Sorry my bad!

My bad I've not posted on here for ages - sorry! I will in the next week I promise! Here's a photo taken for 220 magazine in the UK, you like?

A wins a win and the tallest building in the world

A week on and I thought I would let you all know how I got on last week (sorry I know I should have posted earlier, but I've been super busy). Last weeks race when well all thinks considered, a late night before, Ironman China still in my legs etc. The swim was great, by far and a away the best swim I've done. I got the water in 3rd place overall behind Roy Nasr and one other athlete. The bike was hard going as I really found it difficult to push the big gears and therefore I struggled to get distance over Roy and in fact I feel he rode way better than me, both of us coming into T2 together, however he wasn't running and therefore I left transition and I moved into first place. I ran the run in a controlled manner just doing enough to come home 45 seconds over second place.

I was happy to get another win, two out of two sounds good and from that win I should be able get some more interest from sponsors etc. However, I'm not fully happy with my overall race as I struggled in parts I've never struggled ie the bike, but I'm not going to moan too much I've got to put it all in perspective and enjoy it.



This week we also when up the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building....it was amazing, truly amazing. Right, I've got to keep the training going as in two weeks today I've third and final round of the championships, not long now.

Train safe as always,

Ed

Back to training and the 2nd round of the UAE Sprint Championship

We've been back from China for about 3 and a bit weeks now. I'm back in training, enjoying the new programme from the coach with some long runs, 25kmsish, some long rides, with brisk runs, 125kmsish and some hard swim sessions, loving the band.

My body is still struggling in some ways, I've still been getting some nose bleeds, I've an infection in my nose (or a reaction to the dust out here in the desert), my skin is poor (a spotty back) and I've also had another flare up of my cyst again. Ironman really takes it out you especially when you race hard. Every time I race I forget just how much you damage you body, no wonder the pros only race twice or three times a year, some of them only race Kona if they're good enough to.

The training I'm doing is enjoyable, but I have to admit that its been difficult to get back into it when I'm on my own. Challenge Roth (Ironman distance) next in July with the Tour De France to watch, but next Friday is the second round of the UAE Sprint Triathlon Championships. I'm looking forward to racing hard and to see how I've recovered. There's a lot of guys out here who are just about to hit their peak of the season for the Spring Ironman races throughout the world, so it's going to be a hard one. It's a non wetsuit race too, so that always puts a little spice into the race. It'll be fun.

Sarah's Mum and Dad come out on Thursday, so we are looking forward to showing them the sites of Dubai plus it's great to be on holiday as always.

I'll let you all know how I get on Friday.

Happy Easter and train safe.

Ed and Sarah

Ironman China, IV dips, medi tents and home

It's almost been two weeks since Ironman China, we've been home for just about a week and a half. The journey home was a little difficult to say the least, what with extremely sore feet, post race stiffness and the staff of China Southern airlines being a complete pain in the rear (I will never fly with them again, it almost cost us 380 sterling just to get the bike home!). We arrived home at 3.30am, only to be in work at 7am that morning, oh well international Ironman racing was never going to be easy.

The race itself is a funny one really, weather conditions on race day, which were due to be hot and humid. However, on our arrival it was very and windy, not what we was expecting! The hotel was nice, but I was shocked to see how the local people lived. A couple days before race day I headed out on one of my prerace sessions, only to be met with a dead cow on the side of the road with loads of rats feeding of it, now I understand that this happens in all walks of life but this was situated in the garden/paddy field of a family how were working in it, a different world, trust me.

The other side of the coin meant that I had the pleasure of visiting the hotel spa a couple of times for a rub down. It was a slightly different experience that I've had before what with paper pants etc.

The swim course was in a river, it was 4 laps with age grouper setting off 5 at a time with a 5 second interval. It became quite physical, but mostly due to training with tri2aspire on Saturdays I felt I was ready for it. However, I was kicked in the face, pushed under the water and punched by accident a number of times by the other athletes.

I was slightly disappointed with my swim time 1.03, which was down by 7 minutes to what would have been happy with. Into T1 I went where I changed into my gear. Due to the weather improving 40C and with a humidity 84%, completely different to the weather leading up to the weekend, I had to make sure I was suncreamed up and fully hydrated for the bike.

Heading out onto the bike and it was always going to be windy, as the Island Hainan, as there was a strong sea breeze coming in (I even saw one athlete being blown off his bike!). The bike section flew by, as it is the part I most enjoy normally and we also rode through some really cool old Chinese towns and villages, where all the locals where outside supporting us as we rode by. The locals would shout out go fast in the local tougue. I did started to feel the heat toward the end of the bike section and in the back of my mind I really was not looking forward to run, which was going to really hard due to the increased humidity and the heat.

After 5.10 on the bike (which I was over the moon about, beating Justin Granger) I entered T2. Throughout the whole of the bike I had been drinking well, but eating aswell as I'd like, maybe I need to look into this. I really struggle to get solid food down when racing, maybe in the future I need to switch to just gels and maybe ones without a taste as they just get so sweet. I knew heading out onto the run that I was well hydrated, therefore I should be able to put in a good time on the marathon run leg.

However, the temperature was so hot and it was so humid that I really started to struggled, as did many of my fellow athletes, some of whom I saw sitting on the side of the road after pulling out of the race. I started out at 4.30mins/km, but after 2 km I was blowing big style, my heart rate was at 92%! So because of this I pulled it back to 5min/km then 5.30min/km and from then on I kept it at that. However I did also decided to walk the aid stations and then continue for a minute afterwards, just to lower my heart rate which was way too high. The heat got worst as did the race continued. I did not want anymore carbo drink, so instead I switched to flat Coke (beautiful. There was no support on the run course, apart from a stretch in the city and, so because of this in was really easy after 30 odd kms to find it a lot harder than you really were. It was a real mental battle to keep yourself going one foot step at a time to finish the race.

After 10 hours 29 minutes, I finished, I don't remember too much of it, because as soon as I crossed the I collapsed and ended up on a IV dip in the medi tent. After 45 minutes I was back on my feet able to get all belongings etc and celebrate finishing what is meant to be one of the hardest Ironman courses in the world. While I was disappointed with my time (as I wanted to go 45 minutes faster ) I can be happy in the fact that I beat at least 3 full time pros and that I was first home in the British team. Even though I have now raced a number of Ironman throughout the world, it was extremely hard and the most physically demanding and mentally taxing race I have ever done in my life due to the heat and the humidity.

In my bid to qualify for Hawaii I fell short by 10 minutes and, therefore I will not be going this year, which is a huge shame and I was very disappointed. Every cloud has a silver lining and, although I missed out on qualifying for Hawaii, I have two weeks off training then it’s all go for the Challenge Roth in Germany this Summer and hopefully a 9.40 time, which I am very much looking forward to. It also means that next year I can try my hand again at getting to Hawaii, somewhere else in the world, Ironman South Africa has a nice ring to it..........

Take the “IM” from IronMan and it turns the impossible into the possible.

Off to China to chase a dream.......

It's the evening before we leave to go to China and I'm really struggling to come to terms with just how quickie it's rolled about. It feels only a couple of weeks ago Sarah and I appeared here in the desert, met up with Jason down at JBR and I sat on the front of the pack at Ghantoot blowing out of my arse just to stay there in my first session with the team. Here it is in 24 hours we'll be just about to land in China hopefully bike et all!

It seems even more unbelievable that just 5 years ago I was only just considering about doing a triathlon let alone trying to get my then fat arse to Kona, via Ironman China - unbelievable. Fingers crossed all goes well, fingers crossed no hiccups, fingers crossed we get that slot to the world champs.

I'm going to try to update the page while we are in 'hotel' so watch this space and come along for the ride..........

Cheers all,

Ed

Goodbye Cyst, Hello China!

The last week has been a little worrying to be honest. Just before the Golden Tulip Triathlon last week I seemed to have what looked like a spot appear on the right eye brow, this grew and grew and grew, until it looked like something out of Star Wars (I'm sure it was just all my brain power trying to get out!). It turned out to be a cyst - not good, trust me it was very painful. So I popped to docs to get some help and advice, as it was starting to swell around my eyes and nose (I looked like something out of Avatar). I was starting to get really worried reference to the flight out to China and racing too as I also had a headache with it. After some pills and a small op from the doctor i.e. cutting a hole and squeezing all the crap out (cottage cheese) it felt so much better straight away and I have been able to get some sessions in this week while tapering. I think it just came about due to being run down after all the training and then going into taper I just relaxed and ended up with a second head!
We fly out this coming Tuesday and I picked up the visas yesterday – exciting! I just really struggle to believe that we are on our way to China and that we really going. It seemed such a pipe dream a year ago, when we were still living in Somerset, everything seemed so far away. I always wanted to go to places like China as a kid, but I never really thought it would happen. Now all I've got to do is race as hard as I can and qualify for Kona (fingers crossed). I am feeling the pressure a bit a lot of people have really put their faith in me, giving me time off work etc, we have spent a lot of money and Sarah and I have made a lot sacrifices in order to give me this chance, it's a massive opportunity that I do not want to let go by the way side.

I'll try to update the blog while we are in China in the lead up to the event, as I'm taking my laptop and hopefully we will have wifi in the hotel room.

This weekend all I've got left to do is a small ride with group and a steady 'fun' sea swim on Saturday, before coffee and a farewell to the team. Then that's it really, just finish work on the Monday evening and make our way to the airport.

Lastly, good luck to Marc this weekend at Ironman New Zealand, Taipo. Marc and I have done the lion’s share of all our training together and it's his first Ironman race. We'll be thinking of you mate this Saturday and keeping close taps on how you're getting on, you'll do amazingly well I know.

Train safe, race hard.

Ed

Golden Tulip Tri and only two weeks to go.......

There is only two weeks until we race in Ironman China and only a week Tuesday till we fly out to China. Man, we are sooooo excited, not only to be racing an Ironman again, but to travel the see China, well some of it, not long now!

Yesterday, I race out near Abu Dhabi, Ghantoot in the Golden Tulip Sprint Triathlon. There were quite a few guys racing, including a couple of ones from the area who have been here for a while. The distances were a 600m swim, 26km bike and then a 6km run.

The race went well and it was a mass deep water start. I pretty much missed my draft in the swim, so I was on my own for most of it and I came out of the swim in 7th place overall, about a minute down, co I knew my work was set out. My T1 was fast, even through I was wearing a wetsuit.

Out on to the road on the bike and I was quickly hitting over 50kmph and I hit out at 58km! I quickly saw the guys in front and I knew what I had to do to hit the front. However I also knew that the guys coming up from behind were quick, so I really had to push the pace. As I was flying out on the bike I knew that the way back was going to be hard as! Er it was! 35kmph on the way back, ouch, but if it was bad for me it was going to be bad for everyone else!

I hit the turn around in first place and really put the hammer down to get a good lead off the bike, as I knew the guys coming through were strong runners. After the second lap I flew into T2, threw the trainers on and I was quickly out on the run course. After a loads of encouragement from all the team and the guys watching (esp coach and Sarah) I hit the pace hard for the first 2km, but I struggle a little at the turn around aid station. Seeing the other guys chasing me after the turn around I knew I had push the pace so I really kicked it hard and made my way towards the finish.

I crossed the line in first place. The team also scored first female, 2nd female, third female, 4th male and first vet male. It was pretty awesome to be honest, a great day at the office!

Right thats it from me, the next time I blog we'll almost be really to travel to China!

Train safe and well done to the team Tri2aspire!

Ed