Monster Duathlon Pre Race Thoughts (Two).....

The monster Duathlon is going to be the first race that I have returned too. With a well organised friendly bunch of people and a time to beat, why wouldn't you return? I usually search out new races that would add a new dimension to the race. It might be;

- A hillier bike

- Where I have grown up

- Where the club are heading out as a group

- Open water swim

- Sea swim

- Off road to mix it up a bit

There are obvious mistakes I have made in the past that I will be making sure that I avoid 'touch wood'.

- Blowing up on the bike after going out too hard on the swim and bike. Resulting in my legs almost ceasing up.

 - Almost mounting the bike before the mount line. Which resulted in me jumping on my saddle and touching the saddle for about 0.5 of second before jumping off in a comedy fashion. The organisers face where a picture.

- Almost running out of T2 with my helmet on.

Best way to avoid transition mistakes is to run through the process in your head as you approach transition.

There are 4 main aims for me while racing the Duathlon;

1. Keep my cadence up on the run.

2. Make the 2nd 5k run leg quicker than the first. No I'm not going to walk the first leg.

3. Try and smile as I cross the finish line, I'm never going to make it look as easy as Lucy Gossage. But if I can force a smile, it's a bonus.

4. Get a better time than 2012. Overall time 01:28:12. 

Wish me luck.

Monster Duathlon Pre-race thoughts.........

First Pre-season brick.

With the Monster Duathlon in sight, I thought I had better sneak one in. The first one of the year always seem the toughest. A short 3.2k run, 23k bike ride based on the Monster Duathlon bike route, followed by another short 3.2k run.

Date and Time;

16/02/2014, 1:30pm start.

Conditions;

Sunny 8deg. Wind speed of 12mph and 18mph gusts. A lot calmer than we have been experiencing the past week.

Choice of clothing;

- Trisuit

- T-shirt

- Arm Warmers

It felt the perfect temperature on the bike and at 8deg. would be fine without the t-shirt.

If it is a few degrees colder it may be worth a warmer layer than a t-shirt.

Parts of the course to be aware of;

The extremely uneven surface, as you approach Coveney Hill, on the short straight section of road before you get to Coveney. If you avoid this by moving to the centre section of the road, beware of on-coming cars.

Other than that the road was clear and I made full use of the wind on my back on the A142 towards Ely. At this point it was a great relief. If only the wind followed me all the way around!!!!!

The run just after T2 was a gentle reminder of that feeling of running in treacle with lead shoes on, when you jump off the bike.

Man v's Monster......

With 2014 looming, my race calendar is on the forefront of my mind and know I need to organise my races sooner rather than later.

If you want a guaranteed place it's always best to get in early. However, if you know a race isn't going to sell out too quick, sometimes it's better to hold off for a while make to sure you are prepared before you commit. 

I know that 2014 is going to be the year for me to complete my first half Ironman, for me it has to be the Monster Middle. I have helped monster racing out with the Middle Distance race for the past 3 years, I have seen behind the scenes and I know it is well organised and the routes are well thought out, it has great reviews from those who have raced and it is on my doorstep.

I like to have a fairly laid back approach to my races, my initial school of thought was to build throughout the season. 1. Sprint distance triathlon, 2. Olympic distance triathlon then of course 3. Monster Middle. Easy I just have find some local races. I usually start with the Triathlon England website, then I can chuck in some extra races for good measure of course. 

Monster racing have just announced that there are going to be some new races this year great. 

Official Monster Racing list of events click here.

So why not take on the whole lot? Sounds like a good idea to me. (my initial thoughts)......

The Monster Duathlon. I have done before a great start to the season, and it will help me understand how my fitness is. I do not need to be peaking at this time for sure, otherwise it will certainly be down hill.

The Monster Mojito. This will only be my second Olympic distance triathlon, I will focus on a more structured fuelling strategy. I will also aim to have a better run fitness.

The Monster Sprint. A new race but still nice to keep it short at this point of the season. But in the village that Chrissie Wellington grew up? Why not? It's only up the road.

The Monster Middle. My training for each discipline at the moment is pretty much at these distances, but I haven't put all the disciplines together before. I also have the option of the Olympic distance race. I have raced this distance last year and was not disappointed. The swim and the bike went perfectly, I could have prepared a lot better for the run.

The Monster Marathon. Well were do I begin? It will be my first Marathon and of the back of my first Half Ironman this will take some meticulous planning. At the point that I should be tapering my running training for my Marathon, I will have to be completely resting from the Monster Middle. I will certainly have to run the Marathon conservatively.

The Monster Intrepid. After just completing my first Half Ironman and Marathon, I will complete this race quite late in the season. Extending my race season longer than normal. It will be a tough slog to the finish.

I will be posting pre-race thoughts and race reports, so if you are interested in the local races you might find the blogs useful.