Winter - Training - Changes - The Year Ahead.........Part 2!!

The year to come………………………

This shall be a busy year, so much happened in 2014 and my life totally changed in the space of a couple of months. It’s still crazy to think that this time last year I had not even competed in my first triathlon and now I’m planning a move to triathlon heaven and working my way through the daily training in order to help me achieve next year’s goals.

So next year I have decided to aim big, if I can achieve the silver medal at the age group worlds with no winter training behind me and no real structure to my diet or training, then just think what I will be able to achieve.

I’m starting 2015 with a trip to Majorca this is mainly a cycling week, a week of racing up hill and learning how to descend. I’ve heard that the pro teams often train out there so have already set myself the challenge to hang onto the back of a group in training! I’ve never been on a cycling training camp but shall be using this as my starting point to build speed. Cycling is where I can make my time in a race so the stronger I can get the bigger the gap will be heading into the run.

I’m then going to dabble in a couple of Duathlons! I think that these will be a great way to get a few races in at the start of the year all for fun, but some more serious than others!

I have entered an event called the 2up, with Paul Clucas as my team mate we are going to be ready to smash it. See this is a strange event not like a normal team! See for the whole race we can be no more that 20m apart so it’s about working together and playing off each other’s strengths. For Paul it’s the fireman’s championships for me I just want to smash it! The other morning was spent looking up the competition to date, what’s their past record like?! Who seems to be the weaker of the two?! Yet when the day comes, I know that we will just go for it, the mix of 2 very competitive people shall come flying through. And push us both on.

Ones which will be a bit more serious? Well I have entered Clumber Park with the aim to qualify for the Duathlon Worlds 2015. Although this is not my main aim for the year, I can see it being an amazing way to end the 2015 and would also help to improve my running and cycling for the triathlons, something that can only ever work in your favour.

So my main goals, well it sounds like a lot and it is really but like I mentioned earlier I’ve decided to aim high for the 2015 season. My main goal for the year is to become both European and World Age Group Champion. Sounds like a big ask, but following last year I feel this is achievable. I was only 2 seconds off the gold medal in Edmonton and I’m already seeing my speed increase though the winter! Although I’m going to have to work hard for it and keep pushing the limits, I believe this is achievable and will give it everything I have got in order to get there. Meaning structured training around work, a good balanced diet and plenty of rest/recovery.

I don’t have all the gear and have a long wish list including helmet, tri shoes, wetsuit, TT bike and heart rate monitor. But what I do have is the grit and determination, the ability to keep pushing myself and to learn from races or training sessions when they don’t quite go to plan.

The European Championships will be taking place on the 10th July (http://www.triathlon.org/events/event/2015_geneva_etu_triathlon_european_championships) and the World Championships on the 18th September (http://chicago.triathlon.org/). Two key dates in my diary, the two dates that my training will be aimed at.

But I won’t just be there and there is a road throughout the year that I will travel along in order

to help me improve my racing and judge where I am against my competitors. Following my initial Dualthlons I plan to enter a local sprint event at the start of the year, help to get rid of the cobwebs! With the move I’m unsure where this will be yet but I’m sure there will be many hilly ones to pick from! This will lead me into the first big race of the year – St Neots Sprint Triathlon. This event is a qualifier for the Worlds 2015 and Europeans 2016 as well as being the British Championships. I’ve already qualified for both the Worlds and Europeans next year due to this year’s results. So the plan here is to test where I am, practice my race plan and go for number 1! My goal is to start my 2015 triathlon season by becoming the Sprint distance age group champion.

I then plan to race in the qualification races for the Europeans and worlds at Sprint distance. The main reason is it will allow me to compare my race to a high standard of competitor leading into the big races. I’m also going to race a couple of standard distance races, as I only started in triathlon last year I am unsure what distance will suit me best, with my bike speed it would suggest standard but there is only one way to find out. So I plan to step outside my comfort zone a few times to help me make my decisions and set my goals for 2016!

On top of the age group competition I have managed to get the required times to be able to enter some elite triathlon races with in the UK. My goal here is to compete in the elite series. The thought of being able to line up alongside women that I look up to is incredible and I will do everything in my power to be as fast as I possibly can. The elite races are slightly different, not only are they faster with the highest level of competition. But they are also draft legal, this means that on the bike section of the course you are allowed to draft the bike in front. I’m use to riding on my own and competition in a time trial style so my plan is to join a cycling club to build up my speed and get use to group riding. I can see these being the most incredible experience.

I have also decided to try my hand at a bit of time trialling, with cycling being my strongest discipline I thought it would be good to see where I am, so finding a good spare weekend to race in June I have decided to enter the tour of Cambridgeshire (http://www.tourofcambridgeshire.com/uci_uwct_TT_Time_Trial.php) a qualifier for the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale – the world governing body for cycle sport) UWCT (UCI World Cycling Tour - the amateur world championships where anyone who has qualified can ride for a world championship jersey. You’ve got to be in it to win it! And play to your strengths, if you don’t put your limits you will never know how far you can go!

As a whole I am well into winter training building up my base ready to sharpen up next year, and still loving the sport. How could you ever get bored with 3 different sports to keep improving upon.

2015 Is going to be a big year for me and I can’t wait to get stuck into it. The challenge is there and accepted and the opportunities are there to be grabbed!

I am looking for companies to promote through my blog and advertising on clothing, tri suit as well on social media. If you interested in supporting me on my 2015 journey please contact me though here. Thank you!!

Back to training!

Onwards and Upwards………………………………………….

Winter - Training - Changes - The Year Ahead .......Part 1!!

It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote a blog now and although time seems to have flown by I have no race to write about, although there are still many funny mishaps which have happened along the way! Life seems to have changed so much in the last year, and I continue to try and make every day an adventure and grasp the opportunities.

So training…….!

Swim – Swimming has been awesome since going to the swim for tri (www.swimfortri.co.uk) weekend , I have been in the pool 5 times a week. I learnt a lot over the two days something in which I go into a lot more detail in my last blog, (http://www.stephmottramtriathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/swim-school-weekend-in-loughbrough.html) but as you will be able to see from the video the changes to my stroke in such a short space of time is amazing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRVkw2IW54A

So with a little help from a friend I am now fully equipped with all my toys and a toy bag! I have become the biggest fan of the pull buoy and paddles - always look forward to getting these on!

Some days I get in and feel like I’m swimming through syrup (I wish at least it would taste better!) other times I feel like some sort of malfunctioning robot with limbs everywhere and very mechanical. But I keep pushing though, concentrate on the drills. Then hey presto it slowly starts to come together. Going through the tough sessions is worth it to get to the good ones, the sessions where I feel like I’m gliding through the water and it all starts to feel effortless.

I’m no Michael Phelps and my arms still spin around like a windmill, but even with this my strokes per length are down by 2 and the number of good days is now out weighing the bad! I now actually know what it is I’m working towards and how I should be swimming. Now I actually get in the pool knowing what I’m aiming for, what all the drills help with and where my biggest priorities are to improve efficiency. I make sure I do at least 3 technical sessions a week, as well as the on your own session from swim for tri. I have now started to redo my swimming test to see if there is any improvement. I was able to do a 400m test in 5min 31seconds. If I compare this to where I was in the summer I spent months trying to improve upon my 5min 58seconds with no success, so with this week’s result I feel epic!! It just shows how much focusing on technique and improving efficiency makes the difference. Winter training is paying off; the continuous steady improvement is there!

Bike – My forte! The bike has been split into many parts as the winter has come and the days have got shorter, meaning that me and Carlos have been unable to get out on the road in the evening. Never the less make the most of what you have, we have been hitting 100k+ every Sunday, getting myself lost a few times has led to finding many new hills and spectacular views in the area!

Having worked more 6 day weeks and travelling up to the north recently the turbo has come in very handy recently. At 4 in the morning I stumble out of bed and jump onto Carlos. For the longer slower sessions I have found Lee Evans DVDs great company, although it turns out that no matter how much your head wants to laugh at the jokes my body is just not capable of it! Leading to me panting like some sort of hyena, what must the neighbours think!

Otherwise I have recently discovered sufferfest, these DVDs are amazing. They really hurt and I finish feeling like there is nothing left in the tank. It’s the best start to the day, although I always have to spend time with the foam roller before heading into work!

I’ve also discovered the Watt bike another awesome tool, it was described to me as the cycling version of a rowing machine – so something that is going to cause a whole world of pain, but give very accurate data to work off and make me a stronger? Correct – it does cause a whole world of pain. I am no expert on a watt bike, and I know there is still a lot more to learn about what it can do, but I have started reading up on this and finding watt bike sessions on line I have started planning these in to my weekly training. I can see this becoming a very important part of my training programme initially to help build the base and then as the racing season approaches to gain strength and speed.

So trying something new – in November I took a much needed rest week, and went on a road trip. Here I was introduced to mountain biking! Amazing!! There was such a massive difference between mountain biking and road biking but I was feeling the results by the end of the week – aching all over! The feeling was great being in the middle of the woods, up and down hills. It was very technically challenging and took me a while to build up confidence, yet the rush was brilliant! I only had one real fall – quite impressive if I do say myself! With Paul stood at the bottom of a downhill section saying keep left. I heard nothing; I was concentrating so much on just holding on and trying to get down. So what way did I go?! Right!! Haha I went down with a right crash! It really hurt and knocked my confidence a bit although this didn’t stop me; I kept going and had some very impressive bruises just about everywhere to show for it. I have found a new way of cross training which I love!

Run – So run training started really well, I had managed to build up the distance hitting a 10-13k run once a week and getting 3 runs in every week. Then at a very strange time it all went a bit pete tong! I had taken a week of rest from running to allow my body to recover and as I got back running for the first time I had a pain in my shin. I have had to back off the running to let it heal but I’ve not let this affect me instead I’ve concentrated on swimming, cycling and core/weights work. I am now managing to get back on it through work I now doing some fartlek work – I shall be back to full strength in now time, it’s just about building it back up slowly and ensure I get the strength and conditioning work done so that I’m able to stabilise myself!

Weight and Core - The sessions which you feel you’re not directly training for the race, yet without them the risk of injury massively increases. I’m currently getting in at least 4 sessions a week, then adding on additional core sessions whenever I have a bit of spare time! I have switched my sessions slightly lowering the weights but increasing the repetitions to help increase endurance. I’m also spending a lot of time on the bosu ball. The idea here is to teach my body to stabilise itself while performing different movements. I have been known to do squats in front of the TV of an evening just because I felt like it. I do regularly hit 1000 squats in a session my favourite exercise!

So what about changes……………………?!

Well at the start of 2015 I shall be venturing out of Buckinghamshire, the place in which I have grown up! I have got a new job and will be moving to Yorkshire – the land of hills, cycling (road and mountain) trail running and beautiful scenery. But not just any part of Yorkshire – Hebden Bridge a place where the only way to get out is up a hill! The second I was offered the job I knew it had my name written all over it and that I would be stupid to turn it down. You have to take

the opportunities when they come your way!

So will my training change?! Well I want to make sure that I make the most of my surroundings! The plan is to cycle to work which will be 8 miles of pure hill reps! Then leave work to hit the countryside on either the bike or running. The facilities are brilliant and I have the choice of many different 25m pools within 15mins and with a 50m pool just up the road in Leeds I already to plan to make the most of this! I also plan to join both a triathlon club and cycling club in the north something which I have not really been able to do here, but I believe the additional team spirit and knowledge it will really help to push me forward in the world of triathlon!

I know that I will get lost many a time while out running and cycling in the beginning but I can’t wait, I think this will be the perfect place of me to build upon the training I have done so far, plus if you can do it on a hill in rubbish weather, you can do it on any course in any race conditions.

It’s a massive step into the unknown, but one that I’m very excited about. A start of a new chapter in my life – the perfect way to start 2015 a year which will be full of exploring, training, racing and grabbing opportunities which come my way.

Onwards and Upwards..............................