Sport medal for 2019 bicycle race on London

At last it would appear that one of the most challenging winters for training finally seems to be coming to an end and we are now experiencing warmer temperatures and preparing for what will hopefully be a long and successful season. Not since I was preparing for the London Marathon back in 2001 when Britain was blighted by foot and mouth have creativity and flexibility been the key to getting in winter miles. I think we are all coming in to the season a little bit light on training. However, it has meant that creativity has been key whether it be getting the mountain bike out, swift, sufferfest, cashing in long rides for long steady runs as well as adjusting our race schedule. I am extremely lucky to have just spent a few days out in Mallorca topping up on training and getting ready for a summer of racing. If you have never been out to Mallorca, it is something I can strongly recommend.

In recent months, I have really felt for race organisers across the country who have had to make difficult decisions. One has to remember that there are a very large number of factors that the athletes don’t think of that have to be taken on board when looking at whether a race can go ahead so I always respect 100% this decision and we are very lucky that those of you who missed out on the Oulton Park Duathlon back in March will have a chance to race on Sunday 10th March.

Held on the iconic racing circuit in rural Cheshire, Oulton Park is a brilliant venue with beautiful smooth wide tarmac, sweeping bends, an undulating challenging circuit with a spacious well organised pit lane transition. Backed up by the superb organisation provided by Xtramile events, it is no surprise that the race is often an age group qualifier which is a credit to the rigorous systems that are in place to ensure a fantastic safe race. This spring’s race is no exception as the field will contain many of the best age groupers in the country in the final showdown of the year fighting for qualification for the 2018 World Sprint Distance Duathlon in Fyn, Denmark.

Personally I will not be taking a place in the race on April 29th as I am resting up ahead of the European Middle Distance Duathlon Championships in Denmark the following weekend and the Fred Whitton Challenge the weekend after that. Instead, I will be working as part of a really hard working and professional Xtramile event crew team many of whom are competing athletes and who have only last week delivered an extremely successful Greater Manchester Marathon, one of the UK’s fastest growing races now supported by athletes from all over the globe.

Due to the rescheduling of the Oulton Park Duathlon, there will be athletes all with personal targets, simply completing a race of this magnitude for the first time, a warm up for the triathlon season or going all out to get that qualifying time and representing their country in the World Championships later in the summer.

I would simply like to offer the following steps which I believe are key to achieving that goal whatever it may be. Due to the winter that we have had, at this point we only have the miles in the bag that we have, nothing can change that and we have to just getting that last bit of prep right to have an outstanding race.