Ironman UK race report, 4 Aug 2013
This was rapidly rebadged as my A race of the 2013 season following a nightmare race in Texas back in May. I was desperate to see how fast I could go and whether I could get my hands on the Kona slot...
View ArticleKona baby! Part 1: How not to prepare for World Championships
Having qualified against all odds at IMUK, I didn’t have long to pick myself back up before Kona. As well as a perfectly-timed and remarkably persistent chest infection, I’d had a niggling stress...
View ArticleKona Part 2: a humbling day out
Despite the gaps in my preparation, I was still reasonably confident that I could pull off a respectable race. I’d trained hard all year and I’d won my age group by more than 15 minutes to qualify, so...
View ArticleKona Part 3: after the race
We were very lucky to have both scraped together enough time away from work to stay in Hawaii for an extra week after the race. The first couple of days were spent recovering: we were both exhausted....
View ArticleIronman South Africa, 6 April 2014
The coach of my first Henley-winning rowing crew said to us during the lead-up to the race, “You have to be good enough that you can have a bad day on race day and still win.” For me that thought sums...
View ArticleA better way forward for pro Ironman racing
A recent article on the future of professional Ironman racing has proposed, in all seriousness, a system whereby the disparity between the number of men’s and women’s pro slots at Kona is increased....
View ArticleDon’t get me wet and don’t feed me after midnight
A couple of weeks ago I followed a routine I’m coming to know rather well: roll out of bed hideously early; follow a carefully prepared list of instructions, including a detailed nutrition plan and...
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