A few days in already. Time flies. After a late arrival in Los Angeles I stayed in the airport (well, a hotel room, not a terminal bench) on Monday evening and then drove myself the couple of hours south to the San Diego area I now know so well. There has been a coldy type thing hanging around since the flight – the bonuses of travel I suppose – and I am doing my best to shrug it off. The warmth of the sun is helping

I am not doing the best with my swim training of late. It turns out the pool is shut for ‘construction’, so I am having to drive a fair bit to get to the next one. Luckily I can borrow the truck to get there…hHopefully it won’t be too big an issue, as I swam pretty consistenly right through September back in the Shire.

The biking is going ok – I just got 2, 3, 4 hour rides in to remind the legs over the last 3 days. The riding is pretty hilly in these here parts, and I had forgotten just how hilly.  Nice views though, and once I get off the beaten track, no traffic either. Just how I like it.

I’m only here another 5 days and then it’s onwards to Texas for the Longhorn 70.3 in Austin. It will be a new State for me to visit, and a new race to experience. I’ll keep you posted

I’m gearing up for my major goal race

of the first half of the racing season this w/e.

It’s been an up and down first few months of 2009 racing for me, but I am finally feeling confident about my prospects of being able to race to my potential on Sunday morning. I’m very motivated and generally excited about heading back to Wimbleball Lake in Exmoor to try and defend my title and win for the third successive year. – It’s a big task but one I am keen to try and make happen!

It couldn't have been much closer last year - Stephen pushed me hard to the line

It is a small field, as has been the case each of the previous years I have raced the event. However, it is a small but strong field, and I am expecting a tough race without question. The race has been described as one of the toughest, if not the toughest race on the 70.3 circuit. I can certainly confirm it is up there as one of the toughest I have raced and I think that is what I like the most about it. – A normal swim (don’t be fooled!) A very tough bike. Maybe even a tougher run. – Hills, off road trails and yet more grassy hills all add up to make it a great test.

It is just a tremendously good effort in simply getting round, and I think that is one of the main reasons such a considerable numbers of folk don’t even end up racking their bikes on the Saturday – the reality suddenly dawns that the entry they submitted (and paid for!) way back in the winter time hasn’t been backed up with sufficient training volume. – Hopefully the majority of people who entered will be bursting with confidence come Sunday this year!

I am looking forward to catching up with Julie (Dibs) for the first time this year … we usually spend a week hanging out in April for the St Anthony’s Triathlon in Florida, however she went a cracked a rib around then… and also to see how my occasional San Diegan/Scottish training partner from my Californian trip is going to do. – It is Lesley Paterson’s first attempt at the 70.s distance after making a great start to the US Xterra series so far this year.

I have to make a note about the men’s race too. The big name that stands out on the men’s list is Björn Andersson. I have said it before – and after regular racing against him over the past 2 years can difinatively confirm – he is a monster on the bike. I raced him twice earlier this year in the States, and his riding didn’t seen to have quite the same impact as it has in the past, but I am not going to let that fool me. I believe he will be on the start line ready to create bike havoc, and being a very competent swimmer, he will be creating it very early on. My aim is to go with whatever he throws down! He has won a major Half Ironman distance event each of the past two season through crushing bike splits and hanging on during the run, so I can see where his intentions lie! – The lighter wheels have been added and the cassette has been changed.

There are a number of other guys on the start list ready to give it a good shot as well, and I am more than aware of all of them… I always do my research!

It’s going to be a busy w/e of racing all over the place to – what with there being not just one but three other Ironman 70.3 events being held all over the US, plus the world famous Alcatraz triathlon in addition to the racing that other online team members are up to in France and the US.

Mike and I heading out for a spin - he and HIS new steed. Nice!

We spent last Wednesday night in a place called Ventura – about 90 mins north of LA with friends of Mike and his family. It has been a great way to break up the long journey to the race venue for Wildflower – which is kinda in the middle of nowhere.

I’m excited about heading back up there. It was a blast last year – thousands of athletes across all the races, thousands more spectators, tough, challenging swim, bike and run venues set in stunning scenery. Oh, and live music playing all w/e which is kinda cool.

It’s a black hole in terms of communications up there, but i’ll hopefully have something up on Sunday evening about how Mike and I get on over the w/e.

Someone was having a lazy day. Probably did a hard run or something?

The Bear and I had some words

"I know there has to be some ice SOMEWHERE"

Will, on the other hand, was happiest when foraging for food

Trusty old diary, laptop, Garmin and GENR8 grape flavour

I raced 2 weekends ago in Miami, and had been jogging along that week, but very limited. The race didn’t ‘flare’ the leg up, but I also didn’t fel like I was progressing so I stopped having any time on my feet last week, and actively searched for a good physio to start some treatment when I got here. I have been having ‘ART’ – Active Release Techniques, which is basically another way of saying ‘deep tissue massage’ in American-speak…. and seem to be responding well to it after a couple of sessions (yet to receive a bill though…yikes!).

So, otherwise, I have ridden the bike a fair bit. 17 hours or 485k. Approx 300 miles in old money? And I have swum a fair bit too – 33k in yards, which I think is just shy of 30k in meters. Mostly on my own, BUT not all. Aha – I joined in with a squad. The North County Masters in fact. They swim in Enchinitas down at the coast in the YMCA (I had never been in a YMCA building before). There are a few triathletes drop in – Michelie Jones was there one of my swims before heading off to race at IM Oz, and Luke Bell was in the other day ready to race in Oceanside next w/e too. And then I did a sesh with Olly Freeman, and the past 2 days I have had Will Clarke to train with. Both of those guys are making their 70.3 debut at the w/e.

So it’s been a good week’s work. Fingers crossed the leg holds up, I get a few more run miles under my belt, and I’ll race at the weekend, just like planned.

My new AR1 (Pringle/Argyle print paint job) and DA Felt bikes.

Awesome.

Rocky (yup, I wrote Rocky) finished building up my bikes this afternoon at the Nytro bike store down in Enchinitas. These things always take longer than you think, so I hung around for an hour and a half or so waiting… very patiently! By the time I got home it was getting late (and cold would you believe) but I was deffinately hitting the road for a test drive – The road bike was hands down winner for first dibs. I haven’t ridden the road bike for so long, and my first ride on the AR1 was superb. It fits like a glove, even though it is only a 54cm frame (I am possibly shrinking in old age?) compared to the 58cm road frame I was last riding a couple years ago.

The time trial bike looks fantastic and I am contemplating keeping it soley for racing useage! – I have my ‘old’ TT bike here with me also, since I needed something to race on in Miami last w/e, so I may do the majority of the donkey work aboard it. But then again … who am I kidding?

I know, I know ... the saddle is WAY too high, and there are no tubs on the rims. Yet.

One final close up. And then I will stop showing off. I promise. Well…. I might do just the one post about them next week. Just a little, not-bothering-anyone-post.

The list of world class athletes working with Profile reads like a ‘who’s who’ of multisport and so it is very exciting to be linked with such a prestigious company within our sport.

Profile are also based in California, which is nice, since this will once again be my main base for the year whilst racing in the US. Alongside Felt (Irvine) and TYR (Huntington Beach) I am going to be within driving distance of them which is great for keeping in contact, especially for something like wetsuits, where sizing can be so crucial.

I will meet the guys at the Miami International Triathlon next month, which has Profile as the main event sponsor. Miami will be my first race in the US for 2009, which I am really looking forward to. I raced there last year and it seems like the event has grown much bigger for this, it’s second year running.

They work you know - as does the 'toe hole'!

I have been making very good use of my compression socks during the past 10 days….. which is exactly how long I have had some out here in Stellenbosch, since I forgot to bring my own when I flew initially.

I had thought ‘no worries, Blair can bring mine them out in Jan, when he comes to visit’. However, I started to pick up a calf niggle after my first two weeks back training through the middle of Decemeber (note to self; don’t start running 100k weeks right away. Muppet.) and so I got in touch with Sylvie at SLS3 over in California to see if they had a distributor here in SA, so that I could get a hold of some. They regretably didn’t, she informed me. However, she did insist on winging some out as quickly as the US Postal Service could manage during the Christmas build up. I received 3 pairs on the 28th; a nice belated pressie for sure. And boy are they helping out that calf niggle.

I first came across the product when I raced at Wildflower in May, out in California. I was intrigued, and to be honest, I at the very least needed some decent flight socks (for I tend to suffer from elephantitis on long haul). I started to use them after hard runs for recovery and by the the time Clearwater arrived in November I was using them for all long runs and any involving interval work – and I have the holes in the toes to prove it.

I am more than sold on the concept, and without question they are allowing me to train harder and recovery more quickly than before. Triathletes are well known for the embracement of all things ‘gimick’, but I really suggest you go give these a shot – stick them on under your tights for your long Sunday run (or whenever you choose to run longer!) or when you get back from a hard session on the treadmill or track or canal path or wherever.

The next step for these socks is a ’sleeve’, which doesn’t cover the foot, but would allow me/anyone to race in them from the get-go, under the wetsuit, thus not wasting any time in transition trying to pul them on (can be quite a strenuous activity when tired). I believe I would be happy to do so given the benefit I seem to gain from training. When I decide to race Ironman again, I will most certainly be using either of these products. There are other sleeves available on the market already, but the actual level of compression offered is negligible.

I look forward to working more closely with Slyvie and SLS3 – www.slstri.com  throughout ‘09 when I am based over in California again.

Thats me .... in the background

I am excited to announce that this week I signed with TYR Sports as my Apparel sponsor for the 2009 season.

Founded in 1985 and based in Huntington Beach, California, TYR is the second largest branded swimwear manufacturer in North America, supplying some of the world’s most famous swimmers and sportsmen. 

TYR’s elite triathlon team members include Chrissie Wellington (2-Time Ironman World Champion), Andy Potts (2-Time USAT Elite Triathlete of the Year), Becky Lavelle (2008 Life Time Fitness Series winner), Pip Taylor (ITU World Cup winner), Desiree Ficker (70.3 winner, 2nd 2006 Kona), and T.J. Tollakson (70.3 winner).

Given that I intend to race predominantly in the US next year, TYR are a great sponsor to help me become one of the worlds top athletes at the 70.3 distance, and I feel very lucky to have been taken on board and included into the TYR family.

If I can swim even a tiny bit as fast as the TYR swimmers are doing around the globe at the moment then I will be over the moon!!

Carolyn, myself, Toby and Julie in April

I’m all packed and I’m yet again on the move; to St Petersburg, Florida. There is just one week left till the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, and I am heading over to the same great homestay I enjoyed last time with Carolyn, and also Julie Dibens. We were there in Arpil this year too – on that occasion for the St Anthonys race held in St Pete itself, and my new T.R.I team mate Toby Jameson was there then also. Phew, it’s a big reunion! This time round Toby and his brother Joel have travelled, and the 3 of them have been training away over there for the last few days. I’m looking forward to joining in.

Although I am really looking forward to getting over there, I am also quite sad to be leaving Escondido and California. I have really come to enjoy my training (albiet all on my own) out here and I have found more than enough good rides and trails for running. The weather is also just ridiculously ideal for triathlon training. You just don’t get anything other than sunshine and clear, windless days. I have become really quite spoilt, given what the weather is doing at home just now. – Blair sent me a text message during the week which said ‘I can see me breath all the time now – bet you can’t see yours?!’ I think that sums it up perfectly for me at this time of year!

Anyway, I need to get to bed; another lengthly day of travel awaits tomorrow as I cross this huge country from West to East. Dad is coing over to watch the race and he happens to arrive in Tampa airport just before me, so that’ll be a good end to the journey for me.

Oh – and given it is such a huge deal over here – Happy Halloween! Here are some pictures I took whilst out on my bike last week; a sight I have never seen before, and one which led me to realise I had never considered where pumpkins actually come from. Well now I now – they ALL come from this big field in North County, San Diego. All of them.