The Perfect End To The Season

My last race this season was the New Forest Middle Distance Triathlon.

The Swim was 1.9km in a sheltered lake, 2 laps of a well marked course, followed by T1( a different place to T2). After the swim was a 90km bike on undulating roads, the course featured two climbing sections, an open headwind part across the heathland, and a fast tailwind final 5km to finish one lap. To complete the distance we had to ride three laps. T2 was to be held at the finish in a holiday park, then out for the 22.9km run off-road. The run was an out and back course.

Me and Dad travelled up on the Friday to where we would staying for the weekend. On Saturday I went out for a spin on the bike and looked at parts of the bike route. We then headed down to register and set up in the two transition areas. All went to plan, then we had a chilled out afternoon in the New Forest.

Sunday; up at 4:30am, breakfast, multiple coffee's, off to the race, bike set up, warm-up…….ready. We started the swim in a mass 250 person wave. I positioned in the middle at the front, which thinking about it now was probably not the best idea. From the gun I was dunked under by bigger swimmers at least three times. This knocked the breath completely out of me and I went into panic mode. Once the field spread out I settled into my rhythm, got my breathing under control and set about completing the 1.9km. I exited the water in 31mins just at the sun rose up over the trees. Sprinting into transition I got out of my wetsuit, into socks (a must for longer races) and my helmet and set out onto the road.

My legs felt great on the bike, I overtook 10 people on the first climb. I really got into the course with its rolling terrain and fast flat sections. The only real hazard was the animals in the New Forest who seemed to have no concern about anything coming towards them no matter how fast or how loud you shouted. After my initial 10 person overtake I was alone for much of the first lap. Then into the headwind section I could see two riders up ahead. This is one part that I really enjoy in these races, hunting others down and overtaking. This is exactly how it panned out with the two ahead of me. On completion of lap 2 I was really starting to get into a great rhythm on the bike. I started overtaking some of the back markers who looked a little astonished as I passed them. I was now in 4th place. My only other catch was on rider 3 as we entered transition, we came in together, I exited quicker and wouldn't see him until the finish.

I set out at a hard pace on the run, staying at between 17-19kph on the road section before I headed off onto the trails. I knew I had some work to do as Dad had called out that the winner at this point was 10mins ahead of me. That meant running at least 1min a mile faster than him to take the win in the closing stages of the race. My blood sugars were feeling a little low at the crest of the first hill, so I nailed a gel and picked up the pace again. I loved the run. Most of the 14miles was fuelled on an adrenaline high, the one I really only experience from running. I got stuck into the hilly route, pushing hard on the ascents and cruising down the other side. Each water station was a welcome relief as the sun beat down across the open heathland. I downed a cup at each one and thew another over my head. Within 43mins I had reached the turn, I had caught sight of second place ahead of me, and first place passed on the ascent out of the turn. I tried to judge times, I estimated 5mins. After the furthest point I was now in second, one more to catch. On the way back I raised the pace, fuelled by the thought of overtaking the one runner ahead to take the win. Competitors coming the other way offered encouragement and passed on time gaps to me. I didn't catch sight of him until 3km to go and made the overtake with 1.5km left to race. He congratulated me as I passed, with one look over my shoulder I could see he wouldn't be able to respond. I upped the pace again giving it everything to the finish. Crossing the line in 4hrs33mins, in first place.

What a way to finish off a very enjoyable summer of racing triathlons, time for a short break to let the body recover from all the punishment I've been giving it since this time last year. Then I will begin preparation for next seasons races.

Results: http://www.racenewforest.co.uk/new-forest-middle-distance-tri/

Triathlon Racing

I've been racing triathlons now since July and have got myself a few results so far.

Newquay Olympic distance Triathlon 6th
Plymouth Olympic distance Triathlon 4th 
Geopark Olympic distance Triathlon 1st
Cotswolds Olympic distance Triathlon 3rd 
Liverpool Olympic distance National Triathlon Championships 17th(age group) 
Weymouth Classic Olympic distance Triathlon 2nd 
Cotswolds Classic Middle distance/Half Ironman Triathlon 2nd (4hrs07)
Bala Olympic distance Triathlon 20th, 8th (20-24), (2hrs01)

It all started in Newquay with an olympic distance surf triathlon. We fought our way through the waves to be confronted by hundreds of jelly fish. At this point I thought to myself , "what have you done Brennan go back to racing on dry land". I put my hand into a jelly fish which then went completely numb, and swimming without a proper stroke is quite difficult. But I persisted, got out of the water, ran up a cliff and got down to doing what I do, cycling and running fast. I finished 6th in my first ever triathlon. 

Plymouth was my second triathlon, a 250 mass start swim. Thats a lot of bodies to contend with when you are not used to it! Thats not to say I stayed in the pack….I swam so wide to get a clear path that I ended up in the rocks, momentarily stood up then dived back in. On the bike it was catch up time, I passed around 50 people in the first 20km then held my position going into the run, I was in 10th by now. My running legs got faster and faster, though this time I experienced something else, a dodgy stomach. I tried to ignore this as much as possible, and posted the fastest run split of the day ending up 4th overall. 

The Geopark Olympic tri; I was learning with every race now and was getting my transition times down so they were not so embarrassing. I was getting some good swim training in by now but didn't feel great going in to the race . It was a hilly bike and run so was going to suit me. I stayed in contention in the sea swim and then took the lead early in the bike leg. I then held that to the finish coming in about 15mins ahead of second place. 

In the Cotswolds I posted my fastest race so far coming home in 2hrs04. My running legs were really coming back now after almost 5 years of not running at all. 32mins for the 10km was not too bad.

The National Age group championships, my biggest race so far. Preparation was not so good, I had one week off running due to soft tissue damage in my foot, although felt good going into the race. The journey up to Liverpool was something else, leaving at 7:30am; me, Dad and Sophie arrived at just past 6pm, registered and then went out for a recce of the course. What a day that was, endless traffic from the moment we hit the M5. Following an epic day what you want is a good nights sleep though isn't it, switch off and relax pre race. The night was nothing of the sort, a hot stuffy room coupled with me playing over and over in my head how I wanted the race to go, then getting up at 4am for breakfast, not ideal! Sunday morning: driving rain and wind. The swim went off at a rapid pace and ironically was the warmest part of the race, I got on someones feet and drafted my way through the swim. On the bike I froze, every part of my body became numb and I shivered my way around the 4 laps in 1hr02mins. Running into transition I couldn't feel any part of my body which made for a comically slow change over into my running shoes. On the run I found some good pace makers and set about closing the time gap on my fellow age group competitors. I came home with a 33min run split and 17th out of 44 in my age group. Sophie, who we had given a lift to came second in her age group.

No rest for the determined athlete, on to Weymouth for my next triathlon the following weekend. The choppy sea swim gave me a bit of sea sickness during the race but I managed the fastest bike and run sections finishing in second place. I could have done with about 2km more and I would have closed the 40second gap on the winner. 

The Cotswold classic was to be my first of two middle distance races this season, and deep down this was the one I was wanting to produce my peak performance in. Long distance endurance races have always been the ones I wanted success in and it just so happens that I feel more comfortable over a longer duration and tougher terrain. Nicky kindly gave me a lift to the race and was my support crew for the weekend. We made it to registration with about 10mins to spare on the Saturday, pitched the tents then went for a nice Italian to fuel me for the race. I awoke at the standard 4am to find I had not bought a torch, so set about making my pre race coffee by the light of my mobile phone and the moon. Not so easy, I knocked over the first one and then succeeded the second time. I proceeded to transition to set up before the race still in the pitch black. The most spectacular briefing then followed as the blood red sun rose over the lake. We set off at 6.30am for the 1.9km swim with water vapour evaporating from the surface as the day warmed. I managed to find myself a good pair of feet to follow and stuck with them for the duration. The bike was chilly, really chilly and I didn't warm up until the second lap. I was then getting into my rhythm. I completed the 90km bike in 2hrs13min and then set out to run the furthest I had ever run, a half marathon. My legs were good and just got better as I passed runner after runner. It was difficult to gauge positions so I just ran as fast as I could for as long as I could. My run was the fastest of the day 1hr20. I was second and very pleased with it too, I think I found my distance that day. The following day of the race was the most fatigue I think I have ever felt after a race, but a nice earned fatigue, one that you can enjoy. 

We were now into September and I was starting to feel a bit tired as I had been bike racing since February, then switched to tri in July. I was also feeling the effect of the following weeks race, thats one lesson for the future! Mum took me up to Bala lake in a borrowed Vito camper van which was ideal. Bala must be one of the most spectacular places for a race. The lake is nestled between mountains in North Wales and Is the biggest natural lake in the UK. I rode the bike course on Friday and looked at the run section as I rode as it was along the same road. I also swam the swim part on Saturday so I knew what awaited me on the Sunday, it was going to be fast. We woke to a fog whiteout, you could literally see nothing. It cleared minutes before the swim start with the sun burning down, like lifting the curtains from a stage ready for the pantomime to begin.  The swim was a fight from the off, elbows, legs everywhere. I got though ok then set out to nail the bike and run, passing a lot of competitors I posted my fastest bike in 58mins and a 34min 10km to finish in 2hrs01 and 20th place. 

I really have got the Triathlon bug and can't wait to see where I can go with it. I like looking forward to races, but with triathlon I also enjoy every preparation and process involved, so will live in the moment and soak in all of it. I have had a lot of support from everyone this summer; my family, everyone at Colin Lewis cycles, Pete Wilby and the Exeter triathlon club. Thanks to all. 

One race to go then the start of another chapter at Loughborough University.