Back to Training

Hi Everyone

After the National Triathlon Championships I immediately went into a new phase in my training plan. It was off-season time. It was a month long and I took the opportunity to relax a bit and recover from the stress and pressure I had during the 2013 season. My aim during this period was to spend some quality time with my wife, who really helped me throughout the whole year

2013 was another successful season where I achieved a lot. I won the National Championships for the third time in my career, 1^st overall in the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series for the 6^th time in my career and setting the course record in the 3^rd race, 2^nd overall in the Birkirkara St Joseph 5km Running Series, 3^rd overall in the Birkirkara St Joseph Swimming Series, 3^rd Maltese in the Malta Half Marathon, 4^th overall in the MAAA Road Running League (1^st age group), had great performances in the World Triathlon Championships held in London and in the Garmin Cernobbio Triathlon were I raced with professional triathletes and won the Bronze Medal in the European Triathlon Championships where I also registered a New National Record on an Olympic Distance of 1hr 57minutes. In all I won 7 races this year with is very good. However If I had to choose the best moment of 2013 is none of the above. The climax of my 2013 is when Elizabeth became my wife on the 15^th March, the most important and beautiful day of my life

 With the amount of training I trained I pretended to be much faster, much more dominant. 2013 was a very difficult year. There were two particular races which I really wanted to win, the Malta Half Marathon and the National Duathlon Championships but due to sickness and injuries I could not perform as I wished. The Half Marathon was just before the wedding. I trained specifically for it but unfortunately I got sick and went on the starting line with 102 temperatures. At least I managed third although till 1km to go I was 1^st Maltese. Then the Duathlon came 8 weeks after the honeymoon. They were 8 hard weeks where had to get my top form back. I managed to do so but in race week I injured my hamstring and did not performed.  I was thinking that I was having a sort of bad luck for the whole 2013. Things were not going as planned

Then from that race everyone where questioning my abilities. Some people were talking nonsense, that I will not perform well, but how can you judge an athlete from 1 single race? These same people forgot what a great season I had in 2012. I was very angry and as my wife tells me I gave an answer not with words but with facts. The answers they got are listed above.

I started pure training in the first week of November and in December the training load increased with an average of 28 hours of training per week. At the moment I am training only on Endurance, Long sessions in every discipline. I am taking care of every single detail. I am training hard but sensible, my nutrition is in conjunction with my training as well and the results are coming. I came 3^rd in the Fleur de lys 5km organised by my club and registered a good time of 16.24 just 8seconds away from my Personal Best. It was an unexpected time at this stage of my training.

2013 finished on a high note as I won a special award at the MOC Sports Awards night on the 30^th November and made it again for the third time in my career in the semi final of the Sportsman of the Year award for the Ghazla Sportivi Nazzjonali. For 2014 I have high ambitions. I want to achieve all the targets I set. I want to repeat the 2012 season or even better. I am determined and am really focused to have a great and successful 2014.

I would like to thanks my coach Dermot Galea, my swimming coach Catalin Stan, my parents, wife's parents, my sponsors Garmin Malta, Starbene Shop of Mosta, BB Bike Parts Malta and Jaycee Malta, my club Birkirkara St Joseph especially our General SAecretart Euchar Camilleri and the Malta Triathlon Federation for the constant support. But most of all thanks to my wife Elizabeth for her great patience and support through out this difficult year. Its thanks to you that I am still the top Maltese Triathlete. 

That's All for now. Hope you had a nice christmas and wish you a prosperous and healthy New Year 2014

Yours in Sport
Keith

My Third National Title

Hi Everyone

On the 6^th October, I won my third national title in my career. It was a very difficult title to win. Although I was the favourite, for me it did not mean anything. A championship race is far different than any other local triathlon race. I was more excited than usual for this race as I was feeling that it was not going to be very easy to win. I was feeling the pressure that everyone was expecting me to win and others who did not want. I was afraid that what happened in the duathlon championships will happen again. However I think I handled the pressure well

Weather was not that good. As soon as the race started, it started to rain. I had a good swim covering the 1.5km in 22 minutes. During the swim I noticed that it was raining heavily and was a bit concerned about how am I going to push on the bike due to very slippery roads. I remembered when I raced in Sicily last year in far more difficult conditions than these on roads that I never raced on so I stayed calm

Out of water I was leading the race by 2 minutes on my nearest rivals. I started the bike steady and increased the pace in every lap. I was very careful in the turnarounds and in certain parts of the road, the rest I digged in. I was keeping an average speed of 39km/hr which is very good in those difficult conditions thus increasing my advantage to 2.30. However half way through the race I had a puncture. I cycled slowly for a whole lap till transition area. Here it was a crucial moment where I could win and lose the race.

I changed the wheel thanks to Jack Schiavone of ‘The Cyclist’ who gave me a wheel and continued the race. My advantage was reduced to 1.15. It took me time to push again comfortable on the bike as I lost the rhythm I had before. At the end of the bike I managed to increase a bit my advantage to 1.45 and started the run fast in order to win with a good margin. I was feeling comfortable and strong and so I pushed and pushed till I could not push no more and went on to win my third National Title in 2hrs 3 minutes. I covered the 10km in 36.43 which was the best run of the day and that to it I won the title by more than 3 minutes

As soon as I finished I shouted a lot. A shout that means VICTORY. I know some people don’t like it but they don’t know how many emotions I go through before this race and how much pain I had to go through to win it. It is very difficult to win a national title once but to win it again and again is much more difficult because you have more pressure to handle. My season was not over yet

A week after I took part in the Garmin 10km organised by Mellieha AC. I was not fully recovered for this race but since it was a race sponsored by my main sponsor I wanted to participate and do well. I started the race very fast trying to keep up with Malta’s leading long distance runner, Andrew Grech. I only kept with him for 2km as my legs could sustain his fast pace so I had to slow down and settle in a good pace. I was running well until at 3km to go I slowed down. I was feeling tired and they guys behind were fast approaching. Still I found some energy to push the last 1km to finish the race in a good 2^nd place in 34.51

I would like to thank the Malta Triathlon Federation, my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta, BBB Bike parts Malta and Jaycee Malta, My club Birkirkara St Joseph, my parents, my wife’s parents, my coach Dermot Galea and my swimming coach Catalin Stan. Thanks again for helping throughout this season

A big thank you goes to my No 1 supporter, my wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth was fundamental for me during this season. It was a very difficult season. I had a lot of difficulties to face and things were not going the way I wanted. Everything seemed much more difficult however thanks to my wife I am still on top

Thanks my love xxxxx

That’s all for now

Yours in Sports

Keith

See you next year!!!!

6th Time Winner of BSJ Triathlon Series

Hi Everyone

On the 22nd September I took part in the last race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series. I was looking for a strong performance and a good time. Unfortunately it was a bit windy and it was a bit difficult to establish another course record and try to go under the 59mins barrier. However I wanted to test myself again. This was the last triathlon before the National Championships and I wanted to see the effects of all the hard training done. 

Today I was determined to do a good swim. I have been swimming a lot lately, covering over 20km a week of swimming, going up and down in both National and MFA Taqali pool. I started the swim at a very fast pace and went into the lead immediately. I was feeling strong and although the sea was very choppy, I was feeling comfortable. Today I was determined to be the first triathlete out of the water. I managed to do so and surprisingly I swam the 750m in 11.02 which is the fastest swim from all the four races.

It was a windy day and I had to forget fast times on the bike. I was a bit frustrated as I was feeling strong and could have done a great time if weather permitted. I had a strong bike covering the 20km in exactly 30mins. I did not push a lot on the bike though as I wanted to save my legs for the run. Since it was windy I opted to use lighter gears than usual especially headwind, however still maintained a good lead over my nearest rivals.

I suffered a bit in the first kilometre of the 5km run as I felt my legs a bit heavy. However my legs were feeling better after, so it was a good choice to step back a bit on the bike. In fact I managed to establish the fastest run of the day and also the fastest run of the whole series in 17.38 covering all the triathlon in 59.43 thus winning the series for the 6th Time in my career in style as managed to beat my nearest opponent by 1mins 40sec and 3rd athlete by 3mins.

I am very pleased with this performance. I used this race as part of my preparations for the National Triathlon Championships on the 6th October and with the results achieved lately, all seems on the right track to have a good performance next Sunday.

I would like to thank first the Malta Triathlon Federation for the great support they give me, my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta, BBB Bike parts Malta and Jaycee Malta, My club Birkirkara St Joseph, my parents, my wife’s parents, my coach Dermot Galea and my swimming coach Catalin Stan. Thanks again for helping in achieving such a good result.

A big thank you goes to my No 1 supporter, my wife Elizabeth for her constant support she gives me. Thanks my lovexxx

That’s all for now. 

Yours in Sport 

Keith

What an Experiance

Hi Everyone

On Sunday 15^th September, I participated in the most important race of the World Triathlon Calendar, The Pruhealh World Triathlon Grand Final held in London, Hyde Park. I have been training hard for this race for the past months because the level was very high especially in my age group. I had to compete against the top triathletes of Great Britain, Australia, and USA.

We were very lucky that we had very good weather for the race on Sunday morning. All the other races had been done in very bad weather conditions. The lake was 15 degrees and the race organisation opted to shorten the swim from 1500 to 750m. I was very excited before the race. It was a new experience for me racing against athletes from other continents. Thanks to my wife I managed to calm down and focus on the task ahead.

I had a very good swim. I tried to stay with the main group. At one point I could not see the buoy as the sun was directly in front of us. I just followed the others in front and hoping that they were going in the right direction. I completed the swim in 10.39 (My Garmin showed that the correct swim distance was 950m – that was a Personal best). We had to run for T1 for 600m. My legs were frozen and I could not run comfortable and it took me a while to put in my cycling shoes on as well. T1 took me around 3mins. It was one of the longest transitions ever

The bike course was wonderful. We had 2 loops and we cycled through Buckingham Palace, parliament, Trafalgar square and also the Maltese embassy. The course was fast but we had to tackle a lot of turns and that affected the average speed. The course was more of a tourist sightseeing. I covered the 40km in 1.01 in an average speed of 39km/hr. On Friday I went to cycle around London to test the bike course. It was hell as I had to stop for every traffic lights and the amount of traffic. However it was worth it as I knew how to tackle the course on race day

T2 was as long as T1. Another 3 minutes added on the overall time. Legs were still frozen and it was not easy to put on my running shoes. Then I went to tackle the run. It was a 3 lap course around the serpentine. I was really running well and felt really strong. The course was fast so really pushed for a good time. I covered the 10km in 35.10 to finish the race in 1hr 54mins. I am really pleased with my performance. I did my best. I finished 37^th in my age group and 130 overall from over 5000 participants. The trip finished on a very high note as on Monday before leaving, I met the greatest triathlete on all time. The 3 times World Champion Javier Gomez. I feel very lucky that I met him. We talked a bit and gave me his signature and we had a picture together as well

I would like to thank first the Malta Triathlon Federation for the great support they gave to the team during the trip, my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta, BBB Bike parts Malta and Jaycee Malta, My club Birkirkara St Joseph, my parents, my wife’s parents, my coach Dermot Galea and my swimming coach Catalin Stan. Thanks again for helping in achieving such a good result.

A big thank you goes to my No 1 supporter, my wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth was fundamental especially before the race. I was getting over excited and she managed to calm me. Thanks my love xxxxx

That’s all for now

Yours in Sports

Keith

COURSE RECORD

Hi Everyone

Finally I broke the course record in the 3rd race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series held on the 25^th August. The previous record was of my brother coach Dermot Galea set in 2006 of 59minutes 9 seconds. The weather was perfect and I noticed that with my current form it was possible to beat the record and make history. I started the race fast and tried to keep with the swimmers which forms part of the relay teams. I covered the 750m swim in 11minutes 4 seconds in first place. I was focused to do a good transition as every seconds count. I attacked immediately the bike. I set into a very fast pace and I was going for a really good time. In the middle of the bike I was feeling legs a bit tired as I think I pushed a lot in the first couple of kilometres.

I had to encounter a problem with an arriva bendy bus as it really slowed me down yet again. I kept calm and I still kept on pushing and eased the pace a bit in the last few kilometres to save some energy for the run. I covered the 20km in 29minutes 17seconds setting an average speed of 40.5km/hr. I started the run at a fast pace. I kept on pushing and pushing till I could not push no more. The last few metres were a very tough as I wanted to push more but I was really at my limit. I gave everything I had in my body to win the race in a COURSE RECORD TIME of 59minutes 1 second.

I covered the 5km in 17minutes 41seconds and also managed to consolidate my lead in the general classification as I won the race by 2minutes 30seconds margin. I really trained hard to get this record. I am a bit disappointed because I could have been the first triathlete to go under the 59minutes barrier but still am happy to have broken the record of my brother Dermot, who in my opinion is the best ever Maltese triathlete.

Before this race I took part in the last race of the Birkirkara St Joseph 5km running series. It was the final duel against my club teammate Steve Chetcuti. I started the race with a disadvantage of 4 seconds in the general classification. I attacked from the first kilometre but Steve produced a wonderful performance to cover all my attacks and beat me in a sprint finish. I covered the 5km in 16.22. 4 seconds behind Steve. Steve did a great comeback after last year he was badly injured. Am glad he is back in top form. Well done mate you deserve this win!!

I am very happy that finally I broke the record and now my target is to go under 59minutes. I did my best to win the 5km series but these races were part of my training schedule and I was not in the best shape on the start and to finish second is a bonus. I would like to thank my brother coach Dermot Galea, my swimming coach Catalin Stan, my parents and my wife’s parents for their support. My club Birkirkara St Joseph and my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta which provides me with supplement and the NOENE SOLES and BBB Bike parts.

I would like to say a big big thank you to my wife Elizabeth. Here support is so much important to me. She gives me most of the strength I have in order to prudence such a good performance. Thanks my love. Now my next racing commitments are the WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS in London on the 15^th September.

That’s all for now

Yours in sports, Keith

Pierre Borg wins Mosta Sprint Elite Race

Agones Sfc Rider Pierre Borg won the Santa Marija Sprint Elite Race, organised by the Mosta AF Sign Studio as part of the celebration for the St. Mary Feast.  Coached by Malta Triathlon Champion Keith Galea, the Agones Rider launched his final sprint at 400m to go.  Mosta Riders Steve Sciberras and Paul Magri immediately responded to Borg's Sprint but they could not match his incredible sprinting Power and went on to win his first race of the season with Sciberras and Magri coming in second and Third respectively. Borg's win is also the first win for Agones Sfc in a Cycling Elite Race.

Pierre Borg had a very good season. He came 3rd overall in the 3rd race of the National Cycling championships held in Zurrieq, 2nd in the Criterium Race held in Siggiewi and was part of the winning relay team of the 2nd race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series where he performed the 20km bike segment registering the 3rd best bike split of the day.

2nd in my category in the Garmin Cernobbio Triathlon

Hi Everyone

During the past month I was training hard for the Garmon TriO Cernobbio Triathlon. Before the race I took part in several races as part of my training schedule. I came 2^nd in the 2^nd race of the BSJ 5km series setting a new personal best time of 16mins 17sec. I also took part in the 4th and 5^th race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Swimming Series, coming 3^rd in 29.48 and 4^th in a personal best time on 2km in 28.15

On Sunday 4^th August I was on the starting line for the Garmin TriO Cernobbio Triathlon, Province of Como. I managed to produce a very good performance. The race was part of the Italian ranking, so the best Italian triathletes were expected to be on the starting line. The prevailing weather were not ideal as the race started at 1pm in temperature hovering around 40 degrees Temperature

Swimming strongly against the water currents of Lake Como, I managed to cover the 1.5km swim in 23minutes 22 seconds. The 40km bike course was very hilly and we had to cycle from Cernobbio through the village of Mennaggio and back twice. I covered the 40km in 1 hour 2 minutes. At the point when I  started the run, the weather was hot. I started the hilly 10km at a good pace but the heat was taking its toll on my pace. He covered the 10km in 40minutes 20 sec to finish the race in 2 hours 8mins and a respectable 22^nd place from 800 participants including Italian professional Triathletes, and 2^nd in my Category

I am very happy with my performance. I wanted to test myself with the Italian guys. Unfortunately since I was a foreigner, I was in the non- Italian wave and happened to be the strongest. In fact I came 1st in my wave. However I spent too much time alone on the bike while the Italians were drafting and this was a major drawback. The heat in the run was very taxing and I could not run at my usual pace. I would like to thanks my sponsor Garmin Malta for assisting me during this trip

Back in Malta, I took part in the last race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Open water Swimming Championships. Thanks to my good performance in the 4km swim, the Saint finished 3^rd overall in the General Classification. I would like to thank the KMS for the 20/20 Elite Scheme, my sponsors  Garmin Malta, Starbene Shop of Mosta and BBB Bike Parts, my coach Dermot Galea and also my wife Elizabeth Galea for accompanying and supporting my during this trip.

My Next race is the 3^rd and final race of the Birkirkara St Joseph 5km Running Series on the 20^th August and 5 days after will compete in the 3^rd race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series. However All is targeted for the race on the 15^th September were I will be representing Malta in the World Triathlon Championships in London, Hyde Park

Thats all for now

Keep tuned

Keith

Another victory in BSJ Triathlon Series

Hi Everyone

On the 14^th July I participated in the second race of the Birkirkara St. Joseph Triathlon Series. At the moment my training is focused on the race that I will be doing in Italy on the 4^th august so I wasn’t that sharp as I wished to be for this race but still wanted to well and win the race and extend my lead in the series’ overall classification.

I started the swim at a very strong pace. Went into the lead immediately and I managed to open a good gap on my closest rival covering the 750m in 11minutes which was the best swim split of the day As soon as I started the bike, I felt that my legs were still not in shape after the hard training I did during the week. It took me a bit of time to get into a good rhythm. My rivals were closing the gap behind and slipped to second place. However since I had someone in front to aim was beneficial as I got into a good pace

In the middle of the bike segment I ended up between two Arriva bendy buses. I lost a lot of time trying to overtake them and at one point the bus in front braked and was going to get smashed in between. It was a great risk. I kept calm and still kept on pushing. I came into transition area in first place. I wanted to do a fast transition as I was on time of a personal best. However I lost a lot of time trying to find my stuff. The athlete that had my bike near mine put his bag on my running shoes and I lost a lot of time. I covered the 20km in 29.41 which is a good time but I know I can do much better.

I started the run at a very fast pace. I wanted to do a personal best and wanted to gain back the time lost. There were a few runners of the relay teams in front of me so had a good target trying to catch them. Half way through, I fell and hit my knee badly. I still continued running as fast as I can but praying not to have any other mishap till the finishing line. I finished the race in first place in a time of 59.34, still a personal best time by 6 seconds. I managed to set the best running split of the day covering the 5km in 17.39

I am pleased with my performance but a bit disappointed as with such a good weather I could have gone much faster if I had strong legs and if I didnt had all those mishaps during the race. There are still two sprint races to go so I still have another chance to go faster. I would like to thank my coach Dermot Galea and my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, Starbene shop of Mosta and BBB for their constant support. I would like to say a big thank you to my wife Elizabeth for always coming to support me in every single race

That's all for now

Yours in Sport

Keith

First in opening race of Birkirkara St Joseph 5km Running Series

Hi Everyone

On the 25^th June I took part in the first 5km Race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Road Running Series. The race was part of my training programme. The race was my third session of the day so did not have the fresh legs I wished to have. The week before I managed to complete 27 hours of training and I was a bit tired. I wasn’t expecting much of the race however since I was on the start line of a race I will do my best as usual

As soon as the race started I stayed in the leading pack till the 2^nd Kilometre. After 2km I went in the lead and increased the pace to try and make selection. Legs were still good so I kept on pushing. Only Club team mate Steve Chetcuti managed to keep my pace until the last 200m where I opened a good sprint finish which gave the win in a Personal Best time of 16.17sec.

I also took part in the 2^nd and 3^rd Race of the Birkirkara st Joseph Swimming Series. Both races were of 2km held at Salina Bay. In the first race I had to start in the second wave as I missed the first race of the series due to international commitments in Turkey. It was going to be a 2km Time Trail as I was the fastest swimmer in the wave. I really had to push in order to do a fast time and to finish among the top swimmers. I managed in this attempt as I completed the 2km in 28.48, a new personal best time and finished third in the process.

In the third race, I was in the first wave. I tried to stay behind top Malta Swimmer Neil Agius but he was a class on his own. I ended up in a group of five swimmers. I stayed in front of the group setting up a fast pace. I tried to keep a high momentum to put a gap in between but did not manage. A sprint finish had to decide who will grab 2^nd Place. At 200m to go my opponents opened their sprint. I immediately responded and managed to grab 2^nd place in a new personal best time of 28.47. At the moment I am 3^rd overall in the general classification

I am very pleased with all my performances especially with the 5km as it’s the second win of the season. I am very pleased with my form and am looking forward for the forthcoming races. My next race is the 2^nd race of the birkirkara st Joseph triathlon series.

That’s all for now

Yours in Sport

Keith

Bronze Medal in the ETU European Triathlon Championships

Hi Everyone,

Recently I flew to turkey to participate in the European Triathlon Championships which took place in Alanya on the 14^th June. The level was very high but was still confident that I could achieve a great result. From the results obtained from recent races and tests, I knew that I am in a good shape and wanted to show that in this race as I peaked specifically for this event.

In the 1500m swim I stayed in leading pack. I covered the distance in 22minutes 40 seconds. I expected much better since my times in training are much faster. However I was only 1mins away from the leader so still was a positive result since usually I will be more that 2mins from the first swimmer. It strange that no one swam under 20mins which means that there is the possibility that the course was a bit long.

As soon as I started the bike I felt my legs strong and fresh. It was a positive sign. The only concern was the parts with cobblestones. 15km of the 40km was with cobblestones and that reduces a bit the pace. At first I was not feeling comfortable and couldn’t maintain the pace I wanted on this type of surface. I adapted my position a bit on the bike in order to be more stable than aerodynamic on the bike. The pace I was keeping was very fast and I knew I was going to do a good time. I covered the 40km in a personal best time of 57minutes 45 seconds. An impressive time.

With such a bike spilt, I knew I could break the 2 hour barrier If I ran well. The 10km was completely flat so the chances to run fast were high. I started the run fast but steady and increasing the pace each lap. My wife was there shouting and her support proved to be crucial as in the last lap I said to myself “It’s now or never”. I increased the pace and kept on pushing till the finish line. My Wife and MTF President were shouting as soon as I approached the finishing line.

I sprinted home in a new personal best time 1hr 57mins and winning the bronze Medal in the process.   I covered the 10km in 36minutes which is a fast running split. It was a great honour and very emotional moment when I received my medal on the podium with the Maltese flag around me.  Such a result gives me more motivation to keep on training harder and harder.

I would like to thank my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta and BBB for their constant support, my parents, the Malta triathlon Federation, my club Birkirkara St Joseph,  my brother coach Dermot for their support as well. A big thanks goes to my wife Elizabeth for here great support she gives me every single day.

That’s all for now

Yours in Sport - Keith

Back to winning ways

Hi Everyone

Finally the first win of the season arrived. After a poor performance at the national Duathlon Championships due to sickness, I am back on winning ways. I won the first race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series, a series I won for 5 times in my career.  This year I focused a lot on running and had very good performances placing among the top 3 runners. For me that was like a win but coming first is a different feeling. It was not easy for me psychologically to be back on the start line so soon after such a performance in the duathlon but I was determined to prove that I am still on top.

The Triathlon was held at Kalkara Bay. Since it was a different route I did most of my sessions at race venue. I tackled mostly the bike as it was very technical and with false flats parts. It’s a route that it does not suit my characteristics, however if I trained a lot on it I could make the difference. I started the swim at a very fast pace. I took the lead after the first buoy together with my brother/coach Dermot. I was first out of the water covering the 750m in 11minutes 20seconds.

On the bike, I tried to push and put some gap between my brother and I but Dermot was strong so I settled in a good pace. Both my brother and I kept a constant pace. The route was very difficult so I tried to save my legs for the run as it will determine the winner of the race. I covered the 20km in 33minutes registering the third best bike split.

After the bike to run transition I immediately went into the lead. My legs were fresh and I noticed that Dermot was suffering a bit so I pushed a lot. I opened a good gap. In the turnaround there were no marshals and I did not turn until someone told me to turn back because I was going in a completely wrong way. Most of my advantage build was reduced. I kept calm and pushed again to win the race 20seconds in front of my brother and a minute in front of the 3^rd athlete.

I am happy that I am back to winning ways. I trained a lot for this victory and after a win I feel that all the training I am doing is worth it. Now my next commitment is next Friday were I will be on the start line for the European Triathlon Championships which are going to be held in Alanya Turkey were am looking for a positive result and a strong performance. I would like to thank my sponsors GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta and BBB for their constant support.

That’s all for Now

Yours in Sports

Keith

Bad day ruins title defence

Hi Everyone,

On the 18^th May I participated in the national Duathlon Championships. I was looking forward to this race as I was really determined to defend my title. I trained hard for it. In fact my training was very encouraging. After coming back from my honey moon, I had 7 weeks of training to prepare for the race. They were hard 7 weeks and in these 2 weeks I participated in 2 races.

The first race was on the 21^st April. I participated in the last race on the MAAA 10km road running league. I was expecting much from this race as I was still in the third week of pure training. However I had a great result covering the distance in 34.30 coming 4^th overall and 3^rd Maltese. The 2^nd race was the Malta 113km Half Ironman. I did only the 90km segment. Our team was composed of Steve chetcuti swimmer and David Agius Lia the runner.  I was happy that we came first in the relay team competition. My performance was good, however due to inexperience in doing such a long time trail I didn’t paced it well and the last 30km were very painful. I covered the 90min in 2hrs 29mins with an average speed of 36km/hr.

The Duathlon was held at the Zebbug by pass and it consisted of 8.5km run, 38km bike and 4.25km run. I started at a very fast pace. I was leading the race together with another athlete. I was feeling good and confident. However when I started the bike I had a shock. I started suffering from cramps immediately in the first lap. I started to worry as it was a bad sign. I was still leading the race but I could not make the difference. The cramps continued to increase and I could nt push. The wind got stronger and stronger by time and this didn’t help. Pushing with cramps was devastating for my legs as then they got tired and slipped to second place. At that point I noticed I lost the title

In the second run I still kept on pushing to get the lost ground however cramps increased and at one point I stopped walking and then continued to jog as much as I could till the finish line just to finish it race. At one point I was going to stop as I could not run fast with all those cramps and it was very frustrating. I finished the race in 4^th Place. I was very disappointed with this performance. I was not expecting such results. The cramps ruined my race and even on the bike I was not that strong as I was last year

After the race I talked to my coach and we discovered several factors that all together led to such a result. We think that I got dehydrated before the race because maybe I took a bit more coffee that usual as I was feeling a bit nervous before the race and this results in severe cramps.  Another factor was that it was a very bad weather with strong winds and I rarely perform well in such conditions, and the fact that I didn’t like the route as I never performed well on it was another factor.

We looked a bit on the training and we think that since the training was not targeted on this race specifically is another factor as we have other targets in mind. Training is focused on drafting races for international races so the bike intensity was decreased and since this year we focused a lot on running because of the half marathon the cycling intensity was decreased a lot compared to previous years. It is not a matter of fitness or not training well as after the race I did a performance test and the results clearly shows that I am in the best shape of my life as I registered a personal best in it. We now did some arrangement in the training and in the nutrition in order to avoid such a result again.

All the above factors altogether led to such a performance and this means that it was not meant to be. I am still very disappointed as I wanted to win but after a great season like last year a bad trace had to come. Now I am back to training. Am feeling well and am looking forward for the next races to be back on winning ways. I would like to that my sponsors, GARMIN MALTA, STARBENE SHOP of Mosta, and BBB for their support. A big thanks to my wife Elizabeth because she held my a lot during this difficult period after the race in order to pick up myself and get back stronger

That’s all for now

Yours in Sport

Keith

3rd MLT and a New PB in Malta Half Marathon

Hi Everyone

Yesterday I took part in the Malta Half Marathon. My target was to finish among the top 3 Maltese and set a time around 1hr 15mins. I was so looking forward for this years half Marathon as i wanted to do a great performance. In fact I peaked and trained specifically for this race.

After very encouraging results in the mdina spinola and in local 10km road races battling with the Maltese top runners setting new personal bests I was very confident. Unfortunately i did not had a good week leading up to the race as i was a bit sick and was not sleeping well. I knew something was wrong. I was sweating a lot during the night even the night before the race. That means that I had temperature. 

Although sick i wanted to do a good performance at least. On Race Day I noticed that there was the possibility to come first Maltese. I went with the leading pack however they were a bit faster so i settled in my own pace. Felt running well and relaxed. An athlete from ragusa caught me and kept on with him. I was first maltese at the moment and was surprised actually. I was hoping to hang on because i knew my body was not responding as usual although i was running well.

I was feeling well but when we reached bieb il bombi my legs all of a sudden felt heavy. I started to have cramps and legs got heavier and heavier. I was struggling.I looked back and noticed that the two maltese behind me were gaining ground. I did everything i could do to hang on but at 1.5km to go the two Maltese caught me and finished 3rd Maltese in 1.15.16, a new personal best by 4mins

Target achieved but pity i was sick because i think i could have come 1st Maltese. After the race i went home in bed with 101 temperature. Now i know that to finish 1st maltese can be achieved and i know i can go faster than 1.15. Now will have a period of recovery and focus on other important stuff as in three weeks time i am getting married. The last month was a bit stressful as i had to train for the race, prepare the wedding and arrange the new house so maybe got sick due to the accumulation of stress. After the honeymoon will be back training harder than ever to achieve my targets set for the rest of the year

I would like to thank my Coach, 10 times Malta Triathlon Champion Dermot Galea for his training, nutritionist Johanna Calleja, my parents, my club Birkirkara St Joseph, my sponsors Garmin Malta, Starbene Shop of Mosta and BBB for their constant support. I would like to say a big thank you to my wife to be so so so soon Elizabeth Galea for here believe in my abilties and here help especially in the last month which was very stressful for both of us. Without you i would not have achieved my target even if i was not in the best possible shape. Thanks qalbi xxx

Yours in Sport

Keith

Close to Top Form

Hi Everyone Training is now at the final stages before the half marathon. January was a bit tough regarding training. I kept on training three times a day with a specific focus on running but still keeping my fitness in swimming and cycling. On the 27th January I took part in the 4th race of the MAAA Road running League. It was a 10km at Taqali. I was really looking forward for this race as it was close to my home town, and it was my debut in an official race as a Garmin sponsored athlete. The representative of Garmin Malta was at the race venue so I was aiming for a strong performance.

                                                       

 As usual I went in the leading pack trying to stay among the top runners as much as I could do. After 2km I was part of a group of four fighting for third place. The pace was really fast for the first stages of the race. In fact I did the first 5km in 16.17 which is my personal best on a 5km by 8seconds. We started too fast and was worried that the second half of the race was going to be difficult for me. In fact I lost contact from the group as they increased the pace. I settled in my own pace and trying to keep a good technique and keeping the runners in front of me in sight The last 2km were very difficult as they were all false flat and it was headwind till the end. I knew I was close for a personal best so I kept digging in till the end. I really gave everything I’ve got and it was worth it as I managed a new personal best time of 33.48, an improvement by a mere 1 second. I was really happy also with my position, 6th overall and 4th Maltese. I am getting closer and closer to the best Maltese runners.

                       

After this race I had two hard weeks of training with the classic Attard 10km Road Race at the end. I was not expecting much from it as I was a bit tired with training but I really like this race so I want to perform well as much as I could. As the race started I went immediately in the leading pack. The pace was rather slow at the beginning, everyone was looking at each other waiting who is going in front and set the pace. I went in front but I just kept a steady pace. Did not want to kill myself and since we started slow I did not bother for another personal best and I preferred to play my cards well in case there was the possibility to win the race. The leading pack was composed of 5 runners. After 4km we ended up only 3 fighting for the race. After 5km the Polish professional triathlete went in front and started running like mad. The pace increased drastically and I really pushed to stay with the group until at 2km to go I lost contact. The Polish guy kept on running well. The guy in second place lost also contact. I kept on pushing trying to catch up the lost ground and grabbing second place. Covering the last kilometre in 2.59 was not enough to finish the race in 3rd place and 2nd Maltese just 12 seconds away from the win and in an unexpected personal best time of 33.42.

                                             

I am very pleased with my performances in both race, 2 personal best in 2 weeks. This was a good showing as a new Garmin sponsored athlete. Now all is set for the half marathon in 2 weeks’ time. These last two weeks will be just taper training and hopefully will get the result I’ve been working for

That’s all for know Yours in Sports. Keith

Medcomms LTD Sponsorship

Hi Everyone GREAT NEWS. Medcomms Limted , the local Garmin distributors are my new sponsors. A statement issued by the local representative of Medcomms LTD, states that they welcome this sponsorship where I will be representing them both in local and international events. Medcomms LTD will keep me updated with any triathlete watch Garmin release and also with marketing materials that will help me during his training workout. I am very happy with this agreement and am very looking forward to compete with Garmin fitness products in the forthcoming races.I would like to thank Medcomms LTD for showing such confidence in my abilities and I promise to represent Garmin in the best possible way.

Recently I took part in the Bugibba 10km, the third race of the MAAA Road running league. I took this race as part of my weekly training. I started the race trying to keep up with the best runners. After 3km I was part of a group of 3 . I tried my best to keep up with them but legs were not that sharp. After 5km i was in 5th place, but a mellieha runner was approaching fast. Managed to defend my place as at 2km to go I increased the pace as was feeling legs much better to finish the race in 35minutes 30seconds.

I am pleased with my race. It was very windy so the time is good and finishing 5th and 4th Maltese among the top runners is a bonus for me. Training is going well at the moment. Am training hard but sensible in order to be in a good shape for the Malta Half Marathon. Thanks for following my blog. Yours in Sports Keith.