James Gibson

Well I'm back from my trip to Holten and there are both positives and negatives that I could draw from the event. The race was very well run and the unusual course was well suited to me, a sand-pit swim and then a 8k bike into town followed by two smaller bike laps and then a flat 5km run.

The race started well, myself and fellow Brit Rob Bowles broke away on the first swim with a Dutch athlete and we had a small gap heading out of T2 on the chasing pack of 9 or 8 athletes. As a trio we tried to work together and establish a strong lead but unfortuantly was caught quite early on by the chasers- including another British Junior, Tom Bishop. We rode as a large group into Holten and started the first of the two smaller laps together and stayed together up the only hill on the course. I was feeling comfortable and was looking forward to a strong run, unfortuantly on the descent my chain got caught between my cog and frame, effectivly jamming my cranks and not allowing me to pedal.

I stood by the side of the road trying to unjam the chain but as the chasing pack and stragglers rode past I knew that the race was over and so hd to end the day with a DNF, dissapointing to say the least but at least what I did of the race showed that my swim and bike is on par with the rest of Europeans Junior Elite. Congratulations also to Tom Bishop who won the race overall with a strong run and Rob Bowles who also finished strongly.

Before I fly to Holland for my upcoming Junior European Race; I've managed to spend some time at home and catch up with some old faces at the Larkfield Aquathon Club champs, (1100m swim- 5k run) at Leybourne Lakes. The venue is one of my favourite places to open water swim and was going to use tha race to tune up for the race on Saturday. The plan was too hit the swim reasonably hard as well as the first 3km of the run and ease off towards the end.

The swim went as planned and although I would have been happier with a quicker transition had a combined time for the swim and T1 of 12.06; over two minutes ahead of second. As planned however I hit the first run lap hard and felt strong moving into the second lap. By this point I was confident that I had won and rather than risk an injury or needless fatigue, eased down for the last 2 km or so; finishing the run in a time of 17.44. As well as retaining my title as club champion from last year, hopefully this race has acted as a positive indicator of my main race this month in Holland, and for the rest of the season.

I'm not totally sure what to expect of my first race abroad but feel that I am in good health and good shape to put in a strong performance. Looking at the start list for my event shows that it's not going to be an easy race. A strong team of Russian's are attending, as well as a good spread of Junior talent from across the continent; as well as fellow GB juniors Tom Bishop and Rob Bowles, both of whom are more than capable of having a strong race.

I will update my blog when I return with a race review and results.

I knew that my recent performance in Reading would possibly give me a place in World Junior Elite team for Vancouver, but unfortuantly I was placed on reserve for the four man squad that are flying out there for the championships. Although dissapointed I feel that to be even considered a place in the team is a huge improvment and a step in the right direction in terms of performance and would like to wish good luck to all the athletes competing there this weekend.

After a solid two weeks of training is was back to racing this weekend in Emberton Park for the National Age Group Aquathlon Championships. The main goal for myself at the moment is hopefully a Junior European Cup in Holland later this month; and so the aquathlon was just a chance for some hard training; especially running hard off an open water swim.

As always, a mass open water start is always hard and I was fortuanate enough to get a good position by the time we reached the first buoy and by the time we had turned around it was in the lead. I decided to push the pace up and get rid of some of the weaker swimmers who were at the front and soon it was just myself and James Lock at the front; exiting the water together at around 8:40 pace for the 750m swim. A decent transition meant we also exited onto the run together, a scenic route around the lake which totalled to just above 5km in total.

I stayed on the leaders shoulder up to around 1.5k where he began to push up the pace, and I was soon dropped but was able to keep him in my sights in case he began to tire. Soon I was also passed by eventual overall winner Andy Tarry and as I started the second lap was joined by fellow training partner Nick Beer, who I knew was a strong runner and so I kept with him until he began his early kick for home. Eventually I finished fourth overall, with a run time around 18.50 and comfortably won my age group from Billy Parker- Brown, (another Loughborough team mate).

Next Race- Hopefully will be racing in the elite race at Blenhiem; however I'm having some problems with entering at the moment so my next race may well be in Holten, Holland for one of the Junior European Cup races.

A high quality mens field assembled for the first Corus event of the season- a sprint race in Reading led by the likes of Tim Don, Kris Gemmell and Richard Stannard. It was a tricky 750m swim with plenty of turns, a flat but challenging 20km bike course, (with two dead turns at either end) and a flat 3 lap 5km run- a perfect oppurtunity for myself to show how much ive improved over the last year.

The swim as always was hectic and after the first turn-around I saw that Richard Stannard and James Adams, (another final year junior) had established a healthy lead over the chasing pack, which would eventually be whittled down to 7 or 8 athletes. I kept calm and concentrated; knowing the quality of the athletes in my group would work hard together to catch the pair. The two held the lead out onto the bike and I exited transistion about 20 seconds back ; working hard in the first lap to establish myself within the lead chase group. Soon their were 9 riders, (including myself) that had formed together;  with the likes of  Tim Don and Gemmell  and athletes that I train with up in Loughborough so I knew I was doing well; . I kept calm; and a time check on each lap meant we knew that we were catching the lead riders and when the group joined together I was comfortable within the group; which, despite attempts from some athletes to break-away, entered T2 together. With the high quality of athletes around me I knew I would be quickly left behind on the run; but in comparision to my other races this year I feel I rang strongly with a 17:46 to finish the race in 11th.

Although there is still room for improvment to go, this is by far one of the best results I have achieved in my triathlon career. I feel I held my own in the first two disciplines against a quality field and the run shows that with improvment I may soon be well established as a quality athlete within Britain; and keep an eye out for me on the television when C4 show highlights from the race on the 1st of June.

Next Race- National Aquathlon Championships (Milton Keynes) in two weeks time.

The season really is now in full swing! After a dissapointing race in the National Duathlon Championships two weeks ago in Bryn Bach I was looking for definite improvement at the BUSA triathlon championships; which where held in Wiltshire. Ive been training strong all winter and was looking for some of that form across the 750m pool swim, 25km bike, (non-drafting) and 5km run.

I knew the competition was going to be tough, not only from fellow Loughborough athletes but from also from some of the GB under 23 guys and some strong cyclists. The pool swim was tough and wavy to say the least but I knew that my swim would be strongest discipline and set the fastest swim of the day, (which was a target I had set before hand.) I was in the final heat of the day and had set off 20 seconds behind Dann Brook; I made up approximatley 10 seconds and had him in my sights throughout transition and in the early stages of the bike. As some of the stronger cyclists came pass I knew that I had to be wary not to draft and so, instead of pushing that little bit harder to catch the wheel settled into my own strong rhythm and kept it going for the rest of the bike. The run this season hasnt gone as well as I am hoping, and although I ran far better than I did in Wales was still a dissapointing time, but something at least to work at. In the end I knew that the run had cost me a few valuable minutes and finished 11th overall; something I was pleased with but knew that prehaps a more aggresive run may have pushed me a good few places, something that I will have to rectify for my next race at the Corus Series in Reading.

Finally I would like to congratulate the whole of the Loughborough team on what was a resounding victory for the University. Im now looking forward to racing in Reading in what should be a fast and entertaining race.