Firstly, we want to say a huge congratulations. Ben has worked tirelessly to achieve this and we're proud to play just a small part in that journey.
"European & World Overall Age-group titles a month apart, I can tick them off the bucket list now!
I started off battling with two others on run 1, I left T1 in the lead & pulled away until the line.
Going forward I should be racing Elite Duathlon. This should help push my self to the absolute limit to reach new limits.
Next up it's back to Triathlon's with Ironman Staffordshire 70.3/ Ironman UK & Ironman Wales."What was your Fueling Strategy for the World Championships?
"I break the race down into its three simple stages for my fuel:
Run 1 - I was laser focused after 1 Caffeine Energy Gel 20 mins pre-race.
Bike - I take two serves of KMC ISO MIX in my between-the-hands hydration system and two Energy Gels
Run 2 - For the final stretch I take one Energy Gel and some water. "
Ben's Race Report
World Champs Duathlon Run 1
"4 laps of a twisty, undulating course with lots of uneven cobblestones, around the pretty European town of Viborg. Shortly off the start line myself & two others formed a small group that worked together (we battled for every bend ) all the way into T1. Coming in at a time of 31:33 to do 10km of this tough course. The pace was definitely hot."
World Champs Duathlon On The bike - "I had 60km to open a gap and extended the lead from T1.
The road surface in Denmark was unbelievably smooth, when it wasn't cobbles, but to call that a hilly bike was a slight overstatement compared what I normally ride, I would says a few lumps at most.
On the day, the winds were super high making the course feel tougher in places than it actually was. With my Disc and 80mm front wheel I was literally riding at 30 degrees to the road at some points, hoping to stay on the road. Very glad it was closed to traffic as the gusts sent me all over the place.
I would normally say cycling is my strongest discipline but after looking at the results sheet I am a little conflicted with my ride. Exiting T1, I had a few seconds lead & into T2 it was 2 minutes, so it did the job. However, comparing times to the Elite wave that started an hour earlier, I would have lost significant time. Now maybe the wind picked up, maybe there was some pack dynamics at play (even a legal 12m can be a massive advantage) Or maybe I just need to seek new gain's & improve. One thing is for sure, I plan to be in that race next time to find out!"
World Champs Duathlon Run 2 - "Another 4 laps (10km) of the tough run courses until the tape & the world title
One of my goals coming into this race was consistency between runs 1 and 2. I didn't quite manage this but still put in the fastest Run 2 of the race. Given the tough run course & being 2 hours into the race, I guess some drop in pace was to be expected. I also had a comfortable cushion between myself and 2nd to work with. So not overdoing it and blowing up, took precedent over doing the fastest split possible."
Ben's Top Picks
"My top 4 products are the PRO MIX Recovery Powder, Raspberry Energy Gel, The Superfood Bar (I always end up eating them as snacks before I need them) and the Citrus Caffeine Gel… "
How do you Fuel your training?
"My most used product is definitely the Chocolate Mint recovery mix. I put a spoon or two in my porridge which I have after every morning workout, then again mid-morning around 10:30am.
Most of my mid-week training is 90 mins or less so I use a lot of my bodies natural glycogen stores from meals to fuel some workouts.
The Longer weekend activities, which focus on race pace, is when I really practice race nutrition, such as gels and drink mixes. I aim for 60-90g of carbs per hour. So that works out as around 3 items (of ~30g) per hour.
For example, 1 ISO MIX and 2 Energy Gels."