European Champs - Race Report

Sunday was the European Age Group Triathlon Championships in Autun, France...
...and I was very proud to be wearing my Great Britain kit!

174 Brits made up the team, up to 15 in each age group category.

The course was a tough one - wetsuits banned from the swim (I swim much better in a wetsuit, eek!) as the water was 26C, too hot for wetsuits!
It was an unusual start as about 160 people were lined up 1 deep along a pontoon, holding on with one hand ready for the start gun (thankfully it wasn't a diving start - can't dive!). Unlike normal triathlons when I'm faster in the swim than some people, I was quickly reminded that this was the European Champs when most of the competitors vanished into the distance quick smart.
I managed 27mins or so for the swim, slower than with a suit on but more importantly didn't drown despite the lack of a wetsuit.

A good T1 thanks to the fact that there was plenty of room and my lone bike was easy to find! (there were some other bikes around, honest).

Onto the ahem 40Km bike (later told it was in fact 47Km), comprising 2 laps with a 7km climb at the start of each lap and a twisty and then steep downhill back to the start/finish where I hit 45mph without much pedalling!
It kindly rained lightly on the first lap and stayed a little overcast to shelter us Brits from the 33C of the previous day. The second lap was noticably tougher than the first and I was having a ding dong battle with about 4 others until I left them on the final downhill.

A good T2 and I was onto the well spectated 4 lap run around the lake which had one sharp hill every lap - but was very well supported which helped no end! (thanks Vic and Simon Osborne's wife!) Sponges and water stations were numerous as it was hot for the first 3 laps until praise the lord it started to rain and I started to run faster as a result. Then it tipped down! Not so good for those still on the course!

A fellow Brit informed me after the race that the run was infact 11.1Km - he had a Garmin GPS system. Felt much longer than that!

Really enjoyed the experience, I was there to take part and not to get a medal - not often I'll get to race in GB kit! Highly recommended.

I came in 99th/156 of the senior men wave (20 to 40yr olds) and about 30th/50 in my age group (so almost a medal, not!)

1.5km/47km/11.1km
GBR 00081 GUNTHORPE DAVID 00:27:18 (116th), 01:25:38 (81st), 00:47:01 (100th), 02:39:57 (99th overall senior men)

FRA 00053 BANTI HERVE 00:19:54 (8th), 01:15:38 (2nd), 00:40:12 (13th), 02:15:44 (winner)
GBR 00084 LEES EUAN 00:21:42 (45th), 01:20:30 (17th), 00:40:20 (14th), 02:22:32 (first british finisher)

European Champs

Off to Autun, France in the morning for the European Triathlon Champs (Olympic distance) on Sunday, 3pm (2pm BST).

Racing for the Great Britain age group team, so I'll be in GB kit, yay! :-)

Looking forward to it, not planning to medal but to enjoy the experience!

The elite race is on the Saturday and I'm taking a camera, so should hopefully get some good shots!

Fresher

Well, feeling more fresh now I'm pleased to say :-)

Starting to get more of a routine together and been enjoying cooking again. Nice to have the time to do it!

Not been training that much, been more sociable and caught up on a few things around th e house etc with some relaxing to boot!

Planning some more social escapades and going to ease up on the racing for a bit.

Pleased I stepped down as chairman, feel a bit guilty but someone else will pickup the reigns I'm sure. Already enjoying just going to swimming and not having to do anything else! Will also be sorting out work too...

Body and Mind

Training/Racing is a funny thing - if you've ever trained a lot you may find you reach a point where you have to ignore how you feel, as how you feel and how you perform are two totally seperate things.

Sometimes, the worse you feel, the better you perform and vice versa.

Take Wednesday night, I was shattered and felt like not racing - I forgot my bike helmet when I travelled to the duathlon at Llandow (Simon Osborne kindly went home and fetched me one - thanks!). I normally more organised, honest.

It was my best result of the season so far - 3rd place, I was in about 5th place after the first 2 mile run, got up to 2nd place on the 8 mile bike, then dropped one place on the final run to Simon Osborne (had to let him beat me - he'd lent me a helmet ;-). This was 40 secs faster than my outing at the same event the previous month!

Weird. However, would be nice to feel 'fresh' at some point soon.

Step Down

This year has been very hectic with trying to setup a new business. Combine this with training about 6 days a week for triathlon, add in travelling/racing (I've raced 9 times already this season, with more to come), being a best man and living alone (as in I have to do all the chores/cooking/etc) and it leaves me with no time for even normal mundane things like food shopping, cooking, socialising/keeping in touch with friends.

Training can take it's toll normally, I've got on the Great Britain Triathlon Age Group Team this year and I'm training and racing even harder than normal. This can leave me irritable and exhausted without the pressure I feel from work, being chairman, etc.
This can amplify the situation.

I felt I'd almost reached breaking point before I travelled to the USA for the Escape from Alcatraz race. This was a holiday but a packed one and I returned feeling exhausted not rested. Jet lag and training/racing playing their part.

It's time to make some changes and get my life back in order.

I've not been blogging much as I've just been too hectic - today (Thurs) I stepped down as Chairman of Cardiff Tri. This should free me up from a lot of emails, questions, responsibilities and work. I took this on of my own accord and enjoyed it, perhaps took on too much personally, but that's my style, if I do something, I do it well or not at all.

Hopefully someone from the club will step up and take on the role. I've heard that there were good reports about the state of the club at our Cosmeston Triathlon recently. There has been a lot of new members in the last six months! I think the club is viewed as a friendly, welcoming place for novices and experienced triathletes alike, which is great.

I'll still be a member but I'll just take a back seat and handover the reigns...

I should have some free time now to catch up with my socialising and do some cooking, ace. Happy days.

Photos

I've just added photos from Rhys & Hazel's Wedding and USA to my flickr here

SFO

Got to San Francisco on Thurs after quickly packing the bike back up that morning.

Spent Thurs and Fri shopping mostly - Timbuk2(.com) have a new shop in the city with one off bags available and popped into apple too (card was declined otherwise would now have a MacBook).

I remembered on Sat that I was here to race at the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon so checked out the Bike course with help from Mark & Reena who drove me round it - thanks guys!

Sunday was an early start - 5am in order to setup transition and get the bus to the ferry which left at 7am for Alcatraz.
I've posted up a race report on cardifftri.net, but basically had a great race and somehow came 70th/1700! So pleased with that.

The rest of sunday I pedalled over the Golden Gate Bridge with Nick and Di who had rented a tandem and had lunch in Sansaulito for the second time this week. We checked out some Redwood trees in a forest then got the ferry back to the city.

Monday I did some more shopping with Nick and some chilling out too, crashed infront of the TV in the evening after getting my second In'N'Out Burger of the week (fantastic!)
The other guys left today :-( Great to see everyone and shock news - Mark and Reena are engaged - woohoo! Mark proposed at the Grand Canyon. Pic of ring to follow!

Today I've mostly been cycling - left the hotel about 9.45am and got back at 5pm! Headed out down El Camino Real (15 miles of traffic lights till I finally got out of the city!) and then climbed up 84 to Skyline (35) and then opted not to descend to Half Moon Bay as the cold fog was there. This left me screwed as my only way back was via the freeway! Luckily a really sweet guy Frank, 82, drove me past the freeway back to El Camino where I got a burrito to get me home. Battered now!

Need to pack tonight then head out of dodge at 10am for the trip home.

Wed - Bike

Unpacked the bike today for a pedal with world famous Pro Mountainbiker Nick 'no fat' Stevens. Being a mountain biker he now rides on the road on his full sus Giant with disc road slick wheels. Nice riding around the area, we stayed clear of the hills as I would have died with the altitude.
I've borrowed a nice pair of Zip 303 wheels to use for the race, my bike weighs 15.71lbs with them on, ace!
I'll have to pack the bike up again tomorrow (thurs) for the flight to San Francisco!

Stocked up on goodies from the supermarket - Sunmaid Raisin Bread - used to eat it all the time!, Jalapenos, cookie dough and Peanut Butter M&M's for Zoe (each to their own i guess!)

Everyone flaked out pretty early last night, up at 6.30am - getting better!

Feeling slightly nervous about the race now that we are headed to SFO.