DGTri Athlete Report - Keith Galea

At Last – Malta Duathlon Champion!!!

Finally the 2012 triathlon season started with the national Duathlon championships. I was waiting impatiently for this race. After a difficult 2011 season, I promised to myself that 2012 will be my year. My coach Dermot did not peaked me for the race but still we wanted the championship back to where it belongs, to the club and to the Galea family. With very encouraging results in running and cycling races, I was looking forward to do a great performance and to make it clear that I am the man to beat this year.

When the race started, I sprinted in front of the pack. I wanted to lead and settle the pace myself. Legs were responding well. When someone tried to skip me I immediately increased the pace to lead the pack. I wanted to open a gap before T1. I managed to do so and covered the first 5km in 17.10, 35seconds in front of 2nd and 3rd placed athletes. After a good transition, I felt that my legs were having a good day, so I immediately started pushing.

After the first lap I noticed that I was gaining ground on my nearest rival. After the first lap I increased my advantage to 50seconds. I was feeling great. It was a bit windy on the bike. The winds were a bit strong on both sides so one had to dig in all the way. I continued to increase my advantage in every lap and the chances to be crowned national champion where increasing. I kept a reasonable good average speed of 39km/hr covering the 27km in 40minutes 40 seconds. Coming back to transition area I increased my advantage to 2minutes 30seconds. A very good advantage but still I was not satisfied.

When I started the 2nd run, my legs were still fresh after the strong bike I had. I was afraid that will feel some cramps as I felt a couple of cramps in the last lap of the bike. However everything was fine and I kept on pushing and pushing till I could not push no more. I did not want to relax. I wanted to push till the end and shoe my dominance. Was not happy to win by 2 mins, I wanted more.

Seeing I was way in front, the last 200m were awesome. When you win a championship for the first time, the last 200m are the most beautiful thing you remember from the whole race. When I crossed the finish line, I shouted CHAMPION CHAMPION!!!!. After a difficult 2011 season where everyone thought that I am finished. Well I am back, faster stronger and quicker. I won the race by 4mins advantage from my next rival, winning the race in 1hr 08. 52. The first thing I did after I crossed the finish line, was to hug my girlfriend Elizabeth. Before the championship I was going through a difficult period and she helped me a lot to go through it. The support she gave me before and during the race was incredible; she gave the extra energy needed to produce this wonderful win.

This time I did not want to win for myself. I wanted to win this race for 2 persons who were fundamental in the build-up for this race. I would like to thanks the best triathlon coach on the island Dermot Galea. His hard training regime, 25-30hrs a week and his fundamental advices helped me to enter in the history of Malta Triathlon by becoming the 6th athlete to win triathlon and Duathlon championships and Triathlete of the year award. I would like to thank my nutritionist Johanna Calleja. Thanks to her nutrition plans I am in the best shape of my life. In October I was weighing 65km with 14% body fat. Now I am 57kg with only 5% body fat. I followed her nutrition plans to the letter and now I am extremely happy to see all these results.

I am satisfied with this championship win but I still want to keep on winning. I am training 3 times a day making lots of sacrifices to improve. I want to win. This is only the beginning…..

Keith

DGtri Athlete - Barry Farrugia

NATIONAL DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

The National Duathlon Championship 2012 arrived. Not only was I excited to put all my hard training to the test, but I was also going to race with my new TT bike for the first time and was looking forward to see the outcome!

The nerves didn’t get the best of me though, I was fully focused and aiming for a satisfying result. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, did some warming up and was soon on the starting line. For the first 5k I kept a good tempo and after 18.53 I was in transition, wasn’t one of my fastest transitions but I was soon going strong on my new Cervelo P3, enjoying the ride to the max. I felt stronger than ever and soon made my way to 4 th place. Kept strong for 3 laps and kept pushing hard till I managed to get myself in 3rd place for the 4th and final lap. In transition 2 and out for the last 3k run. Although it is one of my strengths, the last 3k were quite a struggle. Just a few seconds ahead of the 4th I gave it my best and was in the lead for most of the 3k until he managed to over take me in the final bend. He widened the distance between us quite a lot and I was about to give in and settle for 4th place (would have been pleased just the same) but a voice inside me told me it’s now or never. My family and friends cheers were the last thing I needed to give me that final boost. I gave my last 100m sprint and didn’t stop till I was done….. in 3rd place!!!

In just 1,13:49 I made it to my first podium finish in 3rd place, having been only my second Duathlon this gave me great satisfaction! Would like to thank many people who helped me get there, Dermot my coach and friend, who got me this far, having no doubt that he will lead me to much greater success, Johanna for her professional nutrition advice, my better half Niki for all her support and patience. Antonella my sister in law also for her great support, Jack and Maurice for my bike and all the work and time they put in to it, to make it perfect for me! Last but not least all my supportive friends and family, who make me want to achieve so much more.

Barry Farrugia

DGtri Athlete - Simona Carena

Friends of Mick ‘n’ Phil Half Marathon

On 11th March I attended my first race of the 2012 season at Draycote Waters Reservoir: “Friends of Mick ‘n’ Phil Half Marathon”. The race in its second run, after a 2 year gap, and it is held as a charity event to help these two lads, who are a known figure on most local races and have run countless Marathons for their full story:http://micknphil-marathonlads.com/index.php.

The weather forecast was most promising with sunshine and clear skies and very moderate temperature for March witch gave the option of shedding the winter layers, with the added bonus of a bit of a breeze around the lake shore. The race consists of 2 and ¾ laps of the reservoir, on the tarmac surfaced service road, with well clear mile markers and timing chips. The route winds itself amongst a shady and hillier side and on long and flat exposed dam walls on the other. Ample car park and facilities also make this venue an ideal race location and if you live close by like me, a pleasant training ground.

The field comprised of 200 runners with a high ratio in the veterans category, and by 9 am the place was swarming with lycra clad people and their fans and supporters. I got there early to bag a good parking spot and to enjoy a last cup of coffee in comfort before warming up. It helps with race nerves!

My plan was to hold back a bit on the first three miles and then wind the pace up a bit hoping to get a big chunk off my current PB on this distance. The preparation this winter has gone very well. In the 3rd year of Dermot’s coaching I feel I am still improving considerably on all disciplines, but I am feeling also much fitter and less tired. I have also benefited from nutrition guidance from Johanna Calleja. Notably my recovery from training and overall health seem to have improved, little I knew my already reasonable diet could be harbouring a lack in selenium, zinc and copper (I did not know you even ate these minerals!) Plus I have to say I have managed to shed some pounds in the process witch always helps!

At the starting gun it was a very civilized affair, partially due to the timing chip that allow everybody to get their real time, so no jostling for position, and there seemed to be space for all to get under way. The first 3 miles went very well and I felt it was quite easy even on the “undulating “ part of the course. Then a few flats sections on the dam walls, with a small hill thrown in between and lap 2 was under way just short of mile 5. Up to here the average on my Garmin was of 8:38 mm

Here I have to make a confession. With me was running my Fairy Godmother, Bill (well they came in all shape and sizes…) who turned up on his bike got changed and once I named the desired finishing time took care of pacing with Swiss timing precision.

So on to lap 2 and the second trip over the ups and down was getting a bit less easy, but I felt good and my legs felt strong. I hoped I could have pushed a bit more at this stage, but somehow I did not have the breath to go with it. However I knew that I was going well as we were still averaging 8:38 mm and on course to a very good finishing time. It cheered me up some of the competitors commenting at this stage on the course description with a grumbling: “undulating my ***”.

Down on the dam walls, passing the finish line for the second time and grabbing some water, and knuckling down to a fast mile between 9-10 before facing what now seemed slightly steeper hills for the last time. All was well and from the splits it was completed 8:36 mm so not a shabby job at this late stage! The next 2 miles were a bit less fun, but I kept at it, having Bill to follow was certainly one less burden, although at one stage I felt quite a bit dizzy up one of the last inclines, but unlike my last race on this course in 2009 I did not feel that it had the best over me! ;-)
Completed mile 12 with relieve, now left a sharp downhill and a turn on to the flats for a sprint finish. Well not sure we can call 8:15 mile a sprint but my legs were going well, I was just struggling to keep on top of them. Thanks to Bill’s tips and encouragement though I managed a strong finish at 1:53:15; the most even paced race all the way through still at 8:38 mm. and placing 12th senior female.

I found the event well organized, marshalled very well especially on blind corners, enough water station and a respectable goody-bag, but of course the stunning weather adds something special to a day.

I am very happy with the result, and it is a further confirmation that the training set by Dermot is spot on as we managed to take away another 5 minutes on this distance and my legs are not that sore today, and I am looking forward to more training and racing under his direction!

SIMONA

Malta Marathon

Last Sunday I took part in my first official full marathon. Although I have done 5 Ironmans (which finish with a marathon), this was my first attempt at the distance on its own so I was very excited. The 18 weeks of running focus to build to this first experience were very hard but a very important learning curve.

I started the race at a good relaxed tempo. I tried to keep with the second / third group from the beginning but I was aware of not over doing it. The target was to keep a 6.32 pace (per mile) but I was a bit off from the beginning averaging 6.10 / 6.15 (per mile). At the time I thought that I was over doing it but since I was feeling fresh I thought that it must be just a very good day - YES SURE!! After around 5km, Jimmy Sacco, a very experience marathon runner over took me and I had to make the decision of whether to stick to my pace or go with him. I decided to follow.

I passed the half way mark (21.1km) in 1hr 22mins, way too fast and the problems started. Legs started feeling heavy and although now I had slowed down to a 6.30 pace I was still confident to achieve my target time of 2hrs 50mins. The real issues started at 18Miles. I felt a cramp in my right calf so I had to stop and stretch for a few seconds, and then I had another cramp on the left calf. Tiredness started to set in, and the run through Attard overtaking the walkers doing the Walkathlon was looking quite a struggle.

Keith was stopping every kilometer trying to give me some moral help, but I was really looking tired. Still I kept running, and did my best to slow down the least possible. At this stage I am not sure what pace I was keeping, and although I was wearing my Garmin, my pride didn't permit me yet to look at the actual splits which I have ignored completely at that stage of the marathon. By Msida with 5km to go I realised, and thanks to Keith's quick calculations, that I was still on target to go under 3hrs. Yes fair enough that wasn't my original target but in the situationt that was what was motivating me to keep running rather than joining the walkers doing the Walkathlon.

3km to go and I felt that maybe maybe a 2hrs 55mins was on the cards but my legs were rock solid and cramps were hitting every minute. With 200m to go I tried sprinting and my hamstring just gave up, BIG CRAMP. Quick stretch and I jogged / ran / kind of sprinted to the line. 2hrs 56mins my final time. Pleased, but I'll be back faster next year!

Big thank-you to Johanna for sorting out my nutrition which made a big difference in my training and racing, to Keith for his support and my parents.

Next Race possibly abroad

Dermot

DGTri Athlete Report - James Harman

The Belvoir Marathon

I had been looking forward to this race all through the winter. Not only was it the first race for the new year but the first marathon i had entered since Ironman uk and i wanted to see what sort of time i could put in with only the marathon involved and not a bike or run beforehand.I had planned on just trying to beat my previous marathon time of 4hrs 17mins with a sub 4hr finish but we had no idea what the course would be like and if the weather would hold out or not as the course was 90% off road through fields and trails. The previous few weeks had gone really really well in training and i had put the miles in but it wasn't until the last week before the race that the magic started to happen and by friday evening on my 30minute pre race run i felt strong, Stronger in the run than i had ever felt and i put all this down to not only the programme that Dermot had given me but also the nutrition plan that Johanna Calleja had sorted out for me. Bill picked me up at 07:30 and we made our way to the venue. On arrival i thought it was quite cool and opted to wear my leggings and sleeveless jacket with compression top and a hat. The race started at 0900 and i started running. I didn't really get to the front for the start as there were so many people there so i had to wait until we got going before moving through the slower runners. Infact all i seemed to do was pass people with nobody passing me. I was checking the heart rate monitor and my pace and holding 7-8min mile pace on the flat and my heart rate was very steady and i can remember thinking i feel so strong, Infact i was quite excited and pumped which seemed to give me even more energy. I remember clocking the miles up first 10 then 12 then 16 and at 18+ miles still feeling strong and smooth with a verygood light running technique. The weather had got a lot warmer and i was sweating quite a lot and had not took any electrolytes as i thought i would not need them. At around 20 to 21 miles i started getting cramps in my hamstrings and at 22 to 23 miles they had got so severe that i had no alternative but to slow down and try to stretch them off. It was almost unbearable!I finished the Marathon by my watch in 3:59:50 however the official time by the organiser was 4:02:9 so i don't know where they found the extra 2 minutes. I was a bit disappointed as 3:59 is a sub 4 hour and 4:02 is obviously over 4hrs but never the less it still turned out to be a very good time considering the course and put me in 21st position from 211 people so considering i am not a runner and it was my first ever marathon on its own it was a fantastic result that i am very proud of. If things had worked out the way i had planned then maybe there would of been a top 10 position for me. Maybe next year! I hope all of your training is going well and to plan and wish you all the best for the coming summers events.

See you all very soon.

Buzz