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Hyde Park and a bit of boxing !!!
What a weekend; Gomez and Findlay may have won in Hyde Park but I think the real winner was triathlon. I mean, live on TV on Sunday and on the Red Button on Saturday, how cool is that? I think triathlon is moving in a great direction, on the elite side, paratriathlon side and also mass participation. I am so lucky and privileged to be at the forefront of it. What a sport, hey !!
So to the race. Well I will be honest, not the result I wanted but looking back I gave it 100% and have a sore body to show for it. I had a great start, got up to the first buoy on the inside but as I hit it so did it seem the other 66 athletes. It was rough, washing machine rough, and I got the short end of it coming out of the first 2 buoys way at the back. I swam up in the second lap but the damage was done.
A solid T1 and I got going on the bike. I did do a fair bit of work and managed to coax a few other boys to help me out. After about 4 laps we caught the lead group. The rest of the bike was still pretty solid with a few people trying to go off the front. One group at about the 30km mark ended up with about 60sec into T2 (Nice one Stu).
This meant it was oh, so fast from the gun on the run. I had a good T2 but was a little further back in the pack than I would have liked. I worked hard to get up with the leaders but my legs were just a little dead from all the work on the bike. I ran solid for the first 8km or so mixing it up near the front. But the last 1500m was a slog and I fell back to 13th. Not good, but not a disaster. I guess my race would/could have been a different story if I could have sneaked round the first buoy a few places further up... But that is racing and you roll with it. Back to some hard training to sort it out .
Next up London Tri and looking forward to it. By the way, what support I had! Thanks guys it really gives me a big lift and push when I need it.
Thanks and see you in a few weeks.
PS: Helen, Johnny; outstanding!!!!
Back into the light
So, out of the dark and back to racing... I LOVE IT!!!!
My last race seems a lifetime ago, what with the football World Cup, the world of triathlon was put on hold. It did not bother me as after Des Moines I was able to take an easy week then get down to try and move on a level for my next batch of races. I decided to visit my sister in Switzerland for a few weeks and catch up with AJ, my old room mate from a few years ago. He has since retired to have a family... ...but he also has been living in the mountains and getting out on the bike a fair bit!!!! Oh, we had some great rides and with only a 21 on the back they were truly character building!! I also spent some time in Newcastle for a wedding. A lovely day, thanks Claire and Jessie.
I felt leading into Hamburg that I had good form in all 3 disciplines but I really want to hit London hard (who wouldn't, being a home WCS?). So I decided to train solid up till Wednesday and with the race on the Saturday, I knew it would be a tough race but I wanted to dig deep and really work hard for my performance.
I had a nice swim in the warm GREEN water, the bike was fun, a bit up and down but hey that seems to be racing these days. On the run Jan and Gomez were out the blocks and gone, my mind was willing but maybe the legs had a few to many hard runs in them. I hung tough and got going towards the end (well the last 2km) and ended up on the podium, sweet. The crowd were amazing - so many people, so much support, I had a ball out there. Another good performance and my first WCS podium. Now 8 days to freshen up for London !!
Back home now, all in one piece. Pleased with my front cover in 220 this month.
Hope to see you in Hyde Park.
Train hard, win easy.
Now that's a Pay Day!
So the first goal of the year is over and I am back in MK recovering with a big smile on my face!!
When you pick targets/goals/new challenges there is something very satisfying about attaining them. This year especially, as I have been flying solo for the most part with some great advice and counsel from past coaches and friends.
Sunday in Des Moines was my own judgment day. I was judge, jury and executioner as it was me who I would have to answer to. On the start line I knew I was in good shape but with a big prize purse I knew there would be more than a few other guys feeling the same way - confident.
I had a solid first lap of the swim and stayed out of trouble and on the second lap I was able to move up 10 places or so. After another good T1 and first 2km of the bike I was at the front end of the race just where I wanted to be. The bike course is just a straight out and back with a cheeky little bit in to and out of transition, with an amazing grandstand full of crazy people cheering, it was great. Apart from that it was a bit of a roll around (not quite like a FGP!).
I knew it would be on, on the run, with the all the boys there so a good T2 was essential. I had decided to go out hard and set an honest pace for the first lap then settle down and wait for a sprint......well, I was on my own after 2km and very much like ‘06 Worlds when you get a gap on an Olympic Champ, you got go for it. It was a great run course and Chris Volley was awesome letting me know what and who was going on behind me. I had to relax, hold form, get into my rhythm and not think about the $200,000 !! With 3km to go I still had 20sec or so on the chasers and had some left in the tank. I achieved my Goal!
Even now, a few days after, it has still not sunk in. It was an amazing feeling but all I can think about is what I can do to improve and what I can learn from myself and my fellow competitors. I liked that race and now I’m hungry for more...
On another note, I would like to thank you for all the many text and emails I have had since the race. It really means a lot to me and thanks for all the support and belief you guys have in me!!
Catch you later,
Tim
No Sun but... A WIN !!
What a great venue Blenheim is. I must admit I did feel a bit under dressed in just my race suit (especially as it was a non wetsuit swim - coooold !). I felt I should have been wearing a dinner jacket.
My last week or so has been pretty full on, in terms of training, with some quality track and bricks sessions and a few cheeky solid swim sets all to get ready for Des Moines. I knew I would be tired for the race but that was not an excuse, because if you’re on the start line, you are on the start line. I had a clean start and stayed out of trouble for the swim, coming out near the front. Up to T1 is a 400m uphill run (it did feel a bit longer I can honestly say !). The crowd were already building and getting vocal so that got me up there. I had already decided to hammer the first 2 km of the bike.....and then there were 8 of us. We kind of worked ok and rolled though to keep a nice lead, some of the boys were hurting, some were strong. It was a great loop, we did 3 times and I really enjoyed the course ups, downs, corners it was interesting, maybe could be a world cup one day !!
We all came into T2 fast and on the shoes went and again it was all about the first 500m-1km for me to get a lead and switch to cruise control, which I managed to do. I felt good all day but not great, a little bit of the training in my legs but it was nice to get the win. Stu Hayes was second and an awesome last 800m from Tom Bishop got him the last spot on the podium and a ticket to the European Junior champs, good lad !!
A great day out and nice BBQ afterwards with all my friends just before the rain came down. A race I would love to do again and can recommend for the experience.
Hope everyone racing this weekend had a ball and see you in London in July/August for the big ones !!!!
What's up next....
Blenheim this weekend. First time there so looking forward to it, that and with home support (Kelly is from Oxford). Should be a great weekend, especially if the sun is out!!
Then off to Des Moines WC seven days later, love that race.
Then a big block of training for London WCS and the London Triathlon. Bring it on !!!
Dunkirk FGP
7 days later and it was back to Swim Bike Run for Beauvais in the first round of the 2010 FGP. Well the sun was out and the team was up for it but I did not realise it was going to that hard !! We had a break out the swim, through T1 and the first 2km of the bike and it was race over for the whole field except for the 8 of us in the lead group ! Myself and 3 other team mates got stuck in and the pace was on like Donkey Kong and with the 100% commitment of Stephan, Ivan, Freddy and myself we had a 1min 30sec lead at the end of the bike (in 20km !). The other 4 boys were there for the ride, as team orders come into play. It was so much fun out there, it really was. Jonathon Brownlee had a stellar run for his first hit out and took the win. I came in second (with very tired legs) with Freddy 3rd. Job done. We smashed the Team competition and started the Season as THE team to beat. Go Beauvais.
Manchester....love that city !
I had always said that if I pulled up Ok I would have a crack at the 10km the week after. Well, I felt more than ok so decided to freshen up and it was a good way to get over my jet lag back in MK. Noble flew in from Spain (a few good races out there I do believe). Being an Irishman, I think he was a bit dubious of staying in the English countryside but he soon turned to a believer and we got some great training done. In a 10km with such a world class field http://www.greatrun.org/Results/Default.aspx you are kind of there for the ride, as long as possible and need to 'tuck in' as well. Well I felt fresh and controlled going through the first 5km in 14.23 and just kept the momentum going to the line, with a sprint with the first Brit and a nice 7th place !! WOW, a new PB as well, 28.56. It was a good performance and about 20 sec faster than I thought I could run but it was a race. The highlight of my weekend was a drug test with Haile - he is a Legend and as nice a guy you will find anywhere, one of my heroes.
The week after it was funny who congratulated me out the blue and the tweets on the internet as well, too funny !! [Image courtesy Dave Tyrrell]
HOT Thailand & Seoul WCS
So once settled and I had found a good coffee shop, on the road it was to Thailand for 5 weeks to get ready for Seoul WCS. I have trained there before and loved it, the people and conditions are great all I did for 5 weeks was swim, bike and run away from dogs !! There was not much else to do where we were training to be honest ! I was back in the grove and with Reto and Nicola we were smashing it up and loving it. I was swimming with teamtbb in a cracking 50m pool (maybe a bit green at times). What a great bunch and the vibe was so positive; they all want to give everything to training and racing, it was a great place to be in before a big race. I decided to fly in late, just before race briefing which seemed to work as I was on the same time zone.
I had a great swim, out top 20 but I felt fresh and a great T1. The bike was so much fun, about a million and one turns and corners - if you were in the right position it was fun, if not it must of been hard as hell. A great T2 and on to the run. I ran out in 3rd and well got into a grove that was solid but I had no top gear and I dropped to about 25th. Not good. I hung in there and kept the same pace and they started to come back to me. I felt like a diesel engine, just keep going I told myself. I ended up 11th, not bad, not good. The run was way short; how and why at this level of racing I don't know. The next day I felt surprisingly OK and realised I just was not fresh enough for the race. I knew I was in good shape and wanted to get something out of my form to see where I was in my build up for the season.
The Fresh Start
Late in 2009 I was taking to my good friend and great physio John Denis (www.velomotion.co.uk) and he suggested Milton Keynes. Well I had a few cheeky recces in Dec and all was looking good. I found a great swim squad, awesome track and running trails, as well as Team MK and John as a bike guide. Kelly found a lovely barn to live in so MK it is and we love it here. Such a great vibe from the village and town and Team MK, and the guys at Body Limits are awesome.
The return
I did make one last trip up to Loughborough for a nice training session. I was still a bit under the weather having only flown in 2 days before but it was the National Duathlon Champs after all. I had a solid race just cruising at 80% till the last 300m and putting the hammer down to take the win. It was a windy, fun race and was a nice feeling to get another national title. [Image courtesy Dave Tyrrell]
Winter miles
Then early Jan it was down to business as usual, building on what I had from 2009 and making myself fast on the run, more explosive on the bike and stronger in the back end of the swim, easy hey !!
As usual I had Flavour Frase and the Noble to keep me honest out there (big up to Flavour, he is on fire this year, a truly World Class athlete). I decided to have a little hit out early season in the Global 11 Olympic in Cape Town What a view from the bike but the water was only 11'C. Thank God it was a short swim. I was pleased and surprised. I had a sweet race leading from the gun in a non drafting race on a road bike ! The boys all aero’d up but could not catch me or they did not try ! Anyway things were looking good. [Image courtesy Ryan at Global 11]
I then got my head down again, to work the run and swim big time. Winter miles mean summer smiles baby !! All looked good with some cracking 30km runs in Yonks and some nice burn ups with Noble round the nature reserve. I love the nature reserve, no dogs you see !
We then decided to head up to Jo’burg for the SA champs. Well what can I say, not the best race. Leading up to it I had a bit of a tickly throat and going up to 1600m and some hazy pollution and you get a lot of coughing and a poorly boy who DNF’d. Not good but it was useless fighting it this early in the season, listen to your body, man !
It took about a week to get over the race which was longer than expected so I decided to pull the pin on going on a mammoth road trip to Mooloolaba , Sydney, Ishikagi and then Seoul. So I headed home earlier than normal but I also had to find somewhere else to live and train as Loughborough was a no go for me.
The Wedding !
What a winter down in Stellenbosch. The winter sun really gets the best out of me and like always I wanted to be consistent this winter. Consistency is King. But before that all begun, I did indeed get married in Franshock on a most amazing wine estate, La Grand Provence, to an amazing person....Mrs. Kelly Don ! We had such a cool time, so many friends and family came out, it was one of the best days and weeks of my life and I am a very lucky guy to have Kelly in my corner XX .
The Goal
This Winter I wanted to commit 101% to the 2012 Olympics. That now is my sole goal, to get to the start line and be in the best possible shape to race for a medal. But to do that takes small steps and big planning. I am now self coached but have many people I am using as advisers that I think I have a good mix and great understanding of what I need to do to achieve my goal. Some of my race results might not look good on paper over the next 2 years but let me assure you it is all in the process of getting to London in the best shape. I am going to try and make myself 'Bullet Proof' as one of my old coaches use to say, any type of swim, any type of bike, any type of run, bring it on, I will be ready for it and them !
So you all know my goal , I have a burning desire to get to 2012 and race for medals, so let the journey begin.
End of an era
After the Gold Coast last year there were big big changes. For one reason or another I was not part of the BTA's plans for the future, 30% my choice, 70% their choice I guess. Funding, as it is now, is awesome and I have benefited from it for most of my career both financially and from their amazing support and cutting edge ideas. I do believe I have given back a hell of a lot mind you. I have been one of the most successful and consistent funded athletes there has been in triathlon. Both in races and in the public eye. I love the sport and love to give back as it has given me so much.
I believe in performance not just results!!!!
In leaving the fold I also had to leave my coach, Ben Bright, as he is employed by the Federation. He is a Legend (and new dad !!), one of the best fearsome competitors you would ever meet, when he raced he was awesome. As a coach, his philosophy was one that always got the best out of the athlete and for me it meant some of my best ever performances and a World Title. Thanks Ben !
