Extracts from the training diary..

So its getting near time to head over to Norway for the NXTRI, Celtman seems like ages ago, even though it was only just over 2 weeks. Time flies when you are having fun, training hard and looking forward to the next race.

Thought it might be interesting to add as little update on recovery and training after a big race like Celtman. Last year I had a bit of rest and change of focus after, this year has been a little different and I was unsure how it would go. Two plans, the first one to recover and just tick over, this was the plan I thought most likely would be used. Plan 2 was recover quickly and be able to push for 3 weeks before a rest week and race.



After a quick recovery (Pretty sure CurraNZ had alot to do with this, what would I do without them!), glad to say I made plan number two, there is enough time in 3 weeks to make a difference and some adaptions. I have gone for a big change in the approach I used leading into Celtman to help force some adaptions and keep the body guessing. I have kept a close eye on my recovery from sessions and resting HR, so far so good and pretty sure I still have some gains to make.

The week following Celtman looked like this-

Mon- Easy open water swim, 30mins

Tues- Rest

Weds- AM, easy run, flat, road, 30mins PM, easy bike, 50mins and pool swim, 45mins, 20x50 max
effort

Thurs- AM, pool swim, 45mins, steady 300m reps and bike, 45mins, easy PM run, 30mins, easy, flat road

Fri- Bike, 1hr45, easy pace, high cadence

Sat- AM, easy run, trail, 1hr PM, open water swim, easy, 30mins

Around 9hrs, nearly all easy apart from a couple of pool sessions

The 'Pool', ideal place for an easy swim in the VicD

An easy week, the idea was to keep the legs turning over but not tax the system, I found by the end of the week the easy runs felt better, but legs still a little dead.

The next few weeks will be looking something like this-

Mon- AM, pool swim, 1hr30+ PM, long bike, 2hr30-4hrs

Tues- Rest

Wed- AM, run, 1hr, road, flat, steady/easy pace PM, bike, 45mins, steady and pool swim, 1hr

Thurs- AM, pool swim, 45mins and bike 45mins PM, Turbo, VO2max intervals, 1hr

Fri- AM, open water swim, easy, PM, run, hard, 15min IM race pace, 15min Tempo, 15min Uphill

Sat- Bike, 1hr45, tempo/race pace staedy effort, rolling course

Sunday- AM, pool swim, 1hr+, PM Turbo, threshold, 3-4x10min or similar, 1hr+ and run 1hr30+ with a good chunk at target race pace, flat

Celtman Vs MTB :)

So 15-20hrs total per week, peaking 1 week before the race then plan is to really cut back quickly, retain some efforts to stay sharp and freshen up. Very different to the 3 week taper I used going into Celtman. For more detail on the session check out my Suunto MovesCount page.

The main changes to training sessions are going back onto the turbo for some more intense efforts (VO2max efforts have become a fave, 5x3min), keeping the sessions shorter to avoid fatigue and heading back onto the road for most of the running as this is how it will be in Norway. The hard run of the week is designed to replicate the Norseman course, with a flat steady effort, as I hope to race, an above pace effort to hit the legs then an uphill run at goal effort level, all over 10% in an attempt to prepare for Zombie Hill. Lucky I like running uphill! So far so good and feeling better already, lets see what we can wring out in the next few weeks without over doing it!

Blair has been working me pretty hard in the pool, with a few 5km sets in the bag and more to come, the swimming is improving nicely and I am feeling strong.

I also paid a visit to the guys over at Eleven Sprocket, glad to say my bike issues at Celtman have been solved thanks to some sound advice from Rich Dean, a top time trialist who really knows his stuff. The result is more comfort, more power and more aerodynamic! Cheers lads, the bike is going like a dream now. Also had a little race, Celtman vs MTB, uphill only, guess who won, the picture gives a clue ;). It was close fought thought and I have agreed to give Matt 'Tea Boy' B a rematch when hes race fit :).

Next stop Eidfjord and NXTRI!

Celtman 2015

What a day, Celtman 2015 did not disappoint for sure, an amazing weekend spent with good friends in an awesome place and what has to be my hardest days racing ever. I can honestly say I have never learnt so much about myself and racing in one day before, obviously not the result I had hoped for and not my best days racing but looking back now its irrelevant. The reason I am so drawn to preparing for and competing in these events is what you learn along the way, sometimes positive, sometimes negative but its all part of the process. The journey that Celtman offers in its unique, at times brutal but beautiful environment and atmosphere never fails to deliver.

Me and Steve heading along the ridge

First off huge congratulations to Dirk Zangen, winner of the race in 11hrs51mins. Celtman once again has the champion it deserves, he is a top man, dedicated, focussed and humble, the finish line photo of him with his daughter says it all. 10th in 2013 with a foot injury, he came back focussed, prepared and had an awesome race, nice one Dirk, another Celtman inspiration. He led from start to finish for a comprehensive victory.

In 2014 I had a great day, one of those where it just all falls into place, sure it was physically hard, particularly towards the end but it all went fairly smoothly. Full of confidence, which I never had before, I went away and trained harder, addressed weakness's, improved, got stronger and came to race day 2015 feeling stronger than ever. What I learnt though is you can feel and be as strong as you like, but without the right mindset, none of that matters and with a race like Celtman you will be in for a very hard day, mentally and physically, if you allow it to be that way. The problem was I wanted to win and in that drive lost sight of what's most important in these long events, staying in the moment. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win, but it clearly is not the best driving force for good days racing. Its not a situation I have ever been in before, so its all learning, I can be hard on myself at the best of times so I am not intending to be here.

The other factor is that sometimes its just not your day, the strongest and best prepared athlete on the day usually wins and that's how it should be. By the time I got off the bike, Dirk was 30 mins ahead, on his way to the mountain, after a great swim and record breaking bike split, set into a headwind for the final 40km. Way too far ahead to realistically catch but I never gave up and always had a little hope until we hit the final stretch of tarmac to Torridon.

As usual it was great to catch up with the Celtman Family, many of whom had great races, some not so but it was the highlight of the weekend to spend time with all these amazing people. Heading to Torridon really does feel like going home, so thanks everyone, I enjoyed every minute spent with you all. No other race has this feeling for me and its the main reason I will probably be back next year. Hopefully everyone else will be too, if not we will have to sort something out!

Pre Race dip, hosted by Nannys Tea Room, Shieldaig

I am going to keep the race day shorter than usual, I think I have said it all above :)

The Bus!

Celtman starts with a bus journey to the swim start, I love it, we are all in the same boat about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, its an amazing atmosphere and fitting start to the day.

The Swim-

A quick dip the day before had settled my mind, the water was not too bad, the kit I had chosen was perfect and I knew I would not be too cold. The sky was moody to say the least but the wind calm. The crossing of the loch feels wild, you really are out in the middle, an awesome experience to say the least. I tried to get in the zone, I had worked hard on my swimming this winter, really hard so felt confident I could start hard and put in a reasonable time. So I did, but too hard for too long and I felt far too tense for the whole way. Working super hard but not moving very fast. Only myself to blame for this. As soon as I got out I knew it had not been great but my amazing support crew helped me out and a quick transition had me out on the bike.

The Bike-

I knew I was well down the field and had to have a good ride to get back into the race, my head was not in a great place, it was raining and a bit windy so I got my head down and rode hard from the start trying to make up the time. I am used to doing this in shorter races but its not the best plan for a 202km ride with 2300m of ascent. I was riding on emotion and paid for it later on, compounding things I was seriously uncomfortable on the saddle, this caused real issues for the last 30km, into a headwind, unable to get down on the bars and feeling spent from riding so hard at the start. My support crew got me through this and put up with me, I wanted to quit most of the way but they kept me going and looked after me. It is the hardest day I have ever spent on a bike but I am glad I went through it. I certainly learnt a lot!



The Run-

The happiest I have ever been to get off a bike, another quick transition, I still had a glimmer of hope and was looking forward to the run on Bein Eighe whatever. I left transition close to 2nd and 3rd place and passed them by the top of the first hill. I ran hard through the Coulin Pass, but saved a bit knowing my strongest section was still to come. I thought after the ride my legs would be shot but it did not turn out that way. Meeting Steve at T2a and ready for the hill, I was glad of the company and enjoyed the mountain, we chased hard but really had no one to chase, Dirk was so far ahead! The descent was so different to last year, my legs were tired but I felt relaxed and enjoyed it. When we hit the road I knew the chase was up, it was lovely to have Jo run with me down the road to the finish line.

The Final Climb

So that was Celtman 2015, in hindsight the most rewarding race I have ever done, I will learn and adapt more than ever from it, so I am glad it was the way it was. I will go back, but I will make sure I keep focus on the things that matter this time, old and new friends, Shieldaig, Torridon, our friends the Jelly fish and that awesome ridge line on the mountain. :)

Why I love this race so much! 

Mens Podium, Me, Dirk, Odd Arne and Heiko

Next stop is a little race in Norway that first inspired me to take up triathlon...Norseman here we come!

Without my amazing support crew I could not have done it, thanks Steve and Jo for being awesome. Also everyone along the way who has shown support and helped out, you all know who you are, its all appreciated, hopefully I can repay the favour sometime.

I am planning to write a short XTRI kit blog soon, but thanks to Zone3, Eleven Sprocket, LaSportiva, CurraNZ and Blair Davies Coaching for your support this season. Also Colin Henderson and Ross Millar for the amazing photos and support.

All winners

Race Week!

So that's it, the hard work has been done and its now time to put it all to the test and enjoy the best bit, race day! I have said this in the past, its a great time to take a look back at the journey to the start line, in many ways its worth a million times more than the actual result on race day, a race is just a performance on one day but it has taken 9 months of training, racing, good, bad and hard work to get there. Its amazing what you can accomplish along the way with an end goal and motivation. This particular journey started for me in 2012 at Celtman, my first triathlon and its still going on. The actual build up to this race has been 1 year, I knew I would come back straight after finishing. Maintaining focus and motivation for a year can be tough but its such an amazing race that this has never really been an issue, training in the hills, mountains and lakes is what I love most, racing in them is simply the icing on the cake.

The other side to all this, is the help/advice/support etc that I have received along the way from family/friends/sponsors. I am constantly amazed by this, so many people willing to help in so many ways, often out of the blue when you least expect it. So I have not got here all on my own and I know that I do not race on my own, when things get hard, its great motivation to think of this. So thanks to everyone for your support, far too many to list, but you know who you are and understand its all appreciated.

So its Celtman 2015 time, Saturday morning, 5am start, time to put all the training hours to use! Cannot wait!! :)

Live tracking will be here at some point-

Celtman Tracking

Here's a few great memories from along the way!

Coniston Old Man triathlon, 1st place

Duddon Fell race, in the vest of power, Ambleside AC ;)

Torridon training camp, late April!

Team MovieIt, first open water swim of the year

Back O Skiddaw ont bike

Duddon Fell race recce with the lads, Ben, Todd, Neil

Striding Edge in winter

A quick clip from out on the bike today. Had to wait for the snow plough before today's session on the Struggle. Zone3 Lyon Outdoor Trec Nutrition GB
Posted by Chris Stirling on Monday, February 23, 2015

Coniston Old Man triathlon, the best, most under entered event in the UK??

I had heard great things about this very local event from various friends and past competitors. Once described as the toughest 70.3 in the country, until Wasdale tri came into existence, it had been on my list for a few years. I had heard it was a well organised event with a friendly atmosphere that seems to accompany all My Tri Events but always a little low on entries. I knew I would enjoy the course, 33% climbs on the bike and a proper fell run with an awesome descent from the Old Man of Coniston.

Almost perfect timing for a last stretch of the legs before the Celtman in 10 days time. It was a tentative decision as its a little closer than I would have liked, but my recovery has been great so far this year (Berry Power;)), I feel fit and decided if I did not feel good I had no worries about pulling out or easing off. Its all training after all. :)

There is no doubting the course suited me, so I had some expectations going into the race but did not want to bury myself for a result and risk injury or a slow recovery. I wanted to feel in control and smooth for the whole race, so I had to manage those expectations and accept the outcome. This was all going to plan, until the final 2km of the run, but it all turned out very well in the end.

The Swim-

Kind of less said the better for this really, cant work out if it was slightly long or I was very slow but its just one swim in one race. If it was long I swam well, if not, I was well off my normal tempo training pace. Anyway, chimp aside (Thanks Blair!:)), I missed the start as I was making my way back from warming up to find some faster feet, lesson learnt. With no one to draft at least it was a nice clear swim round, I came out of the water in 6th place, but already 6mins down on the leader, Sam Steele from Newcastle University Tri.

The Bike-

I love this bike course! A steep, hilly start with my 2 favorite Lake District passes ;) (Wrynose and Hardknott), followed by the awesome Birker Fell interspersed with some flat to rolling sections at the back end. Oh and one more hill, Kirby Moor. 1500m of climbing in about 70km, is it possible to save the legs for the run with 33% gradients thrown in? Sort of, but those hills never feel any easier, I find a HR monitor really useful for this, early on  its easy to push on a bit to much with the adrenaline. Each hill passed in control and below my pre determined HR. I planned to ride around the 2hr.40 mark and came into transition just under. Very happy with this and knowing I was clear in second place, I asked Jo how far in front the leader was. 12mins now! Sam had put in a super bike split for that course, a really good effort. I knew I had my strongest discipline to come, a proper fell run, so I thought I might catch him, but it was quite a lot to make up.






The Run-

Awesome does not do justice for this run! Basically following the Coniston horseshoe, over Wetherlam, Swirl How, Brim Fell and lastly the Coniston Old Man, before a rocky, technical slate descent, another 1000m of climbing. Starting the run I knew my legs felt good, a nice flat run out for about 2km before climbing onto the ridge leading to Wetherlam. This is steep in places, but I was happy to run most of it and felt good doing so. I kind of forgot about chasing anyone and just enjoyed moving smoothly over the technical terrain, enjoying being in the hills despite the clag and mist. The course was superbly marked so no getting lost to worry about. I felt sure footed on the greasy rocky sections and soon reached the summit of the Old Man. No idea how far I was behind, did not even bother asking, too busy enjoying the excellent running. The descent was fantastic, I felt smooth and relaxed, not pushing and knowing that I was in 2nd and could relax to the finish, saving the legs for the next race. Then I spotted Sam, about 3km from the finish, not moving great, I knew I was going to catch him, it had to be quick, decisive and ideally on the last bit of technical trail before the road. I did not want be racing someone clearly as fast as him on the final flat section! I put in an effort, opened a gap and that is how it stayed. He did not break though, I had to keep on the gas till the final 400m into the finish line.

Movescount Link for the run



It was a nice confidence boost to pick up the win and a great little battle with Sam at the end. I learn more every time I race and the relaxed feeling having let go of a few expectations before I started meant I enjoyed every bit of the race. Certainly something to bear in mind for the future.

Thing is, I cant see why this great little event does not get more entries. I have seen this written in the past, now I understand. It adds adventure to your standard triathlon, with a very well organised and friendly feel. Hopefully it will get the attention it deserves next year, Its part of an amazing weekend of swim events and triathlons put on by My Tri, perfect for a family weekend, running commentary, stuff for kids to do, food on site and even camping. Long may this race continue. You could even do the double, Standard Triathlon the day before then the Old Man....There's an idea :)



Next up its the first of the big ones. Cannot wait :)

Massive thanks to the team at My Tri, TrueMountain and all the amazing marshals that made the event possible, 10/10 from me, great job, see you next year!

Photos are courtesy of MovieIt and TrueMountain, thanks guys!

As always thanks for the support from Zone3, CurraNZ, Eleven Sprocket, La Sportiva, Blair Davies Coaching, TrecNutrition and Designed2Run.

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!

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

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. :)