It was hard leaving home this time, much harder than it has been on previous trips away and sitting in Heathrow Terminal 5 on Xmas Eve alone is not something I would stick on a ‘to do’ list any time soon. However, now that I am here I am dertermined to make the most of the trip; I have some fun and exciting things ahead of me to take the mind off leaving Scotland – on Tuesday my good friend Tim Don marries Kelly, which will be lots of fun and then in 3 weeks I have the South African 70.3 to prepare for. Busy times.

Eat well and enjoy the festivities everyone!

All the more time to swim, bike and run. And sight see:

The view from 2456m last night

I am up here with Tim Don, Alistair+Johnny Brownlee, Hollie Avil and Liz Blatchford, who between them have had some great results at either the Des Moines World Cup or the European Championships over the past couple weeks. It’s a great opportunity for me to train with some of the best athletes and I will do my best to watch and learn.

Altitude is a tough leveller in terms of training, and in the pool especially, training times kind of go out the window. For now at least, it feels akin to swimming through honey, syrup or indeed any other such sugary breakfast spread! If you miss a breath or take in water during a hard rep you more than know about it, since ( as Liz accurately pointed out yesterday morning) “every breath is precious”. I more than agree! Heart rate is elevated much more, and in the mornings, my resting HR is still to return to my regular sea-level value. Slowly but surely the body is adapting. I just wish it would do it quicker.

Yesterday Tim and I (along with his coach, Ben Bright) descended for the first time on the bike. What I mean is that we ‘dropped off the edge’ of the valley floor we are living in. – St Moritz lies in a long valley which means we can ride (and even more importantly – run, for as long as we need to on the flat) which spells happy days. More than often when at altitude you need to finish your ride or run climbing back up to your house. So we rode as far the valley would take us, having climbed steadily, but not too badly. Then we went down. And down. 25 minutes later we had dropped way down into a differernt world where the air was warm and arm warmers and jackets weren’t needed. We necked a coffee and started the long climb back up. – 70 minutes later we were back at the same place we had added extra layers some 2 hours previously.

The scenery was outstanding, the gradients testing, but the result? – Alpine climbs, Fraser and his Time Trial Bike do not mix very well. We shall be working on this over the next week! After a solid run off I was pleased with my first day of hard training. However today I woke up feeling a little worse for wear and realising I shall have to be that bit more careful up high than I have to be when down low whilst training hard.

The top of the climb

We went mountain biking at the w/e at the excellent Glentress down past Peebles. We have had Mari staying this week – returning the favour in some small way for all the weeks I have stayed with her and her family in Stellenbosch, and we saw this cool VW camper. – There is a Life Is Good shop in Stelly, so it seemed worth a picture and making this link.

It’s been a finishing off with one block and starting up with another different one these few days. – Racing has been wrapped up for the time being, and consistent training is gradually beginning again.

Saturday was day of ‘everything catching up with me’ – everything being the 4 races in the past month and the 10+hrs of racing over the previous two weekend. Nonetheless, we did have an eventful morning, in an unconventional sort of way. – We chased ducks all round the garden. Somehow, a flock of ducklings had ended up in the back garden – and they must have trekked the (for a duck at least) mammoth journey down from the university loch (at least a Km) where they presumably came from.

Long stroy short – the duckling were easy enough to gather up – cardboard box and a little plastic tray with some water kept them happy enough. The mother duck?? Now that was a test in skills of capture. Sadly we lacked such skills. Nearly 2 hours later – after having clambered over most of the neighbours garden walls trying to catch the damn thing – I had to give up and admit defeat. I upturned the cardboard box and left the duckies to waddle around happily after their mum. They were adorably cute however!

they couldn't all fit in the 'bath' though

Yesterday I got back into some normal aerobic training after a week of bits and pieces. – 5k swim, 50k bike and 12k run around the North Third which was absolutely stunning. – It was in fact the first time I have ever stopped to cool off and dunk my head in the water during a run, and I have had countless runs up there over the years.

The weather really has been superb here in Stirling over the past wee while. Despite this, I will be leaving for the next month to go train in St Moritz, Switzerland. Altitude is something I haven’t really done in a long time – in fact the last time I was higher up was in early 2005 when I spent 3 months living in Glen Innes, Australia. (The given-the-name-not-too-surprisingly Scottish Capital of Oz; so I was very much at home!). We only lived at 1200m then though, and couldn’t ride much higher than 1400m … so it wasn’t really ‘true’ altitude. Despite this, when I ‘came down’ I had some of my best results to that point. St Moritz is a much more useful elevation – the village itself being at around 1600m with the oppertunity to ride very high indeed – the Stelvio pass in nearby Italy reaches to 2750m.

With 4 weeks training up in the mountains it will be interesting to see what effect it may have on my results when I resume racing again in August. I will be training with Tim Don but there will be a few other guys and girls making use of the lack of oxygen. I am looking forward to it.

The South African experience is drawing to a close. This time next week it will be ‘this way to depatures’.

It does seem amazing that 90 days can zip by so quickly. It’s almost as if you blink and you miss them. But then I actually think about everything I have done since I left Stirling on the 29th November last year and it’s a reasonable list. Here goes……

Well, starting with the obvious – the training, especially since the New Year, (and big toes not withstanding) has been super consistent. Tick. The weather has been all over the shop, but above all sunny. Most notably during the first week of Feb when it go so warm the hills were a-burning. The racing went to plan. Tick. The company has been pretty damn good Between Gavin Noble, Tim Don (timdon.info) and the last couple weeks, Nick Saunders, I have had wicked training partners, and I think between us we have managed to spur one another along nicely from time to time. I certainly feel I have moved along and that is in a large part due to the confidence I have had in the sensible and controlled training environment day in day out.

I have managed to spend some more time with Nikola (in the words of Conrad Stoltz aka the ‘Caveman’) – The Crazy Serb behind the blogging - our website guru. His funny words are here. Nikola lives in SA for the winter time each year, and it was out here this time last year that I briefly met him on one of our longer runs (where, and this is bizarre! – he thought I seemed exteremly GRUMPY.) I guess I can be a grumpy so and so from time to time. I must add I was most recently displaying such a mood during the hotness that was the fires of Stellenbosch which you can re-visit here. – I was best desrcibed as being similar to a ‘Grizzly Bear with a sore head’ during that period. Hmmmm.

I also got going and planned my next few months of racing in the USofA. From here I fly home and spend 8 days in Stirling before pitching up in Miami for 10 days or so. I will race the Miami International which appears to have a cracking start list. I look forward to returning there and seeing my homestays from last year – Martha and Mark. I then head over to California for the rest of March and April. I will race Oceanside 70.3 on the 4th April and St Anthony’s in St Petersburg, Florida on the 26th April. I then return to California to take part in the Wildflower Half Ironman which was probably my favourite race last year.

So the racing has begun – 2009 is well under way and I’m delighted to have kicked it off with a 2nd place on Sunday in Buffalo City, East London. I started to get a little ahead of myself around 30k on the bike – got a tad excited shall I say, as I reckoned I could win it right there and then. I was riding super well, I thought I was flying, I had jumped away from the 2 others I was with and all I had in front was the lead car/clock. I should know better by now shoudn’t I? However 70.3 miles is a long way and it’s obviously not over till it’s over.

I had a really good fun lead up to the event; training had finished up nicely here in Stellenbosch early last week and then I just had a couple easy days Wed/Thursday coupled with travel to give the legs a little reprieve. Myself and Blair travelled up with Tim Don and his folks, who are in Africa for a holiday just now, so we had a nice and relaxed time leading into race day. Tim was in excitable spirits in anticipation of his debut half ironman, and that easy going atmosphere made the time fly by. We had a good laugh and were pretty much horizontal in terms of our relaxed state I thought.

Back to old school for the sunnies!

We had a beach start and there were a couple of rolling waves to porpoise through to get into our strokes. I didn’t really mind about leading the swim on this occasion, indeed we were pretty sure one of the three Storm brothers would take up that position, and by half way Anton Storm had pushed on a few meters in front of me.

We had a bit of a choppy swim, but at least it was a lot more like the appropiate distance this year, and not closer to 1500m! As we got to the beach we stopped to wait a few seconds to ensre we caught the one wave breaking in – another Storm brother (Brad) caught it much better than me, and I ran up under the showers in 3rd. I was however aware of a sizeable pack forming behind, and it actually included all of the guys gunning for top positions – something like 8 or so.

I had a pretty smooth transition and was out in the lead on the bike by 3ks. Blair had run out onto the bike course to give us a time check on Raynard – we reckoned we could get up to 90secs relative to previous swims against him. However Blair was shaking his head after receiving a call from Tims dad at T1, telling me it was less than 30secs; ‘get ready for the train to come by’ he told me! Which is just what I did.

From 10 to 30k Raynard really pushed the pace, especially on the ups. We were riding as a 3 along with Brad Storm. Just shy of the turn point we were joined by the German, Bachor. ‘Mike the Mike’, who does the commentry at many many 70.3 and Ironman events round the world (and is also German) had tipped me to watch out for Konstantine Bachor, since he was apparently in great bike shape. I did my homework anyway, and found that he had jumped off the bike at the Roth Ironman last year in 3rd spot; which in simple terms means he can ride a bike!!

We had a solid headwind on the way out (and up) to the turn – and it took me 1hour 19mins. The return leg took approximately 62mins.- We were hooking! I must say I was feeling great. I am not much of a power rider; I struggle with big gear work in training (as Darren always dispaired at) but on Sunday I was riding the 53*11 gear (my biggest) with relative ease.

Between me and Konstantine we surged and pushed Raynard, sensing he was hurting. At times he seemed to drop quite far off the pace, but always managing to claw his way back to contact. Then, being the classy athlete that he is, just when we ourselves we starting to suffer, during the last 5-8ks into town, BANG! He dropped the hammer on the last ramp into East London. And as he powered past I saw his chain was still in the big blade,I thought ‘oh dear’. I had already dropped into the small ring in anticipation of the looming hill! And just like that he has 45 seconds into transition – a healthty buffer.

just after I'd run into 2nd plce

Once onto the promenade and into my stride I realised the sun was HOT, and I didn’t feel so fantastic anymore…. I was in 3rd, the German was literally a surge away – something like 100m and Raynard that bit further again. But they might as well have been a mile up the road. It took me till 12ks to get going – much to the disgust of Blair on the sidelines; and in true talking to myself fashion (we all do it right??) I got going step by step into a decent clip. The lad on the mountain bike sensed it, and started to encourage, and within a couple Ks I had caught and dropped Bachor. 2nd was secure but Raynard was long gone. I crossed the finish line a couple minutes back, but a step further up the podium than last year.

Raynard was impressive on Sunday, and he deserved his win. I know what it is like to win at home, and it’s great fun – the crowd were cracking support for me, so I can only imagine how much of a lift it provided for him, and with his smart tactical racing he ensured his win comfortably in the end. Next year though!

A BIG thanks to all at the Triangle team for a fantastic race, and for looking after me and Blair so well. I look forward to returning next year to an even bigger event.  (photos courtesy of Triangle)

Tim Don, Raynard Tissink and myself at the press conference

I’m in East London now after flying up the coast from Cape Town yesterday morning. I travelled up with Blair, who as I said has been out here with me for a couple weeks plus my training buddy in Stellenbosch, Tim Don. Our bikes and gear all rolled off the bagage belt in one piece and half an hour later we were at our hotel. Happy days.

Blair cruised around town for a look yesterday, although it didnt take very long, for East London is not the most scenic of places i’m afraid! However it does have a lot of hotels, which confuses me slighty.

Today we had a few bits of pieces to do, including the press conference for the event and then the pro briefing. I don’t ususally arrive for a Sunday event on the Thursday, but because of these, I had to. Tim and I also headed out for a look at the bike course, which is something I was keen to do, given the terrible ride I had here last year (which I was asked about plenty already…!). The course is a really honest bike course, just like I remembered – we basically head inland away from the sea and climb steadily for 45ks to the turnaround, which is at 500m elevation. If the wind is like it was this morning then we will have a cracking tailwind on the way home, which is an incentive to get up there to the turn!

We also had a look around the run course, scouted out the swim bouys and generally familiarised ourselves with the whole gig. The run course has been altered since last time, with the ridiculously tough hill mostly being removed, although there is still a reasonable grade for 500m up to a dead turn on the lap. Whilst driving back down it I commented on it being nice to ‘relax and float back down’. To which Tim responded ‘bloody hell, you can float all you like – but i’ll be piss-bolting down it!’ I liked that

I am really looking forward to having a hit out this w/e however, so lets wait and see when the business end gets going!

Faustus. My new best friend.

I arrived safe and sound with all my luggage (always a worry when travelling through Heathrow Terminal 5) early o clock on Sunday morning here in South Africa. It is wonderful to be back. Everything is just how I remember it to be and I have got right back into the swing of things, which although IS great, doesn’t FEEL great, if that makes sense.

I decided this afternoon, as I finished up my longest bike ride since the madness of the Sherbourne Ironman attempt back in September (102ks), that I just shouldn’t ever bother to stop training. I had a good break of 3 full weeks away from structured training after Clearwater, didn’t use the road bike at all and ran only a handful of (although enjoyable) times. Today marked the 1st significant training day including a swim, a bike and a run since the end of October, and boy am I feeling it this evening!

However, when not nursing the various aches and pains I have been reacquainted with Fasutus! He has grown significantly since I last lived here, but thankfully he likes and/or remembers me. You see he is a gaurd dog (like almost every dog in this country) so it is essentially his job to bark at anybody who he doesn’t know or like, which appears to encompass the majority of folk! He must stay outside most of the time, but he seems to need to know what is going on in and around the house – so he is conveniently now tall enough to have the occasional peek over the door, which I find rather funny.

I will be back soon enough with some more news, but for now I will leave on the note that it is less than 7 weeks till the South African 70.3, when my 2009 season starts in earnest. I learned early this week that Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack is slated to race also. Alongside Tim Don and the 2 guys who beat me on the course early this year – Rsynard Tissink and Fred van Lierde - it is shaping up to be a superb race.

The hills around Stellenbosch. Beautiful.

My downtime has all but reached its endpoint; I have been home in Stirling for nearly 2 weeks and in 2 more days I will boarding a BA flight to Cape Town, so that I can spend the next 3 months in Stellenbosch… I’m a lucky person.

Since I got back I have been tried to be productive with my time; a trip to Lake District for some mountain biking was great fun; a drive up north to see mum and Abbie; a trip to Heriot Watt to graduate; a couple visits to Glasgow to meet up with old school pals, to name a few. All were good fun and just the sort of stuff I would never normally get a chance to do in such a short space of time.

And in the past 4 days I have eased slowly back into some form of swim/bike/run routine, so that when I arrive out in SA I am ready to hit the gound running with the start of base winter stuff; miles, miles and miles.

I’ve been in the pool early doors with the squad 3 times, and consequently now remember what my ‘catch’ is – I fall out of fitness horribly quickly in the pool! Indeed this morning coach Volley had us doing an open water session – where he takes out the lane rope in our side (not the swimmers ’side’) of the 50m pool and hangs bouys from the turn flags – one at either end, and viola, we have an open water venue, roughly 100m in length. We do sets of 3 * 5 laps as a mass start, and it is bloomin hard work, especially when you have been out of the pool for a while. – And this morning we had a guest mixing it up with us – Andy Hunter was a part of the GB 4*200M freestyle quartet that smashed the British record at the recent Olympic Games, and when he saw us ‘having fun’ he asked to join in for a bit. – His comment of “anything is better than that Medley pi$$” whilst pointing a finger backwards to his swim squad made us laugh! He knew he wouldn’t have the chance again, for next week Ian Thorpes’ old coach will take over as the High Performace swim coach on deck in Stirling, and he’ll not be interested in Coach Volleys sets we doubt….

I’ve been getting out on the mtb a bit too, thoroughly enjoying the surrounding hills – have a look at my flickr.com account for recent pictures.

When I get out there I will have great company to train with – Tim Don has been out there for a week or two, plus Gavin Noble is leaving Stirling tomorrow and will be around till Xmas, plus the many good friends I made whilst I stayed there last time around. I have a major race to look forward to in the form of the SA 70.3 in January, plus I may also enter a few local events like I ended up doing previously.

As I’m told – Winter miles = Summer smiles!