But first things first and I'm pleased to announce that I have some great new sponsors on board for he upcoming season, and I just want to say a massive thanks to all who have supported me last season and all who will be in the future as well. It's nice to welcome swans goggles, Sealskinz and Red Venom, but have a look at my sponsors page to see who else will be behind me this season.
Anyway after a week off, it was time to start building a base for next season, so the general theme was long aerobic cycles, swim technique and a major focus on run speed and technique. That is what I have been focusing a large amount of attention on, and will continue to do so, as this is my major weakness at the moment and if I can improve my run split, hopefully I will be more of a threat at the sharp end of races next season.
A few weeks into winter and it was time for a tester, and preparation for BUCS duathlon.
A solid race, where I led the first run, but was out biked meant that the second run was harder than I was expecting, however it was nice to experience the feeling of racing again, made even sweeter by taking the win.
On to BUCS and not my favoured race format, but I was excited to see where I was in my preparations, and after a disaster of a race last season I was keen to put some doubts behind me.
After a solid first run, it was onto the bike, and a lack of sessions showed, as I couldn't seem to find my normal range, however I stayed out of trouble and managed to avoid loosing too much time to the leaders.
Onto the second run, and I felt strong, meaning that I continued to work my way through the field, to finish in a respectable 23rd much better than my 55th Last year.
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| Out on the bike during a chilly BUCS duathlon |
A month of following a similar format continued. With the weather taking a turn for the worse, it was nice to return to running on the track, and I kept plugging away, until eventually it was time for the annual trip to fuerteventura, for a bit of fun in the sun, and some nice miles on the bike.
What followed was two weeks of solid cycling, running on the trails surrounding playitas resort and some open water swimming which at this time of year is a bonus. It was nice to get some warm weather and decent training ahead of Christmas made even better by the all you can eat buffet every night laid on in the resort. Unfortunately, the camp didn't end the way I was hoping for as I had a crash on the last ride of the camp resulting in a quick trip to hospital, but luckily nothing broken apart from the handlebars of my bike.
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| A great opportunity to practice our open water skills in challenging conditions |
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| A rare stop on one of our long cycles at the top of Betancuria |
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| Early long runs made a bit easier by the surroundings... |
The best part about going on camp is that I managed to enjoy Christmas while letting the hard work soak in, although I must admit, I wouldn't have been able to train even in I had wanted to as I was a bit bruised and sore to say the least
So what's next.
I've got a few cross country and 5k races in the next few weeks, and then it's on to adding some speed back into the program, and the small matter of a few university exams to contend with. Next season is also starting to take shape and hopefully very soon I will be able to give you a bit more of a feel what this will consist of (although the staples of the British Super Series and a few European cups are a sound bet with a couple of added extras thrown in).
Here's to a successful and happy 2016
