It's been an absolute age since I last wrote a blog. 5 months in fact! It's not for lack of things to write about. Or necessarily lack of time to share all the ups and downs. More that I would get halfway through writing something and think: "no one wants to read this crap anyway," and that was that, an unfinished half memory of what could have been.
On reflection... oh no, not that word. Please no big soppy tale Tom... There's nothing to moan about really. I was thinking how wonderful 2013 was for me. Probably the best year of my life (so far)... I took on some almighty challenges. Felt the extreme highs and lows of love and life. Finally realised I should appreciate my family (took my time). I shared epic moments with friends and picked up a new best friend along the way. I had next to no responsibilities in 2013. No job, a lack of attention for Uni work, and so it pains me to think that this may be one of the most adventurous years I ever have... Who knows? Work can be fun right? We'll see.
On reflection... oh no, not that word. Please no big soppy tale Tom... There's nothing to moan about really. I was thinking how wonderful 2013 was for me. Probably the best year of my life (so far)... I took on some almighty challenges. Felt the extreme highs and lows of love and life. Finally realised I should appreciate my family (took my time). I shared epic moments with friends and picked up a new best friend along the way. I had next to no responsibilities in 2013. No job, a lack of attention for Uni work, and so it pains me to think that this may be one of the most adventurous years I ever have... Who knows? Work can be fun right? We'll see.
Marathon Time
I started the year with a goal. The Manchester Marathon. I developed a 15 week training programme to take me right through to race day. I mostly stuck to this plan through January and February, with some hiccups in March and a fortnight break in April to fit in the most memorable 2 weeks of my entire life (more on that later). I had neglected my role as Cycling Club Road Vice Captain for the past 3 months and come race day I felt that it was at least worth the commitment. I ran within myself 'til halfway. It was there that I spotted my family and girlfriend cheering me on! That was the boost I needed to unleash the overeager excitement and lose control of my mind and with that my ability to keep my desired pace; I just let my feet take me on. I ran for 10km at ~4:35/km. Pretty fast considering I started at 5:00/kms. I obviously paid for this later. The final 3km my legs felt as though they were made of lead. Sweaty clenched fists painfully uncurled and a finishers medal was thrust over my head.
As I crossed the finish line, I didn't really know what hurt. It was sort of everywhere. A dull ache. There were free 10min sports massages in the finishing area. As you'd expect, everyone was getting some mild relief for their poor battered legs. Not me; I was the only person I saw getting a shoulder massage. I can't describe how uncomfortable it was. When I caught up with my family and Beth in my dazed state having crossed the line, all I can remember is asking them to take the medal off my neck. All the tension from clenching my first for over 3hrs must have funnelled into my shoulder. It wasn't fun. Oh well, it's fun to be different.
I finished in 3:18:09. That day I swore I'd never do something that stupid again. No more marathons. That was it.
The next day I was talked into entering a Half-Ironman in September 2013! Talk about peer pressure. From then on, there was no looking back.I competed in BUCS sprint tri a week later, and true to form, my endurance was fantastic, I was just lacking speed on the run and practice on the bike to be fully content.
I finished in 3:18:09. That day I swore I'd never do something that stupid again. No more marathons. That was it.
The next day I was talked into entering a Half-Ironman in September 2013! Talk about peer pressure. From then on, there was no looking back.I competed in BUCS sprint tri a week later, and true to form, my endurance was fantastic, I was just lacking speed on the run and practice on the bike to be fully content.
April AdventuresBack to that mysterious 2 week break in April that preceded the Marathon. Back in September 2012, Beth sent me a text asking if I wanted to go to Morocco. More specifically, would I like to hitch-hike there. Why not? So the next 6 months were spent fundraising for Link; before we knew it, we were at Sandbach South Services waiting for our first lift. After 20mins of waving our big green thumb at passers, Darren the handyman and his mates picked us up and we travelled in the back of his van with a blanket, torch and each other for company (it sounds worse than it was. There was some natural light, and sort of seats...) to Birmingham. 5 days later, after 20 lifts with complete strangers, we were 1600miles from Sandbach, UK, in the port at Algericas, Spain. From there it was around an hour ferry to Tangier, Morocco; the excitement was never ending as we spotted a whale emerge beside the boat and were paid in soft drinks and sweets to fill in Border forms for some rather shifty looking guys. I could bore everyone for hours on just those two weeks, but I won't. |
"The smallest acts of kindness can bring the greatest joy"
From our adventures there are two things that I'd like to share:
- When in need, the smallest acts of kindness can bring the greatest joy. Be it being bought a packet of crisp, a lift 10miles down the road to a different town, or a man who barely speaks English offering you the hospitality of his home (see picture below). These are the selfless acts that made the Hitch, so memorable.
- Morocco on a budget. Eating, travelling, staying the night with locals, was truly enlightening. I believe that to even begin to understand a culture you must first absorb yourself within it and accept everything around you. Be kind, be happy. Ask questions and listen to what people have to say.
- When in need, the smallest acts of kindness can bring the greatest joy. Be it being bought a packet of crisp, a lift 10miles down the road to a different town, or a man who barely speaks English offering you the hospitality of his home (see picture below). These are the selfless acts that made the Hitch, so memorable.
- Morocco on a budget. Eating, travelling, staying the night with locals, was truly enlightening. I believe that to even begin to understand a culture you must first absorb yourself within it and accept everything around you. Be kind, be happy. Ask questions and listen to what people have to say.
The shack in the woods near the French/Spanish border where Mr Algerian Man and his Spainish friend hosted us for the night. Arriving in the dark, was like something out of a horror film. We thought there was a fair chance of death. It's odd who we chose to put our trust in. Though we know neither of their names, we were, and still are, truly astounded by their hospitality.
I couldn't ask for a more special person to share those, very personal, two weeks with, and it is therefore strange that for around a month in May/June last year I had no communication with that same person. It's at that point that I started writing this blog.
Sometimes it's good to reflect. And in that month of reflection, I think both Beth and I realised that, no matter how hard we tried to avoid the fact, we were in love. And had been for the past 2 years. Long distance is hard, but it's not all bad. You learn to savour the moments you spend together, and often they're magical.
So the year continues afresh. With an even greater bond than before. We had some very special moments shared over the summer. I rode my bike a lot. Sometimes for a very long time and on occasions up really big hills! Beth was my number one supporter over the summer, in a non-cheesy way! I really couldn't have ridden Coast-to-Coast in a day without her being there for me. She along with a few others, met us at strategic intervals for food and morale support. I even wrote a few blogs for cycle-seven about all my cycling endeavours. Overall, it was a fun, fulfilling summer.
So on to the BIG ONE. The Half-Ironman!
Sometimes it's good to reflect. And in that month of reflection, I think both Beth and I realised that, no matter how hard we tried to avoid the fact, we were in love. And had been for the past 2 years. Long distance is hard, but it's not all bad. You learn to savour the moments you spend together, and often they're magical.
So the year continues afresh. With an even greater bond than before. We had some very special moments shared over the summer. I rode my bike a lot. Sometimes for a very long time and on occasions up really big hills! Beth was my number one supporter over the summer, in a non-cheesy way! I really couldn't have ridden Coast-to-Coast in a day without her being there for me. She along with a few others, met us at strategic intervals for food and morale support. I even wrote a few blogs for cycle-seven about all my cycling endeavours. Overall, it was a fun, fulfilling summer.
So on to the BIG ONE. The Half-Ironman!
Fast forward to September, and in preparation for the big race, I entered myself into the last local sprint triathlon of the season, The North West Triathlon. Despite each discipline distance being less than a quarter of what I would face in The Gauntlet, I thought it would be good to get some race experience in the bag since the last triathlon I competed in was BUCS sprint in May. The sprint try helped to refresh my mind as to what it's like on race day; most notably the panic and erratic behaviour exhibited by those inadequately prepared on the day. Despite it being September, the midday temperatures were still touching 25°C at their peak, so it was a shock to the system leaving the house at half past seven with the thermostat hovering at a mere 8°C!! This definitely called for the lucky "GB beanie" to make an appearance, the car air-con to be switched off in favour of heating and some upbeat motivation tunes to be blasted with the hope of waking my hibernating brain. I had some sloppy transitions, which probably cost me a spot in the top 10 (25 seconds off 10th place). All in all I was pretty happy with my performance on the day, and it was encouraging for the half-ironman. | Results: 1st - 00:56:49 2nd - 01:00:54 10th - 01:06:06 12th - 01:06:31 <- Me |
The Gauntlet
I like my sleep, I'm just not always great at the falling asleep part, least of all when in unfamiliar surroundings, as may be the case when you're in a tent. Throw in some nerves and howling winds, and it was a rather restless night. It felt as though I spent several hours just staring at the roof of the tent, expecting inspiration to suddenly befall me. I probably ran through my transition about 10 times before I got utterly bored of the idea of doing it again. Sleep, as it always does, pounced with me none the wiser as to when it may have taken a hold; before I knew it, it was dawn and alarms were going off all over the place. Time to wolf down as much food as possible and prepare for the race.
I knew Hever Castle was a huge triathlon (5000 competitors across the 2 days), and therefore the racking area would easily be the largest I had encountered. I really didn't want to be 'that guy' who waltzes on out of the swim and spends the next 10 minutes frantically running up and down rows searching for his bike and other gizmos; so I followed David McNamee's (GB) lead to a racking spot close to the water and strategically placed out all the stuff I knew I would need for the bike and run leg.
I knew Hever Castle was a huge triathlon (5000 competitors across the 2 days), and therefore the racking area would easily be the largest I had encountered. I really didn't want to be 'that guy' who waltzes on out of the swim and spends the next 10 minutes frantically running up and down rows searching for his bike and other gizmos; so I followed David McNamee's (GB) lead to a racking spot close to the water and strategically placed out all the stuff I knew I would need for the bike and run leg.
I'm distinctly average to poor at swimming. I don't enjoy it and as a result, I rarely for that aspect of a triathlon... a vicious cycle if I'm honest. I got through the 40mins in the water relatively unscathed, with only a couple of stray kicks to the face and ribs.
As it turns out, the bike course was pretty well suited to me. Having spent most of the summer riding longer and further on the bike, with ever greater hills to overcome, the undulating 90km gave me an advantage over the slightly heavier riders (aka lumps-of-lard) who's power to weight was rather lacking. I surprised myself, and caught up a lot of places on the bike, clocking the 11th fastest time for the discipline. The first time I've ever placed higher on the bike than the run in a triathlon. I came off the bike with no idea how many competitors were ahead of me. At 5k into the 21km run a marshall told me I was around 25th! WHAT?!?! "25th?" I shouted back. "You sure?"... I think she thought I was disappointed, but in reality I was ecstatic and nearly lost focus. I still had 16km (10miles) left to run. Anything could still happen.
The final 10km lap of the run was the hardest 10km I have ever run in my life. I could barely lift my legs, the niggling knee and foot injuries that hadn't bothered me at all up 'til this point began to grow from a dull ache into a full on pain. I think I was passed by 2 others running The Gauntlet, but it was hard to tell. I crossed the finish line and wept. I still don't know whether it was tears of joy, or pain. Probably a combination of the two. I could barely walk! But I had just completed a Half-Ironman. Finishing 26th overall and best from the University of Bristol was more than I ever expected.
As it turns out, the bike course was pretty well suited to me. Having spent most of the summer riding longer and further on the bike, with ever greater hills to overcome, the undulating 90km gave me an advantage over the slightly heavier riders (aka lumps-of-lard) who's power to weight was rather lacking. I surprised myself, and caught up a lot of places on the bike, clocking the 11th fastest time for the discipline. The first time I've ever placed higher on the bike than the run in a triathlon. I came off the bike with no idea how many competitors were ahead of me. At 5k into the 21km run a marshall told me I was around 25th! WHAT?!?! "25th?" I shouted back. "You sure?"... I think she thought I was disappointed, but in reality I was ecstatic and nearly lost focus. I still had 16km (10miles) left to run. Anything could still happen.
The final 10km lap of the run was the hardest 10km I have ever run in my life. I could barely lift my legs, the niggling knee and foot injuries that hadn't bothered me at all up 'til this point began to grow from a dull ache into a full on pain. I think I was passed by 2 others running The Gauntlet, but it was hard to tell. I crossed the finish line and wept. I still don't know whether it was tears of joy, or pain. Probably a combination of the two. I could barely walk! But I had just completed a Half-Ironman. Finishing 26th overall and best from the University of Bristol was more than I ever expected.
If you ever want to have a completely guilt free delicious bacon butty, do a half-ironman and collapse on the grass clasping the butty firmly to your face; victory is sweet. I had completed my challenge. It was me against my body; I just about won. I did only just beat my body though. I was off running for 5 weeks and cycling for 3 after the race. I developed a mutual understanding with swimming. I needed to do sport to stay sane, and I could only swim to do that. I never said I enjoyed it, but I knew it fulfilled those little urges, and for that I'm grateful to the odd art of nearly drowning multiple times in a large amount of piss contaminated water. This was all thanks to picking up a very strange injury in my right foot back in early September, late August. My big toe audibly 'creaked' when it was flexed and it was red with inflammation, but no swelling. I chose to ignore my body and train and race with no care in the world. This almost back-fired, however, it didn't; so in hindsight, I'd still do exactly what I did, because, after all, how are we to know what our limitations are if we're afraid to challenge the limits we have already set ourselves. |
The Crossroads
So... after a year of endurance, what next? A full Ironman? A completely new challenge? Shorter faster races? A longer bike challenge?
All of these are possibilities, that I am still considering. Unfortunately I've already lost a month of 2014 whilst faffing around thinking about what to do. At the moment, my short term goal is to boost my run speed and break 17:30 for a 5k. My current PB, set in November 2013, is 17:57. I know it's doable, but after being on leave from exercise for almost 5 weeks over Christmas due to exams, eating and double bouts of illness, I've got a bit of a way to go yet. Last week's performance of 18:28 shows how much I managed to slip in a little over a month.
I plan to run an official 10k so as to get a time that I can work to bring down too.
Other than that, I feel a full ironman should wait until I'm a bit older. I reckon 25?
I'm definitely open to suggestions for a challenge, however wild or tame they may be. Let's see what 2014 will bring.
All of these are possibilities, that I am still considering. Unfortunately I've already lost a month of 2014 whilst faffing around thinking about what to do. At the moment, my short term goal is to boost my run speed and break 17:30 for a 5k. My current PB, set in November 2013, is 17:57. I know it's doable, but after being on leave from exercise for almost 5 weeks over Christmas due to exams, eating and double bouts of illness, I've got a bit of a way to go yet. Last week's performance of 18:28 shows how much I managed to slip in a little over a month.
I plan to run an official 10k so as to get a time that I can work to bring down too.
Other than that, I feel a full ironman should wait until I'm a bit older. I reckon 25?
I'm definitely open to suggestions for a challenge, however wild or tame they may be. Let's see what 2014 will bring.