TriTalk.co.uk :: View topic - Vitruvian Race Report.
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:37 pm Post subject: Vitruvian Race Report.
I know this has gone up on www.sigmasport.co.uk and www.tri247.com but i thought i'd put it here as well to give my sponsorts the most exposure possible. the deserve it for all the support they give me. Well done to EVERYONE who raced at the weekend.
After a somewhat disappointing mid-season period it was time to try and get my year back on track. The National Middle Distance Championships offered me just that chance, and with them being held on the Vitruvian course (a race I won and broke the course record at last year) I was hoping to add a National Title to my resume at the same time.
I'd had a very hard week at work leading into the race with three post-midnight finishes (got to love I.T.!), but I'd trained hard up until then and my coach, Bridgitte Swales, had also worked hard on fixing some of my previous nutritional mistakes. I was feeling as ready as I could.
The swim started fairly well and I settled down nicely, having decided to swim on my own to avoid any 'wrong feet' mistakes again. I could see the front swimmers slowly pulling away, but I was confident I was swimming solidly (for me at least) and was happy to let them go. My Orca 3.8 wetsuit is so comfortable that it actually feels good to swim hard and, with no tightness in the suit, I know I won't waste any energy in doing so. Coming out of the water I looked at my watch expecting to see 26 minutes, I was shocked to see 29! But I just relaxed and put it out my mind, it didn't matter now.
I'd decided to ride my carbon Sigma Nemesis as the bike course is quite lumpy. Dan (one of Sigma’s great mechanics) had very kindly swapped the TT bars onto it for me the day before and I had a disk wheel on the back. I knew that with the ultra-light Nemesis I'd make good time in catching up the fish. On to the course, head down and straight away I felt great. I had no idea how far down I was so just stuck to my power limits using my SRM (kindly loaned me by Roehampton Uni) and focused on the road ahead. The clear and fairly still early morning meant that on the flats I was able to hold 50kph comfortably at my goal wattage (I told you that bike's fast). By the start of lap two of the bike my support crew yelled I was now in second and about 2:30 down on the leader. I was happy just to stick at my goal wattage though and let that time gap close on its own.
By 60k my brother at the roadside yelled I was one minute down, no need to change my tactics, and by about 70k I was race leader. I knew, however, that there were some really strong cyclists and runners behind me and wasn't about to ease off and let them catch me up. Coming into T2 I looked down and saw 2hr05 on my SRM and 2hr30-something total time on my watch. I felt confident that if I could run under 1hr20 for the half marathon the title would be mine. Having run 1hr15 here last year I knew this should be possible, despite not being in great run shape.
I set off with my three energy gels in hand and quickly polished the first one off. The nutrition plan my coach had given seamed to be working perfectly. My legs felt good and my energy levels were still high. I had no idea how far I was in the lead but as I ran past the crowd in the first few hundred meters mt coach yelled out a near two minute time split so far and that no one else had come in after me yet.... My confidence grew and I 'relaxed' into my pace. As I ran down the other side of the only small hill on the course, about 1.5k into the run, I heard the race announcer say over the PA system that the second placed athlete was just entering T2. As he left I heard her give his time deficit to the crowd... 4:48, the race was mine to lose.
Apart from the heavy coating of sheep poo on the early part of the course, the first 10.5k run lap passed without a problem. I timed the gap to second place at the end of the lap and was pleased to see it had grown to six minutes. However, I knew I was running slower and slower. My sub-par run fitness was going to make the last six miles really hurt, but knowing I had the time cushion meant there was no need to panic. With my first National title waiting for me at the finish it was pain I could happily bear! I crossed the line in almost exactly the time I'd targeted, 3:55:55. The guys behind me put in great performances and made the victory all the more satisfying knowing that I'd beaten former National Champions and numerous Ironman top ten athletes.
I've got to say a HUGE thank you to my coach Bridgitte who's been a rock of support, help and knowledge; to Chad and Geoffrey for their support as well! Also, to my sponsors Sigma Sport and Orca who provide me with the best kit possible to race on and in. Thanks also to Dr Forrester for fixing my SRMs so quickly this week.
I'm quitting work in two weeks in order to give the 70.3 World Champs a really good crack. If I can avoid riding into a traffic cone this year, hopefully I'll make this all worthwhile and get a result that could help me step up to the next level and truly compete as a full time pro!
Happy racing and thanks for reading.
good report it good to hear more reports from the top flight, though you make winning sound so easy!
you lapped me on the run bedford making it look too damn easy!
amazing, i assumed you didn't have a job. excellent race. good luck with the full time training.
Well done Jonathan. You came steaming past me on your second bike lap as I was starting my first. Nice to read a report from the front end.
Good race Jon, backed it up well so to speak.
What cranks you riding there?
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Vitruvian Race Report.
You chaps at the pointy end crack me up. "Small hill", yeah right. It was a bloody mountain. I needed oxygen at the top and had to sit down for a while (in the sheep $hite) to recover. I'd have caught you up if someone had told me it was there, I'd have gone to Boulder for a month to get used to the altitude (and possibly learn how to alter time as you'd finished before I got to the run!), you were lucky this time.
Good luck with ditching your job, huge respect to anyone prepared to put all their eggs in the sports basket. Hopefully you'll crack that sponsorship pot wide open.
Nice report, and great race for back to back wins, 3.55 was one hell of a time. Thanks for coming onto the site, TriTalk kit next year?
Nice one Jonathan. It sounds like you've really got your head together and have reaped a just reward. Good luck with turning pro!
thanks for the replies peeps. i'll try to post copies of my blog on here from now on too.
i think most people assume i train full time... i WISH i could have been doing that, but on the other hand, my work have been very supportive in letting me be quite flexible with my hours and my salary has meant i could travel to the races that i have done in the last 2-3 years, so on balance its not all bad. I'm blessed to have very supportive parents too; However, still living at home at the age of 28 isnt socially too great ha ha..... i'd better get some results (money) soon so i can start paying some kind of rent and move out i just seam to pick races with no money or always finish one spot out of the cash (Timberman last year, California this year etc etc). i'd move to the states if it wasnt for church and my girlfriend.
Hywell, i'm riding SRM Pro's (kindly loaned me by Roehampton Uni in surrey - un-ashamed plug >>> if anyone is looking to do bike, run or kyak VO2 / Lactate / MPO testing or wanting bike fit, they are fantastic. an right now, if you want some of this for free, check out a post i put up recently about a nutrition study they're doing in the next few weeks including FULL testing)...... its 55 tooth chain-ring too in case thats what you were after.
Happy winter training.... its coming... it was FREEZING this morning!
Ok Mr Hotchkiss, you may have beaten me by a mere 1hour 17 minutes on Saturday but watch out for me next year. I have a plan!
OK, joke over. Seriously well done on Saturday's race and fingers and everything else crossed for a successful transition to the pro scene. Some months ago, I penned an article in 220 about the problems faced by those triathletes stuck between age group and elite standard in terms of training time, whilst holding down a full time or part time job, coaching, medical treatment, etc. But guys like James Parker, Dave Brown, Hywel and yourself show that it is possible to live with the whippets as age groupers.
ha ha.. cheers. i'll look out for you, though not sure i'll be back OW swimming again this year.
.... thing is though, that everytime a Porsche (over-reving their engine) cuts me up on my bike somewhere in Surrey, i still think i'm happier on my saddle than in their comfy leather sports seat!!!