Slaying the Slateman

"Why choose to compete at Slateman over the many other races on offer?"

Stephen from Dream TV asked me, during the pre race interview on Saturday afternoon.

Good question, why did I choose to come and race in Snowdonia? To swim in a Llyn Pardan, the 11degree mountain lake, cycle 51 hilly kilometres and tackle an 11km mountainous trail run?

Having given Stephens question some more thought.  Here is my answer. In a more concise, coherent format to the one I gave in the interview (pre warning you, before you watch the race/interview on TV)

1) I have fantastic memories of my 1st Slateman experience last year, I wanted to relive that magic.

2) Racing the whole series (Slateman, Sandman, Snowman) last year meant I got to know North Wales, some of the athletes, supporters& members of the Always Aim High team. I was keen to return to this stunning part of the UK and to catch up with many of these people.

3) As defending champion I felt an obligation to return to defend my title. I am a huge sports fan, one characteristic that I greatly admire in athletes, regardless of sport is consistency. Winning the same race, back to back several years on the trot is a huge ambition for me. Mastery of a course and its unique challenged holds great appeal.

Mountains, fresh lakes, steep winding trails. Slateman is epic with a capital E in terms of scenery. This is why I was back.

 In March, 220 Triathlon magazine asked me to write five top tips for slaying the Slateman Triathlon.

So did I take my own advice?

1) Try and do a Course Recce

Last year, I arrived on Saturday night, just with enough day light left to put the tent up and quickly drive the bike route. This year I was staying with Stel and her family, in their house perched on the mountain side above the lake we would be swimming in, Llyn Pardan. On Saturday, Stel and myself checked out the lake temperature by having a quick dip and I discovered the run route would be slightly different to last year, with a nice steep jaunt up a flight of steps to a castle to start with. It was a shame the swim was shortened to 500m, but rules meant 1km in 11degrees wasn't allowed. Yes, you heard right, I said "It was a shame". I never thought I would want a longer swim, but having overdosed on chlorine this winter I was keen to put the hours of swimming into action and compare myself to last year.

2) Pack warm. Mountain weather is unpredictable.

I had 3 swim caps with me, all of which I wore. I had arm warmers and socks but decided on the minimalist approach, which my feet didn't appreciate, cold feet trying to get into my trainers is one tricky manoeuver I discovered. (Yes Ele, I know what I said to you when you offered me over shoes "I'm not that soft, I don't need those!" I eat my words!)

Cold feet, made getting the trainers on harder than getting up in the mornings!

3) Attack the bike

My top tips included going for it up the Llanberis pass, the first climb and then enjoying the following descent. I decided to use my Garmin on the bike, this was the first race I have ever done this, usually preferring to just "get on and race it". Having been training with my Garmin and specifically a power meter this winter I decided to change tact. I wasn't focussing on Watts but my goal was to keep a high cadence on both the hills and the downs and use heart rate to prevent too hard a start. With adrenaline I easily failed at the latter point! I managed 207watts for 50km completing the bike 3minutes quicker than last year in 1.31.

My Bike split is on Strava here

4) The run- "save some energy for the run beyond the zigzags" was my advice.

I looked over my shoulder at the start of the zig zags and saw 2nd place female Natalie Seymour, not far behind me, probably only 15seconds adrift. Well, all thoughts of conserving any energy went out the window. "Go Go Go" was all I thought, I ran up and down that mountain like a lunatic, managing to completely fall flat on my face on the descent as I attempted to jump between rocks (2 week later the knees are still bruised). I managed a sufficiently non sensible, all out run, to finish 45 seconds up on Natalie and retain my title, and the Quarryman challenge (fastest female up the zigzags in 10minutes 52seconds, 30seconds quicker than last year) every bit sweeter because it took every ounce of energy to manage it.

Little side note:

Slateman 2015 marks the 4th time I have had the pleasure of racing Natalie Seymour, our head to head encounters stands at 2 a piece:

September 2013 World Triathlon Championships London 25-29age group Natalie 9th, Suzie 15th

May 214 Slateman Triathlon Suzie 1st, Natalie 2nd

June 2014 Blenheim Sprint Triathlon (British elite Super series) Natalie 11th, Suzie 15th

May 2015 Slateman Triathlon Suzie 1st, Natalie 2nd

Natalie is a great competitor, unfortunately last year after Blenheim she had a bike crash that ruled her out for the rest of the season, so it was good to see her back in action and she absolutely pushed me all the way to the line, at Slateman this year. An athlete who represented Team GB at London 2012 in the Hockey squad, she is one quality athlete and I look forward to doing battle again!

Well done Natalie Seymour 2nd and Ruth Purbrook 3rd. Top racing.

The smile says it all. So much love and support out on the course THANK YOU

5) Make a weekend of it

Llanberis and the surrounding area, really is a beautiful area. I took my own advice and made a weekend of it. Staying with Stel, Mabon and Merin over the weekend. Saturday night was a 10 person feast with my Mum, Mike, Rohan, Madi, Jess and Robin celebrating  Madi's birthday and enjoying a pre dinner walk around the Slatemines. This area is quickly becoming one of my favourite spots in the UK and Stel and her family are fantastic hosts.

Slateman Triathlon will be shown on Channel 4 on June 6th. Here is a sneak peek.

 Writing this, a year on from winning my first Slateman in 2014 and having managed to retain my title in 2015, I started thinking about what I have done differently in the year between the two. Sure, the basic are still the same, I still swim, bike and run, a fair amount each week, week in week out. 

 There are two main areas I have given a bit more thought too in the recent year.

Movement and mobility

We call it crazy voodoo magic, but it's basically me and Ele having a laugh!

I have written a more comprehensive piece on this on The Movement Therapy website here

In summary, I buggered my Achilles last season, I have been working with Sarah Pitts along with a few other professionals in Leeds to sort this out. One key area of weakness I found was my mobility and range of movement  so I have been working with Sarah at The Movement Therapy Centre to increase my range of motion. Alongside the Leeds Bradford Tri Club weekly Yoga practice with Kirsten Steffensen and building in better daily movement habits. The power of habits, why we do what we do and how to change by Charles Duhigg is a fantastic book that I fell in love with in my old job and is well worth a read. Read this book and you will discover why my most disliked word is "talent"... if I can increase my range of motion through practice then surely the same is true for all skills?

 Nutrition. A hot topic and something I have been experimenting with recently. I have written a piece on the OTE website explaining how I fuelled my Slateman adventure.

Banana and chocolate chip cakes and Tapioca Pudding essential goodies for the hosts (and for me!)

Finally, a shout out to The Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation, Two years ago, out of the 100s of emails I sent they were the only people who replied with a 'Yes' to my request for financial help. They gave me a cheque for £500, which helped me to buy a TT bike.

Helping the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation. You can read about the launch here and see the piece on ITV here

This week I have been helping them with their yearly launch. To raise awareness of 1) The grants they give out to support young people with ambitions and 2) The awards. You can find out more on both of these here.

Good Luck with all your own racing. Go have fun!

On your marks, get set, go. Go miniature pony go!

Seasons are changing. Homemade soups are being replaced with homemade salads.

The cherry blossom is out, the trails are drying up.

And strength training now involves keeping the veg patch well fertilised.

As we shift from soups to salads I have found myself shifting from training to racing. The 2015 race season has begun in earnest and just like our soups and salads, it's all about having a colourful mix of ingredients.

Racing, getting from A to B the fastest? An exhibition of physical skills and prowess? Maybe but not always. I enjoy the challenge of racing but there is more to it than meets the eye. I will take you through four different races I have done recently and explain the different purposes of each of them and what I have learnt along the way.

The event: Northern Road Relays, Liverpool, Saturday 28h March
The purpose: Having spent more time aqua jogging (jogging in water, travelling at the pace of a snail) this winter than running on land. I wanted to stretch my legs and see where I was in terms of running fitness. Also I have a soft spot for road relays, having grown up on a diet of road relays for Bristol AC as a junior. I enjoy the team element and having missed the XC season with a grumbling achilles, I was itching to get out and join Leeds City for a team day out.
How did the miniature pony fair? The road relays comprises of 6 runners in each team, 4 runners run a 'short stage' one lap of Sefton Park, 3.7km. The other two runners run the 'long stage'  2 laps 7.4km. I was the first runner for the b team and ran a 'long stage'. I finished 8th out of 61 on leg one, 28.39 placed me 15th on the day out of all 120 runners who ran the long stage. A decent run, and more importantly an achilles that was in one piece.
The main take away: Aqua Jogging at times has felt like pricking my eyes with pins. But it works when you are coming back from injury. I managed a decent run and it was a great day for Leeds city with the ladies A team winning the whole race, the B team came 12th overall and 1st b team and the men took the win as well.

Running with Hudak, always good catching up with old Loughborough buddies

The event: V214 10mile Cycle Time Trial, 17th April, a dual carriage way in North Yorkshire
The purpose: I like routine, but I also like variety. So I replaced the weekly TT effort I often do on Mondays on my normal Monday road loop with an official TT on Saturday afternoon. Putting a number on the jersey, setting off at 1 minute intervals gets the adrenaline going and helps explode the lungs and legs just that little bit more than normal.
How did the miniature pony fair? 4th female out of 12 with a 24.54 clocking for 16.2km. 39.5km/h not too bad for a miniature pony, with little legs on a windy dual carriageway.
The main take away: It is still possible to go wrong on an out and back 10mile race, along a  dual carriageway. Good job that if, potentially you do come off one junction too early, you can always go round the roundabout, back up the slip road and re join the route, pretend nothing has happened. Minor detours, just taking in the local scenery. Got to get the money worth, make that 10mile TT as long as possible. For any one who wants to put their legs and lungs in the hurt box, then time trialling is for you!


The event: Stockton Duathlon, Sunday 26th April (10km run, 40km bike, 5km run)
The purpose: Time to combine the running with the cycling and to commence battle with club mate Ele Haresign. 

How did the miniature pony fair? I have written a more

comprehensive race report on the Race Skin Website here. In summary; the same 3 ended up on the podium as last year, but with Ele getting her revenge, smashing me on the 2nd run and scooping the win. I was 2nd and Emma Holt again picked up 3rd. Top racing ladies.

The main take away: Stockton Duathlon is hands down the best Duathlon in the UK that I have experienced. Great value for money, closed roads, top prizes, high class competition, a fantastic course and atmosphere. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I have written more on why I love the Stockton Duathlon in my race report here.

The event: Women's Tour De Yorkshire, cycling road race, 80km. Saturday 2nd May.
The purpose: Hell, why not! Getting to compete on closed roads with some of the country's best cyclists, finishing just before Wiggins et al cross the same finish line in York isn't an everyday opportunity. Atmosphere and crowds is what this race promised (See the BBC preview here) And it didn't disappoint.
How did the miniature pony fair? 58th out of 102 starters. 2 hours 11minutes of racing around a 20km road loop in York. 36.5kmp for 80km. What a buzz. I managed to hang onto the main group for 2 laps, getting dropped early on lap 3, I worked hard to catch a few riders in front who had suffered the same fate. We got organised, eventually. OK so I can get a bit loud and shout at others during races, hey it's best for everyone! We chain ganged it round, picking up a few who had been chewed up and spat off the main group and we lost a few from our small group off the back. The pace slowed in the final kilometre's as it got a bit cat and mouse like with people saving themselves for a sprint. As true out and out slow twitch lass I was sat on the front of the group, grafting hard. I have no sprint to save myself for! Alba club mate Seonaid, led a chase group behind us and sniffed us out with 200m to go, a few sprinted past, I was happy enough to dig in, see them fly by and finish. I survived the broom wagon, many didn't, getting pulled off the course if you fall too far behind the leaders is standard practice. The crowd was incredible, my ears were ringing from the cheers, drums, whistles and Alba Corner; a sea of pink and black club mates from the cycle club dominating one of the corners on the course was overwhelming support. 

David vs Goliath.Dame Sarah Storey's Pearl Izumi team vs happy go lucky local AlbaGirls

The main take away: What's the worst that can happen when you line up against 100 cyclists including Olympic Champions Dame Sarah Storey, Joanna Roswell and GB rider Katie Archibald et al? You fail. Who cares. You can also exceed your own expectations and the feeling when you do that is worth the challenge.

With Alba Team mate Seonaid at the finish, we didn't quite manage to finish in the position of our start numbers!

Unfortunately the women's race wasn't televised, but you can watch a great little video summarising the race with Dame Sarah Story providing a good race preview here.

So that's it, a running race, a cycle time trial a Duathlon and the Women's Tour de Yorkshire to kick start the 2015 race season. I look forward to the upcoming races with excitement. Especially after the delivery of nutrition from OTE and run trainers and gear from Always Aim High. Goes well with my 2015 Race Skin Triathlon Suit.

 It was with a sad heart I read of the tragic earthquake disaster in Nepal. A country close to my heart, having spent a few months there in 2005. I recently read a nice quote "I divide my money into thirds. I save, I spend and I give" I really liked this quote so I have decided this is how I will divide any prize money I win. Therefore I will give a third of my prize money from Stockton Duathlon to the Teach for Nepal organisation in an effort to help the remote communities they work with, who have been affected by the earthquake. Information on this and how to donate can be found here.

Stay safe, have fun and good luck with your own racing

From Snowmen to Daffodils, a winter summary and a spanish start to spring

The daffodils are out, spring is here. Hurrah, WELL DONE everyone, winter miles have been ticked off. Lets hope Sunday rides are less about surviving hours of head winds, freezing temperatures, chewing salt and grit and more about sunglasses, shorts, T-shirts and ice cream stops.

So a little winter summary. Winter, a time to get in the training for the summer triathlon races. It appears everyone has an opinion on what training is best, what you should do, when and how much of it. What is the correct answer? Is there a correct answer? I doubt it. That is the great thing about sport; you can have several athletes, preparing for the same event, going about their preparation in different ways, to suit their needs, because as we know everyone is different. I have just finished reading "The Perfect Distance:Ovett and Coe:The Record Breaking Rivalry" and this exemplified the stark differences between the two in their approaches to their quest for the same goal.It's well worth a read.

During the winter, I have been asked, “So what training are you doing? What’s the secret?” I thought I would share my winter training with you using a little analogy.

Lets compare training with fancy dress making. I do love a bit of fancy dress. Recently I attended a friends 30th Birthday party, the fancy dress theme “London Tube stops” I decided on High Barnet.

Step 1: Careful consideration and research

The London tube has 270 stops, plenty of choice. Just like planning your race calendar. Do you go for something like Marylebone, not so straight forward, needs some thought, is it possible to combine Bob Marley and a bone? In a way, a bit like a challenging race like Slateman Triathlon in North Wales with the notorious run up the Slateman quarry tracks, or do you go for something more straight forward? Like Wimbledon, tennis whites or Baker Street, apron and rolling pin. A bit like your local pool based sprint triathlon.

Step 2: Sourcing the materials/ Skill acquisition

Having decided on the tube stop, High Barnet. The next step is sourcing the materials, I was thinking a Beehive wig, did Leeds market have one? No. So improvisation was key, some fabric and wire purchased from the market and I decided to make my own using existing household objects. Similar to skills acquisition in triathlon training. What skills do you need for your chosen race? What have you already got in your armory? What are your strengths and what are the weaknesses? What skills need sourcing? For me, I come from a running background, having been cross-country running since I was 13 years old; I have a fair few miles in my legs. Swimming is the skill I am attempting to acquire, as it’s the discipline I only started in 2012. I visited Coach Lou in Birmingham where we filmed and analysed my swim technique and have been using specific drills to improve throughout the winter.

Step 3: Laying the foundations.

Old bike helmet, layered up with plastic kitchen bowls and Tupperware were the foundations for my High Barnet fancy dress.  I needed it to be sturdy, so it would cope with the dance floor. Just like requiring a sturdy body to cope with the rigors of Triathlon. Injuries, something that can happen but we all try and avoid. Gym work, strength and conditioning, mobility work has played a big part of my winter program in laying the foundations. This winter I have started Yoga and working with Sarah at The Movement Therapy Centre in Leeds to increase my mobility and range of motion. This has been crucial in building a body that can not only withstand the rigors of hours and hours of training, but to carry out the training effectively.

 Step 4: Building the blocks a bit higher

I had the basics of the High Barnet established, it was sturdy and I had the initial layers, it was time to add some height, it’s not Low Barnet but High Barnet after all! How high should it be? It is a balancing act, just like training, attempting to get the desired result, with out causing too much chaos. Training is all about balance, and as everyone says, consistency.  Day after day, week after week, month after month, putting the work in, no heroics but following the plan, progressing step by step, making tweaks where necessary and focusing on making the end destination, that goal race in peak form.

Step 5: Getting more specific

With the High Barnet, as high as dance floor appropriate, I added the fabric. I am not sure how to compare this to one section in triathlon so I will share some of my Bike training with you. Coach Louise Barron is the brain behind my training. She thinks it up, explains it and I do it. This year my training started in October, following an end of season breather with a few weeks of mountain biking and casual riding. We started on the rollers, for pedal technique alongside big gear long hill reps out on the road, we then progress to shorter sharper hill efforts. Its tough getting warmed up in winter weather with traffic lights to contend with so I often warm up on the turbo, getting my heart rate in the right place, then pull leggings and winter jersey on, jump on the road bike and hit the hills reps outside. Now we are onto 2 turbo workouts a week, one consisting of short reps, one longer sweet spot efforts.  That’s where we are now, last year; the more specific stage went onto doing TT work on a local 12mile road loop and weekly chain gang with the local Leeds cyclists/triathletes. So training follows a progressive pattern in blocks, getting more race specific as the season progresses. Refueling on OTE protein, post turbo workout, is just the ticket, especially when you have a train to catch shortly after the session that requires energy to dash across the train station.

Step 6: Trimming the edges

The fabric was on, now I just needed to trim the fabric so i could actually see! Hey presto the High Barnet was complete. In Triathlon, this is the final stage, race prep, or “the taper” as some call it. I personal prefer “race prep” as when I look at the training Coach Lou gives me, the diary is still pretty full. Less volume but still getting out in open water to do a few pre race day efforts, a few short sharp running efforts to keep the legs bouncy. Race prep is a very individual. For me it has been trial and error. I experimented with getting a quick swim or run in on race morning, as I find I need a fair bit of warming up to feel race ready. I personally prefer resting at the start of the week and then building into a race. It’s a very individual trimming process.

Some of the girls in their fancy dress outfits. Top efforts by everyone, achieved in very individual ways, just like training and race preparation.

That's it, winter is done, a lot of training is ticked off, a lot more to do but spring is here, and that meant last week was spent cycling with Alba Rosa cycle club, in Spain. A week with 24 guys who have smoother legs than me! I wrote an article titled "Fueling a days training in Spain" for OTE, which can be found on their website here. It gives an insight into the fun I had sea swimming, cycling in the mountains and finishing the day with a run and how I fuel all this fun!

Which leads to me introduce you to the BigSuz Team. Over the winter i have been working hard in creating a team to help me accomplish my triathlon goals. 

OTE: Are a nutrition company, based in Leeds and are providing me with race and training nutrition. I was introduced as an OTE fueled athlete on their website a few weeks ago, you can read it here.

Race Skin: Provide costum triathlon and cycle kit to clubs and individuals. Based in Yorkshire Raceskin are my Kit sponsors.Thanks Colin for getting me some new kit in time for the many miles we cycled in Spain.

The Movement Therapy: Set up by Sarah Pitts. The movement therapy centre is helping me with weekly mobility sessions run by Sarah, who has magic hands and is fast becoming known as the movement guru!

Always Aim High Events: Are supporting me with shoes and specific pieces of gear.

Team BigSuz is growing and it's great to have you all on board. I will be writing articles for OTE and Raceskin so keep an eye on their websites. If you want to join the team, get in touch as I am still looking for people to help fund the triathlon dreams.

Winter Wonders and Woes

Winter, a time to wrap up warm, tick off the training, plan the race diary for the upcoming season and stay fit and healthy. Straight forward. Well, it's not been quite that straight forward for me lately.
As the title suggests, so far Winter has been one of Ups and Downs or as I like to say Wonders and Woes!
Here are my top Winter Wonders and Woes!

Winter Wonder: Hot Homemade food

"You are what you eat" apparently! With many hours of winter training, comes much eating. The best way to keep training in winter is to fill the belly with warmth and great food! The slow cooker has been getting a good work out in our house. Now I am no Nigella, but my philosophy is: 1) you can never have too many eggs in a quiche 2) You can never have too many bananas in a smoothie 3) Home made rice pudding is great fuel pre and post swimming (Nice one Adam!) 4) Heaps of greens a day keep the doctor away.

This time of year is all about cups of tea and homemade soups to keep you warm. Even better with home grown leek thrown in. Leeks are super hardy vegetable, this fella, has been surviving the winter chill outdoors in our garden before we remembered him and dug him up, if he is that hardy he has got to be packed full of goodness

                                                                   

Winter Woe: Grumbling Achilles

From July 2014 onwards I was suffering with a grumbling achilles, I made a decision to keep racing and training as much as I could, I knew it was risky. A holiday in the Caribbean and riding a crest of good form persuaded me it was worth going through the pain barrier for. I knew my battered achilles would need time to heal. Rest I gave it, 8 weeks from the last race on Oct 5th. 8 weeks, surely thats enough rest? No it grumbled on. Only now, Mid January, am I starting to run again, it's been frustrating, ive done exercises, seen physio's and stretched my way into oblivion. Ive swapped running for Aqua Jogging, been fed up and frustrated. But fingers crossed there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel as I saw the sunrise yesterday while running, pain free on the muddy trails. What a beautiful feeling. 

Winter Wonder: Body Knowledge 

The flip side to an injury is increased knowledge of my body, it's weaknesses, gaining patience (ok not much but a little) getting it wrong and learning from it. So from an injury woe, emerges a wonder. A new appreciation for my body, so much new knowledge of it's biomechanics and understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.

One top tip I have learnt; If it hurts, something is wrong, resting it won't fix it, you need to actively do something. If you don't know what, seek out the professionals who do. Sorting out tight hips, hip flexors and gluts has been my big learning from the last few months.

Winter Woe: Winter Weather. Punctures and Dirty Bikes

Saturday, 5am, I am cycling to the pool (swim gala means it's an early start for the Leeds Masters group, whom I regularly swim with) it's dark, it's cold, it's raining. I get a puncture. Turn around, I push,run,freewheel back home, change bikes, try again. No mud guard on the new bike. Bugger, wet trousers. Wet trousers are not nice to put back on again post swim.

Mud guards are essential winter gear, on all bikes! Adam extended our mudguards with home made flaps, aka converted pound store place mats to prevent us eating too much grit that flies up from each others rear wheels. Washing bikes is a constant activity in our house, demoralising when you know It will just get dirty the next day. At least it looks sparkly for the first few km of each ride!

After yet another puncture, I purchased some robust winter tyres from the mid ride cafe/bike shop. Kept me warm for the final 20mile ride home. 

Winter Wonder: Cold but Beautiful out there. 

Winter can produce some stunning scenery. In Yorkshire and further afield. We decided to test out what the Peak District had to offer. With tooth brushes and a spare pair of knickers in the cycle jersey back pocket, we jumped on the train form Leeds to Edale, checked into Edale Youth Hostel, feasted on a 3 course evening meal and bedded down in the bunks for the night. Sunday morning, fuelled by a cooked breakfast, we left Edale and cycled back to Leeds. Looked at the map, only 60miles, wind direction was a south westerly, perfect, tailwind all the way home! One error was not looking at the contours closely enough, hilly, understatement!       

Edale to Leeds, not too far, just a few hills. Well,1932meters worth, thats one and a quarter times up Ben Nevis. One way to keep warm!

Out riding with Tor, Aaron and Adam during the festive break, time off work means more time to enjoy the winter wonderland. You can watch a short video of our ride here

Winter Woe and a Wonder!

Winter means training, a fair bit of it! Sometimes it is a woe, sometimes a wonder. Often type 2 fun, fun you only realise you have had, after it has been done, once you are warm, fed and recovering on the sofa! Recently training has been hurting my head more than my body. Trying to improve my swim technique in the pool, has me doing doggy paddle up and down the pool at the speed of a snail. Technique on the rollers has me pedalling one legged and trying to stay upright and technique on the run has seen me being overtaken by a dad pushing a double buggy! Rollers, what are they? I hear you cry.Think of it as cycling on ice, ice that moves! OK, so actually its cylinders that rotate as you cycle, its good for pedal stroke technique and working on cadence, otherwise known as spinning your legs so fast, you think they will fly off! Our landlord obviously knew I would be using the kitchen for roller training so he designed the lighting to creating a awesome roller disco effect! Just one way I spice up my training!

Winter training, presents a few obstacles, British weather, road blocks, flooding and if you draw your route on a piece of paper and stuff it in your leggings, it will probably blow away at some point!

As I enjoy the Winter weather my attention is turning to racing in 2015. 2014 was a decent year for me, 5 race wins, a World Age Group Championship title. So what to target in 2015? 

My main target is Ironman UK, July 19th followed by heading back to North Wales to defend my Slateman, Sandman and Snowman titles. 

Ironman UK 

 3.86km swim, 180.25km biking and 42.2km running

 A challenge that makes heading out in the British winter weather seem worth while! Yes it's a big gamble with my recent achilles woes, yes I should probably start with a half iron distance race first, yes it probably isn't sensible. But. Yes it excites me, it inspires me and yes I believe I can do well, if my body stays in one shape. Lets begin the journey...

Happy winter training and enjoy the journey towards your own goals in 2015.

Caribbean Chilling, now that's a race prize!

30 km of trail running, including 3764ft ascent up welsh mountains
180 km of cycling with 5641ft of ascent
2750m of swimming in Snowdonia mountain lakes and the Irish Sea.

It was well worth it....

Chilling out on the Island of Nevis in the Caribbean, the 1st place prize for Ewan Brown and myself for winning the Always Aim High Series. Encompassing the Slateman, Sandman and Snowman Triathlons in North Wales. Can you win a better prize in UK triathlon races? You can read my previous reports on the three races by clicking on the links above. If you fancy you can sit back and watch the races on Channel 4 / 4od (Snowman Sat 29th 6.15am Channel4)

Nevis, 36 square miles in area, apparently more monkeys inhabit the island than people, average daily temperature of 82 degrees, operating on two currencies; the US dollar and East Caribbean dollar, which is fixed at 2.7% of the US $. 409 Hotel rooms are available across the island, many luxurious and more use to the grey haired wealthy brigade than triathlon prize winners. You can find out more about Nevis on the island website here.

Nevis is truly a tropical island paradise. How was the trip? I have been asked by family and friends in the last few days, since returning to the UK. So here are some of my answers to the questions I have been asked recently. 

Did you have to wear an anti- shark wetsuit when swimming in the sea?
Does an anti shark wetsuit even exist?
The sea was bath temperature and because I was doing serious swimming I wore my bikkini, it's more areo than a swim costume. There are sharks around, but according to the locals only little ones, if you see one we were advised just to wave and smile at it and it wouldn't bother us. Thankfully I never had to put that advice into action. Ewan did scare the living daylights out of me, by popping up out of no where on one swim, thankfully he sent me this shark article once we were home.

What is not to like about swimming here?

Did you get pricked by sea urchins? Like that time you went skinny dipping in Greece?

Hey, I was 18 then, and yes I know skinny dipping after a few cocktails is never a good idea, I have learnt my lesson!
Ewan managed to get some sea spike type things in his foot during one swim. Though it didn't put him off swimming. He was back in the sea later that day after some tweezers sorted out the spikes. Like most days, we took advantage of the bath temperature waters; clear views down to the sea bed, admired sting rays, brightly coloured fish and sea turtles. We got in plenty of open water swim practice. It was good to meet someone else who also translates "little swim with sea turtles" as "several kilometers around the headland in choppy waters"! 

Perfect bay for swim practice and no Sea Urchins or Sharks (that we saw!)

Did you swing on large vines in the jungle, like in the jungle book?
Nevis is covered in dense jungle like vegetation. The island is volcanic and is dominated by Nevis Peak, a 985m high Volcano in the middle of the island. We hiked up to the summit on Sunday morning before breakfast. Scrambling up steep muddy trails with the help of ropes, roots and vines, I did feel quite Mowgli like! 

Happy Hikers at the top of Nevis Peak and GI Jane Hansom using the ropes and vines.

What was the other prize winner like, were you guys out triathlon training dawn till dusk?

"Thanks guys for not being weird and odd balls"

Ta lizzie, same to you guys!

Ewan Brown won the men's series and he was joined by Lizzie, his girlfriend. Adam my boyfriend joined us and the four of us lived here for the week (Oualie Beach resort). I think the prize was just as much a reward for Lizzie and Adam as you can't win races alone. The people behind the scenes are very much key to the success.

Munching on Pineapple outside the Oualie Beach Resort Bungalows.

Training dawn till dusk? Well Lizzie, Ewan and myself took a Hobi catamaran out for a spin while Adam cruised around windsurfing. And if one of us spotted a sea turtle or sting ray we would all hurtle in and splash around it. It was pretty hot and humid, surprising really for a tropical island at 17.10N longitude and 62.35 W latitude! So while we did hire bikes, rides around the island were morning affairs or just transport from one beach to the next, with plenty of sight seeing stops.

Thanks for being awesome holiday buddies guys!

What did you eat? Can you now eat spicy jerk chicken or do you still have embarrassingly mild taste buds and sweat when you eat spicy food?
Hang on, that incident was due to a very hot spicy curry, about 7 years ago! 
Anyway, yes I did have Jerk Chicken, once, the final night buffet at our host Oualie resort. Other than that, the four of us, shared cooking duties. Being in adjourning bungalows we stocked the fridge full on day one at the local super market, not so easy gettting the shopping back in the local Reggae Reggae mini bus, a different story.
Between Ewan, Lizzie, Adam and Myself, we cooked up a piece de resistance each night. The speciality was the final days lunch extraordinaire, aka use everything up. Rolls filled with peanut butter, scrambled egg and split peas, washed down with red cabbage salad. Apparently according to Chain Reactions Grant, we were breaking all the pre flight dietary rules! 

Cooking the final days lunch special!

Sounds like you laid about in hammocks and on the beach all day, were you not meant to do a Triathlon?
Ah yes another element of the prize was free entry into the Nevis Triathlon. Which we were in top form for. After our end of season break, of doing bugger all, eating and drinking aplenty, we were in fine form! That didn't matter, this was a more laid back, fun race. The sea swim was just as much about spotting a sea turtle and the ride about avoiding monkeys than PBs. Recovering from an Achilles injury I took part in the relay, doing the swim leg, passing onto Adam who rode the bike so hard it punctured so he ran it down the road and passed the baton to Always Aim High boss Tim Llyod who put his competitive spirit into action as he sprinted for the line in an epic sprint finish. Ewan won the standard distance men's race, with tri247.com Paul Shanley in second, while Jane Hansom, who was ultimately responsible for us being in Nevis in the first place, won the ladies event. A top effort by all in the heat, I was pretty happy to be only involved in the swim.

Ewan and Jane won the Olympic Distance race, while I was joined in the relay by Adam and Tim. Good to see Tim put in some effort! 

If you win the prize again next year, can you take me? 
I think you should enter the Slateman, Sandman and Snowman triathlons and try and bag that holiday yourself! You can enter them here.

All in all it was a fantastic week away. I can not thank Jane Hansom, Greg from @NevisNaturally and the Always Aim High team enough for such an incredible prize. 

The week in Nevis brings the end of season break to a close. Training will resume, it has been great having a rest since Snowman at the start of October. It has been nice spending time with friends and family, celebrating weddings, congratulations Nikki and Alex. Taking my role as chief clown at the hen do seriously and abandoning the structured swim, bike, run training for a few weeks. 
This time of year is great, the training instructions from coach Lou were "do what you feel like" so the mountain bikes got muddy, the cafe stops got longer and generally nothing has been too serious. I think that may all change though...

A big thanks to my sponsors Raceskin and Always Aim High. It is great to be working with you guys. I look forward to keeping toasty wearing your kit during winter training. I know the school kids at Lingfield Notre Dame School appreciated the buffs, water bottles and swim caps  supplied by Always Aim High. Having quiz prizes definitely made the talk I did for them way more fun. So thanks guys.

A final big thank you to Sarah J Pitts, Chris Kitson and Danica Bonello Spiteri for all their help, magic hands and knowledge in their ongoing help with fixing my dodgy achilles. 

Good luck with your own winter training and hope you all have your thermals ready!