Wilmslow Half 2023

Today marked the 6^th time I’ve toed the line at the Wilmslow Half. I’ve had some great races and tussles in the past, including a 1:21:xx in 2016, but I wasn’t expecting great things today. 

Training has been going well but it’s been largely easy volume, alongside swimming and biking of course, with very few hard runs or interval sessions over winter. 

 

Wilmslow Half results (2010-2023)

I had a great day at the Grizedale Trail 13 in February, smashing out a 1:43:xx for the V50 win, but this was going  be a very different kettle of fish; a hard, flat road surface and way more competitive.

Also, as this race confirmed, my PB days are well and truly behind me. Synthesizing all this, I reckoned a pace of ~4:20-4:30 mins/km was realistic, yielding a sub-1:35. Add in a bit of race fever for good measure, hopefully sub-1:30.

V50 win at the Grizedale Trail 13

Early on, I found myself clipping along a bit faster than target pace, but that’s ok; its net downhill on the way out so while you have to be careful not to go out too fast, you might as well capitalise while you can.

 

Within a few k, Paul Barrett came along side and tried to goad me into following him, but as much as I love our competition, I was having none of it and stuck to my rhythm. 

 

Went through 10k in 42 minutes and felt good. Raised the pace a bit but then remembered that the back half is net uphill and into the wind, so settled back down. Same again with 5k to go; tried to step it up but with no hard miles in the legs, I was feeling a bit tender so settled down again.

 

Approaching the finish, I saw a race clock tick over from 1:28:59 to 1:29:00. Wasn’t sure how far I had left to go but thankfully it was only a few hundred meters, and I bagged a gun time of 1:29:51.

Rocking the Hoka Carbon X2s

So very happy. A long way off my PB but as alluded to above, I have reconciled with myself that while the glory days are over, I can still put in a good shift and enjoy it. Very happy with the pacing, with identical normalised gradient paces for the way out and the way back. Also, not bad off just easy volume although the quads are a bit trashed. Onwards!

 

Meanwhile, Jacky did great in her second half marathon, shaving some time off compared to the Manchester Half last October.

PS: I raced in a pair Hoka Carbon X2s. Picked them up cheap when they got superseded by the X3. They are not really a supershoe like the Nike Alphafly etc, but it’s my first foray into the carbon plate territory, and I quite like them. I have however splashed out on a pair of just-released-to-the-general-public Hoka Rocket X2s. These are supposed to be the bomb, so looking forward to testing them out in the next few weeks.

Hoka Rocket X2s fresh out the box

2023 Kuota rebuild project

I bought my first ‘proper’ road bike back in spring 2009, a full carbon Kuota Kharma with a 10 speed Shimano 105 (5600 series) groupset for £1,250. A few parts got replaced here and there but after 7 years of adventures it was starting to get a bit ropey. In January 2017, I spotted a 105 groupset at Chain Reaction Cycles going for £377, so I decided to upgrade to the 11 speed 5800 series.

2017 Rebuild (Click image for a closer look)

I had been tinkering with my TT bikes for some time, but this was my first rebuild project. I stripped the bike right down to the frame and rebuilt it, adding some new hand-built wheels from Paul Hewitt. What a revelation – it felt like a brand-new bike, which it basically was: while the frame is how you normally recognise your bike, all it does is stop all the components (and you) from collapsing onto the floor in a pile.

Anyway, in December I got a tip off that Wiggle had a good deal going on 105 groupset, so in January, I treated myself to a late Christmas present and bought an R7000 series. When it arrived all the components were just wrapped in bubble wrap rather than the original Shimano boxes. Also, it had a SRAM chain and a hotchpotch of cables.

New groupset - as advertised and in reality

I reckon Wiggle were having a clear-out, off-loading old stock as apparently Shimano have discontinued the mechanical rim brake version of 105. If I was buying a brand-new bike, sure I’d upgrade to disc brakes and maybe electronic shifting, but at today’s prices that would cost what, £3-3.5k? Whereas for £300 I reckoned I’d get another 4-5 years out of this set-up.

The groupset came with a braze-on front derailleur whereas I needed a band-on. Rather than fiddle about I bought a separate R7000 band-on for £29.99, so I have a braze-on going spare if anybody wants it.

Dismantled

I had already invested in the various tools so dismantling it was pretty straight forward. As always, getting the bottom bracket out required some brute force. The headset etc looked ‘okay’ but while I was at it, I thought I might as well replace the bearings, so got a couple of FSA bearings for £21 each.

New headset bearings

All the old bits went into a box which I will take to the Charity Bike shop in Chorlton, leaving behind the bits I needed, i.e. the frame; forks; stem, headset bolt and spacers; the handlebar; the seat post and clamp; the saddle; and hanger. These all got a thorough clear, degrease and I removed the rust from the stem bolts.

Meanwhile, I also treated myself to some new wheels, a pair of Prime Attaquers from Wiggle (£299.99), as the brake surfaces on the old ones were getting rather concave. I decided to switch from 23mm to 25mm tyres, but stuck with Schwalbe; their Pro Ones are a great all-round option which rarely puncture. I’ve still not been convinced to go tubeless, so I finished them off with some latex Vittoria inner tubes – sweet! Wheel set all together, £395.22

New wheels - Prime Attaquers

The bike has always had a compact chain set (50-34) with an 11-25 cassette, but to aid my aging legs up the steep climbs, this rebuild allowed me to ‘upgrade’ to a 11-30 cassette which easily slotted on to the rear wheel.

The rebuild was fairly straight forward. Greased up the headset bearings, fork in, spacers, stem and handlebar all reassembled. Shifters put in place and tightened up. Bottom bracket, crank set, front and rear brakes, rear and front derailleurs. Then all the new cables; outers cut to length, inners threaded through, tightened up and cut. Next the chain!

A few years ago I switched to waxing the chains on my TT bike. Another revelation: waxed chains run really smooth and keep your drive train so much cleaner, in turn prolonging the life of the components. But molten waxing does require a bit more work and I still wanted the convenience of a chain lube for my road bike. So I opted from Ceramic Speed’s UFO Drip ‘liquid wax’. (£30 – not cheap compared to regular lube but is well recommended). To ensure that it would bond with the rollers of the chain, I thoroughly got rid of all the production grease using my usual protocol, i.e. several washes in white spirits followed by rinses in methylated spirits.

Liquid Wax

The chain was then cut to length, using the LARGEST COG & LARGEST CHAINRING method as per the awesome Park Tool video, and mounted it with a SRAM quick link. Then, aided by more Park Tool videos, the front and rear mechs were aligned and adjusted. 

Final steps, handlebar tape from Prime with screw-in bar ends (£15). This is always a challenge, but I did ‘okay’! Bottle cages and Garmin mount, a final check of all the bolts, run through the gears, job done.

The final product

Overall I’m delighted with the final result and can’t wait to test it out in the hills, but I’ll have to wait for the weather to break. And what I hope will feel like a new bike for a total of £814, good value for money. There was also a total of maybe 4 days of labour, but it was a lot of fun.

The bottom line

The one thing I haven’t mentioned is the pedals, and this is where another late Christmas present comes in. I could have just recycled the Ultegras but … …

Since 2012, the bike has had a PowerTap hub built into the rear wheel. This meter was arguably the power meter that brought training with power to the masses. It was much cheaper compared to alternatives available back then (QUARQ, SRM), and a fantastic piece of kit, reliable and bomb proof. Since then the market has exploded with a wide array of power meters now available. But a few years ago SRAM – who own QUARQ – acquired PowerTap and shortly thereafter discontinued them! I could have recycled the PowerTap G3 hub by having it built into a new wheel, but … …

Assioma Power pedals!

The last time we went on a cycling camp, I hired a bike out there. Much as I love my Kuota, air travel is stressful enough these days without worrying about boxing up and taking a bike. It was a great experience so we will be hiring again this April. But hire bikes tend not to have power meters, and if your meter is in your wheel or crank set, it isn’t easily transportable/transferrable. However, if I had a pedal-based power meter … …

I was never tempted by the original Garmin power pedals. They had so many problems launching the product and early on there were lots of problems. But those days are behind them, so I decided to take another look. However, after reading DCRainmakers latest reviews, I opted for the Favero Assioma system, and I went all in, opting for the DUO rather than the left-side only. 

And they are very nice! Easily switched on, paired with the Assioma app to activate, connected straight with my Garmin computer, and a piece of cake to add to the bike. They require LOOK Keo cleats (included) which I will need to switch to, but I can’t wait to try them out.

And what about mudguards? As you may know, I’m a fan when it comes to group rides in winter. I’ve been using the ‘clip on’ CRUD Roadracers Mk2 for years but they have been discontinued and I’ve kind of had enough of them, I wanted something a bit more substantial.

So I took a gamble and ordered some SKS Raceblades. It took a bit of fiddling about, but I managed to add them without too many problems. However, the front one was catching the gear cables under the down tube, and both blades seemed quite far away from the wheels.

New mudguards - SKS Raceblades

Maybe I could cut the metal stays a bit shorter? My hacksaw wouldn’t touch them, so it was DREMMEL time! My favourite tool made easy work of it. I sawed ~1cm of each of the 4 stays, sanded off the burrs, remounted them and bingo, problems solved, and the mudguards now fit really nice.

I know I’ve said it already, but I’ll say it again, I can’t wait to get out and give it a test ride.

UPDATE: Great ride in the hills today, everything worked really nicely. Enjoyed the 25mm tyres and the 30T cog on the steeper sections was nice. Really pleased with my 'new' bike and my rebuild job. However, as soon as I went on the drops I realised they were tilted up too much. Easy to rotate down but will need to move the shifters back up which means redoing the handle bar tape - doh!

Cracking ride!

Epicman Windermere 2022 - Standard edition redux

One consequence of Covid has been triathlon swim starts switching from the traditional en masse to a rolling format, to maintain social distancing. As a mid-pack swimmer, I was never a fan of the biff so this new arrangement was to my liking. Now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, some races are reverting to mass starts, and while initially disappointed, I have to agree that the traditional format does make for a more exciting ‘race’; knowing where you are relative to friends, foes and frenemies does add an extra dimension. And this turned out to be an exciting race for me; once again I was at the pointy end but missed out on the cigar! 

The Windermere four - standard edition

So with that, to Epicman Windermere 2022, where a reasonable posse from the Manchester Triathlon Club rocked up to play. In addition to myself and Jacky, Mark K and Fran B were in the standard while Rich H, Ben S and Anurag G were in the middle distance.

Last year, I came 2^nd overall in the standard so was podium hunting once again. According to my ‘form’ I was certainly well rested, with my TSB climbing well into the twenties. And indeed, after Outlaw Half, I had a very easy recovery week, then a fun 2 days at the MTC Anglesey Training weekend with two good bike rides and a few pints. But I wasn’t sharp; a work trip to Paris Monday/Tuesday totally wiped me out. A short run on Wednesday was all I could muster then Thursday and Friday involved lie ins and collapsing on the sofa after work.

Rested but not sharp

Saturday, we drove up to the YMCA at Lakeside, right next to race HQ and perfect for the 8 am Sunday morning swim start. I line up front and centre. The water was defo warmer than the advertised 14.5 degrees, about 16 according to my watch, and it felt ok getting in. However, it was breezy and with a feels like air temperature of 7 degrees, some people, including Jacky, did get cold.

All's well that ends well: Jacky was *very* cold in T1 and not looking forward to the bike but like a real trooper just got on with it and the smiles came back! 

And we’re off. Quite a horde in front of me despite starting close to the front. Slowly but surely, my diesel engine warms up, and as the overly-enthusiastic start to blow up, I make my way through the thinning pack. When we turn at the top of the course, I reckon there’s maybe half a dozen in front of me. Drop a place on the return section, 8^th out the water, in 27:37, same time as last year, to the second. Another great swim.

Nervous smiles before getting in the water

Out on the bike, a bit chilly until the trisuit dries out. The first section to Lakeside is very twisty turny and undulating, no real opportunities to get on the aero bars. Thank god for Di2; the ability to change gears on the base bar is a game changer on this type of terrain.

 

Short out-and-back on the A590, I see 4-5 riders ahead of me going the other way. But now we are on the dual carriageway – aero time and the hammer goes down, picking off two or three before we turn off at Greenodd. Finally catch up with Mark who’d had a great swim. Next in my sights is ‘Jason’ but we are back on twisty turny and I’m only a tad faster so it takes me a while to find a place to pass safely.

Hammer time

Then we hit the killer section on The Causeway. This year I have more suitable gearing so it’s ok. I can hear Jason behind, breathing like a racehorse, so I know he won’t retake me now. Watts per kilo baby, watts-per-kilo! Back to Newby Bridge and a sketchy moment as I overshoot an unmarshalled corner and almost end up having an early lunch in the Swan Hotel. Apparently two marshals did appear later so I guess we got there earlier than they expected.

 

Heading back to transition, based on the intel from Mark who reckoned he was first out the water, maybe I’m now first on the road? But what we didn’t know was that a Mr Jonny McLean, who led from gun to tape, had gotten out of the water 2.5 minutes ahead of Mark. And sure enough there is one solitary bike already back in T2 when I arrive. A marshal confirms I’m in second place. Official time, 1:12:27, about two minutes slower than last year but third fasted bike split on the day. Game on.

Standard top 10

However, my bubble got burst pretty quick as within a few hundred meters, Jack Siddoway comes flying past; he finishes second with a run split 4 minutes faster than McLean. Ok, I’m not gonna be second again, just settle into a steady effort and do your best. I hear someone behind me, Tim Webster. I let him pass when I stop to re-tie my shoelace, rectifying the poor job I did in T2 due to cold hands. Why no elastic laces you ask? Why indeed! I am using my trail shoes rather than my normal race shoes. I’m not closing him down, so I reconcile that my hunt for another podium finish is over, but press on nonetheless.

 

This is heavy going; undulating, rocky paths, tree roots, narrow twisty turny trails, grass. I’m flagging. Grab some water at the start of lap two and get a second wind. Maybe I’ve not hydrated enough. 7k in and my right calf cramps up. I stop to stretch and massage it, losing a few places, but only to runners on their first lap. 

 

With 2k to go I pass through the transition area and seriously consider quitting – no point injuring myself. However, the ignominy of another DNF … and the calf feels a bit looser now, so I nurse it, small strides on the up hills so as not to overload it, striding out on the flats and downs to engage other muscles. A fast runner comes by, pushing me in to 5^th but I hold on to first in the vet 50-59 category, so I do get some time in sun.

Not a bad day out after all

With 500m to go, I’m really pushing my luck, literally hop over the finish line and slam to a halt. Hopefully no damage; rest, rehab, bit of physio and I should be ok in a week or so.

 

Mark is not far behind, 8^th overall. Fran also did great, 5^th female. Jacky is on her second lap, so we cheer her on. In the middle distance, Rich has retired, Ben is on his way to winning the V50 and Anurag is slugging it out. Quick shower and it’s off to The Newby Bridge Hotel where Jacky has booked us all a table for Sunday lunch.

Only a small race, but gotta be in it if you want some bling

Three things I did well:

• Well paced swim
• Maintained good intensity on bike 
• Resisted the urge to quit with a few k to go

Three things I could have done better:

• Drank more fluids on bike and run
• Elastic laces on trail shoes
• T1 was a bit laboured

Motivated about the next training block for Outlaw Full in July, just need to make sure I rest my calf for a week or so.

Unfinished business – Outlaw Half Nottingham 2022

The Outlaw Half Nottingham has been running since 2013; it has become a very popular race, selling out fast and this year with about 1,800 names on the start list. It also seems to get more and more competitive each year. 

This was my sixth time signing up:

2014 – I got sick so ended up as a DNS

2016 – smashed it around in 4:38, coming 3^rd in my age group

2017 – smashed it again, knocked about 5 minutes off my time but bumped to 4^th

2019 – training went a bit pear shaped, blagged my way around in 5:21.

2021 – great swim and bike but calf exploded 20 minutes into the run so a DNF

Bounty from 2016

So there was definitely a feeling of unfinished business when I signed up for the 2022 edition – I really wanted to be able to get back to the pointy end and compete for an age group podium once again.

 

Focusing on the M50-54 age group, I reckoned that the winner would cross the line in about 4 hrs 30 mins*, and that one would need to be 4:40 or under to be in sight of the podium, but by 4:50 you’d be outside the top 10. I definitely felt I could hit splits of 35/2:30/1:35 for the swim, bike and run. Add a bit for transitions and 4:50 was very realistic, the question was could I knock bits off here and there, get closer to 4:40 and be in the mix.

What will it take?

(*The overall male and female winners crossed the line in 3:52:27 and 4:35:56 respectively, amazing!)

Going into the race I was in good shape. In the run up to Christmas, training had gone well, especially swimming and running. My turbos had however slipped so in January I signed up for Zwift, joined the MTC Falcons and took part in the WTRL racing league. What a revelation: thanks to Graham Rands for organising and to the Falcons for nurturing me through my first season – I’ll be back.

 

January started well but ended up as a very difficult month when my mum become very ill and unfortunately passed away. Life became very difficult once again in early March when Greg had his tragic accident. Despite the intense emotions during these times, I kept my training going and suspect that workouts were a very important part of the processing; either when swimming/running solo in quiet contemplation or on group rides talking things through. Many thanks to the many people who provided support during these times just by being there.

2up duathlon

Later in March, the Firefighters 2-up duathlon and the Wilmslow Half Marathon, both done with partner-in-crime Ben Strutt, were great events to start thinking about racing. Then it was off to Lanzarote with the club training camp – great people, great food, great fun.

Living it large in Lanza

By now, the training on all fronts was going well and I was feeling good and most importantly no major injury worries. The odd minor niggle here and there but all under control, and as race day approached, I was really starting to get excited; I hadn’t felt this positive going into a race for quite some time – bring it on.

To be honest, there’s not much to say about the race*, it all went very smoothly. Rolling start swim, water was nice, good T1 with an elegant scoot mount to get me going on the bike. I hadn’t done any time trials so had to make up a pacing strategy on the fly. Nutrition all ok, fast T2 then on the run. Again, a bit unsure how to pace it, started off a bit fast because the wind was at my back, flagged a bit in the 3^rd and final lap but felt strong until the end.

(*For more details on the actual race, check out my reports from previous editions. It's got a lot of plus points. Camping adjacent to the site is good and makes the early start quite bearable. It's good for spectators; Jacky was there cheering me and the other Man Tri racers on at numerous points - bike out, bike in and on the 3 lap run. Race photos included, volunteers are numerous and excellent, post race food is good. The only negative from me was the road surface, but I guess that's racing in the UK for you.)

Catching some air in the finish chute

Crossed the line in just under 4:45 and was pretty wiped, realised that I had given it my best. Headed off to the food tent where I was joined by Rich and Phil. Checked the results and discovered that I was fifth in M50-54. 2^nd and 3^rd came in in 4:36:xx and 4:38:xx, so I wasn’t far off with my predictions, a few minutes quicker than 4:40 and you were in the mix for the podium. A bit surprised the top ten extended to 4:59 but the biggest shocker was the winner, a certain Mr Robert Harrison, finished in 4:16:xx!!! As I said, this race gets more competitive each year.

 

Overall I was very happy, it was a very good all-round performance, I was certainly back at the pointy end of my AG and the result a fair reflection of where I am with my own training and where I am relative to my peers – close but no cigar.

Volcano - saving the best for last

I have no idea who Steven Farnell is, but I bet this morning he is wondering how he could have shaved 18 seconds off his time at yesterday’s Volcano Triathlon in Lanzarote, because if he had, he would have won the men’s 50-54 age group. But he didn’t, so I got to stand on the podium! #finemargins

1st in M50-54

The Volcano was supposed to be my opening race of 2020. Due to the pandemic, it was initially pushed back 12 months to April 2021, then further delayed until November 2021, so it ended up being my final race of this season. But it looks like I saved the best for last.

While this season’s B races had gone well, with good performances at the Oulton Park Duathlon, the EpicMan Windermere standard and Castle Howard aquabike, my A races were not quite as hoped for – injury at Outlaw Half and major bonk at Almere. So I was hoping to finish on a high, maybe even a top 3 in my age group.

Great shot of the road down to Famara 

After an easy 2 weeks following Almere, I had switched to winter training mode so hadn’t been on my time trial bike or in open water for 8 weeks, but I was still in good enough shape for the standard distances of 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run.

The Volcano is Lanzarote’s oldest triathlon, with the first edition taking place in 1984. Race HQ is Club La Santa with transition on the field inside the running track. The swim is in the Lagoon, so salt water but protected from the ocean waves. The bike used to go up to the Teguise roundabout but now it’s two laps to Famara and back. The two-loop run takes you to the edge of La Santa Village, with the finish back on the running track.

Two lap bike course - either uphill or into the wind

Although a relatively small race, with only about 350 finishers this year, it’s quite competitive. It’s the Canary Island championships, there are some very fast people at the pointy end, and it attracts an international field; Lucy Charles won the female race in 2019. In my age group, a guy called Richard Hobson usually smashes it in about 2:05 but his name wasn’t on the start list this year. #gottobeinittowinit

We arrived at Club La Santa on Thursday, registered on Friday, then with a race start time of 10 am on Saturday we had a fairly civilised start to the day. Weather was warm but very windy – very windy indeed! After racking our bikes and hooking up our transition bags we had plenty of time to walk through and visualise how the transitions would work.

As we made our way down to the Lagoon, the race excitement became palpable. Indeed, you could smell the testosterone in the air at the swim start so Jacky and I both loitered further back, keen to avoid the opening melee.

Swimmers starting to congregate

The rolling start however kept it civilised, 6 swimmers going off every 10 seconds, and I entered the water about 8 minutes after the gun. Clear water, initially with the wind at our backs and another good swim for me, moving through the field. Once we hit the turnaround, the famous Lanzarote wind came into play and it’s pretty choppy. This is going to be a tough day! But I kept making good progress, out with 25 mins on my watch.

Quickly up the hill into T1, overtaking a few along the way. The transition area was very well organised, plenty of space and lots of marshals guiding you – kudos to the organisers. Smooth mount then out of CLS, left at the roundabout and towards Caballo before climbing up to Soo. 

Once settled, I reached up to put my visor in place, but the 40kph wind ripped it out of my hand. Bugger! Stop, dismount, run back down the road, retrieve it, re-attach it to helmet, run back up the road, remount and 30-odd seconds later I’m back on my way. (Take note Steven Farnell! )

Pushing downhill into the headwind

Worked hard up to Soo, continuing with the theme of overtaking as many as possible, before taking on the intense and gusty headwind coming up of the surfer’s beach at Famara. It’s downhill but you have to work hard and concentrate. After the turnaround, the wind was behind us, but now it’s uphill. This is indeed a tough day! As I re-approach Soo I see Jacky coming the other way – she’s out of the swim safely, good! Down to Caballo, very fast, very strong side winds, hang on for dear life, 180 degree turn then do it all over again. Only a couple of uber-bikers and one wheel-sucker overtook me, so I knew I was making good progress.

Staying low on the climb up to Soo

Back to transition, smooth dismount, re-rack and back to the transition bags. Stash helmet, running shoes on, grab cap, sunnies and gels, and run out. At the run exit, a marshal shouts something at me in Spanish, probably “Turn your race number around” because that’s what they normally shout at you at run exit. I reach down for it but it’s not there! Bugger! When I came through T2 in auto pilot I did what I did in T1 but in reverse and stashed my race belt along with my helmet. Turn around and run backwards for the second time that day, back to my run bag and retrieve my race belt. Another 30-odd seconds later, I’m back on my way. (Take note again Steven Farnell! )

Meander out of CLS onto the road towards La Santa village then settle into a nice pace. This feels great, clipping along quite nicely. But it’s downhill with the wind on my back. After 2.5k reality bites! Once past the turnaround it’s not only back into the 40 kph headwind, but it’s uphill back towards CLS. This is a tough day! Pace is dropping and there is still a ways to go. But it passes, next thing lap one is done, and the wind is on my back again. The return section of the second lap is hard work again, but I maintain a reasonable pace and I’ve still got enough in the tank for a strong finish.

Over the finish line in 2hrs 25mins

I’m spent. Find a quiet place to sit down out of the wind, it takes me a good 10 minutes to get back to the land of the living. But I’m pleased with myself; no sense of time or position but I know I have done the best I can, finishing off my season with a good all-round performance. I see Jacky coming in to T2, she is safe off the bike, good. Time to chill.

Jacky finishes!

Scores on the doors: 25:50 swim (96th overall, 4th in M50-54); 1:10:53 bike (47/2); 41:59 run (80/4); overall 2:25:01 (61/1). The male and female winners came in on 1:57:36 and 2:09:10 respectively, with the top 8 all under 2:05. Six M45-49 and one M55-59 were faster than me but the most important number on the day was the 17 seconds between me and Mr Farnell .