Dreaming of Ironman

Dengie Events Up & Running

2010-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

I will be organising a number of triathlons during 2011. I have set up Dengie Events due to a love of triathlon and a love of the areas in which the events take place.

The basic aim is to produce races which we would like to take part in ourselves offering all of the facilities and benefits of a large event with a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all. When we put together an event the most important things behind athlete safety are finding the best course, offering the best services and making things as simple and stress free as possible, all whilst maintaining the unique character of the area.

We are pleased to announce our event schedule for 2011:

Maldon Triathlon - Sprint & Standard Distance - 10th July 2011

Fambridge Yacht Haven Triathlon - Middle Distance - 24th July 2011

Waterside Long Distance Triathlon - Long Distance - 7th August 2011

We are in the process of arranging a further triathlon in Sandhurst, Berkshire.

The events are opening for entry as we speak...

Challenge Copenhagen August 15 2010

2010-08-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

A little delayed on the race report but I'm glad to say I finished the race, my first Ironman, what an experience!

Swim (3.8km)

Got to the swim start with time to spare only to find that my bike kit had been flooded, my cycling shoes and socks soaked through. Luckily I was wearing some running socks but this didn't do my nerves any good. As we all stood on the beach at the race start I began to think of all the things that could go wrong, I was very nervous especially since the weather was terrible and we seemed to wait for an eternity on to start the race. Once the starting horn sounded all these thoughts went to the back of my mind and I just began swimming as fast as I could. The water tasted disguisting and I had to stop a few times to gag which caused my goggles to leak. The support along the entire course was amazing, especially considering the rain and I heard my sister shouting over the top of everyone as I passed under one of the bridges. I felt like I was swimming slowly but exited the water in a very respectable 1hr 16mins.

Cycle (180km)

As I came out of the water I became dizzy which is to be expected but I attempted to run in a straight line and got through the transition in just a few minutes. The first part of the cycle was a windy section through the centre of Copenhagen. During this period I settled into a rythm. The next part of the course was very flat and followed alngside the coast. I stayed down on my tri bars and felt very good at this point. I was holding back but still going through the splits averaging 30km/hr. I kept this pace up for the entire first lap which turned inland and became surprisingly hilly. I concentrated on the road to ensure that I didn't go over anything that could cause a puncture and made sure I stuck to my nutrition plan. Everything went to plan, I never came close to cramping and despite seeing lots of puntured bikes on the side of the road, perhaps got a bit lucky and survived without any problems. I did get a shock on the cobbled sections of the course as I had not expected these to be so severe. The support here was fantastic but I did not enjoy cycling over the cobbles one bit. On the second lap I slowed a little along the coast where the wind and distance started to affect me and at one point felt like I may not be able to go the distance. I kept going however and picked up the pace as I returned to Copenhagen and the city. I completed the cycle leg in 6hrs 30mins but was worried about how my legs would react to running after cycling 112 miles.

Run (42.2km)

I didn't waste any time in the second transition and began the marathon very strong. At the first aid station I became desparate for the toilet and had to queue for almost 10 minutes which didn't do my time time any good but I didn't really have any choice in the matter. I the set off again at a steady pace. The support on the run course was absolutely incredible. The route took in all of the sights and every time I saw my family it gave me a real lift. This support kept me going for the first lap. On the 2nd lap I began to slow so decided to chat to a friendly chap called Nev to take my mind off things. It's amazing that so much of the race is mental but by the time the 3rd lap came around I couldn't keep up with him. I had a really bad period at this point and ended up using a walk run strategy. After eating every apple that I could find at the aid statons I perked up again and managed to run towards the city centre and the finish line. I shut my eyes and gave it everything to keep going and became very emotional as I knew I was about to finish. At the start of the day I honestly thought that I wouldn't make it but here I was at the finish line. All my family came over to congratualte me but I didn't really know what was going on and was completely exhausted. Crossing the finish line was the most incredible experience and made all of the training and build up worth the effort. I finished in 12hrs 45mins but for me the time is completely irrelevent, anyone who starts the race let alone finishes deserves a huge amount of repect. After years of training and dreaming of finishing the race I had finially done it. What a day!

My First Puncture

2010-07-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Just been out for a ride. Cycled about 30km away from where I parked, punctured both wheels in the middle of nowhere and just about managed to stop before sliding off the road. There was nobody to pick me up and I couldn't fix the puncture so was forced to flag people down. Most people just ignored me until I took to standing in front of them so they had to stop, then I just kept getting "I'm busy", waited in the sun for over 2 hours before someone was kind enough to give me a lift. Thanks to that man because I really appreciate it especially after waiting so long. I'm very pissed off, not because the majority of people were perhaps genuinely busy or couldnt fit the bike in the car but because they were so rude and some even hurled abuse at me for stopping them. Sent my bike down to Rotec Cycles to get it checked over so thankyou to them for doing that. Anyway training is going well. Off to Croatia tomorrow for a bit of a holiday so will do lots of swimming in the sea where I can practice my sighting and runningin the heat. Will begin long cycles when I get back, perhaps even a 180km one for good measure. I'll let you know how it goes..

European Long Distance Triathlon Championship (26/06/10)

2010-07-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I competed in the European Long Distance Triathlon Championship in Vitoria Gasteiz Spain. It was an incredible experience and something I will never forget. As part of the event there was an opening ceremony where all of the nations paraded down the main square. It was a very surreal moment but it gave me the chance to meet the rest of the GB team and I'm glad to say that everyone was extremely freindly and just as nervous as me. The reason I was nervous was due to the heat. Last time I raced in hot conditions at Alpe d'Huez I collapsed and was carted off in an ambulance. This time I was much more prepared but there is always a doubt in the back of your mind that you will not finish.

Swim (4km)

The 4km swim started on the shore of the lake at Landa. I had never swam close to 4km before but I was confident that I could coplete the distance. I went out hard to keep up with the others in my category and managed to hold a steady pace for the whole distance. I finished the swim in just under 1hr 20mins so there is still improvement to be made before the Ironman in August. As I exited the water I felt the usual dizzyness but ignored it and ran through transition in just a few minutes.

Cycle (122km)

In the early stages the cycle leg felt good, although the flat profile was slightly misleading as there was a surprising number of hills. I tucked down on the aerobars and settled into a rythm, making sure that I kept drinking and eating to avoid cramping and tireing. The support on the cycle leg was amazing. There were lots of groups of cyclist and supporters out on the course cheering us on. The organisers had even closed all of the roads on the route so it really felt everyone was there for the race, something you don't really get at longer races in England. I started to slow down towards the end of the cycle as the heat intensified but reached transition 2 in a respectable time of just uder 4hrs 20mins.

Run (30km)

The run didn't get off to the best of starts. For some reason still unknown to me I received a penalty going through T2 so had to wait in the penalty box. If I hadn't spent a few minutes looking confused and trying to undertsand Spanish I would have got in there sooner but when I was eventually forced into the penalty box they let me go after a few seconds, very confusing and not thebest of starts. As I ran through the Buesa Arena and out onto the course I noticed a lot of suffering on peoples faces. I soon found out why... the bloody heat. I couldn't handle that kind of heat and having made a promise to my girlfriend that I wouldn't end up in an ambulance this time I was forced to slow down somewhat. So much so that by the second lap I was walking. I drank probably too much water in an attempt to coll myslef down and I really played havoc with my stomach. Whenever I started running I was sick. Not so great for someone trying to go as fast as they can but in the end I just settled for finishing and I was mighty relieved to do that
after the slowest 30km of my life, getting close to 3hrs45mins in the end. The only thing I enjoyed about the run was the fantastic support of the marshals and the spectators. I really appreciated it. The finish was in the Buesa Arena Stadium and was a great place to finish the race. Not exactly the time I had hoped for but I was absolutely delighted to finish. What a day!

Windsor Triathlon 13/06/10 (1.5km/42km/10km)

2010-07-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Having qualified for the European Long Distance Championship in Vitoria Gasteiz I took part in the Windsor Triathlon to get back in the swing of racing and get a bit of speed in my legs before going to Spain. In the build up to the race I have been doing alternate weekly cycles of 55km and 110km. I have begun my swim coaching at Harpers and have already noticed improvements. I was nervous about this at first but am really enjoying my swim training. My run has been ticking over but I am very pleased with my nutrition strategy which will be put to the test in the heat of Spain.

I had a great time racing at Windsor hitting my targets and getting round comfortably in just over 2hrs 30mins. My first triathlon was at Windsor in 2008 so it was interesting to see just how much faster I could get round the course. Job done and now the nervous wait before the European LD Championship on the 26th where I will get to wear the GB kit and hopefully will not embarass myself!

Marshman + Long Distance Triathlon

2010-05-21T01:48:00.001-07:00

I have finally got round to posting my race report of the Marshman Triathlon on here (pictures to follow). Completing the distance was a very daunting prospect, especially since the winds were forecast at 25mph with 35mph gusts. My training had been going well and I had ecovered from my running injury sustained earlier in the year. Before the event Rotec Cycles gave my bike the once over and fitted Dura Ace groupset which made the ride really reponsive and boosted my confidence. We drove down to Kent on the saturday, registered and then attempted to get some sleep before the race.

Swim (2.6km)

I have been working on my front crawl technique so had high hopes of putting in a PB on the swim. The water was calm and after getting into a rythm managed to get on the feet of somebody of a similar pace to me to draft behind. The initial shock of the cold soon wore off and I posted a time that I was personally very pleased with of 50 minutes. Getting out of the water is where my first major setback came. I was dizzier than I had ever been after a swim and couldn't even see properly let alone stand up. I lent on the side for a few minutes before I attempted to find my bike where I sat down and spent 9 minutes in transition. Not the best of starts and I was still feeling the effects on my bike almost cycling straight into a hedge.

Cycle (130km)

After settling into my rythm the cycling leg was actually very pleasant. The winds were low initially and the sun was out. I started of at a casual pace as I was worried about the distance but soon got caught up in the excitement and began to push myself. The main goal of the cycle leg was to stick to my nutrition plan to test it in preparation for the Ironman. I drank a mixture of water and Spiz energy drink and took on carbo gels at regular intervals. Everything worked out perfectly and I didn't tire or cramp lik I normally would on such a long ride. I spent long amounts of time down on the aerobars as the route was predominantly flat but the wind really started to pick up of the second lap which slowed mt time somewhat. 4hrs 43mins. Very happy.

Run (32km)

Now just the run to go. The first km was tough. By this point everyone oing the shorter race was on there way back and I couldn't see anyone doing the longer race. I bacame worried about going the wrong way but through luck more than anything stayed on course. After a quick toilet break I began running at an incredibly slow pace, still feeling the affects of the cycle leg. At this point a friendly chap named Marcus ran alongside me and said hello. I picked up my pace and managed to run with him for over 25km. It's incredible how chatting to somebody can take your mind off the pain and proves how most of the race is in your mind rather than your legs. There was a long straight section of the run leg heading directly into the wind which I really struggled with and is where most of the run time was lost. I bacame very hungry but thankfully there were frequent aid stations where I decided to eat everything I could see. Once we were out of the wind I felt much fresher and ran more smoothly and quickly. The final run time was 3hrs 15mins but I was more pleased that I did not begin to cramp once and was feeling strong at the end of the race. As the main goal was preparation for the Ironman I am delighted with my performance.

Overall time of 9hrs 4mins. 31st overall and 1st U25 (not that there was much competion). Very happy with how the day went and since then I have been realxing with a little bit of walking thrown in for good measure. I have also found out that I can now represent GB at the European Long Distance Championship in Vitoria-Gasteiz Spain, so am of course very excited about that. It will definitely be a great experience and will give me even more motivation to train hard and improve my times.

April so far...

2010-04-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who may be reading my blog. I've really upped my training in the last two weeks in preparation for the Marshman triathlon on 16 May. Mon 5 quick cycle ~40k, Tue 1500m swim, Wed 5km run the first real run since December due to injury and I survived, Thu rest, Fri 45m Turbo, Sat rest, Sun 9km run in 35mins very pleased with that considering how long it's been since I ran, Mon 12 52km cycle down in the New Forest had a great time but was very slow and I felt pretty tired, Tue rest, Wed 1000m swim, Thu rest, Fri 2000m swim, Sat 10km run and Spurs beat Chelsea, nice one. I'm also chuffed because I got my bike back from Rotec Cycles the other day and they have done an excellent job of fitting Dura Ace to my ride, I gave it a quick spin on the turbo and can't wait to get it out and about on Monday. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up here because I couldn't be happier with it.

Training Update

2010-03-29T02:56:00.000-07:00

Back in the New Forest again last Monday. Cycled 50km but decided I would try and go as fast as possible. After all the long slow work I have been doing there wasn't much speed involved but I did my best. I just avoided the rain which is a bonus. Tuesday was very busy at Sports-Where so didn't get any training done. Wednesday went to the gym for some strength work on the bikes. I cranked the resistance up and feel more powerful already. Thursday swim, Friday swim, weekend back in Essex. Another week closer to Copenhagen and I'm a long way off where I would like to be. My aim is to stay consistent and I'm sure it will all come together in the end. On the upside I've got a few upgrades to my bike coming which I'm really excited about. I can't afford a proper time trial bike so I've decided to make my road one as good as it can be.

Rotec Cycles

2010-03-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

Rotec Cycles of Shinfield, Berkshire have kindly agreed to support me throughout the 2010 season. Simon who runs the shop is a fantastic bloke and the service at Rotec Cycles is second to none. I'm very excited about this partnership and am looking forward to getting my bike in tip top condition for the season. Go to www.roteccyclesberkshire.com or visit the ebay shop at http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Rotec-Cycles

Chiltens Cyclosportive Watlington (07/03/10)

2010-03-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Have finally got round to putting the race report on here. The event was a 77 mile cycle around the chiltern hills and was very well organised. I wasn't sure what to expect as I have never done a cyclosportive before but there was a massive turn out and I had a really enjoyable time. I set off at 9am and for some unknown reason decided to wear fingerless gloves... big mistake. After a few miles the pain gave way to numbess and after riding for a while with ice on the road the sun came out and I could concentrate on cycling rather than freezing. It wasn't long before we were confronted with the first climb and I felt like giving up there and then, it was enourmous. The climbs were relentless but I actually began to enjoy them. by the end. On the flats I was frequently overtaken by large groups of cyclists but on the climbs I worked my way back up the field. This is definitely my strength probably due to the fact I only weigh about 58kg. My nutrition strategy just held out too so I just have to make a few tweeks and it should be sorted. I cannot explain how glad I was to see the finish after 6 hours of cycling. It was a great event and one that I am very pleased to have finished. It was excellent training for the Ironman and doing a cyclosportive is something I would definitely recommend to people not just for training but for a fun day out and a real challenge.

Cycle Training

2010-03-04T01:45:00.000-08:00

On Monday I managed to get out for a long ride down in the New Forest. I used to live in Southampton and do all my training there but since I moved I've been strggling with busy roads and lots of junctions. There are very few cars in the New Forest and all the other cyclists say hello which makes a nice change. I got 85km in 3hr 30m before I decided to pack it in. Even this early in the season I would have expected to be faster but my legs felt very tired, perhaps from the long drive. Tuesday and Wednesday pulled off about 1500m in the pool. Now I'm having a little rest before a cyclo sportive in Watlington this sunday. 145km. Perhaps a bit too far considering my current cycling form. It should be great training and my aim is just to finish and to test out my nutrition. Fingers crossed it's going to work.

Wokingham Half Marathon

2010-02-22T04:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the Wokingham Half Marathon was yesterday and even if I had recovered from my injury I have a feeling the food poisining might have stopped me. I haven't been well at all and have just eaten my first meal for a few days. I felt really weak and I couldn't even get out of bed let alone run a half marathon. It's a shame because I wanted to go down there anyway to give my support and take the dog for a walk. I'll try and get a cycle in later this week but my training has been temporarily suspended. I'll let you know how quickly I get back to fitness when I start training again.

February Training Update

2010-02-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Swimming

Today I went for a 1500m swim in exactly 30mins. This is a lot slower than I have been doing and I'm pretty sure that is because I miscounted the laps. Over the past month I have kept up swimming 2 or 3 times a week and am pleased with my progress. I'm looking forward to starting my swimming lessons and hopefully I will see an improvement in my technique and times.

Cycling

Apart from my 5hr ride where I got lost, I've kept up at least one turbo trainer session a week and been out on my mountain bike over varying distance at least once a week in the past month. I must keep this up and need to make sure I get a long ride in every week as I have not managed to do this so far.

Running

Went out for a run the other day and got about 8km before I felt a twinge in my knee so I immediately stopped. I'm not worried that the injury will be with me long term but I hope that I will be able to take part in the Wokingham Half Marathon on 21 Feb. Wish me luck!

Harpers Fitness

2010-02-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

The good people at Harpers have agreed to sponsor me in the lead up to Challenge Copenhagen. I use the Loddon Valley Leisure Centre for all of my swim training and with their support I'm going to be able to really develop as an athlete and should be in good shape by the time Challenge Copenhagen comes around. I can't wait to start using all of their facilities and begin my swim coaching. For more information on Harpers go to www.harpersfitness.co.uk.

My Latest Ride

2010-01-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

The plan was to go out on a 100km cycle around the outskirts of Reading on my mountain bike. I expected to take about 3 hours 30 mins but it didn't exactly turn out that way. I'm not all that familiar with the area and got lost somewhere around Newbury. I was cycling for 5 hours, I was lost, it was dark and I was very very hungry. Not exactly what I had in mind but some good training nonetheless. At least I'm starting to get some long rides in now and that's the most important thing.

As far as my other training goes, swimming is coming along nicely, recently I've been doing two sessions a week of roughly 2 to 3 km. Running is still non existant. Went for a quick 5km the other day but felt a litle twinge so stopped immediately. I'm keeping up with my physio so fingers crossed for the Wokingham Half Marathon.

Injury Update

2010-01-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

I still haven't been able to run since my injury in late December which is starting to worry me somewhat since I have the Wokingham Half Marathon in February. If I don't feel better I will not risk running the race with the chance of doing long term damage but I really hope that I can take part.

My training has been ticking over, I've been forced to put in some long sessions on the turbo trainer as whenever I have time to go for a ride outside it's always snowing or pissing it down. Swimming is going well and I've been doing lot's of strength work which seems to be paying off. I'm keeping a detailed training log so I might put some more detailed information of what I have been doing on here at a later date.

Wish me luck with the injury!

Sports-Where

2010-01-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

I have recently begun working at a brand new online and mobile sports store called Sports-Where and they have kindly agreed to support me at Challenge Copenhagen and throughout 2010. They're a great company who sell a wide range of goods from triathlon gear to football boots and badminton rackets. Go to www.sportswhere.co.uk for more information and look out for us at your events this year!

Spiz nutrition

2010-01-18T13:14:00.001-08:00

I am absolutely delighted that Spiz nutrition have decided to support me for Challenge Copenhagen and throughout 2010. I've been using Spiz for a while now and really notice the difference compared with other energy drinks, so much so that I would never drink anything else. Spiz is an American company so most of you probably haven't heard of it but people have used it to win the Race Across America and other ultra distance events. It's a complete energy drink containing carbs, protein and electrolytes. This really is the best stuff on the market and I am very fortunate to have them as my sponsors. If anyone is interested in trying Spiz let me know as I am the UK distributor. You can also get free samples from their website so you may as well give it a go, you definately won't regret it. For more information go to www.spiz.net or contact me.

Injury

2009-12-30T04:25:00.000-08:00

While training for the Paris marathon in 2007 I developed a knee injury on my right leg, it's back, although this time on my left leg. I went out for a run today and had to stop after a few km. I believe it is Iliotibial band friction syndrome but I will have to get it checked out by someone who knows what they're doing. In the mean time I'm going to stop running for a while and carry on concentrating on my swim which is progressing very well. Due to the snow I haven't been able to get out as much as I would like on the bike so instead I've been doing 2 turbo sessions a week and strength work. There are still 6 months until my first major race next year so hopefully my injury will not set me back too much!

More publicity

2009-12-10T04:48:00.000-08:00

Last week I featured in the Bracknell Standard and the Wokingham Standard and this week I appared the Wokingham Times with a similar article. I will be writing regular updates in all three papers. Shown below is the article and top of the back page. The papers are in colour but I could only scan in black and white. Here is a link to the online version of the article:

http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/sport/s/2061987_ironman_jamie_in_training_for_race_of_his_life

November Training

2009-12-03T01:56:00.000-08:00

I'm going to post a summary of my training on here each month and a plan for what is next. I'm always loosing my training log so when I look back on here I'll be able to see what I am doing right and what I'm doing wrong.

Swimming

I am currently swimming 4 500m sets along with a warm up and cool down at 10min per 500m pace. I am keeping the pace constant and working on technique and efficiency. Over Novemeber I have noticed it being much easier to maintain this pace and am going to continue swimming 3 times a week working on technique but now focusing on the individual areas of hand entry, catch, pull and recovery. I am not going to try and go fast but I'm hoping that naturally I will get down to 9mins for 500m as 10min pace is already starting to feel too slow.

Cycling

My cycling in November has been limited. I've been on two 50km cycles and a few turbo sessions but I havn't found a good route yet since moving to the area. My plan is to begin to build a base so that I can up the distance next year. I will set one day aside a week to go out on a long cycle of 100km very slowly on my mountain bike, road if it's sunny, and one 2hr strength turbo session. I am also going to ride to at least one swim a week.

Running

My running has been going well. I've been getting out 2 times a week and am going to continue with this. I've been doing one 5km 'sprint' and one long run of however far I fancied ranging from 18km to 24km. I'm going to take a more structured approach in December building distance each week and then dropping it back. 16km, 20km, 28km then drop to an 8km fartlek run.

South Woodham Focus

2009-11-26T05:49:00.000-08:00

I'm in the local paper, here is the article seen in issue 418 of the South Woodham Focus.

Winter Training

2009-11-17T14:43:00.001-08:00

As I’m sure you will have noticed, it aint nice outside. A perfect time to be swimming. Somehow I’ve done reasonably well without being able to swim front crawl but that is no longer the case. I’ve cracked it and have already seen 10 minutes improvement over 1500m. I get better every day and am actually enjoying swimming. I’m chuffed about that but not so much about my bike. In short, it’s broke and I don’t know how to fix it. This means I can’t do indoor turbo sessions and have to use my old kid’s mountain bike with a saddle that’s stuck in too low a position for my legs. I plan to go to the local bike shop but this really isn’t doing me any favours. In the meantime I’m going to concentrate on swimming and running and get the miles in when/if my bike gets fixed.

Alpe D'Huez Long Distance Triathlon (29/07/09)

2009-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

This is an epic race, and it was only until I saw the alps for the first time that I realised just how epic. My training had been going well and I really enjoyed putting the hours in on the bike. The plan was for me and Emma to drive all the way there, and that’s exactly what we did. After a relaxing stay at the top of Alpe d’Huez, race day arrived…

The 2.2km Swim
After my usual pre race rituals I built up the courage to enter the crystal clear and freezing cold waters of Lac du Verney. Before I realised what was happening, the race had begun. Off I went then, and I came out towards the front despite swimming breaststroke most of the way. I was absolutely delighted and with a big smile on my face and took my time to get changed and head out on a cycle course that had the potential to make or break me.

The 115km Cycle

Almost immediately I hit the first climb, the 1375m Alpe du Grand Serre, and I absolutely loved it! I was amazing to climb and climb all the way into the clouds. I’m very light so was built for this kind of cycling, and it showed. I was holding back yet still passing people and feeling incredibly strong. Then came a fast and technical descent, I have no idea what speeds I reached but some of the lean angles were verging on those of Valentino Rossi. By the time I reached Col d’Ornon the heat was really starting to soar. Despite having completed the distance many times before I was starting to struggle and found it difficult to get any nutrition in. As the temperature reached 39°C I felt my head boiling inside my helmet, and it wasn’t long before I got heat stroke. I stopped in the shade and drank as much water as I could to cool me down. In hindsight that may have washed all the electrolytes out of my system. Being sick didn’t help either. When I reached the foot of Alpe d’Huez I was still on schedule… it wasn’t to last. The climb seemed ridiculously steep in the state I was in, and before I knew it I couldn’t physically stay on the bike and decided to walk along with many others around me. By the time I reached hairpin 6 I was shaking and became very confused, I didn’t really know what was happening anymore. The only thing in my head was to get to hairpin 1 where I knew Emma was waiting to see me. In the last 2 hours I had travelled about 5km. I kept putting one foot in front of the other through sheer determination but eventually I couldn’t move and I collapsed by the side of the road. I lay there for what seemed an eternity, unable to move or speak, I could barley see. Luckily I was doing so well beforehand that there were still lots of competitors cycling up past me. I reached out and stopped one, telling them to explain to Emma that I might be a bit longer than expected. They didn’t speak English but flagged down an ambulance for me. I remember them putting me on a stretcher, giving me a drip and taking me to a medical room at the finish line. I’ve never seen so many sick people in one room, it was absolutely crazy. I slowly recovered and checked myself out because I knew Emma was waiting for me. By this point I was in a fit of tears. I was told I looked very ill indeed but I felt very well compared to how I was. Then a man came over with my bike and told us to wait where we were. He came back with a finisher t-shirt for me. I will never forget that moment, as you can imagine it was very emotional. As we walked back to the hotel we saw the last finisher... of the cycle leg, he still had the run to go!

The 22km High Altitude Run

If you were reading closely you’ll have gathered that I never got to this stage. Although two days later I felt well enough to finish the race. I was already planning my return but couldn’t leave on a failure. I cycled down to the foot of Alpe d’Huez and climbed the mountain at an alarming rate. It was incredible… I had finally conquered the Alpe, those Tour de France guys had nothing on me. What a race, and I’d do it again in an instant!