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.
Lisbon Tri
My first winners tape
Sunday, April 28, 2013
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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