| Apologies if
the site's a bit slow to load but there's loads of big
pics. Hang in there!
"Britain’s best duathlete, marginally more machine than
man."
(Sunday Times, Dec 6th
2009)
Latest
News: Updated:
26 / 6 /
10
26th June 2010 Off
Road Update
Although it's been quiet due to a distinct lack of
off road duathlons my preparations and training races
have been going well and I'm starting to feel the
multiterrain form that should at least see me enjoying
the course at the Afan race next month. I thought I'd
put an update here with a couple of pics of my lovely
new steed that my sponsors Bike and Run
www.bikeandrun.com
got for me this year. they've been a Cannondale main
dealer for a long time and the Flash 4 is the lightest
and stiffest carbon frameset in the world. It's
certainly made a big difference for me having been using
my trusty old GT Zaskar previously. there's also a pic
in there of me on the Zaskar for the last time while the
'Dale was being built up and Bike and Run in North
Finchley. It was a few weeks ago at the Beastway MTB
race at Hog Hill.
yes- it's tasty, I know..... Now to do it
justice. It.......Her......Him........ It's red
and blue. I can't decide!
14th May 2010
My 2010 Race Programme:
Target:
Cross Duathlon Domination. (very cross......)
May: Gower Monster XC 10k./
Beastway MTB XC / Wheathapstead 10k XC / Herts Mid week
RR league
June: Hawridge
International duathlon / Herts mid week RR league /
Beastway MTB XC Herts mid week RR league
July: Sounthern
MTB XC series / Hillingdon draft legal du / Herts Mid
week RR league / Beastway MTB XC Milton Keynes
Trail Half Marathon
August: Cymar
Afan offroad Tri (with a swimmer as relay) / National
tri Team Relays / Southern MTB XC Beastway MTB XC
September:
Either: First Monster Iron Monster 40k/80k
Duathlon, Loch Ness or / Moreton Worrel Cross Duathlon
Hillingdon draft Legal Duathlon / XTD cross Duathlon.
October: Abbots
wood Cross Duathlon / Mud and Mayhem cross Duathlon /
Chelmsford Cross Duathlon. / (possibly racing in
Australia – Duathlon at end of October)
November:
Ballbuster Duathlon / Cirencester cross Duathlon /
Wildman Cross Duathlon
December:
Mudman Cross Duathlon / Rempstone Roast Cross Duathlon
January: Iceman cross
Duathlon
February: Tuffman
cross Duathlon.
20th February 2010
Coxy's 2010 UK DUATHLON SEASON
PREVIEW:
Click here to read my UK Duathlon
season preview with all the best races and my tips for
the 'inside line'....
12 December. Thanks for your votes!
In my recovery from injury I was really pleased to
see that I have been shortlisted to the final 5 for 220
Triathlon magazine's 'Duathlete of the Year' Award along
with some illustrious competition in the shape of Paul
Amey, Ali Brownlee, Lee Peircy and Adam Bowden.
If you get a mo, you can vote here for all your
favourite tri/du things here: or click on the awards
logo above...
http://www.220triathlon.com/webform/220-triathlon-awards-2010-stage-2
18th November. SNAP goes the Ankle!
There I was, leading an XC running session in
Aldenham Woods in Hertfordshire with my 17-18 year old
XC runners and showing them the way (don't laugh!) when
after only about 5 minutes of an interval I stepped on a
tree root and the tree root bit back. My ankle
went straight over and there was a not entirely pleasant
but none the less crisp, cracking sound.
It now turns out that this was my lovely ligaments
saying goodbye to my ankle. I had to be carried
like a baby from the wood by a colleague. I didn't cry.
Don't believe what you've heard. I didn't cry.
Man! It hurt.
Anyway, I've been in plaster since then and now have
an inflatable splint around my ankle. It's getting
better slowly and I'm (as I always say to my clients)
ticking the right boxes to recovery. Massive love
and thanks go to Leda who is just about well enough to
look after me whilst she is still recovering from Spinal
surgery (it's not an entirely mobile place, the Cox
household at present!) Here's my current training
position:
18th October: Chelmsford Off Road Duathlon,
Essex. 1st Place and course record.
Well. That was my last race of the year and another
really enjoyable off road event. I really am loving them
at the moment. The course in Hylands Park, the venue for
the annual 'V festival' was a really good testing one
with a mix of twisty-windy singletrack and some wide
open plains. As last week the race was split up into
waves and although this makes it hard to have an overall
picture of the acurate palcings it does make you go
harder due, if nothing else to the uncertainty. I was
feeling great on both the runs and the bikes actually.
Knowing I had my last race coming up I made my key
midweek running session a long series of 80m sprint reps
on the track and as always it did the trick. It's a
great way of building dynamic and explosive muscle
memory feel which transfers well into a close event.
It's a great 'sharpener' for this time of year. I loved
the bike leg today and if I'm honest I was pleased to
find myself locked up and sliding into at least 3 of the
corners in the wooded section. As I told one of the 17
year olds that I took out for a coached MTB
session in the week: "you don't know your limits until
you go beyond them" and they certainly did that (no one
died!)
13th October : Friston Forest Off Road Duathlon.
Near Eastbourne, Sussex. 1st place
and course record
This was a race I had entered last year but had been
unable to do due to having a cold so I entered this gp
triathlon promotion well in advance and I'm glad I did.
The course was awesome. I can remember going to the
Friston Forest when I was young and my Nan was living in
Eastbourne and it certainly hasn't changed. Both the
runs and bike were on a mix of wide gravelly fire roads
and narrow rutted forest trails and it was hilly which
was great. The bike leg pretty much started with a 3k
climb straight off which suited me perfectly. Tactically
it was a strange race as I'd figured out before hand
that my main competition for the win would come in the
shape of young Henry Jarvis of Bodyworks XTC who had
come 2nd to Jonny Brownlee in the national Duathlon
champs earlier in the year. The problem was that he was
starting in the later wave and so although I worked my
way ahead of my wave by the end of the run I had no idea
how he was doing. Maybe in hindsight that's a good
thing though because even when out front by yourself it
makes you push harder not knowing where you are in the
race.
I have to say- I'm REALLY enjoying my late
season focus on the offroad scene. It's just so much
more fun than road duathlon. A few days later now, I
went for a hard 90 min ride around the woods near me in
Nomansland near Wheathampstead and I was just smiling
the whole time! It's so much fun ducking in and out of
the trees, jumping logs and ditches and generally
pushing the limits of my tyre grip. It reminded me why I
started all of this at the age of 13 when I first got on
a decent MTB and started carving up my neighbour
Tilman's garden in endless circles, I love it! Who needs
tri-bars and tarmac when you've got 2 inches of travel
and dusty trails. Oh, and dog shit. Yes, that's
right- I stopped on the dusty trail this morning to push
the only bit of mud off the underside of my downtube to
find it wasn't mud.
IT WAS WARM!!!!!!!!!!!
Next stop, the Chelmsford Off road du which is my
last Du of 2009!
   
26th September XTD Extreme Terrain Duathlon.
Camberley, Surrey. 10k xc/ 24k mtb/ 5k xc. 3rd
What a great race! In 7 years I am unbeaten in
off road Duathlons but I knew today I would be up against
it with the Xterra Elite specialists Paul Davies and Jim
McConnel in the race with me. Tony, ace mechanic at my
sponsors Bike and Run in Finchley had fitted a plush
replacement pair of Marzochi forks to my (very) old
faithful GT Zaskar mountain bike and so I was a bit more
comfortable about all the bumpy stuff because my last
forks, which I have to say died 4 years ago somewhere
over Eastern Europe as I flew with it to a MTB race in
Pakistan were utterly useless. Thanks Tony!
The first run which was a technical, sandy and lumpy
affair was actually great fun. Scott Cousins was racing
again and was as impressive as last week on the first
run. Heading towards T1 Jim McConnel had taken the lead
and although we were fairly close we didn't see Jim
again! That was it! Exiting T1 on the
mountain bike he showed his true class on the technical
off road course. I moved up into second having
caught and passed Scott and stayed there until Paul
Davies caught me and passed me with a move that
seriously showed up my distinctly weaker off road
prowess. The final run was a formality and by then the
sun had come out and the lakeside setting was just
blissful. After a warm down and my usual Maximuscle
Recovermax drink I sat on a rickety old fishing pontoon
looking out across the glass still lake dreaming
of........well, fishing actually...... but being devoid
of rod and possibly fish as well I took the time to say
a few Prayers of thanks for Leda's slow but continual
recovery, wiped the dust off my old Zaskar and headed
home. A great race and I was beaten fair and
square by two great blokes as well. I swear I felt some
form coming from somewhere in there too so lets see if I
can add add a 1st to the 2nd and 3rd I've had the last
two weeks in the coming race this weekend up in
Yorkshire.
20th September . 2nd, Ipswich
Duathlon.
Well, I'm chuffed to say I AM still alive and that maybe
because I didn't get to do the Derby triathlon in the
end. As many of you will know by now, me wife,
Leda went in to hospital 2 days before it for major
spinal surgery and so of course it was out of the
window. She will be in hospital for some time now as she
starts the road to recovery right from the basics of
learning to walk again. She's an extremely tough cookie
and is massively positive. I've decided to attempt to
finish my season and carry on racing for a few weeks if
possible but of course, looking after Leda has to be my
priority. I managed to get back to it at the Ipswich
Duathlon, a race I have never done before even though it
has been running for years. The 5k/23k/5k
course was surprisingly lumpy for what I thought was a
flat area! The first run was taken out hard and my
tiredness was evident as I couldn't quite stay with the
leading 3. I always had them in sights though and it was
young Scott Cousins who was setting the pace at the
front. I'd rarely raced Scott before and as it turns out
he's a strong biker as well. I worked my way through and
caught Scott by the end of the bike leg and we came into
T2 together. Scott went hard as we started the final 5k
run and opened a gap which was 30 seconds by the time we
finished. It was a good win for a really strong up and
coming Duathlete and a nice morning out before getting
back to Leda in hospital.
7th September 2009 1st,
Hillingdon Sprint Duathlon. west London.
Having punctured in the national time trial champs
yesterday Monday's final final non drafting Summer
Duathlon was my chance to get a bit aggressive and make
up for recent mishaps. As it turns out I set what
appears to be an unofficial course record for the
1mile/10mile/1mile distance. I felt good actually and
it's made me feel back on track. This coming
weekend, on the 13th I'm competing in the Derby
TRIathlon. Yes- I said TRIathlon! I have to do one
TRI on the calendar this year in order to qualify for
the national Duathlon league. I was originally under the
blissful illusion that all I had to do was finish
it but as of today I now know that my points from the
tri are added to my du points for the overall. ARGHHHHH!!!!
So. I'm off swimming this evening in the hope that I
can....well.....swim? Watch this space.
And if there are no more entries in a week or so then
can someone please inform my wife and family.
3rd september 2009. Wondering
where to race this Autumn and looking for the inside
line on some of the best UK Duathlons? If so, have
a read of my article on duathlon247.com just
click here:
http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5606_UK+Autumn+duathlon+season+preview.html
1st september 2009 Powerman
Austria and UK racing update.
1st Place Bedford Multisport MTB Duathlon
It was a strange Powerman Austria with a strong run
and start to the bike and then I was sick on the bike
and.....well.... it's probably best to read my column on
www.duathlon247.com
where I give a full account of what happened after that!
It should be live on the site there very shortly.
I returned to the UK determined to make amends for the
hardest Duathlon I've ever done by doing (although I
didn't know it would be quite like this) the easiest
Duathlon I've ever won. It was like two different sports
really - from the crowds and television cameras and
helicopters of PM Austria to the 8 competitors (yes- I
said 8) and I at the Duathlon at Box End Park in
Bedfordshire on Saturday. Actually - I didn't
really care. I had a great time. I love racing off road
and made sure I pushed it really hard especially on the
MTB course. I loved the slopes and tight turns; it took
me back to me cyclo-cross days as a teenager. Except
there was no mud and I could feel my hands. I
thought I'd post a couple of pics from PM Austria here
instead of spill the beans on how it went. have a look
at my 2009 gallery above. Coming up I've got lots
of exciting UK races including Helwith Bridge, Ipswich,
Friston Forest and Sandy Balls. It's going to be fun.
I hope to see lots of you there (like, more than 8!)
9th
August 2009 - Powerman Vlaanderen, Geel, Belgium.
10k/60k/10k. 32nd. (pictures are
from the actual race)
It's now Tuesday, two days after Powerman Vlaanderen
(Flanders in Flemish) in Geel and predictably, as always
with Powerman my legs are killing me and I'm walking
downstairs 'crab style'! It's funny because it's not
hideously long but the long final run and I suppose the
world class field make it so much harder tahn anything
else.
Anyway- I'm not exactly over the moon with the result.
It became it bit of a survival act once I started the
final run. I went into the race seeded 19th by the
international powerman association so my goal was to at
least live up to my seeding and finish top 20. To be
honest I never felt great and I came off the bike in
25th but i was in a group and due to cramping I finished
last of that group (except for a couple of guys who
dropped out with even worse cramp.) I still came out of
the race as best Brit but I have to say that as such i
kind of feel like I let the guys down as the womens race
saw a British 1-2 with an awsome performance by Emma
Dews whio in doing so enters a very Elite group of
Powerman winners and then Michelle Parsons who I was so
pleased to see finishing in 2nd after such a long
comeback from injury. the two of them were awesome so my
32nd, as best male brit in comparison to that is....
well...... crap. The times looked shocking when i saw
them as well, seeing that I'd done 36 minutes for the
opening 10k but then when i saw that Joerie and the
others in the front group had done 33's it made sense.
He would usually put 3 minutes into me such is the
amazing class of his running so the course was certainly
long. I'd say it equates to a 30 something for him and
therefore a 33 something for me which is at least some
comfort. it would have been the hardest 36 min 10k i'd
ever run in my life otherwise! I have to say
though - when ever I race in a world cup, particularly
in Belgium the standard is SO high. anywhere inside that
top 30 the standard is so fast that you can be chewing
the bars with effort and yet still making no inroads at
all.
I've got to say a big thank you to the Gillis family in
Lembeke who I stayed with before and after the race.
Freddie and Karin are awesome and they understand
athletes which is so important. An then there's Capilla
and Schluba who are..... well, just mad!
While I'm saying thank you's I must also say a massive
thanks to Dan McCarthy's brother who handed me up the
most beautiful water i jhave ever tasted in all my life
and without which I would have died oh and also to teh
random family outside their house on the outskirts of
the Geel bike course who I shouted "WATER!!!!!" at in a
demented way and who nest lap duely obiged. I love you
all. Now check out the pictures here. In the one
above this report I look in control in the bike (even
though I wasn't!) and then below I am lapping a few of
the back markers on the run and looking.......
well........ the picture speaks for itself. Try a
Powerman! You'll love (finishing) it!!
Saturday 18th July The FRF Mazda Gower
Duathlon, Wales . 5 / 20/ 3 miles. 2nd place. (1st
Dan McCarthy, 3rd Lee Rankin)
The Innaugural FRF Mazda Gower duathlon was met with
perfect weather to top off the quite spectacular scenery
surrounding this breath taking venue. The route to the
village of Rhosilli gave a hint of the views and
landscape that you would be racing amongst and as there
is only one road that winds it’s way out to the tip of
the peninsula you knew on arrival exactly which way the
bike course would come out and back before winding its
way round the hillsides.
Being fairly long in the Duathlon tooth I’m
always keen to try out a new event and I’m pleased to
report that this Duathlon had all the makings of an
absolute classic. All too often now the older ‘classic’
duathlon courses in the UK are being replaced with
‘safer’ options such as closed road circuits and motor
racing circuits. The Gower Duathlon is quite different
and without ever feeling unsafe you always felt very
much amongst the wilderness. Along the bike course there
were sheep crossing, horses and their foals wandering
around and I even had to slow down for a family of
duckings hurredly scuttling across! OK - I’ll stop
waxing about the venue because I’ll never do it justice.
Suffice to say : It has to be seen.
The Longer Duathlon was the first event to
start and Leading from the off, Dan McCarthy was clearly
running stronger than anyone else as he took a lead.
Within the first few metres Lee Rankin and I looked at
each other and knew we would have to try to catch him on
the bike as he was running far too strongly and so it
was that he lead into T1 having done three loops of a
run which took us along a cliff top path and around the
observation hut at the far end of the cliff face and
back. By this stage Nicky Russell of BAD tri was already
into a lead in the womens race and this was a lead that
she held throughout the race, setting the fastest
splits in all three legs before going on to win in 2:03:32 which gave her a near minute victory
over Claire Weldon in 2nd place. Such was the standard
of these two performances that they also finished 12th
and 16th overall respectively. Once out onto the bike it
has to be said that there weren't many upsets as the
tough bike course reinforced the strength of those who
had come to the fore on the first run. The bike leg
took in 4 main climbs. Normally, when I read in the pre
race bumpf that you just cant help but take in the view
during the race I'm inclined to think "no way- I'll be
racing too hard!!" but in this instance you just
couldn't help yourself. The final run proved just that
as it weaved it's way back along the cliff top going in
a South Westerly direction and revealing the gem of a
view in that direction just as you turn to head back to
the finish.
The prize presentation
was held at the Worms Head cafe with equally stunning
views across the beach. This gave me the opportunity to
take in the equally impressive performances that had
been turned out in the sprint race where Phil Holland
and Lucy Morris had won. It had been a great morning of
Duathlon and as one of the few Mid Summer full distance Duathlons
I'm hoping it heralds a new era for the sport where
organisers continue to provide top quality Duathlons for
the ever increasing number of seasoned Duathletes.
Sunday 12th July Harefield
Duathlon. 1st place.
Today was the final round of the Harefield series and I
took what has to be said was an easy win but along the
way I enjoyed a battle on the bike with some of the
triathletes who were out on the same course.
Saturday 10th July. getting
Busy! I'm just entering the
final phase of my powerman prep ahead of My August
powermans in Geel and Austria. All going well it seems.
I've got the final Hillingdon Harefield Duathlon
tomorrow and then the Gower Duathlon in South Wales next
weekend. I'm really looking forward to that actually. I
love doing a new race that I've not done before.
In the mean time I've added some pre 2004 pics to my
gallery. have a look HERE
also- In other news. I have been asked to be a
columnist on the much anticipated
www.duathlon247.com
which is due to be launched very soon. I've already
written my first column and it should be there when the
site goes live. I must say - I'm massively humbled to be
part of the contributers which include Annie Emmerson
(editor), Tom lowe, Joerie Vansteelent, Cat Morrison and
more.... it's quite some line up and it all adds to what
will make the site the premier home of Duathlon online
worldwide.
Tuesday 9th June Hawridge
International Duathlon. 1st Place
I was so pleased that I took a late entry to this great
event. Last year it was won by a good mate of mine Dan
Corner and he'd filled me in on what a hard course it
was. It really took me back back as much of the course
took in my old training roads across the Chiltern hills.
Without sounding big headed my training has gone really
well of late and so it was a case of executing things
and getting a really hard work out out of it. The run
was a classic rural chilterns affair - You passed a farm
with barking dogs and a gaggle of squawking Geese along
silent evening lanes before running into transition on
the Village Cricket Green in Hawridge and to top it off
the entry fee included the price of fish and chips which
were delivered to the finish area for athletes to devour
as they sat around the transition and finish area.
Now that's how to do it!
Monday 1st June Hillingdon
summer Duathlon series. 1st place
Tonight probably had the best field of the series so far
with Nick Sasha setting a blistering pace on the first
run that I simply couldn't live with. I managed to reel
him in and pass him on the bike but it took longer than
it has before. his biking has certainly come on.
Then I had a bit of a dual with Roger Fowkes on the bike
before breaking clear on the final run to win
comfortably. I really enjoyed it. I'm
enjoying the bike a lot at the moment. Diadora uk have
worked hard to help me find the right shoes to fit me
perfectly and I have never felt more comfortable than in
my Yellow infinity carbons. They're so stiff and yet
still really comfortable. check out the whole
range at Diadora uk who can be found at
www.bob-rock.com
or click on the pic below.
I have to say. It's nice to be winning and I'm really
enjoying my racing at the moment but I am really missing
my wife, Leda. She's been away for ages. She rode in the
10 day Tour de l'aude in the south of france and is now
in Canada where she came 29th in the Montreal world cup
on saturday and then is now racing in the tour of Grand
Montreal. She's doing really well but boy do I miss her.
She's been a continental pro for all 6 years of our
marriage but it never gets any easier when she's away in
the season. here's a pickie of her in action:
Have a look at
www.ledacox.co.uk for more on her amazing career and
where its taken her!
May 24th Harefield Summer Duathlon
series round 1 : 1st Place and 50th career
duathlon win!
Admittedly the field was small and there wasn't any
great strength in depth but It was great to have one of
my own athletes that I coach Carl Ferri up there with me
on the run and running well. It was a lovely day: hot
and sunny and the lake, woods and Harefield itself were
just a joy to behold on a day like that. i was pleased
to se that i set the fastest time I've ever done around
the two lap bike course. I've been tweaking my position
on the bike recently and it's paying off. that's the
probelm with being a bike fitter - I never stop
tweaking! Afterwards I went for another
couple of hours on the bike with Carl and then stood 9n
teh lovely cold lake for 10 mins to cool my legs down
and aid recovery. the funny thing was i was
asked not to walk into the shallows of the lake without
a life jacket on! Health and safety eh! what is the
world coming to? I looked a right plonker standing there
with the water up to my thighs in a life jacket.
Then again - maybe the guy had heard how bad my swimming
is!? hmm...
May5th New pictures added to my
Gallery for 2009.
CLICK HERE....
May 3rd. Hillingdon May Day Duathlons.
2 / 10/ 1 miles. 1st Place.
Well, it's nice to be back winning again. I ran well
on the first run and then rode really well before
running VERY badly on the final run and nearly being
caught. It's just one of those things I think. it was my
third race in 7 days and the tiredness started to creep
in on the final run. It did feel great to be back
winning again. it's been hard having to accept being
below par this spring but the great thing for Duathletes
is that we have two seasons each year really. Come
September I have 8 weeks iof great races in the uk which
I will aim to be at my best for including the final
round of the national series in Cheshire.
Before then however I have my two biggest goals of the
year, Powerman Geel in Belgium and Powerman Austria in
August. Here begins the 3 month build up to them. It's a
nice time now though as I get to do some other races
such as a few road races, some TT's and also the chance
to do some more running races. There's still some du's
in there as well. At least two a month. ROLL ON SUMMER!!
April 29th Hullavington
Airfield Duathlon 5 / 20/ 2.5 k wiltshire.
2nd
On a beautiful sunny evening which, for me seemed to
hail the start of summer I went head to head with Lee
Rankin who had beaten me to the win at the Marlow du
earlier this year. Knowing that my form is now getting
better all the time I decided to try to do to him what
he had done to me at Marlow and put him under pressure
on the first run. It was really windy on the airfield
and we started down wind so I went hard and three of us
got a quick gap. As we turned back into the wind I tried
three hard bursts to try to drop Lee and each time he
clawed his way back on and although he was breathing
hard (we both were) after the third time he cleverly
sensed it was his turn and he attacked. having made
three attempts I then had no answer and that was the
race won there. Once on the bike I went hard to close
him down for a lap but was very nearly sick and so had
to then go into survival mode. Lee was flying anyway and
the best man won in the end, no doubt.
April 25th Oostende Duathlon, Belgian
Series. 5k/ 20k/2.5k. 12th
My second weekend in a row in Belgium and Holland I
am out here to do the oostende Du and also to catch Leda
in a few races that she is riding with the Great Britain
cycling team. Today was a typical day in our lives: up,
feed face with fruit and fibre, drive like a maniac from
gent to oostende leaving leda to be picked up by team gb.
realise I am going to be late and drive faster, arrive
with 20 mins to go not having pre entered, enter, rack
and warm up all in the same movement and arrive on the
line with some of the worlds best duathletes.
Start run along seafront, realise that the wind along
the seafront is so strong that I have to treat the run
as a bike race and form an echelon in the wind, start
the bike and start working my way through to 9th. After
the bike, get beaten by 3 guys in the sprint at the end
of the run, jump in car drive like mad again over the
border to holland to see Leda in the Omloop Van Borsele.
Ride around the race course and realise that the wind is
a lot stronger than I had actually realised, have a
glimpsing conversation with Leda after she finished
19th, leave her to drive to our friends, The
Gillis's in Lemebeke where I am currently writing this
while sipping red wine (recovery properties). It's
a hectic way to spend the weekend but I love it.
Tomorrow - a long run in the woods in the am and then
drive to watch Leda race in Roeslare whist riding around
the course, late ferry home to england, crash out,
sleep.
April 19th : Powerman Holland (european
champs) 21st, Pro Race. 15k/60k/7.5k
I decided to run cionservatively on the first run
considering how badly I've been going of late but
actually felt better and managed to finish quicker than
last year some how. At least I didn't twiost my ankle
this year! I had a pretty smooth race. that was until I
reached a milestone in my Duathlon career: my first
crash in 6 years of duathlon! Well, it wasn't so much a
crash as a sliding wipe out as I came into
transition landing with the bike on top of me and a
pedal in my face! What a plonker. I was soon up though
and made up a couple of places on the final run.
April: The rough Patch comes to an
end.......... the start to this season has been
particularly bad for me. now that legal proceedings are
out of the way I can explain why:
Results wise It's been the worst start to the season
for years with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, DNF and DNS set of
results that tell their own story!! Thankfully things
look set to improve now.
What has happened is that in January my wife, Leda
who is a pro cyclist was suddenly suspended from racing
by the French Cycling Federation (she races for a
French team) who told her that she had a dangerous heart
complaint and that she could die at any moment. The
first month was spent going mad trying to see how we
could prolong her life, the second was spent seeing
various doctors and it was during this time that every
single expert cleared Leda as having nothing wrong with
her heart and then the last month has been spent
fighting the French Federation to overturn their ban on
Leda as she had obviously been misdiagnosed. At the end
of last week it took us to start a legal case against
them for them to admit there was nothing wrong with
her and sign her licence saying that she can now
continue with her career. During this time she missed
many of the monuments of the cycling calendar including
the Tour of Flanders two weeks ago.
The bullying tactics of the FFC have taken a toll on
both of us. The scary thought is that another rider who
perhaps wasn't so wise to the way things are may well
have quit and begun living of beta blockers at they told
Leda to (we've subsequently found that this could easily
have killed her.)
30th March: Hillingdon spring duathlon.
2nd.
I'm starting to sound like a grumpy git and would once
have been happy with a 2nd place but alas no more!
I haven't been able to do this early season Hillingdon
circuit race for a few years now and so was looking
forward to it. I had a good first run coming in in
1st place and then lost one place on the bike where my
poor bike form of late continued. Hillingdon regular
Roger Fowkes caught me and then as we got caught in the
ground we were lapping I managed to partly loose him and
partly just drop back. My lack of drive in the
race and general weakness on the bike at the mo is
annoying but I put it down to stress I suppose.
I've had a lot on my plate recently and haven't
exactly been sleeping well but hey ho! At least I'm well
and out there enjoying it I suppose. I was pleased to
learn on my return that my Avia team mate Dave
Mitchinson had come 3rd in the first round of the ITU
Duathlon world cup in Thailand. Go Dave!
next weekend is the Nationals at Emberton park.
Time to rub the bike form Genie lamp and see if I can
rustle something up. I'm off at 7:45 am.
ahem... excuse me but....
AAAAAAAAARHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
26th March: Marlow
Duathlon : 3rd.
The wheels are turning (slowly) as I start to find my
racing legs! I came to the Marlow Duathlon with the dual
intention of getting back to winning ways and beating my
times from when I won the event in 2007. Well,
even below par I went faster but I was beaten by
Lee Rankin and Andrew Mercer fair and squarely. I
have to say I felt solid throughout but as I have been a
lot recently I was seemingly stuck in third gear.
Lee was awesome. He was really flying and looking in
good form and he took to race lead from the off.
The run and bike sections were picturesque and
challenging as always and the varied terrain on the run
is something I always like. It was nice to see an old
team mate of mine, Fiona Ford winning the womens race
to. The weather turned out perfect again and
it made my training ride afterwards all the better as I
retraced old ground where I used to train when I was
younger up and over Stokenchurch. If you've
never ridden the Chilternc limbs of Stokenchurch,
Bledlow Ridge, Monks and Kopp then you should. I
discovered them all in my late teens when I first rode
the 'tour of the Chilterns' classic road race and boy
are they hard. They're hard in a 'lets build a
road that goes straight over this hill' kind of way as
opposed to the far more sensible continental style of
zig zagging roads up hills. Either way - by the evening
it's safe to say I was pooped!
As for this weekend it's along ride Saturday as part of
my Powerman prep followed by a crazy short sprint
Duathlon at Hillingdon and some more bike miles
afterwards on Sunday. Good luck if you're out and about!
Enjoy!
9th March: Clumber Park
National Duathlon series round 1: 8th Place
In the week since my 1485 win I came down with a
cold. I had gone out and done a hard bike session
straight after the race on Sunday and who knows - maybe
I pushed it to hard? Anyway, by Friday i thought I was
better and so decided to get up at 4am on Saturday and
drive the 3 hrs up to Clumber park in nottinghamshire
and see how I went in the Clumber park Duathlon. I
was 2nd last year having been leading until late on in
the final run and so this year I decided that anything
less than first was a failure. I ran sluggishly
having done nothing all week with the cold, Biked
solidly but slowly with only the 4th fastest bike split
and then ran just as poorly on the final run so as you
can probably tell I was not happy with it but
still.....
The next
day I went out for a long ride with Leda and Darren
Treadaway and we headed over to the Chiltern Hills for
some hard miles. It proceeded to plie down with rain and
we got drenched and VERY cold and so now I'm suffereing
with an even worse cold! boo hooooo. Anyway- there were
some good pics from saturday's race which are here and I
should say a massive well done to Matt Moorhouse who won
and Lee Piercy who was absolutely flying. well
done guys - i could only look on in discomfort. Great
racing. I must now go and attend the cheese factory in
my head.
1st March: 1485 Duathlon,
Market Bosworth : 1st Place
1st
Duathlon and 1st win of the year!
Yesterday's 5/21/5k race up in Leicestershire was great.
The course was great and the weather was perfect. I've
never raced there before and one of my aims this year is
to do as many du's that I haven't done before as
possible. I had some fast company on the first run
which traced it's way around the picturesque lake
(above) and things were a bit too close for comfort
after what I felt was a disappointing 5k from me so I
got out my can opening and set about opening a can of
woop-ass on the bike section. I enjoyed the course and
went on to win and beat Maltese national champion Dermot
Galea's course record. The 1485 tri
club put on a great event in the sun and showed that
sometimes simple events are actually the best.
Next stop Clumber Park and my aim is to get revenge for
missing out on the win having been leading until the
last kilometer on the final run. We'll see. It's
early season yet and form is.....unpredictable.....
could be awesome....could be awful.....
22nd Feb: North Road Hardriders
TT.
I like to use the North Road hardriders TT as an early
season marker to he how my bike form is. The conditions
this Sunday were perfect. Nice and mild and everything
was in place for what I had hoped would be a top 10 ride
but an off day coupled with one of the strongest
hardriders entries I have ever seen mean I finished down
in 19th which I have to say was disappointing. Still, I
can take consolation from the fact that I was the first
multi-sporter but even still I never actually felt on
top of things in the event. It was won by an old mate of
mine, Simon Gaywood who races for the Corley Cycles
team. i had the pleasure of riding alongside Simon in a
composite English team in the Tour de la Manche in the
2002 season at the end of my road racing days and he's a
top bloke so I was pleased to see him win. I'm entered
for the 1485 Duathlon up at Market Bosworth this Sunday
so that's the start of my Duathlon season. Not sure how
it will go. It's always a bit of a guessing game untill
a few races down the line. Here
we go - another year of crazy early starts, pain, sweat,
victories, defeats, fun and memories. Bring it on!
17th Feb: Clocking up the miles
in the Black Mounatains in Wales.
Leda and I are staying in a hotel in an old mining town
called Blackwood about 20 mins drive from Newport. It's
gorgeous and the training is ideal if a little bit too
steep in places. It's great for running but I am on my
TT bike and so I've been climbing crazy steep hills on
my TT bike which should be good practice for the North
Road hardriders TT this coming Sunday!
On the way down here we stopped and stayed a night in
Birdlip in the Cotswolds. It was a hotel that Leda had
booked on the spur of the moment without really having a
clue where it was but as soon as she said 'Birdlip' I
knew EXACTLY where it was! The climb up into Birdlip has
been etched on my mind (and lungs) ever since I rode the
120 mile Tour of the Cotswolds road race as a 19 year
old. The climb is about 2 k long and is viciously steep.
To make things worse it came 5 miles into the 120 mile
race. Needless to say the first 5 over the top were the
first 5 across the line 115 miles later. It was nice to
re-acquaint myself with an old foe and to it on my TT
bike too! Here's a tip. If you're planning to ride it -
Don't.
9th Feb: 220
Triathlon Awards 2009: Thanks again to all those
of you that voted for me. On the day I came 3rd behind
David Vaughan and the current world champion, Paul Amey.
It was great to catch up with loads of buddies from the
world of tri and du and I was lucky enough to be sat
between the future of women's tri and the current Queen
of women's Tri with 13 year old multiple national
champion Sky Draper to my left and Ironman world
champion Chrissy Wellington to my right so I was in good
company!
27th Jan: Announcement:
Cycling Shoe Sponsor: Diadora UK
This season, Bob Rock ltd in Battersea who are the
sole importers of Diadora cycling wear to the UK are
supplying me with some world class and might I say
rather sexy footware. I will be racing in the
Speedracer Carbon R (see below...)which although
not a tri specific shoe is remarkably quick to get into
and is super stiff and light. Much more importantly
though they look COOL. see
www.diadoracycling.co.uk for the full range.
I don't want to get them dirty though......
20th January:
Many Thanks to any of you who voted for me in
the category as 'Best Duathlete' in the recent 220
Magazine awards. I've been told by the magazine
that I'm in the top three and am therefore going to the
awards at Sandown park as part of the TCR show there in
2 weeks.
www.tcrshow.com for more info.
Whilst at the show I'll also be promoting my run
sponsor Avia on their stand so feel free to some over
and chat (so long as you bring good esspresso....!)
I'm also down to do the 10k on Sunday morning. I'm not
expecting anything special. It's more an early training
session. I'm coming with my Avia team mate Dave
Mitchinson. He will win. No pressure Dave...
11th January: loads
of new PHOTOS added from previous years.....
click on
gallery above or click here...
9th January:
Take Aim! I've decided my main goals for
2009. They are:
To aim for top 10 place in: Powermans: Holland
(Euro Championships), Luxembourg, Belgium (Geel)
and Austria. Then top 10 overall in world rankings.
and : Podium in British national Duathlon Champs.
There are a few smaller goals and I could tell you
but then I'd have to kill you!
It looks liek it will all be kicking off properly at the
Clumber Park Duathlon again having done a few smaller
dus in the build up. This year I will be aiming to win
rather than losing the race in the last kilometre as I
did last year!
6th January: I'm
delighted to say that Body Limit Gym in St Albans
have agreed to support me again in 2009 with
free membership. Abs and Danny at Body limit run a gym
that is well equipped enough to cater for the truely
hardcore gym user right through to the complete
beginner. Their advice, facilities and above all price
can't be beaten in St Albans. Thanks
guys. Coming to the gym knocks heaps off my
ego every time I come in as I am officially the puniest
guy there by a long way!
www.bodylimitgym.co.uk
2nd January 2009: Happy New
Year! Here's hoping all your sporting and personal
dreams come true in 2009!
15th December:
I've been shortlisted as a finalist in the 220 Triathlon
awards as 'Duathlete of the year' but of course, I won't
win it unless people vote for me so in a shameless
effort of self promotion - vote for me! The category is
about 5th into 20 categories but it doesn't take long.
Thanks for your support, jez
(just click on the link below to begin voting)
http://www.originpublishing.co.uk/questions.asp
29th November: I'm working
on a UK Duathlon Forum to bring together the Uk Duathlon
community. No wet suits or goggles allowed! Check
it it's fledgling roots here...www.britishduathlon.com
26th November: My New and
up to date Sponsors page! I'm so blessed to be involved
with such a great bunch of companies who support me.
Click on the 'Sponsors' tab above to read all about them
and how I use them to further my cause and theirs. ok...
I'll save you the hassle....Just
click here....
20th November: In 2009 my feet
will be graced by AVIA running shoes.
AVIA are in the middle of a massive
revival in the UK having been one of the foremost
running shoe companies in multisport history. In 2009 I
will be mostly wearing the AVIA Bolt racing flat, The
AVIA Trail and the AVIA Avi-trainer. Here they are:
Nice......
7th November: New sponsors and
shiney new kit to come.... oooooooooooooh.......
I'm pleased to
announce that Fisher Outdoor Lesiure will be supplying
me with some funky new gear in 2009. Fisher, who
import Look, MET and Sram to name just a few of their
top brand are based just around the corner from me in St
Albans and I'm really looking forward to benefiting from
the quality of their latest products including wheels,
helmets and glasses. Check out all the goodies
which they not only import but also sell through their
website at
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk
11th October: Well. Carsington may
well have been the end of my 2008 season! Since then
I've developed a cold and here we are 6 days later and
my head has become a green cheese factory. Not nice! So
I wont be racing tomorrow at the Fast and the Furious
Duathlon in Kent. Instead I've been invited by my
sponsors Bike and Run london to go to the bike show at
Earls Court in London to check out the Bianchi's that
they are displaying there.
Meanwhile yesterday to pass the time I started adding
more pictures to my gallery section. Click gallery above
to see more...
5th October: Carsington Duathlon-
2nd. In honest truth I was well and truely
beaten by a good mate, Joel Jameson of TFN race team who
beat me by nearly 3 minutes overall. It was a
horrible day in Derbyshire with hammering rain and
blustery winds. As always the weather felt different up
on Middleton Top and the decents were lethal. Anyone who
knows the Carsington/Ashbourne course which is probabaly
now the most famous course in British Duathlon will know
that the descents are pretty rough and the surface is
bad. To make it wose this time they were wet and the
worst of them was like a mine field littered with
conkers! It was
great to have one one my best buddies, Mike Jubb pushing
me on on the first run. we came into T1 together and it
was great to be running with him as well as to see him
back in the Duathlon fold after quite a few injuries and
a season build around Ironman. Despite the weather
and Joel wopping me I really enjoyed the race. It's one
of those races thateveryone would love to win. If you
look back at the names that have won on that course over
the years then you would see why. Even the late great
Vansteelant is on there. As for Joel- He beat me
to into 2nd place at my first event of the year and now
again at the end so it somehow seems fitting but even
still, in an entirely sporting manner-"next year you're
meat Jameson. You're going down!".
28th September: My third win in one
week! Today I won the Stanford Hall Duathlon near
Loughborough by leading from start to finish. The
form seems to be coming on nicely. It made me look look
back and see how many duathlon wins I have now and I was
staggered to see that it's 47! The question is, can I
make 50 with the 4 races I have left this year:
Carsington, Fast and the Furious, Friston Forest and
Sandy Balls. It's a big ask but it'll be fun trying!
25th September: Another win! my
second of the week! I won the Silverstone Duathlon on
the Porche test track on wednesday night after a 2 mile
10 mile 2 mile battle with some strong runner bikers. I
was pleased because I have really improved my final leg
this year. All those sessions of running hard off the
bike are starting to pay off! Report coming...
22nd September: A Win! Nice to
be back in the habit yesterday when I won the Maidstone
Duathlon in Kent for the third year running.
Click here to read more.....
16th September: London Duathlon
(Elite race) : Absolute failure. I ran like a muppet
and pulled out on the first run. No good. Just one of
those days. In reality it was probably a bit early after
coming back from my cold to be running so fast. Don't
click here and don't read anything......
15th September: 2 Updates in one
with a round up of all my summer racing and then a sneak
look at my new kit which might just arrive in time for
the end of the 08 season!
Click Here........
31st August 2008: Well! That's quite
some gap since my last installment! Since then I've had
another website which didn't quite work out and I've had
a lot of racing, training and ups and downs.
Click here to read my update.
25th June: Check out my new bike from
Bike and Run (www.bikeandrun.com)
Ouch! She's nice isn't she. Unraced as yet but soon to
be broken in. It's an Orbea (how could you tell!?)
Orca and it's so much lighter and stiffer than any TT
bike I've ridden before. Nice eh?
5th June: Recovering from the Benny
Vansteelant memorial World Duathlon Cup Race in Belgium.
I was 20th in the pro race.
Click here for my report on it and some terrible
pics!....
26th May: Building towards the Duathlon
World cup in Belgium next weekend......
25th May: Welcome to new site!
Those of you who saw the old one will appreciate just
how much better this looks! Anyway- It's taken me all
afternoon to get this far so I'll start adding more as
the week goes by...... (bet you can't wait!)
.............................................................. |
