At the weekend I went to Eastbourne to compete in the first ever Eastbourne aquathon! This race was a stunning as it was a sea swim. My distances was a 300m swim then a 2 km run.

The way the race organizers safely did the race considering the risks of Covid-19 was by giving every group a certain time to show up. When you got there you had to wait at a 2 m distance in a queue. When you had got your swim hat, your numbers etc you then went to find a 2 m square marked on the ground. That was your area to put your wet suit on and get your transition stuff ready. Once you were ready you waited for your age group to be called. You then lined up with 2 m gaps and a mask on. After a short walk down to transition, you had to set everything up. You then waited anxiously until you started.

I think the race organizers did an incredible job of keeping everyone safe in relation to the global issues that have been happening recently. Covid-19 has made triathlons very hard to organise and the many people involved in this event did very well in making the event fun and safe at the same time. Also, this was the first time they ran the event and that makes it even more impressive.

The start

I thought that we were starting five seconds apart but the starter instead told us to go when we wanted. Nobody moved until the first person went, then everyone rushed to start!

The swim

I got in the front group on the swim. As it was a sea swim the water was very choppy however, it was a very pleasant temperature. With all the waves I couldn’t see the next buoy half the time! I came out of the water second and whilst I probably could have done better on the swim but I was still happy with the outcome.

Run

After a dreadful transition I was on to the 2 km out and back course. I had lost about 10 seconds in transition so I had to settle for a silver medal. I still ran amazingly, only losing 8 seconds to rival Finlay who normally would drop me to a much further extent. I was ecstatic with my run time of 00:07:03, I was also happy as the gap to third was 1 minute and 36 seconds.

I can’t wait to do this race again next year as it is well organised!

https://www.eastbournetriathlon.co.uk/aquathlon/ (link to results)

So, there is my experience of the Eastbourne aquathon!

(any questions just leave in comments).

For Christmas I got a new bike, its a 700cc

This is some of the training that I do. I mostly train with my Dad who loves helping me to be a great triathlete. To become great, I practice most days and this helps me to do well.

This is me and Dad, after we have climbed a mountain and we are celebrating what we have achieved together.

In France I was riding in the mountains every day. I rode up one mountain most days. The house in France is close to the mountains and I can just come out and ride when ever I want. The thing I love about the mountains is the view and once I have climbed, I love riding my bike down at full speed.

This is me training on my tacx vortex I am on Zwift for 30 min every day at least. I find Zwift helpful for indoor training.

My YouTube channel is called Luke Draper please check it is based on my web. Here are 2 videos I have posted.

Me swimming 50m

 

 

Kent Schools Cross Country champs

Zwift is a computer game that links to your bike turbo trainer so you can train indoors without getting bored. It is good in the winter because it’s harder to go outside on your bike because it gets dark quickly and it can be icy and dangerous.

On the photo below it is me doing a zwift training session. The laptop connects to my big screen, you need an Ant dongle to connect the trainer to the laptop. You can see yourself riding with other people which could be your friends or people from around the world! You have lots of information on the screen to look at when you are riding. You can see when and who is catching up with you or who is front.

The box in the middle top of the screen tells your power in Watts and what you need to aim for. It also tells you how far you have gone and your cadence (the speed that your feet go round) and speed. Every time you ride a certain distance you get points and after a while you go up a level and get new kit for your avatar to ride or wear in the game.

On this picture below you will see the results for the race that I won.

in the picture bellow it shows my power for the ride. I was amazed by my average      power I have never had it as high as that!

After Christmas I went to a lovely woods near Peasmarsh with my friend James. We managed to make a fire with only a little bit of help. We used a flint and stone to make a spark, the spark lit the cotton wool, then we added sticks and firewood. We had to blow gently to keep it going, the blowing gives it energy from oxygen in your lungs.

In the photo you can see James and me by the fire that we made.

We made kindling by whacking a blade with a mallet to split the wood! We chopped a small tree down, we had to cut a wedge in the tree and then cut from the other side, then we had to push the tree over. It just snapped.

Tracy and Mike, who own the woods, prepared a lovely feast. I toasted marshmallows from our own fire, they were delicious, gooey and warm. We stayed for several hours playing in the woods and eating lots of yummy food.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

Here is my dog, Freddy, looking very sad about littering. In the picture below we are in Bedgebury Forest at the end of our walk finding litter on the side of the access road. The litter in the picture is gas capsules which is very bad for the environment, it is not good for the animals which live in the forest and the pets that visit.

Please care for the environment and pick up the litter that you see. I put these in a bin nearby.

I like my food. My favourites are pasta, cheese toasty, peanut butter and jam sandwich. I try to eat good food but I can’t resist the occasional treat!

how to make pasta!

what you need

a packet of pasta

a packet of veg

pesto

a saucepan

a hob

a bowl and fork and / or spoon

first you get saucepan, your pasta and veg. Put the pasta and the veg in the saucepan and put the hob to simmer, leave the saucepan on for 10 mins. After it is cooked, put the right amount in the bowl for you. Then put the pesto in and mix. Finally, enjoy!

 

how to make a cheese toasty.

what you need

two slices of brown bread

cheese

a grill

first you get the bread and the cheese you get the first piece of bread and put the cheese on it. then you get the other piece of bread and put on top then place in the grill put the grill on 4 out of 6, watch until the cheese is gooey then enjoy!

how to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich

what you will need

bread

peanut butter

jam

First you get the bread and spread a thin layer of peanut butter, then spread a thin layer of jam on top. then put a 2nd piece of bread on top. Simple and delicious!

In 2019 I would like to do most of the races I did last year. I hope to race in the Hever Castle Triathlon because its a great race, well organised, everyone is happy and lots of people taking part. In the photo below it is me and my friends getting ready to compete. I am the one with goggles on his hat. Last year it was wet and cold but I still came 2nd and everyone enjoyed themselves – there was lots of food at the end!

 

I would also like to do Leeds Castle aquathon because it’s a stunning venue, warming atmosphere and easy to follow, but challenging course. In 2018 I managed to win the race. I was 2nd out of the swim but I caught the person in front on the run, I blasted past them and sprinted all the way to the finish!

Last year at the Dorney race (Kids Super Tri) it was nice, hot sunny day. My race was set off in groups of 8, there were lots of groups – about 150 children in my age group. I came 3rd, because it was set off in “waves” I didn’t know what place I was in so I just went really hard from start to finish. In 2019 I will be racing as a Tristar 2 so we will be starting all together and it’s a qualifying race for the Inter Regional Championships. I can’t wait!

I would like to go back to the Upminster Children’s Triathlon to try to win for the 4th year in a row. Last year I didn’t have a great race but I still won. I will need to be better if I want to win again as I’m racing older boys this time.

I also enjoyed the Crystal Palace Triathlon in 2018 and I would like to go back again. Last year I had a great swim, bike and run but I lost some time in transition and ended up 2nd. It is a massive race, I loved finishing on the famous running track.

At the bridge triathlon I came 2nd. I was 1st out of the water but lost it in transition it was my 1st open water race so I did very well. the bike and run is on road so it was a fast bike the run was harder because I prefer grass to tarmac. My friend raced after me.

Kent Cross Country Champs

It was a cold Saturday and I needed to warm up really well. My friend Matt, who has run lots of cross countries came and helped me to be fully prepared. I went onto the start line in good time, yet I got pushed at the start of the race and had to make up some ground and lost my place, so I came 5th. This means I qualified for nationals and I am really keen to do this race again next year. Nationals are in the Spring of 2019 and I would love to go.

 

 

My Wiggins bike is an amazing bike, they come in lots of sizes and are great for a first road bike. I would highly recommend this bike. You can get them in Halfords.

My wetsuit  is a great wetsuit it is comfy, warm and easy to swim in. It is easy to take off and is very good for races. You can get it at amazon here Zone 3 Challenger Children’s wetsuit

My zone3 trisuit is a great trisuit. It is comfy / tight and good for races. Before this I had an Aeropec trisuit which is a bit cheaper but was still really good.

 

 

 

 

 

In France I swam in a lake. In the calming, beautiful lake I swam 1.4km. It was made to swim in, lots of people were swimming and playing. On the last day my mum got me a lovely ice cream . I swam 1.4 km in 22.30.

 

In France, I did lots of cycling. I cycled up a mountain almost every day. It made me feel really good. One day I cycled 100KM in the mountains.

This is Daddy and I at the top of the mountain. In France, I mainly focused on my cycling, but I couldn’t help it, I had to also go out for a run! The trails were amazing and had lots of rocks everywhere.