Catch up with James' second triathlon England blog as he talks bike fitting and the off season struggle to chase those cycling miles in the winter...
It's been good to finally get outside and even throw in the odd spring event recently. It’s been difficult to chase those cycling miles over the winter, so I’ve taken the opportunity to mix up the riding and also get the all important bike fit done before the race season rolls around.
I've had the mountain bike out quite a lot over winter and used this as a good alternative to the turbo trainer. The Mountain bike works you hard and has transferable skills for bike handling and is much more accessible in all weathers. Now it's a bit more bearable to get out on the road bike and clock up some miles in the Peak District hills, it means I’ve not had to sacrifice too many weekends to the indoor turbo sessions. It's great having North Wales and The Peak District on the relative doorstep of South Manchester.
The time spent not racing was a good chance to get the TT bike dialed in and set up for the season ahead. I had a great bike fit session recently, tweaking my position to get the best possible fit. With my main races being the British Middle Distance Championship at Bala and the European Long Distance Championship in Weymouth, we reached a set up that isn't too aggressive and means I can comfortably stay on the aero bars for long periods. It’s a thorough process and an important one to get right.
Getting the bike fit done before the season kicks in means I have plenty of time to get used to it and familiar with the set up, as each Mountain bike, road bike and TT bike are all slightly different. I won't have to touch this again now so everything is on point and ready to go racing.
My road bike is an old Specialized Allez Sport that I don't mind running into the ground and is heavy. Once I switch to the TT bike (Cannondale Slice) it feels so slick and light and easy to go quick on. The training effect of the old tank-like Spesh is actually a great benefit when I swing a leg over the Slice. I don't think I'd be allowed another bike even if I did want to upgrade, as when she reads this, I'll have to admit that I never did actually sell the mountain bike!
I've had a good running focus recently, with the Greater Manchester Marathon approaching in April which I'll use as a potential Iron Distance dress rehearsal. I ran Wilmslow Half Marathon this weekend, which backed up a good block of that run training and leads nicely into the marathon. It put a lot of confidence back in my running and proved I was over a few of those wintery niggles that plague the off season.
So now the bike is fully fitted and waiting in the livery, my running legs seem to have finally arrived and my swimming is ticking along nicely - I'm excited to get out and start actually racing!
James' next blog post will be on Wednesday 29 April. Read his previous blog here.
