Training Hard.

Yes as always, I'm training hard and improving steadily.
Just a quick blog, I thought some might want to know the race schedule for the rest of the year.
8th Oct Ibiza Spanish Long Dist Champs.
Then no Hawaii this year!!
4th Nov Ironman Florida.
19th Nov World Long distance champs, I am currently ranked 4th in the ITU World rankings and a good result here should get me a high overall ranking. Also some good prize money ;)

I do get a few comments on the number of races I do a year. Here's my view. I believe I am not yet able to sit back and just race Hawaii(or something like that, I have concerns over athletes that do this anyway?:( ) I am trying to get fitter and stronger each year so as I can compete in the biggest races in the world and against the best triathletes in the world. I'm not there yet!

Thanks for reading
Stephen
www.stephenbayliss.net

7th at Gerardmer

I was happy with 7th, the field was strong and I felt I had a good race, I paced the run right this time and caught 3 guys in the last 7km. (Gerardmer was the French national Long Dist Champs and an international event)
Reinaldo won, he was pretty awesome, I aim to emulate what Reinaldo is doing at the moment, he is so strong in every race. He is also a thoroughly nice guy too!

Bella came 2nd and got beat by the disgraced 2004 Hawaii winner(she tested positive for EPO after this race, and I find it incredible she has only been banned for 1yr!)

How can she have the audacity to race again anyway and why is she allowed to? the ban should at least be enough to end her career, 10yrs say, or, I think a life ban. 1yr is so ridiculus, I mean what sort of message does that send out?! Is it not a bad offence? Does she not desserve to be punished? She has cheated in sport(the whole ethos of sport is for the best man or women to win, this should be the person that has worked the hardest, taking a performance enchancing substance is just plain cheating of the worst kind)

Anyone that says "well there is a fine line between diet, other supplements etc, and taking drugs" is just plain wrong, there is a massive divide between someone who trains their hardest and does everything they can, legally and morally correct, and someone who is prepared to take a drug they hope will improve there performance, it takes a concious decision to do this, it is pre meditated and so so wrong, if we want our sport to keep it's great image of a healthy and happy lifestyle, then any drug cheats should not be allowed back in, ban for life. Why not??

Thanks for reading
Stephen
www.stephenbayliss.net