DGTri Athlete Report - Richard Vella

27th February 2011

Mellieħa – Malta

MALTA HALF MARATHON 2011

My coach, to whom I owe a heap of gratitude, has asked me to share my experience of the Malta Half Marathon.

Warming up around the medeival city of Mdina, with a RAF hercules involved in Libya evacuation operations, rumbling in the distance.

This was the prelude to my first experience in the Malta Half Marathon. The chilly weather was showing no clemency with a prevailing strong wind blowing, but the atmosphere was warm enough.
Last September I contacted Dermot and shared with him my desire to run a HM. He forwarded me a program to which I stuck religiously. I handled the first month with a generous amount of confidence and ease. Training starts revealing its true face after the first phase. It is not easy to carry out a training session in wet and windy conditions. Anyhow, amidst minor turmoil I went through the 14 week programme. That is how I found myself on the start line of the Malta HM.

Strangely enough, compared to the past fortnight, I was feeling very confident and at ease with the challenge ahead. I felt well prepared and ready.

There goes the gun! Off we go. At 2K the route offered a the first surprise. Due to the downpour the day before, a puddle blocked the way. The only way around not to wet your shoes at such an early stage, was a 10 inch wide muddy side path. Another larger, wider and deeper puddle was waiting for us at 6K. This time the way out was to climb and walk on the sidewall.

So far so good, the sun was shining now. At 10K my legs were quite comfortable, but my brains were not. All the doubtfulness and speculations that tormented me during the build-up to this event, returned to haunt me. Why am I doing this? What for? What if I don’t finish? Older ladies run faster! And all sorts of other nonsense. It took me some time to kick them off and get my focus back, but I managed to replace them with more empowering thoughts.

The final 3K were so psychologically demanding. The finish seems so close, but yet so far. On and on until the finish. Yes I made it, it’s over 2:14:36. The stopwatch is not very relevant to me.
Having twice undergone surgery for cartilage repair in my left knee, a missing ACL same knee and a strong advice from my surgeon to “forget running”, I think it’s quite fulfilling for an overweight 41 year old who took up running a couple of years ago.

Fellow runners at the Malta HM and worldwide, come in all shapes and sizes. Each and everyone of them has his own story to share. Everyone encounters his very own hurdles and obstacles, but most of them make it to the start line. This only confirms the fact that – the only obstacle between you and your goal is just your own self.

Richard Vela

DGTri Athlete Report - Maria Vella Galea

Irrespective of the instructions, I can never take a race as ‘part of my training’. Once I am on the start line, I want to be the best I can be if not better. Sounds pretentious but in reality if this approach is not taken how can one improve their performance?

Sunday’s Cycling Time Trial event organised by Team Greens, was the second ever cycling time trial I took part in. Although the route was quite familiar – Salina Coast Road is a mecca for triathletes and cyclists alike, each race is different. Fitness, psychological, weather conditions are different.

As I wait in line to start the race I monitor my heart rate – at 150bpms I wonder whether it is the frustration of the race starting late. I try to focus on the route ahead of me as I clip on my shoes whilst the race official holds my bike and another starts the count down.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…..Go! I’m off, I am on my own, at one with my bike, picking up a gradual speed, trying to keep a steady cadence, building up as best a pace as I can. Since I have had to reduce my training hours due to a knee injury I have to make sure that I pace myself properly and make the most of the slight downhill’s to gather and up my speed. The wind coming from the opposite direction in the steepest part of the race does not help with my average speed, pushing me down to approximately 21km/hr in this part of the route.

My target, whilst not overly ambitious, is to finish the 20kms course, in 45 minutes without damaging my knee further but a race is a race and if I can push myself 120% I will do so.
Clocking in after 40minutes 16 seconds I am quite pleased of the result considering the circumstances. I have kept an average of 29.4km/hr, reaching maximum speeds of 45km/hr.

I promise myself the next race will be better!

Maria Vella Galea

DGTri Athlete Report - Johanna Calleja

Chester Triathlon Club Time Trial

I have been a member of Chester Triathlon Club since I moved to Chester last September. The club organises a winter league and a summer league for its members, with the winter league consisting of 5 types of events: running, cycling time trial, swimming, duathlon and triathlon. Each member can enter as many races as they like and their total score is calculated on the best result in each type of event.

On Sunday 20th February, I participated in the second cycling time trial organised by the club. I cycled at an average speed of 18.81 miles per hour, covering the 9.4 miles in 29:59 and finishing in third place. The temperature was about 6 degrees but the very strong wind made it feel much colder, and notwithstanding all the layers I had on, by the time I got home my toes were completely frozen!

Following solid performances in the swimming time trials organised by the club and Helsby half marathon in January, I moved up into third place in the league through my result in the cycling time trial. The next event in the league will be a duathlon on Sunday 27th February, consisting of a 5km run, 15km cycle and 5km run.

Johanna

TCR Show Saucony 10k

Sunday 13th February

As part of my preparation for the triathlon season I entered the Saucony 10km road race at the TCR Show. The TCR show is a 3 day triathlon /cycling / running expedition which is organised in Surrey. I had to go for the TCR show due to Linebreak Sponsorship to do some advertising. The show is a great opportunity to see also great athletes like Stephen and Bella Bayliss, Chrisse Wellington and Phil Graves. I wasn’t expecting a very fast time for this race as am still very early in my preparation but I was looking for a solid performance and certainly a better time than 6 weeks ago in Malta where I ran 38.45. The race started very fast and I got caught up a little bit at the back of the group. I quickly made my way close to the front. The course was not the fastest, with some very sharp steep hills. On the first lap I did 18.16. At that stage I felt very strong and starting working my way up the field. I struggled in the last 1km since it was all uphill and lost a guy whom I caught at the 9k mark. I finished with a good time of 36.46, in 17th position out of 250 starters. The race was won by Stephen Bayliss.

I am quite pleased with my performance. 4 solid weeks of training made a good impact on my fitness. I feel that I can certainly go faster, and hopefully I will keep my training momentum. Joe Brookes (DGtri athlete) was also racing and finished in a time of 45mins 45sec.
Next target is the Milton Keynes Half Marathon.

Dermot

DGTri Athlete Report - Johanna Calleja

Borders Road Running League, Chester

On Sunday 13th February, I participated in Race 4 of the Borders Road Running League in Christleton, Chester. This is a League which was set up in 1983 by clubs from North Wales and the bordering area of west Cheshire to provide friendly inter-club team competition through a series of road races over each winter. There are two divisions with the emphasis on team competition leading to relegation and promotion of 2 teams at the end of each season. For the first division, the men’s team need the first 10 male runners to finish whilst the ladies’ require the first 4 females.

268 runners from 15 clubs participated in the 9.4km race in Christleton, organised by West Cheshire Athletic Club. Despite a hard week of training and studying leading up to the race, I felt strong from the start. I finished the race in 41 minutes 45 seconds, meaning that I would have set a personal best by over 30 seconds had I run at the same pace in a 10km race. I was 15th female out of 73 and 149th overall. I was also 4th female out of the Chester Tri Club runners and the four of us placed second among the first Division ladies’ teams. The atmosphere was great, the race was very enjoyable and I was very pleased with the result!

Johanna Calleja

Linebreak Team

Dear All,

Its been now 4 months that I've been studying at Loughborough University. It wasn't easy to settle but now things have fallen into place. I'm now back to a good training routine and looking forward to some strong races in the next few weeks.

I have been given a sponsorship by Linebreak - Compression Clothing. This has been a great boost to the start of the season. I shall be joined on the LINEBREAK TEAM by 3 other athletes, Sam Anderson, Katie Silke & Mark Sykes . For more details you can visit http://www.linebreak.co.uk/

For more information about Linebreak Compression clothing read the following:

Compression clothing is very important both during and after training.

During Training:

- Tights increase blood flow reducing the build up of lactic acid;

- During Sprint sessions tights give extra support and power to legs;

- Tights reduce vibration which is a cuase of muscle tearing and soreness;

- They actually keep your muscles cool in the heat and warm in the cold;

- Reduced chaffing - items are designed to move with you offering complete comfort;

After Training:

- Put on immediately after training or a match the tights help get rid of the lactic acid and waste

product build up in the muscles - making your legs fresher;

- The tights reduce muscle and joint swelling;

- Worm prior to training Linebreak helps prepare hte muscles for exercise

Travelling:

- An ideal aid to recovery when driving home, flying abroad or on the bus home from a race

A great night for Triathlon - MOC Awards

4th December 2010

Malta triathlon probably experienced its best result today at the MOC Awards. A total of 5 triathletes were nominated for these awards.

These awards are very important for us athletes. They mean a recognition to all the hard work, time, money, headaches invested in our training.

The results for Malta Triathlon are as follow:

Dermot Galea - Bronze Award

Keith Galea - Bronze Award

Fabio Spiteri - Bronze Award

Danica Spiter - Bronze Award

Mark Zammit - Silver Award

The cherry on the cake was surely the GOLD AWARD for the National Team (Dermot, Danica, Mark) for our Gold medal in the team event earlier this year in Leithenstain. I am certainly very pleased with this award, for the team effort and also for my individual award.

Triathlon has made gaint steps forward in the last 3 years thanks to the big efforts by the Malta Triathlon Associations, local clubs like my own club Birkirkara St. Joseph and the newly established Triathlon section at St. Patricks, and also individual efforts by athletes to strengthen the participation in our sport which once, not so long ago, totalling a few individuals.

I would like to thank my sponsors, supporters (especially some special ones in the UK), my club and association, my parents and my girlfriend Johanna for their constant support and understanding. Special thank-you for my mum who picked up the award in my absence while I am enjoying the fresh UK weather!

Well done to all!!

2011 here we come..............