End of the bike today at IM Lanzarote.

Todays race at Ironman Lanzarote was not so great for me. I finished! But a long way behind today! But thank you to everybody for there encouragement. It was really appreciated, I am sorry we both weren’t able to perform better. It was disappointing but we move on and get back to getting ready for the next race.

It was as always a great event, very well organised and the spectator numbers particularly in Puerto del Carmen was incredible, more than ever, it was amazing, wel done everybody involved.

We are now back to Sands Beach had a lovely dinner and now relaxing before bed.

Next for Bella and I is Ironman Lanzarote in just over a weeks time. The island is starting to get prepared for the biggest sporting event of the year. There are many events throught the year, I would guess at about one; run, bike, or multisport race every weekend takes place here on Lanzarote. So it is a great place to train and also get a race in while you are here.

Sands Beach in Costa Tequise is a perfect location to be at for the Ironman week. It is close enough to Puerto del carmen but also far enough away to be able to relax away from the race site too and get in the last training sessions done.

Thanks to Bob Foy for the great photos.

Winning the Tri122 race.

Bella and I did the tri122 race here in Costa Tequise on Saturday, it was so close to our base here at Sands Beach it was perfect for a good training day for us all.

It was a very successfull day for us all too. Bella got 2nd in the Womens long race, I won the mens long race, Ritchie and Eimear both won the short race.

It was a very well organised event and a really challenging course, especially with the really strong gusty wind. I have never been scared of being blown of the road before, but on Saturday up at the top of the mountain by the wind turbines, I really thought I was going to get blown off the road. But fortunately I and everyone else made it down safely:)

Bella on her way to 2nd in the Tri122 race.

Ritchie winning the 1km, 60km, 10km race

Eimear winning the 1km, 60km, 10km race

Some of the the Sands Beach team:) Andres on left and Juan Carlos on the right.

My position before the fit, long and stretched out. Saddle is far back and bars high and long.

While Joseph is here at Sands Beach I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use his skills as a bit fitter and get him to look over my position.

The one thing he liked on my bike was the 3T brezzer bars with the 6cm spacer under the arm rests. I really like this set up as I feel it puts the base bar in a really good position for in and out of the saddle riding.

Jo would normally do this in his shop with the Retul system, but he had a few tools with him to measure joint angles and tape measure and plump lines to help too.

So below is the results of our fit. Photos aren’t great but the best we could do at 6pm at night and with the drug testers as guests as well:)

I am very happy with the results, it feels good and is more aero. Thanks Jo. Get in touch with him if you want a proper bike fit for your new bike.

Stretched out, not quite the superman position though:)!!

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Progression 1.

Progression 1. Forward and up in saddle. Lower and shorter in bars, with a different stem.

Final position. Lowered saddle from progression 1, tilted bars up. Final result being, much more aero and much more comfortable:)

Final position, front view relaxed aero.

Active aero position, lowered head and hunched shoulders:)

Run start in Costa Tequise.

On Sunday Ritchie, Bella and I did a short run race as part of our days training. It was great fun with lots of music and lots of runners enjoying the run on the coast path.

Charlie had a great time playing in the park and dancing to the music, it was like an outdoor disco at the park:)

Bella won the womens, Ritchie won the mens and I got 2nd in the mens.

It is actually my birthday today, I was very surprised to of actually got a few presents. Thank you for my 2 new T shirts. I think perhaps people were thinking that I needed them:)

Sands beach also gave me a nice plate of cakes and sweets for my birthday. I might share them out at our afternoon swim:)

Chasing Ritchie, but he was quite far in front!

Ritchie and I swimming in the lovely Sands Beach Active pool.

Me doing some run training pulling Charlie in the sledge:)

But now we are back to sands beach and getting going again with the training. I feel quite fat and unfit, but I think I am probably not. We have a really good little group here at sands beach with the TEam TBB UK and Germany athletes all here training hard.

Ready for a swim sessions written by coach Charlie.

Next race maybe a in a good while. The focus is on some good training for now.

We all had a fantastic Christmas dinner at the Hacienda restaraunt here at Sands Beach, it really was an extremely good meal. Thank you! Yum yum!

Charlie on the beach with mum on Christmas day.

Father Christmas' Camel.

It was a really beautiful course, all down the coast to Puerto Del Carmen, the organisation was great with lots of events all over the weekend, including a kids run race on Saturday which we all enjoyed watching.

For the race I ran steady for 21km then pushed on as best I could, however it was a bit harder than I thought it was going to be on the return leg, with the head wind and my quads deciding they had had enough with about 10km to go. I was very glad to get to the finish in 1st place and then watch as Bella came in to win the womens race. It is really speacial when we both manage to win the same event. I think we have done it about 6times now.

Charlie had a great time enjoying all the events with Kat. He is running everywhere, I think he wanted to take part in the kids race, maybe next year.

We are training hard too:)

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