54

Mooloolaba World Cup

Its been a good couple of years from my last World Cup podium and Mooloolaba was the last place I thought it would be. I have been coming to Mooloolaba for the last eight years and have never had a great race but my luck has finally changed with a second place finish to Brad Kardifielt.

I changed scenery this year and stayed in the Hyatt Coolumn which was the most relaxing place I have ever been too in my whole life. Patrick Hardy how is a friend and Manager of the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove invited myself, Michelle, Bex and Jodie to stay with him and his lovely girlfriend Dee in Coolum. We had such a great time that I almost forgot I was racing. This has taught me a lot about myself and being relaxed is the number one thing to a great performance.

On race day I got down to the start around 1hr 30 min before. It was a sea swim and there was little surf. The gun went at 3pm. I’m so bad at wading and dolphin diving and this really showed as I was one of the last to the first buoy. Once I was around the first buoy it was time to start swimming. I made my way through the field and caught up to the leaders. After 800m I was close to the front and new it was time to relax and wait for the start of the bike.

Coming into the swim exit I missed the first wave and found myself off the lead group. Once onto the beach I had to sprint on the sand and bike my way to the lead pack. There were a couple of guys off the front but we had caught them by the end of the first lap. As soon as we caught them there was an attack and two of guys went up the road one of them being James Sear.

Onto the run James Sear had a 1min 30 sec lead. I got into transition first and ran out close too the front. Brad Kardifielt and Courtney Atkinson took the lead chasing James. For the first two laps of the run I was struggling but I found my legs on the third lap and attacked up the hill. Brad K was the only one that stayed with me and on the forth lap when we caught James Brad attacked and left me so I had to settle for second and james Sears was third.

It was a great day for me and the curse of Mooloolaba is finally over. I would like to say thank-you to Patrick Hardy and his girlfriend Dee for such a great weekend at the Hyatt in Coolum. My next race is in Sydney in two weeks time and then looking forward to my trip to Florida before I head back home to the UK for the summers race season

53

Head Down & Training Hard

Haven’t had much to say over the last couple of weeks. Just been putting my head down and training hard.
I raced my first running race of the season at the weekend. It was the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre 5k. I won the race in a time of 15.04 which was a 5 sec PB on last years time. I was pleased with this time as it was very windy and I ran the whole way on my own and a PB is always nice. This winter I have been doing more swimming so my upper body is a little bigger which I feel when I run but the good thing is I’m doing PB’s so it can only better my overall triathlon race.

I’v have started to wind training down for my first race of the season the Mooloolaba triathlon. I am going into each race this season with a more relaxed approach. In the past I was always worried about how outside influence would react to a bad performance for example Federations. Now I am back racing for myself so It will be interesting to see if this works for me. Some people work well off pressure but most people struggle and i think I am one of them.

I went for a swim the other day in the sea to help me prepare for the swim at the Mooloolaba triathlon. It was just like spending 30 minutes in a washing machine. I lost my hat and goggles as did Jodie and Bex. We are all strong swimmers but we were no match against the monster swell. After our swim we had a chat with the life guards and they told us what we were doing wrong . I will certainly take there information and use it at the weekend.

Michelle (coach) did her first bike race of the year on Sunday the DCRR Dutton open and was an incredible 3rd which was a shock to her and to all the other girls she was racing. So I would just like to say well done to her and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do in the UK road race season on the bike.

52

Dedication Is Paying Off

Nothing much has happened this week just training hard, sleeping and eating. I have seen some improvements on the track and in the pool so the dedication is paying off.

This year we have been doing more swimming. Last year I was missing the lead pack in some of the races so this year I’m hoping that wont be the case. Its been raining here for the last couple of days but it hasn’t stopped our group from going out on the road and getting the miles in.

I don’t mind the rain because its still warm 22C but I hate cleaning my Focus Cayo Lightweight when I get back. If you want to keep the baby running smoothly then the grease monkey work has to be done. I have plans to run the Runaway Bay Sports Super centre 5k in two weeks, I ran it last year so it will be interesting to see how things compare to last time

I told a friend of mine how we had two glass bottles thrown at us when out riding the other day. He said he would rather dodge glass bottle’s than train in the UK at the moment. I’m sorry to hear about how tough the winter has been this year, Keep your head down and train hard then the good things will happen this summer.

Stu.

51

You Can’t Flog A Dead Horse

It has been a very up and down week. Mid week after a couple of hard days my glands starting swelling so I took a day off and just did aerobic training for a couple of days. I went to see a doctor and with a very bad examination he put me on antibiotics. By the end of the week I was fully recovered in-time for crit ( bike race ). I felt great and was the strongest rider in A Grade.

I had an average power of 315-watts for 1-hr this included a dead turn on each lap and lots of change in pace so I was very pleased. My biggest surprise was Michelle keeping up the whole way. She has plans to do some bike racing this year.

I ran off the bike and found I was flying and set new PB’s. It just goes to show that rest after a good stint of training is the way forward and I will continue to do this in the future. Michelle would always say to me you can’t flog a dead horse so have rest when you need it.

The Gold Coast is a great place to train but for some reason the drivers have a problem with cyclists. I have travelled all over the world and this is the worst place for aggressive drivers. Some of the best cyclist and triathlete in the world train here so I don’t under stand why they have a problem with us.

Just recently I was doing an easy spin and a driver decided to throw two glass bottle at me they smashed and sprayed my legs. He narrowly missed me and I dread to imagine what could have happened if I was hit. I will continue to come back here but I will make sure from now onwards that I don’t ride from 4 p.m. onwards.

51

Playing Catch Up

I would just like to say congratulations to Wiggle for winning mail order company of the year. I have had many bike sponsors over the years and Wiggle have by far been the best. The most impressive thing for me is I can be anywhere in the World and they can send equipment out to me within a couple of days. They totally deserve their win and will continue to win because they are so committed to providing the best products and service to athletes all over the world. Even the Ozzie’s down at the local criterium that I race at on Saturday morning talk about how good Wiggle is.

I would also like to congratulate Michelle Dillon my coach and fiancee for winning 220 magazine coach of the year. Michelle works very hard to get the most out of all her athletes and has a real passion for coaching and its great to see she has had recognition for this. So thank you for everyone that voted.

I’ve just had a great week of training and the weather here has been fantastic. This week we were joined by Mark Statham who is an age group athlete hoping to go to the World Champs for his age sometime in the near further. I was very impressed with his commitment to all the training sessions. I have huge respect for age group athletes as you go to work and juggle family life around your training. You guys are special and could be great at anything you put your minds too.

Its very hard to stay hydrated all the time here on the Gold Coast but if you don’t you can really pay the price as I found when I failed to keep hydrated on my rest day. I have a rest day once a week and decided to go to the cinema and have a look around the shops but forgot to take a water bottle with me. I just sat at the coffee shops I just enjoyed the day and lived on caffeine which we all know it can make you even more dehydrated. So when i got home in the evening it was time to try and play catch up on the hydration but its was too late and the following day I struggled to stay with the pace at crit ( bike race) and the run off the bike was a night mare. The only reason for this was dehydration. I was fully rested and did not feel tired just thirsty on the warm up. So even if you have a rest day make sure you keep sipping on the electrolyte drinks with water and stay off the coffee.

50

Three Weeks In

So Im three weeks into training here in Australia and things have really changed in a short space of time. I’v lost body fat and gained muscle through training hard and eating healthy and feel so much stronger. I have changed a couple of things this time. I have hit the track a little earlier and kept off the running machines. The running machines I use in the gym out here have a top speed of 20 kph so I was always limited to how fast I could run.

I have also found out that my running times on the road are so much slower than on the treadmill, I should have learnt this by now but you learn something new every year. I will still use the treadmill during the winter but only at the beginning just to prevent injury and get me back into running fast.

So now its all about running reps on the road with the heat, wind and rain which has taken me to a new level. So far its been myself and Jodie Stimpston training together, Jodie really has the eye of the tiger and will be a major contender for a position on the Olympic team in 2012. Its been a long time since Iv seen someone not complain and be like a dog at the door for the next session lol.

We have had some new additions to the Team Dillon athletes training camp which is nice. Training as a team means we can all push each other and shout out words of encouragement during those intense session. I have just planned my first three races of the season which will be Mooloolabah & Sydney World Cup. Then on my way home to the UK I am stopping over in Florida for the St Antonys triathlon.

49

Back In The Sun

So I have 3 months in OZ which is a little shorter than previous years but loving every second out here. Last year I feel I spent too much time in the sun and slightly over trained. I found my first week here very hard because of the time change and the massive increase in the temperature but I will never complain as I know how bad the weather has been back in the UK.

My first big session was the bike criterium to run which I quite surprised about. I actually felt pretty good on the bike considering I was only sitting on the turbo back in the UK. This goes to show what a great tool the turbo actually is & how fitness how much fitness you can actually maintain.

The run was an other story as I was really struggling here to hold a good pace after the bike session. It was pure pain at 20 kph & when I finished my legs gave way and Michelle (coach) just looked over and laughed then said welcome back. :-)

A big thing for me this year is getting my nutrition right during the big sets so lots of gels, electro drink and plenty of protein after all sessions. I have even started running with a fuel belt for my long runs and I have found it makes such a difference to my performance towards the end of the run.

There is rain forecast over the next couple of days but it will still be in the high 20s. When the rain comes all the big groups of cyclist disappear around here. They have no idea how tough you guys are in the UK.

Train hard win easy.

48

Getting Ready For A New Season

After my break it only took a couple of weeks to get back some good fitness again and to be honest I love the feeling of training for the new season.

I went to the Wiggle Christmas party which was great fun I got to meet some of the Wiggle athletes and also the people that provide such a fantastic online service.

After two weeks of training I decided to do the Cambridge 10k on New Years eve. One of my training partners in the UK Will Clark wanted me to race so I could see where he comes from and the Miles he did as a kid. I ran a 32.08 and I placed 4th and Clarkey ran a 30.05 which won him the race. I went out with him for 2k only to fine the mind was willing but the body wasn’t.

The past few weeks with the snow have been tough and have been really getting to me. Just like every one else I have been on the turbo since Christmas and luckily I am off to OZ so I can get back outside again. I feel for all you guys and girls that can’t get away to somewhere warm to train however what I did realise was the turbo is way harder than riding outside because of the constant pedaling. The only problem is the boredom, so I found some useful Wiggle cycling DVD’s which helped with my motivation and to keep me on the turbo longer. You might want to check them out at www.wiggle.co.uk.

But one thing I did find was a positive is that running in the snow is great as your legs don’t get as sore and it good resistance work. Happy training everyone and will be back soon to give you another update.

Stu

End of Season Lowdown with Team Wiggle

Our Team Wiggle athletes have had a cracking year, standing atop rostrums the world over in road racing, mountain biking and triathlon. Before they put their feet up for the festive break, we caught up with them all as they reflect on 2009 and look ahead to 2010. Here is top GB elite triathlete Stuart Hayes lowdown on 2009…

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Team Wiggle 2009 Team Highlights

Q. Looking back on your 2009 season, are you pleased with how it went?

A. My season had its ups and downs. I had the best winter ever, but it all went wrong-mid season when I got a virus after having a wisdom tooth pulled out and then raced two days later. I had 10 days off before re-focusing and things came good for me again.

Q. What was the highlight of your year?

A. I won some great races such as Windsor, Blenheim and the Malibu Triathlon, but the highlight for me was pushing Javier Gomez [2008 World Champion, 2009 World Silver Medalist] at the LA triathlon. He only got me right at the end of the run and at one point I thought I was going to beat him. He is one of the best athletes in the world and you know things are on the right track when he has to dig really deep to drop you.

Q. What was the funniest moment?

A. Swimming through a forest at the Washington ITU World Cup race. The day before the race there was a massive storm and all the trees from up the river had fallen into the water and drifted downstream and ended up on the swim course. It wasn’t funny at the time (mid-race!) when I was swimming sideways to avoid the carnage, but it’s funny when I look back on it now.

Q. What was the most important lesson you learnt?

A. Don’t over race or over train. If you want to be the best at Olympic distance, you need to stick to it and don’t try to mix Half Ironman training with it. That’s what I did and it just didn’t work for me.

Q. What are your plans for winter training? How’s it going so far?

A. I’ve just started training again after a three-week break so I’ve just been doing easy training. I’m in the UK until January 13 and then I’m going to Australia for a Team Dillon training camp. I’m there for three months and then come home via the US to do St Antony’s Triathlon [in Florida] and the Knoxville Triathlon [in Tennessee].

Q. What does 2010 have in store for you? What are your major races going to be?

A. My major target for next year will be the British Grand Prix series. I would also love to try to win the London Triathlon again. It’s my favorite race of the year because my friends and family come down to support me.

46

The Worlds 70.3

The Worlds 70.3 was a complete disaster. I had a great swim and was in the lead group and then at 40 miles on the bike my legs dropped off! I was so involved in the race that I forgot to take on enough fluids and gels, this is why I think I blew up.

Next year I will have another go but I will choose to qualify at the end of the season so I can spend more time preparing for this type of racing.

I’m on a break now and enjoying every minute of it, loads of junk food and beer at the weekend with a little disco dancing involved too. All the things I have missed out on during the summer season.

I’m back living at home in Loughborough and enjoying every minute of it, just pottering around the house and catching up with some friends.

Things are going to be different when I start training again as I’m not allowed to train with the high performance squad anymore in Loughborough there are others in the same boat they include Jodie swallow and Jodie Stimpson. I still have the hunger to train on my own so this will not be a problem. Jodie Simpson will be coming down for some bike to run sessions and the eye of the tiger will be played during every session. I hope everybody’s training is going well? I’ll be back once I have something interesting to report.

Stu.