Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It is going to include a quick review of the recent races I have completed as well as a yearly recap. I do have to start with a fairly big apology. It has taken me a very long time to write and post this blog. I recently moved house and started a new job (which I will explain in the next blog) and my time has been very much consumed by this. The blog is going to cover- Tavistock 5km Malmesbury 10km Costwold Sprint Triathlon So, less than a week after the European Championships in August, I headed down to Cornwall for some time off. Coincidentally, on the way down, Tavistock were hosting their monthly 5km race. It looked flat and fast with some solid results from previous events so I fancied giving it a go. I was confidently aiming for a sub 17 minute result and hoped this was the place to achieve that. Sadly it wasn’t. Despite the 10m total elevation, the non-present winds and other competitors running at my target pace, I just wasn’t able to handle the speed. Finishing in 17:12 I could confidently say that I pushed myself to the limit with my heart rate averaging 192 bpm and maxing out at 199. Not bad but some proof that I clearly wasn’t as fit as I thought I was. Maybe next time. After some time away in Cornwall, I returned home for the local race, The Malmesbury 10km. While away I completed my first (unofficial) ultra-marathon running from St Ives to Lands’ end totalling 49.99km. The 10km was just 3 days later. I put that to the back of my mind and ambitiously aimed for 35 minutes. In 2017, the race conditions were very harsh, zero cloud cover and a very hot sun. So I was happy to wake up in the morning and see a constant downpour which was due to continue for the next 4 hours. Ollie (my brother) and I jogged down to the race start, picking up local athlete Lizzie Rayner on the way, and collected our race numbers before commencing the warmup. It was a very bleak day weatherwise. Some big puddles on the route and quite a wind. We got to the start line and were surprised to see that the only real threat in Simon Gilbert, a fast competitor who we have raced a few times over the year. Some years this race is included in the local road race league, so the competition can be very strong. The race started and we sprinted off. Within the first 30m I jumped two footed into a big puddle and splashed the surrounding competition. Might as well make some fun of it, right? Ollie and I stuck together behind Simon up until 3km where I broke away and started making a move. Simon had 30 seconds on me at 5km but I was confident I could make some of that back up in the latter part of the course. Sadly I was wrong and Simon held his pace. I finished in 2nd place with a 36:38. Ollie was next across the line in 37:12 so a great race for him! the route had to be changed this year due to a road closure and this change completely ended any chance of a personal best. A fellow Cirencester AC athlete finished 8th which meant that we managed to win the team prize of a bottle of wine each! The Cotswold Sprint Triathlon. One of my favourite races. I know the swim, bike and run routes so well I could do them blindfolded, and after my 1st place last year I was very excited to try and retain my title. I was very relaxed going into the event, taking time to chat to my friends and just all round enjoying the atmosphere. The start time quickly came around and I was in the water and ready to go. My main competition were fellow elites Reuben Trotter and Felix Wernham. I was fairly certain Reuben would beat me so it was just a case of keeping far enough ahead of Felix to achieve a respectable result. The race started and knowing how good a swimmer Reuben was, I jumped on his heels which was great. For the 3 seconds it lasted. He shot away and I never saw him again for the remainder of the race! I kept ploughing on and sat on the heels of one of the other athletes in the elite category. Looking back on it, this was a terrible idea. It felt like a Sunday morning paddle in a pond which explains my swim time of 11:18. Nearly 2 minutes slower than last year. Still, I hopped on the bike in 2nd place and got to work. Getting aero and pushing the power I was flying along. I then got overtaken with about 5km to go putting me in 3rd place. I continued to attack in an attempt to not let him get too far ahead which resulted in me coming into transition just behind him. I racked my bike and just as I was sliding on my shoes CRASH Felix comes flying in next to me. I’m surprised he didn’t run through the rest of the racking. And now it was a race! We’ve posted similar times over 5km so I knew it would be interesting to see how it played out. I managed to get out of transition ahead of the Felix but about 20 seconds down on 2nd place. I quickly made up the distance to overtake him and I managed to hold this position until roughly 1.5km where Felix came cruising past and I was empty. Possibly the closest I have ever been to pulling out of a race. My legs were sunk and I was finding it very tough to continue. Until I remembered the prize money!! All I had to do was hold onto 3rd place and £100 was mine! After a very tough 58:25 of racing, I crossed the finish line and just smiled. I couldn’t believe I had finished 3rd. I honestly had not ridden a bike or swam for 4 weeks (since Glasgow). So I was very happy with this result. Although I was almost 2 minutes slower than last year overall, I was content with how things ended up. Reuben smashed it and Felix deserved his place in front of me. Well done to Paul Ryman for a cracking result and to Ollie for finishing 2nd in his debt triathlon in the u20 category despite being the youngest competitor! So to conclude the year, there’s been a bit of everything. Big injuries, big results, big training camps and a big rehab focus. My best result has to be the Redcar Triathlon where I finished 5th overall and qualified for the World Championships 2019. It’s hard to say what my most enjoyable race was. Cardiff Sprint tri was amazing. It was my first critical race of the season, the draft legal riding made me achieve excellent times, and the National Cross Country champs at Parliament Hill was unforgettable. Earlier on in the year in February I managed to achieve a 10km pb of 34:20 so that has to go top of the list running wise. I really have enjoyed this year of racing and training and meeting new friends and competitors. The lingering knee injury was frustrating. But here’s to 2019 season! A huge thanks goes out to- Katie Synge for coaching me. I achieved some great things which I wouldn't have done without her! Jason Tait for overlooking my swimming and getting me to top fitness in perfect timing. Sarah Fellows for looking after me and keeping my body injury free. Zoot Athlos Racing Team for being great support throughout the season. LPSEVENTS for sponsoring me financially and making all of this racing possible. Pedal Potential for supporting me from the start and allowing me to keep racing. Finally to Mum and Dad for helping out with everything from behind the scenes!
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Luke CampbellHere will be a monthly review as well as occasional race updates Archives
April 2019
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