As I write this, I’m sat on my hotel balcony, looking across the bay at Alcatraz. The sun is shining and the water almost looks inviting. Perfect conditions to attempt my first Escape from Alcatraz on Sunday. I won my slot for the race at the Mazda London Triathlon and even though the hills on the bike aren’t my ideal type of course, it such an iconic event I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to race.

I arrived in San Francisco late on Wednesday evening and today’s training has felt great. It must be partially psychological but it just feels like there’s so much oxygen in the air. 3 weeks in Boulder isn’t enough time to really make that much of a difference but I’m certainly looking forward to spending the rest of the summer at altitude. I’ve just got to make sure I don’t overcook it with over enthusiasm in the lead up to the race on Sunday.

My last blog was pre Florida 70.3. Since then, I’ve been based in Boulder, Colorado for 3 weeks. Everyone knows it’s a triathlon mecca but, even so, I wasn’t expecting my swim sessions to be coached by Dave Scott and be in a lane with Matt Reed, Crowie, Simon Thompson & Mike Lavato and having Chrissie, Julie Dibens & Mirinda Carfrae swimming alongside for company. There are just so many world class endurance athletes in the town, from the house down the street crammed with entire Japanese long distance running squad to the Kenyans and Ethiopians who use it as a training base.

The first thing I noticed about the town, is how the altitude (1,600m & climbing to 2,500m pretty quickly as you cycle into the Rockies) affected my body during training. Steady swims, rides and runs felt the same as at sea level BUT as soon as hard efforts were mixed in, I blew up pretty quickly. The first few weeks at altitude is a balancing act and recovery times are certainly increased. It’s a catch 22, at sea level, I could be doing more hours, more intensity etc but I wanted to see for myself what a few months in Boulder could do for my fitness levels. I’ve also learn that my bowling needs a lot of work!;-)

In short, Boulder is no ordinary American town. The rides up into the Rockies are truly breathtaking with some being over 40k long with stunning scenery the whole way.

Good luck to all my team mates racing at IM70.3UK and Windsor. Looking forward to hearing how Dann, Phil & Alex smash the bike course at Wimbleball. Dominate guys! I’ll be in touch once I’ve dived off a boat into the freezing water, slogged up every hill San Fran has to offer, run along the beach and tackled the notorious sand steps.

Enjoy the weekend everyone and good luck in your races.

The ICAP Square Mile Sport Awards, on Thursday 27th November, was the first major sports awards of the year to salute the sporting heroes of 2008, as voted for by the knowledgeable sporting audience of the City. The star-studded prestigious event took place at Old Billingsgate in central London.

The Square Mile Sport City Sportsperson of the Year award honours the person who has achieved the highest level of sporting excellence during the past 12 months whilst maintaining a full time job within the Square Mile. The shortlist of nominations are below with the winner chosen by the Square Mile Sport Awards judging panel of sporting legends.

The quote below is taken from the awards website

Dion is an extremely talented athlete who only took up triathlon three years ago. He competes against the best full-time triathletes in the world, while maintaining a full time job at Lombard AM, and won the male sub-2:30 race at the Mazda London Triathlon, in addition to the UK Triathlon League. Harrison was crowned age group World Champion at the ITU Long Distance World Championships as part of team GB, and has just won the amateur athlete of the year at the British Triathlon Awards.

British Triathlon awarded me age grouper of the year for 2008 which was a huge honour. Unfortunately the night clashed with the Thames Turbo awards so naturally I attend the latter.

To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that. To my surprise I crossed the line first and picked up a gold medal. Not only that but I was 2nd overall in the age group race. How neat is that.

Having returned from a week in Leysin with Chrissie at the end of July & done IM70.3 Antwerp the previous weekend, I was keen to press on with my training for Kona.  I therefore decided to train straight through London and did the Kona course on the computrainer on the Saturday morning.  Finished the course in 5:21 (update Oct ‘08: did the actual course in 5:15 so it’s a pretty realistic simulation) & resigned myself to the fact that the legs wouldn’t work for the sub 2.30 race the next day.

I honestly didn’t think I was bothered about the result…..that is, until I walked down the pontoon with the Turbo guys & jumped into the water at 9am on the Sunday morning & realised i was kidding myself.  If nothing else, I owe it to Dave Aitchison who won the race in 2006 to put in 100%.  Sadly he died in January 2007 just as he was starting out on what would undoubtedly been a great career in Ironman racing.

The gun went at 9.10 on a sunny Sunday morning & I was lucky enough to find clean water straight away and settled into a nice rhythm on the way out with Andy Pryke alongside and Neil Harris & Matt Maloy on my feet.  At the turnaround, I broke away by a few metres and the headwind/choppy water was great to swim in back to the excel.  No major delays stuffing the wetsuit into the plastic bag, a walk up the stairs (rather than going totally anaerobic),  an over enthusiastic high five with guy from Blue Seventy & I was holding a 30 second lead as I hit the bike course.  The trouble was, would my legs respond after the hammering on the turbo yesterday?

…the answer was no…not really! I had no change of pace but still felt as though I was pushing at a solid enough pace & could sit just below my threshold.  Neil caught me at the far end of the first lap & we alternated the lead and stayed ahead of the chase pack all the way to T2.  It’s always gutting at London to get to the dead turn at Westminster working on your own, only to see at pack hammering down the road towards you.  Scott Wiseman & Richard Legge were hammering it at the front with various people hanging on.  This is usually game over but Neil & I held a 100m lead coming into T2.

Embarrassingly, my first thoughts were…’there’s no way that’ll be enough’.  Non the less I set off out of excel as fast as my little legs would carry me & at the 2.5k turnaround I was relieved to see the gap had actually grown.  Was there a chance I could hang on?  Surely not, these guys are fast!  Coming back to complete the first lap I passed loads of Thames Turbo athletes coming the way and got to say hi to lots of friends who were racing.  After the 5k point I realised that I was extending the lead hang….although Nick Dunn & James Brown were absolutely flying.  From 7.5k I saw it was mine to lose & kept it controlled to the finish.  Awesome to cross the line as winner of the London Triathlon and meant so much to follow in Dave’s footsteps.  I’ll try & do him proud over the coming seasons as I move up to the longer distances.

I wouldn’t recommend the 6hr training day before an important race.  I was undoubtedly very lucky and the fatigue probably stopped me redlining in the first 10k on the bike.  Who knows?!  I’ll probably never try it again ;-).

It’s always great to do London & catch up with Charlie P, Scott, Rich & the rest of the guys and this was just a little added bonus.

Thank you to Thames Turbo Sigma Sport, Blue Seventy & Profeet for their support.

Next stop Almere for the ITU Long Distance World Championships.  Can I keep the same pace going for triple the distance?

Swim 00:20:42

T1 00:02:06

Bike 1:01:15

T2 00:01:22

Run 00:34:20

(ps was also lucky enough to meet a lovely girl called Caroline at the finish line.  She helpfully told me to ‘crack a smile’ on the podium;-)