Tuesday 19 May 2015

Slateman Triathlon 2015

So there it is, first triathlon of 2015 completed, its always a relief to get the first one out of the way, I find pre race nerves are always a little heightened, but soon as the start gun goes all that disappears and race auto pilot takes control.

What better place to kick things off than Llanberis, Snowdonia and the amazing Slateman triathlon. It really has a big race atmosphere, friendly feel, great competition and an awesome course. Over 1200 people took part in the race on Sunday, long may this continue.

Ready to roll!

The race is short and fast by my usual standards so pre race goals were short and sweet. A better swim, hold back a little on the bike and finish with a strong run. Last year I was 178th out of the water and finished 27th, I had to really hammer the bike for that, hence all the work on swimming through winter.

Last year I was actually scared at the start of the swim, this year I felt loads more relaxed and confident. I was a bit disappointed the swim was shortened, but again not enough to worry me. I decided not to change my plan for the swim, go out hard, not too hard, then settle down. With the shortening,  flat out from the start  would have been more appropriate strategy but the plan will go with me to Celtman and Norseman, good to get it ingrained. I made a mistake positioning at the start, way to far right, but at the front. I tend to pull slightly right and the distance was greater, mental note, think about this and assess as soon as you get in the water, it was a little too late before I noticed.

I hit the first buoy wide, nice not to be involved in the madness in tight, turned and settled down. I felt stronger as I went on and swam at a pace I would be comfortable at for a long time. Only one lung full of water on the way round, the water was fresh but I did not feel cold. I got out and realized I had actually enjoyed that swim and felt fresh. From 178th last year to 71st this year, think we can take that as a success Blair Davies ;).

Happy with the swim! :) Thanks for the pic Warren :)




Heading out onto the bike there was still work to do, but certainly less than last year. The bike course is amazing! Undulating, lumpy, with a couple of significant climbs but open roads, it feels fast. I felt strong as we hit the first climb, Pen Y Pas, defiantly more in the tank to play with than last year and the descent from here to Capel Curig is unreal. Perfect road surface and open, you can really hammer it. As we turned onto the next climb over to Ogwen, we hit the wind. I settled down and stayed on the bars, last year I was still hammering here but this years effort level felt easier. Another fast descent had me smiling, the locals were out in force again with cowbells and people stopped cars to cheer us on. Another reason I love this race. :)

It was good to come into transition feeling fresher than usual, I had held back a little and could not wait to get out onto the run. Its another cracker, the runable zig zags of the quarryman's climb eventually lead to a technical single track descent through the woods, with a slight sting in the tail. The course had changed slightly from last year and was longer. I found my running legs quickly caught a few places before the climb. I did not feel great here, but was gaining on a few and running with 2 others. I knew my cards could be played on the downhills and technical running to come. Running with 4 others as we hit the first bit of single track, I hit the descent really hard, dropping 3 straight away and eventually the 4th, but it took a really big effort, not much left in the tank. The 4th guy would eventually pass me on a steep downhill on the road, I managed to maintain contact and we passed 2 more on the final sting in the tail hill. Could have done with a bit more speed in my legs for a better run, but my game plan worked as well as I could have hoped for.

Chasing and being chased to the end!

I finished in 2.32 (2.41 last year) and 17th place overall. A successful day, more race rust shaken off and some good improvements on last year. I feel confident things are looking very good for the seasons main goals :).

Mountain running legend Ian Holmes does triathlon too!


Massive thanks to the organizers and the amazing support from locals out on the course, this is an amazing event, highly recommended, it should be on every ones bucket list of triathlons! Probably see you next year :). Great to catch up with friends who also had great races, well done everyone!

Also thanks to Zone3 wetsuits, my VictoryD wetsuit was amazing in its first race, pretty sure I did not feel the chill in the lake thanks to this and its unreal to swim in.  If your looking for a new set of hoops, check out Eleven Sprocket, awesomeness in a carbon clincher, hand built with pride in Yorkshire, the 58mm wheel set was perfect in the blustery conditions. My LaSportiva HeliosSR shoes worked great without a sock, perfect for off road triathlon.  As usual TrecNutrition and Curranz looked after nutrition and recovery.

Next triathlon stop, Coniston Standard distance! Maybe see you there!

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Summer In Torridon, be prepared fellow Celt-People! :)

A short clip from MovieIt taken on the recent training camp in Celtman country, the moral of the story is be prepared! Top of the Coulin Pass and a mini blizzard, in summer, I love this race :)




Was this only 2 weeks ago running through the Coulin Pass...? enjoyed having the sun on my back this morning Zone3 Lyon Outdoor Curranz Blair Davies Coaching
Posted by Chris Stirling on Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Celtman Training camp, Torridon


As I write this blog, we are just under 8 weeks out from the Celtman, the first main race of the season. The way I structure my training means I am currently deep into the build phase of my program. Race specific challenging workouts are the key during this phase, the previous months of training have all been keyed to get to this point ready for some serious work. I believe it is the next 3/4 weeks training, will ultimately make the difference on race day. It means a little more rest between sessions/blocks but we need this to get stronger. Luckily race specific for me means more time in the mountains, hills and lakes. Time for a trip to Torridon to test the fitness on the Celtman course, cant get more specific than that! :)

The forecast for the 4 day trip was not great but after the amazing weather of the last 2 weeks I decided it would be a good test and toughen me up a bit. During the 4 days we had everything from sunshine, snow, wind and rain. Very different to last year, it was back to full winter in the hills but at no point did the weather or conditions interfere with the quality of training. The weather gods played ball but still threw a few tests our way to keep us on our toes.

I find its important to have a plan and some goals for trips like this, so I had  key sections and some splits from last year that I planned race pace efforts on. For running, the climb out of t2, the main climb from T2a and most importantly the final descent to the road from the Loch under the triple buttress. I lost time here last year, its the only part of the race I felt I under performed so it has been a key focus in training so far. More running hard downhill, which I avoided last year. On the bike the plan was to ride 95% of the course and make a few efforts along the way. Swimming in Loch Shieldaig was also on the cards, just to get used to the temperature and remind myself that its not that bad ;).

We based ourselves at the amazing SMC Ling hut, the perfect base, everything you need and sitting under Ben Eighe looking up at the trig point, no shortage of inspiration. :)



Day 1- Bike- 191km- 2400M ascent

We started in Glen Torridon, a few miles from the finish line, road the whole course to Achnasheen, then headed back over to Torridon via Kinlochewe. Steve dusted off his bike and joined me for the whole trip, having barely ridden this bike for ages this is some feat of endurance, from the couch to 195km is a pretty big ask! The day was perfect for it. The big learning point and a reminder for me was its a long way from Garve to Achnasheen (espcially if you are low on calories!) and even further to T2. I hit an effort from Braemore Junction to the end of Loch Glascarnoch and down to into Garve. Its really fast here, but would be really easy to burn too much and suffer on the drag from Garve to T2. It needs a bit of attention to pacing for sure. A lack of attention to nutrition lead too a tough climb back over and down to Kinlochewe. Another lesson learnt/reminded.





Day 2- Swim- 1.3km and Run 19km, Ben Eighe mountain section

First swim, tide was a bit low and the windy conditions made for a choppy sea, not ideal for quality training but it could be like this on race day so good to get in and get it done. Its also good to see the hard work in the pool has payed off (Thanks Blair!). Temp was about 8.5 degrees, think its gonna be a cool one this year! Tried out the Zone3 Neoprene Warmer Vest with my VictoryD suit, no problem with the cold, core nice and warm,

The run was interesting with full winter conditions on the tops and large patches of neve guarding the exit to the ridge below the trig point. No problem, we found an alternative way round the back, all part of the fun. Still got the important split, 3mins up on last year to just below the ridge, felt comfortable too. The ridge had plenty of snow which made for difficult running and the traverse into the col at the top of the gully was guarded by more neve. The next key section was the downhill from the Lochan overflow below triple buttress. Rough but very runable if your comfortable on fell type terrain. This is where I struggled last year, on what should be my specialty. 4 mins quicker and again more comfortable. Another successful day.

            

Day 3- Brick- Torridon to T2 bike- 43km- Coulin Pass run- 15km- Swim- 900m

The aim of today's session was to ride the bike hard enough to have a bit of it in the legs when starting the run, the key section being the climb from T2 to the top of the Coulin pass. Same split time, but lower average HR and peak HR. Good signs. We were met with a blizzard at the top, like I said conditions were different to last years sunshine but its all very good training.


The weather miraculously cleared in the afternoon, so finished the day off with another choppy, low tide, fresh swim. Sure this is great for recovery. So was the refueling Pizza and chips from Shieldaig Bar, awesome does not do it justice! Perfect end to the day.



Day 4- Run- 15km, Final road finish and back.

Legs well and truly toasted by now, bit like they will be at the end of the race so the perfect chance to run the final road section. The sessions goal was keep a steady pace for the first half, then lift the effort level a bit on the way back. I could certainly feel the last 3 days in my legs but kept the cadence up, time for a bit of visualization of the finish of Celtman, on tired legs.

So another 4 tough days in the bank, The total hours for this six day block added up to 27hrs, a big week for sure. I also managed a good weeks training last week, so recovery has been great. Another solid week to go before an easy week leading into the first triathlon of the season, The Slateman in North Wales. Cannot wait! :)

Massive thanks to Steve from MovieIt and his Peter for the photos, film, company and laughs along the way. :)