Irish triple crown - Bristol 2014

Quick blog will fill in details later but good day out - Sam Blythe pipped me by 0.1 to fastest 2k - damn him :lol:

2k 40-49H 6:04.6 (PB)
1k 2:54.9
500m 1:18.3

The details ..

Well I'm sat here waiting to board the plane back to Cork - looking forward to seeing the Mrs and baby seems like I've been gone a week but it's only been two nights. Set off on Friday afternoon after a day in work and landed in East Midlands to be picked up by Jen on her way down from Durham. Got into the hotel about 9pm to meet up with Q and the team. Quick catch up with everyone then into bed probably got to sleep about 1am after chatting with Q (room buddy) woke at 5 but back to sleep till 8am beds where quite comfy.

Got to the venue on time and scoped out the set up. Same as last year. Bank of 8 or 9 race machines with about 7 or 8 warm up. Seemed a smaller crowd than last year but ever so friendly as these events are. Met up with a few new and old friends then on to business.

5k race warm up done felt very hot and dry in the warm up area. Thankfully the doors where open so the race area had a breeze and was a little cooler. Set up drag and got ready to race. Wore headphones for the first time in a race and found them a help. Plan was to attack the first 1k and try to settle to a lowish stroke rate of about 32 but I think adrenalin got the better of me and probably brought the rate up. First 500 at r34 on 1:31.3 which was about where I wanted - maybe a fraction slow. But then I seemed to slump into 1:32 1:33 and I think I mentally played it save through 1k at 3:03.9 I was way off where I wanted to be and so started to formulate a attack. This was to start a build from around 800m out - well more of a slow burn with a real drive from 500m. This plan seemed to work and from 600m out I started the countdown. So every stroke from then I tried to apply more and more power and when I eventually came to the last 100m I was still thumping through 1:28 pace but the burn in the legs was deepening and I did slow slightly through the line although I did take a final stroke with only 2 or 3 meters left. A PB by 0.4 seconds. Final 500m of 1:28.3. Beaten by 0.1 on the clock for overall fastest 2k but Gold and Irish Record in the 40-49H. It also reminded me of the power I have in the final run in and a way I can draw on that :-)

During the break Q and I worked on my technique and we've identified a lovely little area which should if I develop it correctly pay some dividends across all pieces ;-)

Then to set for the 1k - I had no markers in the 30-40's as I was in the first wave but after seeing a guy in the 60's group lay down a 3:08 (I believe British Record) I had to re-access my 3:04 cruise and so targeted sub 3. Started with the 1:30 split and through to about 500m on 1:29.5 then figured I'd try my new home straight approach - thump at around 300m out - split down to 1:18 and then I held low 1:20's and finished the final 500m on 1:25.4 with final stroke at 1:26 and another Irish 40-49 record with 2:54.9.

So then the 500m again the plan was to hold 1:20. But once on the machine the adrenalin got hold. Second or third stroke was 1:12 and I slowly backed off to hold 1:16 - 1:17 trying to break my old PB of three years ago (1:18.0) I held it sub 1:18 until the last three or four strokes and it finally clicked over to 1:18.3 FFS! Final stroke 1:25. But I notice from the video that about 10 strokes from the end I lost my seating and this caused me to stop with the full leg drive and finish on arms. In the end I was probably more miffed with that then missing the fastest 2k by 0.1 lol still another Irish 40-49 record and on race software.

At the end the calculations where made and I managed the fastest 500m and 1k, won the triple challenge and also 40-49H. A good day followed by a good evening.

As always it important to note the massive amount of work Q puts in to this for me and the team. And also the positive affect of the team itself being there to help each other out. Also a big well done to all who competed and helped out on the day.

Thanks to Anne Yates for the following pictures


2k Race

1k Race

500m race