Lisbon Tri
My first winners tape
Thursday, September 26, 2013
September 2013
WOW, WOW AND WOW!! That's all I can say at the moment. One week ago I won a silver medal at the World championships and I'm still coming back down to earth!
Last year I won a bronze in Auckland and a lot of people thought I should do well again this year. I totally understand that and thank them for their confidence in me but it doesn't always work out like that. The World Champs is a funny event where you just can't know who your opposition is - people come and go and each venue attracts different nations. I was hopeful but by no means confident that I would get another medal this time.
My training had gone really well over the last few weeks, with help from Sam,Graham and my lovely Tuesday night run group. I wasn't ill, had no major injuries and felt good - all I had to do was get to the line without messing anything up!
We set off to London on the Wednesday with Sam and Chris so we could watch the Aquathon as a lot of my friends including TRiKS member Anna, were competing. It was a great event and really got us in the mood. We visited the GB tent, signed our names on the roll of honour and picked up our free banana. Sam and I even blagged an early registration so things were going well. What didn't go so well was the event merchandise and race T-shirt. I ask this at almost every race but why don't race organisers cater for the smaller triathlete? We pay the same money as everyone else and I rarely get a T-shirt that fits. This year we had even pre-ordered our sizes (or so we thought) and I still ended up with a mens size medium that went down to my knees! Even worse, when I tried to buy some kit at the Chain Reaction store, they had sold out of all the small sizes - and this was on day 1!
Anyway back to the race......Thursday was spent attending the team briefing where we had to endure the usual crazy questions such as 'when do we get on the bike?') Some people sound like they have never done a triathlon before but maybe they are just nervous! Dawn is SO patient. It was so nice to meet all the friends that I have met over the years in the GB team and have a good chat with them. Then it was a steady jog round the run route to loosen the legs and on to rack the bike.
The 45-49 GB girls are all really lovely and it was great to meet up with them in transition. So many of them wished me luck and that was really nice - Maria, Kim, Sarah, Jan - thank you so much! and I hope you all enjoyed the race. Then it was back to the apartment to get ready and relax (yeah, right cos that happened!) I didn't sleep much that night as I just wanted to get out there!
The morning of the race was warm but wet. A very fine drizzle made sure that the cycle would be pretty lethal but at least it wasn't windy aswell! I wasn't off until 10.25am so I managed to watch Tony and Sam race first - Sam was going really well on the bike and looking pretty confident on the wet corners. I had everything crossed for her to have a good result. There were a lot of people falling off though and Mark and Chris were soon calling part of the course 'crash corner'.
Then is was my turn. The worst part of the whole race is when they hold you in a pen near the pontoon for up to 20 minutes. That's when the nerves really kick in until you almost can't breathe. I was looking in the Grandstand and managed to see my Mum and Dad who had travelled from France to come and see me. Their big smiles and waves really picked me up.
And then we were off......I actually had a good swim, with nothing to report. Not too much bumping and barging at the start and I managed to get on the feet of someone by the first bouy so felt that I'd done OK. When I got out of the water I was met with so much cheering and shouting I couldn't believe it. Loads of my friends had come down to watch it was fabulous - unfortunately they were telling me that I was in 15th place - 2 minutes down on the leader. Oh dear I was going to have to have a bloody good bike ride!
The bike ride was absolutely lethal! On the first corner I felt my back wheel go and thought I'd have to be really careful. I do like challenging bike courses though and was soon passing some very nervous looking competitors. Unfortunately none of them were in my age group. After 2 laps I finally caught 3/4 45-49 ers (including an American who had just fallen off) but I was still quite far down. Then I suddenly came across quite a few all together and as we flew in to transition we caught another American - I realised that I must be in 3rd/4th place.
So a quick transition was needed and as I ran out I saw Bridget McMahon from Switzerland in front of me. I knew she was good as she had won the Sydney Olympics as an elite so I got on her tail. No-one else came past me so I knew that it would be between the two of us. At the first turn I passed Suzanne Hedges who had had an amazing swim and bike. Then I saw my friends shouting their heads off -"You are in second place, get the Swiss girl!". I tried, I really tried and the whole crowd seemed to be shouting for me. She was just too fast though and although I did a PB of 19:20 (in a triathlon) thanks to my fabulous On Cloudracers and came to within 7 seconds of her, I faded a little on the second lap and she eventually finished 20 secs in front. I managed to grab my GB flag and ran down the finish Shute with a huge smile on my face. I hadn't managed to win but silver wasn't bad. I couldn't have raced any faster.
Suzanne then ran in to win the bronze with Anke from Germany in 4th and the American in 5th all coming in together. we hugged and said well done, it had been such a close race and they are all amazing ladies.
There has been a lot said about whether Bridget McMahon should have been racing that day. Her history is not perfect and many believe that an ex-drugs cheat shouldn't be allowed back. She didn't break any rules though (although maybe the rules need changing?) but at the end of the day she was the fastest there and deserved to win. I am disappointed that I can't say I am World Champion but I am no different to anyone else in that I had a great race and was just beaten by someone who was faster. What I will never forget though is that Bridget didn't shake my hand at the finish or give me the chance to say well done. She just walked off although she must have known I was right behind her. She also didn't bother to come to the medal ceremony to pick up both her Golds (she also won the standard distance). That seems to be a bit disrespectful to me but may be she still thinks she is an elite and a bit too good for us real age-groupers!
My family and friends were amazing and their support made such a difference. Mum, Dad, Chris, Caroline, Mark, Sharon, Simon, Jacqui, Lenka, Hilary and especially my team mate Sam. A soon as I had finished she hugged me and I found out that she had had an awful race as she got stomach cramps on the run. She still came 7th though! She was so upset but so happy for me. That's a true friend. She suffers so badly when the cramps start but she always battles on and she has had some amazing results this year. I know that if she keeps training as she does, she will get that World medal.
Thank you also to everyone else who supported me via text/Facebook etc.
Even though the medal ceremony was 2 days later and it was pouring down, Mum, Dad, Sam, Chris and Bill all stayed to cheer me on. It was fab and we were made to feel really special. I was on the podium with a man from Gibralter who was the only medallist ever from that country. He was so proud and it was great to share it with all the other athletes.
This year has been amazing and I am very proud of my results - a National Gold, 2 European Golds and a World Silver.
It's time for a rest now and then to plan 2014. I do quite fancy Canada in August though........
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
August 2013
A very late entry this month - I am not sure why I just don't seem to have had any spare time to sit down and write recently. Anyway I very much doubt that there are many who are sitting on the edge of their seats just waiting for my latest triathlon ramblings! But if you have been, I apologise.
August has been quiet in terms of racing as much of my time is now taken with training leading up to the World Champs in September. My training partner Sam has been a big help, joining me for some hard run intervals and dragging me round some very fast TT rides. I am not totally convinced that training with someone so much younger is a brilliant idea (oh, do I ache!) but it has been fun!
My first race back after my holidays was Blithfield Sprint and I think I must have still been in holiday mode as I made a complete mess of it. It is the England Triathlon sprint championships and faily local so I thought it would be a good one to get back into the swing of things. Everything started quite well - the swim was cold and choppy which I don't like but I seemed to be out of the water quite well up so that was good. The bike also went well - I felt strong and came into T2 just in front of Emily Whitmore (very young) and Maria Powell (my age) and felt good. I was hopeful of maybe winning my age group as I know that Maria normally does the standard distance so I was banking on her not having a sprint in her. Anyway we flew into T2 together and I could see her in the corner of my eye as I took my helmet off .......only it wouldn't come off! Maria ran off and I still couldn't get my helmet off. Maria was now a speck in the distance and I still couldn't get it off! I even thought about running in it for a second and got a bit panicky but eventually I found the clasp and finally got my trainers on. By this time I was a good 30 seconds behind Maria and even though I tried to catch her I just ran out of time. I have to admit I gave up with about a kilometre to go and just resigned myself to silver. I was so cross with myself but put it down to being out of race practice.
Mark and Tony met me at the finish line and they had really funny looks on their faces. I complained about 'my bloody helmet' and they just fell about laughing. Then Mark told me (really nervously) that I had done the whole bike ride with my helmet on back to front! I could have died - he even showed me a photo and I look a complete muppet! Looking back, I thought that some of the marshalls looked at me a bit funny. I looked ridiculous!
It just shows though that it doesn't matter how experienced you are, you can still make big mistakes! At least I can see the funny side of things now.
My next race was the National Relays, which I love as our club always get lots of teams together and we all camp and generally have a good time. Its so nice not to have to stress too much about where you finish and of course, given my last race, no transitions!!
I was in the TRiKS ladies team (the TriKettes) with Sam, Caroline and Lenka and we were all up for racing hard and enjoying it. Sam got us off to a flying start with a 7 min swim and we managed to stay well placed with us all having strong bike legs, despite it getting windier and windier as the day went on. I was last off in the run and I think we were about 10th female team. I normally dread the run at Holme Pierrepoint as it seems to be at least 5 miles each way up and back down that lake. But I felt good so the training is obviously paying off. All our club mates were on the finish straight and we high fived all the way down. What a great feeling - I am really starting to like that finish straight and once again I finished with a big smile on my face. We later found out that we were 7th female team so were over the moon with that. We didn't quite get on the podium but decided to have a team photo on it anyway. We'll do it next year!
Then it was back to the campsite for a club BBQ and a round up of the day. All our teams had done well, with everyone racing hard and really enjoying it. A nice end to August but now the pressure is really on as its only 2 weeks to the Worlds!
Monday, August 12, 2013
A very sad time
I lost a dear friend this week - my running coach and mentor Bob Ashwood. Bob has coached me and my daughter Charlotte for a number of years and has also supported me with my own coaching. He has been a constant part of our lives - always so positive and supportive. He taught us to believe in ourselves. He also taught us both to run fast. I will miss him.
Monday, August 5, 2013
July 2013
After all those big races in June, this month was all about enjoying myself and taking a holiday with Mark and Mia (our dog) in our campervan. When we found out that the Tour de France would be going up Alpe d'Huez twice on the same stage we couldn't waste the opportunity and planned our holiday around that - and naturally we couldn't miss the Alpe d'Huez triathlon a week later could we?
I think I may have underestimated this event somewhat. I have been to the Alps and the Pyrenees before so I knew how tough the climb would be but I have never added on a swim and a run either side!! It was also really, really hot. That freaky weather we had in England followed us to France and at 9 am on race morning it was 90 degrees in the shade!
For some reason the race doesn't start until 2pm but that did give us time to sort out the double transitions, which are 30km apart (that has to be some sort of record). So off we set to drive to the finish in the ski resort at the top of the mountain. It is such a stunning place I can't describe it. The mountains are huge, with snow still on the highest ones, the sky was bright blue and the air was so fresh. I absolutely love the Alps. Transition was still quiet when we got there so we had a quiet moment - a ski lift went right over us and it felt like we were on the top of the world. Then it was back down to the lake to set up T2 - along with 1200 other athletes. The temp in the valley was now 105!
The water was only 14 degrees but it felt great to get in and cool down and then we were off..... Everyone starts together in this race, including the Elites, which was really scary. 1200 swimmers all fighting to get clear so you could actually swim. I started too near the front and was swum over and bashed about a lot. It is the only race I have ever done where I consided rolling onto my back and getting rescued but then I though if I do that at least 1000 people are going to swim over me, so I battled on. I actually had a good swim in the end coming out in 165th place overall (I thought I was nearly last!)
The bike leg is absolutely the best bit of this race. Firstly you swoop down the valley on perfect Tarmac at about 30 mph. I felt really good and soon started passing other women (including British elite Liz Burrows which I was quite pleased about) Then after 15km you go round a bend and the climb starts. ....and then I was doing about 5mph! The only way to get up these climbs is to find a really low gear and pace yourself up. I got into a rhythm and just kept going. There were so many people watching on the roadside it was amazing. They all shouted and passed up water, it really helped take my mind of the pain. The heat was the main problem and lots of people had to get off to walk. It took me 1 hour 19 minutes to do the climb and I drank a bottle of energy drink, 2 bottles of water and took on 3 gels. It wasn't enough. As I got to the top I was told I was the 26th female so I was really pleased with that. A girl I knew from back home, Alison, was racing as well and although I swim faster she usually beats me on the bike but she hadn't come past so I was happy. All I had to do now was a little 7km run and I was done, no problem.
Oh dear how wrong can you be? I started the run feeling great but I didn't go off too fast as it was over 2000m high up there and I didn't want to run out of oxygen. And then my legs started to cramp and they just wouldn't work. I had to stop and just stand there whilst my quads took on a life of their own. It was like I had an alien in them, it was awful. A lovely French family came over and gave me some water and I tried to walk but I couldn't even do that! I must have stood there for 5 minutes with loads of people running past. So many of them asked if I was OK and some stopped to help but I couldn't move. Eventually I started to walk and then jog and thought I was OK - yay! I am back in the race - but no it just came on again. I could have cried as I just had to stand and watch everyone run past. And it really hurt!! Alison ran past me at this point and that's when I just gave up - Alison has never beaten me in a run, ever.
After about 10 minutes it did go off enough to allow me to start running again and I managed to
run in at a decent pace with a lovely French man who stayed with me all the way to the finish line. Neither of us could speak each others' language but we didn't need to as we both understood what we had achieved. I was exhausted and very dehydrated but I was so proud that I had finished. Mark was still running at this point so I went to cheer him on and he had a huge smile on his face. He had loved every minute (well maybe not all of the climb) - what a great experience.
I later found out that I had been in first place in my age group going into the run. All I had to do was a decent run and I would have won! I recorded my slowest 7km run ever - 42 minutes!! Total time 2 hrs 52 mins. In the end I came 3rd (well done to Alison for clinching 2nd place). Ah well, I have learnt ever such a lot from this race and Mark and I both had a fantastic time.
I think I may have underestimated this event somewhat. I have been to the Alps and the Pyrenees before so I knew how tough the climb would be but I have never added on a swim and a run either side!! It was also really, really hot. That freaky weather we had in England followed us to France and at 9 am on race morning it was 90 degrees in the shade!
For some reason the race doesn't start until 2pm but that did give us time to sort out the double transitions, which are 30km apart (that has to be some sort of record). So off we set to drive to the finish in the ski resort at the top of the mountain. It is such a stunning place I can't describe it. The mountains are huge, with snow still on the highest ones, the sky was bright blue and the air was so fresh. I absolutely love the Alps. Transition was still quiet when we got there so we had a quiet moment - a ski lift went right over us and it felt like we were on the top of the world. Then it was back down to the lake to set up T2 - along with 1200 other athletes. The temp in the valley was now 105!
The water was only 14 degrees but it felt great to get in and cool down and then we were off..... Everyone starts together in this race, including the Elites, which was really scary. 1200 swimmers all fighting to get clear so you could actually swim. I started too near the front and was swum over and bashed about a lot. It is the only race I have ever done where I consided rolling onto my back and getting rescued but then I though if I do that at least 1000 people are going to swim over me, so I battled on. I actually had a good swim in the end coming out in 165th place overall (I thought I was nearly last!)
The bike leg is absolutely the best bit of this race. Firstly you swoop down the valley on perfect Tarmac at about 30 mph. I felt really good and soon started passing other women (including British elite Liz Burrows which I was quite pleased about) Then after 15km you go round a bend and the climb starts. ....and then I was doing about 5mph! The only way to get up these climbs is to find a really low gear and pace yourself up. I got into a rhythm and just kept going. There were so many people watching on the roadside it was amazing. They all shouted and passed up water, it really helped take my mind of the pain. The heat was the main problem and lots of people had to get off to walk. It took me 1 hour 19 minutes to do the climb and I drank a bottle of energy drink, 2 bottles of water and took on 3 gels. It wasn't enough. As I got to the top I was told I was the 26th female so I was really pleased with that. A girl I knew from back home, Alison, was racing as well and although I swim faster she usually beats me on the bike but she hadn't come past so I was happy. All I had to do now was a little 7km run and I was done, no problem.
Oh dear how wrong can you be? I started the run feeling great but I didn't go off too fast as it was over 2000m high up there and I didn't want to run out of oxygen. And then my legs started to cramp and they just wouldn't work. I had to stop and just stand there whilst my quads took on a life of their own. It was like I had an alien in them, it was awful. A lovely French family came over and gave me some water and I tried to walk but I couldn't even do that! I must have stood there for 5 minutes with loads of people running past. So many of them asked if I was OK and some stopped to help but I couldn't move. Eventually I started to walk and then jog and thought I was OK - yay! I am back in the race - but no it just came on again. I could have cried as I just had to stand and watch everyone run past. And it really hurt!! Alison ran past me at this point and that's when I just gave up - Alison has never beaten me in a run, ever.
After about 10 minutes it did go off enough to allow me to start running again and I managed to
run in at a decent pace with a lovely French man who stayed with me all the way to the finish line. Neither of us could speak each others' language but we didn't need to as we both understood what we had achieved. I was exhausted and very dehydrated but I was so proud that I had finished. Mark was still running at this point so I went to cheer him on and he had a huge smile on his face. He had loved every minute (well maybe not all of the climb) - what a great experience.
I later found out that I had been in first place in my age group going into the run. All I had to do was a decent run and I would have won! I recorded my slowest 7km run ever - 42 minutes!! Total time 2 hrs 52 mins. In the end I came 3rd (well done to Alison for clinching 2nd place). Ah well, I have learnt ever such a lot from this race and Mark and I both had a fantastic time.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
June 2012 - part 3!
This month has been so busy that I have had to separate it into 3 parts, unfortunately the last part is not quite as good as the first two! How could it be?
I entered Llandudno tri ages ago as it was a qualifier event and it was full really early. I wanted to do it as the field would be a good standard and the bike course looked really challenging for a change. However I didn't realise how tired I would be after the Nationals and Europeans and I have to admit I wasn't really up for it as we drove onto Llandudno seafront, especially as it was raining! I won my age group(just) but sadly it won't be a win that I look back on with any pleasure.
I don't want to just moan as that is never very interesting but I have to say that this race left me feeling very let down. I understand that the organisers and the BTF wanted to give as many people as possible the chance to qualify for London and that is why the entry was extended to well over 1000. But in my opinion there were not enough measures put in place to cope with the large numbers and this made the race unsafe. Transition was a joke with people all over the place and no marshals. The bike in and out was in the same place so people just rode into each other and there was a roundabout on the bike course that had two right turns crossing on it and only 1 marshall - carnage!!
I also feel that the organisers cashed in on the fact that they could guarantee a full field and they must have made an awful lot of money. It would also have been nice to be able to get my prize but that required me to stay until 9pm and go to a party/buffet (tickets only) which was impossible as I had a 2 hour drive home. I asked if I could have my prize early and was told NO but they may post it. Needless to say I have not received anything but as it was only a USN goody bag I'm not losing any sleep.
Lastly I had a rubbish bike ride due to technical problems and had to fight all the way to the line in the run to beat Sarah Kerswell who was having a fantastic race. Thank you for making it a great race Sarah
but that was very painful!!
Enough said I think............I am now having a few weeks away from racing to get back into some quality training and then we are off to France to see the Tour de France and compete in the Alpe d' Huez triathlon. I can't wait!!
I entered Llandudno tri ages ago as it was a qualifier event and it was full really early. I wanted to do it as the field would be a good standard and the bike course looked really challenging for a change. However I didn't realise how tired I would be after the Nationals and Europeans and I have to admit I wasn't really up for it as we drove onto Llandudno seafront, especially as it was raining! I won my age group(just) but sadly it won't be a win that I look back on with any pleasure.
I don't want to just moan as that is never very interesting but I have to say that this race left me feeling very let down. I understand that the organisers and the BTF wanted to give as many people as possible the chance to qualify for London and that is why the entry was extended to well over 1000. But in my opinion there were not enough measures put in place to cope with the large numbers and this made the race unsafe. Transition was a joke with people all over the place and no marshals. The bike in and out was in the same place so people just rode into each other and there was a roundabout on the bike course that had two right turns crossing on it and only 1 marshall - carnage!!
I also feel that the organisers cashed in on the fact that they could guarantee a full field and they must have made an awful lot of money. It would also have been nice to be able to get my prize but that required me to stay until 9pm and go to a party/buffet (tickets only) which was impossible as I had a 2 hour drive home. I asked if I could have my prize early and was told NO but they may post it. Needless to say I have not received anything but as it was only a USN goody bag I'm not losing any sleep.
Lastly I had a rubbish bike ride due to technical problems and had to fight all the way to the line in the run to beat Sarah Kerswell who was having a fantastic race. Thank you for making it a great race Sarah
but that was very painful!!
Enough said I think............I am now having a few weeks away from racing to get back into some quality training and then we are off to France to see the Tour de France and compete in the Alpe d' Huez triathlon. I can't wait!!
Monday, June 17, 2013
June 2013 - part 2
After a couple of weeks recovery from the Nationals my next big goal of the year is here - the European Sprint tri championships. I won the 45-49 age group in Israel last year and so came to this race as defending champion - no pressure then!!
I have wondered often about why I decided to race again as I didn't have to - it would have been a lot easier to have 'retired at the top'. Essentially it came down to the fact that I had heard rumours that some people didn't think that winning in Israel was actually that much of an achievement as many countries didn't travel there. That annoyed me as I know that in my age group it was a tough race with the 2011 champion from Germany giving me a very close race. Basically I felt I had to show 'them' that it wasn't a fluke. I just hoped that I could!
Once again I was poorly leading up to the race (this is becoming really annoying and I decide I am going to the docs as soon as I get home). I seem to have a virus that I just can't shift. So the long journey to Turkey is a blur as I slept the whole way. Good job I have my lovely husband Mark to look after me. We were staying in a lovely little hotel right on the bike course and overlooking the swim and transition with our friends Emma & Andrew and Richard & Chrissie. Richard was entered into the sprint (50-54) and Emma the standard (40-44). Sadly Emma had a cycling accident 3 weeks before and hit her head and the doctor had advised her not to race so she was very frustrated at having to just watch. (She did however still register so she could get the free T-shirt and pen!).
6 other members of my club TRiKS had also qualified which is amazing for such a small club and some other members had come to support so I had loads of friends out there this year. Caroline, Graham, Rob, Tony, Sam and Bill it was a pleasure sharing it all with you and I hope you enjoyed the whole GB experience as much as I did.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Turkey and I did have a few prejudiced ideas about it before I arrived but it was lovely. Alanya is huge and very touristy but also still very Turkish (no English or Irish bars) and the people were really friendly. And what an amazing race venue.
The pontoon in the sea was already set up when we arrived so we went down to the practice swim on the first day. It was amazing to see so many athletes (elite & age group) there. The sea was warm and clear and the sun was hot. I didn't do too much as I was still not 100% but Mark, Emma and Andrew swam out to the bouys. I did a lot of chatting as I seemed to know almost everyone there - I love that part of being in the GB team.
As usual Mark did everything right and really looked after me (he knows now from bitter experience just what to do/what not to do). I managed to feel much better by resting, eating well and staying out of the sun so when it came to race day I was ready to go. Anke Lakies from Germany (Silver 2012) was racing again and I thought that she would be my biggest worry - although there were a couple of Swiss and a Russian girl who were completely unknown. I decided I had to have a good swim (despite the lack of wet suit) to put me up there as I knew I was going well on the bike due to my 'secret' training on the turbo with Jamie Jenkins, Success Cycling. After that it would come down to the run and I was confident that I was one of the fastest runners if all went to plan.
Race day came and it was hot and sunny - even at 5.30 in the morning! Porridge for breakfast and I was ready. The swim went well - I started hard and just kept going. It wasn't actually too bad without the wetsuit as it was so salty I felt quite bouyant - tasted crap though! I came into T2 in about 8th place and was soon flying up the bike course. The course was on cobbled roads for a lot of the way which I loved -( I have had a lot of practice this year having already raced in Holland and Belgium) and I felt good. Anke had caught me and I was riding about 20 meters behind her just watching - we then caught Sarah who had had a brilliant swim so now I knew that I was in with a chance. As we came into T2 I managed to overtake Anke and I ran out of transition in the lead.
Wow the run was hot and there was a nasty litle hill about half way that wasn't at all pleasant. I pushed on as I wasn't sure how close Anke was behind. Then I saw Caroline and Charlotte from my club who shouted that she was about 20 secs behind - I thought that wasn't enough so I pushed harder on lap 2. As I ran into the finishing line all I could hear was my club mates and friends and Mark shouting for me. It was brilliant. For the first time ever I managed to pick up a GB flag and went over the line waving it with a huge smile. What a relief, I had done it again! Anke came in about 30 secs behind and was very sporting - she must be a bit fed up with me now as I have beaten her 3 times in the last year.
I met up with Mark and then had the best news - Sam had won her age group too so we had two Gold medals again. That was the icing on the cake! It is great to win but it is so much better when you can do so with friends around you. All the TRiKS members had good races (especially Graham) - even Tony enjoyed it despite a very unlucky puncture and I hope that they now 'have the bug' and will try to qualify for next year in Kitzbuhl. I don't think I will be going for a third time - I feel very lucky to have won twice and I do now want to 'retire at the top'. Maybe I'll switch to the Olympic Distance next??
So, 2013 is proving to be even better than 2012 - I now have a European Gold in both Duathlon & Triathlon and a British Championship. Next and final goal of the year.........a medal at the World Championships. I'm going to have a good rest now and get over this virus and then the hard training starts again.
As ever, thank you to everyone - On Running, Fred Williams Cycles, Success Cycling, my friends and of course Mark, I coudn't do it without you.xxxxx
June 2013 -part 1
June 2013
Last year I had a fabulous season - Bronze at National Duathlon and Triathlon champs, Gold at European Tri champs and Bronze at the Worlds! How could this get any better? For a short while I thought about doing something else as I couldn't see how I would ever better last year. How wrong was I?
On the first Sat in June Mark Charlotte and I drove up the M42 to Holme Pierrepoint for the National sprint championships. I wasn't in a very good mood to be honest. Two reasons - firstly I'd been feeling poorly again for a couple of days and I was worried that I was overdoing things and secondly my wave was off at 4.30! What a horrible time to race, just more time to get nervous and ask questions like when do I eat, what do I do all day, can I mow the lawn in the morning?? Of course once we got there I cheered up because the venue is great for spectators and the atmosphere was great. My friend Sam was already racing when we arrived so we gave her a shout as she stormed the bike and then I got ready. I quite like the two transition set up as it meant more reason to faff and chat -there were so many nice people there it took me ages to get organised.
Just before I set off I found out that Sam had won the 25-29 age group which gave me a real boost. what an achievement it would be if we could both get a medal! We were in a huge wave of about 200 and the swim was a bit of a bun fight. I don't like swims like that as I worry about using too much energy and when I got kicked in the face I thought I had done a ally bad swim. But as I ran into T1 i saw there were an awful lot of bikes still there so I sped off onto the bike course with hope that I wasn't too far down the field. It turns out I came out of the water in about 11th place and I quickly started passing the girls in front of me. I knew that my main competitor Sara Northover would be in
front of me as she is a fab swimmer and I could see the lead motorbike not far in front so I focused on catching it up. I loved the bike as it is really fast and the sharp corners make it very technical, it seemed to go really quickly. As I came into T2 I saw Sara running out ahead of me - I had about 20/30 secs to make up. So off I went in my Cloudracer trainers and I felt really good. I managed to catch Sara just before half way and then it was just about not blowing up before the finish. The best thing was that each wave is its own race so I knew that I was in the lead overall as I was running with the lead bike. That was a good feeling! I ran up the finish straight as the British Champion with a big smile on my face. Sara came in about 30 secs after me - a great competitor and a lovely girl. Thank you to everyone who spoke to me afterwards - Kath, Debbie, Sara, Suzanne, Penny etc - a great bunch of girls.
So once again I was on the podium, proudly wearing my tri suit with my new sponsor logo - a huge On! Thank you, your trainers have done it again.
Then it was all about recovering in time for the European champs in 2 weeks time. I don't seem to do much training at this time of year. I just seem to race, recover, and then taper for the next race!
Last year I had a fabulous season - Bronze at National Duathlon and Triathlon champs, Gold at European Tri champs and Bronze at the Worlds! How could this get any better? For a short while I thought about doing something else as I couldn't see how I would ever better last year. How wrong was I?
On the first Sat in June Mark Charlotte and I drove up the M42 to Holme Pierrepoint for the National sprint championships. I wasn't in a very good mood to be honest. Two reasons - firstly I'd been feeling poorly again for a couple of days and I was worried that I was overdoing things and secondly my wave was off at 4.30! What a horrible time to race, just more time to get nervous and ask questions like when do I eat, what do I do all day, can I mow the lawn in the morning?? Of course once we got there I cheered up because the venue is great for spectators and the atmosphere was great. My friend Sam was already racing when we arrived so we gave her a shout as she stormed the bike and then I got ready. I quite like the two transition set up as it meant more reason to faff and chat -there were so many nice people there it took me ages to get organised.
Just before I set off I found out that Sam had won the 25-29 age group which gave me a real boost. what an achievement it would be if we could both get a medal! We were in a huge wave of about 200 and the swim was a bit of a bun fight. I don't like swims like that as I worry about using too much energy and when I got kicked in the face I thought I had done a ally bad swim. But as I ran into T1 i saw there were an awful lot of bikes still there so I sped off onto the bike course with hope that I wasn't too far down the field. It turns out I came out of the water in about 11th place and I quickly started passing the girls in front of me. I knew that my main competitor Sara Northover would be in
front of me as she is a fab swimmer and I could see the lead motorbike not far in front so I focused on catching it up. I loved the bike as it is really fast and the sharp corners make it very technical, it seemed to go really quickly. As I came into T2 I saw Sara running out ahead of me - I had about 20/30 secs to make up. So off I went in my Cloudracer trainers and I felt really good. I managed to catch Sara just before half way and then it was just about not blowing up before the finish. The best thing was that each wave is its own race so I knew that I was in the lead overall as I was running with the lead bike. That was a good feeling! I ran up the finish straight as the British Champion with a big smile on my face. Sara came in about 30 secs after me - a great competitor and a lovely girl. Thank you to everyone who spoke to me afterwards - Kath, Debbie, Sara, Suzanne, Penny etc - a great bunch of girls.
So once again I was on the podium, proudly wearing my tri suit with my new sponsor logo - a huge On! Thank you, your trainers have done it again.
Then it was all about recovering in time for the European champs in 2 weeks time. I don't seem to do much training at this time of year. I just seem to race, recover, and then taper for the next race!
Friday, May 31, 2013
May 2012
This month started really well as Mark and I were invited to go to Majorca for a long weekend - staying with Caroline, Mark, Sam and Chris in a fabulous little town called Colonia Sant Jordi. Its a lovely little town with, bizarrely, a 50 m open air swimming pool. We planned to get some warm weather training in and end the week by racing in the Majorca standard distance triathlon. Unfortunately I had picked up an injury in my left hamstring and this was stopping me doing any fast runs. Still, I thought that I could bike and swim in the sunshine and just see how I got on in the race. The real attraction to this event is that the bike is draft legal which suits me really well as I am pretty good at sitting on a wheel.
The week was absolutely great - the weather was really warm and we cycled a lot around the south east of the island, finding some lovely little cafes on the way. Sam was on a real mission to train herself to death - she has so much energy! We were all happy to just do a cycle in the morning and then lounge around in the afternoon but not Sam - no, she also had to run and swim every day. Chris has his hands full there!!
The race was really fun,. We had all decided that it was just a training event and that we would go out and enjoy it. And we did! The swim was interesting - in the sea and 1500m! I only do 750m normally and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed getting into a rythmn rather than the usual splash and dash! Sam was first out of the water and I followed about a minute later with Caroline about 4 minutes or so behind. After a run to transition along the beach (slow) I set off on the bike. No drafting though as I was totally on my own - apart from a string of quite slow men that I passed in the first few miles. Eventually a small group got on my wheel and then we started to work together. The miles just flew by and soon my group had caught Sam's. There was then a group of about 5 girls and I thought we must be quite well up. The race did have 3 elites in it and they were well ahead by then. We flew into T2 all together with Sam and I right next to each other again. It's great racing with a team mate.
Sam was looking strong as she ran out and I followed, a bit nervous about my hamstring but accepting that I would just jog if I had to. It was very hot on the run and I soon settled into a steady pace - its quite enjoyable if you don't run too fast! Sam was just up ahead and she seemed to be struggling. When I caught her up she said she was feeling sick and had a stitch so we ran together. My leg was hurting a bit by then so we agreed to jog in together and really enjoyed it - we call ourselves Peg Leg and Stitch now, what a pair! Once again my On trainers were fabulous and got me round. We eventually finished side by side in equal 8th place - the crowds were great cheering us on at the finish line and we felt great! Caroline had a great race and came in only a few minutes behind us.
The Spanish really know how to put on a race and the food at the finish was amazing - we were just stealing some sandwiches for the lads when they brought out huge paella's - and it kept coming. I reckon there were 30 huge paella dishes and it was all free for anyone! As I was stuffing my face I suddenly realised they were calling my name. Somehow I had finished 3rd over 40 and had to get up on the podium to get my trophy. A great end to a fab race.
The rest of the month has been about training in the lead up to the European championships in June and getting over my injury. I must admit I am feeling my age at the moment and my leg is not healing as quick as I would like. I have a great physio though (thanks Mindy) who really believes in acupuncture so she has been sticking needles in my bum all month!
Before Turkey I had two races planned - the first one being Grendon sprint tri and then the National champs in Nottingham. Grendon is notoriously cold and this year was no exception. The water was only 11 degrees! but the sun shone and I had a great race - although I was a bit rusty on the run those On trainers got me through again! I came into T2 in second place and managed to run into first place quite quickly so I was very pleased with that result. I've also qualified for the 2014 European champs so we may be off to Austria next June!
So that's May - June is a big month with both the Nationals and Europeans - bring it on!!
This month started really well as Mark and I were invited to go to Majorca for a long weekend - staying with Caroline, Mark, Sam and Chris in a fabulous little town called Colonia Sant Jordi. Its a lovely little town with, bizarrely, a 50 m open air swimming pool. We planned to get some warm weather training in and end the week by racing in the Majorca standard distance triathlon. Unfortunately I had picked up an injury in my left hamstring and this was stopping me doing any fast runs. Still, I thought that I could bike and swim in the sunshine and just see how I got on in the race. The real attraction to this event is that the bike is draft legal which suits me really well as I am pretty good at sitting on a wheel.
The week was absolutely great - the weather was really warm and we cycled a lot around the south east of the island, finding some lovely little cafes on the way. Sam was on a real mission to train herself to death - she has so much energy! We were all happy to just do a cycle in the morning and then lounge around in the afternoon but not Sam - no, she also had to run and swim every day. Chris has his hands full there!!
The race was really fun,. We had all decided that it was just a training event and that we would go out and enjoy it. And we did! The swim was interesting - in the sea and 1500m! I only do 750m normally and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed getting into a rythmn rather than the usual splash and dash! Sam was first out of the water and I followed about a minute later with Caroline about 4 minutes or so behind. After a run to transition along the beach (slow) I set off on the bike. No drafting though as I was totally on my own - apart from a string of quite slow men that I passed in the first few miles. Eventually a small group got on my wheel and then we started to work together. The miles just flew by and soon my group had caught Sam's. There was then a group of about 5 girls and I thought we must be quite well up. The race did have 3 elites in it and they were well ahead by then. We flew into T2 all together with Sam and I right next to each other again. It's great racing with a team mate.
Sam was looking strong as she ran out and I followed, a bit nervous about my hamstring but accepting that I would just jog if I had to. It was very hot on the run and I soon settled into a steady pace - its quite enjoyable if you don't run too fast! Sam was just up ahead and she seemed to be struggling. When I caught her up she said she was feeling sick and had a stitch so we ran together. My leg was hurting a bit by then so we agreed to jog in together and really enjoyed it - we call ourselves Peg Leg and Stitch now, what a pair! Once again my On trainers were fabulous and got me round. We eventually finished side by side in equal 8th place - the crowds were great cheering us on at the finish line and we felt great! Caroline had a great race and came in only a few minutes behind us.
The Spanish really know how to put on a race and the food at the finish was amazing - we were just stealing some sandwiches for the lads when they brought out huge paella's - and it kept coming. I reckon there were 30 huge paella dishes and it was all free for anyone! As I was stuffing my face I suddenly realised they were calling my name. Somehow I had finished 3rd over 40 and had to get up on the podium to get my trophy. A great end to a fab race.
The rest of the month has been about training in the lead up to the European championships in June and getting over my injury. I must admit I am feeling my age at the moment and my leg is not healing as quick as I would like. I have a great physio though (thanks Mindy) who really believes in acupuncture so she has been sticking needles in my bum all month!
Before Turkey I had two races planned - the first one being Grendon sprint tri and then the National champs in Nottingham. Grendon is notoriously cold and this year was no exception. The water was only 11 degrees! but the sun shone and I had a great race - although I was a bit rusty on the run those On trainers got me through again! I came into T2 in second place and managed to run into first place quite quickly so I was very pleased with that result. I've also qualified for the 2014 European champs so we may be off to Austria next June!
So that's May - June is a big month with both the Nationals and Europeans - bring it on!!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
April 2013
What a roller coaster of a month!
It all started with Halesowen Triathlon which is a local pool sprint and a good early season event to get that first one out of the way. The weather had been absolutely freezing leading up to it and I honestly thought they might cancel but, no, it went ahead as planned. Annoyingly the week before the race I started to feel awful and ended up in bed for a couple of days. I don't know what it was but thankfully I felt better just in time.
It was about 3 degrees when I woke up on race day and I was so happy that I had a late start at 10.20am. John Batchelor at Halesowen Tri club really knows how to organise an event and this year was especially good with sponsorship from Lidl, a T-shirt that actually fitted me and friendly, efficient marshals.
Halesowen pool is not my favourite as it is 33metres which seems huge but I was pleased with my time of 6:33 - a big thank you to Graham, all those 16 x 100 m sets are paying off! Then it was off onto the bike - bloody hell was it cold! The course is hilly and technical though so I soon warmed up. The Boardman TT was as good as ever, flying up the hills. Had one small problem when I had to stop behind a horse box on a narrow lane but only lost a couple of seconds. Then it was the run - I have to say that my On Cloudracers are amazing. I definitely run faster in them. Bit surprised that I got to the turn point so quickly though and didn't realise until the end that the run was about a km short!
Great race and very pleased to win the overall women's race in 1:09:35. Another great part of the event is that they give out prize money - in cash! This is not something you see much of these days and I wonder why, if small clubs like Halesowen Tri can do it, why can't the bigger events?
Then it was all about preparation for the European Duathlon champs in Holland - one of my big goals for this year. I have been looking forward to this event as my least favourite part of triathlon is the swim. My running is strong at the moment, although I have had a few niggly injuries this winter. My bike training has been good all winter but has peaked with some recent help from Jamie Jenkins of Success Cycling. He has put together some amazing turbo training DVD's using real video footage from rides he has done and with great music it all makes the very painful training a little bit easier. The duathlon bike course looked very technical as it went through the local town twice and this suits me as I love a bit of cornering at speed so I was hopeful of a good result.
Unfortunately I came down with a cold the week before the race and spent the next 5 days resting and desperately trying to get better - it wasn't until the day before the race that I really felt back to normal so it was a bit of a panicky week!
I was racing along with my team mate and friend Sam Anderson who competes in the 25-29 age group and is a very strong contender this year for a medal. But she has been very poorly recently so she hasn't had the best preparation. Still, Sam is one of the most determined people I know so I was sure she would race her heart out!
So off we all set in our van with Sam's mum Nina, her boyfriend Chris and my husband Mark. 4 bikes, 5 suitcases, 4 helmets (2 aero) and bags of food - we were bursting at the seams. After a very long drive we arrived in Holland ready to have a look at the run and bike courses. What a great place! the whole town had been taken over by the event, which also holds the long distance Powerman duathlon (the womens race was eventually won by Lucy Gossage). The roads were closed all around the town and there was a huge stage marquee set up in the square with music and entertainment. The opening ceremony was a bit odd though - I have never seen a pole dancer at one before (not really family entertainent!).
Race day came and Sam and I managed to get near to the front as all 400 of us were being set off together. It was a bit of a crush on the start line and the race went off really fast. I mean really fast! I managed to hang in there just trying to breathe and after the first half a kilometre I settled into a good pace. I flew into T1 knowing that I had passed my closest opposition (Anke Lakies from Germany) so hoped I had a good lead on her going into the bike section. Mark, Chris and Nina were brilliant, shouting their support.
I loved the bike but it was a bit dangerous as we rode through the town and there were some very nervous cyclists. I managed to weave my way past, smiling as I left behind a lot of male competitors who would probably be much faster than me on a straighter course. The bike went really quickly but I did get some cramping in my calves which wasn't pleasant.
Then disaster as I came into T2. Mark had told me that I was leading my age group so I was feeling good but as I put my trainers on the cramp came back in my right calf and I have never experienced pain like it. I screamed so loudly an official ran over and started to take my trainers off so I ended up having a fight with him as I wanted to start running. Eventually I hobbled out of transition and luckily the cramp eased as I started the run. I knew Anke was probably catching me so I buried myself to keep going hard to the line. As I finished I was fairly sure that I had won my age group and it was great to go over the line holding my GB flag (thank you Joan, GB team manager).
Sam came in just behind me and I knew she had not had a good race as she usually beats me. Sadly she had stomach cramps throughout the whole race but she battled on and came a fantastic 4th - bitterly disappointed as she should have got the bronze. I am sure she will get a medal next time though when we race at the European Triathlon champs in Turkey, she just needs to be fit and well on race day.
The results were then confirmed, I had won my age group so I have now added European Duathlon champion to my triathlon title that I won in Eilat last year. Very pleased with that. I was even more pleased when I found out my first run split was a PB of 17:59! I thought we had gone off fast! I am convinced that it is down to my On Cloudracers that I am managing to still get a PB at the age of 46.
Another great weekend away racing for Team GB - the team and the support was as big as ever and, as usual, we met loads of lovely people.
Thank you to On Running, Fred Williams Cycles, Success Cycling, and all my friends at TRiKS for their support. Thank you to Nina and Chris for their support and good company in Holland and to Sam for her friendship and support. Your postive outlook on life, especially when things are not going well, is inspirational (and she has also helped me with settting up this blog). Lastly a huge big thank you to Mark for driving all the way to Holland and back, for cooking two lovely pre-race meals, for helping Chris to get his cycling Mojo back and for just believing in me (and putting up with me) all the time. Love you all.
The year is going well so far.....just need to keep it going all the way to Turkey in June.
It all started with Halesowen Triathlon which is a local pool sprint and a good early season event to get that first one out of the way. The weather had been absolutely freezing leading up to it and I honestly thought they might cancel but, no, it went ahead as planned. Annoyingly the week before the race I started to feel awful and ended up in bed for a couple of days. I don't know what it was but thankfully I felt better just in time.
It was about 3 degrees when I woke up on race day and I was so happy that I had a late start at 10.20am. John Batchelor at Halesowen Tri club really knows how to organise an event and this year was especially good with sponsorship from Lidl, a T-shirt that actually fitted me and friendly, efficient marshals.
Halesowen pool is not my favourite as it is 33metres which seems huge but I was pleased with my time of 6:33 - a big thank you to Graham, all those 16 x 100 m sets are paying off! Then it was off onto the bike - bloody hell was it cold! The course is hilly and technical though so I soon warmed up. The Boardman TT was as good as ever, flying up the hills. Had one small problem when I had to stop behind a horse box on a narrow lane but only lost a couple of seconds. Then it was the run - I have to say that my On Cloudracers are amazing. I definitely run faster in them. Bit surprised that I got to the turn point so quickly though and didn't realise until the end that the run was about a km short!
Great race and very pleased to win the overall women's race in 1:09:35. Another great part of the event is that they give out prize money - in cash! This is not something you see much of these days and I wonder why, if small clubs like Halesowen Tri can do it, why can't the bigger events?
Then it was all about preparation for the European Duathlon champs in Holland - one of my big goals for this year. I have been looking forward to this event as my least favourite part of triathlon is the swim. My running is strong at the moment, although I have had a few niggly injuries this winter. My bike training has been good all winter but has peaked with some recent help from Jamie Jenkins of Success Cycling. He has put together some amazing turbo training DVD's using real video footage from rides he has done and with great music it all makes the very painful training a little bit easier. The duathlon bike course looked very technical as it went through the local town twice and this suits me as I love a bit of cornering at speed so I was hopeful of a good result.
Unfortunately I came down with a cold the week before the race and spent the next 5 days resting and desperately trying to get better - it wasn't until the day before the race that I really felt back to normal so it was a bit of a panicky week!
I was racing along with my team mate and friend Sam Anderson who competes in the 25-29 age group and is a very strong contender this year for a medal. But she has been very poorly recently so she hasn't had the best preparation. Still, Sam is one of the most determined people I know so I was sure she would race her heart out!
So off we all set in our van with Sam's mum Nina, her boyfriend Chris and my husband Mark. 4 bikes, 5 suitcases, 4 helmets (2 aero) and bags of food - we were bursting at the seams. After a very long drive we arrived in Holland ready to have a look at the run and bike courses. What a great place! the whole town had been taken over by the event, which also holds the long distance Powerman duathlon (the womens race was eventually won by Lucy Gossage). The roads were closed all around the town and there was a huge stage marquee set up in the square with music and entertainment. The opening ceremony was a bit odd though - I have never seen a pole dancer at one before (not really family entertainent!).
Race day came and Sam and I managed to get near to the front as all 400 of us were being set off together. It was a bit of a crush on the start line and the race went off really fast. I mean really fast! I managed to hang in there just trying to breathe and after the first half a kilometre I settled into a good pace. I flew into T1 knowing that I had passed my closest opposition (Anke Lakies from Germany) so hoped I had a good lead on her going into the bike section. Mark, Chris and Nina were brilliant, shouting their support.
I loved the bike but it was a bit dangerous as we rode through the town and there were some very nervous cyclists. I managed to weave my way past, smiling as I left behind a lot of male competitors who would probably be much faster than me on a straighter course. The bike went really quickly but I did get some cramping in my calves which wasn't pleasant.
Then disaster as I came into T2. Mark had told me that I was leading my age group so I was feeling good but as I put my trainers on the cramp came back in my right calf and I have never experienced pain like it. I screamed so loudly an official ran over and started to take my trainers off so I ended up having a fight with him as I wanted to start running. Eventually I hobbled out of transition and luckily the cramp eased as I started the run. I knew Anke was probably catching me so I buried myself to keep going hard to the line. As I finished I was fairly sure that I had won my age group and it was great to go over the line holding my GB flag (thank you Joan, GB team manager).
Sam came in just behind me and I knew she had not had a good race as she usually beats me. Sadly she had stomach cramps throughout the whole race but she battled on and came a fantastic 4th - bitterly disappointed as she should have got the bronze. I am sure she will get a medal next time though when we race at the European Triathlon champs in Turkey, she just needs to be fit and well on race day.
The results were then confirmed, I had won my age group so I have now added European Duathlon champion to my triathlon title that I won in Eilat last year. Very pleased with that. I was even more pleased when I found out my first run split was a PB of 17:59! I thought we had gone off fast! I am convinced that it is down to my On Cloudracers that I am managing to still get a PB at the age of 46.
Another great weekend away racing for Team GB - the team and the support was as big as ever and, as usual, we met loads of lovely people.
Thank you to On Running, Fred Williams Cycles, Success Cycling, and all my friends at TRiKS for their support. Thank you to Nina and Chris for their support and good company in Holland and to Sam for her friendship and support. Your postive outlook on life, especially when things are not going well, is inspirational (and she has also helped me with settting up this blog). Lastly a huge big thank you to Mark for driving all the way to Holland and back, for cooking two lovely pre-race meals, for helping Chris to get his cycling Mojo back and for just believing in me (and putting up with me) all the time. Love you all.
The year is going well so far.....just need to keep it going all the way to Turkey in June.
Monday, April 1, 2013
2013
March - part 2
I do not believe it, the Clumber Park Duathlon has been postponed! This time due to heavy snow and it's the end of March? The only thing to do was go into Wyre Forest and do a steady (if a bit slippy) long run with the dog and a few of my TRiKS friends. It was actually a fab run and the hot chocolate and cake afterwards were great.
It is now Easter and the temperatures are still around freezing! What is going on? Mark and I travelled to Belgium this weekend, with my brother and his wife, to take part in the Flanders sportive ride - which is run over the same course as the pro race the next day. This was one of the best rides I have ever done but how hard is it riding on cobbles? There were thousands of other riders all trying to stay upright on the steep climbs (a lot didn't make it) - I absolutely loved it! The next day we watched the pro's race - I do not know how they ride so fast up those climbs. The atmosphere was just crazy - the Belgians are mad cycling fans and most of the country had come to watch. Cancellara's win was awesome! Too many chips with mayonnaise though so back home now and back to training and hopefully my first triathlon next month......
March - part 2
I do not believe it, the Clumber Park Duathlon has been postponed! This time due to heavy snow and it's the end of March? The only thing to do was go into Wyre Forest and do a steady (if a bit slippy) long run with the dog and a few of my TRiKS friends. It was actually a fab run and the hot chocolate and cake afterwards were great.
It is now Easter and the temperatures are still around freezing! What is going on? Mark and I travelled to Belgium this weekend, with my brother and his wife, to take part in the Flanders sportive ride - which is run over the same course as the pro race the next day. This was one of the best rides I have ever done but how hard is it riding on cobbles? There were thousands of other riders all trying to stay upright on the steep climbs (a lot didn't make it) - I absolutely loved it! The next day we watched the pro's race - I do not know how they ride so fast up those climbs. The atmosphere was just crazy - the Belgians are mad cycling fans and most of the country had come to watch. Cancellara's win was awesome! Too many chips with mayonnaise though so back home now and back to training and hopefully my first triathlon next month......
March
Finally I have raced! Althorpe Duathlon was a great event, very well organised and a great bike course which suited me as it was quite technical in places. I had a solid first run but definitely need to sharpen my race pace. I was about 12th after the first 5km run leg and really went for it on the bike, overtaking a number of the fast (and skinny!) runners. My new Boardman TT bike is absolutely fabulous! I can't praise it enough and must say a big thank you to Fred Williams bike shop for their help. My team mate Sam was racing aswell and she had a really fast first run but I just managed to catch her on the bike and we flew into T2 side by side. A great pic for the TRiKS scrapbook!
A not so good second transition (more practice needed) and I was off on the second 5k run. I could see Sam in front but she is so strong that all I could do was use her to pace me to the finish. She came 4th overall and I was 6th so we both qualified for the European champs in our age groups. I won mine and later found out that I had got the second fastest bike time overall, so really pleased with that. One again my On trainers were fab helping me to a sub 20 minute first run. A good start to the racing season!
Next race is the Clumber Duathlon at the end of March, before the big one in Holland next month.
Finally I have raced! Althorpe Duathlon was a great event, very well organised and a great bike course which suited me as it was quite technical in places. I had a solid first run but definitely need to sharpen my race pace. I was about 12th after the first 5km run leg and really went for it on the bike, overtaking a number of the fast (and skinny!) runners. My new Boardman TT bike is absolutely fabulous! I can't praise it enough and must say a big thank you to Fred Williams bike shop for their help. My team mate Sam was racing aswell and she had a really fast first run but I just managed to catch her on the bike and we flew into T2 side by side. A great pic for the TRiKS scrapbook!
A not so good second transition (more practice needed) and I was off on the second 5k run. I could see Sam in front but she is so strong that all I could do was use her to pace me to the finish. She came 4th overall and I was 6th so we both qualified for the European champs in our age groups. I won mine and later found out that I had got the second fastest bike time overall, so really pleased with that. One again my On trainers were fab helping me to a sub 20 minute first run. A good start to the racing season!
Next race is the Clumber Duathlon at the end of March, before the big one in Holland next month.
2013
February
A very very frustrating month! The weather is just crazy, can it be any colder and wetter? Outdoor training is getting so hard but at least I have been able to train with Jason Dimmock and Jamie Jenkins on the turbo. Jamie has a great set up at his house with a huge telly showing training DVD's and a computer linked to a heart rate monitor and power meter. I did a test to gauge my power and was really pleased with the average of 253 watts over 20 mins, with an average heart rate of 137. This is very encouraging as I have put a lot of effort into my bike training this year and it looks like I am much stronger now.
It will be interesting to see how much I improve over the year with Jamies's help. He is setting up his own coaching company -Success Cycling - have a look at his Facebook page for more details.
Just as I am getting psyched up for Althorpe Duathlon they postpone it! To be fair the course must be a complete washout as all it has done this year is rain but the weather is really nice at the moment - just a bit cold. It would have been a great day for racing. It was my birthday the day after though so Mark treated me to a lovely night away in a hotel but we got out on our bikes the next day in beautiful sunshine.
According to my physio my knee is sore due to a weakness in my left hamstring so I have lots of exercises to do to strengthen it. Thankfully I can keep on running so I'm ramping up the training now. My lovely training partner Sam is flying at the moment and she is pushing me hard in our weekly 40 minute tempo runs. I do honestly believe this is one of the most effective ways to train - combined with a session of interval training for speed and a longer run for stamina. I love runing in my On trainers - they really promote that forward motion needed to maintain a 6:30 minute mile pace.
February
A very very frustrating month! The weather is just crazy, can it be any colder and wetter? Outdoor training is getting so hard but at least I have been able to train with Jason Dimmock and Jamie Jenkins on the turbo. Jamie has a great set up at his house with a huge telly showing training DVD's and a computer linked to a heart rate monitor and power meter. I did a test to gauge my power and was really pleased with the average of 253 watts over 20 mins, with an average heart rate of 137. This is very encouraging as I have put a lot of effort into my bike training this year and it looks like I am much stronger now.
It will be interesting to see how much I improve over the year with Jamies's help. He is setting up his own coaching company -Success Cycling - have a look at his Facebook page for more details.
Just as I am getting psyched up for Althorpe Duathlon they postpone it! To be fair the course must be a complete washout as all it has done this year is rain but the weather is really nice at the moment - just a bit cold. It would have been a great day for racing. It was my birthday the day after though so Mark treated me to a lovely night away in a hotel but we got out on our bikes the next day in beautiful sunshine.
According to my physio my knee is sore due to a weakness in my left hamstring so I have lots of exercises to do to strengthen it. Thankfully I can keep on running so I'm ramping up the training now. My lovely training partner Sam is flying at the moment and she is pushing me hard in our weekly 40 minute tempo runs. I do honestly believe this is one of the most effective ways to train - combined with a session of interval training for speed and a longer run for stamina. I love runing in my On trainers - they really promote that forward motion needed to maintain a 6:30 minute mile pace.
2013
January
After the Christmas and New Year celebrations it is time to get serious and think about the new race season which is fast approaching. I have decided to try my hand at duathlon this year and have entered my first race of the year (16th Feb). It seems a little early to be racing but Althorpe Duathlon is the first qualifying event for the European Championships which will be held in Holland in April. My training is going really well now that I have gotten over my achilles injury, although my left knee still feels a bit odd after I have run and is definitely swollen at times. No pain though so I don't know if that is good or bad? At the moment I am ignoring it and running as normal.
I have just come back from a lovely holiday away in the Cape Verde islands with my husband Mark, daughter Charlotte and her friend Jo. The sunshine was fabulous but my knee was definitely not right so I just did lots of swimming - in an outdoor pool! So much nicer than Stourport pool - the other guests thought I was mad though as they came down to the pool to put their towels on the beds before their huge buffet breakfast! Charlotte ran on the beach most days and I have to admit I was very envious - she is getting very run-fit now, following her brilliant time in the half marathon in October (1:36).
I am really proud to have been asked to be an ambassador for On Running. I have been using the Cloudracers for about a year now and really love them. So far though this year they have not had too many outings due to the very wet weather - I am saving them for my first race next month and hopefully it will be dry by then.
January
After the Christmas and New Year celebrations it is time to get serious and think about the new race season which is fast approaching. I have decided to try my hand at duathlon this year and have entered my first race of the year (16th Feb). It seems a little early to be racing but Althorpe Duathlon is the first qualifying event for the European Championships which will be held in Holland in April. My training is going really well now that I have gotten over my achilles injury, although my left knee still feels a bit odd after I have run and is definitely swollen at times. No pain though so I don't know if that is good or bad? At the moment I am ignoring it and running as normal.
I have just come back from a lovely holiday away in the Cape Verde islands with my husband Mark, daughter Charlotte and her friend Jo. The sunshine was fabulous but my knee was definitely not right so I just did lots of swimming - in an outdoor pool! So much nicer than Stourport pool - the other guests thought I was mad though as they came down to the pool to put their towels on the beds before their huge buffet breakfast! Charlotte ran on the beach most days and I have to admit I was very envious - she is getting very run-fit now, following her brilliant time in the half marathon in October (1:36).
I am really proud to have been asked to be an ambassador for On Running. I have been using the Cloudracers for about a year now and really love them. So far though this year they have not had too many outings due to the very wet weather - I am saving them for my first race next month and hopefully it will be dry by then.
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