2015 Support and the Future

In the fading light of 2015 I wanted to take this opportunity to thank every single person who has helped me this year. Triathlon is one of the hardest individual sports on the planet but you simply can't do it alone.

I wanted to thank Simon Aske at Colin Lewis Cycles and Aske Bikes. Simon has supported me for so many years now and I can't appreciate what you have done for me enough. Pedal Potential has been a huge help this season and has enabled me to get to all of my races this season, what the guys have set up is truly amazing and they all deserve recognition for what they are doing to help young cyclists and triathletes. Yanto and everybody at Le Col for making me a classy Tri-suit to race in and for providing me with top quality bike kit to train in year round. A huge thank you to Luke Watson and everyone in the Loughborough Triathlon Performance Centre for turning me into a proper triathlete and getting me established in the sport. I really wouldn't be in this position without Luke's help this year. HUUB your support though wetsuits and swim kit has been incredibly useful and I feel privileged to wear the best wetsuit and swim-skin at races. Cervelo and Russell Mather thank you for your support at the end of the season, it's an honour to be astride the fastest bikes on the planet, I'm looking forward to our future in the sport together. My gratitude to the Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust for your continued support, a trust that has helped me ever since I started cycling. Thanks to OTE for the Nutrition support you gave me though-out the season. And a big thank you to everyone behind the scenes, parents, family, friends, the people I train with in the week and to all the amazing people I have met through triathlon.

2016 is shaping up to be an incredible year, my first in the pro ranks. Thank you Race-force, Pedal Potential, Pearl Izumi, Compressport, Lazer, Cervelo, HUUB, JWCT, for your agreed and continued support and sponsorship. Many of these companies and people have begun working with me already making preparations ahead of 2016 and giving me kit to train in and with through the winter. I'm really looking forward to working long term with Mark Pierce my coach. I started with Mark in October and we have made so much progress already, I can't wait to see what we can do working together in the years ahead.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and all the best for a successful 2016 ahead!

All About the Base…..

I've now completed the first block of endurance training; technique work in pool, speed and mechanics work for running and building a solid endurance base on the bike. Getting that base work done is critical to building strong foundations on which you then build strength, power, speed and race specific work. These last few weeks have seen an increase in wind and rain, not surprising at this time of year but when you're battling the elements day in day out it can become a bit of a psychological battle as well as a physical one.

I had a week resting up to let the work soak in and am now part way though block two of the 2016 preparations. The first week was spent in Loughborough with the normal routine, the following weeks were to be back at home on Dartmoor tackling some tough climbs and running across the moor. It's been great to be back and to have a break from the somewhat tame and unchallenging hills in the Leicestershire countryside. To be greeted at the foot of each climb with a 20 or 25% gradient warning sign is something I've really missed. The running has been brilliant as well, being able to head out of the back gate on the farm and not touch a road for 2hrs or even see another person is very special, true wilderness. The dogs have been company for the long runs this week. They never pace them very well though, getting very excited at the start and running off ahead, only to find in the last hour that they are struggling to keep up, it would be quite difficult to explain to them at the start though.

Being back home to see everyone has been very refreshing too. I don't come back very often and this visit it was great to see the whole family and catch up on everything I've missed since June.

The next adventure will be a training in Spain for a month, with some of the Loughborough crew. I'm flying out in the second week of January and am going to get some more miles in the legs hopefully with a lot less rain and wind.

Getting Back Into The Routine

After my last race of the season at Hever Castle I took a few weeks off to allow the body to fully recover and to rekindle motivation and drive for the 2016 season. It was great to chill out and somewhat novel to feel like a normal person if only for a short time. For example being able to walk up stairs without an ache in my legs was quite a nice feeling. But inevitably after some time I was itching to go again.

Ive been getting some good miles in on my Aske bike, fully kitted out with mudguards to keep me dry through out the winter months. The bike grows on me every time I ride it, from the styling and look to the handling and it's simplicity. It is nice to have a frame with classic tubing and geometry. The bike is lively and full of character, responding to your every acceleration and direction change. The road feels dampened out and smooth even when the going gets rough, which is fantastic for the long winter rides.

Some great news is that I've started working with Madison again. I rode for their professional cycling team in 2013. Madison are going to sponsor me through their brands Peal Izumi, Compressport and Lazer. I'm really excited to be working with them.

I've been working hard in the last few months to set up good relationships with companies that I value and really enjoy working with. I have been very lucky to build a great group of companies and people around me to ensure I can perform at my best next season. Race force, Pedal Potential, Cervelo, Pearl Izumi, Compressport, Lazer, High 5, HUUB, Lane 1 Sports Management have all agreed to support me in 2016.

Another addition is that I have decided to start working with Mark Pearce at Intelligent Triathlon Training. Ive recognised the need for a more professional and analytical approach to my coaching and training, also the need for a specific plan tailored around my focus, goals and races. Mark seemed like the perfect choice and I'm really looking forward to working with him for this season and into the future.

My race season is shaping up nicely with a number of Challenge and Castle Series races. Im also planning to tackle the Alpe D'huez long distance triathlon in late July. For now the winter base training has begun.

Bala Olympic and Hever 70.3

September, the last month of racing for me. I had two quality domestic british races planned: Bala Olympic on the 7th and Hever Castle 70.3 on the 27th.
My body had started to show signs of tiredness and end of season fatigue, after a packed schedule of over 15 triathlons including 4 70.3's and around 10 Olympic distance races.

My new race bike from Cervelo

Following the 70.3 Ironman World Championships in Austria I took a couple of days easy leading into Bala. Not knowing what to expect from my body I went there relaxed and with an open mind. Bala was going to be the perfect test of progress since last year when I did the same race.
The field at Bala was stacked. I just went out and raced hard, coming out of the water 5 mins down on the leaders. Over the duration of the bike, a fast out and back course, I closed down this gap and put a good 30-40 seconds into a few of the guys who were first out of the water. This put me in about 10th as some strong riders had held the advantage they'd gained out of the swim. I ran myself up to 7th over the 10km foot race. I was really pleased with the result and had completed the race in 6 mins 30 secs quicker than the previous year, showing good progression in the swim and on the bike.

The last few strides on the 2015 season at Hever Castle

Hever Castle, my last race and 4th 70.3. Hever was also the last race in the Caste Triathlon series. It had attracted some very good names including Darren Jenkins, Will Cowen and Matt Dewis. We started with a rather brisk 1.9km swim, followed by an undulating 90km on the bike and finished with an off-road, long half marathon.
After a tough swim I rode up though the field into 5th place, with 8mins to bridge to the leader. On the first lap I ran up into 2nd place and bought back 2mins of his lead. On the second lap I picked up the pace and bought the gap back down to 50 seconds at the finish line, I just needed a couple more kilometres and I would have had the win. I was really pleased to take 2nd though and get to stand on the podium again. The race will be shown on Channel 4 towards the end of October.

I've had a long tough season with up's and down's. Its been a huge learning experience and I've figured out exactly what I want to do and the direction I want to go in within triathlon. Next season I'll be racing in the long distance Pro field, with a number of 70.3's already targeted and in the plan. This year wouldn't have been possible without the huge amount of coaching and support I've had from Luke Watson, and my fantastic sponsors Aske Bikes, Pedal Potential, Le Col, Cervelo, HUUB, OTE, Lane 1 coaching, and the Jeremy Willson CT.

I'm going to take a couple of weeks off to recover from the season now, then I'll be getting back into winter training in preparation for next year. There's lots of exciting plans and sponsors that il keep you posted on in the next couple of months, but for now its feet up, and……..relax.

IronMan 70.3 World Championships Zell Am See

This race had been in the back of my mind since moving up to Loughborough in September. Luke mentioned it in our first meeting together and since then I wanted to be there, racing in Austria on the 30th August. I didn't really tell anyone about this dream, just buried it deep within, put aside for when the time was right.

After a great win on Exmoor I managed to qualify for the race. Mum surprised me after Exmoor saying she'd like to come out and help with the race and enjoy a well deserved mini holiday with my sister Elinor whilst I looked at the courses and sharpened up for the race.

We flew out to Austria landing in Vienna on the Tuesday. The plan was to drive down to Zell am See to enjoy the country we were visiting and get a good perspective on where we were travelling to. The drive was amazing, we followed the motorway for 400km winding though the lower slopes of the Mountains, with the high peaks cutting into the horizon. We arrived at our apartment in the pitch black and had a weird 30 minutes or so convincing the owner that we had booked a place to stay for the week.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent bringing the intensity back up in training. I swam in the lake in the mornings, was out on the bike course during the day and checked out the run route and some trails in the area in the evening. The mountains and scenery in the area were stunning, I've not been to a place this beautiful before. The lake was warm and crystal clear. On the bike the roads were smooth and the course features a long climb with very steep sections in it. A truly amazing place to be able to race.

Two days out from the race I stuck to my usual training plan, getting the swim, bike and runs ticked off before race day. I use these to replicate short durations of the race pace that I will use for Sunday. The rest of the time was spent getting everything ready, and putting my feet up. I had a good catch up with Luke Watson the night before to go though my race plan and tactics.

Race day came around very quickly. It was a relaxed start time of 11:15, not the usual 6am starts for the long distance races in the UK. I completed my pre race morning ritual, a mixture of activation and mobility with a small jog to loosen up. Walking to the start line was quite magical alongside the lake, the crowds swelled and grew by the second, with thousands of competitors and spectators making there way to the start line. The atmosphere was electric all day, the kind that gives you goosebumps and that rush of adrenaline, truly special.

I sorted my bike out in transition and made the way to the swim start for my wave, ages 18-24. We were started by a cannon and headed out for a 1.9km swim strait out and back. I got really stuck in during the swim drafting as much as possible and working with others to try and save as much time as possible. The lake was crystal clear and this was one of the most enjoyable swims open water that I've ever experienced. I exited the water and made my way though the long transition, featuring bags with all your kit in (not the normal kit by bike set up).

I settled into my rhythm quickly on the bike sitting to the numbers planned for each stage of the race. I spent the entire duration of the bike leg overtaking, all the way onto the run. The course featured a 13km climb in the middle which I got stuck into. The route wound its way up an alpine pass with a steady gradient for the first 10km. The climb really kicked up at the end hitting 15% over the top. It was then a really fast run back into Zell Am See where I was hitting 60kph in parts on the rolling roads. I pushed the bike quite hard and had moved up from 50th out of the water in my wave to 16th.

A 21km run alongside the lake to finish. I went out hard at my planned and target pace wanting to clock a 1:15 half. I felt good and started strong, but by the 5th KM my bodies core temperature went through the roof and I was struggling to concentrate let alone hold the 3:30 per Km I had targeted. The run turned into a phycological battle for me helped enormously by my mum's and sister's encouragements and spectators lining the course. At each aid station I had to down 2 cups of water and soak myself with at least 2-3 sponges of icy water. The finishing chute was incredible, a wall of noise and atmosphere. I crossed the line found the nearest spot of shade and lay down for a long time mentally and physically exhausted.

I was really happy with my performance and it sets me up for the next stage in my triathlon career which will be racing at professional level. The race highlighted where I need to be but most importantly that I can be competitive at this level. The result from the race would have put me in the top 35 of the 50 best male long distance pros in the world which is a good start in my first season. Next up I have Bala Olympic on 6th September. Hever Castle Series on the 27th September and Challenge Mallorca on the 17th October.

Thanks to everyone who sent message of support before and after the race and to my sponsors, Aske Bike, Pedal Potential, Le Col, Huub, OTE and JWCT for making it possible.

Aske Bikes

Aske is a new brand of frame, hand made at Colin Lewis Cycles in Devon by Simon Aske. Simon offers something very special, the frames are made to measure. Using the Bike Cad software the exact characteristics of the frame can be created, that will perfectly fit the rider. The software produces the manufacturing plan and frame geometry outline, created using Simon's knowledge of frame design and characteristics. What results is a stunning frame tailored to the individual, a once in a life time partnership between rider and bike.

The frames are made from Reynolds steel tubing. My frame was manufactured using Reynolds 853 steel. I asked for a bike that would be a good companion for long rides and one that would handle well when the roads got technical. Using an oversized down tube, thin seat stays, and adjusting the head tube angles and overall wheel base Simon was able to achieve this with my frame.

Simon hand cut the tubes, assembled the tubing in the jig and used some very neat Tig welding to bring the frame together. One very classy touch is the hidden seat clamp which is located between the rear seat stays. These processes take hours of craftsmanship and patient work, precise calculations and engineering to produce the finished product. The frames can be painted in any colour and design. I chose a dark red with silver detail inside the chain stays, seat stays and forks.

The finished bike was build up using Ultegra 6800 11spd, 3T finishing kit, and hand build wheels from Colin Lewis Cycles (Dura Ace hubs laced to Open Pro rims) 

The bike is stunning and rides exactly as I wanted it to, a new companion for those long training miles. 

Follow @AskeBikes on Twitter or Facebook Aske Bikes to find out more. 

Highs and Lows

This weekend was the end of a big block of racing that started three months ago. The last couple of weeks have been a bit up and down. I raced in Geneva two weeks ago, at the European AG Championships. I ended up having a rough time when the airline lost my bike and all my kit on the flights over. I spent every day leading up to the race chasing my bike around Geneva, racking up a huge phone bill and riding the bus to and from the airport instead of looking at the course and enjoying the city. I finally got everything the afternoon before the race. I had to get my race head on in a matter of hours, changing mindsets on the spot, which threw me a bit. I lined up on the start line a bit frazzled, not expecting a huge amount but was going to race as hard as I could and see what happened. I had a difficult swim, finding it hard to focus and concentrate. I had a solid bike and run. Disappointed with my result, I set off on the bike into the mountains around lake Geneva for a few hours. I flew back the next day ready to start afresh and put the race behind me, but use the experience to help me in the future.

Racing in Geneva. Thanks to Dan Guerrero for the Photo 

Castle Howard, thanks Colin Dilcock for the photo

My final race in July was Castle Howard 70.3, the third race in the six-race Castle Series. The Castle Series team hosted a fantastic race in a stunning location. I travelled up with Max Hazell on the Saturday, as he was to be racing the Olympic distance on the same day. The ground at Castle Howard features a large lake where we would complete the swim before heading out onto a hilly two-lap bike course, followed by an off road half marathon to finish.

We started just as the sun burnt off the morning mist. I had an ok swim but still lost 5mins to the first guy out of the water. After a trouble free T1 I was out on the bike and keen to regain my swim deficit. I set to work and passed a few guys in the first 10km working my way up to 5^th. The riders ahead were a bit more difficult to catch. In the last couple of kilometers of lap one I caught sight of Matt Dewis on the crest of a climb. I worked my way up to him and past but had a bit of a battle trying to get clear and out of sight. In doing so I worked my way up to 3^rd on the road. I passed the guy in second but never managed to get away from him, coming into T2 with only a few seconds advantage. Going hard out of T2 I managed to finally get away and didn’t see him again until the finish. All I had to do now was catch the present leader. After 3km I passed him and took the lead. I settled into a good pace completing the 21km run in 1hr18, winning the race with an 11min 55sec lead, one of my best performances yet.

Making the overtake on Dewis, thanks Colin Dilcock for the photo

Thanks to everyone at the Castle Series for putting on a brilliant race, a chilled atmosphere, tough course, slick organization.

Thanks to my sponsors Colin Lewis Cycles, Pedal Potential, Le Col, Huub, JWCT, Pulsin and new sponsors coming on board Cervelo and OTE. A huge thank you to Luke Watson for all the work he has put in so far.

Next up, Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Zell am See, Austria at the end of August.

Challenge Paguera-Mallorca 2015

The prefect race to end the triathlon racing season!

Challenge Paguera-Mallorca, A warm non wetsuit swim, rolling bike on beautiful roads and a stunning run to finish. 

Enter online at: www.challenge-mallorca.com

See you there!

IronMan 70.3 UK Race Report

Wimbleball was to be my first 70.3 race of the season and one I'd been looking forward too for a very long time, a local-ish race for me, hills and a tough run. I came down to Devon a few days before to catch up with everyone at home and to have a look at the bike course.

Race weekend came around quite quickly, I'd been feeling really quite tired in the lead up to the race and slept quite a lot in the days before. It was quite surreal really, I was just ticking off the last few race prep training sessions, getting kit ready and then suddenly it was Saturday and I was there getting registered and racking up the bike ready to go. I tried to be quite canny and get all my pre race meals ready in a cool box but the sweltering day on Saturday meant all this went off and I decided it would be a good idea to source something edible. After a couple of laps of Tiverton passing weird looking takeaway places I came across a quirky little cafe. I ended up having a rather posh solo meal of parma ham and watermelon salad with roast chicken.

On race morning I did my usual pre race warm up, a 10-15min run with mobility work, getting some weird looks from the other competitors as I ran around. We then assembled in transition and headed down to the swim start. This was to be the biggest mass start race I'd ever done. Having 800 swimmers around was quite claustrophobic but I got my head in the right place and pressed on. The field soon spread out and I came out of the water with a swim time that needs some work, but one I was pleased with on the day.

Swim Start. Photo curtsey of "Stephen Pond/ Getty Images" 

The rain started to come down really heavily and the wind was picking up, not ideal for what faced us all on the bike, but I got stuck in and worked my way up through the field making use of the steep climbs. The course was reasonably challenging requiring constant concentration. I came over the brow of one climb into a fast decent, to find someone had misjudged the bend at the bottom coming off quite badly, one of those moments your heart jumps into your mouth. I really enjoyed the bike leg, it was great to have something I could get into with no let up for the duration I was out there.

On the Run: Photo curtsey of "Stephen Pond/ Getty Images" 

Coming off the bike into T2 someone shouted "You're in 8th place!" which was encouraging but I was optimistic of my chances of bridging to the lead. T2 went very smoothly, opting for the no sock option, figuring every second would count now. I went off quickly, picking off a couple of guys in the first km…6 to catch. I set in my mind to run as fast as I could and to see what happened. Each turn bought the front runners closer, I passed a couple more at half way. A slight wrong turn set me back 30-40 seconds which I wasn't too happy with but back on track I managed to settle back into my rhythm again. The support from everyone throughout the race was phenomenal, every athlete I lapped shouted encouraging words, and coming though the crowds the noise was amazing, giving me goose bumps and a rush of adrenaline. On the last lap I finally caught a glimpse of the leader, marked by a mountain bike rider. Only now did I believe I could catch him, as a spectator shouted " The gap is 2 minutes". I put everything into bridging the gap and made it 2 thirds of the way through lap 3. I then pushed on again to put as much time between us as I could, racing against the lead mountain bike marker to the finish. Coming down that finishing tunnel was one of the most thrilling things I've every experienced. It was such a buzz of atmosphere and realisation of what had just happened.

Finish.  Photo curtsey of "Stephen Pond/ Getty Images"

I was incredibly happy with the result but couldn't have got there with out the fantastic amount of help from my coach Luke Watson and the set up at Loughborough, also the help and support from Aske Bikes, Pedal Potential, Le Col, HUUB, Jeremy Willson CT.

What's next?
In two weeks I'll be racing the AG Europeans in Geneva, and then the Gauntlet at Castle Howard at the end of July. As I qualified for the IM 70.3 Worlds I'll be heading off to Austria to race there at the end of August too.
I'm incredibly motivated to make the step up to Pro 70.3 racing in the near future and really hope that what happened at Wimbleball will prove to be a stepping stone to the next level.

Race Season in Full Swing

Since the start of March the race season has started to get into full swing. I've raced Leicester Sprint, Belvoir Olympic Triathlon and my first Elite Olympic race at Lough Cutra. Training has been consistently progressing and I'm really pleased with how everything is going so far this season.

Leicester Sprint was a very well organised race put on by Race Time Events and close to home. Three of the Loughborough performance squad guys raced meaning competition for the win was going to be tough. The race format was a 400m pool swim, 20km bike and 5km run. I finished in 4th place with a good bike and run time. Results: http://www.stuweb.co.uk/race/ZJ/178.html

Two weeks after Leicester was my first olympic race of the season at Belvoir Castle. The swim was in a lake in the estate's grounds followed by an undulating 45km on the bike and an out and back two lap 10km run to finish. The swim was cold and very murky. As the lake was so shallow, all of the silt whipped up and as a result the water tuned black. Every time I came up to sight or breath it would be bright sunlight and then back underwater it was completely dark, a very strange experience. Following a long run to transition I was then out on the bike, I got into a good rhythm and managed to make up many places after my swim deficit. I came off the bike in 21st place and then ran my way up to 7th. I posted the fastest run split of the day by a couple of minutes.
Results: http://www.stuweb.co.uk/event/1937#1011

The following weekend was Lough Cutra. The first in the elite castle series races held every month from May to September. Me and Max travelled over to Ireland on the Thursday, it was a bit of an epic road trip but we managed to get it done and had Friday and Saturday to chill in Ireland before Sundays race. We stayed in a very odd B+B, but it did the job for a couple of nights. The race was an olympic distance so 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. The swim was in a spectacular lake in the castle grounds, but it was incredibly cold, 11 degrees. I really struggled with the temperature and didn't properly warm up until the run later in the race. On the bike I managed to ride my way up though the field into 6th place, although the power I was trying to hit was reduced by how cold I had become in the swim. I had another good run with the second fastest run time overall and fastest finishing lap. I was 4th overall in the olympic distance race. Results of the race: http://www.stuweb.co.uk/event/1873#250.

 This was my first taste of the Castle series, organisation was fantastic and the event was run incredibly smoothly, in a very iconic and stunning location. If you are thinking of racing triathlon for the first time this year or are still planning out your race calendar I would highly recommend giving the caste series a go, visit  http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk for more info and to enter online.

I've got a busy couple of months ahead now with Deva Olympic 14th June, Ironman 70.3 Exmoor 28th June, European AG olympic champs 12th July, and Castle Howard 70.3 26th July.

Client Testimonial

Jamie Stevenson 

Triathlete 

Age 34 from Torquay 

I've been running for 8 years, riding for 5 years and competing in triathlons for 4 years. 

After doing some power tests at Exeter uni in late 2013 & starting to ride with power soon after, I started to train myself using books and online articles. But I always had a doubt that I wasn't doing it correctly, as I seemed to plateau in my training performance, so I contacted Brennan to have a chat about what he could offer me.  At that time he primarily offered cycling coaching, but Brennan Townsend had just started triathlon himself, so I started getting coached by Brennan. 

Being coached by Brennan takes all the guess work and uncertainty out of my training and also makes me more committed. As I receive my training through Training Peaks I know what I'm doing that week and can prepare for it. Brennan is very professional and helpful in my training, and if I have any questions my emails are always replied to within a day. 

They also understand that I only have limited time available to train and fit my training around my day to day life. 

Brennan has helped me understand how to train more effectively and has helped me understand my body & what I can and can't do. And also to set realistic goals that are achievable which keeps your motivation up. 

This year I aim to continue to increase my FPT and to increase my running speed, & hopefully a sub 5hr half ironman.

One great example of being coached by Brennan was a couple of months or so before a half Ironman event. I was worrying that I wasn't running enough distance, a quick email to Brennan and he explained why I wasn't running big distances and what he was trying to achieve with me, that put my mind at rest. If I was training myself I would have ramped the distance up way too early and over trained. 

Final thoughts, if you want to get stronger & faster as a triathlete it would be much more beneficial to get Brennan to train you rather than spending your money on some new kit (aero wheels). The the new kit might give you a quick gain but being trained will give you a bigger engine & the confidence to race your own race, so you will go faster. 

I would highly recommend Brennan.  

Cycling Coaching

Cycling Coaching

I am launching coaching using the training peaks software aimed specifically at cycling and cycling within triathlon. 

Ive been working as a coach for over a year now passing my ABCC (Association of British Cycling Coaches) cycling coaching qualification in May 2014.

Training, performance and nutrition have interested me ever since I began cycling as a junior and I coached myself to win the Junior of Wales in 2011 and 3rd overall in the Junior National Series.

I spent two seasons as a professional cyclist riding for teams Raleigh GAC and Madison Genesis. I raced multiple UCI stage and one day races. I gained experience at the top of the sport against World Tour teams. I've experienced all levels of coaching myself, and have truly come to appreciate how much a coach can increase cycling performance and fitness. 

I now am mixing my racing up between long distance triathlons and road races as I study my Sports Science degree at Loughborough University. 

As a coach I like to give riders all the contact time that they need and keep training plans up to date and specific to the riders or triathletes goals and ambitions.

What you'll receive:

• A premium Training Peaks account 
• Initial consultation analysing goals, strengths, weaknesses, fitness and setting of training zones 
• Daily emails with your training for the next two days 
• Coaching to power, heart rate or feel.
• Regular contact via email, text phone and Facebook as necessary.
• Monthly assessment of fitness and necessary fitness testing. 
• Race tactics and advice leading into competition.
• Advice and help with nutrition for races and training

Contact me at brennantownshend@hotmail.com for more information.

The Build Phase and Early Season Preparation Races

Since my last update I've competed in a variety of different races; an off road duathlon, cross-country, a standard duathlon, a couple of 5km road races, a 10km race and my first sprint triathlon.

After finishing a good consistent winter training block off and with spring on the way I've switched to a focused build phase leading into the main races of the season starting in May, finishing in October. During the season I am going to be racing Olympic and 70.3 distance triathlons so a large focus with training will always be to push my endurance levels up. This concept applies to my swimming, cycling and running. With the swim in need a lot of technical work so I have to mix in drills and technique reinforcement sessions, which sometimes take priority over general conditioning. One tool that I've been using has been a set of neoprene shorts which enable me to hold the correct body position in the water allowing me to focus on swim mechanics. I swim a little quicker in the pool (in the shorts) too which is ideal for group sessions. My running training is focused on speed, muscular endurance and mechanics work, with some fast running off the bike thrown in as well. With the cycling I've been trying to keep up a good volume, mixing session up with group race scenarios, TT work and aerobic devopment. Personally for me a good aerobic volume on the bike seems to push up the endurance across all three sports as I can tolerate a solid amount of hours riding. Ive been working on a very specific gym programme focusing on mobility work and running mechanic development which so far is helping a huge amount in the pool and during run sessions.

I have been doing quite a mix of early season preparation races; off road and road duathlons, running races and a pool based triathlon. I kicked off with a 10km XC running race which was done with Loughborough University at the Birmingham District League, it was a good hit out in the mud and I enjoyed getting stuck in. Following this was an off road duathlon in Frimley. It was extremely cold for the race with -3 showing on my temperature gauge in the car, so I plastered myself in warm up embrocation and vas-aline to keep the wind off my skin, I was actually quite toasty during the 2hrs of racing. The duathlon had a 10km trail run, 30km off road mountain bike, 5km trail run structure. I tried to pace the first 10km conservatively and came into transition 2nd after a hilly and technical 10km run in the woods. Then it was onto the bike, from the start it was clear that my MTB skills had been left behind in the last decade when I used to do a lot of dirt jumping and XC MTB riding, but I got stuck in and tried to use fitness to get me round. I ended up loosing a few places on the MTB. Setting off for the last run I knew there would be some work to do so I just went full gas, posting the fastest final run split and overtaking 6 of my competitors along the way. I worked my way up to finish second. I was happy with the result but feel that the off road scene doesn't play to my greatest strengths. I followed up the race with a standard distance duathlon on the road three weeks later. This race didn't go so well, I misjudged the level of fatigue that id built up in the weeks leading up to it and had a very difficult race. However mistakes are never a bad thing as I came away from it having learnt that the approach I took into the race didn't work for me so I would know to avoid it next time.

After the duathlon I suffered from some very tight calves and to prevent serious injury I stopped running for 10 days and got a good 20+ hour bike week in. Another change to my program mainly in the last few months has been my inclusion in the elite Para-triathlon swim training, as I've been able to get a bit quicker I manage to keep up with them in the water and it has been great to be able to have a lane slot and involvement with their open water adaptation sessions with no lane ropes in the pool. The para triathletes are very inspiring and a great group to swim with.

My biggest early season race was to be the Elite Duathlon Championships, but unfortunately due to weather conditions the race got turned into a 10km run instead. I was gutted about this but at least I got to test the run legs against some very quick runners. I ran a 34:11 in tough conditions. Results : http://www.stuweb.co.uk/race/11N. It was great to see squad members Adam Bowden and David Bishop on the podium.

In the last couple of weeks I've had some good performances in my first local sprint triathlon and local 5km evening run series. I raced the Race Time Events Desford triathlon on sunday 12th April, finishing 4th overall behind squad and training partners Carl Shaw, Chris Hine, and Matt Dewis. I managed to post the fastest run time of the day and second fastest bike spilt, just the swim and transitions that saw me fall behind. The race had a nice chilled atmosphere and it was a good place to put the first swim-bike-run together leading into my main race season that will kick of in May. On the Wednesday following the sprint triathlon I raced Derby 5km. I was looking to go under 16mins and managed to pull it off after some very solid weeks of training and a race in the legs. I was really pleased to come away with a time of 15:55 and to see so many of my squad mates post some rapid times and achive their own PB's.

Looking ahead I now have two 25mile TT's , Leicester Sprint and The Little Beaver triathlons before I will be lining up in the elite field in the Lough Cutra castle series race on the 24th May.

Challenge Mallorca 2013 - Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana - Highlights

Castle Series Triathlons

This season among other races il be competing in a selection of the Castle Series Triathlons. The series is held in the UK, Ireland and France, and consists of six races. The distances range from Junior all the way up to long distance "Bastion". The series provides race opportunities for everyone from beginners to elites.

The races are held in stunning locations on castle grounds, giving competitors and spectators fantastic surroundings to enjoy and take in before, during and after the race.

Here are two video montages of Castle Howard  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx_iCd27Tcs and Hever Long Distance Triathlon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auEA3KkV8Jc from last year.

You can enter here at: http://www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk

Winter Preparation and Racing Plans

Its been a while since I have done an update, spare time has been non existent since I ended the racing season in September. I’ve swam (a lot), raced, been on training camp and finalized plans for the year of racing ahead.

On arrival at Loughborough University I was taken on by coach Luke Watson, a very successful triathlete turned excellent coach. I’ve been working with Luke now since I started at Loughborough back in September. Training has been progressing really well, the main focus has been on the swimming, I've been completing up to seven sessions a week in the pool. A big increase from the four I was doing over the summer and the zero I'd done before July. Swim training has been challenging and frustrating at times but I have just put my head down and got on with it. Another big focus has been on increasing my running speed, we've used a mixture of track speed sessions with a few 5km evening races thrown in too.

Before Christmas I headed out to Fuerteventura with the University Performance Squad for a two-week training camp. The island is desolate and barren in appearance, but promised consistent weather, long climbs and time away from everyday life to focus on training, oh and one other thing…wind, lots of it. The Camp gave us all a chance to get two weeks of solid training done before heading back home for a rest over the festive break. We clocked up over 65 hours training for the duration of the camp, 36 of those on the bike. Something that I wasn't complaining about. It was great to get some solid bike hours in, during the term time I'd been focusing on the swim and run so much the bike had been put on the back burner and I'd been feeling it drop off. But by the end of the camp I could really feel the bike legs coming back. It was brilliant spending time training with the others on the squad, everyone is so easy to get on with and as a group we pushed each other in training everyday. A day of hard work was followed by some well earned chill time in the evenings, usually spent watching a film together, and on a couple of evenings we headed down to the excellent pizza restaurant in town. Everyone went home having accomplished a lot.

I’ve managed to do a few races over the winter, BUCS duathlon, 2 5km road races and a cross-country. My main competition season will start at the end of March and this is my race plan for 2015.

• 7th March Dambuster Duathlon 
• 21st March National Non Drafting Duathlon Championships 
• 29th March Elite National Duathlon Championships

• 17th May Little beaver Triathlon Olympic
• 24th May Lough Cutra Castle Series Olympic 

• 14th June Deva Triathlon Olympic age group championships 
• 28th June Wimbleball 70.3 Iron man Exmoor

• 12th July European Olympic Championships Geneva 
• 26th July Castle Howard Olympic

• 9th August Super series elite race
• 30th August Castle series Chateau de Chantilly

• 6th September Bala Olympic
• 27th September Hever Castle 70.3

Its going to be a busy year and I wouldn't be able to do it without all the support from sponsors; Colin Lewis cycles, Pedal Potential, Le Col, The Jeremy Willson CT, Pulsin, HUUB and Loughborough Triathlon.