Wednesday 22 October 2014

National Age-group Championships

The Past 3 months have been a busy and very enjoyable, they have included lots of different races, training, weather and opportunities. I have been working hard to achieve a few certain goals and learnt more about myself and what works and what doesn’t work for me.

On the 18th Oct I competed in the National Duathlon Championships in Milton Keynes at the Big Cow Duathlon http://www.big-cow.com/Results/IndividualResults.aspx?Id=100

I was able to recce the bike course the day before and it soon came apparent that it was going to be a fast race, staying overnight always makes things a lot easier and is much less complicated than travelling down on the morning.

It was a largely flat bike course with a few sleep pokes that will certainly blow the legs apart. The run was flat….pancake flat, a pb course for sure!

The race morning was on a very brisk Oct Sunday morning, the fog was thick and the temperature was very low! It was the coldest morning since the official end of the summer and it was obvious that everyone was thinking the same, base layers were everywhere!

The race started fast and a few ran off very fast and actually maintained that pace throughout. I was able to stay with the second lead pack on the run and actually felt very comfortable will around 8k when I actually realised we had another lap of the run course (got laps confused and thought we had to turn in, but no one was so soon realised we had one more L ). After the very fast 10k I came into T1 in a decent position and behind some very good athletes who I know very well, but I always knew that my bike legs were not there because of previous session and after a very fast run was expecting nothing less than to loose a few spots on the bike leg….which soon happened. The fog was actually really bag and I thought my visor was steaming up, but it was actually the very bad visibility. It took me around 20mins to shake the pain from the first run and as my legs felt weak (cant get the strength in them at the moment…..need some work in the winter months in the gym). My run to bike strength at current is not good and its something I certainly need to address in the winter….thinking lots of strength and conditioning work will help. After a tough bike and loosing ground on some of my fellow competitions I went into T2 determined to gain a few places back. I had a quick transition and ran off the bike very well. I has lost a lot of ground but wanted to put in a good final run. I was able to claw back a few places and finish 18th overall. I was mostly happy with my first run 33.59 10k….a PB by around 86 seconds for a 10k. So very happy with that!

I must congratulate some very good friends on wonderful results and I look forward to more races next year to test each other more and more!

The race highlighted some areas that I need to work on ready for my next race on the 8th November, but also areas that need to be addressed during the winter. I must get stronger on the bike that is for certain and need to continue to run at the race I can now sustain. I have no need to back off from this race and conditioning, I need to now use this a new platform and grow on from here and get faster, fitter and better.


Things in my life are in a good place, work, training and personal relationships are all in sync and life is good! Long may this continue into and throughout the winter!

Friday 10 October 2014

Pulsin orange choc chip protein bar exclusive review!




Pulsin have now developed a new orange flavor protein bar, and wow what a treat. I use them as a recovery aid after training, and will usually have one a day. I have now tried and tested this new orange flavor and this is going to be a lot of people’s favorite pulsin bar.

Its gluten and diary free as are all their protein bars which makes them very easy on the stomach and palatable. This protein bar is a treat more than a recovery tool and if you like chocolate orange it is even more favorable.

Pulsin Orange Choc Chip Protein Bar




The recovery aid that it is allows your body to use natural goodness on the go, it’s a quick and simple way to refuel after training no matter what sport you do. There are many benefits even if you don’t do sport, this nutritional bar can be added to anyone’s daily diet without any kind of worry that is it a sports bar. It can be used as a meal replacement or just a snack. The main problem you will have is going to be how not to eat them all the time!


A delicious, protein-packed alternative to a chocolate bar - Click for website

Enriched with raw rice protein, Pulsin's Orange Chocolate Chip Protein Snack is designed to give you sustained energy release without the crash. Containing a generous smattering of chocolate chips as well as a healthy handful of almonds, our bars are free from nasties, contain no added sugars and are low in GI/GL.
Protein is needed to build muscle, stay healthy, repair cells and fight off infection, making these bars ideal for those recovering from illness, athletes in training, those looking to lose weight, or anyone who needs an energy lift during the day.
  • Vegan
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  • No added sugar
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  • Dairy Free
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  • Gluten Free
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  • No Trans Fats
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  • Non GMO