tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58993373331349330712024-03-05T05:18:45.425-08:00Simon RoxburghSimon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-66332283366616680172019-05-22T12:41:00.003-07:002019-05-22T12:41:47.721-07:00The Postscript<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/LEqQg091CSYh3/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/LEqQg091CSYh3/embed.jpg?buster=1558554089273" alt="And finally..." style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-27706364844193015522019-05-22T12:41:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:41:07.188-07:00The Race<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/Fkv8TaUWzBzef/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/Fkv8TaUWzBzef/embed.jpg?buster=1558554051318" alt="1 week to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-357337093558460812019-05-22T12:40:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:40:31.984-07:00The Cycle<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/gdjpfgsvFCi60/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/gdjpfgsvFCi60/embed.jpg?buster=1558554009466" alt="2 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-67969263082397310882019-05-22T12:39:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:39:41.133-07:00The Pressure ( Part 2 )<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/1Ehb4jrTUOPrx/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/1Ehb4jrTUOPrx/embed.jpg?buster=1558553949886" alt="My Page" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-56841498267389898752019-05-22T12:38:00.003-07:002019-05-22T12:38:45.291-07:00The Pressure<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/cCg52KA3nBjTe/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/cCg52KA3nBjTe/embed.jpg?buster=1558553906330" alt="My Page" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-26034307766971833832019-05-22T12:38:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:38:10.548-07:00The Program<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/A8Vgn4NUdeQhi/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/A8Vgn4NUdeQhi/embed.jpg?buster=1558553873683" alt="My Page" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-11288561568642083142019-05-22T12:37:00.003-07:002019-05-22T12:37:38.467-07:00The Fear<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/jttGudpOR9H4h/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/jttGudpOR9H4h/embed.jpg?buster=1558553843981" alt="6 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-83400307341753520192019-05-22T12:37:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:37:11.075-07:00The Run<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/ENEZgc0HNAtdt/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/ENEZgc0HNAtdt/embed.jpg?buster=1558553813004" alt="7 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-30070742072319899922019-05-22T12:36:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:36:21.340-07:00I'm Gorgeous<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/MRI836gM1HOkd/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/MRI836gM1HOkd/embed.jpg?buster=1558553758435" alt="8 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-90345114050459898052019-05-22T12:35:00.003-07:002019-05-22T12:35:41.283-07:00The Bike<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/bgo1HxRkm85le/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/bgo1HxRkm85le/embed.jpg?buster=1558553725749" alt="9 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-21373437755193693992019-05-22T12:35:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:35:00.237-07:00The Plates<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/BmbEyGYsW3s8t/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/BmbEyGYsW3s8t/embed.jpg?buster=1558553685183" alt="10 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-88714256960013902102019-05-22T12:34:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:34:18.816-07:00The Germs <script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/D2X7UgRVMkiIE/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/D2X7UgRVMkiIE/embed.jpg?buster=1558553636986" alt="11 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-8352520335565646252019-05-22T12:33:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:33:32.172-07:00The Ego<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/fQy3rBuJQBEf0/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/fQy3rBuJQBEf0/embed.jpg?buster=1558553592416" alt="12 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-68134725676992181792019-05-22T12:32:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:32:29.217-07:00The Calories <script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/RpHsEPFx62BYb/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/RpHsEPFx62BYb/embed.jpg?buster=1558553530426" alt="14 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-24176804590048113532019-05-22T12:31:00.001-07:002019-05-22T12:31:45.312-07:00The Voices<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/F8BDYmgcymE79/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/F8BDYmgcymE79/embed.jpg?buster=1558553487303" alt="15 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-78717999081609740472019-05-22T12:30:00.000-07:002019-05-22T12:30:50.622-07:00The Scales<script id="asp-embed-script" data-zindex="1000000" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://spark.adobe.com/page-embed.js"></script><a class="asp-embed-link" href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/QgYZYXa4P7eZ8/" target="_blank"><img src="https://spark.adobe.com/page/QgYZYXa4P7eZ8/embed.jpg?buster=1558553376724" alt="16 weeks to go" style="width:100%" border="0" /></a>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-40092354624076765022013-06-06T02:25:00.000-07:002013-06-06T02:25:44.767-07:00All Change.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QmnqQChnFXOtuU-WAg4qS43TtS_gd_w_mgCocgKzrjmmMjplmIEuQWDQtPaDEMZJ-2K6av_UTQEbikZXlFVQwKtkwAgVjIITnsAy5gW2sZKT_ooQ4zwM0FHj3qLpkt6VoMppnCL1PDg/s1600/family+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QmnqQChnFXOtuU-WAg4qS43TtS_gd_w_mgCocgKzrjmmMjplmIEuQWDQtPaDEMZJ-2K6av_UTQEbikZXlFVQwKtkwAgVjIITnsAy5gW2sZKT_ooQ4zwM0FHj3qLpkt6VoMppnCL1PDg/s320/family+photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
It's been a while since I last posted, and as the photo to the right shows there has been a few changes! In December I became a Dad, for the first time,to the most beautiful little girl, Rosie. She is perfect in every way! From the first moment I held her, when she was only a few moments old, and I saw her blue eyes looking up at me my heart was taken.<br />
Training for triathlon with a baby has now become more of a juggling act for both me and Rhian. If anyone would like to read about triathlon training whilst pregnant, read Rhian's Blog post from <a href="http://rhianroxburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/from-birth-to-chirk.html">Birth to Chirk</a> .<br />
First off, we are incredibly lucky to have very supportive family. Rhi's Mom, Dad and sister are always helping out so Rhi can get her training done in the weekday, so I can get mine done in the morning or night. Weekends have become more like Tag Team training, Rhi rides Saturday morning, I run in the afternoon and vice versa on Sunday. The biggest thing I'm having to learn is to be flexible. I'm used to having a training programme to follow, which I do not deviate from. This goes out the window now! Babies DO NOT respect your schedule! You quickly adapt to theirs!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4zFWM4FhQFukhIOiotuxuJSOmmKChP8a3nNxHhVwmzJg7VUYCRB3ATnyslGd7n8_DTnvaCezbeSU3X6k7hVFkaaO_OgOwM60szqCjYIFBF1UQYUwb9nFR-xfsh98FMPRLDPIeOHSd1c/s1600/EvolutionServicingBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4zFWM4FhQFukhIOiotuxuJSOmmKChP8a3nNxHhVwmzJg7VUYCRB3ATnyslGd7n8_DTnvaCezbeSU3X6k7hVFkaaO_OgOwM60szqCjYIFBF1UQYUwb9nFR-xfsh98FMPRLDPIeOHSd1c/s320/EvolutionServicingBanner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Another big change for us this season, is that we are racing for <a href="http://www.evolution-bikes.co.uk/">Evolution Bikes</a> in Bangor. I'm so chuffed to be representing the shop! A local business, run by athletes, who sell some really cool kit. They have a wide range of triathlon kit, including 2XU wetsuits, neoprene hats, energy gels, Pearl Izumi & 2XU tri suits, aero helmets, tri bars, number belts, everything you need. The bike stock is great too, they deal in Scott, Trek, Kuota to name a few, with some seriously bling tri specific bikes as well as road bikes, MTB and cyclo cross. Give them a try, they love sport and they know their stuff.Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-54485100415205330632012-04-13T06:19:00.001-07:002012-04-13T06:19:19.201-07:00Cycling in MallorcaJust come back from a great training camp/ beer fest in Mallorca. Had a great bunch of people from Rhos CC head out for company and we had a great time.<br />If you fancy heading to Mallorca for cycling, you won't be dissapointed there are some great mountain climbs as well as diverse flatter routes all within easy access. I recommend the North of the island. Puerto Pollenca is a beautiful seaside resort, nice and quiet with golden sandy beaches and plenty of good places to eat. Most importantly it is only 5 or 6 miles from the mountains.<br />The last two years we have stayed at the Pollenca Park Hotel. This place is awesome and caters for cyclists. It provides secure bike storage rooms, which saves lugging your steed to your room. Food is good, buffet breakfast with plenty to offer and if you eat there on the evening you'll find plenty of variety on the night time buffet. They'll even launder your bike kit for around €2!<br />Triathletes - there is some good running in the area with plenty of flat routes, either coastal or heading into the country lanes which are only 5 minutes from the hotel. There is an outdoor pool, 25m, which is quiet bracing at Easter time despite the good weather. There is a municipal pool just off Puerto Pollensa square, which is excellent. Very quiet and you usually get a lane to yourself, not bad for €4.<br />The first day you can always get a quick ride in. Do the Cap Formentor, a cracking ride of around 2 hours, great views with a little bit of climbing. Other highlights include the Sa Calobra clinb ( around a 60 mile ride) and a ride to Soller which is around 80 to 100 miles depending on which route you choose.<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/04/13/683.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/04/13/s_683.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Yes, that's me at the back again!<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-18051199152408670042011-07-23T12:24:00.001-07:002011-07-23T12:24:21.981-07:00Cycling Calais to Montepellier<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbtLqNUUUPVwAm1-iCkfkA1tbQylH46M8sWGRz1jLOPcw_bK7FSYANIVcMPPyk4qg2Vw-es5zjc_QuKZSQL_ItTmNlcje6WwOHzmJ0UrpdnEqafA9YU9tCXrIHBrcDwlbcJcdFiLlrMo/s1600/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwNzE4LTAwMjU3LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-761982"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbtLqNUUUPVwAm1-iCkfkA1tbQylH46M8sWGRz1jLOPcw_bK7FSYANIVcMPPyk4qg2Vw-es5zjc_QuKZSQL_ItTmNlcje6WwOHzmJ0UrpdnEqafA9YU9tCXrIHBrcDwlbcJcdFiLlrMo/s320/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwNzE4LTAwMjU3LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-761982" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632630835379315138" /></a></p>I will give a more detailed blog in due course, but for now a brief outline of our journey thus far.<br>Day 1 - ferry from Dover to Calais. We land in Calais around 10:30am and hit the road straight away. Getting out of the town takes some doing, this becomes a familiar pattern, but once we're on our way we make good time. We used Michelin maps website to plan the route, marked it on our Michelin maps and also did some crib sheets with key turns, towns, roads and junctions which prove invaluable. <br>Our first day is a 75 mile ride to Arras. The town is beautiful, very Northern French in architecture, reminiscent of Belgium also.<br>Day 2 - the big day! 120 miles and the route is pretty complicated, lots of small roads, turnings and changes of direction. I was dreading it, in terms of navigation! But other than getting on the right road out of Arras it went pretty smoothly! Our destination was Reims, and the route was pretty tough. The first 80 miles was rolling, with a slight headwind, till we got to Laon. A note to fellow cyclists, bypass the town centre which is at the top of the hill. Very pretty but a bitch to get up to, and you will see much nicer for less effort! From Laon the scenery changes from the red brick and hardness of Northern France, to the mellow pale stone and red tiles that you associate with postcard France. The terrain becomes hilly, the roads more twisting and the headwind, well more windy! For this leg of the journey there are very few shops, as we learnt to our expense, stock up well on food and drink because when The Knock comes there's no where to get a sugar fix, until you're within 10 miles of Reims. Reims itself is a lovely city, great bike lanes and good food.<br>Day 3 - Reims to Troyes 85 miles.<br>What a joyful ride! The first 10 miles were slow, as we tried to find our way out of the city. Form thereon it was a tail wind for the next 70 miles. We averaged over 17mph with panniers! Utter joy!! The champagne region is beautiful, full of rolling hills and vines, till it eventually gives way to the Seine Valley leading to the medieval city of Troyes. Troyes is stunning, a must visit place. I will post more shortly, for now I'm looking forward to more miles!
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceSimon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-68988386419701406932011-07-02T13:15:00.001-07:002011-07-03T08:06:54.078-07:00Gold for Rhian!<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/07/03/2067.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/07/03/s_2067.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Just got back from Pontevedre and the ETU Age Group Champ's. It was very hot out there, but a lovely part of the world. Galicia is a bit like a hot Scotland! We were lucky our race kicked off at 8am, it was cool for the swim & bike, whilst the run was pretty shaded throughout. Phew!<br />We flew with Portugal's national airline TAP, who were excellent! Like how flying used to be prior to the budget cattle shed airlines. We booked a car with Car Trawler, an online company. They were shite, avoid them like the plague, we were messed around for 2 hrs before finally getting a car with Eurocar who were excellent.<br />Night before the race we had to rack our bikes. We spent 2 hrs queuing in 38 degree heat, with one person admitting people into transition it took for bloody ever, not the best way to prepare for a race! We missed most of the elite men's race as a consequence. What a pisser!<br />Race day itself was excellent though, brilliant organisation and a fantastic route. The swim was nice and warm, which was a bonus considering the amount of time I spent in there! The bike was great, closed roads, 10km up, 10km down, then repeat. Onto the run around the old town of Pontevedre, nice and shady, with one hill in the middle of the circuit, which we did 4 times. For me, I had a poor swim, followed by a good bike (missed out on the fastest bike split by 1 second), then a fairly solid run. I crossed the line knowing I had more in the tank, it's frustrating when you don't leave everything out on the course.....perhaps I can put it right at the Welsh Champ's in Llandudno in 2 weeks.<br />Rhian had an awesome race, winning her age group and the women's race outright for the second year running! Her winning margin was nearly 10 minutes!! Absolutely chuffed for her!<br />Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-75686290354681480952011-07-02T13:14:00.001-07:002012-01-28T00:18:07.460-08:00Catching Up<br /><br /><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/01/28/32.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/01/28/s_32.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Ok, so I never quiet got round to finishing my post about the French trip! Been busy!! In brief we had a rest day in Troyes then headed back on to the road Dijon, a stunning city. From Dijon we headed to Grenoble it was a long day in the saddle but non the less enjoyable. We would have liked to of gone through the Alps to the coast, via Sisteron and Gap, but we were concerned about time so headed the flat route out to Montelimar, the home of nougat! There's an excellent bike path heading out of Grenoble running adjacent to the river. It goes on for miles! I only wish the UK would embrace this kind of facility instead of crappy bike paths stuck on the pavement. Our final day's riding was from Montelimar to Montpellier, it turned into an epic 120 miler! Ouch! Montpellier was awesome, we bagged a hotel 5 minutes walk from the city's Olympic pool. The pool is fantastic, excellent design and great fast water! All in all, we managed around 800 miles on the bike in 10 days, plus a couple of long runs and a few swims to keep ticking over.<br />Next up was the inaugral Ironman Wales. That's me and Rhi on the sea front in Tenby, minutes after finishing. I can honestly say that it was one of the best days of my life. Completely awesome experience, I was grinning like a loon all the way round! Managed to finish the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run in just over 11 hours 20 minutes. Having trained for short course all season, Ironman was done off the back of 6 weeks specific long course training. So I was particularly chuffed! Big thanks to Rich Brady www.trimonkey.co.uk for getting me there.<br /><br />Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-57143214614666401472011-05-29T01:42:00.001-07:002011-05-29T01:42:42.878-07:00Llanberis Slateman<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR8wGBz0UZKifWJd7v2jKHeGBytQz9LRdAEk2TbWFi09tQ9ruMOJ0dZ6ZNQ9X-XBwLcSfbFssSjPCkKL-eaBUMwsoZgxqp-1KZRZLSiahhG6AlEKoyBNqKQnYgIL9H_XnYHG9gP503dM/s1600/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwNTIyLTAwMTM1LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-762879"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR8wGBz0UZKifWJd7v2jKHeGBytQz9LRdAEk2TbWFi09tQ9ruMOJ0dZ6ZNQ9X-XBwLcSfbFssSjPCkKL-eaBUMwsoZgxqp-1KZRZLSiahhG6AlEKoyBNqKQnYgIL9H_XnYHG9gP503dM/s320/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwNTIyLTAwMTM1LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-762879" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612055798226848002" /></a></p>The inaugural Llanberis Slateman was an absolute cracker! We registered on the Saturday and the weather in Llanberis was horrendous. Blowing a hoolie and teeming with rain, we were praying for better weather the next day.<br>Sunday morning and the rain had died off, but the wind was strong with gusts of 70kph! I opted with a deep dish rear wheel with a shallow profile front wheel off my training bike in the hope I wouldn't get buffeted too much. The lake temperature was 10.9C. In previous races I have really struggled in the cold, so I was a little concerned how it would affect my race. In an effort to combat the cold I opted for a compression T shirt under my wetsuit and copious amounts of warm up oil all over!<br>The swim itself was bloody cold and I came out of the water 2 minutes down on what I expected. I chucked a windproof jacket on in transition to beat the chill and out of transition. The mount line was pretty congested so I hopped onto the pavement, ran an extra 100m, jumped on and got going to the Llanberis Pass. The Pass went in a blur, the cold was affecting me slightly, with my top heart rate down by around 10bpm from usual. The tail wind from Pen Y Gwryd to Capel made for quick riding, before swinging into a harsh cross\head wind in The Ogwen Valley. It was savage! Down onto the small chain ring and tucked as aero as possible. Halfway down the valley I saw Rhian, leading the womens race, and local talent Arthur Connell. I knew I was at the business end of the race and needed to get time on the quicker runners. From Tregarth to Llanberis it was a block headwind! As we hit Pentir my mate Big Al "Hincapie" Roberts, riding for a relay team, came past me and offered a few well needed words of encouragement. It was just what I needed and gave me a boost for the final leg. We both got into transition at the same time, Al's race over and me out onto the run. What a run. Pain. Hills. Pain. As I headed onto the run a relay runner bounded past me then another local talent, Gareth Jones of Revolution Cycles Bangor, passed me. I kept my own pace as he initially pulled away, than as my legs came back to me, I was back on his shoulder. We ran side by side for the next 5km, pushing each other on, trying to close down a runner in the distance. We pulled the lad back on a particularly nasty ascent, I was suffering. Then I sensed Gareth slipping back, and it was me and the lad we'd chased down. With 1.5km to go there was a steep descent, I was cramping horribly in my quads, and trying not to let on. We hit the flat with 750m to go and the guy opened up a 200m lead in an instant, I had no answer to that!<br>I finished 7th overall which was fantastic, I am genuinely very very chuffed. Rhian was fastest woman, delivering an absolutely brilliant performance! Big Al Hincapie's team placed 2nd in the team comp' which was a great result.<br>A great race and a great atmosphere, hats off to Tim and the team for delivering a first class event that even the weather couldn't put a dampener on!
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceSimon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-12412564315843452112011-03-14T13:36:00.000-07:002011-03-14T13:37:17.090-07:00Majorca and beyond<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpFBhOgvNG8PYm0Cw0fvXzO3UHUhMSAJw3X6SL8I1GqKv7YkvTt_hA9U9pPrjr5e8gRchWLAhWrfde1c-_ofoACaAXLbz2qx8zv-o1Lcnn6dFUHSzaee1Rd62aqiBy_stdDc3JQRyfGU/s1600/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwMjI0LTAwMDY1LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-737091"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpFBhOgvNG8PYm0Cw0fvXzO3UHUhMSAJw3X6SL8I1GqKv7YkvTt_hA9U9pPrjr5e8gRchWLAhWrfde1c-_ofoACaAXLbz2qx8zv-o1Lcnn6dFUHSzaee1Rd62aqiBy_stdDc3JQRyfGU/s320/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1HLTIwMTEwMjI0LTAwMDY1LmpwZw%253D%253D%253F%253D-737091" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584037467396103778" /></a></p>Just got back from a great training camp with the guys n girls from Rhos CC. I'm pleased to say my lack of winter miles was evident and I got my arse kicked each and every day! Great motivation!!
<br>If anyone fancies cycling in Majorca, I recommend you base yourself in Puerto Pollenca, in the North of the island. The Pollenca Park is a cracking hotel with bike storage, spa, 33m pool and decent food. If you're going to hire a bike, Probike Hire Mallorca is just down the road from the hotel and Bruce and the guys there are very helpful. Be warned if you fly BMI Baby and you're taking a bike - they charge €15 per kg over 18kg on bikes, so if you're using a hardcase (like we did) you're going to get stung! Thieving gits, springs to mind!
<br>The weathers improving and the trainings getting faster; roll on summer!
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceSimon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-59707378567912969452009-07-13T09:58:00.001-07:002009-07-13T10:42:01.593-07:00Home sweet home.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwaNzqiMkNM30wKfwS8tHKRPtZpRaF13w9r6d0sN-SoCKJOGOIY1AuyMUREWoQrpDv2WLcbg_cXj1e7id4uE6S39X4Z_7u1BQLiTUrQKrjpDGBe_zBaqGvOpc3O23clvyCdgqfO4mcVg/s1600-h/The+Rock.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357990939326408562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwaNzqiMkNM30wKfwS8tHKRPtZpRaF13w9r6d0sN-SoCKJOGOIY1AuyMUREWoQrpDv2WLcbg_cXj1e7id4uE6S39X4Z_7u1BQLiTUrQKrjpDGBe_zBaqGvOpc3O23clvyCdgqfO4mcVg/s320/The+Rock.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Racing on my home turf - that's me coming out of the Irish Sea onto Llandudno's Victorian promenade ! The start line is about a mile and a half from home, and this weekend felt pretty strange with not having to drive for 4 odd hours to get to the event.......</div><div>I've had a pretty hard block of training , but still set my sights on a top 10 placing at the Llandudno Sea Triathlon.</div><div>The sea was choppy which made for a fun swim, then the bike took in 4 laps of the The Great Orme (I could feel the weeks training in my legs!), then the run was a out and back 2.5km loop, four times over (I was running like a donkey except for the last 1km when my legs came back to life - 9km too late!). The support out on the course was awesome!! I just wished I could have backed it up with an awesome performance. Still it was a good day in the office and I managed to grab 9th place. </div><div>An amazing venue for a race, I would recommend it to anyone...fantastic.</div>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899337333134933071.post-77589838618291755382009-06-29T23:43:00.000-07:002009-07-09T23:59:02.365-07:00In the loop.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoe6iHUEiaqRBw4DE991LgHqj18gisEYs2TJOx9XjxGxrSbTezf5DdGrqyexOyoiu0XPbQlJoc4soDKnYo6an1hz1xP5zONz14mPclFtVw4onRxBvetVFKmGAP9xS2tnlK24QSpt_w30/s1600-h/British+Road+Champs+2009+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353010981102699922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 237px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 190px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoe6iHUEiaqRBw4DE991LgHqj18gisEYs2TJOx9XjxGxrSbTezf5DdGrqyexOyoiu0XPbQlJoc4soDKnYo6an1hz1xP5zONz14mPclFtVw4onRxBvetVFKmGAP9xS2tnlK24QSpt_w30/s320/British+Road+Champs+2009+026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Left is Mark Cavendish, I was lucky enough to see him race on Sunday. The guy is great, a winner who says it how it is! He does not get nearly enough credit in the British Press, perhaps it's because he wins!!</div><br /><div>For me, it was back in the loop of racing with the Parc Bryn Bach Triathlon, the Welsh Championships. A 2 loop swim, 10 loop bike, 3 loop run, I was dizzy at the end, and truly back in the loop! Not the best of races for me, just one of those days, I aimed for top 5 but got 7th, but hopefully for the rest of the season I'll be getting stronger and stronger.</div><br /><div>Time to get back into the loop of training now, some consistency and effort will bring me great race day performance!</div></div>Simon Roxburghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367998863201598790noreply@blogger.com0