Another great week. With a race on Saturday, this week saw a reduction in overall volume and so much needed rest.
Swimming continues to go well, I could only make two sessions this week as the third was on race day. The two sessions went well, both totaled 3.6k and including some solid pacing. I'm now holding 1.50 swim & rest as my cruise pace - which is 10 secs quicker than last year. I'm feeling strong and balanced in the water. My body position still needs to improve but my new head position feels good and has made a real difference to my catch, as my shoulders feel in a better position to enable a high elbow.
Race day was the third in the Coastal Trail Series races, organised by the EnduranceLife guys. These are great events, really well set-up with a great crowd of like-minded people taking part. It was great to see some familar faces from the other races so far in the series, and meet up with a few mates I've met along the way.
This race was in Portland, Dorset. An early start meant we were at Race HQ to see the marathon guys setting off. A quick hello to a couple of mates and then they were off. I'm telling you that anyone who takes on a trail marathon has my greatest respect. There are some awesome athletes about.
The half-marathon started at 10.30. My legs have felt heavy all week so I deliberately started slowly. After seeing the terrain on the other two courses I wanted to make sure I could hold a good pace throughout. This paid off, as I felt stronger as the race went on (apart from a mile of running on pebbles at mile 11) and I came in at 2 hours 9 mins. This is 20 minutes quicker than my previous two trail half marathons. This was partly due to the course being the easiest (relatively) so far and my strength improving.
Kit-wise, I tried a few new things out. I wore my Skinfit Klimasoft base layer, which again is super comfortable (you don't even realise you have it on) and then I wore my Skinfit Vento Jacket as the outer layer. A great little light-weight jacket which is highly breathable and far more adaptable than other lightweight jackets I've tried. Check out Skinfits clothing range. I've got a lot of their kit - so let me know if you have questions.
In preparation for some longer distance races, I wore a Raidlight waist pack. Really impressed with the Raidlight gear. Its very comfortable, and you can fit all of the important gear you need into the pack. I got the pack from Likeys, who are a great stockist of adventure racing gear. They are also really nice people!
Nutrition-wise, I used some of the Clif Bar samples that were on offer. I've used Clif Bars for a while now and have found them to be the best energy bar out there. They are an organic product, made from natural ingredients and also taste really good. I've found that they don't upset the stomach like some energy products can. I always take them with me when I'm traveling to races, as they guarantee I have a good snack on race morning.
In addition to the bars, I used the Clif Shot Bloks instead of another energy gel. Again, these are a more natural product which provide a quicker source of carbohydrate. I was really impressed with these, and will be definitely going back for more.
I read a great article about the owner of Clif Bar a few weeks ago in an old edition of Triathlete magazine. The guy started this business in his garage, as he wanted to produce a more natural energy product instead of the highly manufactured products out there. His company are now one of the biggest in the sports nutrition industry, worth millions of dollars, yet he has stayed true to his vision and not sold out. A great story. Check out the Clif Bar site - its really impressive.
This is another example of a genuine, authentic brand who practice what they preach. I'm adding Clif Bar to my list of great brands, alongside howies and Skinfit.
You'll notice a common theme here. I believe that these brands represent what's important to their customers. They don't chase the quick buck by selling their soul. They stay true to their core values. These brands will survive the challenging times we are in - the false, manufactured brands will perish - as people see them for what they really are: money-making machines.
Believe me, I've been in Sales & Marketing for ten years now. I love marketing but I am also ashamed of some of the ploys so-called marketers use to steal honest peoples hard earned cash.
Stick to you beliefs, be genuine and authentic. Practice what you preach.
I feel its important that if see someone doing a good job, you should tell someone about it. Help a friend. We'll could all do with a little help from our friends.
See you in seven,
Sparky
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