Marbella 70.3 – Great racing from team GS

If you need an excuse for a trip in the sunshine in late April then IM 70.3 Marbella is just what you need But this is a challenging race – a choppy and fairly cold (15 degrees) swim made a little more difficult by a fairly farcical attempt at a rolling start, a mountainous bike course with 2 big climbs and a hot, 2 lap there and back run along the seafront usually in the wind means this is not a course for fast times!

Goalspecific athletes Anthony and Adam and head coach Fran were up for it though! Both Anthony and Adam put it great early season performances. Both came out of the rough swim in 36mins – not too bad after a lot of congestion around the buoys and  plenty of physical contact with other swimmers (!!). Anthony smashed 14mins off his bike split from last year and a strong 1hr44min run to finish showed that he is in great shape as the season gets going. Adam – in only his second ever half – controlled the bike excellently having absolutely no previous experience of riding in mountains, and finished strongly with a sub 2 hour run – smashing his time from his first race last year which was on a on a much flatter and easier course – so great progress there. Job very well done. Meanwhile Fran’s ongoing return to fitness (see this for more details) took another positive step forward with a decent 34min swim in the conditions, an excellent sub 3 hour bike despite a conservative approach and most importantly a ‘not fast but solid’ run to finish. Fran is nowhere near race ready but needed to get a race finish under her belt as the rebuild continues

Fran looking chuffed with the finish