So last week I set off for Nottingham from Wakefield to ride the Outlaw Middle Distance triathlon bike course in preparation for this Sunday’s race. After one hour of the journey it dawned on me I had forgotten my cycling shoes so I had to abandon the ride as I did not have time to get home and back down to Nottingham. The next day I rocked up at Pugneys for my first open water swim of the year to suddenly realise I had forgotten my flipping wetsuit!!!

Had better luck this evening – remembered all my gear and even my GoPro to record the tentative entry to the water!

So now the matter of the slow jog round London is out of the way it’s time to up my game!

It’s time to dust off my wetsuit and pump up my tyres and get on my bike.

Little video of the first bike ride of the session!

Triathlon season is here.

I have entered 3 Triathlons so far this year; the first is in 3 weeks!!!

I am one of 1450 people competing in the Outlaw Half, which involves a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride topped off with a half marathon 13.1 miles on the 29th May.

On Sunday June 12 2016 over 5,000 triathletes of all levels of ability will compete on the unique course in Leeds as part of the world series (including the Brownlees). Starting with an open water swim in the glorious Roundhay Park, the bike leg will see us complete laps in and around Leeds city centre before completing a run course and crossing the finish line in Leeds city centre, this is an Olympic distance event meaning a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride and a 6mile run, easy YES?

The main event is then in July the UK IronMan in Bolton, which involves a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride topped off with a marathon 26.2 miles all to be completed in a maximum of 17 hours or you get disqualified!

The question is do I have time to learn to swim front crawl in time!?

What a truly amazing experience! The support was incredible.

I am sure you have better things to do with your time but this video is the whole course.

It was so humbling to see so many people overcoming personal challenges to prevail.
I think everyone has seen the support on the TV, but until you run round the 26.2 mile course you don’t truly understand how many thousands and thousands of people there are out on the course and for a huge amount of the time how many people deep.

I think my favourite point was running round the Cutty Sark; the support was phenomenal and it was not too far into the race so I didn’t feel too tired.

I finished in 4 hours 59 Minutes and 41 Seconds in 29112 place!!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/555486026

As much as I constantly slowed down during the run I did feel ok all the way round. Going into the race I was hoping to complete within 4 and a half hours but three-quarters of the way round I realised that was going to be impossible and in the last 3k realised that 5 hours was in danger, so the last couple of kilometres were among the quicker ones, it was great to sprint down the Queens driveway to the finishing line. Strangely the last 250m is the least supported part on the course as the “posh” people in the grandstands have generally gone home by this point.

Thank you so much for so many messages of support and helping me raise £1,886.26 for Links International.

If you have ever considered running the London Marathon go for it. It truly is an amazing experience.

The ballot for next year’s event is open until Friday.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/ballot-entry/

I have just entered again ……..

Paul at 14km in the 2016 London Marathon.  Going well.  Nice and relaxed.

Coach Dave Bradley Blog

 

Marathon Race Day Nerves

The build up to an ‘A’ race is always nerve wracking.  We all react differently to this stress.  Your body can’t distinguish between different types of stress.  As far as it’s concerned this is flight or fight!  So do calm things before big races.  Feet up.  Light reading.  Easy wandering about. Enjoy the race centre and the fantastic race ambiance.  CALM!

Paul is super strong and rarely gets injured so it was a bit of a shock to get a phone call from Hong Kong airport to report a knee pain.  By the time he landed at Heathrow we’d managed to get a physio appointment with Prosport physiotherapy in Huddersfield to get it checked out.  I find many people including myself get niggles just before races. It’s important to put a rational head on in these circumstances.  Will you do real damage if you compete?  If so DON’T RACE.  Luckily Paul has been given the okay.

London Marathon Race Tactics

Paul’s race tactics are to get behind a pacer and stick to them like glue.  These guys are paid to accurately pace the race.  Most people start too quickly.  Only a small amount over pace can put you in difficulties in the later stages because you’ve burned up your stored glycogen.  This means it’s not available when you really need it. In a marathon don’t make any effort till 20 miles.  Easy, super relaxed running.  Tuck in behind other runners to get a drafting advantage.  Anything to save energy.  The final 6 miles is the glory leg. You’re now warmed up for a 10km race.  Enjoy passing those runners who went off to fast.
I’ll be watching out for Paul on the course on Sunday.  The chances of seeing him are just above nil. It will be a great day.  Run fat boy run!

London Marathon is born

On a personal note.  London marathon day is always poignant. Aged 18 I helped at the finish of the World Orienteering Championships in Scotland.  My father was in charge of the finish and the timing.  One evening we were in the pub with Chris Brasher and John Disley the founders of the London marathon.  They an ambitious idea to organize a marathon in London with maybe 5,000 runners.  The finish and timing needed a safe pair of hands so they approached my Dad to do the job.  Unfortunately, his employer wouldn’t give him time off so, no free London marathon entries for me! This race is testimony to people with vision.

Well on route to London now. It has been a little touch and go over the last few days. On Tuesday I was getting off a ferry in Hong Kong and managed to hurt my knee which ended up being very painful for a few days. I went to see the magician Shane Mooney @ www.physiohuddersfield.co.uk, who told me it was a problem with the top of my leg where a muscle was not firing properly, 45mins of manipulation later the problem was drastically improved and I was given the all clear to run! Thank you Shane, you are a STAR!!!

On another note I am massively disappointed with myself in terms of being such a fat lad! I have not managed to lose any weight in the last six weeks so I am racing on Sunday at least a stone heavier than I should be at 99KG, YES 99KG which is disgraceful!

Finally, thank you so much to the many people that have sponsored me so far, your generosity means a lot to me and will make a difference in other people’s lives!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Kemshell

Check out my last run on strava

Just returned home after visiting the Canton Fair, the world’s biggest trade fair.

While in China I managed a couple of short runs. https://www.strava.com/activities/545633387.

Wow it was hot! I have no idea how humid it was but it was like running in a sauna! I needed two showers before I could go down for breakfast to join the rest of our party, I just could not stop sweating!!

I decided to cut the running short as we walked more than a marathon over the 3 days walking round the trade show.

Unfortunately I managed to hurt my right knee during a ferry transfer when back in Hong Kong so I will be taking it easy before Sunday. I can not believe race day has come round sooooo quickly.