Sunday 30th June - Week 20 - Pushed to the limit

So- things are getting close now for the Long Course Weekend in July when i get to try all the routes, rides and distances but over 3 days!

Still yet to test fully is the actual distance required for the event - in the pool i can do the distance but open water swimming is obviously different. The run - i thought would be ok but this week i did a 20km (half marathon) trial run, aiming for race pace, which i did but boy did i ache!



My time was good but i think new trainers are definitely in order when running these distances at my weight and on the roads.

A big test also left was can i actually ride 100+ miles on my trusty old bike? I have done big rides, and half distance rides etc. but could i deal with sitting for hours and hours on the saddle pounding mile after mile?? To test this i have just today, completed the 105 mile Merlin Sportive - based out of Carmarthen and taking in just under 8,000ft of ascent over some big and brutal hills in the west of the Black Mountain.

I was really pleased with my time - 6hrs : 25mins and an overall position of 57th (out of 189 who finished) but man, what a boring slog of a ride - i was concerned that the Ironman route for the ride section was a looped and lapped affair but now i am glad - at one point i was over an hour without seeing anyone, no riders, no supporters! Soul destroying at mile 70 odd!

The wind was harsh and the terrain hard work but i did it, and i have had a tough week of work too so i am pleased, actually feel like i could run too which is the thing to have in mind - not only do you ride a huge distance, you have to get off and run a marathon!

(riders getting ready at the start of the race)

So, the donations -

2 this week, but have made another huge difference, my total is now £900 with a few cash sponsor forms of over £100 to come in post event - meaning I AM AT TARGET 1! i CAN complete! A huge thank you to all who have supported so far - why stop here?

Excellent work both! Makes a huge difference!

To finish, here are my rather UN flattering pictures from last weeks Mumbles Triathlon! Keep up the support all, keep up the help and donations and its time to start getting even more serious about this so i can actually deliver a good time on the day and not just bimble over the finish line with minutes to spare!

Sunday 23rd June - Week 19 - Beginners Luck?

2 events down - no more 'real' triathlons now until the big one in September. Actually managed to do a full triathlon this Saturday too at the Mumbles Long Sprint Triathlon.

A great event, windy, rainy but full of atmosphere and a huge crowd of hardcore triathletes and newbees (like me!)

After an unexpected good result last week at the Pendine Sprint Duo(Tri)athlon i wasn't holding my hopes for anything great as i really wanted to focus on the swim and the training element rather than the race - but you know how it is - im pretty competitive so i had to give it my best anyways.

The course was good - swim was choppy and crowded - Bike was WINDY and wet with a brutal hill thrown in too - the run was flat and hard going with wet, cold feet and a fairly boring flat bit of tarmac to pound. Results - well - a lot better than expected!

Overall 23rd! (out of 250 finishers!) in a time of 1:38mins - VERY HAPPY WITH THAT

So, not only has it been another good week of results its been another GREAT week of donations. Nearly at my target now of £1000 - so well done and THANKS to all

So - whats left? Lots of training still to do, next weekend is the Merlin Sportive (105miles) over some big hills in West Wales

Should be getting some good pics in from the Pendine and Mumbles Triathlons when they are published too!

Remember - if you want donate or know someone that can please pass on the details of the blog and the sponsor page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TomPartridge

Sunday 16th June - Week 18 - Happy Fathers Day!

I would like to start this weeks installment with a massive thanks for the last round of recent donors - they are really coming in thick and fast now and below is a summary of those donations and the running total - which is nearly at the target!!!

Ivor Thomas£100.00 (+ £25.00 giftaid) 15.06.13 Good Luck Tom

Anonymous£10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid) 14.06.13 Good luck, I wish I was younger! From Hennock

Clive Stockdale£10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid) 12.06.13 Best of luck.

Anonymous£50.00 07.06.13 What will you do for your 40th?

Anonymous£20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid) 06.06.13

charles middleton£20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid) 05.06.13 good luck tom, great event and great cause

Katie Lloyd£10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid) 04.06.13 Hope your commitment to training pays off and you hit your personal goals....maybe by the time you've finished training your thighs will be as big as mine!!! :p Good Luck Thomas!

Running total now: £825!

My target was £1000 so i am nearly there thanks to the great support from you all - but remember - no donation is too small or too big! and please leave your name so i can thank you too!! A few anonymous dontations the last week or so!

It would be great - if possible - to reach £1250 as this is what it costs to buy an adapted bicycle for someone with limited mobility so they too can enjoy the open road, fresh air and exercise that i thrive on training and competing in these events!!

So - what have i been up to? Lot of hard sessions, increasing the output, getting into race pace and learning more tricks of the trade! You can, as always, follow my Strava feed where i post all my training efforts on the bike and out running - even managed to log a few open water swims too.

Highlights have been a good 3km swim (in the pool) but in a good time (just over an hour) which is probably the longest i have ever swam continuously without break - so happy with that - and also a fun traning triathlon in porthcawl making the most of the sunny weather:

(Worked out About 750m swim - 35km ride - 6.5km Run)

Pendine Triathlon - 15th June 2013:

Also this week was the first of my sprint Triathlons in the build up to working on the transitions, ethos and general feel for the sport. The Pendine outdoor sprint was a 750m sea swim, 23km Cycle (2 lap course) and a 5km beach run.
I was all hyped and ready to go to find out that the sea, as expected  was too rough and the swim was dropped for safety reasons meaning what i competed in was a Duoathlon - 3km Run, 23km Ride and 5km Run.

Being honest - i was a little bummed out on the day as the swim was dropped but it was ROUGH! The run was hard as it was on the infamous Pendine sands - a huge FLAT and fairly boring beach! The wind was epic meaning that the out legs on the runs and rides were fast but coming back into the head wind was GRIM!

In the end - good old 'Wendy Ingraham' the £400 ebay bike did me proud and having a bit of extra weight to keep me on the road allowed me to get past quiet a few people on £2K plus bikes! 

Results:

Time: 1:17:57s Overall Position: 16 (out of 120) Category Position: 9th - Well happy with that for an amateur fat man!!

You can see the full race results here

(There should be some race pics to follow next week too)

Outcome for me: didn't really get to practice kit transition as apart from shoes there was no real test or trial as feet weren't wet, head wasn't cold etc.

lets hope next weeks Mumbles Tri goes ok as i am having a run of bad luck with the swims being cut or cancelled at events and this is what i am desperate to practice.......

Keep up the support - keep up the donations and spread the word!

Sunday 2nd June - Week 16 - Up the Volume

Well, as the clock ticks down i figured its time to start upping the volume- longer swims, longer rides, longer runs and trying to put them all together.

Addidiontally i have managed to get my first event under my belt and it would also appear that the dontations have started to increase again - the best news to my ears!

You can, as always, keep up to date with the goings on, day to day, on the facebook group - this is where i post my Strava results, but you can also see the details on my Strava page too:

http://app.strava.com/athletes/1611220

Making the most of the sunny weahter and the change of secenry this weeken i managed to get a good 10km run in and a 70+ km ride over the Moors in Dartmoor - some brutal hills, rolling down hills and great veiws too!


Thursday the 30th June was the great - Bryn Bach Park Aquathon - a 400m (or so) swim followed by a 5km race around the lake. This was my first race combining swimming and running and it was a learning curve to say the least:

1) Pace yourself on the swim, this is clearly not my best event and when they reduced the distance cos of the water temp i thought - i can sprint this - wrong! Cold water = hard to breathe, i should know this!
2) I can run! but if i cock up the transistion i waste time - big time.3) Use these events to practice my long goal - race pace (ironman), transition, what to eat/drink, people ahead of me are probably training for 'sprint' events - which i am not4) I am not that bad - still came 33rd out of about 75-80! 5) I dont like swimming in the lake - yucky reeds and dark depths, plus i need to work on my tehcnicque when surrounded by others kicking you! Remember to stay focussed on your pace and swim in a straight line!


Saying that though - I still came 33rd out of 78 - pretty happy with that, 10mins behind the leader and over 20mins ahead of the back person - but Ironman is not a sprint and this is not what i am training for so all good! for the full results click here

Next event will be the Pendine Sprint Triathlon - so, ill see where i come there - must practice my transitions more i think! http://www.healthylifeactivities.co.uk/pendine-outdoor-sprint-triathlon
If anyone is about in the area on the 15th June? your support will be most appreciated!

Sponsorship Update:

Getting there now!

This week - 3 great donations from:

Alan Irvine (also making my biggest single donation to date!)
Ellis Fearn and
Victoria Jones

No donation is too small and none certainly too big! The difference this money will make to a young persons life is staggering and i am so proud to be giving someone else the chance to be participating even the simplest things i take for granted in life like - Swimming, running, cycling etc.

Aiming for £1000 minimum but £1250 buys a specially modified mobility bike for a kid to have a great time cruising the streets and cycling like any other child does - lets make a difference!


Plus - if any one wants good old sponsor forms to take to work, share with your friends etc. then you can email me: tompartridge@ymail.com for a form!

Finally - if anyone wants to support in other ways then that will be great too - currently spending about £50-100 a month on entering events, entry to training venues and specialist nutrition - not to mention the extra bits of kit i am going through - trainers, wheels, tubes, goggles - any additional funding, sponsorship, training partners, motivation etc. is always welcome! I am more than happy to promote your shop, business, company, idea etc. in return - plus - its all for a good cause!

As always, ill keep you updated and keep checking the facebook page and blog!

Thank you all for your support and donations so far!