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. 

A Change in Direction

A Change of Direction 

After a difficult time in France chasing the dream of becoming a Professional cyclist in Europe, two bad crashes and a constant struggle with the team I returned to the UK. 

Im now following the path, that strangely enough, I wanted to do long before any idea's of pursuing a professional cycling career popped into my head. Triathlon. Before my time as a cyclist I was a good runner competing at county and national level in Cross-country. I have always dabbled a bit with swimming too but this if definitely the area that I need to work on. 

At the moment Im just enjoying the racing and thrill of competing for myself again, Ive had some quite successful results and have a few big races yet to come this season. Next year is shaping up to be very exciting, with some new plans already being put into action so I can take on the challenge of getting a Pro licence to race middle distance or 70.3 races against the top triathletes all over the world.

My other very exciting news is that I gained a place at Loughborough University to study Sports Technology and will be starting this September. The degree is product design engineering course with a sports bias, so the perfect one for me and it was exactly what I was looking for. 

Watch this space for more news to come on my racing and plans for the following season.

310km, Two Elite Nationals, Two days

Over the weekend of the 15^th and 16^th of March I raced two races, the Trophee Louison Bobet and the Circuit `du  Morbihan. Both races were Elite national level and had some very good teams riding in each. My training had been going allot better in the week and I felt like I was making some improvements after fully recovering from crashing and being ill. It was now time to get stuck into the racing and not look back.

I worked on some threshold development sessions and V02 max intervals during the week, before taking a couple of reduced days before the weekend. I arrived ready to race with some good work done in the week but less fatigue, so I would be able to make the race efforts needed during the weekend.

Trophée Louison Bobet

We set off for the race early on the Saturday morning to arrive at the race in time. It was a perfect day, the sun was out and there was very little wind. The race circuit was three big circuits and six finishing circuits. The big circuits had a couple of steep sharp climbs, as well as a rolling profile for the rest of the course. The finishing laps were held around the town. We all signed on as a team and then had our briefing, which I managed to mostly understand. I made sure this week that I got good warm up in, as last weekend I didn’t have time and suffered allot in the opening KM’s. I used a set warm-up of gradually increasing intensity, followed by 8x5 second high cadence spin ups and then 5mins at zone 4.

The race started fast from the gun, like all the races in France. Allot of attacks were being made and coming back, our job was to try and cover as many as we could, and get up the road. I was managing to get in a few splits but nothing came of them. I found it very difficult to hold position in the bunch, something that I really need to work on. So in order to be in the right position I had to use a lot of energy moving up the outside.

A small group did get away in the end, and we hadn’t managed to get anyone into it. They had 40 seconds and we were coming into the section leading into one of the climbs. Alexandre a teammate of mine moved me up to the front and led me out for the climb in an attempt to bridge across. I attacked off his wheel and got a good gap with only one rider coming with me. Though in my enthusiasm I went way to deep and with my legs filling with lactic acid, a counter attack came over the top of me, I hung on for dear life to stay with the bunch. Quite allot of riders went out the back on that climb and didn’t finish the race.

When we reached the finishing circuits the race had come back together and the pace was very high. For the rest of the race the bunch was lined out at warp speed, everyone was fighting to get to the front. In the final 3km’s I made an attempt to position for the sprint but was totally out powered and swamped by teams setting up lead-outs. I came in with the peleton. Maxime managed a top 20, which was really great.

We then made our way to the accommodation. We stayed in a very nice farm B+B type place, with homemade food and really comfortable rooms; I was very much at home. It was a great to be able to relax around the dinner table with all of the team and have a good laugh before getting some recovery sleep in.

Circuit du Morbihan

The start for Sundays race was just down the road, so after a breakfast of homemade Jam, bread, fresh coffee and baked tarts we rode down to the depart to sign on.

Today’s race was 150kms, 100kms of hilly roads to a finishing circuit with two steep climbs that we would cover 8 times.

I got another really good warm-up in to get the previous days racing out of my legs. Again it was flat out from the gun. In the first move I followed, all of my race food fell out of my pockets apart from one gel; I would pay for this later in the race.

The bunch split on the climbs and quite allot of riders going out the back, but it kept coming back together. Some moves got a little time but nothing stuck. Leading into the finishing laps a sizeable group got clear. By this stage I was suffering allot from having eaten very little, I tried to ask a teammate but he didn’t understand what I had said. The race was in absolute pieces by this time. I was struggling to concentrate properly now with blood sugars getting quite low.

Quite a few crashes happened in the closing laps on a 20percent descent with a tight corner at the bottom, riders were getting tired and they kept misjudging the corner and ending up in the hedge the other side.

Less than half the field finished the race. I managed to come in with a small group feeling incredibly hungry and in need of some food. Getting in two races of 160 and 150 km’s over the week end was really good and I was pleased that I was able to get stuck in even if it didn’t end up with a result. I’m glad the legs are starting to come round and with improvements tactically and fitness wise I should be able to look for some results in the weeks ahead.

We packed up as a team and headed back through the evening to Bricquebec, dropping off various riders along the way and arriving back just after 10pm. It had been a long weekend and I was looking forward to a good nights sleep.

First Race, First Crash, First Flu of the Year

They say that things come in threes, so there we go. I started my racing season for the Bricquebec Contentin In the Circuit des Plages Vendéennes. We rode four out of the six races in the series. The first race was Chantonnay, the hilliest of the series and one that I was aiming to do a good ride in. The race started flat out up a climb and having got a bad position on the start line it was all about fighting for position, which was not easy on the narrow roads, climbs and technical corners. After an hour and a half I was starting to feel my legs coming round when another rider switched across my front wheel taking me out. I did a bit of sliding along the floor and my team also admitted to me that he rode over my head, which would explain why that hurt a bit. The injuries were mainly to my shoulder, which had a very deep bruise, and tissue damage, it is still a yellow color, also some deep cuts on my hip and knee. Forced to quit the race, I was taken back to the team bus in the ambulance.  My nice new bike was scrapped up and the shifter had snapped as well.

The next day I was strapped up by a masseur that was staying in the same accommodation as we were. Both shoulders were totally wrapped up and the top half of me resembled an Egyptian Mummy. Luckily we had a steady ride that day, as there was no racing to be done.

Our second race was La Chapelle Hermier, at the start the wind and rain was terrible and from the gun my legs just wouldn’t get going. Not to mention that the hip and shoulder were giving me all sorts of pain. I soon found myself in a small group who were having the same difficulties and we rode through and off for 4hrs to get some training km’s in.

Following the second race we had another 1hr30 spin on the bikes as a team.  I then made the most of the afternoon to catch up on some Internet time in a bowling café. I also had another check over by the masseur. Our last two races would be over the weekend one after the other.

Before the start of Challans the commissure came up to our team manager and said that if I finished the race today I would be awarded the combativity prize, for continuing to race the series after having such a heavy crash. With a bit of added motivation we headed out at warp speed again though narrow streets and allot of roundabouts. The race had a small climb in it and Davide our Italian rider managed to win both KOM sprints and the KOM competition for the race, which was really good. I managed to follow a few moves and eventually finished in the main bunch. The shoulder and hip was still giving me a lot of pain, clearly the mix of high intensity racing and being away from home was not the ideal place to recover after a crash.

In the last race Saint Jean de Monts my body was in pieces and the race exploded within 20mins in the cross winds. I called it a day after an hour of chasing in the cars; clearly it was not my day. I needed to get back and recover.

The day after getting back I woke up with a bad cold and headache, sore throat, the whole works. My immune system had been working hard to get my damaged body better whilst racing and had forgotten to look after my upper respiratory tract that was now infected. I’ve spent the last few days getting in allot of vitamin c and resting up, and hopefully I’ll be able to shake it off within a few days before the next races at the weekend.

Team Launch and First races

On saturday the 15th we had our team presentation/launch at the cinema in Bricquebec. We were presented to a small crowd, with a long speech about all of our sponsors, the race program for the year and a comment from each of the clubs presidents. Luckily I wasn't interviewed by the presenters as I'm not sure my French is up to that standard yet! We also had a good amount of photos taken, and somehow I managed to sneak in the front.

This week I am racing the Circuit des Plages Vendeenes:

18/2/14 Chantonnay 131.5km
20/2/14 La Chapelle Hermier 140.3km
22/2/12 Challans 139.5km
23/2/14 Saint Jean de Monts 140.5km

It is a series of 5 races of which our team is riding 4. Ive been selected to ride all of them. Im really looking forward to getting stuck into the racing now. I've been wanting to get racing for months and can't wait to test out the legs.

This year I'm being kindly supported by a very well know and prestigious fund, The Dave Rayner Fund. This week I received from them and from Prendras Ciclismo a supply of very nice cotton caps!

If you get on line at http://www.prendas.co.uk/details.asp?ID=3431 all profits from sales go to the fund which helps allot of riders each year to try and achieve their ambitions and dreams in road racing.

For now its back to getting ready for the week away on the south coast and my first races of the year.
An update on how they go will be posted up when I get back. Keep an eye on this space.

Moving to Bricquebec

I travelled over to France with my Dad last Sunday. We took an early 8am ferry from Portsmouth, which meant getting up at 4am to get there on time. The crossing went well with the channel looking more like a pond than the sea. I was most grateful for this, as I’m not the greatest when it comes to travelling by boat. It was then a short 1 hour 30 drive in the car to Bricquebec from Caen. On arrival we did a few laps of the town as I tried to remember where the house was, before giving up and giving the team manager a call. He kindly showed me round and recommended a place for supper, leaving us to unpack my stuff. The house is basic but we have all we will need to keep us going through the season. Dad set early off next morning back to the UK.

Joe had arrived the day before so I met up with him. Davide, the Italian rider on the team, arrived the next day. We have been getting used to the town and house this week together which has been nice and have found a good café with Wi-Fi to use so have been there most days. Bricquebec is a very nice place to live with all the shops we could need, and a market every Monday.

I have been on a few good rides already, managing to not get lost thanks to Garmin and my memory of town names and signposts. I have been on three team rides, one mid week on a Wednesday afternoon for 4hrs and also a weekend camp. On the weekend we rode 5hrs40 and 167km on Saturday to a Hostel where we stayed the night. The club organized a big meal and get together for all its members and we also talked through the plans for the upcoming season. My first races will be a series starting on the 18^th of February, they are held on the west coast of France. I will also be getting my team kit and bike next week, which is exciting! On the Sunday we rode 115km back to Bricquebec in torrential rain and wind, which was an extremely cold experience, but very satisfying once completed and sitting in a nice warm café for lunch which was provided after.

It was really great to get to meet everyone in the team and club; they were all so welcoming, inclusive and very friendly. I feel like there is a great atmosphere amongst them all and you can really see why this is the place to race your bike when they are so passionate about it in every way.

Rain, Wind………and more Wind

With only 10 days to go now until I move out to France for the 2014 season with Team Bricquebec Cotentin I thought I'd do a quick update on the latest training and things I've been up to.

For most riders going about their winter training it's been a case of battling the elements these last few weeks. There's been so much rain I've met floods that have seen the disappearance of my chain-set, complete submersion! Others which have forced me to change my planned route, as the roads had transformed into waterways, becoming engulfed by water in all its mightiness.
And the wind, the wind! When you are forced to pedal down hill in the smallest gear you possibly have, off one of Dartmoor's steep descents, that's when you know it is blowing a hoolie.

Over the Christmas and New Year I've had the last of the turkey commitments to fulfil, delivering the last of the birds down to the bike shop on Christmas Eve. It was then time to enjoy a nice few days catching up with all the family and having a great enjoyable time. I've kept up my same training routine over the festive period and am now coming to the end of a good training block which will prepare me for the long and tough season that is ahead of me.

Just before New Year I finished my last day at Colin Lewis Cycles where I have been working part time over the winter. It was great to be working there again and hopefully will be back next winter in the workshop and serving behind the counter. Ive been very grateful of Simon's help over the years and am extremely grateful of everything he has done for me.

At the end of next week I am moving out to France, as I have to complete some compulsory health tests before I can obtain my licence for next year. Ive been reviewing and looking into the races for this season and am very excited and looking forward to getting started.  We have our team launch, a few training camps and then the races begin.

À bientôt!