Fraser Cartmell Ironman triathlete » Ritchie Cunningham

Motivation needed? Not now

Fraser — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:32:58 +0000

Last week when I had a wander around Lance’s bike shop here in Austin, Mellow Johnny’s, I took the below picture of this even more famous picture. I have it framed on my wall at home in fact. I see it every morning when I wake up for swimming. – Sometimes it doesn’t work I am afraid!! However …. now it’s less than 10 days till the showdown in Clearwater. The World Champs no less. There is no need for a glance at Lance (see what I did there?!) climbing a French Col to get me out the door I can tell you

Training since the Longhorn 70.3 here in Austin has been bang on. I was due to leave here for St Pete on Friday of last week in fact, but I quickly realised that staying here in Texas was going to be a much better training base for my pre Clearwater needs. The big tick in the box was the chance to train with Ritchie Cunningham and his training buddy Pat Evoe. I knew Ritchie lived here in Austin now, having moved down to the warmer climes from Boston during the summer, but you never know whether folk are keen to welcome a newbie into the fold. Plus I didn’t want to get in the way of what is clearly a good routine (he won in easy-street fashion last w/e) at this late stage before the biggest race on our calendar.

It’s been a blast so far. – Austin is (much like much of urban America i guess) fairly spread out … and this is what I still struggle to get my head around when in the US. Nothing is generally that close and travel time can seem like a drag. But, I know we are just spoilt at home in Stirling, and hey, its not 25C with the clearest blue sky imaginable EVER in November in ‘The Shire’ ! So i’m sucking the travel up. – Especially with the loan of Ritchies’ funy little (but pretty powerful i might add) scooter. – More on that tomorrow I think.

Ritchie is not only preparing for Clearwater, and defending his podium spot from last year, but he has bitten off an even bigger bite in the shape of Ironman Arizona the week later. Or 8 days later as Ritchie keeps reminding me! Rather him than me is all I’ll say. The upshot of that scenario is that he is in wicked shape and totally motivated to get great training sessions in each of these last few crucial days, plus Pat is gearing up for the new Ironman event in Cozumel, Mexico a week later. – Between the two of them it is ON in training! (Especially on the bike … I now realise I don’t ride hard enough when I train!) Many might subscribe to the train of thought that “if it’s not in the bag by now it never will” … but I don’t agree … I am coming good day by day by hanging onto their coat tails and it’s a great feeling to still have next week to freshen up and get over the last bit of travel into Florida.

I’ve learned a lot from being here these past 2 weeks, and I am sure I will come back to train again. The whole place is so friendly and triathlon orientated. I have also been utterly lucky (yet again) in having found such an incredible homestay family to stay with and that has made everything that bit easier to handle in the new environment. – Thanks Terra and Zane. (and the cats. and the dog).

The view at the pool after my swim this avo …. its a 33yd pool – this is a new distance for me!

and a slightly wonky view of ‘downtown’ on my ride home from the pool. (I didn’t take this on the scooter I promise!)

Longhorn snaps

Fraser — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:12:03 +0000

I just got a couple of nice images from the weekend drop into the inbox. – Inside the last 5k of the bike, as I took the race lead. Pity I didn’t hold onto it for a bit longer ….. I’m working on that though. As Toby would say “drop ‘em like they’re hot”.

Photo credit to Lenny Glick. – Thankyou.

L – R: Brian Fleischmann, Luke Bell, Greg Bennet, Ritchie Cunningham and myself.

Ironman 70.3 California 2009

Fraser — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:50:15 +0000

Unfortunately I am reporting a DNF from the race today in Oceanside, however, on the plus side of things I had a great swim/bike out there which has given me a good indication of how I am travelling right now. I have had a problem in my lower leg for a month now, and although it is getting much better and I have been running up to 40minutes, it wasn’t worth pushing since the leg isn’t perfect yet. It does, however, still suck to pull out of a race, BUT – there will be many more races this year, as I have been told many a time throughout the course of today. Onwards and upwards.

Not quite sure what I am smiling about, dnf and all....

My race got off to a great start in the water till, oooo, lets say 100m, when I got the good ‘ol dunkin in the water and the goggles ripped knocked off. It’s a long time since that has happened, but it – as ‘they’ say – is racing, and you must deal with it. It happened again midway and I really became unsure of where I was in the state of play. As we neared the jetty I realised I was probably in a good enough spot and sure enough as I ran up I heard the announcer explain that Olly Freeman was mere seconds in front. Safe.

Onto the bike in 3rd and I just found a really solid pace early doors. This always helps set the tone I find. Quite quickly I could see the two leaders in front and by 10 miles I had passed them, but had also in turn been passed myself by Björn Andersson doing something of a rocket-impression. Off he went. I soon ended up riding on my own for a few miles, until at 25 I was caught by the group of very capable bike riders that had formed behind.

This is something I am still having to work at in my racing – an ability to really dig deep when on my own and capitalise on any gains I may have made in the swim. – I can ride a very quick pace when I am able to pace off of another rider (I said pace not draft) but on my own I struggle to really push that extra gear necessary. It will come in time.

We rode up and over the hills which dominate the second half of the race, and I was determined to really work them as hard as possible. I love that sort of terrain and I had forgotten how good a course this really is. – A really solid, honest bike course, where drafting really won’t be much of an issue I doubt. At 45 miles the Swiss athlete Ronnie (for I cannot spell or pronounce his surname) who was 4th at Hawaii last year zoomed on by and I made an effort to tag along. This effort expired around the 50 mile marker and I was then sucked back into the group of 6 as we entered T2.

I started the run, simply so that I didn’t have to stop in T2 and look like the village idiot who didn’t undertstand what he needed to do. – Run like the rest of them! So I got myself down to just past the first mile marker and walked off the course, which, as I said, sucked.

All in all it was worth it for sure, and I am bouyed by my swim/bike effort. There are no dollars to show for the racing, but I will get my head down and continue to hit the rehab work hard.

Jog along son. Jog along.