World Duathlon Championships 2014

It's taken me ages to start writing this blog. I think I am still coming to terms with the fact that I have finally reached my ultimate goal. After 6 years of training hard and racing even harder I can finally say that I am a World Champion. Yes a WORLD CHAMPION! Me!

Obviously this hasn't always been my goal. When I did my first triathlon my goal was like everyone else's - to just finish without drowning or falling off my bike or making a complete idiot of myself. In the end I actually did quite well coming 3rd overall so I guess this was a sign that I might be quite good at this sport. I never ever dreamed that I would end up doing what I do now though.

I have to admit I was more nervous about this race than any other. I think it was because I knew that I had a good chance of winning and I really wanted to be a World Champion. There were 28 athletes in my age group from 8 different countries so I didn't have a clue who I would be racing but I was fit and uninjured and my training had gone to plan so it all looked good. But all I could think about were all the things that could go wrong (see previous post about the British Champs) The bike leg is basically 6 miles up and then 6 miles down a big hill and I had a recurring dream for about 3 weeks where I seemed to be cycling in treacle and everyone rode past me.

               Team TRIKS
So the World Champs started just like many other races - with a road trip via Gatwick airport to Pontevedra in Spain with my husband Mark. We travelled out by ourselves but soon met lots of friends starting with Vicky and Ron (from Malvern) at airport check-in. Alister and Chris were also going to be there along with my other TRiKS club mates Catherine and Dave. I was looking forward to seeing Jess, Karen and her mum, Ray, Nev, Kate, Julie etc - the list goes on. I love meeting so many brilliant people at these events. Sadly my bestest friend Sam had decided not to race and I was really going to miss her!
Our hotel was lovely and full of triathletes from lots of other countries. We soon settled in and started to think about the next couple of days. I had raced in Pontevedra in 2011 so I knew the area which was helpful. We were about 3 miles from the race venue which was nice as we could get away from it all and just chill before the race. I find the team GB hotel a bit too much sometimes. Lots of nervous people only make me more nervous!



We registered as soon as we arrived and I am so happy that we did because I actually managed to get an event Tshirt that fits me - they had just 2 XXSmall's and me and another GB lady snapped them up. Chris and Alister arrived and we spent a nice time messing around with the merchandise and taking photos.
                                                                    We are so cool!

The next day we rode the bike course. The hill was just like I remembered and we scared ourselves silly descending in the tail wind. Chris said he had to back off when his front wheel started to wobble at 51 mph! This was going to be interesting on race day. A hot chocolate cafe stop soon made us feel better and Alister nearly sold his bike to a local guy who really liked it (god knows why but he passed over my Boardman 9.8 TT and Chris's carbon Swift TT for an XXL Focus road bike!). I also met a new friend - Suzie - who was staying in the same hotel as Chris and Alister. What a lovely girl - so talented and very down to earth. None of the usual ego that you can sometimes come across. Although she has every right - she had just won the Slateman Triathlon the week before!

Team briefing was the best one I have ever sat through. Jez Cox, team manager, is very down to earth and really knows his stuff. He soon put everyone at ease and allowed no silly questions!! Well I thought it was really good but Alister fell asleep! Team photos and a quick walk round the run course and I was ready. We had a lovely meal with Chris, Alister and Suzie that night and I thank them for taking my mind off what was coming the next day.
                                                                    

Race day was lovely, sunny and calm and not too warm when we set off for transition which was in an athletics stadium so it had a really good atmosphere. It was all very exciting setting up and working out the route in and out. Once again I met my lovely friend (and opposition) Anke from Germany. As usual we hugged and wished each other good luck. A quick warm up and another wee and it was time to go. We were soon in the scrum to get to the front and remembering the fast start at the Europeans I made sure I was right on the start line.

When the gun went off it was crazy. It still amazes me how fast some of the younger girls go off but you can't just let them go so I chased after them. I had decided that I wanted to put in as much time as I could in the first run as I really wasn't that confident of how I would do on the bike because of the hill and Anke is a very strong cyclist. I was soon in a small group and as I looked around I could see they were all much younger than me (good!) including my team mate Donna McHugh. She won at the Europeans so I knew she was good. We flew round the twisty circuit through the town and the crowds were amazing, it was so noisy as we ran up the short sharp hill and back into the stadium to start lap 2. First split 19.04  - not bad for a hilly twisty route.

Coming into T1 Mark shouted that I had over a minute on Anke in second place - that was great news. All I had to do was get to the top of the hill before her and I could relax a bit. I actually had one of my best bike rides ever - I set off hard but paced it just right all the up. As I got to the top I realised that no-one had caught me and I allowed myself a little smile. Just stay upright on the descent and surely Anke can't catch me? I started to cramp up as I reached the top but it wasn't a problem and I was soon flying back down. I loved that descent. Smooth tarmac and wide sweeping bends. I stayed on my tri bars the whole way - even Chris wasn't that brave and he's supposed to be a good cyclist!! 2nd split 35:35 (which was actually had the fastest female bike split overall so the disgusting Malvern hills training sets definitely worked)

I flew into T2 knowing that all I had to do was stay on my feet for 2.5 k - someone shouted that I was in 5th place overall surely not I didn't think I was that far up? That meant I was one of the first GB girls too and I couldn't think who was in front. Maybe I was first GB,  now that would be really something. (it turns out that Abi Bagshaw was way out in front winning overall after an amazing 17 minute first run!!) Anyway I couldn't dwell on that for long  asI had to get up the last hill without getting cramp - I just about managed it and then I just went for it. I knew that Donna was right behind me as her partner was shouting really loudly for her (but she wasn't going to catch me if I could help it). Mark was there too, I could see him smiling and shouting, really pleased as he knew I was going to win. I was actually going to enjoy the finish of this race. As I ran into the stadium the crowds were amazing - so loud. I ran down the blue carpet with a big smile on my face and tried to look good for the official photos. Final split 10:15 - Finish time 01:07:56 - 5th overall (2nd GB) and 1st in my age group.

Anke came over the line in second place - another great result for her and, even better, my friend Vicky came next. She had won the bronze in only her second GB duathlon! What a lovely finish to a perfect race. I was so chuffed for her.

I then saw Alister, Chris and Catherine - they had all had good races. Catherine had come 7th at her first attempt, Chris had managed a sprint finish and Alister was just all smiles as he was a GB virgin no longer. Thanks for making it a great weekend guys!

We spent the rest of the day watching the Standard race, drinking beer in the sun and shouting for the GB team. It was absolutely brilliant to watch Suzie destroy the field and win the womens event overall. She is amazing.

I do love that blue carpet!


So a perfect race at last (they do happen sometimes) and nothing had gone wrong. The only stupid thing I did was leave it really late to get my bike out of transition - by the time I arrived they had dismantled all the racking apart from a tiny section where my bike was - a bit embarrassing but as even the security had gone home by then I don't think anyone saw me.


                                                                             Ooops!






The medal ceremony that night was just awesome! They had put up a huge stage big screens. I thought it was just for the triathletes - but no - apparently a really popular local rock band was performing and half the town had come to see them. I don't think they were that pleased to see loads of triathletes delaying their entertainment. My friends Ray and Jess had also won Gold and Bronze so we had loads to celebrate. A couple more beers and I was ready for bed though, it had been a really long crazy day.....










Me and Vicky with our medals...and big smiles!











It's been quite a journey over the years and I want to thank so many people as it's absolutely true that you can't do this by yourself. Everyone needs a 'team'around them and my team is amazing. (sorry this is the cheesy bit)

Thank you to my parents for giving me their genes - my Dad for his 'cycling engine' and mum for giving me her 'no-one is going to tell me I can't do that' attitude.

Thank you to my old friend Jacqui who bullied me into doing my first triathlon and told me that I might be able to qualify for the GB team one day. I didn't believe her.

Thank you to all the coaches, athletes, club mates and friends who have helped with my training over the years - especially Jamie at Success Cycling for his hill training plans and Russell at The Muscle Clinic for keeping me in one piece - and of course Sam for her special friendship and her enthusiasm for life.

My sponsors - Fred Williams bike shop who have helped me loads over the years. They are also so supportive and interested in my results. I don't feel like I can let them down.And my two main sponsors this year - KWB Workplace and The Senator Group - who have made my many trips abroad almost affordable.

But most importantly my husband Mark who really is the other half of Team Phillips. I couldn't do it without him.

I've always been into sport and have rowed, run and cycled competitively but because of a young family had never been able to give anything 100% and so I've never really found out how good I could be. I never ever dreamed that, at the age of 47, I would end up doing something that I love so much and that gives me such a feeling of achievement.

So what does a World Champion do next then? Unfortunately I have to get straight back to hard training - I've got my 3rd big goal of the year coming up - the World Triathlon Championships in Canada in August...................!

British Sprint Championships

Well it had to happen....I have had such a good run of races that eventually something had to go wrong and it really went wrong last Saturday at the British champs at Dorney Lake.

It started so well. We pitched up at a lovely campsite about 2 miles from the race in beautiful and warm sunshine. We had dinner and settled in for a good nights sleep - only no-one had told the M4! We soon realised that we were effectively sleeping on the hard shoulder and so spent a completely sleepless night. Not fantastic preparation.

Race day was a glorious -warm and sunny and I was soon in transition meeting up with all my friends who I hadn't seen since last season. We were all soon comparing our trainers as there were a lot of On Running shoes about. It seems they are getting really popular now and no wonder, I think they are the fastest trainers around.

Maybe it was because I was tired but I should have realised something was wrong when I forgot my goggles and only just had time to run back and get them before we started. My swim was poor - I just couldn't get going but I came out of the water in 6th place and set off on the bike. Again I didn't feel 'on it' but soon passed 3 girls. I could see Maria Powell and Catherine Linney in front and just concentrate on staying with them. by the 3rd lap I was feeling better and I passed Catherine so there was just Maria about 20 secs in front. And then I did the most stupid thing - instead of going into transition on lap 4 I just carried on to do a 5th! Why? no idea. Then I had a panic. I could see transition but I couldn't get to it. I tried to turn round but there were so many cyclists coming it was dangerous so I shouted to a Marshall and he told me to run across the grass and back onto the course. I thought I was going to get disqualified but he said I was OK to carry on and amazingly I was still in second place.

I ran out of T2 in a right panic. Mark was looking confused as I had lost a minute and he didn't know why. I could see Maria way down the road at this point and I tried the best I could but there was no way I was going to catch her. I made up over 40 seconds but it wasn't enough.

I am so cross with myself and beat myself up for a few days - how could I be so stupid, I'm supposed to be good at this sport! Then I decided I was being a complete diva. I'd won a silver medal at the British Champs for goodness sake! Lots of people would love to do that and here was I moaning about my bad luck.

Then I read Jodie Stimpsons blog - she had a disaster in Japan this weekend and ended up cutting her foot so badly she had to have stitches and she may not be able to race in London now. After winning the last 2 World Cup races she must have been gutted. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how experienced you are things can go wrong. The important thing is how you deal with the disappointment. So I have decided to move on, learn from the experience and never camp on the M4 again!