Triathlon - touching the heights

All at once I saw

2012-01-28T21:53:00.000Z

Winter training - a necessary evil? Discuss! Well, although the weekends have been a bit frosty and cycling is to my mind too dangerous, last Saturday, early, it was very mild and I thought, give it a go.

And what a reward. Piling up the hill into Good Easter, Essex, from High Easter, a host of golden daffodils in front of the village hall.

And I felt good for the rest of the day. The end of winter is in sight, although there'll be an arctic chill or too yet. And spring training to look forward to. Wahay!

Note, the photo doesn't do it justice!

Thinking of next year. A big swim?

2011-12-14T20:56:00.003Z

Been a good training week. Started with a good trubo sesssion alst Wednesday, then a very good 10km run on Friday. Over the weekend the XC run was a bit slow on Sunday but had a really good 1.5 hour swim in the evening. Then a great cycle yesterday, even though in the gym, and got below 25 min 30 secs for 10 miles on the bike I've calibrated there. I was not a nice sight after that - just a tad sweaty!

Been thinking about next year and whether should I give the Achilles a good rest. If I do, then what? A good long swim could focus me. So, how about Windermere. Just 11 miles long, bit cold, and can get rough. Is it a big enough challenge? Well maybe a two way swim would be the idea. And a cycle around the lake?

The photo shows a nice benign lake, albeit in winter. Get dreaming, boy!

Photo courtesy http://www.allaboutlakedistrict.com/2011/07/

Made glorious summer!

2011-11-20T17:44:00.002Z

Out on the bike today and reminded of that line from Shakepseare's Richard III, "Is this the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York?" Well, whatever old Will meant, the weather today, November 19, was glorious summer. As you can see from the photo.

It was one of those days where, like Forrest Gump, you just want to "keep on running". Blue sky, warm, little wind, dry roads, sparking air clarity, not too hot, nor too cold. Just perfect.

I also found a new little tea shop in Blackmore village, Essex - Megarry's. Home made everything, surrounded by antiques, even sitting on them. And a warm, warm welcome.

Fully into winter training schedule now. Longer bike rides and weekly turbo sessions, longer runs too, but still cautious about the Achilles. Not too much swimming, and all in pools.

Summer wine

2011-10-05T20:58:00.005+01:00

October 1st and so hot, swimming in a wetsuit was uncomfortable. But what a delight - clear water, no wind. Perfect. This week over 14km open water swimming done and good times - 56 to 58 mins for 3,400 metres. And I wasn't the only one enjoying the water and the weather - take this unlikely passenger on a paddle board.

It was a good week for my Achilles as well. Ran a gentle 25km as 2x10km and 1x5km. And just a slight stiffness afterwards.

But looking at the forecast, that's the end of summer fun and it'll be autumn training from now on.

And do need to plan that so I get maximum benefit for next season but without stressing that Achilles.

Swimtrek - Western Lakes. Buttermere & Crummock water

2011-09-19T12:07:00.002+01:00

Great weekend swimming with outstanding people, run by great organisers - Swimtrek. What a great way to round off a season.

Cold, cold lakes. Tipping rain. But refreshing in the extreme.
10km swum in two days.

And many warm memories!

Just before the 5th of 5 swims. Happy campers.

Tent city. They kept the rain out.

Bar's open.

Mountain Madness

2011-09-11T16:45:00.000+01:00

With no real prospect of getting fully back to running until the Achilles recovers completely, I've taken the view that if I need to work and stretch it gently, what could be better than mountain walking.

So that's what I've done. And overdosed on Alpine beauty.

From lovely horses grazing the lush grass (including a very inquisitive one), to 2,000 metre peaks (le Nantaux, Hte Savoie region of France), to cows with a fantastic view. You can see why they munch so contentedly. Scroll down for all the photos.

The good news is that since being back from holiday I've run 4 times - 5km each time. Although the times are slow, the Achilles seems quite happy. I not stressing it too much.

So fingers are crossed for the autumn and gradually getting back to running. I think I'll have a go at XC to lessen the impact.

I'll be keeping going with the open water swimming as long as I can this year. There's Redricks lake in Harlow that's opened up and it feels as as though it will stay warm well into October. The main thing will be the evenings drawing in. So it could be Saturday mornings only..

Good result - 1st run for months

2011-08-10T09:13:00.001+01:00

Well.....what a difference a rest makes. At the Dextro Hyde Park triathlon this weekend. Sprinted my way to 2nd in my age group, frustratingly missing 1st by just two seconds.

I'd got a semi all clear on Thursday from the Doc that I could start running again, but with care.

So, whilst I say, "I sprinted" ...the swim and bike were both very good, so that extra training has paid off, but I took it very slowly on the run. I really didn't want to stress that Achilles.

And to be honest, the run was a bit of a struggle - haven't run off the bike for 3 months so was huffing and puffing a bit.

But hey, it felt good to be in the presence of the Helen Jenkins winning the womens and the Brownlie brothers taking 1st & 3rd places in the elite men's race.

Swim, Swim, Swim

2011-07-10T08:51:00.002+01:00

OK - if I can't run, see last entry, I can swim more and cycle as well. So here's the plan - Tuesday & Thursday at the Carp lake in Harlow (see entry May 24 entry) and Saturdays at Lakeside (before the shops open, of course). I'll avoid the scuba divers and the big swans!

And cycling as well. Sundays go for a nice long ride, Wednesday evening time trials and then a couple of structured gym sessions.

My running fitness'll suffer as I obviously can't run, but at least I'll keep most of my aerobic fitness.

And of course I should get faster at swimming and cycling. That's the plan!

Had to withdraw from Euro Championships

2011-06-06T16:38:00.002+01:00

Well....here's a thing. No running for a good few weeks. After a grumbling Achilles tendon over the winter, my left one decided to tear and left me limping even when walking.

I sat in the hospital getting ever gloomier. Months in a plaster cast, forced inactivity, unable to drive, shower, walk, sleep.

But, not so. A quick ultrasound scan revealed the injury and the London Independent Hospital had sorted me out within a further 20 minutes. Within an hour I walked out, Achilles immobilised due to my new ‘bionic’ leg.

This is a great example of how product innovation changes the ‘old’ way of doing things. Instead of a traditional solution – plaster cast – which comprises cheap materials but requires very skilled ‘dispensing’ and imposes misery on the wearer for weeks or months there’s now a quick way to dispense and fit a solution in just 10 minutes. This is a , plastic device which immobilises the joint yet can be taken off to drive, shower, sleep. And in my case, as a triathlete, I can keep on swimming. The only downside is that it’s quite expensive at £125…but frankly, that’s more than offset by the amount of business I couldn’t have taken on and the improvement in lifestyle.

Thanks for the device to Aircast, “Smart Technology Advanced Solutions”, and thanks to London Independent Hospital, “The Consultant’s Choice”, for using them. And good job by Dr Tom Crisp for ‘strongly advising’ I should wear the device and stop running.

The cuckoo is singing - what a place to swim

2011-05-24T16:40:00.001+01:00

Found a new open water swim location up near Harlow in Essex - Redricks Carp Fishing lake. Not more than a mile from the urban centre this is a haven for cuckoos, heron, mallards, carp and now swimmers!

It's a pretty exact 800m a circuit and although a bit shallow in places the water quality is very good.

And now it's the goal of getting the times down. My plan is to work hard on the swimming and biking this year as last year my running came on well. I might do some of the British Gas long distance series of swims.

So, think of me sliding into the lovely waters to the sound of the cuckoo on a Thursday evening each week.

[Later note: I did the Alton Water Great East Swim in the BG series - 59m34s for the 2 miles. By June 24, 2 miles down to 56m51s at Redricks)

The Coming of Light

2011-04-20T21:11:00.000+01:00

At last, the clocks have changed, the evenings are light and I can get out on the bike.

Two evening time trials done and better times than I'd expected, but not quite as good as I'd hoped!

Can't wait to start competing and getting all the three sports back together.

Last weekend a couple of days 'stolen' in the Alps and running the mountains in their spring mantle. The photo shows an Alpine anemone...just growing wild in a cleft of rock.

And all around, just mountainsides of covered in tiny, fragile mountain crocuses. Of course the fragility is only our perception, to survive the hash mountain climate of cold, snow, then thaw and strong, even merciless sun, plus a very arid mirco-climate...they're pretty hardy.

Roll on next month...open water swimming restarts in the UK.

And the final photo shows my favourite summer swimming lake...still covered with a thick sheet of ice...yet with the first clear water showing.

Another birthday, another challenge

2011-03-02T17:23:00.000Z

It's that time of year again when cards start falling on the doormat and all the jokes start about grey hair, losing hair, being 21 (again!), being even wiser. Mmmm...birthdays. Time to throw off the idea that age is any barrier and just get down to train some more.

Last weekend finally got a pleasant day on the bike. And my run was good, with flowers finally pushing their heads above the parapet. And swimming, morning and evening now...there's some daylight and I don't feel like some troglodyte, forever condemned to living in a dark catacomb (very literary!).

Off now to a turbo session on the bike. And hour of pure sweat.

But thinking of summer runs already. The photo shows one of the friends I made on a run last summer.

Revolution gets in way of resolution

2011-01-31T09:31:00.000Z

My New Year resolution to do more warm weather swimming - I had the Red Sea in mind - has been dealt a blow by recent events in Egypt. First it was prowling sharks that made sea swimming unattractive, now it's civil unrest on the streets. So I had to content myself last night with the joys of my Triclub's usual, very warm, local pool.

As usual, the little monkey on my shoulder appeared in late afternoon telling me that I didn't want to swim. But, he's proving less amphibious than he used to be - after just 200 metres warm up..he'd gone. And then it was a good, hard and long session.

90 minutes of mixed drills, free swimming and then a few games - even we adults need a few things to bring a smile to our lips. The last set included treading water at the deep end - with our hands on our heads! Simple but brilliant.

All-in-all, a great session...I was buzzing so much sleep proved difficult. And...no sharks and no revolution. Why would I want to go anywhere else?

New Year Resolution

2011-01-03T19:23:00.000Z

This year I've resolved to do some more warm weather swimming! And what got me started on this? A few wonderful days on the Caribbean of St Lucia over Xmas. As I was swimming at the base of St Lucia's iconic Pitons, trod water as the sun set over a calm sea and watched the palm trees gently swaying in the breeze...I thought, "Yes, this is the life!"

Of course, reality hit when we landed back into a grey, cold winter dawn. But nothing could take away the memory of running barefoot along a beach through the breakers and feeling the sun warm on my back.

Now, I wonder if St Lucia has a triathlon squad? Where do I apply.

Talking of which reminds me of that brilliant film, Cool Runnings - about the Jamaican ski-bob team. Now, I'll bet St Lucia doesn't have a ski team, other than water ski!

Life in the old dog yet

2010-12-06T21:52:00.000Z

First Sunday of the month again. Freezing conditions when huskies were a surer way of getting around that a car!

Performance this month was and a minute better than last and positioned 6th vs 9th. Going in the right direction but still not stunning. On the positive side..I felt better about it.

Good news is that right knee no longer grumbling and left achilles gave no pain during or since. And really good news is that I had a great 90 minutes swim session in the evening....leading the lane most of the time.

All in all a good sporting day.

Back from the running layoff

2010-11-07T19:22:00.000Z

First fast run today after a couple of months with almost no running due to a grumbling knee and then an inflamed achilles tendon. On a bright but chilly morning we gathered for the 09:00 start of a Regents Park Winter Series - first Sunday of the month run. And, whilst my time was way off any personal best, at 46 minutes, I was 9th in the over-50s and ran very even times for each 1km.

I know life is full of "Ifs" but if I'd been running at last year's pace I'd have been 3rd or 4th. So, assuming the knee and achilles remain at bay, I'll be doing some pace work this month and testing again on December 5.

Join me in this blog then.

What was the madness?

2010-10-25T09:41:00.000+01:00

As wind-borne rain beat a tattoo against the window in the pitch dark of 4am, I lay in bed having a debate. To go swimming or turn over and go back to sleep. As dawn broke over bleak, flat Norfolk fields, I questioned both my choice and sanity. The thermometer read 8C, the rain and wind were unremitting.

The first 100 metres were the worst...unusually I found myself short of breath in water which seemed to smother me. But then training clicked in and I started to swim, and swim, and swim. And the joyous moments returned...in this the last open water swim of the year. Around and around the course...without feeling in either hands or feet. But mentally alert - spotting the buoys just right, turning precisely, knifing through the water. In that sort of water temperature, 10C, hypothermia is a danger. Drifting mental faculties are a tell-tale sign.

Physical cold drove me out, but inner warmth sustained me. The worst part was getting changed fterwards... the zip on my tri-suit jammed and I was standing in the, by now only, gusting wind, hopping and wriggling trying to get out of it.

As I drove out of the Fritton lakes site, the autumn colours lifted my soul still further. This memory and others from the season will need to keep me going through the long winter months.

Thanks go to Simon Edwards of www.activeoutdoorsport.co.uk for organising the session and running triathlons up in Norwich.

Changing the world for Tommy

2010-09-27T21:29:00.001+01:00

This weekend, taking a bit of time out from triathlon, I was privileged to listen to someone who in her quiet way is going to move mountains. Such is her vision and inspiration. Nadine Honeybone is mother to Tommy, a lovely child who developed autism as a toddler. Suddenly the family had all their expectations of Tommy's development taken away and Tommy entered a world which is probably quite bewildering. Nadine has been working hard to help Tommy be as normal a child as he could be and to keep body and soul together financially. A tough call.

Then in March this year Nadine realised that if she wanted to make something of Tommy and her future she would need to follow her passion to devote herself to helping families with autism. She reasoned that if she "couldn't change Tommy for the world", she "could change the world for Tommy" and the increasing number of other youngsters like him.

In her contact with literally thousands of families with autism she discovered that not only were medical facilities patchy and often scarce - out in society parents were driven mad by the lack of understanding of what autism means. For Nadine herself to be accused of being a bad parent when Tommy was having an uncontrollable 'meltdown' in Tesco one day because he was unable to handle the sensory overload...was a hammer blow to her self-esteem.

Nadine's www.theautismdirectory.com will change all that. This directory and the services she hopes to fund from it will aim to educate society at large in how to handle autism - she intends to train as many as needed to make the world a more understanding and supportive place for autistic families. So when someone like her is next in Tesco with a child in meltdown, they get informed support instead of brutal tutting purposefully loud enough to be hurtful. The Autism Directory will be launching as a charity shortly and I for one will be donating.

Nadine...good for you...the world will be a better pace for what you are doing.

PS Nadine won a major prize this weekend against stiff competition - the Better Your Best Award offered by the Dan Bradbury organisation.

The Chain Bridge..what a moment

2010-09-19T21:58:00.002+01:00

What a great race and the three days of rain let up just long enough for our event - before the heavens emptied as we trudged home. Okay...the race. The Danube's waters were grey/green in the early light and cold from the rain and lack of sun. Visibility was 15 cms (6 inches) max. Must say I felt pretty disorientated with unseen bodies flailing and bumping, arms, elbows, legs coming from every direction. So, a bit of a slow swim.

Then a long run through mud to the bike and then off for a blazing ride on a pan-flat course, but still wet and with some cracking bumps, ridges, grooves and holes to avoid. Probably my best ride of the season.

Than, again, a long wade with the bike, through mud, back to the racking and then the actual run leg of the race. Down to the riverbank and then a grind chasing backs down. Reeled about a dozen in and only overtaken by two, so a net gain of 10. And then, oh, then, the famous Chain bridge hove into sight. What a moment running over this icon and then to the finish. And the result, right in the middle of my Age Group. Forty competitors and I was 20th in 1h:17m. So, not quite as good as I had hoped, but a result to feel good about.

The photo shows my joy at coming over the Chain Bridge wearing my England cap - kindly supplied by Barry Whelen's Fab Cap Company. Barry donates to Help for Heroes for each cap he sells. Let's hear it for Barry. Lots of people in Hungary kept shouting, "Come on England" or "That's a great cap". And I knew they were supporting me.

Can't let this blog finish without thanking all the people who've supported and encouraged me - family, friends, business colleagues - they've truly entered into the spirit of triathlon.

Blue Danube is Pea Green. Flash report World Aquathlon Championships

2010-09-09T15:15:00.000+01:00

On a gloomy and wet morning 500+ competed in the World Aquathlon Championships in Budapest, September 8. I was 9th in my group, with even 'splits' of 9th in both swim and run. Here's what the start was like! The term we use is "like being a sock in a washing machine." How true.

Bit of a change - gone Nordic Walking

2010-09-05T15:35:00.000+01:00

To stop myself going out and doing a hard training session, but still getting the blood going ahead of the competitions this week, I went Nordic Walking with Tanya Hurley. Tanya is a personal trainer and fitness professional.

On a sunny early autumn day it was terrific to just walk with a purpose, and of course a pace. With Tanya handling her sleek Leki poles like the expert she is I felt a bit of a plodder with my walking poles - which look and are just like ski-poles! Still she showed me the right technique for using the poles as they should be as well as what I should be doing with my arms. After a lifetime running with elbows somewhere around 90 degrees It wasn't too easy to thing straight arms with the swing all in the shoulder. Yes, not only did I feel a bit of a plodder, I probably looked like one too. The route we took was just about 1.8 miles/3.5 km and we went round clockwise.

After a couple of circuits of the Dragonfly Reserve - yes, that's not a typo, we really were in a dragonfly reserve in the River Lee Country Park, north of London, the session came to an end and I felt thoroughly warmed up. So much so that I...you guessed it, went for a run. And what a run, just one circuit of the walk I'd just done and in a quarter of the time...just 11 minutes.

If I reproduce that in Hungary next weekend...wow...be up with the best!

Just a week to go

2010-09-03T22:12:00.001+01:00

Well...just a week to go before the World Championships in Budapest. Spent the last few days taking it easy....enforced rest in a way as my right knee objected to one of the mountains I was climbing in the Alps. I know, that'll teach me. But honestly...see a mountain and got to climb it. Find a lake ...got to swim it. See the photo...who could resist running up there and then rushing into the water? And swimming has been fun...even if the water has been on the 'fresh' side. Triathlon also rather proves the benefit of three sports...when nursing an injury which knocks you out of one discipline you can cross-train on another.

But of course....when in the mountains in France and Switzerland...there's always somewhere to stop, pause and drink in the atmosphere. It's very definitely see a café...got to go and have a coffee! See the photo - what a lovely restaurant it was pointing to...and just round the corner, not up that fearsome looking peak in the distance (2,800 metres in height!)

The photos rather say it all. But although they show a picture of sun, sky and cotton wool clouds, I've spent this summer dodging the lashing rain and really low temperatures.

Back to the knee. Giving it a good rest from running. Swim times are good, bike is reasonable and with a bit of luck, should be able to do some short sprinty stuff as part of the final micro-cycle before September 11. Mentally...feeling very strong, rested, positive.

Will post again from Budapest.

10°C warmer in the water than outside.

2010-08-15T15:03:00.004+01:00

After three days of falling temperatures and two of lashing rain, August 15 dawned cold, cloudy and wet. This is the day of the annual 2,400 metre swim across Lake Annecy in France. Reputedly the cleanest water in Europe, the setting is idyllic. Well, it would be if we'd been able to see it. Driving there over surrounding hills, it looked like dusk not early morning, with the sky grey and foreboding. This year they'd divided the competitors into two waves - pure swimmers affiliated to the French swimming association, and the rest...including triathletes. That suited me fine. I'd rather be amongst my own!

By the time we got into the water, the temperature had fallen further, now into single figures...so the water seemed pleasantly warm. As the hooter went off, the rain started again. It's 'impressionant' to be swimming and seeing the rain bouncing off the water right next to you. And what a melée. Hundreds of us heading for the first turn point. Bodies to left, right, in front and behind. I stayed to the right of the main pack but then had another hazard to negotiate, the safety canoes and safety pedaloes!

Finding the finish is always tricky in this event as it's hidden behind a little island, which merges in with the trees behind. Anyway, with a good sighting point of a church steeple, I was pretty well on target. The final 100 metres was an incredible thrash as the finishing chute narrowed and we raced for the Arrivée. My time was a very pleasing 40 minutes. Even more pleasing was that in the Triathlon class I was 1st Brit, 3rd in the 50+ and 25th taking all age groups. The picture shows the swim route in red.

This race is an important one for me because it's on the anniversary of my father's death, in France, when we were on holiday in 1961. He loved the place, was in the country during the 2nd World War and had picked up a very colloquial brand of the language. He was taken for a local. In the days before package tours or budget airlines, he planned our trips meticulously. However, he didn't plan his own demise! And so, by way of memorial to him I like to compete at Annecy. I think back to the morning after he died, of swimming in the Mediterranean and thinking how cold the water was that day.

Belgian battlefields

2010-08-12T11:14:00.003+01:00

Helen's plaque unveiled
August 8, 2010, Dozinghem Military
Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium

Nearly 100 years after World War 1 broke out, I was in Belgium, honoured to be invited to help commemorate the service of a US nurse, Helen Fairchild, who died aged 33 of gas poisoning in 1918 after tending those wounded and gassed in Ypres during 1917. Helen's death in wartime passed with little more than a grave in the American Cemetery in Bony, France. But her niece, Nelle Fairchild-Rote, herself now 80 years, has been fighting for many years for official recognition of Helen's service. This weekend was the fruit of Nelle's hard work, and quite frankly, guts in the face of official disinterest and dismissal by many of Helen's service as a minor contribution. After all, what worth a woman's service of a few months compared to the sacrifice in the most hideous circumstances of millions of men?

"My dear Aunt US Nurse
Helen Fairchild - you live again
and forever. Nelle Fairchild-Rote."

Nelle's researches revealed a woman determined to serve, well ahead of actual on-the-ground US involvement in World War 1, volunteering to work in Europe for British hospital units, saving lives close to the front lines and subject to bombing raids on her casualty clearing station. In 1917, poison gas was used extensively on the Ypres battlefield. The medical staff in addition to dealing with the catalogue of 'normal' horrendous wounds, now had to deal in addition with those blinded, blistered and choked close to death. One of the characteristics of mustard gas, a principle weapon that summer, was that it lingers in clothes. So imagine the scene as the wounded are brought into the casualty clearing station and the nurses in removing their clothes were themselves subject to gassing. Such was Helen's fate. She fell ill, was operated on for a gastric ulcer, and in January 1918 died. Her autopsy revealed the cause of death as postoperative complications exacerbated by the internal effects of gas poisoning.

Nelle (centre) daughter
Susan and Luc, on
whose family's land
Helen's Casualty Clearing
Ssation was located

Nelle has now achieved official recognition for Helen's service, she herself received not even a posthumous medal, by US President Clinton and now an official plaque commemorating her service, see photo. Nelle was also invited to present a wreath at the daily well-known Menin Gate ceremony in Ypres. And in an honour bestowed on few, Nelle was invited to deliver at the Menin gate ceremony those famous and moving lines by Laurence Binyon - "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them."

Besides the wonderful hospitality of Luc, on whose family's land Helen had actually served, the hospitality of the province of West Flanders and the town council of Westvleteren, the visit was made completely unforgettable by the welcome we received at Talbot House, a hostel established in 1915 to offer all entering hospitality at whatever time of day and night. After a very late flight to Brussels and drive into the unknown across Belgium, the smiles we received from Simon, and Nelle's daughter Susan, upon our arrival in the early hours were heart warming in the extreme.

Other information about Helen on Wikipedia.

On the 2012 Olympics course...what a race

2010-07-24T20:01:00.002+01:00

Competed on the 2012 today at the Dextro London Triathlon. Excellently organised event in the fabulous, even iconic, setting of London's Hyde Park. Warm too, wetsuits were optional. Okay, the swim had lots of weed, but swimming in the Serpentine was great. The bike course, on closed roads and with good road surfaces, was just perfect. It was both technical, plenty of sweeping bends and 5 dead turns, as well long straight stretches to power away. And the run, twice round the Serpentine was just a complete dream. Of course, it was familiar territory as I often race the Last Friday of the Month run at Serpentine. But still...I felt so light on my feet...that work with The Running School last autumn has paid off. A 22 minute 5km.....very satisfying.... no, more than that ....wonderful. And the problem toe from last week feels...well not too bad.

The good news is I got a 4th place in my Age Group. So happy with that. The good season continues. And now it's just 6 weeks to go through a rest, training and taper cycle for the World Championships in Budapest.

Aargh. Can't walk....joint problem

2010-07-17T19:34:00.003+01:00

It's the day after a training run and I can't put weight on my right foot. The joint at the base of the second toe is very painful to the touch. My mind's working overtime on what it might be - from the exotic such as gout (yes, have a triathlon buddy who currently is suffering), a degenerative illness such as arthritis (my Mum was crippled with it) to an overuse-type injury such as a stress fracture. Well...with a race in a week, this is no time to wait and see...it's off to the doctor. In French, of course, that should be interesting.

What a great service! full examination (including blood pressure, breathing, reflexes and an X-ray...and that's in the French equivalent of a GP'surgery. And what was even better, the only people in the waiting room were those nursing some sort of activity-related problem - from mountain biking, running, walking, too much exposure to the sun. So I couldn't catch anything! But, more importantly, the X-ray showed the joint in good condition (ringed in red in the photo) and no stress fractures. The diagnosis - i't had been very hot and my foot swelled so that the toe became too long for the shoe and got pushed back onto the joint. That toe is in any case longer than the big toe (runs in the family!) He prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets and gel, plus rest. Okay...so a week of swimming and cycling. Could be worse.

Fame at last

2010-07-16T19:21:00.001+01:00

Over in France now training hard in scorching temperatures of 30C +. Mountain lakes warm enough to swim in without a wetsuit, road surfaces melting under the brutal sun and running...well feels like running in front of an oven....and no pizza to greet me at the end of it. Perspiration starts even just thinking of activity and seem to be on the edge of dehydration despite drinking litres. But the consolation is the countryside. Meet one of the locals, with Mont Blanc in the distance.

Our Triathlon club has just been featured in the Guardian - one of our juniors, Venita came third and is set fair to do even better. And we more 'experienced' (aka older!) athletes also get a mention. I'm down at the foot of the article. But, hey, fame is fame...isn't it?

European 9th position

2010-07-03T22:00:00.000+01:00

All in all a good day here at the European championships. I wanted a top 10 position and got it. In my wildest dreams I'd thought of a medal. But they remained just that, wild dreams. Good swim , good bike and a slow run. No real idea why, either.

I'll need to think about that over the next few weeks leading to the Hyde Park Triathlon on July 24 and the World Championships in Budapest in September.

The local triathlon store has a lovely sign which sums up this crazy sport. I'm aiming for the forever bit, of course.

On our way round the run, we crossed over the River Shannon 5 times and also past the statue of, I think, P H Pearse and the commemoration to those in the Athlone Brigade of the IRA who died fighting the British in the 1920s.

With the two largest contingents at the triathlon by far being the Great Britain and Ireland teams, it was fitting that both should be reminded of the past so we should not be forced to relive it.

On a lighter note, that same shop celebrating the temporariness of pain, exercised a lovely sense of humour at the nearby bridal shop. Here's a bride, complete with gown and veil, her hand longingly caressing a triathlon bike. Now that's obviously a woman with her priorities quite in the right place. Note that the groom is nowhere to be seen!

Hat's off to Lynne

2010-07-02T11:56:00.002+01:00

Here's a great story about determination. Let me introduce you to Lynne, sister to Steve, a member of my triathlon club TriSportEpping. She'd watched the Great British Swim series on TV and thought "I could do that". The fact that she couldn't swim more than a couple of lengths, as she was, by her own admission, "not too fit"...were fully in her mind. But at Steve's suggestion she came down to one of the club sessions I was coaching in January. And her first words to me, "I don't think I'll be able to finish this session."

My reply, "Lynne, have you ever done a 90 minute session before?"

Response "No!"

My reply "Well where's the evidence that you can't?"

Response....surprised look, realisation and then a smile, "Well, there isn't any, is there?"

And, guess what? Just 90 minutes later, with a great deal of satisfaction and a much worked on swim technique, Lynne was still in the pool. Tired perhaps, jubilant certainly.

Lynne went from strength to strength, overcoming self doubt, overcoming those first moments of anxiety (aka fear) of swimming in very cold open water. finding a comfortable wetsuit (thanks to Biddie Foord of Terrapin Wetsuits).

At the start of the British Gas Great East Swim, Alton Water near Ipswich in June, less than six months after that club swimming session, here's what Lynne had to say,
"The first 600m were going to be pretty much straight into the wind. After turning at the 3^rd buoy, the wind was going to be across the back straight, which was going to supposedly be easier and then a big swell as we turned for the finish. Steve gave me a big hug and told me to ‘just do it’.

At this point the magic dust kicked in. I realised I was truly ready. I was in the right place at the right time with the right kit, the right fitness levels and nothing to worry about. There was nothing left to do but swim. I began to relax and enjoyed it immensely. I was totally, in the moment, It was a great feeling."

Just 44 minutes later, Lynne had completed her event, got under her target time, beaten her demons and become what she yearned to be "one of those people who just got up and did things." Here's what Lynne says,

"I hadn’t thought about after the swim, and despite it being cold wet and windy, I didn't want to leave. Once I’d got changed I went back to the finish. I became very emotional and burst into tears. I still can't say exactly why but every time I looked at the course I was moved. I still am. I did it!!!

So what now? I want to keep swimming. I want to do it again. I loved taking part in the big event. I have been a spectator and supporter for so long; it was wonderful to be the one that goes into the baggage tent to get changed!!

Lynne, I salute you. You are a true member of the grit and determination club.

The photo shows Lynne, centre, fellow swimmer Gill and brother Steve.

European Championships - a moments calm

2010-07-02T11:22:00.000+01:00

"Will they, won't they".....as I sent by bike and bag through at the airport, I was asking those questions! But all was well, both arrived safely in Dublin and the transfer to hotel in Athlone was good. It's now the day before the European Championships race and I've walked the swim course (on the bank, not the water!), cycled the bike and walked the run a few times. I been visualising what I'm going to be doing at each point in each discipline, thinking about what I'll be thinking about.

The venue is lovely...we swim in the River Shannon, there's an architecturally stunning church just by the course, the bike ride is on good quality roads, although I suspect we'll have a strong headwind on the way to the turn point (the benefit will on the way back) and the run is an urban one, twice round the town, including the old fort.

This morning, just as the sun was coming up, I sat in the church to subdued harp music, just visualising. It was a moment of calm in a busy world. Not that I'm religious in any way...it was just rejuvenating to have that peace and to listen to what I was thinking.

The swim is a simple box, down river to the bridge and then back upriver to the start pontoon. We swim past the local marina. Transition is on the barracks square. Then for the bike, a simple out and back. With the run being through the town centre, there'll be plenty of people and my plan is to use their enthusiasm to lift my game. This is a very cerebral game now.

Blistering bike and a 2nd win!

2010-06-30T22:00:00.002+01:00

Well...I can't believe it, another 1st place...this time at the Lakeside Sprint Triathlon. This was a delight to do. I know the water well, as Tri Sport Epping we swim there all summer. As at Rotherham...a very good time - about 12 minutes. The police had closed the roads and the surface was excellent...which made for a blistering bike - 33 minutes for 20 km. The run was steady - not much in my legs after all the previous week's activities - at 25 mins for 5km. And two fast transitions. Overall 1h16m dead.

You'll see from the photo that I'm wearing my England Cap - I was so glad to be doing this for Barry Whelan of The Fab Cap - he donates 50% of his profits to charity, currently supporting Help for Heroes for every cap sold. Well done Barry.

So...now ready for the European Championships this weekend in Athlone. The momentum is there. Go for it boy, go for it!

Your will vs My will

2010-06-25T22:40:00.000+01:00

Good week so far. A personal best for my 10 mile cycle time trail on the "new course" on Wednesday of 28m:10s. I went out with the determination of doing a good time...and got it. The weather helped...nice and warm

But the best was today's Serpentine 5km Last Friday of the Month run. Very hot, very humid, the 'hilly' course. At the 2km mark I overtook this runner and we played ding-dong for the remaining 3km. I refused to let him go, despite short breath, wheezing a bit with the pollen and a thumping heart. Satisfyingly, he came up to me afterwards and said how hard he'd found running against me. Which shows yet again in the last few weeks....the battle is inside my head. My will against my monkey's!

Thought plenty about Kevin Hall's comment, see June 14 blog, with only a limited number of Christmas's left, better get 'may ass' in gear and go out as if I mean real business.

Like the guy on the beach (French Opal Coast).....get my head right.

With a time trial swim tomorrow, Saturday, and a sprint race on Sunday....the good times of the past few weeks should be well rounded off....and then a taper leading to the European Championships next weekend in Athlone, Ireland. Looking forward to them.

Who needs football boots?

2010-06-23T13:09:00.000+01:00

Trying hard to avoid the world cup fever that's gripping the nation, I'd scheduled a meeting where we were talking about branding and someone mentioned Nike football boots, which my colleague's 10 year old is desperate to own.

We paused to look at their website. Yes, striking boots, but actually I've got some that in the 1950s (I am that old) my dear old dad bought me when I was about 6 years old. Maybe he had visions of my lifting the FA Cup for Manchester City.

Sadly he died too young to be disappointed that I turned away from footy to triathlon. But, get a load of these boots - unyielding leather outer, non-pliable leather sole, and studs with nails in! Yes, "we was tough" in those distant days up north.

What a week - 1st placed and 2011 European Championships

2010-06-14T19:42:00.007+01:00

Well...whatever I'm eating at the moment is jet fuel. Wednesday saw a season PB by almost 2 minutes on a 10 mile cycle Time Trial. And then Sunday up in Rotherham a triathlon Sprint race where it seemed I was a dolphin in the water, a bull on the bike and a gazelle on the run. The swim at 11:07 for 750m was a PB by just over a minute and a half. The bike was longer than a normal Sprint at 25.4km - over hills and potholes and a steady 49 mins.

But the run. Oh, the run. From the moment I got off the bike I was in charge of my legs and right 'in the zone'. I chased backs all the way, taking the scalps one by one. Then with 400m to go I took the last one and was in a real ding-dong fighting it out to the line. With memories of the World Aquathlon Championships last September in my mind, where I'd let someone beat me by a second...I determined that was not going to happen here. It didn't. I beat him....and he wasn't even my age group - the 2nd place was a good 90 seconds behind me. My run time 22:06 for 5km.

And so, here's the trophy and the good news is that it qualifies me for the 2011 European Championships in Spain. So, that's now three international Championship events qualified for so far this season. To say I'm floating is an understatement.

But, let's give thanks where it's due. To swim coaches Tim, Peter, Bartek and Jaime at Red Top Swimming , fellow cyclists and runners at Trisport Epping with whom I train and some of whom I coach. Shaftesbury Cycling Club deserve loads of thanks and Sue Gilmore's winter turbo sessions have been great. And to The Running School, who spotted that I ran like Quasimodo and helped my find my inner gazelle. My deep thanks to Kim Ingleby of Energised Peformance who's in charge of my head and helped me see the world in orange - my anchor colour. Kim is one human dynamo...just reading her website makes me tired! Also thanks to Mark Laybourn of Muscular Imbalance who gets my back into shape and ready to compete. Kevin Hall, fellow triathlete, and coach with Dan Bradbury, helped me understand there's only a limited number of Christmases in life and to make every moment count. Tina Dulieu, of Coaching Dynamics posed some tough questions, in her very gentle manner, that got me thinking and doing. Finally...I'm using High5 drinks and gels and they are giving me that extra octane.

Two Qs in a week

2010-06-01T22:03:00.002+01:00

Wow...got two notifications this week - that I'd qualified for both the European Championships in Athlone, Ireland in July and the World Championships in Budapest Hungary in September.

Well, that puts me on notification to get "my ass into gear!"

So...out there at the weekend...had a good open water swim time-trial of 3km in 55 minutes. I was second at that distance and, the oldest by some years! A quick transition and went running with a couple of the club and out-ran them both with a 5km in 23.15. Pleased with both of those.

And then on bank holiday went a long slow run of 25km along the River Chelmer to Maldon. Oh my. Cuckoos, skylarks, blackbirds, thrushes, mallards and ducklings and beautiful swans. The photo's a bit hazy...but just get the orderly swimming - 7 cygnets line stern between mum & dad. The day was magic and like Forest Gump...I just kept on running.

Slow first triathlon in 2010

2010-05-10T07:56:00.003+01:00

Was up at Grendon Lakes Triathlon, near Milton Keynes, yesterday for my first triathlon of the season. Had a good swim, slow bike and an ok run. Was 9th in age category and whilst hoping to qualify for the 2010 European Championships, this was the last opportunity to do so, think I was too slow. There are plenty of excuses I could offer...but the net is...just too slow on the bike and need to work on that. Bit of a downer after getting the medal for the winter running series, see Surprise Medal in Post.

The location is lovely - cuckoos, swans, herons, mallards and very tranquil (see photo) ...when there aren't 700 triathletes there. Lovely camping...here's a useful link.

Surprise medal in post

2010-05-01T07:44:00.000+01:00

Nice surprise in the post - a medal for the Winter 10K Series at Mornington Chasers. Six races between October and March in some frightful weather. Some good times recorded but the medal was quite unexpected. Thanks to Maurice Raynor and his team for organising the event. It was even colder standing there marshalling than running.

Well organised races are worth praising...so I have at my business blog...here's the item Runaway Success.

Heads of the River Race

2010-03-24T14:55:00.000Z

Been privileged to coach one of Putney Town Rowing Club's squads, based at Mortlake on the River Thames, in mental strength to help them achieve better results. The physical and mental training was put to the test at the March Heads of River race held between Chiswick and Putney Bridges. Imagine, 300 boats, each with a crew of eight waiting to row the 7.5km course....it was a real boat jam!

The A boat scored a notable achievement...moving up the order 12 places compared to last time and the C boat also did well, in a much larger field than 2009. The B boat more than held their own. Well done the Women's Intermediate Squad.

Take a bird's eye look at the A boat passing under Chiswick Bridge.

Winter training done..spring is here

2010-03-08T09:09:00.000Z

The last race of the winter today and a good technical race. Even splits each km, mind focussed (except for the odd few seconds), technique good and a reasonable time as well. The venue was Regent's Park and the First Sunday of the Month organised by Mornington Chasers. Their logo's lovely - the speedy tortoise.

I'll be booking into their summer series as well - it's just great to have a race to go at each month - same course and the main variable is your mind! Oh, yes, the weather throws in a few wobblies as does the odd injury.

Whilst running and swimming are looking good, the weather's been against cycling (or should that read ice-cycling?)...the turbo's been humming...but it's not the same feel as the road. Talking of which...so many potholes due to the frost. Take care.

Thanks to www.wiggle.com for the image of the turbo trainer

Taking it easy skiing

2010-01-31T19:03:00.002Z

After last week's near brush with shoulder disaster at the coaches' course I had to decide whether or not to keep the arrangement to ski for a couple of days. The lure proved too much and I went...arriving with the fresh snow. Perfect conditions, 30cm of new snow, North Easterly wind, -10C first thing, light and broken cloud. The mountains were just like Toblerone....triangles 'enrobed' with white chocolate. Sitting out, after a few hours skiing, legs and mind feeling a little disconnected, enjoying a coffee with a crisp gentle wind gently waving the snow-laden branches is as near to perfect as I know. But...taking care of the shoulder, no heroics...only three black pistes and once the light went flat, I packed it in in headed for the shower.

Don't try this at home

2010-01-31T18:53:00.001Z

Aarrgh! Was on a coaches's training weekend last week. We performed a particular swimming drill - my shoulder felt a bit tight. But by Tuesday the whole shoulder had locked up and I couldn't raise my right arm above mid-chest. Couldn't sleep, thank goodness for the power steering. In my mind, my whole coming spring and summer season was falling apart. Ironically a couple of days before I'd been running at Maldon on the Essex coast and espied a crane and hook.....that crane and hook were the only way, I thought in my panic-stricken depressed mind, that I could raise my arm!

A visit to the physio gave a little relief - but mainly it was some magic spray called Biofreeze and a few ibuprofen which released the spasm and started the road to recovery. Now, I don't 'believe' in painkillers. The last time I took some was in 1995 when I was forced off the road by a Dutch car up in the Alps. But the pain this week and the almost complete loss of mobility were powerful 'mind changers'. And they helped enormously.

By Friday the shoulder felt good enough to run. So it was off to the Serpentine Running Club's Last Friday of the Month 5km. And the result was a respectable 22:11 without any real pushing.

For the record, the drill was a sculling one, at the mid-point of the pull phase. The upper arm is horizontal, the lower arm hanging vertically, palm facing the wall you've just left...and sculling. It's aimed at developing a high elbow position. Mmm....might have to do with a less high elbow after all.

Epitaph to a proud woman

2010-01-19T18:00:00.005Z

Sadly I have to report the passing of my mother. It is she to whom I owe my restless genes. As a teenager in the 1930s she was striding over the Pennines, North Wales mountains and the Lake District fells. Even as recently as 5 years ago at the age of 84 ("But don't tell them my age", I hear her call from the other side!) she was clambering over stiles and complaining to the doctor that she had an ache in her hips as a result. She had walked much of central Italy as well as the Gallilean Hills. Her love of the British 'rural idyll', as described in so much of the poetry she loved, was epitomised by that 'host of daffodils' nodding in the breeze. And with her organising ability, developed in the exigences of wartime service as well as during her time as Akela to a generation of Manchester Cubs, I'm sure she's got the whole heavenly host plus recent arrivals graded by walking ability and they are striding the vault of heaven together!

Of snow, gnomes and mist

2009-12-20T20:42:00.003Z

You can take winter in two ways. Either beat it or let it beat you! With December roaring in on gales, floods, then freezing temperatures, snow and ice there's plenty of temptation to stay warm under the duvet. Or is there? This weekend turned into one of pure magic training-wise. Saturday saw a club session with a bright winter sun making the snow sparkle as if a bunch of manic gnomes had been polishing every crystal. The redoubtable runners from TriSport Epping were out in slightly reduced numbers, but those who came, 'saw and conquered'. And keeping with the literary theme, those who 'stayed abed' missed something those who were there will talk of for many a 'St Crispin's Day'.

Sunday dawned with a periwinkle blue sky. In contrast to many triathlon swim starts, Sunday's was not about avoiding the nettles, sharp stones or tree stumps, but taking extreme care not to slip on the ice which covered the concrete decking of the Hackney Lido. Signs saying 'Caution, slippy surface' didn't quite do the deadliness justice. With the rising sun illuminating the hanging vapours, the air was misty and mysterious. For us swimmers, it was impossible to see the other end of the pool, so we took it on trust (and experience) that there was another end to swim to. The session itself was magical: the hour and a quarter passed in an instant.

Yes, better to beat winter than let it beat you.

Whitecaps in the pool

2009-11-24T18:45:00.007Z

I'm now looking to get a grip on my swimming - the new running style (see Post below) is looking good and feeling comfortable, so time to move on. Last Sunday had an invigorating session at the Hackney Lido in East London. Yes, the water was heated, but there was a lot of wind blowing right down the length of the 50m pool. As the swimmers went off, any spray was whipped off by the wind. I'm sure I saw the odd white cap in the swell!

And...I was not quite tail end Charlie...well...I was some of the time but on a few sets I managed to be the penultimate swimmer. The key training technique is using front snorkels. the theory being that without the need to move their heads swimmers can concentrate on arm action and body position.

Mmm...that's the theory. It took a bit of getting used to. The most marked effect for me was that with the small bore of the tube, breathing was much harder - certainly air velocity had to be faster and so the chest muscles were working harder. But, oh my, the difference when it came to swimming without the snorkel - it was as if someone had suddenly cleared my lungs and I had infiniate breath capacity. I'd love to know what speed I was swimming at that point.

Getting the technique right

2009-10-26T20:33:00.006Z

Went to get my running technique analysed - a biomechanical analysis with video at the Running School.

Mmm, that was quite sobering. Looked like Quasimodo escaped from Notre Dame!! Overstriding with my right leg, not using my hamstring or glutes in my right leg, instead using my right hip flexor to lift my leg through, upper body rotation to compensate, left arm wandering all over the place, not using my arms for power. Wow..the list just goes on.

Once it's all pointed out, then your mind goes into overdrive trying to correct it. But it's a sad fact learned over many millions of metres training...the brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time.

So..this month has mostly been about working on the treadmill to try to sort that lot out, plus a few races to try concentrating throughout on the technique issues.

Put myself into a swim session on Thursday nights with a whole bunch of 'youngsters'. They're all faster than me...so it's a struggle all the way. But...good to be working hard against them.

Training for 2010 starts here

2009-10-04T16:16:00.005+01:00

OK, what I need to do for the 2010 triathlon season is clear - knock at least 5 minutes of my Worlds time. So, I'm going to target 1 minute off each of running and swimming and 2 minutes off the bike and 1 minute off transitions.

The past two weeks have been a bit of a rest, with some interval training for running. Bit of a rest? Have turned in 2 x 10km in 44:15 and 42:59 and a PB at 5km of 20:38.

I've also registered for two series of running races in London - the First Sunday of the Month (10km) and the Last Friday of the Month (5km). They should keep me sharp and on my mettle plus they'll let me measure progress.

As for the wider picture, I'll use October as one cycle of interval training on the run and bike and look to get some swim technique under way. I think the first thing here is to shoot some video of my swimming so I can see what's happening above and below water. I'll share that with you here on the blog.

In the meantime...the picture is one I shot in London on the Thames near Mortlake on an early morning run. Enjoy!

Tropical Singapore

2009-09-21T20:08:00.012+01:00

Took a few days in Singapore, breaking up the long flight back to the UK. Fantastic zoo, bird sanctuary and tropcal places to walk. They even have a mountain - all 163 metres above sea level. Made some new friends - a family of orangutans. Even found somewhere to cycle. An island offshore where they hire bikes for Singapore $2 a day. And a tropical thunderstorm was thrown in at no extra cost.

With my return to the UK, this blog will now reflect

my game plan over the winter - to lose at least 5 minutes from my Sprint triathlon time so I can qualify for next year's European and Wolrd Championships. Join me on the journey.

World Sprint Championships: flash report

2009-09-13T11:02:00.010+01:00

Had a great race finishing in 75m:43s for the 750m swim, 20km ride and 5km run. This was a personal best at this distance by 3 minutes. I was 14th overall and the 2nd Brit in my age group. Wow. Feel amazing.

The day in more detail

The day dawned with clear blue skies and blazing sun. Within a few minutes of dawn at 05:50 the air warmed quickly. People were taking care to keep hydrated. Sea water temperature was measured at 20.2C so wetsuits were optional.

There was no wind (that came later) and we were swimming at slack tide on a flat calm.

On the start line there was plenty of bonhomie and we enjoyed a good joke or too. Unusually for an Age Group event we had a beach swim start. You line up and at the hooter run for the water, rather

like the start of the Le Mans car race. I’d taken care to plan my swim by watching the way previous waves ran into the water and the point at which they started swimming. I realised that there was a submerged spit on the right hand side of the start line. If I took that spit it meant I could keep on running well into the water whereas the other athletes would have to start swimming earlier. Running is faster than swimming. This tactic is perfectly legal and the photo shows me (in the middle) leading the pack into the swim.

My swim went well, finishing in the top 10 (spectator’s estimate) in 13m:35s. On the run into transition I was chasing an Aussie. Transition was a bit slow and I need to improve that part of the

race over the winter.

The bike was essentially flat, but we had road works to negotiate (!) and the wind had come up. I pushed hard and my heart rate was running at over 80% of maximum...I was pleased with that and finished in 34m:01s. My legs felt strong coming back into transition.

From the point I started running I felt very strong and started overtaking people. By now the heat was starting to build and I seemed to thrive on the energy. The crowd was brilliant and helped lift my game. I played cat-and-mouse with a few other competitors and even right at the end was passing people, such as the US competitor shown in the photo. My run time was 22m:25s.

What a race. And the analysis of the result tells me I need to get stronger on the bike and a minute faster in the first transition. So...that's the winter training taken care of then!

Skinks in bikinis

2009-09-11T10:44:00.005+01:00

Escaped from the concrete of Surfers Paradise today back up to the ‘paradise’ of Binna Burra (see Blog for September 8). Went on a great walk at Dave’s Creek, taking lunch at Surprise Rock. Here, we ate a well-earned sandwich with completely fabulous views over the rainforest’s top canopy, cliffs and valleys. A couple of ‘skinks’ or gekkos joined us for lunch and entertained us chasing the ants who were making off with our crumbs. Here's a pic of the larger of the two.

When we returned to Binna Burra Lodge we met up again with Chris Duncan, see the Blog entry for September 8. Now Chris is a bushman with a fabulous sense of humour. He politely waited until I told him about the skinks before telling us that the skinks were treated like fast food by the local tiger snakes, describing the skinks as sunbathing in bikinis – with the snakes picking them off for lunch! Chris continued to tell us that the rock where we lunched, where we saw the skinks and lounged in the sun was in fact home to one of the tiger snakes.

And I was sitting on a rock with a dark crevice underneath it....and skinks running round!! Mmmm, that could have been an unusual reason to have to withdraw from a triathlon – "bitten by eastern tiger snake". FYI....the tiger snake is described by the University Of Queensland...read at your peril!!

Aquathlon Results -10th in world!

2009-09-09T11:48:00.013+01:00

Had a great race. Posted a 9m57s for the first 2.5km run, an 18m01s for the 1km swim and a second 2.5km run of 10m59s. Transitions were 2m30s giving a total of 41m27s, on my watch. The official results place me 10th in a time of 41m25s and the 2nd Brit. (Note - the official results add the transitions to the leg of the event)

Adding my two runs together actually gives me a time of 20:56 equalling a PB in a 5km race last February.

Conditions were hot – 26C air and 22C water. There was tide running for the swim, which was non-wetsuit (by 0.1C).

The first run was a melee at the start with about 250 athletes competing for space on a road only

5m wide. Got going well and started chasing down backs. Was delighted to find I’d done such a good split time. T1 was slick, but thank goodness people were shouting to remember to take off running shoes before going down for the swim. More than one competitor forgot! The water was welcomingly cool after the heat of the run.

There was lots of tide running across the first 120m to the first turn and many hadn’t realised that so had trouble making the marker. From the first turn to the halfway point was a washing machine of a swim (see photo), I think I was in the middle of the pack. On the way back to the last turn the sun was straight in our eyes and sighting was a matter of hope rather than expectation. The final turn to the swim exit was another washing machine with people all over the show.

Felt pretty lightheaded for the second run...delighted to be running down backs again

and full of energy. Had two issues...my right knee “popped” a bit (and is aching now...4 hours later) and I was wheezing at the end each exhalation. Not sure if that was the heat or the traffic fumes from the line of vehicles on the other side of the road.

Feelings....pleased to have run hard and achieved an equal PB time, bit disappointed as I’d hoped to get nearer to breaking 20mins. The swim was about what I’d have expected in a wetsuit, so pleased to have achieved that without one. Disappointed not to have equalled my best swim times this year which were about 40s faster...but that was in a lake with no tide and easy sighting.

Couple of other photos are attached.....the first shows me on the 2^nd run...great forefoot running technique being demonstrated, although the pic itself is a little blurred. The second shows me at the end...clearly happy!

So...three days’ recovery and then the event on Sunday. Here’s hoping the wheezing disappears and the knee is okay.

It must be paradise

2009-09-08T09:40:00.009+01:00

24 million years ago as Australia drifted apart from the supercontinent of Gondwana a massive volcano blew up south east of what is now Brisbane. And the Lamington National Park is today’s remnant of that cataclysm. Over in Binna Burra, about 10km as the crow flies from O’Reilly’s and located in the heart of Lamington, we were again

treated to the knowledge of some fabulous people, guides Chris (Duncan and Audley), Luke, Carl and Sarsha.

Chris Duncan introduced us to the rainforest flowers. He took us into an area that had been burnt in a fire a couple of years ago. With the groundcover gone flowering plants have recolonised the hillsides. He was a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge....and a very fast and fluent talker. Maybe we should invent a competition for speaking the Latin names of plants – Chris might well win it!

Chris Audley took us back 20 million years to the Gondwana super-continent and the nearby volcano. The volcanic ash, lava and rocks give this area its unique flora.

We saw trees with buttresses to give them stability, others that are unique to the area. Giant stinging trees (to be avoided!), wait-awhile-trees which rip your skin when you snag them....and you have to wait a while as you untangle your clothes from their barbs. Trees that support massive colonies of other plants, for example giant orchids, which flower 20 metres up in the canopy.

And we saw birds eating the honey/nectar off huge frond-like flowers. I'm afraid I can't remember either the bird's name or the plants!

And then there’s the wildlife – huge lizards – goannas. We were just walking along in the forest ‘gloom’ when there he was...here’s a video of him looking at us, then walking along the path in front of us, finally making his way up the bank. Without the resources of David Attenborough it was really exciting being able to capture this chap on film.

Black brush turkeys pecked under the trees. One found a warm, sunny spot and sat there as we approached. After standing up and stretching he decided to lead us through the forest for a full 5 minutes! The video shows just the edited ‘highlights’.

Luke was a great didgeridoo player. There was a campfire evening where he played for us. In the dark with the flames jumping and Luke treating us to the didge..it was atmospheric in the extreme.

But, oh, the scenery. Quiet glades, waterfalls and pools, sunrises and sunsets, cliffs and valleys. I shot a little video of a Banhamboola Falls in the Coomera Valley....the sound you hear is the rushing water in the creek.

Yet above all, we met some terrific people who now count friends. At the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge guests are encouraged to sit communally rather than just on their own/in couples. And that’s what we did...meeting all manner of interesting walkers across the whole spectrum of professions and interests. Should you ever visit Australia....take the opportunity to visit paradise. Click link to the Binna Burra Lodge.

Bird in GB colours

2009-09-08T09:21:00.013+01:00

Now in Lamington National Park – training of course! Had the privilege of meeting Michael O’Reilly, a member of the well known local family and guest house of the same name – O’Reilly’s. Michael introduced us to the birds in this sub-tropical paradise – known as the Gondwana Australian Tropical Rainforest.

Even before we’d really started the Bird Walk, there was one perched on my head...and guess what, this Crimson Rosella was wearing GB colours – you can see the perfect match in the picture!

What a time we had with Michael scampering down the forest track pointing out bird after bird in tree after tree.

Here’s a magnificent gold and black/blue Regent Bower Bird – one of a species where the male builds a bower to impress and entice likely mates. Another bower bird is the Satin – with a lustrous dark blue plumage. He collects all manner of blue objects to arrange them around his cup-shaped bower – hoping to impress.

And then there’s the tiny Yellow Throated Wren (or was it a yellow Throated Robin?) unmissable against

the forest greens. We saw the rare Banks’ Thrush – brown with a speckled belly (and a bit blurred from his movement).

Frankly we lost count of the number of different species we saw. Cameras were just not quick enough to catch the action. Michael seemed like a real magnet for them.

Floating dollars

2009-08-28T10:54:00.009+01:00

About 80% of Australians live within 30km of the sea. So, their money often gets wet when they go surfing with dollar bills in their pockets. But do they worry? Not at all. Because Aussie dollars are both waterproof and float. Here's a $20 bill in the basin to demonstrate.

Another innovation is that they sell some kinds of lettuce with the

roots still on. This means that you can keep it like a plant...and the leaves stay completely fresh for days. So much better than they way they wilt in the fridge. Here's our three-day old lettuce. Its leaves are still succulent - we had them for dinner. And they'll be good tomorrow as well.

In contrast to this great "all round thinking", for a country that's perilously short of water, none of their sinks or basins seem to come with either plugs, plugs with chains or even the holes to screw the plug chain into. Instead you're left either fumbling around to find an ill-fitting rubber bung type of thing, or letting the water run. How bizarre - there are notices everywhere to conserve water "every drop counts". But somehow you don't feel that its really sunk in (sorry about the pun).

New friends in Noosa

2009-08-27T13:09:00.015+01:00

Today’s training started with an early morning run/swim/run of 5km/1.3km/5km on a gorgeous clear morning. Sea temperature was about 19C. The run took me past some very sumptuous property, with the boat parked ‘out the back’.

A later repeat of this run/swim/run saw air temperature up to about 26C.

And then a great “recovery” walk in a national forest where there were some new friends – a couple of lizards/iguana basking on the Eucalyptus trees.

Also spotted were numerous black turkeys. One I thought was tempting fate just a little as it pecked and scratched underneath a sign for Picnic Cove. They were as bold as

anything, showing no fear of me. One even came scratching around my feet....I caught this lovely face-on shot as he approached.

A real bonus was the mother koala with her rather large joey (baby koala) still clinging to her front. Sorry this photo's a bit blurred, but it was late in the day, the light was fading fast and I didn’t want to use flash so there's a little fuzzyness from an unsteadyhand. You can see the joey’s body and arms on the left hand side of the ‘lump’ of grey fur.

The mum has her right arm around the joey.

You can see the mum’s head on the top right of the bundle.

And what a sunset it was with a calm sea, fabulous colours,palms, mangrove and eucalyptus trees all around.

So, a great day's training. I also bumped into to some runners, one of whom is competing in

the Worlds, but in a different age group. It was great to find out what they get up to here. Training is much easier without cold, snow, ice, fog and all the stuff a UK winter throws at us.

Noise...no extra charge!

2009-08-27T13:00:00.003+01:00

Had a disaster of a one night stay in the Formule 1 in Brisbane – 24 hour tunnelling for a new rapid transit system right underneath the hotel meant a pretty well sleepless night. Their website offered a bland warning in a very small font, “Please be aware that hotel is situated in the vicinity of a new tunnel being built by Brisbane City Council. Construction of the tunnel may cause noise disruptions beyond our control.”

The description didn’t do justice to the cacophony of sound and associated vibration and drilling. And that word vicinity?

Well, judge for yourself from the photo – hoardings at the front, green metal safety fencing at the side beyond which a large trench – you can just see the red arm of a JCB. A better description would have been “right adjacent to and on top of”.

I won’t be staying there again...nor any Formule 1 because I think they were very dishonest in their description, it’s location and size. And what made it worse, was that any potential client who called by phone was warned explicitly about the problem. How much better to have admitted the problem explicitly on the website and offered guests a complementary night, subject to availability, by way of apology.

The night we stayed there were perhaps 20 other guests. All looked the worse for wear at breakfast, complaining bitterly about the noise. Imagine 30 people a day dissatisfied, telling their friends and vowing never to return. Not good.

A couple of days later came the request to fill in a customer satisfaction questionnaire. Naturally we spent some time rating the hotel and describing the problem. On a scale of 1-5, where 5 is excellent...we scored them around 1! And then? Nothing. No response to our obvious dissatisfaction. So, service failure upon service failure.

Koala hospital

2009-08-22T10:54:00.012+01:00

Just round the corner from the cabin I’m staying in, there’s a koala hospital. Annually, they receive hundreds of injured animals from all over New South Wales, nurse those they can back to health, releasing them back into their home territory and euthanasing those that are beyond hope. The majority of victims are from road traffic hits, the rest more generally from ill-health. The photo shows one suffering from severe spinal scoliosis – curvature of the spine, which is probably genetic and not uncommon. He’s unlikely to be released back into the wild but may well stay at the hospital as a 5 start guest. The day I was there, the hospital had just been awarded 1^st prize in an Eco-tourism competition. The cameras were rolling as we walked round and here's a media-savvy koala giving an interview.

Koalas seem to have a rather dozy or drugged appearance – attributed to their diet of Eucalyptus leaves. But the ones on show at the museum, whilst from time to time seeming ‘stoned’ at others show real personality. There was the koala in video 1 being interviewed and then there’s the koala in video 2. She’s called Birthday Girl and is over 20 years old – possibly the oldest koala in Australia. And guess what, yet despite her age, she's a wry sense of humour. I’m sure she smiled at me ... and gave me a mischievous wink, as if to say, “You might think I’m just a dumb koala, but here I am enjoying 5-star hotel treatment for nothing whilst you’ve got that little cabin across the road...and you’re paying for it.” Quite so.

Where are the pedals?

2009-08-22T10:30:00.007+01:00

Finally I’m far enough north to get back into shorts. And find a new form of transport – camel. Bit different to my bike...no pedalling and it’s good on sand. Apparently there are over a million wild camels in Australia. Before trains, cars, trucks, planes they were the preferred, and only, method of long distance haulage. And once they were replaced by vehicles, they just wandered into the outback. The ride is absolutely restful, a gentle swaying, no jarring whatsoever and watching the feet of the camel in front, plod, plod, plod....is better than counting sheep for sending you to sleep.

Also, up here in Port Macquarie there are plenty of spectacular beaches, cliffs and rainforest. At dawn the light catches the sculpted patterns in the sands. Early morning running is a sheer delight...trouble is there’s more stopping to take photos than there is running.

Big tiling job

2009-08-22T10:01:00.002+01:00

I hate tiling! This thought came to me when I visited the Sydney Opera House – the massive clamshells, which I’d assumed were bare concrete, are in fact covered in thousands of 2 cm thick tiles. No wonder it was such a nightmare to build. And complaining about laying the odd 100 tiles in my bathroom will no longer be an excuse.

Did the touristy thing and took the ferry over to Manley and on the way got to see the iconic Sydney sights – Harbour Bridge, Opera House, the harbour itself. There were plenty of boats out, playing chicken with each other and the ferry.

Once or twice the ferry forced an early tack or gybe – I thought that power always gave way to sail, well maybe not down here – another form of Aussie rules perhaps.

Over in Manley – which seemed like a slightly upmarket (but definitely warmer) version of Blackpool in the UK – the weather was great for a stroll along the shore watching the early season surfing beginners catch a few, somewhat pathetic looking, waves. Maybe the good surfers were down at Bondi beach.

Do you know, I think I might have a try at surfing later on in the trip. Can the old dog learn more new tricks?

Back to the future

2009-08-18T10:33:00.020+01:00

A day of contrasts. The weather threw all sorts at us – from glorious sun, to rain, wind and hail. We walked a site that shows signs of human occupation for the last 21,000 years, ambled amongst emu and kangaroo. And we rounded things off visiting a deep space tracking station which is now at the forefront of astronomical research and well as playing a crucial part in relaying the first pictures from the moon in 1969. Back to the future!

Tinbidbila Reserve lies only 40km from Canberra and yet is another world. Human occupation for 21 millenia, where native flora and fauna abound, and where rangers and a natural history museum provide interpretation and guidance.

It was quite a thrill to walk amongst ‘roos – the first in two weeks of being in Australia. And the bonus was that that they were females carrying young – joeys.

We were wary of the emu, who were sounding a sort of bass drum note which we took to be annoyance at our presence.

And with the help of our indigenous Ranger – Peter Swain we located an elusive koala high up in a Eucalyptus tree. Peter also mentioned that Eucalyptus oil was an aboriginal antiseptic. I crushed a few willow Eucalyptus leaves on a cut that I had…and bingo…it has healed well and fast.

Back at the visitor centre Peter gave us a bravura solo didgeridoo performance. He explained that the ‘didge’ was used to tell stories – in the video you’ll hear a kangaroo hunt with boomerangs as well as a boomerang fight. Once you know that there’s a story being told in the sound it’s fun to try to work out what events are being described.

Peter Swain plays didgeridoo video A

Peter Swain plays didgeridoo video B

Our day rounded off at the Tidbinbila Deep Space Tracking Station. Here’s a dramatic photo from inside the main 70m diameter dish.

The story goes that the predecessor station, Honeysuckle Creek, was part of the US’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s network of tracking stations for the US Apollo moon missions. On July 21 1969, the first moon landing, Honeysuckle Creek and the US-based station in Goldstone were receiving signals back from the moon when it was found that at Goldstone a switch had been left in the wrong position and their TV images were being seen upside down. Australia’s Honeysuckle Creek station came to the rescue – its invertor circuit was switched in - and so supplied the world with TV of the first footsteps on the moon. The story was told in the film, The Dish and the moon-landing "inverted image" story is more fully described on the Honeysuckle Creek website.

The exhibits at the deep tracking station are right up to date, even to a model of one of the recent Mars rovers.

What a great day!

Wait for me!

2009-08-17T06:39:00.010+01:00

In medieval times, the populace was kept in order by a series of castles. These possessed a Motte (moat) and Bailey (fortification on a mound). Not only was such a construction difficult to attack, by its scale and height it must have inspired awe and fear. Parliament House in Canberra rather reminds me of the concept, dominating the landscape, keeping the populace in check through laws and judging by the local press a place where there are some pretty rowdy scenes.

Located on a hill, built to an heroic scale in white stone and concrete, surrounded by concentric roads, towering above an admittedly artificial lake and connected visually to the war memorial it does indeed inspire awe. Awe in the apparatus and process of government plus the ever-present threat of a willingness to go to war.

But all is not politics. Lake Burley Griffin is a mecca for outdoor activities – walking, running, cycling, canoeing, dragon boat racing and the odd triathlon.

Early one morning I spotted a family out, taking the air – a family of black swans. Mum, Dad and three cygnets. Like youngsters everywhere, whose ‘little legs’ get tired and then they expect to be carried, so it was with the swans.

You can just see that two are hitching a ride on Mum or Dad’s back and the third is paddling furiously, protesting loudly, “Wait for me!”

Forged in war

2009-08-17T05:25:00.037+01:00

Canberra is a city whose founding purpose was, and still is, the governance of Australia. But it

seems that governance is not just about parliamentary process, it is also about a sense of nationhood. The city is dotted with ‘national’ buildings – National Library, National Archives, National University. National and international politics are represented by Parliament House, various ministries and neighbourhoods of foreign embassies. Arts, sciences, history, sport, technology all have their place in this Australian Capital Territory.

As part of the sense of nationhood, the Australian War Memorial (AWM) lies at the head of the wide Anzac Parade, an arrow-straight boulevard pointing directly at Parliament House. It is said that Australian national identity was forged in the battles of Gallipoli and the First World War.

In Canberra, that sense of connection between defending principles, personal sacrifice and the democratic principle are welded into an architectural and physical coherence.

The photo sequence shows the War Memorial itself, the view down

Anzac Parade from the Memorial across Lake Burley Griffin to Parliament House, complete with futuristic four-legged spire and then the view back up from the lake towards the Memorial – emerging from an early morning mist.

The alignment strikes as a modern equivalent to Stonehenge, imbued by the building, the atrefacts within the museum and the nature of the inner sanctum, where an eternal flame, positioned in a reflecting pool burns, creating a sense of mysticial sacrifice and power.

The side galleries of the 'inner sanctum', carry the Roll of Honour - walls showing the names,

in bronze refief, of all Australian service personnel killed in war. Many names have poppies recently affixed in memory.

In the AWM grounds stands a very special sculpture depicting Simpson’s Donkey. For just under a month on the Gallipoli

Peninsular in 1915, before he was fatally wounded, John Simpson Kirkpatrick led his donkey with supplies and water to the front lines through one of the most heavily shelled valleys – Shrapnel Gulley.

Together they brought down the wounded. He was most fondly described in many letters and poems.

Each day there is a closing ceremony at the AWM, usually comprising a lone bugler sounding the Last Post. Fortuitously I caught a school ensemble and two choirs being given the great honour of performing the closing ritual. In addition a lone piper played the Flowers of the Forest lament. This video captures the moment. It’s seven minutes long and apologies for the slight shakiness from time to time.

Immediately prior to that day’s closing ceremony I’d been walking in the AWM grounds looking at the many memorials to battles past. The second video shows a statue of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, and is dedicated to a soldier killed at Gallipoli’s Lone Pine in 1915. His family brought back a pine cone from the original ‘Lone Pine’, a seed from which was planted and grew into the tree growing behind the statue. Fortuitously, the piper who was to play at the AWM closing ceremony was warming up so there is an evocative lament instead of just the rumble of passing traffic.

Gold medal factory

2009-08-13T10:35:00.018+01:00

I’m at the Australian Institute of Sport - aiming to put the finishing touches to my training.

What a place this is...a whole campus dedicated to sport and sporting people. Seventeen sports represented here, with an equal numbers spread across other Australian cities.

Yes, they take their sport seriously here. Just the map is impressive and that’s before you drive in to find building after building full of great facilities.

In the words of one of the people I've chatted to, "This is a gold medal factory". Well, let's hope some of the manufacturing rubs off on yours truly.

Even before you enter any of the buildings, there’s a sense of celebration of sport as the dramatic statues testify. The most modern celebrate athletes with disabilities – now known as parathletes. The sense of motion and drive in the basketball player in the wheelchair is palpable.

Then a couple of buildings down there’s the gymnast, perfectly balanced in mid-move. These dominate the approach.

They were created for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and then these two statues moved down here. The third, The Sprinter is still in Sydney.

More subtle are the bronzes from the eighties, when the AIS was founded. The sky provides a contrasting backdrop for the two acrobats.

The young gymnast shows real delicacy of movement, just look at her hands. The backdrop of the evergreen glade seems a perfect complement.

One curious artwork, though, is the statue depicting swimming, which stands outside the aquatic centre.

Far from giving any sense of movement or even joy in the sport – as does every other work at the AIS, it depicts a cold, miserable swimmer clutching herself in some sort of crisis of confidence! Not a good advert for the 8-laned 50m pool and the 6-laned 25m pool which lie within....and the sheer joy of scything through the still water of a mountain lake where just the trees are company!

As for my training, with a 50m pool, 25m pool, extensive gym with spinning cycles, treadmills as well as the usual weights and machines, an athletics track as well as paths to run on...I'm in seventh heaven. Just got to make sure the performance is as well.

But what of the weather? It’s warmed up a bit today, although Canberra is notorious for being cold. And in warming up, the moisture set off a series of massive thunderstorms complete with hail. So, I thought, this is not quite such an arid place after all. Once the rain and hail had stopped I ventured out for a very enjoyable run. Whilst out, I passed a digital sign showing their reservoirs are under 50% full but that Canberrians use 95 million litres of water a day. It seems not surprising there’s a water shortage.

A submarine? Where?

2009-08-13T10:08:00.011+01:00

Instead of flying it seemed an great idea to drive the 660km from Melbourne to Canberra. Not least of the reasons was the very large bike box, housing my treasured triathlon bike. Much easier to put it in the car than trundle it through airports and try to get it into taxis.

And so it proves – plenty of interesting things to see. Near to Melbourne - many burnt trees trees from the bushfires. Some have leaves still attached, but other are razed to just charred stumps, with the characteristic smell of charred wood still in the air months later. But nature is already regenerating, with plenty of blossom appearing.

Now here’s a question – how does a little township in the middle of nowhere, three or four hours drive from the sea attract visitors and boost the local economy. Ah, simple. It imports a whole submarine.

Yes, that’s what Holbrooke, New South Wales has done. Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Otway sits just by the road, compelling the unsuspecting visitor to stop, look around, visit the museum and take refreshments at the local Holbrook Hotel.

This seems a great example of lateral thinking, but can you imagine the incredulity at the town planning meeting when the idea was first proposed? “You want to do what?”

Of Australian motorway service stations - well they’re much the same as their British cousins, rather too much junk food on offer at inflated prices. But good to know I’m not missing anything!

Arrival in Canberra comes after an early winter dusk...so finding out what this city offers has to wait until tomorrow. All I know so far is that it is dark and cold, around 4C, that the caravan where I’m staying is glacial and that I am stiff from a day just sitting in the car. Roll-on getting the blood moving again.

Winter August sunshine

2009-08-11T11:55:00.008+01:00

From British summer to Australian winter – a very disorientating contrast. Take Melbourne’s Albert Park lake. When I was last there in January, just before the bushfires, it was hot, pretty well too hot to run.

Now, in August, although sunny, a sharp southerly wind cuts the winter sun’s warmth. And yet the hardy Mebournians are today out on the lake sailing and many walking and running. The birdlife too is making the most of the day.

But bright as it is, my clock’s still not right. After only a couple of days in Aus, I’m still falling asleep at 4 in the afternoon, yet wide awake at 4 in the morning.

Sam the koala

2009-08-11T11:44:00.009+01:00

Arrived Melbourne to find near state-wide mourning in Victoria. Because Sam the Koala had died. Sam had become the symbol of the triumph of the Aussie spirit over the adversity of the recent tragic bushfires.

He wasn’t alone, there were other dramatic photos showing distressed koalas gripping a gratefully received bottle of water – the photo of the cyclist giving his water bottle is particularly poignant.

There were shots too of normally shy koalas coming into gardens drinking from sprinklers. Sam’s recovery was avidly followed. Sam’s grit was true Aussie grit.

However, all was not as it seemed. Sam turned out to be Samantha but worse disclosure followed. Sam was a bit of a S(h)am. Far from being burned and rescued in the main fires, his/her incineration occurred a week or so beforehand...but this news only leaked out later.

And the further twist was that whilst Sam was recovering from the fire, his/her body was being ravaged my something far more insidious, namely Chlamydia. This is apparently endemic in Koalas and threatens the whole species. And so it was that whilst in the operating theatre for burns’ treatment, Sam/Samantha’s body failed her, brought low by disease not by fire. Sad outcome indeed, an icon with feet of clay (sorry about the mixed metaphor).

Some of the newspapers rather inferred that Sam/Samantha’s story held echoes of the smoke and mirrors nature of Australian politics, things are not always what they seem. Far be it for a mere Pommie visitor to comment!

Starship Singapore

2009-08-11T11:40:00.004+01:00

Say what you like about long flights, they can be an excellent way of catching up on films you missed the first time round because you were too busy training, at least in my case. London-Singapore – all 13 hours of it and the latest film Star Trek 2009, together with a couple of episodes of the original 1960s series were a fine feast for the mind. Add in 2001 A Space Odyssey, coming only days after the celebration of the first moon landing and my joy is complete.

And the futuristic impressions are more than reinforced once in Singapore’s Changi airport. Modern, massive, multi-

terminalled, clean and orderly it more than

resembles Starship Enterprise’s ‘holodeck’ Unlike the holodeck, though, there are real dangers lurking for the unsuspecting passenger – staff drive around in little golf-carts and on Segway scooters...you had to be agile to avoid being roadkill.

One great feature is Changi’s Transit Hotel in terminal one...it has an outdoor swimming pool. What a pleasure it is to sit in the nearly fresh, moist tropical air (just the odd waft of JP-1 aviation spirit) and a real relief to stroke a few refreshing lengths after those long cooped up hours. You can imagine that for a triathlete, this is bliss.

Tale of two worlds

2009-08-02T21:24:00.010+01:00

Finished off my few days in France with an off-road across the alpside. And for company at one point this herd of contended cows. The mountain in the background is le Nantuax and rises to just about 2,000 metres. It's a heck of a climb, which is best done from the less steep side - on the left of the photo.

The off road was low impact and slow pace, just letting the legs know they were still expected to be active. Because before long they're stuck under a plane seat. Bit of a contrast - two very different worlds!

Great visibility today, and as we flew over London a terrific view of the Thames opened up, a silver ribbon. The view is of Fulham Reach.

And tomorrow it's back to basic training. A brick session, 15 mins bike/15 mins run times 4. Heart rate target 70% of max on the bike and 75% of max on the run. I'll let you know how it goes. The next day: It was okay....my legs felt like jelly at the end of it!

Phew - scorcher

2009-08-01T20:00:00.008+01:00

August 1st and summer has hit the Alps. Up to 30C today and heat's not what I train for all winter. Still, no choice, today's the day for a fast swim and a fst run. Ah, well...ever hopeful, hey!

With a week of warm weather, the normally pretty chilly lake has just got above 20C and so it's no wetsuit for me today. There's a bit of wind from the north west just rippling the surface. The best time to swim is before all the kayakers get out on the lake. Here are the boats lined up neatly, with the lake behind. Brr, that water felt cold getting in - but a few strokes and I'm starting to warm up. I'm doing a long warm-up today so that I can swim at speed once I start my little course round the buoys. This swim's going to be about the length of the Sprint distance - 750m.

Later - time today 13m 44s. A bit slow, if I'm honest.

And so to the run - there's no bike leg today as there are too many cars on the road - it's Saturday and that's a changeover day here in holiday France - people leaving and arriving. The first part of the run is great - the water's drying on me and keeping me cool. My head feels a little light for the first few hundred metres as my ears get used to being back on land. It is hot though, and before long, the tri-suit's dry and I'm starting to sweat...lots...not a pretty sight. Looking at my watch, the time's looking good, so I pick up the cadence whilst keeping the stride length the same. In theory...I'm going faster. One circuit - 3km done and just on 14 minutes. Okay, but needs to be faster.

So the next circuit I play intervals - selecting a spot a couple of hundred metres ahead I accelerate towards it. When I'm there, slow down slightly, select another spot ahead and accelerate for that. It's all about keeping my mind from wandering and stopping the 'monkey' from telling me that things are hurting. The end of the second circuit, click the stop button and look at the time....okay...20s faster than the first circuit. Not bad, we're getting there. Looking at the heart rate ... that was good and high. The chart shows a gradual increase up to amximum of 148 beats per minute. Excellent. Time now for a cooling and gentle swim....then lunch.

Magic moments

2009-07-30T20:01:00.012+01:00

Sometimes the training's difficult. The weather's cold, miserable, icy, windy...or all of these. Addiction is part of what keeps me going out there for more. But for the rest is those magic moments - something seen or heard early in the morning, in places where there just aren't crowds. That's what keep me going.

A couple of years ago I was in Kenya at the time of the elections that led to violence and bloodshed. And yet, in the midst of this I was lucky enough to be able to run the beaches near Mombasa, usually with a crowd of the local football team. With a fearsome heat from just an hour or so after sunrise, the only time to run was early. And here, a couple of fishermen, in a tranquil moment. Of course later in the day, we were thankful indeed for the food they'd pulled from the sea. With civil society in breakdown, there was nothing in the very few and very small shops. And so it was a matter of seeing what they'd caught and bartering fish for vegetables.

Even in an urban environment, the magic moment just happens. I laughed to myself when I saw this family of black swans sedately cruising on Melbourne's Albert Park lake. I'd been face-to-face with this family a few days - the lake is 2.5km around and I'd been aiming for a 12.5km run. They'd hissed a bit the first time round, so on subsequent circuitys I'd given them a wide berth. I'd nearly packed in through boredom after 10km but decided to grind out another one just to feel good. And then they put on this show for me. And how I chuckled, talk about having "all your ducks in a row".... made me chuckle. And yes, I know that swans aren't ducks...But, hey, cut me a bit of slack.

My family are long suffering! Whenever I see a beach, I want to run it. If we're near water water I want to swim it. And any bit of road is good for cycling. Take a few days we spent with my daughter's in-laws on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. What more could I ask for than a 7 mile long beach of fabulous sand, hardened by a falling tide, early on a late spring morning. Just me, the gulls and a few dedicated surfers. I ran myself silly that morning chasing down other runners, splashing through the surf just jumping for joy. Maybe at my age - mid-50s - that's certifable behaviour, but nobody in white coats came to take me away! And here's a shot of another crazy walking down to the water's edge, contemplating what the surf has in store.

Toutes Directions

2009-07-30T16:15:00.025+01:00

Back down to earth after the elation of a good race last weekend (I was 2nd in age category) and the invitation to join the GB team, see the blog entry below this.

Taking a short break in the French Alps. Today's objective...just to get the body and mind back to thinking they've got to work hard. So, no 'heroics', just a bit of a grind.

Got a fabulous 'pool' to swim in - at 1,300m long lac de Montriond looks really inviting as the sun comes up.

Also, had a good cycle today - the Toutes Directions sign is the best bit of the photo - I'm not looking at my best with this self-potrait. The ride was about 20 kmalong good quality roads with little traffic. At one point I chased down a tandem - they were 'tanking' along but one man on his bike was faster!

With the Tour de France just finished it seems that the drivers here give cyclists more space that other times of the year.

And I rounded things off with a 5km run in 23 minutes.

The final word, though, goes to this little truck I spotted at the recent European Triathlon Championships in Holland. Now that's the way to travel. Just visible is the punnet of strawberries to replenish the energy reserves.

Invitation arrives

2009-07-30T07:32:00.001+01:00

Hey...great email received this week "Congratulations on your selection to the Great Britain team for the ITU Triathlon World Championships - Gold Coast Australia, Sprint distance". Here's what it looked like.

Although it's actually my 4th World Championships (1994, 2003, 2008), I'm more excited about this one than the others because my placings this year have been higher than in previous years and, of course, I'm getting older. It's great to be still competing and enjoying the sport after 26 years!

And this year brings quite a change - instead of racing at Standard distance, I'm going to race at Sprint - Standard is 1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run. Sprint is 750m, 20km, 5km. So, it's my first Worlds at Sprint.

So now it's just lots of very specific training at the Sprint distance. I need to take 5 minutes to take out of my time to stand a chance of a high placing. This blog is the story of how and where I find them.