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.