It’s true what they say – that having the right support around you will take you further than you can go on your own. Whether being around people with the right positive mental attitude, people who back you and don’t doubt you, and having strong support networks which help you to achieve your dreams – it’s all invaluable stuff.

I’ve been very lucky to be supported by some incredible sponsors this year – something I never believed would happen in a million years. It’s not about winning races though – it’s about providing value for money for a company by promoting their brand to the right people. And as a professional marketer, I will not-so-humbly say that this is something I do know a lot about.

The people I have worked with over the past year have been instrumental to my results and how far I have come. As we all know, triathlon is a pricey little endeavour, and racing on the European circuit certainly isn’t cheap! But having kit and services to support me means I can race in some incredible places, and if I can get to see cool parts of the world in the process then that is a win-win! (Usually without a win, FYI.)

It’s testament to my relationships with my sponsors that virtually all of them will be continuing to support me throughout the 2015 season – I must be doing something right! I am also very excited to be working with a couple of brand new sponsors, a couple I changed due to different opportunities. There will be no excuses not to be smashing my season up next year now!

Ceepo bikes and Rotor Power UK (Velotech Services)

This one happened a bit by accident, as I met these guys at the Birmingham Bike Show and stopped on their stand to admire their Ceepo bike, knowing I hadn’t seen many in the UK. Conversations then developed and a few months later, I was at their office in Stratford-upon-Avon getting fitted up before I drove away with an absolutely stunning Ceepo Venom in the back of my car, fully equipped with Rotor power cranks and QRINGS! I’m extremely chuffed to be supported by Velotech and cannot wait to train and race on this bike, with the new addition of power to measure and attain improvements on the bike.

The Road Room

This is a local bike shop which is conveniently located a few hundred yards (old school!?) from my house! They specialise in road bikes and will be supporting me with regular services of the Ceepo, advising me of bike stuff (I AM ignorant) and giving me lots of opportunity to buy more kit! They also stock Rotor components so I am sorted for the rest of the year!

Keith Tucker Personal Training

I knew Keith through previous connections, and coming from an elite kickboxing background, he knows some serious stuff about strength and conditioning. What’s more, he practices genetic metabolic typing nutrition, which basically provides the right type of nutrition for your genetic metabolism, which means a complete shift in the food I use to fuel, sustain and refuel me during training. Keith is SO fun to work with as he has a permanent sparkly attitude, it’s infectious (although difficult to complete matrix lunges and squat presses when he’s making me laugh). One to one sessions make so much of a difference and I can’t wait for Keith to get me strong and lean!

I feel so lucky to be working with these people and maintaining great relationships with my 2014 sponsors – I can’t do this without being cheesy and annoying but THANK YOU SO MUCH to all my wonderful sponsors. To have these people believe in me makes me remember why I am doing this on the days where I don’t have the best training sessions!

As for 2015, I’m coming to get you…

Robert Twells December 27, 2014

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“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” 
― Leonardo da Vinci

There has become something which I do when I want to escape. To avoid the hoards of people, the traffic-laden roads, the daily tediousness life can sometimes bring. And the biting cold. We all know how much I hate the cold.

It’s an island, nestled off the coast of Africa, majestic and beautiful in its volcanic grandeur. Yes, Lanzarote. It is my bolthole, and I don’t know why. I just keep going back. It does this ‘thing’ to me, which I can’t even articulate. 

Recently, I went out there for another week to kick start my training. I have been privileged to be sponsored by Lanzarote Retreats, and this time, I stayed in the luxurious Tiagua 81 in a beautiful setting – probably the poshest triathlon training camp base ever. Serenity matched by functionality. Yes please.

I pretty much always go to Lanzarote on my own, and this was no exception. I had befriended Hollie Cradduck at the Challenge Paguera race in October after over a year of tweeting each other, and with her having recently moved out there, we planned to hook up. And we did just that. A lot. It was one of those instant friendships – I don’t think I stopped laughing for most of the week. We created memories that I won’t ever forget, and forged a friendship I will always have. 

The Lanzarote social scene is pretty much like its training scene – enthusiastic and full on! Plus I know many people on the island already from spending time there – it was practically an endless string of activities: training sessions, coffee at Lanzarote Retreats office, lunch at Tabla, more training sessions, dinner at Cantina Teguise, drinks, even more training sessions, dinner at Barstro, more training, more drinks, a triathlon go-karting afternoon courtesy of Mike and Julie at Lanzarote Information, a photoshoot with the brilliant James Mitchell for Zone3 wetsuits, even more drinks… the list goes on. And I’ve probably already bored you. But you get the picture.

It was SO. MUCH. FUN.

Good times don’t seem to fade out there – no matter how many times I go to the same place, do the same rides, visit the same restaurants, train in the same pools, drive the same roads, do the same runs – it’s always an incredible place. Each experience is unique.

Anyway, before I land myself a job at the Lanzarote Tourism Board, the reason for this is that I had some thinking time on the bike. As many of you know, I am self-employed, something which happened to me at the beginning of the year (yes, it did happen to me rather than me forcing this choice) and as a result, this has afforded me great flexibility with racing and training abroad. But why stop there?

While in Lanzarote (and it doesn’t really take a genius to work this out), I realised that I could train in this incredible climate, be around some awesome people, and live a pretty elementary lifestyle on this sedate, serene island. Carpe diem.

Apart from the fact that the climate is so good; the terrain is tough – and next year I want to ramp up my performance and train as hard as possible. I know that hours and endless hours of riding on these hills, in this wind, with a whole plethora of top athletes roaming around is going to do me a lot more favours than sitting on the turbo for an hour. No relentless cold, no endless darkness (OK I may be dramatizing it a bit) – this is going to be quality training. And a quality life.

I am so lucky to have the flexibility with my work to make a decision such as this. And while I can, I am going to. It was one of those moments where everything just fell into place, and all of a sudden, it’s happening.

So, my plan is to move out to Lanzarote for two to three months in the New Year, come back and enjoy a Summer season of racing (mostly abroad), and maybe even head back out for the Winter again. And from there, who knows. 

For now, I want to keep my roots in the UK and my heart in Lanzarote, because right now, "there I have been, and there I long to return"…

Robert Twells December 14, 2014

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