I entered partly because it was local, and partly because it fit in nicely with my Ironman training plan.  The plan called for an Olympic distance this weekend, and when I found out about Blaenafon I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s not far off Olympic distance’.  What I didn’t realise until after I’d entered was … this is probably unlike any other triathlon out there.

800m swim, 28 mile bike, 7 mile run … but even the swim was uphill.

It was great doing a race with quite a few people I knew — my old mate Mark Jones, a guy from my village, and a load of people from NEWTs.  It was also really nice to meet up with some Pirates! — Seren Nos, Broke But Trying, and marshalling at the poolside, Iron Pingu.  They also have real names, honest.

I’ve done the bike ride once before, and found it really hard.  That time I did it with three others, and that really helped, having someone to chat to and urge me on.  This time was different.

But first, the swim!  It went pretty well, I think I probably hit about 18 minutes for 800m, about what I’d hoped.  Transition was slow-ish (that’s something for me to work on) then I was out on the bike.  For the first few easy-ish miles I was already feeling the effects of the swim, and as I started up the first of the two mountains — the Blorenge — the pain began.  Really, really tough.  I think the transition from swimming to biking took some time for my muscles to get used to.  That, or I’m crap, not sure which!  Anyway, I’d overtaken 4 or 5 people on the bike already, but that ended here … and then I heard ‘Come in number 14, your time is up!’ and Mark sailed past me (going uphill!).  Git.  But good on him, he’s a really powerful cyclist.

I took my one and only rest soon after, a minute to catch my breath halfway up a really steep climb.  Worried that I wouldn’t be able to go on (I always have a moment like that in any race, be it a 10k run or a triathlon), then I manned up and set off again.  Finishing the Blorenge was a good feeling, but it was already rainy and cold, with a hard wind blowing across the exposed landscape.  Sailing down into Blaenavon was tough, the roads were greasy from the rain and the wind was biting.  I was shivering!

I paused briefly to slip on my windproof … I’d be glad of that later.

Second mountain is called The British, and it’s pretty desolate, remote, and yesterday it was misty and bloody windy.  It’s essentially one very long, steep climb, unrelenting and mostly visible all the way ahead, so I dipped my head down to look just ahead and did my best to find a happy place.  Shouted at myself a bit (scared some sheep), and a couple of dickheads in cars drove by as if there wasn’t a cyclist on the road at all.

But hitting the top was a great feeling.  The long descent back down to the main road was bumpy and lonely — I hadn’t seen another cyclist since Mark overtook me, and for pretty much the whole ride I was alone.  The road surface was very challenging, but I was prepared for that, and I made it down to the main road in one piece.  A quick ride back to Pontypool, one last cheeky climb, then back into transition.  Another slowish transition, then out onto the run.

I had some cramps on the 7 mile, hilly, mostly off-road run, but nothing that caused me big problems.  I ran through it, knowing the run wasn’t too long (and I’m very familiar with the route).  Power-walked up a couple of the steepest hills, then once I rounded the Folly Tower it was downhill all the way to the finish.

A great, great feeling running through the finish and being cheered in by family and friends.  Mark had finished first out of our wave, a full sixteen minutes before me (I finished in 3:34, I’d been anticipating maybe a 4 hour race so I’m very chuffed with that).  Shower, coffee, and then we went to the buffet for presentation and grub.  Mark won 3rd place in Super Veterans!  Good on him.

(Check out this amazing cake made by Christine)

Now, a special word about the organiser and marshals.  They were wonderful.  It was such a well-organised raced, everything went smoothly, the course was well-marked (although I did speak to one bloke who went the wrong way on the bike partway up the Blorenge … taking a lane clearly marked ‘Dead End!’).  And the marshals were all, without exception, encouraging and supportive.  I started looking forward to seeing one, especially on the long, longly, misty, wet and cold ride.  Always a cheer, always a clap, they’re worth their weight in gold.

It was also great being cheered on by fellow NEWTs through transition, there’s nothing like an encouraging shout — especially from bike to run, when my legs were lead and exhaustion was close.

So a major thanks to the organisers, marshals and supporters for making this probably my favourite race.  Toughest too, without a doubt.

Today is a rest day.  I’m refuelling.  But in 4 weeks I have my first Half-Ironman, so I can’t rest for too long!

This week …. it’s the Blaenafon triathlon.  My knee has given a couple of twinges so I’m easy back on the training this week (the plan calls for a decent taper anyway).  Once it’s done, I’ll post a full race report here.  Watch this space!

Feeling good … Ironman in just 12 weeks.  More pressing is the half Ironman in a little over 4 weeks, and here I am haven’t even swam in open water yet!  Got to sort that out.  Starting to worry…

This week was MUCH different.  Some great runs, swims and rides, including an hour averaging 18mph (my usual average on a long ride is about 15mph).  And the culmination of the week was finishing a recce of the Blaenafon Triathlon bike route. Since I tried this a couple of months ago — and failed — it’s built into something of a monster for me.  A beast.  I’ve wondered now and then whether I’d even be able to complete the ride, and having heard from others how hard it is, that feeling had festered until it became a certainty.  So today’s ride was a big test.

Me and three others (an old mate I used to work with, and two friends from NEWT), set off and tackled the ride.  It was … horrible!  The hills are steep, long, winding, and the road surfaces vary from average to virtually non-existant.  And the total climb is over 3,000 feet!  But at the top of the two main climbs we were rewarded with some beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.  And it was so worth it.

Once I passed the place where I stopped on my first attempt, and pedalled on up one of the steepest hills I’ve ever ridden up, I knew I’d do it.  It was hard, challenging, but ultimately a great experience.  And there’s nothing like coming down the final straight back to the start point knowing that I’ve tackled the Beast, and beaten it.

Now I’m looking forward to the actual race in 2 week’s time.  An 800m swim, the 28 mile ride, and then a 7 mile run (also with many hills).  In fact, in the Blaenafon Triathlon even the swim is uphill.

Can’t wait.

So, a successful training week, when every session felt quality, has helped me shake any training blues I’ve been feeling over the past couple of weeks.

Week 16 … done.

Had an OK training week this week, especially since I had a big social event mid-week … a semi-regular Beef Steak Night I have with two of my best buddies.  But I multi-tasked!  I cycled down to Newport via Caerleon before indulging on a day-long ale and meat-fest.  Naughty, but nice.

NEWT swim on Tuesday was OK, but I suffered cramps for the first time in the pool.  I had a hard run Tuesday morning, think I probably didn’t eat and hydrate well enough afterwards.  Note to self: take water bottle to pool from now on.

Friday I swam for 45 minutes, Saturday a 75 minute run (around 8 miles), and on Sunday I did a 45 mile bike ride.  Very hilly, quite windy, only got caught in one shower.  The road kill theme of the day was frogs — the little squished buggers were everywhere, and in some places I could see a whole stretch of them where the car wheels had done them in.  A bit grim.  I tried to avoid them, otherwise the bike cleaning wouldn’t have been too much fun…

Was really chuffed with the ride, one of the longest I’ve done.  Over the next 8 weeks I’ll be really lengthening the weekend rides towards at least one century ride before Ironman.

So that’s Week 14 – done.  I’m writing this on the Wednesday of week 15, and that’s not going so well.  But more about that next week.

First, I was moved up a lane by the coach in swimming, which gave me a massive confidence boost.  A boost that somehow survived me immediately swimming the wrong way in Lane 2 and colliding with another swimmer.  Whoops!  Still, I suppose having her swim over me is good practice for the Ironman ‘washing machine’ swim.

Following a very windy bike ride on Thursday, I hit the roads again on Saturday, aiming for a 3 hour ride.  I decided to ride up and over the Blorenge again, very conscious that it’s the Blaenavon Tritahlon in 5 weeks, and that the hills involved are a bit bloody tasty.  So … all the way there I was trying to put myself off.  ’Do I really want to do this?  It’s the Isca Duathlon tomorrow, should I be saving myself?  It’ll be icy up there…’

Despite all that I hit the Tumble and started pedalling.  And realised very quickly how inexperienced I still am on a road bike.  That hill is horrible.  First time I stopped, I fell off the bike trying to clip into my pedals again.  Second time I waited 3 or 4 minutes to catch my breath, still thinking that I should just turn around and go back down.  Then I clocked the Endurancelife wristband I always wear: Never, never, never give up.  So I went on, stopped again, fell off again.  Dickhead.

It was really, really hard, and by the time I reached the top I’d persuaded myself that I should pull out of the Blaenavon triathlon and enter an Oly distance, more relevant to Ironman training, more likely to give me a confidence boost….

But as usual, by the time I’d cycled down from Blaenavon to Pontypool–a nice fast run–I was feeling better. I tagged on another ten miles around Usk and finished.  2:30, 30 miles, 2,200 feet of ascent.

Still worried about Blaenavon.  But I’ve also had some encouragement from people who’ve done it before, and I’m hoping that doing it in a race environment, with other people suffering alongside me, will help.  So sod it … I’m still going to give it a go.  Not least because it’s the triathlon’s 30th anniversary, and there is a promise of cake.

Oh yes.  Cake.

Then on Sunday I did the Isca Duathlon!  Great, great fun, running alongside new buddies Tom and Darren from NEWT (see pic … Tom, me, Darren), and a load of other NEWTs taking part and cheering everyone on as well.  First 3m run was fine, then I jumped on the bike.  It felt good, I felt strong, and I overtook about 15 people on the 10 mile route.  The second run was hard, but again I was passing people, and I finished in 1:17, a time I’m really chuffed with.

I was 36th out of 103 finishers.  Not bad for a veteran!  And to analyse results a little closer …. if I’d finished a little over five minute quicker, I’d have had a podium spot!  So that got me thinking … should have been quicker in T1 and T2, went a little wrong on the run that cost me maybe 30 seconds … could have pushed harder on the second run …

Anyway.  A brilliant race, a real confidence boost, and like the Pontypool 10k a few weeks back, it made me feel that the training is paying off.

So, week 13 …. done!

So … this week on my Thursday NEWT swim my goggles snapped!  Saved by the coach though … she had a spare pair, thankfully.  Really pleased with how the swimming is going.

Good long bike ride yesterday, almost had a fight with a buzzard!  That would have been cool.

“How’d you get that scar?”

“I had a fight with a buzzard.”

Net week training enters the Build phase.  12 hours training, which I have EVERY intention of hitting.  I have a duathlon next Sunday (Isca Duathlon), too.

Feeling a bit … panicky.  But it’s going OK, I guess.  18 weeks left.

Gulp.

But I still can’t get the hang of those aero bars.  I just don’t feel safe on them.  I worry that I’ll wobble and fall off into a car’s path, so I only use them on quiet stretches of road.  And if I go down on them when I’m going too fast, I feel all uncertain and worried.

I guess it’s because I’m still a road-bike virgin, really.  Only been riding one since last May-ish.  I love it, but I’m nowhere near experienced enough yet.  Get some miles in, Lebbon!

So that’s my plan.  Get some more miles in.  The Fink Ironman plan starts to increase from now on, and I’m going to make sure the long bike rides head towards a century ride.  22nd June is the date I’ve set myself … I’ll look around for a sportive at that time, if I can’t find one locally I’ll do the ride myself.

It’s a plan.

More soon!

Training week was a bit interrupted this week with some busy family stuff, but I managed 9:30 hours training.  Missed my Wednesday session completely, ran on Thursday instead of swimming with NEWT (kids both did well with their school reports so we took them out for a nice meal).

Friday was good, though.  Early Friday morning is now going to be extra swim time.  This week I swam a mile in 40 minutes, which included a 400m time trial at 9 minutes.  I’m no Michael Phelps.  No Man from Atlantis.  But those times are good for me.  When I joined NEWT I was swimming a 10 minute 400m, so that’s a good improvement in just a couple of months.

MTB was fun on Saturday, through the snow and up to the Folly Tower (must admit I didn’t cycle all the way).  Coming down was a bit hairy, even having to peddle downhill through the snow.  And … I’m not a real mountain biker.  On steep descents all I’m thinking about is coming off and injuring myself, so the brakes had a hammering.  Did let myself go down one steep hill, giggling all the way.  Great fun!

Isca Duathlon soon!  Looking forward to that.  And only just over six weeks til the Blaenafon Triathlon, with those horrible hills, so … this Saturday I’m going to try the bike route again.  Last time––pissing down with rain, freezing cold––was a Fail.  Must do better this time.

Rest of Week 10 went well!  I hit most of the training targets, with almost ten hours spent training.  A nice night run on Friday, too.  Great fun.

I’m now ten weeks through the thirty week Fink plan.  I’ve come to realise that a plan is never followed to the letter.  Time-wise that’s become obvious, although considering I have a very busy family life I’m not doing bad at all.  But the swims and runs that Fink suggests … just not following them at all.  I do the set swim drills and time trials when I swim with NEWT, and how the hell are you supposed to follow HR zones when you’re cycling up and down mountains?

I comfort myself with the knowledge that lots of hill work on the bike (there are hills EVERYWHERE around here) can only be good.

So, assessing where I am now: some stats.  Of 85 hours training in Fink’s first 10 weeks, I hit 76 hours.

And I’m going to work up to a century ride sometime around Week 24 (when a 5 hour ride is scheduled).  Mainly for confidence.  Other than that, pretty happy with how things are going.  Sometimes soon I might even start thinking about  a target time for IM (well, I am already, but more about that soon).

Oh, and tomorrow I pick up my new NEWT kit!  A cycling top and a running vest.  Because you can never have too much kit.

A guy tagged along with me for a few miles into Usk, and it as really nice having a chat with someone on the bike.  All this training and I’ve never actually ridden with someone, must try and change that soon.

Another of those step-back-and-see-what-you’re-doing moments … my bike needs a lot more work.  I’ve heard people say that the Fink plan is light on the bike anyway, and as I’m a comparative novice on two wheels I’m feeling that this is where I need to concentrate a bit more time.  Two ways I hope to do this:

Add a bit more time onto scheduled rides (even if it’s only an extra half an hour the time will add up).

More turbo sessions (I can slot them in here and there, maybe just half hour sessions).

20 weeks left, don’t want to suddenly start panicking about this with just a few weeks to go.  I’d love to get a century ride under my belt in the next 8 weeks too … might adjust the plan one weekend to build in a much shorter run and a very long bike.

Also, had a decadent weekend again with loads of food and a bottle of wine last night.  I know a blow-out is OK now and then, but don’t want to go back to the old ways.  I’ve got 20 weeks to make sure I’m as fit as can be for IM, so I’m going to do my best to stop eating shit.  Or even horse (I do like those Ikea meatballs…)

Last week in the pan before swimming moves up to three times per week, so I’m thinking I’ll probably start going on a  Friday morning from this week.

Completely failed to fall off my bike this week — result!