Hitting the hard stuff

Sarah and I have joined the Aviation Club in Dubai. It's beautiful to be honest, the gym is great loads of free weights and cardio machines. Downstairs there's swimming pool with real lanes, a steam room etc all the toys. It's great to go there after work, put in a big session and then chill and have a nice meal with friends.

I have never had this sort of treatment after training so hopefully it can some way to improving my performances during sessions and more importantly during races. We have joined it with some friends that we've made out here. It's always good to have people around you that you get on with and I believe it's even more important in a strange country.

Training has started well for the season after having some time off to move etc. I'm now concentrating on simply cardio stuff as I mentioned last time and light weight training in prep for last years Ironman China in March 2010, so it's game on, tampon!

Cheers all, peace.

Ed

It's Dubai baby! But it's hot, hot!

We out here in the sand and it's hot! Well, actually it's really hot over 40 everyday! I've been out running a number of times during the day time and it's meant that I'm now getting used to the heat when walking round, but I'll tell you it's hard work the train during it at the moment.

Sarah and I have started the new job and the guys we're working with seem really nice and I'm looking forward to having a good crack with them. The apartment is pretty cool too and we've been really lucky to be placed in one which has two bedrooms, nice. I'm hoping to make contact with a couple of guys reference to racing out here and esp bike training near Nal a Sherba.

It was great to see Gil and Nat last week on their way back to UK from Kenya and we had a wicked time at Wild Wadi. Some of the slides were cool and it was super fun.

All our boxes have arrived last night. It was great to see them again. I gave the bikes a quick over and they seem okay, even if one of the bike boxes have been damaged, so I think I'm going to claim for that. But the new Bike Box Alan stood up fine and I was pleased with it's performance.

It's Wednesday here today and that means that we've only got Thursday left before the weekend. It's going to be odd having a whole weekend off as well as finishing work at 2pm each day as it's Ramadan at the moment. I'm going to post some more pictures etc later on.

Right I've got to get on with some work.

Take care.

Ed

Team GB - Prague ETU Long Distance Triathlon Championships

It's been a funny month. We moved to Grimsby to stay with Sarah's Mum and Dad, then we popped across to Bolton to support some friends at Ironman UK (well done to Justine, Matt, Strewie, Dougie, Steve. Les and Toby) and saw what was possibly the best ever first ever Ironman start by Phil Graves.

Then we fly off to Prague to compete in the ETU Long Distance Champs Team GB, phew and on top of that almost everything we own was shipped out to our life in Dubai by Ian the DHL man! Apart from that it's been a normal month! With only 5 days to the BIG move I've start to appreciate things more than I have ever, time with Jack esp.

The race in Prague was a real eye opener it just goes to show just how looked after we are when we race WTC Ironman distance events. Quite a few of the aid stations ran out of water! The officials weren't really sure of the course that morning (two and a half laps or three?) and as for the ship that that cut through the swim during the race.......it was just not real I tell ya.

Still I was pleased on the whole with the race, but there still is much improvement to be made. My bike was the disappointing aspect this time, as I expected to go much faster. Still I made up for it in the run and while really I should be running faster, it was a hellish hot day (42C), so I was happy with my efforts. But what I was mostly happy with was my position in the team I came 6th out of 67 team members, I was over the moon so you could say that I am the officially the 6th fastest long distance athlete in the country as of this race - nice! I was 53rd overall too out of 390 athletes.

What was also really great was that we met up with so top guys, Andy, Steve, Tom and Donna. Donna I know from where we used to live back in Somerset and with the Wizards, but the other guys were all off tritalk.co.uk. It was great to meet up with them and we got on really well, they are all great guys and hopefully we'll meet up next year for the same event in Spain.

Cheers guys and stay safe over the winter in cold UK. ;-)

Ed

Grimsby, Bolton and Prague

I'm so sorry I haven't posted for awhile, but my access to the 'tinternet' has been limited, because Sarah, Jack and I are staying in Grimsby with my in-laws for a month or so until we make our journey to the Middle East for Dubai for a new life in the sands.

Training has been going well. I've got around 30 hours a week roughly and I've met some nice people in North East Lincolnshire to train with. One of them is doing Ironman UK this weekend in Bolton and his brother is the Double Ironman* on Staurday too - respect! While I'm on Ironman UK, I'm really looking forward to seeing the guys from the Wizards this weekend who are racing in Bolton,as we are going to travel across to give support big style. A big shout goes to Stevie G, Justine and Matt (who's had hamstring difficulties in the last week - fingers crossed for you pal).

It's also not long till I fly over to Prague to race for Team GB. I've got a mixure of nerves and excitment about the whole event, I just don't know what to expect at that level/distance - it'll be fun. Anyhow I'm now in taper for the event so training etc is winding down, then I've got to go and get my new bike box from Rotherham for the trip. I'll keep you posted reference that.

Oh lastly, and more importantly my best mate Gilbert and his wife Natasha are expecting their first Baby in Feb. What can I say but I'm so made up for them, take care guys, all three of you.

Night.

Ed

*Paul came an amazing 2nd overall!!!! A smashing result for a top bloke, just his double tri-weekend to go now this season good luck Paul, stay strong.

Hat trick - Bon Voyage!

A win is a win and considering I've had some time off training, well structured training it was not a bad result. It was also my last race in the UK before our move abroad to Dubai (bye bye to the UK race scene - I've loved every minute) and it was the first that I have used bunny in 'anger'. So scraping the win was a good win. If I sit back and think about it, this time threes years ago I would never have thought that I would win an event, so to put things in perspective I'm super happy to have No. 1 next to my name.

Over the coming weeks we move to Grimsby (with the In-Laws), continue to train and then make our way to Prague to race in the Europeans, so it's going to be a little bust to say the least, hopefully it's going to be straight forward.

Lastly, a huge WELL DONE to James Cunnama, team member of Team TBB and the brother of a friend of mine. He placed 2nd in Ironman Austria on Sunday, a top result for a super guy, who has worked really hard, plus he is young and has a great future in front of him.

Train hard, train safe, as always.

Ed

Crewkerne Sprint Triathlon

Tomorrow, I'm racing again. It's a super sprint, but I am looking forward to it, it'll be nice to use Bunny in anger. However, I've been bitten by a horse fly just above my knee and it bloody hurts! Unbloody believable, typical - fingers crossed it'll be ok!

I am now officially a free man, as I finished work yesterday for the Summer until we move out to Dubai in mid August - bring on the training. I'm really looking forward to getting to grips with my training since it's been hard over the last part of term. We move in a week and half to Grimsby to live Sarah's Mum and Dad for a month or so, so life is going pretty hectic, what with packing etc. Then we've got ETU Long Distance Champs in Prague in early August so life isn't as straight forward I we thought it was going to be.

Train safe.

Ed

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.