Photo by Uli

 

The photo is from 2008, the year when I was second in the Hawaii Ironman. I had saved the Spiuk Kronos helmet that I wore that day during this time for remembrance of that great moment. Now there is the opportunity to give this Spiuk Kronos a better use, during the benefit gala for Tri W.W.W., to be held next February 18 at Sands Beach here in Lanzarote, we will raffle this cherished memory. You may already know the price of it in store, but the sentimental price is enormous so I sincerely hope that you support this initiative and buy some tickets for this raffle that is open to anyone who wants to participate and help Tri W.W.W. from wherever you are.

 

The procedure is simple, each raffle ticket is 5 €, you can buy as many tickets as you want. Simply make a deposit (in multiples of 5) on behalf of the association TRi WWW - account: La Caja de Canarias CC # N ° 2052 8077 11 3310143008 - account holder: TRi WWW Assn # IBAN ES54 2052 8077 11 3310143008. Then send a copy of the Money transfer receipt to the following email address: Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spam bots. Necesita activar JavaScript para visualizarla Along with your contact information: Name, email adress and phone number. The last day to purchase the tickets is February 16.

 

We really hope that you participate, the more money we raise more resources will be provided to athletes of Tri W.W.W. to practice their favorite sport. Thank you!

 

 

On Monday I was in Spiuk renewing the sponsorship contract with the brand that has been supporting me for the last years. It is a great pleasure to stay together with home brands that develop the highest quality products and give such a great support to our sport. I am very happy to continue with Spiuk. I also had the opportunity to discuss new products that are to come and to take a look at new designs, there is especially one with which I am very excited and I am working actively, soon you will have more details, I'm already anxious... we also comment on the new designs of my clothes for 2011, we will have them ready soon, I think they'll look great.

Back to Lanzarote on Tuesday, a week in the cold of Vitoria-Gasteiz makes me appreciate even more the conditions of the island, here we can also feel the winter with more rain, wind and lower temperatures than usual but it is still a great pleasure to continue training and spending the winter at Club La Santa. We will still be here for another month, and we want to take advantage to the fullest. These days have allowed me to return to the training routine that was interrupted a bit last week with the Spanish Winter Triathlon Championship, I must say that I found very good that little break ... and now I'm back into the rhythm of workouts and good feelings.

I close the week with a relaxing day, I even had the chance to surf a little, long time since I got to catch waves and I appreciated it since I came out from the ocean recharged and ready for a tough week ahead.

Best regards and good training to everybody!!

My bike, the lava, the volcanoes, the wind and myself... I love it!!

Atypical week. I packed on Tuesday and went back from Lanzarote to Siberia-Gasteiz. The bad weather coincided with my departure from the island, heavy rains and winds caused damages in many parts of the island, my support and encouragement to all the people affected from here. I arrived in Vitoria-Gasteiz with a fairly tight agenda for these few days that I was going to spend in the cold.

The first appointment was with my coach Iñigo Mujika in USP Araba Sports Clinic for a maximal effort test on the cycle ergometer. I must admit I'm not a big fan of these tests but are very useful to see the fitness, compare it with previous years and adjust the new training paces. The result was good, more peak power and lower heartrate and less lactate than last year at race pace. On the bike we are on track.

Giving everything. Photo: Paulino (DNA)

 

In the afternoon awards ceremony of the Association of Sports Federations of the Basque Country. Good atmosphere and a nice time I had there, and above all very happy and grateful for this Basque Sportman of 2010 award.

And on Friday after days of doubt and uncertainty about whether there was snow or not, whether there would be winter triathlon championship or not, I left to Reinosa to compete in the Spanish Winter Triathlon Championships. I had always been eager to participate in this classic that is the Triathlon of Reinosa, 25 editions, which are said soon (congratulations on that silver anniversary!!), pioneer race in the White Triathlon. Traditional format (on road) good for me and a ski circuit somewhat shorter than usual because of the lack of snow, wich was even better for me since I was getting to the starting line with zero miles on the skis the day of the race. After many years of snow format we finally competed in an event that was best suited to my conditions, with a segment of run and bike with more weight in the global computing of the race.

Last slope in the fog and snow. Photo: Manu Basaran

Out from the horn I took first place and in the 10 kilometer run through the streets of Reinosa I opened a small gap that I increased on the bike, first in the 12 kilometers of flat roads and then in the 15 kilometer climb up to "El Chivo" area above the ski station of Braña Vieja. In the transition from bike to cross country skiing I had serious problems, the snow under my boots would not let me attach the bindings and I was about to lose my temper, almost two minutes of despair until I finally could start skiing. The advantage over second placed Jon Erguin was large, more than four minutes, but I didn´t know at that moment and I had a hard time while I was fighting with the snow and the ice.

Not too bad style!! Photo: Manu Basaran

On the skis I felt better than expected with the lack of training, I stood on the skis without falling (not easy for the state of the track and the snow ...) and crossed the finish line as the new Spanish Winter Triathlon Champion, a title that I was pursuing for many years and now I've finally made it. I have to defend it in 2012!!

On the podium with Jon Erguin (2nd) and Sergio Gimeno (3rd). Photo: Manu Basaran

And before returning to Lanzarote next week, today in our store 3BAT in Zarautz, we have news that you can soon enjoy, new services for the triathlete that I am sure they are going to please you, but for now do not miss the discounts, there are very good bargains!!

Good and happy training to everybody!!

 

Yesterday I was awarded as the best Basque sportsman of the year 2010. It's a great honor for me to receive this award and I want to share it with all the people who supports and follows me, because without you it wouldn´t be possible for me to do what I do. Thank you everybody!!

Photo: Bob Foy

Third week of 2011, and almost three weeks here at Club La Santa in Lanzarote. I think this is the week I am starting to get in shape. Little by little I have been catching good feelings during the early stages of the season, finding myself getting a little better first on the bike, then in the water, on the run and finally in the last seven days I think it has been the first time I've had a good feeling at all. This hasn´t been a week of high volume or intensity (that will come later ...) but of constant training days at a good pace that are making me stronger.

In the water I'm doing pretty well, making 25meter pool times in the 50 meters pool (I love the pool at Club La Santa...). Some intervals of 100 meters under 1'10", pretty good for the time of the season where I am. They have been a total of six days of water, being about 3000-4000 meters per session. I'm having good company on the bike, many of the long rides I'm doing with Victor del Corral and other athletes who are at Club La Santa at the moment, it is always easy to find somebody to go for a ride here. I'm averaging pretty high speeds, usually above 30 km/h wich in Lanzarote, with the wind and the slopes of the roads, is quite acceptable. Yesterday I went out alone at noon (everybody raced the duathlon in the morning...), I rode up to Tinajo, then to Timanfaya, El Golfo, Femés (up the hard part) and returning to La Santa by La Geria and Tinajo. With wind (about 30 km/h) and +1300 meters of climbing I arrived to Club La Santa averaging nearly 31 km/h, not bad to do it with a road bike, I went around 230W on average to give you an idea. I followed the ride with a transition run that I finished below 3'20" per kilometer quite loosely. It is on the run where I met myself again this week. After some heavy early seasson runs (a few pounds less also helps...) I am finding myself more loose and fluid. Still running short, four days without passing from 1h30' the longest day and getting some rhythm and short series to get a little speed. The key, I think, of my good feeling is the work in the gym, which is only two days a week but with functional exercises (using TRX, fitball, bosu...) combined with some more traditional weight exercises with machines, few of us like to work in the gym but I see it fundamental.

Next week is a bit special, I return to Vitoria-Gasteiz for the Spanish Winter Triathlon Championships in Reinosa (no snow at the ski resorts at this moment though...), sign some sponsorship agreements for 2011 and I also believe that Iñigo has a surprise for me in the form of a lab test on the bike at USP Araba Sports Clinic. This week is going to be a bit different than the latter, but I will continue being constant and getting stronger little by little.

Happy training to everybody!!

The winter is tough in Vitoria-Gasteiz and as usual at this time of the year we migrate to the warm and dry weather. Our destiny couldn´t be other than Club La Santa in Lanzarote. We came here to open the gifts at Rut's home for "Reyes Magos", wich were great! but the best gift I am having is the fantastic climate that the island is offering us and the good company I am having to do even better the season firsts long workouts. The initial plan is to stay at Club La Santa until March, though by late January I return to Vitoria with the intention of going to the Spanish Winter Triathlon Championships in Reinosa, I hope it snows a bit there... to immediately return to Lanzarote and continue to prepare the first big race of the season: Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, on March 12th. At the moment things are going well, picking up the pace of training, and having good feelings.

A few days ago I was in Barcelona doing a photoshooting for Sailfish. This is the making of the session recorded by triatlonchannel.com:

 

 

Nothing better to end up the year than running. Finished 10th in the Vitoria-Gasteiz San Silvestre run, enjoying a lot the atmosphere of the race and the city, all the center of the city is closed for the runners and it is great to run in the streets. Now time to celebrate, say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011. All the best for everybody, have fun and a happy new year!!

This is a look back to my races in 2010, a good way to say goobye to this 2010 racing season.

 

 

As usually the first race of the year, the spanish Winter Triathlon Championships, second place, always in the podium in the last years.

 

 

Abu Dhabi, great race great victory, couldn´t start better the tri season.

 

 

 

AVIA Wildflower tri, the big american classic, getting ready for IM Lanzarote couldn´t do it better, third place on the podium.

 

 

Second win in Lanzarote in my career, Lanzarote always a special race in a special place, forever in my heart.

 

 

Still recovering from Lanzarote, but Zarautz has been my race for the last years, managed to get another win.

 

 

What a great day, wining the European Long Distance Championships in my city Vitoria-Gasteiz, priceless!!

 

 

Got to Roth a little bit tired, scored a third place and happy with that, but couldn´t get a sub8 time at the end.

 

 

King's cup with my team, we weren´t lucky and had accidents and problems, third place, always fun to race with the team.

 

 

Spanish Olympic Distance Championships, 5th, not bad for an Ironman.

 

 

Ocean Lava relay competition with Andrés and Fran, amazing guys, big inspiration. Very happy to help TRI W.W.W.

 

 

Debut race for I Can in Mallorca, bright future for the I Can races. Good victory on my side, last prep race before Kona, good motivation.

 

 

7th in Kona, always good to be in the top ten but not enough.

 

 

6th in Maui, good enough to get the Hawaiian Double, mission acomplished!!

 

 

Running the New York City Marathon with Rut, can´t imagine a better way to finish the season.

 

As you can see 2010 has been good but I'm really looking forward to 2011, is gonna be even better!! Happy new year to everybody!!

 

 

This is how we spend Christmas day in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Almost two hours running in the trails of "Montes de Vitoria", this year all was full of snow, an amazing day in great company.

 

 

PS: Thanks to Ciro Tobar for the video, you can watch it in his website too www.cirotobar.com