Jamie Wheeler has pushed himself hard over the last year and is now recuperating and planning the next stage of his challenge.
THE END of July, moving into August was a bit of a whirlwind of racing. Looking back I can see now that I may have taken on a bit too much. But you never really know until you give it a go, right?
In my previous post I wrote about my 70.3 hot on the heels of an Olympic triathlon the previous week. I remember writing that I appeared to be in pretty good shape to be able to take on a half-iron distance race with no notice and actually finish it. Well, yeah…
Initially I was a little surprised my Achilles and knees felt quite as good as they did, but that didn’t quite last. I should have left it there and taken a breather.
The few days following the 70.3 I felt exhausted but pretty good. Yes, my legs hurt, but definitely no more than usual after a race. I had a pretty easy week that week – taking it easy. On the Saturday I thought I’d make use of the amazing weather and get out on the bike for an easy spin. The plan was a gentle hour then home and stretch, but somehow I managed to miss the turn I wanted. Four hours and 100km later I made it home feeling pretty drained. I had enough fluid for the full four hours (I generally take more water than I think I’ll need), but I ran out of food after two-and-a-half hours. It was a pretty tough and brutal experience. I was annoyed at letting myself get in that position in the first place, and although my legs didn’t have the power I was used to, I was quite pleased I could still pedal that distance after the previous two weeks. But I had another race lined up for the next weekend, and I knew deep down that the stupidity of that long ride would mess with my performance in that race. That race was the Swanage Olympic triathlon.
For some time I’d planned that race, and had geared myself towards making that my big race of the year. But that was before the Brighton-based races were even on my radar. So the decent training block and taper that would usually have been on the cards had pretty much vanished in a sea of racing.
The weather stayed firmly in the amazing category on the way down to Dorset, and for the rest of the weekend. Camping in the Dorset sunshine is bliss.
The plan now for the race was to finish. I knew I just didn’t have it in me to be able to perform, especially on the run. That bit would be the decider. I thought that if I pushed hard on the swim, and gave a steady effort on the bike on a course that I knew, then I’d just have to hold on for the run and minimise my losses. This time round I did manage to get a good warm-up in the sea before the starting whistle. The water was pretty warm and as flat as I could’ve hoped for. Perfect conditions for a race.
I charged into the water with the rest of the racers. I tried to catch my breath and settle into it, preparing to put in a surge of power to set my pace, but very quickly it became obvious that I just didn’t have the power at all. It all caught up with me and as I cruised through the clear water I realised I was at the start of what was going to be a long, tough race. I’m just glad the water was so calm!
Jamie recently competed in the Swanage Olympic triathlon.
Exhausted, I hit the beach and jogged up to transition, determined to at least enjoy the stunning views. It wasn’t going to be as good a race as I’d hoped, but every race is only as good as you make it, and despite how I was feeling, I really do love to race.
I did have to laugh though, as I struggled up the mild inclines on the bike, being passed as though I wasn’t even involved in the race at all, that I enjoy putting myself through this kind of pain and stress.
The run route had been changed from the last time I raced there so the night before I went over in the car to get my bearings. Although I knew it would be well marshalled it always pays to become familiar with the course, especially the unfamiliar backstreets and quiet lanes of Swanage.
I’m fairly certain that there wasn’t a single flat section of that run course, and if there was, it was so short and insignificant it got lost. To the cheers of the wonderful spectators I started my embarrassingly slow run. I could feel my Achilles tighten and twinge. All I focussed on then was not doing something that would screw my ankle like tripping up a curb, rolling over, putting too much sudden force on it. It ran through my head like a mantra “keep it smooth”.
I can say with confidence that it was the toughest run I’ve done. For the first time I actually had to walk a section of one of the steep hills, I could feel my heart-rate creeping up and another first for me, on the second lap of the run I briefly but seriously considered quitting. But then why would I have put myself through several hours of pain just to quit? I remembered my challenge, and my 100 per cent DNF record, and I just smiled at the concerned-looking marshal at the top of the hill and kept on going with 5km to go.
I crossed the line to cheers from people who I’ve never met and with a smile on my face. I was done.
After a very packed four weeks I made the decision to take things a bit easy. I needed to give my legs a bit of a break. The lack of training while in race mode didn’t help much, neither did not being 100 per cent to start with. I had one more week back at work before two weeks off. I’d hoped to be able to tackle a full iron distance with the Brighton group at the end of September, but I’ve accepted that my race season is now over. I’ve pushed harder than I’d done before, pushed my own boundaries, and they finally pushed back.
Two weeks after the race I tried a short run as a warm-up, but very quickly it was obvious that it was a bad idea. So for the time being I’m off running, and I’ve cut back on swimming and riding. It’s now my off-season and time to take a little break. It’s a shame that my season ended early, but I’ve done more than I thought I could and proved I can step up and take on more challenges, but I need to rein in the enthusiasm and find that fine line between stepping up my game and screwing myself over. I’ve got to keep in mind the long game and the reason I’m doing all this in the first place. It’s not about doing all those races I’d planned this year, it’s about getting in the best shape to tackle bigger things over a longer period of time. It’s a tough journey, and a lonely one. I still lack backing, some sponsorship would really help, but it’s a journey I will finish and I’m still enjoying it.
To find out how you can donate to the cause and visit the Jamie Wheeler Just Giving page click here.
