Yo adrian, I am a Europen CHAMPION

Hi Everyone, I can’t still believe it. I am a European Champion. It was a great emotion when I crossed the finishing line and listening to the announcer saying “Here comes Keith Galea from MALTA”. I was expecting to place at least among the top three in my category but I was not expecting to win it. The trip to Israel was an adventure in itself. It was the first time that I travelled completely alone and it was not a very good idea especially in country like Israel

It was difficult to enter in the country with all those security checks and questions. In my passport there was the timbre of when I went to Tunisia to compete in the African Championships and had to answer very stupid questions. I spent a whole day traveling to Israel and flights were during the night. Fortunately I had time to recover in time for the race. I was very worried the day before the race as I felt very bad and tired. Fortunately on Race day legs responded well. Eilat is a nice place. It is an ideal place for a relaxing holiday however I don’t suggest Israel as your first preference for a holiday.

Two weeks before the race, a rocket was sent from Syria to Eilat, which are very close. When I arrived to Eilat, the airport and the streets were surrounded by soldiers with huge snipers and machine guns. At one point I thought why I came here to race. I wanted to go back as soon as possible. Going back to Malta was not an easy task. Had to go all through those security checks, answering those stupid questions and I don’t know how many times had to open my bike box. I was glad that I arrived to Malta safe and sound.

I was in the first wave. I started the swim at a very fast pace and tried to stay with the leaders. I kept the main group in sight. The sea was ideal for a good swim. In fact I covered the 1500m in 21minutes which I was very pleased. After the swim, we had to run at least 500m and that adds to the total time so had to forget personal bests. After a good transition I went to tackle the 40km bike. It was a 1 loop out and back course. I was expecting it was going to be hard to keep a high average speed in the first 20km but was not expecting to be that hard. I t was so windy that I could not keep 30km/hr. I covered the first 20km in 40minutes. It was hard for everyone. I was very frustrated that I could increase the speed. So I decided to ride high gears in order to save my legs for the next half of the race. In the next 20km wind was behind us and it was very fun riding so fast. I covered the next 20km in 23mins. That was very fast,

The scenery of the bike segment was fantastic. Riding in the desert was a great experience. At one point we have to cross the border from Eilat to Jerusalem. I covered the bike in 1.03 minutes. I Could have been a little faster if I did not lost the road before entering in transition area. I started the run at a good pace. I noticed that I was gaining ground on my rivals. At one point I got a bit excited as the possibility to become a European champion was becoming a reality. I was feeling great and was running very good. I covered the 10km in 36minutes to finish in 2hrs 5mins. I finished 3rd in my wave and 6th in all Europe and most of all I became EUROPEAN CHAMPION OF MY CATEGORY.

The last 200me were fantastic. I was over the moon crossing the finish line and hearing my name from the announcer. I felt a great emotion when I went on to the podium and receiving my gold medal. I am proud to be the first Maltese to achieve such a feat. I would like to dedicate this medal to an important person in my life, my girlfriend Elizabeth. I missed here so much when I was in Eilat. Although I was alone, I knew that she was with me in the spirit. Here support leading up to the race was incredible and I hope she is proud of me. I would like to thank my parents, my brother and great coach Dermot and my Nutritionist Johanna Calleja. Their help was fundamental in order to be crowned European Champion That’s all for know Yours in Sports Keith Galea Age group 20-24 European Champion

2nd Overall and first Age group in Sicily Duathlon Champonships

Hi Everyone,

After winning the National Duathlon Championships for the first time in my career, I participated in the Sicily Duathlon Championships a week later. I knew that I was in a good shape after a great victory but I was not expecting such a good result in Sicily however it was not that easy either. Had a lot of challenges to face however I had the right support in order to overcome these challenges and produce a great performance.

I arrived at the hotel at around 2am in the morning and race started at 12.30 so did not had an ideal pre-race good night sleep and had problems when setting up the bike. The race had to start at 11.30 but started an hour late and this proved to be crucial for weather conditions. It rained a bit during the night however roads dried but as soon as the race started its started really raining heavily.

I started the first 5km at a very fast pace to test my legs which responded well and also my rivals. I was leading the main group and set a fast pace in order to make selection. It was raining a lot and was not really looking forward for the bike as the roads looked slippery and dangerous. Came into T1 in first place and then set off to tackle the 20km technical course.



At this stage it was still raining but not so heavy. Was caught but Stefano Foti, current Sicily champion and we started pacing together. The course was very hilly and it was very technical and with those very dangerous conditions it came too technical for my tastes. Foti noticed that I was suffering in those conditions and attacked. I tried to keep up with him but it was difficult riding hard in those conditions.

On the 3rd lap and last lap of the bike It started raining so heaving that the visibility was not so good. I could not see properly and lost a lot of time. Came into T2 in 3rd place and I started the last 2.5km run trying to gain the lost ground. After 1km I was in 2nd place and had the leader in sight. I really pushed had to win the race but Foti gained sufficient time on the bike to win the race by 15seconds



I am happy with my performance. I was not expecting such a great performance. I am happy with my second place and also with the win in my age group. If weather conditions were not so bad I could have a great chance to win the race but never mind, am still happy with the race. I could not have done such a great performance without the great support of my girlfriend Elizabeth. She gave me the right support and calmed me down when things were not going the right way.

That’s all for now

Yours in sports

Keith

At Last Malta Duathlon Champion

Finally the 2012 triathlon season started with the national Duathlon championships. I was waiting impatiently for this race. After a difficult 2011 season, I promised to myself that 2012 will be my year. My coach Dermot did not peaked me for the race but still we wanted the championship back to where it belongs, to the club and to the Galea family. With very encouraging results in running and cycling races, I was looking forward to do a great performance and to make it clear that I am the man to beat this year.

When the race started, I sprinted in front of the pack. I wanted to lead and settle the pace myself. Legs were responding well. When someone tried to skip me I immediately increased the pace to lead the pack. I wanted to open a gap before T1. I managed to do so and covered the first 5km in 17.10, 35seconds in front of 2nd and 3rd placed athletes. After a good transition, I felt that my legs were having a good day, so I immediately started pushing.



After the first lap I noticed that I was gaining ground on my nearest rival. After the first lap I increased my advantage to 50seconds. I was feeling great. It was a bit windy on the bike. The winds were a bit strong on both sides so one had to dig in all the way. I continued to increase my advantage in every lap and the chances to be crowned national champion where increasing. I kept a reasonable good average speed of 39km/hr covering the 27km in 40minutes 40 seconds. Coming back to transition area I increased my advantage to 2minutes 30seconds. A very good advantage but still I was not satisfied.



When I started the 2nd run, my legs were still fresh after the strong bike I had. I was afraid that will feel some cramps as I felt a couple of cramps in the last lap of the bike. However everything was fine and I kept on pushing and pushing till I could not push no more. I did not want to relax. I wanted to push till the end and shoe my dominance. Was not happy to win by 2 mins, I wanted more.



Seeing I was way in front, the last 200m were awesome. When you win a championship for the first time, the last 200m are the most beautiful thing you remember from the whole race. When I crossed the finish line, I shouted CHAMPION CHAMPION!!!!. After a difficult 2011 season where everyone thought that I am finished. Well I am back, faster stronger and quicker. I won the race by 4mins advantage from my next rival, winning the race in 1hr 08. 52. The first thing I did after I crossed the finish line, was to hug my girlfriend Elizabeth. Before the championship I was going through a difficult period and she helped me a lot to go through it. The support she gave me before and during the race was incredible; she gave the extra energy needed to produce this wonderful win.

This time I did not want to win for myself. I wanted to win this race for 2 persons who were fundamental in the build-up for this race. I would like to thanks the best triathlon coach on the island Dermot Galea. His hard training regime, 25-30hrs a week and his fundamental advices helped me to enter in the history of Malta Triathlon by becoming the 6th athlete to win triathlon and Duathlon championships and Triathlete of the year award. I would like to thank my nutritionist Johanna Calleja. Thanks to her nutrition plans I am in the best shape of my life. In October I was weighing 65km with 14% body fat. Now I am 57kg with only 5% body fat. I followed her nutrition plans to the letter and now I am extremely happy to see all these results.



I am satisfied with this championship win but I still want to keep on winning. I am training 3 times a day making lots of sacrifices to improve. I want to win. This is only the beginning…..

Podium Places in Attard 10km and Team Time Trail

Hi Everyone,

Training is going really well at the moment. Thanks to the 20/20 KMS Scheme I am training a lot. At the moment I am training 3 times daily and 1 day rest a week. This means that I am training between 25 to 30hrs of training a week. I am still in the Base phase of my training. No speed work at all. With the results I got in the races I took part recently, I am very surprised but happy because everything is working fine including my nutrition.



On the 12th February, I took part in the Attard 10km. I was not expecting much as I continued training normally. The day before the race at 8.30pm I was still on my turbo trainer doing my session. I started the race trying to keep with the top guys till I could hang on. After 4km I was surprised that I was still in the leading pack. At half way point, I was in 5th place, 50m away from the leaders. Then at 2km to go, I increased the pace a lot and climbed up to 4th and at 1km to go I’ve put out all my energy I had in my body to earn 3rd Place and a new personal best time of 33minutes 50 seconds, just 5 seconds away from winner.



A week after I took part in the Zebbug Cycling 100km Road Race. I tried to go into some breakaways but the main group didn’t let me go. Unfortunately I was not part of the decisive breakaway at 60km to go. My coach Dermot Galea told me not to do anything until half of the race as we had to take the race as a training session. Seeing that I was not part of the breakaway I stayed in the main group working for others and keeping a good pace. Eventually finished with the main group in 12th place



On the 4th March I took part in the Annual Team Time Trial organised by Greens C.C. The Birkirkara St Joseph Team was composed of Rudolph Agius, Steve Chetcuti, Guest Rider Patrick Scicluna and I. Unfortunately I was not on top form as I had gastric flu during the week but fortunately I recovered a bit in time for the race. It was a great race. We were really cycling well and strong against very strong winds. We came 2nd and covered the 40km route at Salina Bay in a time of 58.55. The Greens A team were in a class of their own so the real battle was between us and The Cyclist C.C. for 2nd Place. Few seconds divided us till half way but we put in the highest gear and managed to get what we wanted.



The results were highly positive. I am very happy with my new PB on 10km. I was not expecting that time especially at this stage. I am so happy that managed to run with the top Maltese runners. The Team Time Trail was a great experience. What made it so wonderful was that all of us were cycling in a team for a common goal and not to show who is the strongest from all of us. It was a great pleasure to ride so fast among such friends and also with a good rider of the experience of Patrick Scicluna. Good Effort Guys, we did great. Was a pleasure riding with you!!!

Yours,

Keith

Gozo Training Camp

Hi Everyone

The year 2012 kicked off on a very high note. This year’s A Priority race are all to be held on a hilly course. My coach, Dermot Galea (Malta Triathlon Champion and level 3 British Triathlon Coach), assigned me a 4 day training Camp in Gozo. Following my coaches’ quote “you train for the race”. Gozo was the perfect option!

The first day of the training camp started with a 4.5km swim session at the MFA Ta’Qali pool, with club teammate Barry Farrugia. The session’s main focus was on Muscular Endurance. After we went to Gozo and settled ourselves in a flat at Qbajjar. We had a 50mins hilly run from Qbajjar to Victoria and back in the afternoon, followed by a 1hr Core work session. After the session, Barry had to take his daily treat, “panina bil - jam” with coffee. In the evening we went out for dinner, in a restaurant at Marsalforn.



The second day was the hardest day of the camp. Barry and I had a 4hr Hilly Long Ride. I covered 100km and it was really tough. After an Hour of warm up, we went to Xaghra and covered 10 laps of the Xaghra Circuit. This circuit was used to be part of the cycling championship and for the tour of Malta. I always stayed on the big ring including the Xaghra hill and covered 10l laps in 1hr 45mins at a steady pace.
At this point everything was fine (including the nutrition), however I decided to climb the Qbajjar hill. A very tough hill with instances at 20% and after that climbed the Dwejra hill. During the last 45mins I just had to survive and pray. It was nice to see Chef barry preparing food as I was starving, and not surprised seeing him eating his daily treat. Guess what? … ‘il panina bil-jam’. In the evening had an hour hilly run. My Legs were dead but was pleased that managed to keep my heart rate in the zone. I Ran from Qbajjar to Cittadella and back. A very nice route!



The third day was very difficult due to very bad weather. It was very windy and It was very dangerous to go out. In fact I was very close to be hit straight in the head by 2 pallets. Thank God nothing happened. I still continued the run and just prayed to arrive back to the flat safe. We had a bike session in the afternoon with some spin ups. Barry and I decided to do the session inside. It was a good choice that we had the turbo trainers with us. In the evening we had a hilly long run but coach Galea changed our schedule and we did another core work session due to very bad weather.



The fourth day started with a gentle easy bike session in the morning. Chef Barry cooked some pasta and we packed our stuff to return to Malta. However we had our coach waiting for us at the pool for a 4.2km Endurance Session. The day after I took part in the MAAA Qawra Road Running Race. I classified in 11th Place, in a time of 36.20 for 10.3km. Unofficial time for 10km would be 35.40. It’s a very impressive time considering the amount of training and hills done. It seems that everything is good as planned and the new training system is working.



I would like to thank Coach Dermot for his Kosovo training and advices during the camp, Ms Johanna Calleja for the nutrition plans especially for the one specific for the camp and last but not least a big thanks you to club teammate Barry Farrugia. Really enjoyed training with you mate.

That’s all for now

Yours in Sport

Keith

Bronze Award at the MOC Sports Awards 2011

Hi Everyone,

For the 4th consecutive year, I was nominated for the MOC Sports Awards Gala Night. I was very honoured to be nominated and this nomination gave me the opportunity to meet Olympic Champions Pietro Paola Mennea, Antonio Rossi and Yuri Chechi. On the 7th December, the Malta Olympic Committee organised the annual Gala night to award all those athletes who throughout this season had outstanding results.



I was awarded a BRONZE AWARD. Now my personal recorded improved to 4 Awards (1 GOLD, and 3 BRONZE). I managed to win such an award thanks to the bronze medal achieved in the Triathlon championships of the Small States of Europe in Cyprus Last March. This was my first medal from many to come in these championships. The Gala Night was organised in a very professional way. It was a night to remember because apart from winning the award, I spent it with my fiancée, met these Olympic champions and took the opportunity to take some photos as well



Training is going very well at the moment. I am focusing a lot on getting stronger and building up slowly. I changed completely my training compared to the last few years and now I am seeing the results thanks to my new brother/coach, 10 TIMES MALTA TRIATHLON CHAMPION DERMOT GALEA. I changed completely the way I eat as well. I have a nutrition diet planned according to each training phase and in 6 weeks I managed to lose 3.5kg of weight and at the same time keeping my normal strength constant.



I would like to thank the Malta Olympic Committee for presenting me THE BRONZE AWARD, a big well done for such a successful Gala night and a big thank you for the opportunity to meet great Olympic Champions. Wish you a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year

Yours,

Keith

2011 Season Round up

Hi Everyone

2011 Season was not the season I was looking for. It was a season where I had some ups but unfortunately many downs. It was a very unfortunate season health wise. I was sick for very long periods during the season, most of the times in crucial moments before a very important race that hampered my race performance. Looking back I think that since the season started early in January instead of March was the main factor as I did not had a good preseason training. I injured my hamstring before the Sicily - Malta Games last year due to the fact that pushed too much too early in the season after my break and was sick after the games spending 2 months mostly inside to recover than training and building for the new season. This hampered my performance in the National Duathlon Championships by only claiming a 3rd place.



After these championships I had a good build of training but again just before the TCSSE which was my main target of the year, got sick again. I did my best. Was first place till the start of the run but then slipped to third. After talking to my coach, we did some changes in my training by allowing me more recovery. Finally results were coming by claiming top 5 spots in both local cycling and running races, won a couple of races as well and a great performance in the Tour of Malta.

I got sick again just before the first race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Triathlon Series which I still won. After winning this race, I had a good summer of good training. I won the Triathlon Series for the 4th time in my career (a record), managed to go under the hour in Sprint Distance twice, came 2nd in Bedford Triathlon and first in Desford Triathlon in my category both races in the UK. I was in top form for the National Championships but got sick just before the race, and it was hard to defend my title with such a stiff competition and not in a good shape. At least the title remained in the family, which confirms our domination in the sport. After the championship I was 2 weeks sick in bed and had to compete in the Sicily – Malta Games. Sicily was not a great experience being given a controversial stop and go penalty in a drafting race and although still did not completed half of the race I knew that my race was over. I kept on pushing till the end just for the sake to make proud my country as I could



It was a season where I had a lot of challenges. However I learnt a lot during the year. I noticed that the more one gets popular, the more people get jealous. The more you want to excel in the sport, the less help you find sometimes. The more you win, the fewer friends you’ll have. It was so unprofessional when one day I was receiving such hate comments on my face book wall after a particular race from someone who is an educator and a coach. I think it is not a great example to show to students and athletes out there. It is better to accept defeat and just close your mouth and think about the next race. However I am glad that this year turned out this way. I lost some friends who used to help me a lot in the past, but now they are the PAST. This year I noticed who my real friends are, whom I have to listen and whom I have to ignore.



I know that some people were happy seeing me underperforming in the last month. Maybe 2011 was not my year although I still won the Triathlon series and Triathlete of the year award for the 4th time; however I just started training hard but sensible taking care of every detail. I will be back stronger, faster and quicker than these last two years. I am very determined, focused and am looking forward for a successful 2012.

Thanks a lot for following My blog. I try to keep it updated as much as possible.

Yours

Keith