Ok, I’ve been a bit slack in getting this blog updated, there is quite a lot to get through because when I was just about to write there’s something that comes up and I’m acutely aware I shouldn’t write my instant emotive thoughts until I’ve actually processed them in my head first!
Right – **Disclaimer**… I might end up ranting on here so be prepared!
Once back in the UK it was time to use the massive endurance block in Majorca to get some kind of speed in my legs. And with that I started with the local club 10 TT events, knocking out a “22” on a fairly flat course and then a “23” on a lumpy course a few days later. All this really to see what zone and power I was going to ride the Nottingham Half Relay at.
Instead of the usual Friday/Saturday stay at Nottingham and then home straight after the event, we decided to do a Saturday/Sunday stay and celebrate after the event and then pack up & go home on the Monday morning. We arrived in Nottingham at around lunchtime and made it straight to Holme Pierepoint to get to registration and get my bike racked as soon as possible. Danny was the swimmer, I was the cyclist and Ben was the runner. I was a bit apprehensive about Ben hitting the run hard as he had Challenge Roth in 6 weeks’ time and I didn’t want him going the same way as Suzy did last year – getting an injury and not being able to training until Raceday. Nonetheless, he was keen to get stuck in, as was Danny, so here we were…ready to race!
Suzy was also part of a team – she was the swimmer, Danny’s wife – Michelle was the cyclist and Suzy’s mum – Cheryl was the runner. So we were all mindful of putting in our best on the day.
Come race morning, we all prepped in our own ways – I walked off to the transition to set myself up on the bike and waited calmly for Danny to show up – and that he did with a pretty quick 30min 1900m, I think what knackered him more was the run from the swim to me waiting at the bike!
Then it was my turn, I’d be lying to say I hadn’t stressed about this for a few days, sos much so I had about 2hrs sleep the night before, fearful of letting everyone down. I set off around the footpath round the rowing lake and started picking a few riders off just as I had last year before we even got out into the countryside. The race was somewhat affected by seeing someone in the distance in the first few miles that had made some comments about me off the bike a few years back. I saw red and chased him down – bang went my race strategy – there was no way he was passing me again!
I got into a bit of a fight (cycling-wise – not a fist fight) with one rider and we shared turns – if you’d call it that for the next hour, during this we passed about another 50 or so riders whilst we were locking horns with each other, then on a small climb, and him being about 30kgs lighter than me, I watched him disappear into the distance! I settled in to the next hour picking a few riders off here & there and then on the way back to the transition I noticed a group of 6 riders sitting on my tail, letting me do the work. My honest reaction was of anger – how dare they sit on me only to take me coming into transition! So I eased off…and they eased off! So I thought “sod it” and put in a massive spike for about 2-3 minutes and when I looked back they were nowhere to be seen. I came into T2 with a 2:17 recorded – another 2 minutes off my event PB and handed over to Ben. In fairness he took his leg conservatively and came in with a 1:25 – a PB for him despite him staying off the gas throughout. Good news for him with Roth on the horizon. On the day we had all hit PB’s in each of our disciplines and as it turned out we had just missed out on a podium at the event (4th place) – who would’ve thought it!
Suzy’s team came in safe & sound despite Cheryl having a wobble at the end and having to go in the first aid tent at the end because of the heat on the day. She was soon out and we celebrated what we had achieved with a few drinks back at the hotel that evening.
The following week was the London 100 for me & Suzy, we set off for London on the Friday evening and had a bit of a day of it and took on a Matinee Show in the Westend – Back To The Future with Danny & Michelle, which was pretty amazing. The weather was pretty warm, right up until the morning of the event where it absolutely chucked it down, right up until the start of the ride. So, the roads were soaked, we were soaked having to wait in our pens for over an hour before the ride started, but the sun came out and I think I had eventually dried out by the time I hit the finish line!
Suzy & I were in different pens as we were differing abilities, so I decided to wait near the finish line for her after I had finished. My ride was pretty much as it was the year before – full gas for the first hour trying to get into the fastest group possible before settling in for the duration. Then after about 3hrs I started to struggle – maybe the weather? Maybe not enough fuelling? Who knows. And with a stroke of bad luck I hit a pothole and got a front wheel puncture with about 20-odd miles to go. By the time I had changed the tube and got the slippery tyre back-on (at leats 20minutes and a lot of swearing) I was back into riding but this time on my own. I was ok with that and soon enough I was swallowed up by a bigger group moving just that little bit faster. With about 5 miles to go I took off on my own – my little “breakaway” in my head and finished just ahead of the group. My riding time was about 5 minutes slower than last year but considering the puncture and riding on my own for nearly 15 miles I’ll take that any day of the week.
I waited at the finish area for Suzy to finish, and that she did and so we both waited for all the Beccles Triathlon Club members to finish, one by one over the next 8 hours, congratulating each & every one of them, whilst taking in the whole atmosphere of the event. I think that’s it for me at the London 100 – a great event but as both of my rides were pretty much like for like I don’t think there’s anymore to do at this event for me. If Suzy wants to ride it again, I’ll do it with her, but not on my own.
The following week I as invited, last-minute to ride with a group of friends at the Norwich 100. A really relaxed affair with plenty of coffee stops and a good bunch of guys with differing abilities that we (mostly) kept together for the majority of the ride. Suzy rode also, taking on the 60 mile event on the same day with a group of ladies. We all met up at the finish line , had a few drinks, had a laugh and went home. Considering the race-like ride the previous week it was great to have a more of a social ride this time round and I was happy with riding on the front when no-one else really wanted to. I felt strong throughout and at no point was I thinking the wheels were going to fall off so I was happy with that.
The following week was the big one – The Norfolk Epic – an organised ride round the county of Norfolk, round it’s border high was 200 miles – the furthest I had ever gone on a bike. In fairness it was only a few miles further than 312 and a lot less climbing so I was happy to have a go and see what I could do.
Suzy was due to ride with a friend but dropped out with a few days to go so I she dropped me off at The Great Yarmouth Racecourse HQ at 4:30am and wished me the best.
I started well, riding out to Bungay and then Diss pretty much on my own. I had picked up a few slower riders, I pushed for a few miles, I looked behind and they were nowhere to be seen so I carried on solo regardless. I was caught by a faster group but after a few miles I needed a nature break so had to stop in a lay-by and they rode off without me. I got the first feed stop only a few minutes behind the first group. They were in & out of the feed stop like their life depended on it but I took my time, having another nature break, taking on some nutrition and being friendly to the gym who had volunteered at these stations.
The next leg was into a nagging headwind on my own through Thetford, Brandon and the Fenland drains towards Wisbech. I was questioning my sanity at one point as I was in a complete no-mans land between the leading group and the followers but I stuck to my target power and headed into the 2nd feed stop at 96 miles again, only a few minutes behind the lead group! Here I took on a proper lunch – sandwiches, crisps, refilled the bottles, had a coffee and onwards towards Kings Lynn and then onto the North Norfolk Coast all the way round back to Great Yarmouth.
I caught up with a group just before Kings Lynn, sat on the back for a short while and then started to take turns at the front. We caught a few more riders and they joined our group moving past Kings Lynn and then to Hunstanton before sweeping into a good tailwind which helped us get home, not before more feed stations at 135 and 165 miles. And then it was back into my old old stomping grounds after Cromer where I felt pretty strong as those around me were falling apart and cramping back to the Racecourse. Suzy was tracking me and was almost caught out by the fact I was home before she realised. Again – I was only about 15 minutes behind the lead group and considering the feed stops we were taking I was also quite surprised!
Another event completed – the last Norfolk Epic by all accounts – I’m glad I got to do it as it was always on my cycling “Bucket List” 🙂
For all the “highs” there had to be some “lows” on the horizon…
The following week was the Triathlon Club 10 Mile Championships around a club course, held by Great Yarmouth Cycling Club on a Thursday evening. I aimed to show up to defend my 2023 title. I arrived at the field by the village hall to see a few extra riders getting ready – one of them who I had made a point of avoiding for the last few years. It’s no big secret that whilst in my hospital bed after my crash this individual who I considered my best friend, had promised the world to me, said they’d be there for me and it was quite an emotional telephone call to be fair. Since that phone call there has been absolutely nothing – promises were never carried out. I’ve never pushed this subject but I realised pretty quickly whilst being house-bound and still unsure whether I was ever going to walk or ride a bike again, that this person was never a friend and had been putting me down for many years. Even when I first was able to ride a bike again a comment was made that I was so slow that I had stopped for a coffee before finishing the organised ride. Considering where I had come from and what physical & mental resilience I had to even get back on a bike I had expected far more encouraging & supportive words but nothing could be further from that.
Back to the event – I rode my best race, PB’ing my 10 mile TT power of 2024 and was happy with the outcome. I didn’t win the event as such – I was beaten by 2 minutes by a truly great rider and was also beaten by this person by 30 seconds…so I came 3rd as such. But… I had retained my title as these riders rode for another cycling club.
Fast forwards 48 hours and after a deluge of WhatsApp messages, it was clear that there was a vendetta against me. In my own defence, I stayed out of the ensuing argument. I even questioned my own sanity and double-checked online whether this rider was justified and had changed their first-claim club to the Triathlon Club. Long story short, this rider had joined the triathlon club to race triathlons, but was still registered as a cyclist for another club in both Road Racing and Time Trialling disciplines. Therefore, they were not eligible for the championships. But by just wearing their triathlon racing kit on the night they thought they were eligible – a few “others” made comments that evening and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t lose sleep over it – to be brutally honest it killed me for at least a week. Even talking (writing) about it now fills me with anxiety. The person that I had tried to avoid for so long had somehow made their way into my little world again and created some kind of a drama to make me feel like I did when I realised they were full of broken promises.
Taking a step back – the rationale for these championships was to get the Triathlon Club members into racing Time Trials. At the same time “Riders Standards” were also released by the club committee – a way for club members to attain certain times to get an award at the AGM – an acknowledgement for their performances in this single discipline, just as the club had been doing with running standards for several years. These initiatives were released by the club committee at a time when I was only weeks out of hospital fearful for my future and yet – some people have made comments that this was my “brainchild” so I can award myself with my own trophies and awards – a very short memory if I say so myself. Admittedly, when these were announced I made it a focus to get back to riding a bike and then to racing so I could be competitive at these events, and with that I made it back to the racing scene and won the 10,25 and 50 mile TT championships in 2023. I’m nowhere near the rider I was but I’m over the moon to represent this triathlon club in open events and wear club colours with pride. I’ve taken pride in knowing that people respect me for what I’ve been through and making this comeback to racing – to now know that secretly (or openly in some cases) people have voiced their opinion that I’ve single-handedly pushed for these championships to win them myself has made me take a long hard look at myself and these events and at one point I even considered leaving the club to avoid the accusations and insinuations. I’ve even questioned who I considered to be my friends and I’ve recently withdrawn myself from quite a few people to work out who my friends really are.
Moving on from this, I continue to avoid, in fact I did not attend a recent event purely because they would be there. My counsellor would definitely have something to say if she knew I avoided this scenario – we’ve been working so hard for me to face my fears and anxieties and yet this was one step too far. It is what it is.
The following week Suzy & I were off to Portugal to represent Great Britain for the European Middle Distance Aquabike Championships in Coimbre in Portugal. Just like Menen in Belgium last year, Suzy’s friend Vicki was competing in the Aquathlon so we supported her in her race and then the next day she did in ours.
Suzy and I had pre-qualified from Menin being both in the top-10 in our Age Group and one of the first 3 British athletes so I was hoping for a repeat of my 6th place, if not better. The weather was very hot and the organisers, in their infinite wisdom had arranged for the Aquabikers to start their race at 12:30 – right at the hottest part of the day. So, in 34 degree heat I started my swim in a nice rubber wetsuit in warm water! I was out of the water in 34 minutes – my fastest time at this distance and started my bike leg in fairly good spirit. The heat soon took hold and with 30 minutes I was pushing less power than I had done on holiday in Majorca in April over a 6hr easy ride! I took a few scalps but I was nowhere near where I wanted to be. The result was 10th place which in general terms is still a good performance but I knew I could be better – maybe the last few weeks “drama” had taken it’s toll on me???
Suzy had a great race – training hasn’t been the best since Majorca and work stresses have not given her the drive needed to complete key sessions, so, she was always going to have fun at this event and take it all in and enjoy the fact that she even qualified and represented GB again – something like 8 times now!
Job done – time for some sightseeing and let’s get home!
It was only with another 10 days of training that we were off again on our travels – this time to Challenge Roth to support our BTC friends Ben, Jenny & Graham, just as they had for us last year when Suzy & I did the relay at this event as “Team Esser”. As always it’s an amazing event and definitely the flagship for Challenge Family.
We travelled, in separate cars, together with Ben & Abi by car via the overnight ferry and then a 8-hour road trip to Nurnburg in Bavaria. A long day but broken up by frequent cafe stops and general chat in the car with Suzy & her mum – Cheryl as she wanted to come along for support.
The great thing about going back the following year was that we kind of knew where everything was and knew how to get there, where to park, how to move between the two “split” transitions which made it all the more easy for the guys to mentally prepare for the event.
I joined in with Ben at the swim recce on the Friday morning and liked it so much I did the Saturday morning recce too while Ben was doing a short bike ride to make sure his bike was working well before he racked it that afternoon. Jenny & Graham were staying somewhere else and we met them at various points throughout the weekend, as well as the Raceday to encourage and support. Also, one of the athletes I’m coaching – Ken (as well as Ben) were taking part, he flew in on Friday evening and I helped as best I could on the Saturday to make sure he was in the right place at the right time.
Come RaceDay it was a mere 15 degrees and raining – a far contrasts to previous years where it has been mid-30’s and not a cloud in the sky – you’d be mistaken for thinking you were racing in the UK the way it was! Nevertheless, myself, Suzy, Abi, Cheryl and now Alex (another BTC club member) were cheering & supporting Ben, Ken, Jenny & Graham throughout the day whether just into the swim, just out, on the bike, lap 1 and lap 2 and at differing points on the run before seeing them home in the magnificently built Roth Stadium for their finish line experience!
There were tears – Ben officially became a sub-10 athlete and Graham came in just ahead of Jenny and just ahead of Ken – what an amazing experience to support my athletes and my friends. I think when you’re racing you very rarely take it all in as you’re concentrating on your own race but as a supporter it’s amazing how big this triathlon really is!
Job done – yep you guessed it – time for some sightseeing and lets get home!
Home on the Wednesday morning after the overnight ferry from Holland and straight back into some form of training before the Triathlon Club 25 miles TT Championships…
This time this event was “piggy backing” on top of an open event so club riders who were throwing their hat in the ring so-to-speak had to officially enter under their first-claim so there would be no ambiguity in who was riding for who (unlike club events where the timekeeper is at the disposal of whatever the rider tells them who they ride for). Again, I was apprehensive on who might show up and after the 10’s altercations I had already decided to “DNS (Did Not Start) if a certain someone had entered. I received the startsheet a few days before the event and they weren’t listed so this gave me the green light to defend my 2023 title.
And so I did with a 56:50 on a less than easy day. A course PB on a pretty blustery day and to top it all my first ride on my new TT bike after having it built for me on the Friday – two days earlier!
There was a gear failure with 6 miles to go so I had to ride into an ever-increasing headwind in my biggest gear so it wasn’t the best day but I was happy with my 6th place on the day overall and a defended championship.
That’s it I guess!
A few events on the horizon, did I mention I’ve got a new TT bike? lol
Ok, it’s not brand new brand new but it’s a new frame and various bits taken off my old TT bike and a few other new bits because my old bits won’t fit on the new frame etc. but it’s pretty quick and I’ve only done a 10 and 25 on it in pretty fast times.
I’ve also bitten the bullet and had a swimsmooth swim analysis and the great news is there is pretty much everything wrong with my swim stroke! This means that with a few adjustments, some drills and some good discipline in the Pool and Open Water I can get my swim speed up to finally being a little bit more competitive at Middle Distance Aquabike events.
There’s also the small issue of me being a bit on the large side – nutrition is on-point at the moment as I’m having someone look at my daily nutritional needs and making adjustments for me to get back to some kind of “racing weight” as I used to back in the day when I used to Road Race. I could do it myself as I am qualified but it’s nice to be accountable to someone else and let them do all the calculations instead of me!
Onwards!!!!!
Did I mention Suzy? I think I did 🙂
My rock, my voice of reason when I thought I was losing it.
My reassurance when I think everyone is out to attack me.
My sounding board when I want to blow off steam or voice my anxieties.
My official chef as I’m pretty useless in the kitchen with this new nutritional plan!
My wife 🙂