My final blog of 2016
17th December 2016 The third Gloucester league cross country where I would be representing Cirencester AC. The course was a simple 4 lap of 2.2km around some school fields, it was very muddy and had some small hills. The main problem throughout the race was choosing the right footwear. The grass was really squelchy which meant on every step I was sinking into the boggy ground which had been ran on constantly throughout the day. I felt very good throughout the whole race and set my challenge to beat two runners I knew were slightly better than me. I worked hard and tried to make the most of the nasty conditions with minimal benefit but I finished in 38th position over all and didn’t manage to catch my two targets. I was happy with my performance and I raced well but there were still some improvements to be made with pacing and tactics. The next club cross country will be the county championships on the 7th January where I will be racing for a place in the Gloucester u20 cross country team. How exciting. https://www.athletics4u.co.uk/cross-country/ Sunday 18th December My second follow up endless pool session with Jason Tait at SouthWestSwim. Today we focused on the hand entry and compared it to the previous sessions and I am glad to say there was a lot of improvement. Now we’re really trying to iron out the small issues, especially with the timing on the breathing. We finished off with some threshold training where I had to hold a certain pace, rest, then up the pace and we did this until the pool reached the maximum speed of 1:08 per 100m. I managed to hold this for 1 minute 30 and I hope that soon that will be my race pace!! Once the session was finished I cycled home from Jason house, it was roughly 25km which I took nice and steadily as my legs were pretty shot from the cross country. What I have noticed from having a coach is that I complete a lot more active recovery than I used to. Especially as there are different disciplines, for example if I had a running race, it is likely I would have an easy cycle the next day when originally I wouldn’t have bothered doing anything at all. http://southwestswim.co.uk/ Saturday 24th December Christmas Eve and I was going to Swindon Parkrun! I had been planning all week to attempt a parkrun pb and hopefully get under 17:30. I did a long warmup and lots of exercises to make sure I was ready. This was Swindon Harriers annual trip to parkrun and so I knew a lot of the competition and gave myself some individuals to beat, one of which won Swindon parkrun a few weeks prior. The race started and I got myself in to a good position, there was a lot of wind on the course so I stayed in a strong pack and was in around 6th. Using the other runners as a barrier to the wind I made sure to push the pace and make them work hard. Half way round and I had dropped them and ran alone until I caught up with my target man. He was struggling so I continued to speed up and cut through the wind myself. With roughly 400m left I had put myself in a comfortable position and crossed the line in 4th with a time of 17:40. Not quite the time I wanted but the conditions were far from perfect and now I know that I can run that pace fairly comfortably. Sunday 25th December Christmas day and I was going to Chippenham Parkrun! I had to drive over myself to complete the holy day parkrun, it was one I wanted on my record. I wasn’t aiming to do well or to achieve any particular time but I wanted to have a good run and make it worth it. Sadly Simon Nott arrived (a local running legend) and was dressed in a black Spiderman suit which barely held him back as he flew to a 16:40 finish. After starting off slow I started to up the pace and overtake some other runners and won a final sprint to finish 2nd in 18:28. Two Parkruns completed in two days and I finished in a better position with a slower time?! Boxing Day swim Jason Tait at South West Swim organised a ‘Boxing day Lake Swim’ at Lake 32 in the Cotswolds. The idea was to turn up and swim for as long as you wanted in the theme of budgie smugglers and swim shorts. Dad, Ollie and I swam roughly 50m and it was the worst minute of my life. The pain was similar to being poked with hundreds of pins all over my body. Serious respect to some of the people that swim all year round. Tuesday 27th December The seven sins, 7 miles with 7 (massive) hills. This was a complete trail race famous for the hills, mud and river crossings based in the middle of the forest of Dean. Normally I would enjoy races like this but I was aiming for the sub 60minute shirt which turned it into a real race. The race started and it was hell. The first hill was roughly 500m long and dropped a lot of the people who went off too fast, I used it to gauge my pace and plan who I was going to aim to stick with. I really pushed when going up the hills and then used the downhills to make up some distance on any runners near me. Half way, 3 hills completed and 1 river crossing done and the competitors had started to thin out a bit. Howard Ewan of Cirencester AC is a great endurance and trail runner and he flew past me and didn’t stop. At 30 minutes I was starting to get conscious of the time, just over half way but still 4 hills to go, I thought this was going to be close. It wasn’t. I smashed the second half of the trails, overtook enough people to put me in 5th position and finished in 55:45, well under the hour target. Howard came 3rd and finished over a minute in front of me and Dad finished in 1:06 and ‘loved every second’. This was by far my favourite running race of the year, I really enjoy trail running and (generally) not caring about the speed I’m going. I will be looking to race it next year and go for the podium. This is a race I would recommend to any runner, brilliant organisation of marshals and great hospitality. http://www.trimaxevents.com/ Saturday 31st December Parkrun…again. Time for our annual family (except my sister) visit to Pomphrey hill Parkrun. This was a 3 lap course with the famous ‘Up Pomphrey’ hill that had been resurfaced and is now covered in strong bark which reduced the amount of mud drastically. I was the only person in a vest and I don’t know why, it was really hot. Anyway the race started and I spent the first lap battling for position with another youth that looked to have some new shoes (probably got them for Christmas). After one lap we were over taken by an older runner who continued to run off into the distance looking very comfortable. It became a race for second position. Which didn’t last long as I was then overtaken by a man running with a camelback?! Who also comfortably jogged on past. One lap left and I was very determined to hold my position, I felt good, flew up the hill and finished in 18:07, just under a minutes improvement on last year. The boy with (now muddy) nice shoes came 10th in 19:07. My 14 year old brother came 27th in 21:02, Dad 41st in 21:58 and Mum (her only Parkrun of 2016) 167th in 26:09. Pomphrey is definitely my favourite Parkrun and I really enjoy coming back annually to attempt a Pb. I also finished 3rd last year but I was 1 minute slower, how annoying. Supporters- I am forever grateful to base of supporters who have and will continue to educate and influence me throughout 2016. I can finally confirm that I will be working with the following brands/businesses in 2017: South West Swim Performance Cycles Pedal Potential Katie Synge I can also confirm that I will continue to be a member of: Cirencester Athletics Flying Monk Triathlon Club
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Saturday 26th November I had a long speed session planned involving some 2km tempos but on while I was out on short run on Friday, I could start to feel a problem with my Achilles which was slightly worrying. So I marshalled parkrun (I’m in the process of becoming a race director) and spent the rest of the day resting. The Achilles were not feeling good at all. Sunday 27th November Day 3 of bad Achilles, I knew I had a big cross country race planned on the following Wednesday so I wanted to make sure I didn’t inflame the injury any more than it already was. I joined the flying monks for their morning swim and then went out for an easy cycle hoping I could stretch out my legs a little. It didn’t go well, there was pain and it was becoming very uncomfortable. I returned home after an unsuccessful session and spent a lot of time covering my sore Achilles with frozen peas. Wednesday 30th November I went out for a run the previous evening to check how everything (especially the Achilles) were feeling and it was good! There were no aches or pains anywhere which boosted my confidence before the upcoming race. The event was being held in Lilleshall just north of Birmingham which meant a 2 ½ hour journey on the minibus starting at 7am with temperatures of roughly 6 degrees. I spent the whole drive wiggling my toes to stop them from going numb. Two other students and I would be representing Cirencester College at this race. After parking and walking to the changing rooms it was around 10am, the ground was still frozen solid and my toes and fingers were starting to go numb. We walked a lap of the four lap course and got changed ready for the big race. It was the south west regional champs, all I had to do was run 7.3km of cross country and finish in the top 8 to qualify for the nationals, easy right? The race started a little bit late which meant more time standing around in the cold. There were roughly 30 boys on the start line, most of which in leggings, long sleeve tops and gloves. I however was in shorts and a vest (with calf guards to hold my Achilles together) and I hoped I would warm up quickly. The race started and it was a hectic, by the first kilometre I had overtaken 4 people that had sprinted off in front of me, leaving me in 10 position. I knew it was a long race and there was plenty of time to make up some ground. By the time we had completed one lap I had managed to overtake another competitor, just one more and I would be in a spot for qualification. Now 2 ½ km in and half way up the only incline there was a lad sat on the side of the path shaking, I shouted at him as I ran past and tried to get him to continue but (luckily) he didn’t. Running past the college teacher (and running legend) Dave Bell, he confirmed my position and said there was a clear gap between me and 9th so I didn’t have to push so much. This was reassuring news but I continued on through the now thawed, wet and muddy trail overtaking another runner with two laps to go. By now the gap between me and 9th had reached roughly 30 seconds so I knew that as long as I didn’t stop, I wouldn’t have to worry about forcing the pace. Until my shoe lace came undone, I ignored it and carried on to finish in 7th position, only around 10 seconds behind 6th. The two other runner from Cirencester college came 14th and 15th, good positions respective of their running experience. It was a great race and the conditions were brilliant, it was just the mud that put me off. I completed the 7.3km in 27 minutes and 35 seconds with a 5km split of 18:30. After finishing I also realised that fellow triathlete Reece Ashfield was racing, someone I had raced against in Nottingham back in May and is also going to race at the European sprints next year. Saturday 3rd December Parkrun day. Dad purposefully dropped me off some distance away from the parkrun start so I could complete the necessary warmup set by the coach. It was a little chilly but the ground was dry and very firm. I wasn’t going for a specific position today, just aiming for a low 18minutes finish but on the start line I found myself looking around and ‘sussing out’ any other competition which was shown with one other runner that I hadn’t seen before who looked fairly fast and I had seen completing a vigorous warm up. The hooter went and we were off, I set the pace from the front, nothing too fast, fairly comfortable for me. I was in a pack with two other runners, one being the unknown individual, the other a Chippenham regular that I was confident I could beat. Our first mile clocked in at around 6 minutes, this was easy compared to the 5.15 Otto and I had manged 3 weeks earlier, and I continued to push that pace all the way around. With 1km to go, I decided to start opening up my legs a little and put some pressure on the two other lads, one of which dropped off very quickly. It was now just James and I, I knew what he was capable of but he was going for a PB which is very easy motivation to go faster. I looked at my watch with 400m to go and decided to ‘unleash the beast’ putting in a 78 second 400m (only 25 seconds slower than Mo Farah’s final 400) which finished me in 1st position and a time of 18:09. It was a good race, although now I can feel how tired my legs are after racing twice in 4 days. Also well done to my younger brother achieving a 33 second PB which finished him in 10th position. Pedal Potential http://www.pedalpotential.co.uk/ I have now finalised the deal with Pedal Potential and they will be supporting me throughout the 2017 season but focusing on the European sprint champs in June. I have heard great things about the business from various different athletes (including my coach, Katie Synge) and I am very glad to be working with them. The Pedal Potential logo will join South West Swim and Performance Cycles on my Team GB tri-suit which I am in the process of ordering and should receive not long after Christmas. Thank you for reading, please check out my twitter and Instagram which are both linked below: https://twitter.com/lukecampbell246 www.instagram.com/lukecampbell246/ #bigthingsarecoming Autumn Blog In this blog entry I’m going to be talking about recent races, training sessions and MY NEW COACH! 15 October 2016- this was my first cross country race of the season representing Cirencester Athletics Club in the Gloucester league cross country series. It was a very dry and sunny day, the ground was completely solid and there was no spring in the short grass. I arrived in time to see the women’s race start and in the distance I watched them crawling up a giant hill which went on for around 200m, oh lovely. On the start line I could see there were over 200 people racing, and there were only around ten u20’s so I was racing against a lot of adults. The race started and I really put some pace on to get ahead of the large pack and in hope of everyone thinning out…it didn’t work. There was a massive pack of around 30 men running together at the same pace and it stayed like this for at least 1 of the 2 laps. I was passing people on the big hills but this just tired my legs out for the flats. I crossed the line in 73rd after 36 minutes and 54 seconds, it wasn’t bad but I wasn’t happy. I knew I wasn’t race fit but the position was a little disappointing. The steep hills and hard ground didn’t benefit me today and I would just have to work on my speed before the next race of the season. 2 November 2016 A member of my triathlon club had organised a trip out to Suffershire Watt bike studio in Cheltenham. This is a top of the range facility with 10 watt bikes and huge screens to enable you to follow virtual races or training plans. The purpose of our visit was the 20 minutes fitness test and after the warm up we went straight into it. My legs still felt heavy from the warm up (!) but I soldiered on. The FTP test was to measure the average power throughout the 20 minutes so I decided to start off slow and build it up progressively which worked fairly well and I finished with a score of 3.4 watt/kg which, for my first attempt, I was quite happy about. We finished the session with a 1km sprint race. I much prefer the shorter more explosive events and so I was hoping to win this. We started and I was keeping consistent and putting out a high power but I was currently second. This changed at the 500m point where I really started to force the pedals around and pulled back the lead to win in a time of (about) 1 minute 15 seconds. It was a great session which I really enjoyed although I definitely suffered the day after when I struggled to walk up the stairs. Check out the Suffershire website at - https://suffershireindoorcycling.co.uk/ 5 November 2016 Just two weeks later, it was time for my second cross country race of the season and I was feeling good!! Just over 8km of flat and solid grass, what could be better? Again I would be running against a few hundred men and this time there were even less u20’s but I decided to change my tactics. I went out comfortably but still pushing, my heart rate was good and my legs felt strong so all the way throughout the race I was over taking more and more people. I had set a fellow Cirencester ac member as a target and I was focused on beating him. I came so close and finished just one position behind him in a time of 31:55, I was 37th overall and the 4th u20, beating a lot of competitors that had beaten me at the previous race. For me this race went perfectly and I’m more than happy with my result as well as my time. As a team event, Cirencester AC came 3rd overall within this race with a very good turnout from some very good runners. 12 November 2016 Back to Chippenham Parkrun! This was the first time back for almost 2 months, it was raining, windy and very muddy. My friend and Team Bath racer Otto Coping, was there and we planned for a 1st & 2nd finish. We started off very quickly, our first mile was recorded as 5:25 which was much faster than we were both expecting. A short while later I was starting to struggle a little, tired legs and minimal rest meant my body wasn’t coping well with this speed, but Otto was racing on. We hit the muddy field and my legs just got heavier! I crossed the finish line in second place in a time of 18:03 with Otto finishing almost 20 seconds faster. It was a great run from him and one that left me tired out and slightly disappointed. 13 November 2016 My second endless pool lesson with Jason Tait of South West Swim. This time is was a video analysis session where my stroke was recorded and then analysed so we could see the small problems that needed changing. This week we focused on the fluidity of breathing using a Tempo Trainer (its brilliant) which beeps on a set pace so all of my strokes are consistent. I have also started the Swim Smooth advanced sprint triathlon programme which I am doing 3 times a week as well as the triathlon club swim training so I will be averaging roughly 10km of swimming per week. I hope to visit the endless pool monthly. 19 November 2016 At Chippenham Parkrun, the ground was wet and in some places icy - not very good conditions at all. Otto was there and so I knew I couldn’t let him beat me...again. The event director warned us that the course had to be changed due to the ice so we would run the first 300m on wet grass. Again this week Otto flew off at a great speed but I just sat back and let it happen, I was comfortable and would wait until the following two laps of the field to make some ground on him. After roughly 2km I was about 10 seconds behind him but the gap remained consistent, so he wasn’t pulling away. There was no way I would let him win two weeks in a row! My watch beeped on 3km and I looked up to see Otto stopped and bent over on the side of the path, what was he doing? I ran up to him and encouraged him to carry on, determined that we were both going to finish in the 1st & 2nd positions for the second week in a row. I knew we had at least 1 minute on any following athletes so I slowed the pace and made sure he didn’t stop again. Of course I didn’t want him to stop but I also didn’t want him to beat me(!) so I waited until there was 1km left before pushing the pace a little. I don’t know if it was out of choice but he didn’t stick with me so I went onto win my 10th parkrun in a time of 18:40, with Otto less than 10 seconds behind. Both were good times in some very hard conditions. This was the second time I had won parkrun after the lead runner either pulled out or significantly slowed down. New coach 2016 was my first year focused solely on triathlon and I have enjoyed many events. I miss the team sports such as football but recognise that to achieve my potential I need to focus more deliberately on one sport and not risk injuries from other sports. At the end of this season I had to make a decision whether to continue making up training sessions as I went along, or look for an experienced coach to take me up a level. My decision was to link up with Katie Synge, a current elite triathlete with a lot of experience competing within the triathlon world. www.jackpot-racing.com/the-team/katie-jemima-synge Coincidently both Katie and I raced at the Oldbury Triathlon earlier this year where she completely destroyed the course record. I have now completed the third week of being coached by Katie and I am really enjoying it. I’ve put more hours in than I ever have before and I look forward to starting to see the results from a bespoke plan. Katie has shown me a new, consistent side of training and I look forward to working with her at least until the European Championships at the end of June 2017. The training plan incorporates my regular training and race events with Cirencester Athletics Club and also the swim smooth coaching sessions with Jason Tait of www.southwestswim.co.uk Roll on 2017. #bigthingsarecoming Lanzarote Half-Ironman Wow. It was windy, it was sunny and it was hot. Can you think of better conditions to race for 6 hours? Thursday afternoon, Dad and I arrived in Lanzarote and made our way straight out to Club La Santa, ‘the greatest sporting resort in the world’. This was our 4th time staying at the resort and we knew exactly what to expect and how great it would be. Travelling and staying with us was a good family friend, Alan, who would be our courier and happy face throughout the week. Very gratefully we had booked an all you can eat buffet for both breakfast and dinner every day which meant we were very well fuelled throughout the day! Friday morning and I took part in the daily 5km group run done at a 5 minute km pace. I took advantage of it by giving my legs some action before the big race the next day. Throughout the run I got chatting to an English man from south London who was staying to watch the race with his family and then heading home on the Sunday. We spent the whole 25 minutes chatting about Parkrun (he has completed a mere 230, incredible!) The rest of the day was spent organising, setting up our hire bikes, preparing transition and attending the race briefing. We also squeezed in a recce of the bike route by car! 702 entries - 50 professionals, 649 age groupers and 3 physically challenged (no arm) competitors. With that many competitors you would expect everything to be perfect, and it sure was. The organisation was absolutely perfect, all athletes were cared for individually and received 2 pre race and post race free meals with free drinks, a t-shirt, hat, 70.3 transition bag and wristband. Although the race hadn’t started yet, it was looking completely flawless and for an official Ironman event, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Saturday morning (24th September 2016) Breakfast was open from 0530, so Dad and I went for some eggs and bacon followed by yoghurt and my favourite Pedal Bites muesli. Before the event we were surprised to see the race wasn’t set to start until 8am (quite late) however the reason for this soon became clear because it really was dark even at 0730. Numerous competitors also had to travel from other parts of the island so I guess this gave them some time to get to the start line. It soon brightened up and with our wetsuits on, we made our way down to the saltwater lagoon with the water reportedly 22 degrees! The professionals started at 8am and us ‘age groupers’ soon followed at 8:05am, with over 600 people swimming within 50m, it was bound to be carnage. I was kicked, punched and swam over all within the first 5 minutes and I was loving it! It was the complete ‘washing machine’ effect, (if you are unaware of the term then find a washing machine, get in it and get a friend to turn it on!). The crowd barely thinned out throughout the whole 1.9km course. At one point I even think my toe made its way into someone’s mouth?! After 31.30 minutes I exited the water and started the fairly short jog to transition, grateful for a cup of water to clear out the salt water taste in my mouth. I was gladly cheered on by Alan before continuing up into the changing tent already rammed with over 100 people. I grabbed my transition bag and found a spot in the tent, completely emptying the bag and ensuring I was prepared for the next 3:47 hours I would be spending sat on a bike. Finding it to be financially and mechanically easier, Dad and I both hired Cannondale TT bikes from the resort which were substantially better than the bikes we have at home. Knowing it was a hilly course I set off slow and just stayed continuous, relaxing up the hills and pushing on the straights. Being a strong swimmer, I find myself being over taken by what seemed like hundreds of other competitors throughout the first half of the cycle. This was very demoralising but I just kept to my race and continued to enjoy it. I knew Lanzarote was ‘famous’ for its wind but during the first 30 km it was completely relentless and horrible. Having a bike not perfectly fitted to me did help either but I soldiered on and tried to keep the pace. I made great use of the last aid station before the infamous Tabayesco 10k climb, dropped into the lowest gear and just span my legs out, all the way to the top. It was simply incredible, the view was gorgeous and I was having the time of my life. I wasn’t worried about a time and I had no expectations on me so I made sure to make the most of this part of the race. 40 minutes of climbing, I passed 53 competitors, I drunk 500ml of flat coca cola and I was at the summit, wow! And now for the breathtaking descent, undoubtedly my favourite part of the race, holding speeds over 70kmph and I was flying. With 20km to go I was starting to become cautious of my legs, questioning how well they would be able to run the following 21 km. I was hydrated and very well fuelled so didn’t worry too much about this. Taking a right turn to change direction at a roundabout – ‘Bang’ the wind hit me with force, was relentless and I hated it. Sand was blowing at me from the scrub areas, blowing in my face and creating a continuous wail that was battering my ears. There wasn’t far to go but it felt like an age to battle through this stage. The sight of T2 was very welcome. Cycle done, bike racked, cap on and it was time to smash my target. 5km in and it was feeling great, legs were good and I wasn’t struggling from the heat. I didn’t want to risk upping the pace anymore and burn out so I kept plodding on in roughly 5 minute kilometres. First of 3 laps finished, wow this was easy and I was loving it, there were constantly people clapping and cheering me on, the atmosphere was pulling me through. There were 6 feed stations on the out and back run lap which totalled 18 stations throughout the run stage. It was great to never be far from a chilled sponge or an energy gels to keep me going. I had reaching the turnaround point for lap 2 and suddenly remembered dad. I hadn’t seen him yet which quickly resulted in a lot of worry, hoping he wasn’t taken victim to the hard ascents and conditions on the bike course. Luckily I came across him when I only had around 9km to go, we high fived and I was happy to know he would finish! Throughout my last lap I was starting to re-overtake a lot of the people who had gone past me throughout my first lap. It gave me great joy to effortlessly jog past them with a smile on my face but with a little sympathy for the pain they were going through. Cramp. Only 2km to go and my calf was locking up after every step, I had come so far feeling so good but now I had something to seriously worry about. There was no way I could walk through the finish!!! I had to stop, stretch and massage out the muscles before continuing along the road knowing each step was getting a little closer to the roaring crowds in the finish stadium. Until now I was on for sub 6 hours, remarkable considering I was aiming for under 6:30, but this challenge was getting harder and harder, the cramp made it worse and I would have to force out two four minute kilometres to beat the time and smash all expectations. Sadly that didn’t happen, I met the cheering crowds and ran around the track for a final time (this time with a spring in my step) and lunged over the finish line. 6 hours and 3 minutes to complete ‘the hardest half-ironman in the world’. Not bad Luke. Especially to finish with a 1:47 half marathon, I was overjoyed with the time but not so happy with my tired legs and searing sunburn (which would later affect me). I had just enough time to sit in the very welcome cold water and ice paddling pool and grab a quick massage before dad came in. It was clear he was struggling but he kept going none the less, 7 hours and 33 minutes I think. He finished with a smile and took full advantage of the opportunity to sit down and not move (he later said he had no choice about moving anyway!). Without a doubt the best race I have ever taken part in. Everything was perfect, the organisation was first class and we were treated like superstars. I have the upmost respect for the athletes finishing the race in under 4 ½ hours, even if I had their bike, training and perfect conditions I wouldn’t be close to achieving their time. The race was over and now it was time to relax. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the holiday - windsurfing, playing tennis and golf, I even competed in the sprint triathlon the following Wednesday and came 2nd overall to an elite French athlete. There is no better place in the world than Club La Santa. I would like to thank Kurio Compression for supplying me with garments to help my recovery, Pedal Bites for supplying me with the fuel needed for not only races but everyday life and finally my parents for supporting me financially (!) and mentally every step of the way. This has been the best birthday I could have asked for and I will never forget it. The race season for 2016 is finished and now I’m planning for 2017. One arrangement we’ve made is for regular coaching from Swim Smooth coach Jason Tait at South West Swim. I’ve improved in 2016 with help from Jason and with a really focussed plan we hope to see the times drop quite substantially over winter. I have also recently become sponsored by personal trainer, nutritionist and masseuse Nick Jones of NDJ Fitness, check him out on Facebook. He’s based in North Wiltshire and is very knowledgeable in all things health and fitness and has the skills to help you set goals, give individual attention and address needs. I look forward to working with both Nick and Jason throughout the winter. Massive well done to both Ben Sommerville (http://bsommervilletri.blogspot.co.uk/) and Sam Mileham (http://www.sammileham.com/blog) on competing at the world championships in the tough conditions of Mexico this year, I look forward to competing against both of them throughout next year. Also go check out TomSvenssonFitness on youtube, he's got great videos with a lot of knowledgeable content. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-evABsFKzrtlD6weQ1exw Never race on your 18th birthday! Saturday 10th September My birthday, but more importantly…race day. Events Logic hosted a small team relay event where teams of four would swim, bike and run in an attempt to be the fastest. Athlete 1 would swim 250m, cycle 8km and then run 1500m, pass over the timer chip and athlete 2 would do the same followed by athlete 3 and then 4. I was to compete as the last member of our team ….… no pressure! 6:30am get up and it’s pouring with rain, perfect. So now the 1km walk from the car park to the lake left me soaking wet and I wouldn’t even be racing for another 2 ½ hours. It was a relatively small event with roughly 20 teams which meant the grassy 1 lap run course would have 80 pairs of feet trekking over it (luckily Mum saved the day and brought my trail shoes, phew). Bang! The first guys are off from a deep water mass start, our first member being an ex-national swimmer was bound to be first out the water. And he was, by close to 10 seconds; perfect start. The cycle and the run were keenly contested by the first 3 athletes. Positions were very close at hand over although our team’s chip changeover left us in 3rd position (the timer chip fell off the Velcro strap). Our second athlete pulls out a brilliant performance throughout the race just placing us in a deserved 1st position. By now confidence is flowing through me, telling myself this was all going to be easy…me and my big mouth. Our 3rd team member fought strongly against an experienced cyclist and runner and by now I was desperate to get going. The final athlete in the opposing team is my neighbour and GB age group athlete Amy Bentley who often finds herself in first position. I knew Amy would use every second to her advantage so I did not want her to have too much of a lead. Finally the moment came, chip on and I sprinted down the starter pontoon and dived straight into the lake, I had something around 3 minutes 40 seconds to make up. My sighting wasn’t perfect but the short distance meant this part was over in little time. Straight out the water and on my way to transition and I had gained 50 seconds throughout the swim, now to keep the fast pace up. Upon reaching transition I carelessly threw my swim cap and goggles onto the floor, strapped up my shoes and helmet and headed off with the bike. “You’ve forgotten your race belt” the event referee called. Oh crap. I grabbed it with the intention of putting it on during the cycle but was stopped before the dismount line and forced to put it on. Valuable seconds lost. Cycle started and I was flying despite the very wet conditions I knew I had to average over 40kmph to have any hope of catching Amy. The wind and rain were battering my face, it was relentless but I had to keep pushing. The kilometres were shooting by and the pain was continuous. Usually I’m used to feeling sick while racing, it proves to myself that I’m pushing as hard as I can. Maybe this time I was trying too hard, which resulted in me partly throwing up whilst cycling on. Oh well, work has still got to be done. I came off the bike and sprinted down into transition. “Hmm where’s my racking spot?” I asked myself. “Oh well, I’ll just rack it here.” Throwing it into the wrong spot meant the bike actually fell over and I was left looking for my shoes. I slipped them on and set off onto the run. “You’re 2:30 behind!” Dad called. Now time to really put the burners on and claim this victory. I was burning. Every inch of me was screaming in pain and I was only 400m into the run. I just couldn’t cope, my lung were burning, I couldn’t breathe and my muscles were cramping. But I still had a job to do. The sick feeling was overwhelming again but as I rarely learn from my mistakes I kept going and threw up for the second time during the race. Less than 1km to go and suddenly everything clicked, I could breathe better and I was feeling good. Now is the time to really go for it. I was drained but every step was pulling me closer to the finish - unlimited water, oxygen and (because it was my birthday) presents! Second place. Somewhere no athlete wants to finish. I fell over the line and collapsed in a heap, my body was completely shattered, begging for air and rest. Although finished my heart rate was pumping through the roof and my head was bursting with pain. Second place………grrrrrrrr. “Luke, can you come here for a minute?” the race referee demanded. I trundled over and was informed that I, in fact, had a 4 minute time penalty as a result of my carelessness throughout both transitions. What a way to make the day better. Our team position was unchanged and I was pleased to have a good all round performance- despite the time penalty. Results are at: http://www.eventslogicsw.co.uk/results/2016 Photos: http://www.charleswhittonphotography.com/cotswold-team-relay-tri-10916 Sunday 11th September I headed over to the same lake again to help marshal and set down the Cotswold Standard end of season triathlon. The day started at 830am on a kayak where I was supervising the 300+ swimmers during the first discipline of the race. This role was a first for me and I really enjoyed it, there were no problems and it gave me different responsibility. By the time the last swimmers were out of the water, the first runners were starting the 6 laps equalling 10km all together. I then staffed a water station which was great fun as you can see all of the individual athletes, get a feel for their pain and also encourage them. Once the final athlete crossed the line, it was time to start the set down the whole of the start, finish, transition and car park. This was the first time I have worked from start to end of a race and although tiring, it was great to play such a part in the event and give something back to this great sport. Tuesday 13th September Now that I am back at college regularly, I can start to consistently attend the Cirencester Athletic Club training on a Tuesday night. I have found that training with them has helped me endlessly and improved on my 5km time by over a minute in less than year. Training with athletes that can run 32 minute 10km has forced me to push myself harder very week in an attempt to run with them. My aim before January the 1st is to run a sub17 minute 5km and then sub 16:30 before Dusseldorf in June 2017. Wednesday 14th September Cirencester college have started a running club from 3-4pm on a Wednesday afternoon. This week we ran out to the Bathurst estate and familiarised ourselves with a route and paces. If you're a student and enjoy/want to start running then come along, everyone is welcome. Start of a new and busy month. 5 races in 4 weeks ranging from super-sprint to half-ironman. Saturday 3rd September Malmesbury Victoria football club hosted the DB Max 10km race around the town of Malmesbury and surrounding villages; the event encouraged over 400 runners to come and test their times for what is likely to be the last race of the season. Knowing I had The Cotswold Sprint Triathlon the next day, I didn’t think it would be wise to compete in the race so I volunteered as the ‘lead cyclist’ -meaning I cycled roughly 20 metres in front of the lead runner. The weather was a constant spitting which turned into a light downpour around the hour mark however most of the runners were finished by then and enjoying post run euphoria. Leading the run was a fun and exciting job and more enjoyable that standing at a corner marshalling. I would like to compete in the race next year if possible and looking at the times I could’ve come in the top 5 (sub 38). http://dbmax.co.uk/ Sunday 4th September The day I have been dreaming about has finally arrived! I took advantage of the short lie in until 6am, fuelled myself with some Pedal Bites muesli and headed off to the Cotswold Lake 32 coincidently only a few cars behind our neighbour who was also competing in the event (GBR athlete Amy Bentley). It was a bleak morning, no rain but heavily overcast which personally I find to be the best conditions. The lake was slightly choppy, the roads were wet and slippy and the run route was muddy and heavily trodden on but hey, this should just make the race more exciting. Turns out the biggest problem I would face throughout the day was getting to the start line on time and knowing which way to go on the swim…Toilet queues and difficulty putting on the wetsuit meant that I was too rushed to lube my ankles and wrists (to aid wetsuit removal) and I completely forgot my energy gels which I was planning on keeping under the tight fabric of my tri suit. Rookie errors and not to be repeated. Onto the start line and I had just managed to squeeze my head into the swim cap and completed the briefest of warmups before we were called to the line and given the countdown. I positioned myself right at the front, everyone was ankle deep before a run in and dive start. I was stood next to a fellow u20 athlete (Benjamin Summerville) who had won the category last year and in particular with an excellent swim. Today I was feeling strong and knew that if everything went to plan, the podium position would be mine. The siren went, I took a strong dive in and found myself in second position, right on the toes of Ben, perfect. It didn’t last. He continued to increase his pace and I just couldn’t hold it, my breathing was out of rythym and my shoulders were fatigued. I continued in second place until roughly 300m to go where I was overtaken by two athletes, whom I continued to draft until the steep exit ramp. I got to my feet, set the pace for the 100m run to transition and removed the first half of my wetsuit. Swim and run completed in 11.32, a bit disappointing to be truthful, and well short of my target time. Fairly speedy transition, only Ben was ahead of me and so that was incentive to put some effort in and get back in contention. The kilometres were flying past, the change from a 90km cycle to 20km is wonderful and I felt strong. I consistently kept the pace above 35kmph and flew around the course. I was pleased that I was only overtaken by 3 athletes for the whole cycle route. In the last 4km I really started pumping the legs and reached speeds of 42kmph on the flat which boosted my average to 37kmph to finish. Off the bike and running through to transition, I misjudged my location on the rack and ran straight past before having to turn round and correct myself - valuable seconds lost. Cycle completed in 32:03 (exactly the same as Ben). Now charging straight out to the run chasing my target of 18 minutes. My legs felt brilliant for the first 100m before they simply died, my breathing became rash and my movements sloppy, not helped by the dozens of slow athletes in previous waves that I had to overtake in some narrow parts of the course. 1 of 2 laps done and I was beginning to feel stronger, my rhythm improved and I was flying along - my legs opened up and I started to gain some ground. I passed my Dad and he called out informing me that Ben was approx a minute ahead. If he was correct, this meant that throughout the second lap I gained over 30 seconds on him however still finished 27 seconds behind. My finish was strong and I powered over the line to finish my run in 17:48 and overall in a time of 1:03.17. This is a longer time than I was hoping for, but was good considering the circumstances. Almost 500 raced today and I came 12th overall; 3rd in the u20 age category (the same as last year). It was a very good race and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a challenge. I try to see every race as a learning opportunity and today was no different. http://www.triferris.com/index.shtml Post event massage followed by the afternoon spent in my Kurio compression leggings to aid my recovery. As Dad and I are part of the Flying Monk Triathlon club, we joined the rest of the team for lunch at a pub in a small village to celebrate the race today as the club’s annual race. Over half the members raced today and some of those not racing provided team support and marshalling. They’re a brilliant club with athletes ranging from starters to Team GB standard from sprint distance to Ironman and I am very proud to be a part of the team. Cotswold Sprint Triathlon 2015: 12:30- 1:02- 32:43- 00:34- 19:23= 1:06.14 Cotsolwold Sprint Triathlon 2016: 11:43- 1:00- 32:03- 00:47- 17.43= 1:03.17 Saturday 13th August DB max hosted the Portishead sprint Triathlon and so Dad and I decided to marshal the event by counting the swimming lengths and then managing the finish line. From a marshal’s perspective, the event was ran really well considering the bad weather and treacherous conditions. The reason I didn’t compete in the race was because I had the Cotswold Half-ironman distance race a week later and I didn’t think it would be wise to follow up a sprint triathlon with a middle distance once. Wednesday 17th August Once a month at Lake 31 in the Cotswolds, Kim Boon (www.kimoswim.co.uk) organises an ‘open water swimming familiarisation event’ meaning you can come and swim set distances from 400m-3.8km and either get used to open water or so you can test out your times. Being a lifeguard at the lake meant I had free entry and so I chose to swim the 1500m option to get a rough estimate on my time and see how everything felt coming up to Sunday. I started strong and spent the first 100m in the lead pack, obviously some would be doing either further or shorter distances, I then got dropped and started to lead the chase group of about 4 swimmers. This was annoying because I normally aim to draft and then attack towards the end. Roughly half way through the second and ultimately final lap, I was overtaken by a woman who had dreadful sighting. Although this meant I could draft, I was probably travelling further trying to stay on her heels. This changed in the final 200m straight where we both chose different lines towards the finish, mine was much more direct and I knew I had plenty left in the tank so I upped the speed a lot and finished more than 30seconds in front of her. It was a good event which was ran well, I finished in a time of 22:14 which I am more than happy with however I know I could get sub 20 minutes if I really went for it. Sunday 21st August The big day has arrived, up at 4:30am, Dad and I were both ready to head off and get the Cotswold Classic Middle distance triathlon out of the way. The event involved a 1.9km lake swim, 90km cycle and a half marathon. Being unable to complete his last one, Dad set himself the goal of completing and then achieving under 6 hours for the race where as I was aiming for a sub 30 minute swim, sub 3 hr cycle and a sub 1:30 run. So including transition, I should have finished in under 5 hours. Dad and I were both in wave 3, which included around 100 other people of all different abilities. The swim started well, I went off quickly and joined onto the side of the main pack with the intention of drafting for the whole race. This lasted for around 100m where I found myself overtaking a fellow competitors and placing myself second in the wave. I could tell I had someone drafting from me so I attempted to up the speed and catch the lead swimmer, this happened after around 400m where there was a lead pack of around 4 with me drafting the leader and being parallel to another swimmer. This continued blissfully until around the 1.2km mark where we started to catch swimmers in the previous wave who were complete distractions and just got in the way. Although I was going at a comfortable speed, I didn’t want to start swimming into the back of other athletes. With roughly 200m left I really upped the pace and started to kick my legs much faster. Straight out of the water I ran the 100m over the timer mat and straight into transition. The swim time was recorded as 29:09 and so without the run to the mat I would’ve been well under 29 minutes. I had a quick transition while making sure everything was set and ready for the cycle, ensuring the compression socks were on right and that I was fairly dry. Out onto the bike and knowing everything was going to plan up to this point I just had to average over 30kmph for 90km and I would be well on the way for my target time. My first of the two laps was strong and I reached the turnaround point in 1:27.01. Feeling strong and confident that I knew where to attack the course and how to approach it. It was pancake flat but very windy meaning my heart rate was rarely raised but I was putting on a high power output. Around 55km in and I came across another competitor lying on the floor shaking and clearly having some sort of seizure, luckily there were already 2 competitors (coincidently doctors) at hand who know a lot more than I do about dealing with casualties so I let them carry on as I set off to finish the loop (the competitor was rushed to hospital and suffered a broken shoulder and severe concussion). I really pushed it on the bike and occasionally found my legs cramping however they quickly stretched out and I continued the fast pace. The second lap of the cycle was completed in 1:29:20 which meant the whole cycle leg was done in 2:56:21. I was very happy with this and knowing I only had to run a 1:30:00 half marathon only brightened my mood. This lasted for around 30 seconds after I set out to start the run and felt my legs in an already serious pain even though id barely gone anywhere. The pace slowed and I knew there was literally no chance of completing the race in my target time, now I just had to complete the run somehow…the whole of this discipline was spent at a pace with a fine line between cramping and being able to continue moving. Lap 1 completed, now only 15km to go so why not up the pace a little? Stupid idea. A burning pain shot up both hamstrings and they cramped in a somewhat painful position forcing me to stop and stretch them out, more time wasted, brilliant…I continued to trundle around the remaining laps at a very slow pace and I was quite simply bored out of my mind but it had to be done! Finally one lap left, maybe I could attempt upping the pace again? Legs definitely didn’t agree. This time I was running side by side with a triathlete from London called Cassandra who did a very good job of setting a pace that I had to attempt to keep. We ran together until the final 1km where I really tried to up the pace without killing myself in the process. Ultimately Cassandra couldn’t handle my new pace which didn’t stand for anything as she started 2 waves before me anyway. I pathetically jogged down the finish carpet and completed the race in 5:35.04 which realistically isn’t that bad but because I set myself such high standards, I was personally disappointed in my performance although there is nothing I could do about it. The part of the race that I am gladdest about was having NO pain in my ankle which I’m very happy about and it shows the adequate rest worked out in my favour. A post-race massage and my new Kurio Compression recovery leggings meant I was well on the way to recovery and my legs started to feel better in just hours. Kurio Compression is a business that sells compression garments for performance, recovery or travel. They are very high quality clothing that is handmade to perfection, mine undoubtedly help with recovery and I would 100% recommend them to any athlete. http://www.kuriocompression.com/ Saturday 27th September After a week of very low intensity activities, I decided to try out my legs at Chippenham parkrun, a flat, mixed terrain course with the chance to push the speed. After a high intensity warmup, I ran the first 2km with a school friend at a comfortable pace in around 9:30 minutes before dropping him at the halfway mark and really upping the pace by over 1 minute per km. I started to reel in fellow competitors and finished with an intense sprint to come 5th in 19:45. I felt very good throughout the race and now I’m confident that ill smash the Cotswold sprint Triathlon held on the 4th September. Obviously it wouldn’t be right not to set myself challenging high expectations so I’m aiming for a 10 minute swim, 1:30 transition, 29 minute cycle, 1 minute transition and then a 18:00 minute 5km which would finish me off in 59:30 and leaving some time for errors. If everything goes to plan, this time is achievable and it will be a massive improvement on my time of 1:06 from last year. I have qualified for the European age group championships in Dusseldorf 2017 for sprint triathlon! I am absolutely over the moon with the fact that I qualified for the race, it shows the training I have been putting in finally paid off. However I’m going to have to up it another level in preparation for the actual race. There will be some brilliant athletes there and I will be hoping to push through and achieve top 10. Parkrun On Saturday 23rd July, me and over 300 others ran Parkrun to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, this involved wearing tutus and cake donations post event. I felt very comfortable throughout the whole race and won it in 17:57 which I am happy with considering the very humid conditions. This was a good run to get me back into the cycle of 3 running sessions a week (Parkrun being one of them). Throughout the week leading up to the 30th I had a lot of time to train in-between work and other commitments meaning I swam over 6km, cycled over 60km and ran over 34km. This is the sort of training I will hope to complete regularly especially throughout the holidays. On the 30th July, Stonehouse Parkrun hosted their second event and so my Dad, Brother and I decided it would be good to experience the course and meet some new runners. The only issue for me was a niggling Achilles injury that I’ve had for the past week. As a result I chose to take it easy and I finished in almost exactly 24 minutes behind both my Brother and Dad. It was a very good event and mostly on grass – this might make it interesting in the winter! A friendly team and good location puts this new Parkrun on a firm footing for a good future. Now that I’ve had a week off, I am hoping my Achilles will have healed and I’ll be back up and running in no time! http://www.parkrun.org.uk/stonehouse/ Post-holiday Upon returning from my week away, I rode for the first time with the Veloton team from Tetbury. It was their regular Sunday ride, although only four of us due to holidays and a race meeting locally. One regular rider, a school friend called Euan, is a good sprinter and so I was constantly trying to stick with him when he shot off. Once Dad and I cycled home, we had covered around 70km and it wasn’t even lunch time! http://veloton.co.uk/ On Monday, Euan, George (a very good cyclist) and I set out to complete a 20 mile time trial around Tetbury and surrounding areas. The two of them are both competitive cyclists and this is my weakest discipline so I was constantly trying to catch up and stick with them. The wind was horrible and made it much harder, alongside the short breaks, we would’ve finished well under an hour but instead came in at around 1:00.30. It was possibly the hardest cycle I have ever done and it shows how much harder you work when cycling with other people. All three of us are looking to make it a weekly ride and hoping the times will plummet. On Tuesday morning I ventured out and around Malmesbury for a slow 8km jog. Bad news, my Achilles and ankle were on fire and causing pain. However being the idiot I am, I pushed through and ended up covering it in ice for the rest of the evening. This was the reason I took a day off from exercise on Wednesday and at work ensured there was little stress on my lower left leg. I had lifeguarding work at the lake all day on Thursday so I decided to make a steady commute on the bike to check out the ankle. On the way out, everything was absolutely perfect, no issues in anyway. Similar on the way back, no pain just uncomfortable for short parts (mainly uphill). I hope this will lead to a speedy recovery and get me in perfect condition for the half-ironman next week. http://113events.com/cotswold-113/ Saturday 9th July I have spent the previous week training a lot and putting in the hours towards my second half ironman distance event at the end of August. I also worked around 30 hours throughout the week so the progress of saving for a new bike is doing well! On Saturday the family travelled to London to witness the marriage of my oldest cousin Emily. It was a very good day and we had a lot of fun. We stayed the night with some family friends in Dulwich and then headed home on Sunday afternoon when I had enough time to fit in a quick gym session. Monday 11th-Friday 15th The majority of this week has been spent working however I’ve managed to focus almost all of my spare time on training involving cycling intervals on the rollers and some brick sessions. On Tuesday night I returned to Cirencester AC for the first time in a few weeks which was brilliant and really pushed me. I’m now becoming strongly aware of the threshold I need to be working at to see results and so all of my training sessions have been focused on forcing my body to be working at the optimal pace. On Friday Dad and I booked into a 1-2-1 endless pool session with Jason Tait of South West swim which involved video analysis of stroke and gave me some vital improvements focusing on the catch and water entry. He then followed up the session with a ‘competition’ that involved seeing how long you can swim for on the fastest setting (68seconds/100m) and I finished 4 seconds short of the record with a time of 1 minute 31 seconds. I gave up with thinking about my stroke and just tried to keep going while the jet of water burst out and made it really hard to breathe consistently. Saturday 16th Very early start for Dad and I, we arrived at the lake for 7am with a fellow triathlete and swam one of the two laps of the course that had been set out for the Ironman distance triathlon the following day where I focused a lot on hand entry and feeling the catch. We then drove to Swindon to complete the Parkrun at Lydiard Park as the one in Chippenham wasn’t on. The run started well, I was holding a good pace and my breathing was good however my legs were so heavy and felt very weak. Less than 1km in and I was 3rd with the two runners clearly ahead and only quickening their pace. The first lap was a drag and I was focusing on keeping going and then onto the second and I was lapping people who were less than 1km into the race. I motivate myself by encouraging the other runners and sailed through the final lap finishing in a time of 17:56 which I’m happy with considering the very humid conditions and the heavy legs. The first finisher won in a time of 16:16 so maybe I’ll try and keep up with him next time… Sunday 17th Another fairly early start and the day began with my first swim for the Flying Monk Triathlon Club who I had recently become a part of. The session was very high intensity with some long reps which I smashed my targets for and happily finished the session. One individual rep was a 400m effort which I comfortably completed in 6:10 meaning I should be able to nail a sub 5:30 in a race scenario. Similar to in the lake I focused on the technique and this really helped with my pace and speed making it much easier to hold. Many coaches have told me that I ‘have the engine but not the technique’ which really gives me something to work on knowing my times can be massively improved. I spent the rest of the day lifeguarding and then rather embarrassingly throwing up as an effect of heat stroke after not drinking nearly enough throughout the day. I was sent home and spent the evening huddled over the toilet or sleeping. Monday 18th As a result of being ill, I haven’t eaten anything and I’ve spent most of the day sleeping so I hope for a quick recovery as a result of this mistake. I now know for the future to cover up more and drink more as being ill is definitely not worth it. Looks like the next week will involve a lot of recovery and very little exercise. Tuesday 19th July The hottest day of the year. Even though I’m still recovering from minor heat stroke, I drove up to the lake to experience the “20 Degree water” which didn’t disappoint. Roughly 90% of the swimmers were without wetsuits and I joined them for an hour swim around the lake a few times. Confirmation has just come through for my next few competitions: 21st August- Cotswold 113 Half Ironman Triathlon http://113events.com/cotswold-113/ 4th September- Cotswold Sprint Triathlon http://www.tri247.com/article_14617_The+Cotswold+Triathlon%3A+4th+September.html?region_id=&category=triferris 10th September (my birthday)- Cotswold super-sprint team relay http://www.eventslogicsw.co.uk/event/cotswolds-team-relays/213 24th September- Lanzarote Half Ironman http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman-70.3/lanzarote.aspx So I have a busy few month ahead that I need to train for, annoyingly all different distances however I’m sure I can work something out that will cater for each race. |
Luke CampbellHere will be a monthly review as well as occasional race updates Archives
April 2019
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