James Walker Mid Season Review

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“The first half of the season has flown by and it is now the run up for the main races of the season.

How has the first half of 2014 gone so far?

“I have enjoyed my racing this year so far and have learned a considerable amount from my performances last year. After a period off over the winter to concentrate on my Incorporated Engineering Chartership exam in March this also allowed me to give my body a rest from a long 2013 season. With the exam out of the way, the focus was to try and replicate the early season results out in Australia and Malaysia. My training and race results have been consistent, with some strong results both home and away”.

Where have you been racing?

“I took a 3 week trip to race the Xterra Asia Pacific Championships and Xterra Malaysia incorporating a trip to Melbourne, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. The race at Calla Bay (Asia Pacific Champs) went well and I was pleased to pick up 2nd AG25-29 and get my qualifying slot for Hawaii. The following weekend in Malaysia was a hot and humid affair but the scenery, atmosphere and great organisation made the race go well. I put in strong run and bike splits in the 35 degrees race heat to come home with 1st AG and 10th overall after a strong pro field. This result has given me a considerable confident boost and I know I can mix it with the best if I keep working hard”.

What have you raced since returning?

“Getting back to the UK, it took me a couple of weeks to get over the travelling and a virus so I took the decision to not race Xterra Spain. The focus would then become Xterra Greece towards the end of June. I had been working consistently in training and felt good arriving in Athens. Prior to Greece I had done the Keswick Triathlon as a race sharpener and put in a strong TT time to get the quickest bike split by 45 seconds and eventually come home in 9th. With the final 10km fell run being over Walla Crag this was a tough end to a tough bike”.

How did you find Xterra Greece?

“Xterra Greece was at the end of June and I was feeling strong. I am enjoying the swim training at the moment and this showed in my result from Greece with an improvement where I came out of the water. The bike combined a long climb with technical downhill that suited my riding and I eventually finished the race 2nd AG and 16th overall”.

What changes have you made to the training?

“Since Malaysia I have teamed up with Endurance Coach Nick Thomas, who has made a big difference to the consistency and the levels that I am training at. It also makes it easier to get the volume in around working. I am working hard on the swimming and the volume is starting to pay off.  I have also been racing mid week mountain bike races which have been great to learn from as the XC format is much more aggressive than the Triathlons, and the speed and skills I am developing will hopefully pay off for the ITU Cross World Champs”.

What are the plans the second half of 2014?

“The second half of 2014 has 3 main races coming up that I am extremely looking forward too. With representing the GB team at the ITU Cross World Championships in Germany, I also have European IM70.3 Championships (Weisbaden, Germany) and the Xterra Maui World Championships in late October. Xterra England at the end of August is another aim to do well at. I am also racing the remaining British XC Championships and running on the road/fell also to be combined”.

A big thank you to my sponsors who have helped me this season with providing top quality race products and services to help me meet the demands of training and racing at a high level.

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