So here we go again – another 6 weeks have passed and another new set of dramas, obstacles and generally “life” getting in the way of things you want to do.
Writing my last blog I had just won my Age Group at Nottingham. Being typically “me” I was already looking for the next challenge and the next event and had little time or inclination to continue celebrating my win. This, weirdly, is something I tell my athletes are Hashtag Coaching to savour and yet I find myself doing the opposite – “do as I say, not as I do” kind of approach I think!
Within a week I was soon into the first major target (of mine) for 2025 – a personal best in a 100 mile TT. Considering my TT times over the past year I had hoped that I picked up a good time. The last time I did one was way back in 2018 in preparations for my Ironman Barcelona, adding to this once I finished I put on a pair of trainers and surprised people in the village hall car park by going off for a 10k run immediately afterwards! This event was South West of London so Suzy & I booked a Holiday Inn room for the night before, which as it turned out was directly above a Wetherspoons Pub! Suffice to say we didn’t get much sleep that night. But we were still up at the crack of dawn and off to the village hall headquarters for 5am. The weather had been pretty good for the whole week beforehand and I was looking to quite a still day but, as is always the case the weather, although still sunny (mostly) got worse and the wind rose and the rain poured in places throughout the race. I had imagined the course to be quite flat but it was from far from that! Adding insult to injury the rising wind was against me in the uphill segments. So there I was barely touching the pedals and doing 40mph in one direction and almost 10 mile tT pace in the other just to stay on the bike. The eventual winner – Jake Sargeant actually said that was one of the hardest days on the bike he had experienced so I was quite surprised I actually finished – 4:07:15, a 7 minute Personal Best. I wasn’t in a good place at the end by I had completed what I had set out to do so job done!
The following week I was racing both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was planned – a 10 Mile TT which was the Eastern District Championships. This course I had last raced on about 7-8 years ago so I was keen to see what I could do. A stiff wind (again) and surprisingly hot conditions put paid to a super-fast time but I still got a top-10 result. Onto the Sunday and I had been “substituted” last minute in for a Middle Distance Triathlon Relay Bike Leg by Suzy alongside her work colleague – Jordan, who had started running recently. Suzy was to do the swim, me the bike and him the run. No pressure as such as it was all about enjoying the experience as opposed to going flat-out.
We stayed over at another Holiday Inn overnight, no pub below us this time, and we were relaxed and well-rested for the event.
Suzy was straight into the water and I started to prepare for the changeover about 40 minutes later… Suzy surprised herself by coming out of the water in 35 minutes and handed over the baton (timing chip) for me to get on with the small matter of a 56 mile bike ride. Having raced the day before I had trimmed a few watts off my predicated target and proceeded to just sit on that number – regardless was picking off riders one-by-one quite quickly in the early stages. On the first of the four “out & back” segments of the course I counted the riders coming the other way and I was already in 25th position. The next one I was in 18th and from then I congratulated each rider as I passed them and told them what position they were in. Coming into T2 to change over to Jordan I was in 10th place – probably not the best position for him to start his first ever Half Marathon! He said “I think you’ve stitched me up” as I handed over the timing chip!
Suzy and I cheered Jordan on over the 4-lap course and he was very much in good spirits all the way round and he came home in a very solid time for his first (and biggest ever) run. His performance had also put us in bronze position for the relay team prize and we hung around to collect our medals and get podium photos! To say he was over the moon was an understatement.
Next challenge!
Ben Bremner had suggested several weeks ago that we should do the original lap of Mallorca – the proper 312. This loop which goes round the exterior of the island used to be the route of the famous 312 sportive but was changed in recent years due to its popularity and the residents of Palma not wanting 8000 cyclists riding through their city. So at the drop of the hat I agreed!
Having raced a 100 and a 56 mile event in the past 2 weeks I though my endurance was fairly good so didn’t see an issue with getting round my favourite island – what I hadn’t planned for was the 32 degree heat during the day!
We arrived the day before, received our hire bikes, and went out for a short ride, a compulsory coffee stop and back to the hotel for all you can eat buffett and to baed for an early start.
We had planned on getting in the restaurant early and setting off before the sun came up but the hotel were a bit negative when we told then our plans – apparently the restaurant was only open to people who had early flights and wanted a quick breakfast & coffee before they were picked up by the transit bus. We said we could pretend we could do that – but they said “we now know you are not these people – so no”. Instead Ben & I went in the restaurant a little later and took on a fuller amount of food as we didn’t want to start hungry and then start to forge for food so earlier on our route.
Off we went, taking on the islands’ biggest & best climbs before most people had even got out of bed and we were into Palma at the halfway stage by 2pm, sitting at the Rapha Cafe, eating lunch before embarking on the easier half with very little climbing. I was pretty fatigued and was struggling to hold Ben’s wheel at times so after a few impromptu stops at “the spider cafe” (IYKYK) and a few Respsol Petrol Stations to restock on water and the occasional Mint Feast Ice Cream we were getting close to our finish line. To be fair by body was starting to shut down as the heat had go the better of me – Ben could’ve quite easily pushed the pace and dropped me but he stayed behind me and let me dictate the pace all the way home. He said afterwards he was afraid to talk to me as I was getting annoyed and he though I might not appreciate the chatting whilst I was dying!!!
Nonetheless, we got back to Alcudia in under 12 hours of riding and Ben immediately hit the Burger King to replenish food stocks. Me? 4 chips! That’s all I could stomach. But once we got back to the hotel we hit the bar and a beer & a glass of chocomel sorted me out!
The next day – taking a “Rest Day” (of course!) we did a 100km+ ride to Cycling Planet cafe for their famous Grande Coffee (a bucket – literally!) and pistachio cheesecake.
Job done – another big bucket list item ticked off 🙂
No sooner had I arrived back in the UK, Suzy & I were preparing to head off to the US for 10 days. Suzy’s uncle lives in Paradise, California. Infamous for the California fires 6 years ago where the whole town was destroyed. We set off on Virgin Atlantic’s big birds and were lucky enough to have our bid for an upgrade accepted and we hit the premium economy minibar ( alcohol free)and freebie snack bar quite hard! We arrived in San Fransisco at 10pm Uk time but it was only 2pm Us time so now the fight against tiredness had started. We only had the matter of a small 4hr drive to Paradise to contend with. On the way we detoured to go over the Golden Gate Bridge in our hire car – a very small (in comparison to US giant pick ups) Nissan “Viva” and we took in the sights of downtown San Fran and the Vista and Views at the viewpoint near the bridge. We then hit the infamous rush hour traffic and got to David & Leah’s house just before 9pm local time.
The next few days were totally chilled. David is a very intellectual guys and the direction of our conversations each day was very diverse. We learned of his & Leahs’s experiences in the fire. He took us on a tour of the local area including some local spots which were pretty untouched by humans. I was amazed by the vastness of the whole area and I was slightly overwhelmed by the whole experience. They had booked a weekend away in a place called Mendocino on the California coast and I was subjected to one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen – again, a lot of it untouched by humans. To say I was emotionally overwhelmed by this was an understatement. So much natural beauty.
After two days of just chilling and walking around this beautiful town and the local area we came back to Paradise.
I had arranged a bike to hire at a shop in the local city of Chico, and then proceeded to ride a couple of 3-hr rides over the next two days which again has blown my mind on how courteous US drivers are. Completely the opposite to what we are led to believe by the UK media channels.
At the end of our stay we visited a few more local tourist sites and spent a lot of time chatting and playing board games with Andrew & Philip – D&L’s two children. Sarah, their 3rd child was away on a summer camp in New Mexico, but we did have a video call so that was nice.
On our way home we took in San Fran again, taking in the famous seals on the pier, and Alcatraz which was amazing, before heading to LA for our flight home.
Again we were successful in getting an upgrade, this time into Upper Class and we made the most of our Virgin Upper Class Lounge experience before getting onto the plane to make it home.
Fast forward two days and I was at another 100 Mile TT! Yes, not the best preparation for a big ride but it was always on my list of events to do before even thought of going to the US. Completely jet-lagged I dragged myself to the 4:30am start near Cambridge and set off on what hopefully would be a faster ride than that a few weeks previous. The course was a lot flatter and road condition was better than the last so I set off reservedly on this 3-lap race. My minute man – the guy who started a minute behind me, passed me after 5 miles and it took a lot of self-control not to bite and chase him. Instead I stayed on my own course and passed him back at 60 miles to then take another 5 minutes out of him as he detonated very early. In the end I finished in 3:56:05 – a personal best by 11 minutes. What a day out!
I’m pretty chuffed to be fair and that’s my last 100 done for a while – they’re tough events and hats off to the lads that went over 30 minutes quicker than me!!!
Fast forward (again) a few days and I’m at a 10 mile TT on part of the course I did at the 100 and hoping for fast time. I set off quite well but the 100 was still in my legs and I struggled after halfway. Still, a 3:29 minute improvement on my course PB so I can’t complain really – but I probably will!
So, here I am, on a Friday morning, writing this just before setting off on another silly adventure – a 7 day ride to Roth in Bavaria. Challenge Roth is happening next Sunday so I’m riding there and meeting Suzy, Abu, Ben, Jenny & Graham (Roth supporters to Abi) for her main 2025 event. I suggested riding there when we were there last year and it’s kinda stuck – doh!