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!

Battle of the Sexes Standard + Triathlon - Lisbon

I have often watched the ITU elite races and envied the winners when they get to the tape and hold it above their heads. That has to be the coolest way to win a race. Jonny Brownlee is the best at it when he punches his way through. As an age grouper (and a female) I never thought that I would ever be able to do that - until now! Last weekend I won the Battle of the Sexes race in Lisbon. Not my age group, not the female prize, but the whole bloody race!!

Once again Mark and I were off on our travels - (living the dream) - with our friends Sam and Chris. This time was different as it wasn't a championship race so no pressure to win anything and we were all racing this time - a real boys v girls race. This race was just for fun - I was going to enjoy it.

The Battle of the Sexes in Lisbon, Portugal really appealed to Sam and I as the women and the men all compete together for one overall prize - the catch however is that the women go off 14 minutes in front and then its the first across the line wins. 'Great', we thought, 'that sounds very fair' - 'Shit', Mark and Chris thought, 'we could do with the 14 minute head start never mind the girls!'

Lisbon was hot and sunny when we got there and our hotel was just 1.5 miles from the airport - how then did it cost 34 euros in a taxi!! Even worse we had to book two to get the bike boxes in - 70 euros! Not a great start but we didn't have a choice. The funny thing is that everything else in Portugal is dirt cheap....?

The next morning we went down to the race venue across the street to register and get our bearings. What a fantastic venue - it is based in a huge expo area with exhibition halls and cafes. The swim is in a small harbour area, a bit like the London Docklands - and the water was warm! The run route went along the waterfront and the cycle route was on closed roads with perfect tarmac. Could it get any better? Apparently it could - Chris had spotted a Sealife Centre!

The race organisation was very slick and that evening we went to the race briefing and then the pasta party - held in our hotel and completely free. The event is the biggest in Portugal as it also has a half ironman elite race. There were triathletes from loads of different countries all speaking different languages...and all in their calf guards. We were starting to feel quite excited.

On the day of the race Sam was unusually calm and relaxed and I was my usual wound-up self. Things were not helped when I got stuck in the lift and ended up visiting all 12 floors with my bike at 6 in the morning. Sam nearly wet herself laughing. It did calm me down though and we were soon in the huge transition area getting ready. 
                                    

Then it was time to start - as we swam off I was aware of a really fast swimmer out in front - I hoped it was Sam as she is flying in the pool at the moment. I had a good swim but I was on my own the whole time. I just enjoyed being able to get in a rythmn and I was soon at the last bouy. Then I saw Sam, she was getting out already! Wow she had really had a good one. About 2 minutes later I was running up the slope too and the crowd were amazing - cheering and shouting. I thought I was about 5/6th?

I got off to a good start on the bike and very quickly overtook 4 women so I hoped that it was just Sam in front. That meant we were leading the race and hopefully we could hang on for a bit before the men came past. The bike course was fast but really windy so I just got my head down. It was really spooky at first as I was riding on a huge motorway with no-one else around and no cars - like in a film when a nuclear bomb has gone off.  It was a bit lonely really. Thankfully at the far turn I saw Sam flying the other way with the lead motorbike. She gave me a big shout, I couldn't even breathe. Then it was a stupidly fast ride back with a screaming tail wind.

The second lap was better as I was now mixed in with the half ironman distance race so I could try and catch people. I started to look behind me but I couldn't tell who was catching me. Two or three times a man came past and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw their long distance numbers.

I flew back into T2 and started the run - once again I managed to fluff up transition by going the wrong way but I was soon out on the course - oooh that was hot! I could just see Sam in front and I could see she was struggling - I knew she would hate the run as she has been so poorly recently she has done no run training at all for about 3 weeks. The run route was a number of short out and back legs and I spent the whole race looking for the first man who was catching me - but I didn't see anyone. I passed Sam and gave her a shout. She's so lovely, even though I was going to beat her she still encouraged me. I just had enough breath to tell her not to let any men get past.


At the end of lap 1 I finally saw the first man. Oh that scared me and I had a surge of adrenalin. I couldn't tell how fast he was going or how much lead I had so I just had to run as hard as I could. Unfortunately I am more used to sprint distance races so I was seriously running out of energy. I didn't relax until I got to the final corner and then I could see the finish line. OMG I was going to win! I ran down the finish shute and then I saw it - there was a finishers tape! A proper, professional finishers tape - Oh God Jacqui, I thought, don't mess this up. I put the tape over my head and went over the line with a big smile. I felt like an elite - people were taking my photo and I was sat in a chair and interviewed by the commentator over the microphone. It was lovely.

Then it was all about whether Sam had hung on for second - that was a bit nerve racking and then I saw her - she was second overall. We had both beaten the men! About a minute later Dave Gorley, the first man came over the line. What a nice man he is - from Leicester - so the Brits had cleaned up
.

Chris then came in in 10th place which was amazing for his first ever open water tri. I wanted to go and see where Mark was but they wanted us all on the podium so I nearly missed him - he eventually came in with a big smile on his face. Apparently he had heard the whole race finish (and my interview) over the tannoy as he was running round so he knew the result.

Once again we were well looked after with loads of post-race food and drink and 'the best post race massage in the world'! I had a look but there were 4 people on each athlete - no way was I letting 4 people anywhere near my legs for about a fortnight! Lots of people came up to me to say well done - the Portugese are so friendly - and I was made to feel really special.

 

.........and then it was all over. We packed up and headed to another hotel for a couple of days on the beach. The next day Mark was looking for the race photos when he nearly choked. He had just seen the prize for winning the Battle of the Sexes - 750 euros! Ooops, I hadn't even looked to see if there was a prize. Mark made a quick phone call and we agreed to meet the race organiser to pick it up before we flew home.








Then Mark found the photo's - and yes I had messed up the finish. I hadn't quite managed to lift the tape up enough so I look like I have no head - what a muppet! An obvious lack of practice.

So the 'fun' race in Lisbon turned out to be quite an experience. Once again we had a fabulous, hilarious weekend away with our lovely friends. Another great result for Sam and I and the biggest prize I have ever won in my life - the best race ever!

European Duathlon Campionships 2014

The best way to prepare for a big race is probably not to spend 2 days in bed and almost 2 weeks off training because of a virus, but that is what I was doing in the lead up to the European Duathlon championships this year. Unfortunately at this time of year everyone seems to have a bug or a cold and when you are training hard it's so easy to pick something up.

I had been doing brick sessions with Sam and Alister (which were brilliant and my very first ones ever!) and they were both feeling a bit rubbish so it's not surprising that I was soon in bed with no energy and a sore throat. Sam had it even worse than I did and she was off work for quite a while so we both went into this race feeling slightly less than confident about how we would do.

Nervous smiles before the start
It turns out that we both had amazing races and won medals but at the time I remember standing on the start line thinking, 'this is either going to be brilliant or a complete disaster and I will probably find out in the first kilometre!'.

I love racing at Horst (I raced there last year too) so I was really looking forward to spending time  there. The town is really friendly and the race is well supported by everyone who lives there. The bike course suits me too as it is quite technical around the town, with some tight corners which I love.

Looking at the competition before the race I decided that my biggest challengers would be Anke Lakies from Germany (who got the silver in 2013) and Kate Morris (GB) who is a very good runner and I have noticed she has improved on the bike a lot recently. The other Dutch and German girls I didn't know so I couldn't worry about them.

I decided that the only way to win was to nail the first run, have a solid bike and then hang on for the last 2.5km. I also didn't want a repeat of last years cramp that had me lying down in T2 screaming my head off while an official grabbed my leg! I hoped that the brick sessions that I had done this year would help with that.

The start of the race was chaos - it starts on a narrow road and everyone wants to be at the front. Sam and I tried to squeeze into the throng about 10 rows back and a lovely GB man (sorry can't remember his name) very kindly let us in. Other people were being sent to the back which was about 250metres away! I am so grateful he let me in as I could just see Kate right at the front and if I'd started any further back I could have been a minute behind before we had started!

Just like last year we set off at a stupidly fast pace and the only thing I could think about was staying upright - we were so squashed together I couldn't even see the road below me! Thankfully I realised that I felt OK and started to really push the pace so I could get up to Kate. A few corners on and I had passed her so I just kept pushing, hoping that I had made the right decision to go off hard. (afterwards I found out I had done a PB - 17:35). Luckily I didn't completely blow and as I ran back into the town to start the second lap I could hear loads of people shouting for me. Thank you to Nina, Mark, Russell, Zoe and Ron for their support and to all the other unknowns who shouted my name, it makes such a difference when its hurting.
                                       
                                            My On Running trainers get me to T1 in record time

                                                                       In....and out

The bike ride went like a blur. We flew through the town, negotiating sharp corners and speed bumps but I was soon out and into the lanes. I still felt good although it was quite windy and it seemd to be a head wind the whole way. I started to pick off some of the men (usually on the corners) and finally went past a couple of women. I thought I must be leading my age group but was still not confident about the last run so I couldn't relax. I only had one dodgy moment when I overcooked a sharp bend and ended up in a field but I just managed to stay upright and overtook 4 men at the same time! At the cone turn I had seen both Kate and Anke so I knew that I had a good lead but I was now worried about cramp. My calf muscles were doing that weird ripply thing and all I could do was hope that they would be OK when I tried to run again.                                      

Running like a duck!

I flew into T2 and saw Gill Fullen just in front - that was good news as I knew she would be well up in the womens field so I thought I must be up there too - I got my trainers on and started to run. OMG that hurt! Cramp in my calves again - but not too bad - so I hobbled out of transition running like a duck! I saw Mark and pulled a face at him. 'Go Jac', he shouted 'Gill is just up the road!' Yeah right I'm really going to catch her! was all I could think. (Little did I know how right I was, she took almost a minute out of me in 2.7km!) She is just an awesome runner.                        






                                  
                                                                     'Don't trip, don't trip'

My legs came back to life and I just concentrated on getting to the finish line. I came back into the town for the final time and saw Joan handing out the little GB flags. I took one last look behind me - no, no-one was there - so I grabbed my flag and headed for the line. Russell then shouted and chucked a huge GB flag at me. Oh no I am useless at running with flags! and sure enough as I struggled to open the flag I stood on it and tripped. That would have been a great photo - me flying across the line on my face wrapped in a GB flag! But I stayed upright and finished with a big smile.

What a great feeling! I knew I had won my age group and then someone said I had also come third overall, amazing (I actually came 4th in the end). Then Kate came across the line and I gave her a big hug - to get silver at your first attempt is brilliant. She was very happy and didn't stop talking for ages even to take a breath!

Then Sam was in the finish area and shortly behind her was Suzie her friend. They were so happy as they thought they had just got silver and bronze. This was fantastic news as Sam had had a rubbish race last year due to illness and she nearly didn't race this year. They weren't certain though so it was a nailbiting time until we got the official result.

Then I saw the man who had let me in at the start. He asked me how I had got on and I thanked him for his help as it could have been a different result without him. He was so happy for me and that's what I love about the GB team. We all race hard, against each other, but we are all happy for other people's successes at the finish.               
                                                                                                                         Anke from Germany

Then it was time to recover, find Mark and celebrate. We all went to a cafe in the square with hundereds of others and had hot chocolate (me and Sam) and beers (the boys). The atmosphere was amazing. I saw Anke who had come in third and again she was all smiles and congratulations. She really is a truly professional athlete and I look forward to seeing her again in Pontevedra.

              The podium
Later on we went to the prize presentation which I have to say was awful. Even though the organisers knew that the athletes had not yet showered, eaten or rested they insisted on having speeches and music and all sorts of stuff that we couldn't even understand. Finally we got to the medals and once again I was on the podium with Kate (still talking!) and Anke, holding my medal and tulips. Sam was over the moon about her result and we got some great photos of both of us with our medals for our sponsors - not a bad first race report to send to them!


                                                      We train, race and laugh hard


So another great event, fab results and another fun weekend with our best friends. This is what it is all about really. Sometimes, when I am poorly or nervous or exhausted I wonder why I race at this level as it's quite stressful. But then I get to stand on that podium and I know why - I am really proud to be up there and to see my friends achieving great things as well is just fabulous.

I'm home now and back training hard for the next big race - World Duathlon champs in Pontevedra at the end of May. I've got the British sprint  triathlon champs before that as well but first we are off to Lisbon to do a 'fun' triathlon in the sunshine. Yeah right, cos I'm just going to pootle round and enjoy that one! Probably not!

March 2014

First Race of 2014 - Oulton Park Duathlon

I really don't like the first race of the season. I REALLY don't like it. Even after 5/6 years of triathlon I always get to the first race each year and I am convinced that I have forgotten everything! I forget that I need lock laces in my trainers, I forget what my favourite pre-race breakfast is, I forget how early you need to get there to have enough time to get ready (and to chat and generally faff about!), I even forget how to get on and get off my bike! All gone.

It was the same again this year and unfortunately my first race was a bit important. Oulton Park is a qualifier for the World Duathlon Champs and I really wanted to qualify. I started stressing about the race with about 3 weeks to go! As you know, my winter training had gone really well so I had no reason to worry really but it always goes through my head that maybe everyone else has had an even better winter and that they were all now amazingly fast.

Lots of my friends and my husband Mark had entered so I was looking forward to a fun weekend away in Chester. We set off with Sam, Chris, Alister and Sam's mum Nina (not racing just supporting) to stay with our friend Jess who very conveniently lived about 8 miles from the race. We were all hoping to qualify for the Worlds and it was Alister & Jess's first ever duathlon so there were quite a few nerves to say the least.

Jess is a lovely girl but I have never met anyone so laid back in all my life. She actually called Sam the day before the race to ask her how to register for qualification and when Sam told her to input her BTF number she asked what the BTF was. She wasn't even a member! A very quick phone call was made to BTF HQ and thankfully at 3pm that afternooon she was emailed her membership number - that was probably the fastest membership process ever. Jess had also assured us that she had plenty of room in her house for us all -but when we counted up how many of us there were we were wondering if maybe she lived in a mansion? Anyway it turns out she has 2 houses - one she lives in and one she rents out to students. Thankfully there were no students staying there that weekend as it was being refurbished. The house was lovely but a bit empty. We had furniture but no plates, cups, forks, food, etc. and most importantly Mark and I had no mattress!

Never mind said Jess you can borrow everything from my house. So off we went for a lovely pasta meal which I have to thank Jess's mum for - just what we needed pre-race - and I have to say that we had such a laugh that my nerves were totally forgotten. Then it was time for bed and I then witnessed the most bizarre sight ever - Mark, Chris and Alister walking through the streest of Chester with a mattress on their heads. We looked like homeless gypsies! When we got back we realised that we had no breakfast or milk so the lads went to the local co-op and came back with beer! I was starting to think that maybe they weren't taking it all that seriously.

After all that I actually had a good nights sleep and woke up bright and breezy and looking forward to getting started. Sam was having a problem as eating cereal without a bowl or spoon is quite interesting - she eventually had it out of a cup with a fork! Jess thank you so much for letting us stay. It was quite bizarre but we had such a fab time.

We could ignore it no longer, the day of the race was here.

Oulton Park is a great venue - it's a motor racing circuit so no traffic with wide roads and sweeping bends. It's also really windy and cold at times and today it was really windy and really cold. We found transition and I had the usual panic - I can't remember what to do!! but thankfully it all came flooding back and I set up and had a look at the really long transition area - thats going to be a long run on my cleats. My biggest worry though was the 5 laps of the bike leg - how was I going to remember how many I had done? I was convinced that I would be the muppet who did 6.

The race started really fast as its slightly downhill but I tried not to panic and kept the pace steady. Its really easy in a duathlon to get carried away at the start and regret it later. I felt good though, really good, even into the head wind and I started to catch people up. Jess and Sam are really good runners and it took some time but I managed to get up to them. I could see Alister way up ahead but I wasn't sure where Chris was. I wasn't sure but I thought I might be in the top 10 women which I was pleased with. I ran into T1 and saw my friend Anna who gave me a good shout and then I was off on the bike (I hadn't really forgotten how to get on it then!)

Suddenly Chris rode past me like I was standing still - he was flying! I later found out that he had spent the whole run on my shoulder using me as his pacer so he didn't go off too fast and I didn't even know he was there!

I really enjoyed the bike. Its quite technical and hilly and very windy on one side and I was soon overtaking plenty of people. One of the bends is on a steep camber so it was a bit like riding on the velodrome and it was amazing to see how many people were taking the corner really wide. I managed to catch Alister at the start of the last lap and he shouted to me - this is the last lap Jac, don't do too many! Bless him. He later flew back past me on the second run - we didn't speak that time.

The last run is always horrible - I don't so much run as stagger round. I basically rely on my On Running trainers to do the run for me. Suddenly Charlotte Taylor ran past me (again like I was standing still) This surprised me a lot as I had expected her to probably win the womens event as she is a fantastic runner. I must have overetaken her on the bike but when? and did that mean that I was doing well in the overall places. I knew that I was probably winning my age group but didn't have a clue about the overall.

I ran across the finish line and was told that I had come 3rd female - amazing, I was so pleased. Chris and Alister had already finished and Sam was right behind me. Jess and Mark then came in and they had all raced really well. We were all smiles - mostly relief that we had finished and we could have a sit down - but also because we all thought we had done enought to qualify for the Worlds.

It turns out that we had all qualified - apart from Alister who is on 111% and is still waiting to see if he gets a roll down. I'm sure he will but he daren't celebrate until he's got that Q against his name. He told me after the race that he could probably have cycled and run the second leg a bit faster than he did. That just comes with practice so I hope he gets the chance to race in Pontevedra and show what he can really do.

So once again we have had a brilliant weekend - some fab racing with great results and a really good laugh with great friends. Perfect! The only thing that went wrong - I managed to miss the prize presentation! So my chance to get a photo on the podium with the winners was lost. I was too busy chatting again - Mark gets so cross when I do that.

Winter Training (and other stuff!)

March 2014 - part 1

The problem with not updating your blog very often is that when you do start to write again, there is so much to talk about that its hard to know where to start. I am ashamed to admit I haven't updated my blog since the end of the triathlon season in September last year. A couple of reasons for this:
1. laziness (I've just got out of the habit) and 2. I didn't think it would be very interesting - after all, all I have done all winter is train, train, train! But actually now I've started I realise that I do have lots to say as, although it seems like all I have done all winter is train, I have done so with quite a lot of thought and with some new ideas and changes, which I thought I might share.

Every year I get to the end of the race season and re-assess how it went and then I decide what I want to do next year. Sometimes this is easy as I usually have something that I didn't achieve or could have done better. This time I have found it a lot harder as I had the most amazing summer ever and I can honestly say that I achieved everything I set out to do (and more!) and enjoyed every minute!

So I spent October doing nothing (in the form of training). I still swam, cycled and ran but I did so when I wanted to not because I had to and only at a pace that meant I could really enjoy it. I also walked the dog, went down the pub, went shopping, visited friends - basically I had a life. Obviously after a few weeks I was totally bored with this and started to plan how to start my winter training. You see I genuinely do enjoy training and the good feeling it gives you when your body does more than you thought it could. But I realised that after a fantastic 2013 I had to make some changes so that I could get just as much from 2014. I decided that I would bring in at least one new thing each month so I could feel like I was progressing over the long winter months - and this is what I did:

September: Mark and I joined David Lloyd gym - OMG what a gorgeous place that is! A quiet and clean pool at any time of the day, luxurious changing rooms, WATT bikes, a choice of pilates, yoga and body conditioning classes and amazing hot chocolate. Expensive but totally worth it. My friends Sam, Chris and Anna were also members so I would have lots of people to train with.

October: I started a pilates class and rested. I also decided to concentrate more on Duathlon rather than going back to the European Triathlon Champs again - so my main races in 2014 will be European Duathlon, World Duathlon and World Triathlon championships.

November: Cross Country races - so hard! Watt bike endurance sessions - training to power for the first time (what a revelation!). Long swim sessions with my training partner Sam - between 3.5 and 4.5 km each time and sometimes as early as 7am! She is always so happy in the morning (and I'm not!)

December: Whey protein - the best recovery aid but I only take it after high intensity sessions. Velodrome training - I am lucky as my Dad is a coach at Manchester Velodrome and I can kill two birds with one stone (2 hours of quality cycling in the warm even in December and a visit to my Mum - all is good)

January: Group turbo training sessions - with Jamie of Success Cycling. The most intensive cycling ever! I also raced my first Womens Road Race for about 25 years - scary but great fun even though I got stuffed in the sprint!

February: Bike set up - I reviewed my position with the help of Jam at Fred Williams Cycles and got a bit more 'aero'. I also started an on-line training package 'Nutrition for Sports Performance' and I'm already learning loads.

March: I got myself some new sponsors (well, my amazing husband Mark did) which means that I have so many people believing in me and that is so motivating! KWB Workplace and The Senator Group have basically made it possible for me to travel to the Worlds in Canada this year without worrying about the cost - even better they have also sponsored Sam so we are both very lucky girls. - and then I also had confirmation that On Running were going to support me for another year, which I am so pleased about. They are really supportive and encouraging even though I am nothing like some of the other people they sponsor such as Nicola Sprig, Caroline Steffan, Jackie Slack etc and their trainers really are the best.

Obviously there were some things that I didn't change this year as they are tried and tested (by me)

Regular massage (thank you Russell)
Good diet (thank you Mark)
Lots of sleep
Tempo running
and most of all consistent training with a bit of variety

I even snuck in a couple of holidays - both very different but that didn't stop me being active. I did a bit of yoga and warm weather running on the beach in Cape Verde in January

 

and then Mark and I went out to see our daughter Charlotte who is working in a ski resort in Italy. Running up a mountain at altitude in the snow is SO hard! but great fun and it was fab to get my old training partner back for some hill reps (she's still got it!).

So that's the 'team' I have around me - thank you so much to everyone who has helped me over these last few months;
Mark (of course), Jamie at Success Cycling, Jam at Fred Williams Cycles, Sam Anderson (for making me get up so early to do those HUGE swim sets and much more), KWB, The Senator Group and ON Running.

I can't believe how fast this winter has gone and how quickly the first race of the season has come around - Oulton Park Duathlon - my race report is in part 2.

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........