My Greatest Hits

They say you learn more from your mistakes. If that's the case, I know a lot!!

I could just do a blog on all the mistakes I've made racing (and training), maybe it would be more enjoyable!!

Queue the music...

Lesson No. 1

I could write 10 examples of this, but the one that best springs to mind is probably because of the context of it, on the biggest stage of all (you know the place). Don't ask me why, but I like to run with a gel in my hand, probably from habit in training, so I always have the next gel in my hand, ready to go, and being the responsible citizen, I regularly have an empty in the other hand, waiting for the litter zone at the aid station. So 10km or so into a marathon, arriving at an aid station, I throw my full gel into the bin and kept hold of my empty. And it was a km or two down the road before I knew!! 

This was a mistake that manifested about 2.5 hours later, on a hot desert highway. 

What are the takeaways from this..

Always be on point and concentrating, especially at decision points!!

Be on top of your nutrition

Mike Tyson famously said, "everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face", in a race, there will be a point where you're punched in the face, just make sure you stick to your plan when you do!!

Lesson No. 2

This is a particular gem!! Metalman half, (great race, shame its gone). 

My bike has electric gears, crisp gear changes and easy to use, and a clever little app that tells you battery charge etc. 

Of course these systems are only as clever as the person using them....

Setting up my gear in the car park on the morning of the race, putting everything together, no gears, had forgotten to charge them. Any of you who know the metalman bike route will know that gears are kinda essential on it!! Somewhat fortuitously, my last shift had put the chain in the middle of the block which is probably the best of both worlds, or another way of putting it, neither here nor there!!

So my bike that day was spent yoyo-ing up and down the field, spinning down hill at 120 rpm or grinding uphill at 50 rpm!! The hill out of kilmurrin was particularly unpleasant, and me being your typical Irishman, felt the need to explain to two walkers on the road, why I was cycling so slowly up the hill!!

The takeaways from this is self explanatory, always check your gear before you travel to a race!!

Lesson No. 3

One of the many advantages to local racing, you arrive on the morning, it's Ireland so it's invariably raining, you rack your bike, jump in the water and go. When you travel to a big away race, and trust me, you should. It does come with its logistical issues, one of which being that because there's 2000 people doing the race, you need to rack your gear the day before. 

These races are generally in hot locations, where, if you rack early, your bike is sitting in the sun for the day baking, which is fine, bikes don't get sunburn, it's all good. Tubes do pop though, if they are fully inflated and left sit there in the heat, as you may have guessed, I have a thing racking my bike early, I'm normally one of the last, it's cool, it's quiet, transition is full so you get a feel for what it's gonna be like the next day so you can orientate yourself where everything is. 

This year, I did Venice 70.3, nearly 3000 racers, we wanted to get to Venice the day before the race so I had no choice but rack early, and you've guessed it, the next morning when I went to my bike, it had punctured. I got it sorted but it was a stressful 30 mins that I could have done without. 

Now there's no way I wasn't going to Venice, so it was an acceptable risk for me, but I should have let some air from tires if they were sitting there in the sun for the day. 

Think your race weekend through and make sure you account for any potential stressors and try eliminate them!!

Lesson No. 4

I will prefix this one by saying that, and anyone who has cycled with me with will agree, my sense of direction isn't... Brilliant. Have been known to take a detour. 

Which is not so bad on a Sunday morning spin, but not when you lose a race because of it. My lack of preparation, doing my research, having a general look at a race route and saying to myself, oh yeah, that's where I'm going and left it at that. Cut to the race and whilst leading, I approached a junction and a marshall sent me the wrong way. 

I should have known the route, I should have done my homework, yes the marshall made a mistake, but had I known the right route, it wouldn't have been an issue, I would have kept going and laughed it off. 

Do your homework, read the race briefing, know your stuff!!

Lesson No. 5

At the time it was the biggest race I've ever done, a half Ironman in the Alps, on the Monday before the race I was ready, bags packed, equipment sorted. On the Tuesday, I decided to change the wheels on my bike for "better" ones. Of course the better ones where much wider, and wouldn't fit the bike without a lot of adjustment!! So instead of a night relaxing before flying out, I had a night in a cold garage watching a bike mechanic (and legend) try sort my mess!! It got sorted and all was good, but the stress was incredible!!

Don't change things on race week, don't try anything knew because you read it somewhere, saw it on Instagram, or someone else is doing it. Make a plan and stick to it... Or head on over to Comeragh Coaching and I'll do one for you!!