that I had swam for 31 minutes! What? I couldn't believe it, all my hard work this year and I was slower that ever, I was gutted.

Anyhow, I made my way into T1, wetsuit off , bike stuff sorted and out onto the bike. I felt so much happier once I was sat on my saddle. The first hill was hard, but it was welcome and I soon found myself overtaking many who had finished the swim before me. Half way up and I passed a race mate/rival, Alan Ward from North Devon Triathlon Club much quicker than I thought I would. It was a nice confidence booster and from then on I just thought - right, game on, let's race! I rode with a group of riders for about 40 miles and it was only until the last 5 miles when I really opened up on the bike and went for it, breaking many of those who had ridden with me.

I when into T2 not sure how I would feel, but as I passed my race rig across to the helper and got my legs moving, I felt great and I was pleasantly surprised. Grasping my bag, I got my trainers/sun visor on and headed out onto run section for 13.1miles.

To be honest if I had seen Sarah on the first laps I might have given up, but I didn't and by half way into the second lap I was actually feeling quite good. However, I was cramping going onto the flats, but there weren't to many of them to be honest, so I just soldiered on. I finished the run by lapping a friend of mine and out sprinting a fellow racer who had just bared off ready to finish.

Overall it was a great race and I finished 37th overall, 31st male and 19th non-professional out of 1000 athletes. My finish time was 5.06:02 an 11 minute improvement on last year. I am pretty happy to be honest, I was hoping to go under the 5 hour, but if I'm honest my run time was 2 seconds faster than in Clearwater, the flat World Championships. I had qualified again to race there this year, but I turned the slot down, in preparation for Prague/the Europeans and our move to Dubai both in August.

On the whole a good day at the races, now I'm ready for week off training and the delivery of my age group kit and my new race bike - a Planet X Stealth!

Chill for now.

Ed

Not long to go now.

I've got about 3 days to go till race day. I hate tapering, I always feel like I am standing still, not getting better, not getting worst, well actually I do feel like I'll getting worse, but I know in the great scheme of things I have to taper, but it doesn't mean I enjoy it. 

I just want to get on with it now. My race wheel still isn't back from the doctor so I'm pretty much sold on the idea that I'm going to be racing on my training on Sunday, which is a shame, as the same thing happened last year. I'm hoping to go around the 5 hour mark, but I just don't know really. I don't think I have training hard enough at race pace and at the right length of workouts due mainly to time issues from work.

We are going to travel down on Saturday morning get the bags and bike racked then go for wonder around the small expo they have there, have some food and chillax with friends at the camp site. Sarah, Jack and I are looking forward to the break from school, last year we had a great time and it was just superb hanging out with like minded people. 

Then I'll have a week off training, enjoy Sarah's and mine birthday a week today. Then it's back into training for the European Long Distance Champs in Prague in August. I'm not too sure how I feel about training for a long distance event again. It's a lot of hard work and time, but it is worth it? Mmmm yes I think so! 

Anyhoo, one thing I am really looking forward to using my new BLUE SEVENTY HELIX wetsuit which was sent over from the states for me. I got it yesterday, I haven't worn it yet, but I think I will this evening for a quick session in the pool just to get the arms going.

Not long to go now till Sunday 7.00am.......

Cheers 

Ed

I can't get no sleep - Faithless

Well, it's past midnight and I'm really struggling to get any sleep. I'm tired, but for some reason whether it's work on my mind, tapering or whatever I am really struggling to get some sleep, so I thought I'd add an entry into my blog.

A week today I will have raced at Wimbleball in the Ironman UK 70.3 in Exmoor. I'm starting to get quite excited about it now and I'm really looking forward to it. Mainly, I think as it's a good bench mark to see how far I've come (or not) over the past year in my training. This last week has been a little odd, due to the cut in training from tapering, which is probably the reason why I'm not sleeping also. The bike has come back from Ian and it's now not making music from the seat area, however the wheel is still with him and hopefully that'll be sorted over the next day or so, if not then I think I'll just use the training wheels at the weekend.

I have recently been looking at the Planet X bikes - the Stealth Pro in fact. It seems amazing value and I am very tempted to buy one for racing to tell you the truth in Prague at the European Champs in August. I think it would be a great investment, as would another road/sportif bike. Which due to the cost of each of them I could get for the cost of the Felt DA, which I was interested in, so it might make good sense really.

Blue Seventy sent some more stuff through last week and I've been really impressed with the goggles I've been using from them. They are really comfortable and hopefully they should flow the new Helix wetsuit through to me ready for next Sunday. If not then I will have to use the older one, which is no big stress to be honest.

I went on great ride with my mate Paul this morning, out to Glastonbury, we stopped for coffee and then came back. The weather was great, right up until I got home then the heavens opened. I didn't do much for the rest for the day, a couple of reports for school etc all a tad boring to be honest. Well for the rest of the week it's all taper, taper, taper - not much else to be honest, a bit boring. I'm not a great fan of it, ever though I know it has to been done. You go through loads of different feelings when tapering from feeling fat to worrying that you've not done enough training, but then you great up on race morning, feeling great and ready to rumble.

Here's to tapering madness :-$

Enjoy your sleep, I wish I could get some.

Ed  

TOW done, broken spokes and Wimbleball

The Tour of Wessex is in the bag and I really enjoyed taking some time out with my mate Paul. However, it did mean that I was struggling for the rest of the week and on an hours run on the Wednesday, in the first 200m my heart rate was 180 and I just could not breathe for toffee! 

I have to admit I was a tad worried. I did work through it and I came out the other side, thankfully. By the end of the week I was running hard and I bagged another 60 miles with friends, out to Shearwater and back, it was good. I defo felt the tour on the climbs, I felt strong, hitting most of the climbs in the big ring, something the other riders could not do.

However, on the Tuesday I needed to go out and ride an hour, but ping! Yes one of front spokes jumped out of the ring - NO! It meant a long walk home and a phone call to Ian Chard, the bike doctor. I spent an evening in a bad mood and then a ride in car to Ian on the Wednesday for him to sort it for me. 'No worries, it'll be fine' he said - I hope so, I trust him with the life on my bike, but the same thing happened this time last and I ended up riding my training wheels at Wimbleball.

Talking of Wimbleball, it's only a week and a half till my 'B' race of the season. I'm looking forward to it. I was asked to play cricket this evening, but I turned it down. If I picked up an injury, like I did playing Hockey in January for the staff, I'd feel so bad for my sponsors and I just can not justify my action to them. The faith that they have put in me, it just would not be fair to let them down like that.

I'm looking forward to Wimbers, it'll be fun. It's not long now, I'm in a tapering madness, I say.

Train hard, taper softly.

Ed