I arrived at Race HQ in Talybont on Friday evening after a fairly relaxing drive down the Welsh Borders, a few showers had cleared by the time I got there and it was a beautiful evening. Registered then went to a pub and had tea with a couple of other competitors. I'd arranged to stay at Race HQ and my bed was probably the closest to the start line it will ever get in any race I ever do!

Race day dawned with clear blue skies, not too windy and fairly cool; perfect conditions. A few words from the organizers and a roll call then with the ringing of the cow bell we set off. The first 3 miles was mostly along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal - it was just like being at home training on the Bridgewater! - nice flat running to ease you into the day. This was short lived though as turning away from the canal we started the climb up Tor y Foel gaining 1200ft over the next couple of miles. So out with the trekking poles and 25 minutes later the summit was reached. Poles away and a short descent down the other side to Checkpoint 1. I'd started with two 600ml bottles and still had plenty left so no need to stop here.

Photos of me by Darren Ross. Photos not of me by me.

The next 8 miles to CP2 were reasonably flat and good running, although very wet towards the start running along what could only be described as a stream for a while, always annoying to get the feet wet for the first time but at least when it's done it's done and you can just get on with it. Into some woods the path twisted around the head of a steep valley, very precipitous in parts and if you fancy taking this path I would advise doing it sooner rather than later as it didn't look like it will be attached to the hillside for too much longer! Out of the woods and onto open moorland before a sharp turn back on ourselves for a short road section then a good wide track through some old quarries. Onto the moors again before a couple of miles descending to CP2.

CP2 is at 15 miles and represents the end of the warm up, now things get interesting! The next 6 miles to CP3 are a steady climb right up into the heart of the Brecon Beacons. The lower section was a horrendous slog through wet boggy grass, not very steep but the ground was so soft that even when running progress was frustratingly slow; no need to get the poles out as they would have sunk right up to the handles probably! It was a relief to clear this section and get onto a good rocky path along the edge of the ridge with great views to the Beacons above and the valley below. The halfway mark was passed with about 3:45 on the clock so well ahead of an 8 hour schedule, although I was well aware that most of the hard stuff was still to come. At the top of the ridge (814m) it's a short descent to CP3 at Bwlch Duwvnt, the col underneath Corn Du.

Photos of me by Jon Phillips. Photos not of me by me.

The next 4 miles are just mean! A long quad mangling descent down a good track losing 400m of altitude in a mile and a half to CP4. Half a mile along the road then climb all the way back up to where we had just come from; CP3 and CP5 are one and the same! Fortunately it's then not much further either along or up to the summit of Pen y Fan, the highest point in the Brecons at 886m. Obviously from the highest point there is only one way to go, down. And down and down and down to CP6 in the valley. The initial drop off the summit was very steep but thereafter it was more runnable. Great views Eastwards to Cribyn our next objective but we were going to have to get there the hard way.

A quick top up of water at CP6 then across a couple of fields to the road and the start of the climb up Cribyn; we'd lost 600m of altitude and now had to regain 500m of that. The lower ridge of Cribyn is a steady climb but looming ahead is the incredibly steep upper section. The poles really came into their own here and helped me to haul myself up to the summit. There was a good crowd at the top but no time to hang around with CP7 in sight via a grassy descent to Bwlch y Fan. Another water top up plus replenishing my waist belt pockets with more food made for a slightly leisurely stop but I needed to get a wriggle on if I wanted to get under 8 hours as the clock was ticking and the hard terrain had eaten into my earlier advantage. A last climb bypassing Fan y Big before the poles could be packed away for good. It was still hard running here though, along the path tracking the edge of the Northern Cwms of the Brecons and then cutting off Eastwards across some peat bogs. After longer than I'd hoped we started to head downwards, and down and down and down. My left adductor was really feeling the descents by now and wasn't very happy at all.

Photos of me by Jon Phillips. Photos not of me by me.

At last we came off the hill by Talybont Reservoir just leaving a flat 3 mile run in to the finish. 7:35 on the clock, do-able but I'm going to need to shift a bit. I was also expecting a checkpoint here, I've no idea why as it wasn't marked on the map but I was a bit confused when it didn't appear! Anyway, across the dam and a left turn to head for home. I was running side by side with another chap here - we had traded places a few times from CP7 - and as we ran along a good flat track we could see ahead a fork with one track going down and one going up. We looked at each other and both said "I hope we're going down" but of course when we reached the junction the arrow was pointing to the uphill track - doh! I walked the climb and he continued running and pulled ahead. Over the top and get the running legs back on dropping back down to the canal; 12 minutes left to break 8 hours and a mile left to run - good job! Luckily I didn't relax too much as it was actually 1.3 miles to go, closed out the last section on sub 8 minute mile pace and came home with 75 seconds to spare.

GPS Data | Results

I was pretty shattered when I finished and a few minutes sit down was required before getting on with the standard post race Rego, shower, compression, food, sleep, food. Stretched my legs down to the pub in the evening with a few fellow runners for a couple of pints which was a nice way to end the day.

Just a few closing comments and notes. The course was excellent, well signed and very tough; harder terrain than the Lakeland 50 for my money. You had to be self sufficient on the course other than water and I ended up taking far too much food with me, probably about twice what I actually ate! For the record I consumed half a margarita pizza, 6 assorted muesli bars and 4 gels - so actually not that much really. Shoes were Mizuno Wave Harriers which were great, no blisters and just a bit of rubbing on the top of one of my toes. It was the first time I'd used walking poles in a race, I had super lightweight Mountain King Trail Blaze poles which weigh very little and split into 4 pieces so go easily on the back of a running rucsac. On the uphill walking sections they were great, taking a bit of the strain off the legs and also because it's very hard not to walk purposefully when using poles. I've not really got the hang of running with them yet as they make your arms into much longer pendulums so they come through a lot slower. And it was a bit of a nuisance having to stow then away when done. But overall I think they are a good bit of kit for a race with this amount of steep climbing. Finally, it was the first time I've used my Go-Lite Rush sac in a race and it was fine other than some bruising on my back. I think this was caused by my phone being against the back of the pack which doesn't have any padding down the middle, nothing that a bit of camping mat can't fix.

So that's the end of my Spring running campaign, overall quite successful with good runs at Haworth Hobble, Edale Skyline, London and here, with the just the one DNS at 3 Peaks. I've now got less than 8 weeks to train for the Challenge Roth ironman, I was supposed to start straight after this race but my quads have been so sore I've only been able to swim so far this week! Heading off to the Lakes for the Man Tri training weekend in a minute so hopefully I'll kickstart my bike training there.

"Previously on ER" I was patching myself up after a bit of a tumble in the Edale Skyline. It took 5 trips to Altrincham Minor Injuries clinic before they were happy with the state of my elbow. I also must have torn something in my upper arm as it's been very sore since, and also my calfs were very tight and DOMSed.

So I couldn't run and couldn't swim but I could still ride which was lucky because I'd entered the Buxton Mountain Time Trial on Good Friday - despite not really having done much cycling for the previous 3 months. I last did this race back in 2008 and I remember it being very tough and getting caught in a hail shower! The weather Gods were playing with us again as two days before the race there was a freak heavy snowfall which left many roads in the Peak impassable. Fortunately the sun came out the next day and the roads were clear for the race, albeit with some very impressive alpine-style snowdrifts covering the verges.

Given my lack of cycling miles I was pretty happy with how the race went, although I fell apart at the back end of the last lap! It's a really good course, 3 laps of a triangular circuit that goes up, across then down and is a good all round test.

The remainder of the Easter weekend saw a good (if wet) 3 hour bike ride with the boys on Sunday and then a solid 20 mile run on the Monday. Unfortunately my left calf tightened up during this and over the next week and a half it was tough and go whether I'd be able to run the London Marathon or not. Drastic measures (such as doing the Hope Mini Mountain Marathon entirely at a walk, and I still didn't come last!) were taken and a late fitness test passed on the Thursday, so on Saturday morning I was on the train down to London.

Everyone seemed convinced that it was going to rain on race day, not sure why as the forecasts I'd seen said it was going to be OK. And this turned out to be the case as it was a sunny morning with hardly a cloud in the sky. The "Fast Good For Age" start pen (which puts you at the front of the Red start) was pretty relaxed as the clock counted down to the start at 0945. Met up with Andy and Brian, and we also bumped into Michael H and Chris.

I'd planned to run it at a fast training pace rather than race it but in the early stages it was very hard to slow down as you were swept along by everyone else. This and the fact that the first 3-4 miles is downhill meant I covered the first four miles on close to 3 hour pace, whereas 3:10 was the target. Calmed it down a bit and trotted along nicely, past the Cutty Sark then over Tower Bridge. The crowds were amazing, like nothing else I've ever experienced, lining the entire course 3-4 deep in places plus bands and music - just awesome.

Saw Paul and family (my hosts for Saturday night) just after halfway and the race winner Wilson Kipsang coming back the other way (8 miles ahead!) as I turned away to do the loop round the Isle of Dogs. No matter what pace you run it at a marathon still hurts and past 20 miles the legs tightened up a bit, including my dodgy left calf; to be honest it stayed good much longer than I was expecting. So I was distracted from my sight-seeing during the home stretch and completely missed Big Ben, although I did see Rich in the crowd at 25.5 miles. Crossed the line in 3:07, happy with that and already resolving to make it an A race next year and have a good go at getting that sub-2:50.

This weekend I was supposed to be running the classic 3 Peaks fell race but my calf was sore again after the marathon, and then I came down with a cold anyway so that goes down as a DNS. Next stop is a 40 mile ultra-marathon in the Brecon Beacons in two weeks time, the first step on this year's quest for UTMB qualifying points.

Finally, big up to Brian who ran the Manchester Marathon today (in horrific wet cold windy conditions it has to be said) to make it back-to-back marathon weekends - and he was quicker second time around too!

Back for another crack at the classic Edale Skyline fell race after a less than satisfactory attempt last year (twisted ankle, limped round, slow time etc). This race is very popular and it filled up in about 4 days so I was lucky just to get on the start line. Pre-race most of the talk was about the weather, and in a good way! The forecast was for a warm, sunny, still day and that turned out to be exactly what we got.

It was a very relaxed start to the race with everyone milling around in the field underneath Ringing Roger enjoying the sunshine. After a few words from the Race Director we were off with the usual cavalry charge up the hill towards the zig zags. This lasted about 90 seconds by my watch until it was steep enough to justify walking, I'm not that fast going uphill so was middle of the 330 strong field at this point. It's almost exactly a mile uphill before a scramble over the top of Ringing Roger leads to the edge of the Kinder plateau and it's possible to actually start running.

This section along to Win Hill is good running and the views were spectacular. Over Win Hill summit before the steep descent into the Hope Valley and a drink station where I stopped briefly for a couple of cups of water. Along the road briefly before starting the long, hard slog up Lose Hill, a real killer but at the top a young lad told me I was in 65th position which was better than I'd thought. The line for the descent off Lose Hill had changed since last year sticking to the ridge-line taking quite a techy descent down to Back Tor, definitely a touch slower than the old route through the field. Mam Tor provides another tough climb which goes on a bit and is that tricky gradient where running is hard but it's not _quite_ steep enough to warrant too much walking!

Mam Nick at getting on for 11.5 miles - over half way - provides the second and last drink station and is also where those in the know suggest that the race really starts! That's because the terrain is much harder from this point. My feet had been hurting for a few miles so I stopped for a minute or so to tighten my laces but to be honest it made little difference so I just had to man up and live with a blistered left heel and sore balls of both feet. The going was pretty good over Brown Knoll, not as dry as last year but not too boggy, and I was making decent progress taking a few places. The line they had flagged off Brown Knoll was horrible and I turned my ankle a couple of times, luckily with no lasting consequences, and I was glad to reach the flagstones heading to Jacob's Ladder.

Photos from http://www.dpfr.org.uk/albums/633 and https://picasaweb.google.com/ShaunP050/EdaleSkyline2012

From here it's only about 6 miles to go, but the 6 hardest miles of the race with a lot of rough ground and also a couple of "racing lines" to find to cut off loops in the normal path. For the first of these round the back of the Woolpacks I was lucky enough to catch up with a group of local Dark Peak runners who knew where they were going and I tagged along for the ride - result! So with 4 miles to go and heading for Grindslow Knoll all was going well when - BANG - coming down a moderate descent I must have tripped over a rock and before I knew what was happening I slammed into the rock-covered path taking most of the impact on my left elbow. The Steel City Strider I was following turned and asked if I was OK and I was already back up and running trying to assess the damage, which was a lot of blood from my elbow, a bit from my right hand, but otherwise I seemed to be OK. For the next few minutes I had blood running down my left arm and dripping off my fingers but it did eventually clot up which was a relief.

From the top of Grindslow Knoll the elite have the choice of the "down and up" straight across Grindsbrook Clough, but for the majority it's the long (and it feels even longer than it is) run round, eventually Ringing Roger is clearly in your sights and then just a mile downhill remains back the way we'd started. Not a nice descent really, especially not when you're still a bit stunned from a fall! But finally a lefthand turn takes you back into the field and a grassy run in to the finish line. I finished in 3hrs 23 for 39th place so I had paced it reasonably well and made up 25 places in the back half of the race, even with my little incident (which I don't think made a great deal of difference to be honest).

After a few cups of water and some jelly babies it was down to the stream to wash off some blood and assess the damage, which included a rip to my bumbag in roughly the place where my car keys were, which luckily were still inside (now that would have been a bad way to end the race!). Back at the race HQ the St. John's Ambulance guys did a great job at patching me up and making me look a bit more presentable! They did recommend getting the elbow looked at again though so as soon as I got home it was straight off to Altrincham Minor Injuries clinic to get it cleaned and dressed again, with another trip two days later and I'm back again tomorrow morning. I've also got a big patch of road (fell?) rash on the left side of my chest and my left arm isn't working too well, but is improving slowly.

So two years, two accidents - I might give this race a miss next year!

First race of the year means first blog post of the year. 3 months since the last, and between times there has been one race, the Boxing Day 10k in Poole where I set a new PB but missed out on the sub-36. This year it's back to the ultra distance running as my ankle which caused me a lot of trouble last year is now good enough (although nowhere near perfect) for off-road running again. Unfortunately I missed out in the draw for the 2012 UTMB so I now need to renew my qualification points as all those from 2010 have now expired.

So time to get some solid miles in the legs and the Haworth Hobble seemed like a good starting point, 32 miles over the Pennine Moors starting and finishing in Haworth (famous for the Bronte sisters) taking a triangular route via Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. I was in reasonable shape from a consistent block of running (baring a few calf niggles as usual) and had recced the middle 20 miles of the route two weeks before so knew what I was in for. The weather forecast was OK, although driving across the moors early on race day morning the cloud was down and it was raining. Fortunately the rain mostly stayed away during the race, but the cloud stayed put for the first half.

The race starts at the bottom of the cobbled street through Haworth so immediately heads uphill before easing into a couple of miles on tarmac. I'd started too far back and worked my way up the field before deciding I was going too hard and easing off again. Just after Bronte Bridge I stopped to take off my gilet as despite a strong headwind and the cloud being down it was pretty warm. A steady climb up to the ruined farmhouse of Top Withins (supposed to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heghts) then a long descent off the moor on super-slippery flagstones down to reservoirs and some tarmac to Checkpoint 1 at Widdop Reservoir.

The next section to the Long Causeway follows the Pennine Bridleway so familiar to anyone who has done the relay (first bit of Leg 2, but the other way). Then along the road past the wind-farm which couldn't be seen but made its presence known by the woop-woop-woop noise coming through the mist. A tedious down then up through a nasty boggy field to CP3 at 15 miles, almost halfway. I was running straight through the checkpoints as I was carrying all my food and drink and this allowed me to latch onto the back of a 20 strong "peloton" for the packhorse trail above Todmorden, descending steadily then a steep drop down into the Calder Valley. Across the river and canal then of course it's straight back up the other side first to Mankinholes (via a second muddy field of despair) then on up to Stoodley Pike looming high above on the hillside. Down again into Callis Woods then a traverse round the hillside above Hebden Bridge, with a view of Heptonstall church across the valley. Probably a nice view were it not for knowing that to get there meant dropping 150m down into Hebden before then regaining all that height up the other side. The climb to Heptonstall is the most tedious section of the route, a steep set of steps followed by a tarmac climb, the only relief being provided by a chap manning his own aid station out of his front door giving out drinks and jelly babies (thanks!).

Photo courtesy of runfurther

Down again to the next checkpoint then a long drag of a climb up though Crimsworth Dean where the miles (25 down now) really started to make themselves felt. I'm not that quick going uphill at the best of times - and this was not the best of times! So it was just a case of getting it done with a "run to that rock/tree then have a bit of a walk" strategy. Approaching the final checkpoint at 27 miles my 5 hour target looked touch and go, especially as straight after the CP there was a steep half mile tarmac climb. Fortunately the next section of steady climbing up to Top of Stairs was mostly runnable and going over the top Haworth could be seen, the finish in sight! The next descent was long but rocky and not that quick going before emerging onto the road with just 2 miles to go. A final climb up to Penistone Hill then all downhill to the finish. I caught up a pair ahead when they took a slight wrong turn and we were really pushing the pace down into Haworth. A bit of confusion as when we came out at the church they went left up the cobbled street to then drop down to the finish at the school, which in fairness is the logical route. Whereas I went right down the cobbled street to then have to come back up to the school, this is the described route but is clearly longer and I was probably the only person who went this way! Still, it only cost me a minute and no places and I hit the finish line at 4 hours 59.

Was shattered at the finish but chuffed to hit my target, and later I found out that I had finished in 17th place (well 19th really as there were two pairs ahead of me). So a good start to the year and apart from the usual calf troubles my legs have come round pretty quickly. Next up is the Edale Skyline fell race in a week and a half before a four week gap to the London Marathon and then a week after the 3 Peaks Fell Race at the end of April. Mid-May sees a trip to Wales for the Ultra Brecon 40, a 2-point qualifier for the UTMB. After that I'll probably have to get some tri training in for Challenge Roth in July!

Probably the 2nd hardest part of this race was making the start line at all! Shortly after I entered I aggravated then ankle injury that has been troubling me all year. Straight after the Chester Marathon full focus went onto rehab-ing the ankle (and yes, if I'd done this properly months ago this year may have been very different) and after a few weeks of boring, painful manipulation of the ankle I finally started to get some more side-to-side flexibility. Short sections of cobbles that had me nearly walking over them just before Chester could now be happily tackled full tilt. 2 weeks out I went for a fell run with Harsh round the roughest bit of the Edale Skyline (the section that had caused me a lot of pain during the race itself) and other than going thigh deep into a peat bog I came through this with no problems. Game on!

The Dorset race is the third round of the EnduranceLife Coastal Trail Series and certainly one of the toughest, with 1200m of up and down in the 26 (and a bit) miles. Being a Dorset lad myself I knew most of the route and could also call on the pre- and post-race hospitality of my Mum and Dad (thanks!). Arriving at race HQ early on Saturday morning it was grey, windy and cool. We registered, got kit sorted and then waited in the hall for the briefing and the start. We also saw the start of the Ultra (32 miles) and the slower Marathon runners who all went off about 40 minutes before the main start. Turned out that it was a TT style start with a dib in on the line, so as 9am approached we went out to the start pen to find that it had started drizzling a touch. Wished Viv a good race then made my way into the pen to get a start in the top 20 or so.

After a short steep tarmac climb away from the start a right turn over a stile and onto the Coast Path which we follow for the next 12 miles. The first few miles were mainly distinguished by some very slippery mud which made descending interesting and climbing laborious. I was a bit worried that it would turn out to be a 26 mile XC course! After 2.5 miles predominantly downhill, then the long climb up White Nothe, the fun really starts as the route is relentlessly up and down from here on in to the halfway point. Beautiful scenery but very hard work! The majestic rock archway of Durdle Door hoves into view then a climb and a nasty cobbled descent down to Lulworth Cove and a checkpoint at 7 miles.

I would have chosen to go around the beach in the Cove, but no it was up round the back of it then a horrible descent on steep steps. A short stretch of flat running past the Fossil Forest was a relief before the incredibly steep climb up Bindon Hill; approaching it looks more like a cliff than a hill. Straight down again to Arish Mell, then back up Flowers Barrow, down to Worbarrow Bay then up Gad Cliff. Up down up down I think you are getting the picture.

By this point it has to be said that it had become clear that I had rather underestimated how hard this run would be and I was running about half an hour behind my predicted schedule. I'd also not taken nearly enough food and despite three gels by 12 miles I was starting to feel pretty empty. And after the early rain it had turned into a bright and relatively warm day - so I didn't really have enough water either!

Descent to Tyneham which was 13 miles with 2hrs 15 on the clock and met Mum, Dad and Bella (dog) who had come out to spectate. After a quick chat off again on a long but steady climb up to Povington Hill, a short out and back section here was good to see some other runners with a checkpoint at the end where fortunately there was water and some sweets and shot bloks, so stuffed my face here to make up the calorie deficit and also refilled my water bladder.

The return leg promised to be a bit lighter on the climbs but on the flip side we were now running into the Westerly wind. Approaching Lulworth for the 2nd time I started to feel a bit fatigued, also had the only point on the route where the route choice was a little vague but picked the right (left!) way, down into the village and to the checkpoint. Seemed like rush hour here as after a relatively lonely run from Povington the Marathon route now coincided with the Half Marathon which turned for home at Lulworth. Plenty of overtaking was good for motivation on the next 3 mile section steadily uphill into the wind; head down, counting to one hundred with a rhythm of four steps per count - boring and geeky but gets the hard miles done.

What goes up... because the next three miles were mainly downhill and despite some cramping I managed to pick up the pace all the way to the Smugglers Inn at Osmington Mills this is only a mile from the finish and felt sorry for the Ultra runners who had to turn around and head away again to add an extra 6 mile loop onto their route! Was soon feeling sorry for myself though as it was uphill again on the slippery mud nicely churned up from our earlier passage. Throw in a few stiles to really trigger off the cramps and it was a tough final mile for sure. But eventually onto the tarmac for the final 200m downhill to the finish line.

That was a tough race! I finished with 4hrs 34 on the clock for 10th place, happy with that. The winner Stuart Mills (who won the Lakeland 100 in 2010 and is a quality ultra runner) did 3 hr 47 which shows how tough the route is. Viv finished in an excellent 5 hrs 23 for 5th Lady.

Also my ankle came through unscathed again so it's full steam ahead planning for some more ultra-running fun and games for 2012!

Chester Marathon was the end of season goal for 2011, so after a short break post-Alpe d'Huez I knuckled down to the run training and although I only got in 9 weeks of specific marathon work - about half what I'd want ideally - I felt like I was running pretty well as race day approached. I'd set a 10km PB (36:34) at the Shell Sutton Six race 3 weeks out and 10 days out we did a set of Yasso 800s at the track where I held 2:50s comfortably. However my suspicion was that I was maybe in great shape for a half but not enough miles in the bank for the full distance? Anyway, to maximize my chances I had a fairly aggressive taper in the final week with 4 runs totalling a mere 11 miles (OK, so maybe I was just being lazy!).

Race day alarm went at 6am and to be honest I felt pretty knackered as I'd been up till 11:30pm watching the Kona coverage (and really wished I could have stayed up all night to see it through to the conclusion with the amazing Chrissie Wellington toughing out another win). Breakfast then out the door to drive to Chester, via a pit stop at the Junction 14 services where I bumped into Brian who had had the same idea. As I got into the centre of Chester the roads got completely grid-locked with runners trying to get to the racecourse - yes, gridlock at 8am on a Sunday morning. I think Chester need to sort their traffic flow out! So abandoned the car in a multi-storey instead of the race car park, where I again bumped into Brian (we were really on the same wavelength that morning!) and Stefan and we wandered down to the race HQ which was happily only about 5 minutes away.

On entering the racecourse we noticed a chap coming out of a building with a very smug grin (on the chap, not the building) - yes, he had found the luxury queueless toilets and we didn't need a second invitation! We wandered over to the start line and you could have been forgiven for thinking the race wasn't for another few hours as it was incredibly calm, not the usual melee you get at big races. After 24 hours of rain the day before the forecast weather window had come to pass and it was a bright pleasant day, bit of a breeze but nothing too ridiculous. Gradually the rest of the Man Tri posse made their way over to the start, and toeing the line we had myself, Brian, Paul, John, Andy, Rich, Stefan, Konrad, Gary, Claire and Anna.

Into the start pens on the racecourse itself and after a short delay we were off. The plan was to go for somewhere between 2:50 and 2:55 running a fairly even race (unlike Blackpool two years ago where I started to fast and paid the price over the second half). Settled into a 6:3X pace and also tried to keep my heart rate steady up the short climbs that punctuated the course by backing off then catching up again on the downs. After crossing the Old Dee Bridge at mile 2 we were out onto familiar territory from the bike leg of the Chester Deva Triathlon, the climb up to Eccleston, right turn under the bridge and a fast mile of descending the other side.

At about the 7 mile mark I caught up with Paul who was trotting along nicely having a nice chat about mountaineering with a guy. We pushed along nicely until the 13th mile which was a bit sticky, a drag into the wind cauding the slowest mile so far a 6:46. We were also joined for a while by the 3rd lady. I know this because almost every spectator we passed said "3rd lady" at us. The halfway mark was reached in 1:26 and everything was going to plan.

The next couple of miles ticked along nicely until the village of Farndon whereupon crossing the bridge from Wales back into England was immediately followed by an evil steep climb. Somewhere after this following another climb I pulled away from Paul. The difficult last 6.2 miles were approaching and my legs were starting to feel it. However, I wasn't losing too much time and although it was much harder I was still holding high 6:3X / low 6:4X pace. Mentally I just focused on reaching the next mile marker, which were moving further away from where my Garmin thought they should be every mile (I decided that I preferred Garmin miles to real life miles!).

Re-entering Chester at 23/24 miles I was starting to be troubled with cramps in my upper calves and lower hamstrings and this was not helped at all by a couple of cheeky climbs in these last miles, particularly the nasty Sandy Lane climb which I just made it up by shortening my stride to about 30cm (well that's what it felt like anyway). At the 25 mile mark a left turn down to the Dee again and a really good crowd as we followed the river towards the race course. Got a high 5 from Brad with half a mile to go just before turning back into the racecourse for a final gallop (sorry) to the finish line for a 2:52:46. A two minute PB - happy days! And it also meant I took the Manchester Tri club champs.

Staggered around for a minute or two but after that, to be honest, I felt OK! Got the traditional post long run emergency refuelling of a can of Coke and a Snickers down me, followed by a slightly more nutritionally favourable bottle of Rego. Met up with the rest of the guys post race and we went for a lovely meal at Telford's Warehouse (thanks to Andy for arranging that) and we all agreed that it was a great race; well organized, good course, plentiful aid stations with enthusiastic volunteers and good crowd support in the villages en route.

Thanks to Gary Wolstencroft for the photos.

Some more geeky stuff will now follow. Viv - or anyone else easily bored - you might want to stop here (if you've made it this far ;-)!

Pacing: my splits were 1:25:59 / 1:26:47 so not quite even but not a bad effort. My fastest mile was 6:16 (mile 2) and slowest was 6:46 (mile 13). Full details can be found on Garmin Connect.

Nutrition: I used 5 gels - 3 Torq and 2 SIS Go - at miles 5, 9, 12, 15, 18 for a total of 500 calories / 130g carbs. This was about twice as much as I took at Blackpool 2009 where I really ran out of energy towards the end. Seemed to work really well, getting a bit ahead of the curve on the nutrition meant I didn't have to worry about it when things were getting tough after 20 miles. Took water at every aid station (every 3 miles roughly).

Taper: A 2 week taper as I only had a 9 week training block. Week before race week was largely as normal but slightly reduced volume, a "long" run of 12 miles, and still some cycling and swimming in there. On race week though I cut it right back with the philosophy of keeping (or even increasing) the frequency but reducing duration and intensity. So:

Mon = rest; Tues = 3 miles easy/steady; Wed = 3 * 1 mile M pace; Thu = rest; Fri = 2 miles easy/steady with two accelerations to M pace; Sat = as Fri; Sun = race day.

Two big races on the calendar last weekend, first up on Saturday was Rochdale Tri's new event the Wardle Off Road Triathlon (WORT): 160m pool swim (yes, I did type that right - a mere splash!), 20km MTB and 8km trail run. Even though it was so short the swim caused some excitement with a slightly random start order leading to some (good natured) bun fights at the walls. Out of the water in 2min 30 (now that's my kind of swim) and on with bike shoes for the couple of hundred metres jog to T1. The early section of the bike was uphill on tarmac and good trail and I made up a good few places here until there weren't that many people ahead. A short descent before the big climb up onto the moors starting on cobbles before going off road proper, on and on we went up and up (well that's what it felt like anyway) a bit boggy at times but rideable all the way. Shallow descent for a bit (i.e. you had to pedal) before a sharp left turn for the main descent, quite techy on a choice of either marsh/bog or a stream bed. I chose the latter and was clattering down OK until suddenly a 2 foot drop-off appeared, messed this up a bit but still emerged out the bottom unscathed. Fast descending from here back down to the road and the start of the second lap.

I'd not seen anyone for a while either in front or behind so eased up a bit, so imagine my surprise when a Rochdale Tri guy appeared out of nowhere and overtook me on the long climb. He steadily pulled away but I was able to keep him in sight all the way back to T2. Managed the techy descent a bit better this time (i.e. committed to the big drop off and hit it fast rather than pansying around) although I did have to take a bit of a detour into a bog when a slower/lapped rider totally took my line away as I was trying to overtake (not that I'm bitter at all!).

The two lap run was a bit of a rollercoaster, up and down, on grass, mud, stones and bricks (as well as a bit of road), with two stream crossings for good measure. Felt like I was running quite well, and soon reeled in and overtook the Rochdale Tri guy. Best (worst?) bit of the run was descending a flight of steep steps, running along for 50m then straight back up another set of steps - a real leg burner! Ran strong to the end and finished in what turned out to be 3rd place. This meant I earned my first ever paycheck from triathlon, £20 - think I'm going to turn pro!

Thanks to Martin Holden for the pics, see more of his photos at http://www.energypicsphotography.com/

Sunday saw me up bright and early to travel down to London to watch some low key race in Hyde Park, nowhere near as prestigious as the WORT. It turned out that the same day saw the Charity Shield at Wembley between City and Utd and hence a very busy train - I was glad for my reserved seat in 1st Class!Via the medium of Twitter I found that Jacqui was on the same train so we met on the platform and travelled the short distance on the Tube down to Hyde Park together. The sun was shining and the last of the age groupers were finishing their races, lots of spectators out so a good atmosphere. Hooked up with Rich briefly who was marshaling, as was Tony.

Managed to get a spot by the swim exit for the first section of the race, big dramatic pause on the pontoon before they started and when everyone dived in they put such a force onto it that all the officials had to cling on not to get thrown off the back into the water! Not too much to say about the swim as you really can't see that much from the bank and they don't hang about when they get out of the water either. Both Brownlees in the top 10, then Clarke, Hayes and Tim Don a couple of places ahead of Adam Bowden rounding off the GB guys. Poor old Chris McCormack with one other guy were the only people to get dropped from the main swim pack about a minute down.

Headed up to Hyde Park Corner to watch the bike. Was halfway there as they came round to finish the first lap (of seven) and there were three distinct packs all really driving it, plus a few stragglers. By the 2nd lap I was at Hyde Park Corner (where you can see them twice each lap), the groups had come together except a group of three - Ali Brownlee, Brukankhov, Elvery - had about 10 seconds lead off the front. The gap hovered at 10-15 seconds for a couple of laps and Ivan Rana managed to bridge across on his own. Some rain showers dampened the tarmac (and there were a couple of crash victims) and whether it was this or just a lack of interest in actually winning the race but the break moved away and had over a minutes lead towards the end of the final lap. Insane tactics by the peloton, giving the best runner in the field (Brownlee) a big head start on the run - makes you wonder if they all think they can't actually beat him so why bother trying?

Headed back into the park to watch the run where it comes out round the back of the Serpentine onto the main road. The heavens had completely opened right at the end of the bike and it was bouncing down. To no-one's great surprise Ali Brownlee was in the lead as the runners came through for the first time and this was where he was to stay eventually taking a comfortable victory with time to spare to walk down the finish chute giving high-fives. Behind third place was still up for grabs (Brukankhov safe in 2nd with his normal strong gurning run) between Jonny Brownlee and Javier Gomez. Between laps we had the added spectacle of the marshals trying (and failing) to clear a small lake from the run course which had added a water splash for the runners to negotiate. By lap 3 Jonny had built a small gap and he extended this to the finish to take 3rd place. A great weekend for the GB team with two wins (Helen Jenkins had won the ladies race the day before) and a 3rd, a great place to be with just a year until London 2012. Will Clarke was 14th, Adam Bowden had possibly his best top-level performance with 32nd and Tim Don trailed in 51st never having looked too happy on the run.

 

Anyone with even a passing interest in pro cycling know about the famous 21 virages of the ascent to Alpe d'Huez in France, the scene of many classic Tour de France moments. Since getting involved in cycling I've wanted to tackle them myself, and what better way to do so than in the Alpe d'Huez triathlon. The race organizers offer two distances but since it's quite a way to travel you might as well get your money's worth and do the Long course - 2.2km swim, 115km bike finishing up the Alpe, 22km run.

Logistically Alpe d'Huez is actually quite hard to get to from the UK in the summer and after mulling over the options for a while Rich and I decided to fly to Geneva then hire a car and drive to Alpe d'Huez. This option worked out pretty well for us and we arrived at about 8:30pm on Monday evening in our rather swish Alfa Romeo Giullietta hire car. Thanks to Viv, Jerry, Harsh and James (who had arrived in time for the Tour the previous Friday) dinner was on the table as soon as we arrived, then it was out for a beer or two (in a bar with a slide to access the toilets!)

Tuesday was a bright and sunny day, which was a nice surprise as the forecast had been for rain. Maybe the forecast the rain on Wednesday (race day) would be wrong too? A pretty standard T-1 day involving bike building, registration, sleeping, eating etc. We went for a quick spin down a couple of turns on the climb and back up again, feeling slightly fraudulent easily overtaking people who had clearly done the whole climb! Around tea time the clouds rolled in and it started raining - I think we were all hoping that this would get the rain out of the way and tomorrow would be a nice day.

The first problem to tackle on race day is actually getting to the start, as it's about 1000m lower than Alpe d'Huez down in the valley. This means a 30-40 minute bike ride with race kit on your back, mainly downhill of course. The weather was dry but overcast and dry tarmac allowed us to get some cornering practice in on the way down. The entrance to transition was a typical French queue (i.e. a total free for all!) and whilst we were waiting Rich noticed that his inner tube was bulging through the sidewall of his tyre. On the plus side he had found what had been causing the tic-tic-tic noise from his bike on the way down! We just about managed to patch it up before the start, but in the slight panic none of us really paid too much attention to the race briefing, especially the swim start procedure. A nice touch was that they had racked people together in their clubs so we got to meet all the other Man Tri guys, rob Arnold and crew and Spencer.

We were amongst the last to get into the blue blue water of the Lac du Verney and were making our way towards the start line - in not too much of a rush as there were many people not even in the water on either side - when suddenly everyone ahead started swimming. Guess that was the swim start then! The swim was two laps with little sailing boats as the turn points rather than buoys. I had an OK swim I think, held a pretty tight line on the inside of the pack and managed to avoid getting too smashed up at the turns. Came out of the water in 41:43 for the 2.2km and pretty much the first think I noticed was that it had started raining. This caused quite a lot of faff in transition as I wanted to take my waterproof with me on the bike, but my waterproof was in my rucsac, which was in a plastic bag, which was in my T1 bag (and in the end I didn't even use it anyway!). On top of this socks, shoes, arm-warmers, bike jersey, gilet and track mitts were donned - a speedy transition it was not (6:39!!).

A short climb out of transition then the first 15 miles of the bike is basically all downhill and very fast. Of course it's only a warm up for the first climb of the day up to Alpe du Grand Serre, 9 miles at an average gradient of 7%. A nice steady climb but it was taking quite a while so I decided to throw a few more coals on the fire at halfway (you can see this on the power plot above). It was quite warm at the bottom but as we climbed it got colder (say it ain't so!) and the rain started to come down with a bit more enthusiasm too. Managed to break the zip on my bike jersey when I tried to do it back up which necessitated a lot of no-hands riding and fiddling to sort out. Passed Viv about 3/4 of the way up and we had a quick chat.

Over the top and grabbed a new bottle of water from the aid station before starting the long descent, roads very wet now so taking a lot of care on the corners. Halfway down there is a short climb and the first sighting of our support crew of Harsh, Jerry and James. The next section of the bike was probably my least favourite, a long slog up the valley on false flats towards the climb of the Col d'Ornon. The scenery looked spectacular, what I could see of it anyway as the weather had really closed in now, very wet and murky. Grabbed a bottle on the move at the top and overtook Rich in the process as he was stopped at the aid station eating bananas and chatting to Harsh and the guys. Didn't take him long to notice me though then chase and drop me on the descent. This one was very wet and had some sharp hairpins. Also a section with a BIG drop to the right which you were only separated from by a foot high concrete wall - not a place to take any risks! This descent was the only section of the bike where I started to feel cold, but I wasn't too worried about this as I was sure I would soon warm up on the Alpe which was now just minutes away.

One of the special things about Alpe d'Huez is that there is no run in to it, you can't even really see it until you take a left turn and the road just rears up in front of you. I had caught up with Rich again after the descent and we hit the Alpe together which was kinda cool. The first 6 or so corners are the steepest and it's just a case of getting your head down and and grinding up it. The corners themselves are slightly curious as rather than being very steep through the apex they actually ease off which gives an opportunity to go up a few gears and get some momentum for the next steep section. Or to have a bit of a rest! I was slightly over-enthusiastic on this lower section with predictable consequences later on. There's not too much more to say really, it was just a case of sticking to the task and counting down the corners. Towards the top I started to feel on the verge of a bonk, and also that it would be really nice to stick your arms in the air at the top, get off and not have a run to do! Getting enough food in is probably one of the main challenges of this bike course. In duration it's only slightly less than an IM bike but it's very hard to have a regular eating strategy as you are either working hard uphill or flying downhill on wet tarmac where taking a hand off the bars is not top of your list of priorities.

Anyway, eventually bend 1 is reached and then you ride into town past a few hardy spectators who have not been put off by the rain and murk (in fact, given the shitty weather there were an impressive number of supporters out, and thanks to anyone who gave me an "Allez Robert" along the way). Overall the bike took me 5hrs 10, with a 1hr 10 ascent of the Alpe.

Into T2 and found my spot and run bag without too much trouble. In the background I could hear the post-race interviews with the leading men which was slightly demoralising! Another tardy transition with a change of socks as well as shoes, took off my bike jersey but left arm warmers on and put gilet back on too - it really was wet and pretty bloody cold now we were up high.

The run is 3 laps of a mixed trail and tarmac course with a few ups and downs and one longer climb towards the end which leads to a lovely descent on the road back past our appartment to the start finish area. The start of each lap takes you past the finish chute and then away again which was a bit of a tease! It was fairly quickly apparent that whilst my legs were OK I was really really low on fuel. Fortunately there were frequent aid stations serving Coke and bananas (and other stuff I'm sure but that's all I paid attention to) which kept me going. So the tactic was run to the aid station, grab a cup of Coke and a hunk of banana, bit of a stroll whilst eating these then off and running again. Very cold on the course and I was glad I had stayed well wrapped up. Traded places a few times with Amy Marsh of Team TBB as whilst I couldn't go uphill anywhere near as quick as her, she could do with a bit of fell running practice (oh, she was a lap ahead of me I suppose I should add!). Hammered the final downhill back into town and finally I could use the finish chute that I'd already had to run past 3 times!

Did the run in 1hr 48 for a total time of 7hrs 53. A great event and I would recommend it to anyone. I'd even be tempted to do it again myself so long as you could promise me some decent weather!

Waited in the finish area for Rich who had a strong race with 8hrs 27. Sadly Viv had pulled out on the run which was a shame. Back to the ranch to get properly warm and dry, chill out for a bit then back into town for a well earned steak and frites (at Smithy's Tavern, recommended).

The next day dawned... bright, warm and dry of course! Our flight home wasn't until late so we had plenty of time to chill out, strip bikes, pack, have lunch, have a second lunch and watch the leaders of the short distance race reach the top of the climb, with our very own Tim Don out front. Then it was time to leave for a long but relatively uneventful journey home.

 

After the disappointments of Bala it was only two weeks to wait until a chance for redemption at the A Day In The Lakes middle distance tri. I did this race last year too and a had a good time so was happy to get my entry in when it was proposed as a "group" event with loads of Man Tri racing.

Travelled up on Saturday afternoon with Andy Q and we arrived just in time to register, stick up the tents then head off to Pooley Bridge for tea with Rich and Dan. Of the pubs in Pooley Bridge the first two didn't like the look of us and were "fully booked" but fortunately the third and final had a table so we piled in for some pub grub and a pint. I would have been more than happy to stay here for a second but was overruled in favour of seeing what was happening in the campsite bar. This turned out to be a kids conga line so we made our excuses and went back to the tents. Bit of nattering in the "quiet Glastonbury" of the triathlon camping area (lots of middle class people in a damp field) until such time as it was socially acceptable to go to bed (about 9:45pm!)

Good nights sleep and woke feeling fresh and ready for breakfast in bed. What was noticeable, though, was that the tent was being battered by a strong wind which could have led to an interesting swim. Fortunately, though, the organizers decided to shorten the swim to about 1.2km due to choppy condition on the lake and I wasn't complaining a bit. Rich was though!

Into the water and it was quite a bit colder than it had been last year (which I remember as being quite pleasant) and a bit bumpy. Decided to mix it up a bit and started towards the front in the middle (I'm normally a side/back guy) which worked out OK. The leg across the lake was fine, but after rounding the first buoy I could not for the life of me see the 2nd one, even with a few bursts of head-up breastroke. So decided to follow everyone else, but it turned out that everyone else couldn't see the buoy either and we all went the wrong way far too far left, eventually seeing the buoy way over to the right! No problems from there to the end and came out of the water in 25 mins just sneaking in to the top third of swim splits - happy with that.

Reasonable T1 - decided to put a bike jersey on as it looked pretty murky down the valley towards Kirkstone - then off out on the bike. Riding road bike with clip-on tri bars so as to get used to this set-up which I will use at Alpe d'Huez. Passed John soon after the start then settled down to business along the road by Ullswater heading down the valley. Passed Viv and Pauline before Kirkstone then Sarah towards the top, all of whom would come back past me again - damn these fast girls (and trying to stick to power zones)! Very foggy over the top and wet roads so took it easy on the descent, not that I had much choice due to a slow driver in front of me. Probably a good thing as saw a couple of bloodied riders extracting themselves from the wall on a corner.

By the time I reached the climb up Shap Fell the weather had brightened up and was beginning to regret putting on the bike jersey. Held up by the temporary traffic lights briefly and met Rich here. The Shap Fell climb is just a steady tempo climb really and soon over the top and enjoying the long fast descent. As I remember from last year the final few miles drag on a bit especially at the end when the route turns back into the wind. Remembered to do the triathlon-y things in the last few hundred metres like taking feet out of shoes and smoothly into T2 with a 3:07 bike split (average power 202W).

Felt pretty good starting the run, the main aim of which was to not further damage my bad left ankle. Only half a mile of flat warm-up before starting the first climb up onto Askham Fell. It was also pretty bloody hot now too and with the first aid station at 5 miles I had a quick stop at every decent stream I crossed for a quick slurp of water (proper fellrunner me, member of the FRA and everything!). We went further up the first climb this year before turning right to descend to Howtown - apparently last year the route was wrong here, and this added the best part of half a mile on. It's a long steady descent and lost a bit of time having to take it steady to protect the ankle. Through the aid station then start the long slog up Fusedale, the effort rewarded at the top by great views. The last time I had been up here was during the Lakeland 50 last year where we turned left at the top to continue climbing up to High Kop. So it was nice to instead turn left and after a short climb over the ridge enjoy the descent back down to the valley. An up and down back to the aid station then onto the road for the final 3 miles to the finish. Decided to just jog it in and the only interest was caused by telling a fellow competitor to go back and pick up the sponge he'd just thrown on the ground - I hate litter!

A 1:57 run gave me a total time of 5:33:38 for 50th place (39th excluding relays) a slight improvement on last year's 51st place - I'm nothing if not consistent! Sat down on the grass to watch the guys come in and then share stories from the day. Very close between lots of the Man Tri guys with Pauline though Schoey, Viv, John, Andy to Rich (minus his shoes!) separated by just 10 minutes. After 10 minutes spent standing in the lake we realised that it was getting on for 4pm and we'd better head for home. All in all a good weekend and great prep for Alpe d'Huez - where at least the run should be easier!

With the benefit of hindsight the final line of last weeks post "Bala middle next weekend where with a bit of luck I'll both start and finish!" was tempting fate somewhat!

In the days leading upto the race the weather forecasts seemed to change each day as to whether the rain (they all said it would rain) would arrive early or at lunchtime. As it happened, it started raining the moment I arrived in Bala yesterday and didn't stop. So it was a slightly subdued transition area as we all prepared in the rain trying to keep warm.

Swim start, left it as late as possible to get into the lake and sneaked in to the line at the far right next to the pier. Thankfully not too many people messing about in front of the start line so we were underway without too much delay. Felt good initially then for some reason almost threw up about 2/3 of the way to the turn which was a bit weird. But overall the out leg felt quite easy. The reason for this was immediately obvious once we rounded the turn and were constantly hit in the face by waves and chop all the way back.

Out of the water and spent an eternity in transition putting on a winter bike jersey, gloves and shoes with overshoes on - all with barely functioning hands. Rode hard to try to warm up but after five or six miles almost all uphill I was still freezing cold so had a "why the hell am I doing this" moment and decided to turn around and head for home and a DNF. Totally happy with my decision, I do tri for fun after all and even if I had made it around I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed a single minute of it! I was much happier with many layers of warm dry clothes on munching on a sausage and egg barm.

Much respect to everyone who started yesterday, and even more to those who finished! Completely freak weather conditions, it wasn't so much the rain that was the issue (I've done a few very wet races before, Horwich 2008 and Trentham 2009 spring to mind) more the unseasonable cold - even in Wales you wouldn't expect temperatures to be in single figures in the middle of June. I don't think there was much more I could have done as I do suffer in the cold, especially my hands. About a quarter of the field retired yesterday which must be unprecedented. Also, I should just say that Wrecsam Tri did a great job under very difficult circumstances, with plenty of vehicles rescuing people who abandoned on the bike course.

Looking for a positive to take from the race I think my swim was actually OK, on the face of it a 42 min swim was nothing to shout about, only a minute quicker than last year which was an absolute shocker (with good reason, I'd hardly swum a stroke for three months after busting my collarbone). However, some TriTalkers who are even bigger geeks than me (hard to imagine I know!) reckon that swim times were on average 4 minutes or so slower yesterday than in 2010. The results bear this out too as my swim time was well in the top half of the field.

A Day In The Lakes tri in two weeks time, is it to much to ask even for some "average" summer weather? Please?