The blog of Rachel Joyce

This is just a quick update because I haven't really done a whole lot since my last post....except calm down a bit maybe!  I had a fantastic week in Kuaui (another island of Hawaii) with John and my parents.  Kuaui is a paradise island:  beautiful long white beaches, more turtles, canyons and lush rain forests.  I'm so glad we decided to take a week's holiday as it was a chance to relax, and for not everything to be about me!  John and my parents were a fab support crew: ignoring my when I got a bit angsty and making me laugh; Mum playing endless games of scrabble with me; and well generally making everything really easy in the race build up.  We didn't exactly go wild in Kuaui but the AC was allowed to be turned on, I didn't have to go to bed REALLY early and we could all share a(nother!) maitai together :-)!  It wasn't all relaxation though.  John and I headed to the canyon for a couple of hours of mountain biking which was hard work - I think because you have to spin up the hills which is the exact opposite of how I ride my road bikes!  We body surfed in 12 foot waves.  Well, I think I dared to catch about 2 waves and then got scared so paddle out past where the waves broke and laid on my board.  And played tennis - not to be repeated as my back is still creaking as a result.

I've been back for a week now and I've been enjoying getting back into a bit of training, catching up with friends who I haven't seen for ages and beginning the exciting task of planning my season for next year.  My top 10 position means that I automatically qualify for next year's World Champs so long as I race in at least one Ironman event (Full or 70.3 distance).  I haven't finalised my plans but I will be looking to race an Ironman mid season, and mix in more 70.3 distance and some non drafting Olympic distance races in the States.  I am also looking at how to fund myself through the next year, so have been following up on sponsorship opportunities. Ideally I would like to focus on my training but obviously I need to pay my way too so will possibly look to get some work between now and Christmas and then begin training in earnest in January.  In between all this I have had some new experiences including a photoshoot with Triathlete Europe, which was a lot of fun!  Keep your eyes peeled for the next edition!!

One other thing I have been doing is a small bit of work with Pro-Active Central London on a scheme called Recruit into Coaching.  Sport has always been a massive part of my life, and this is largely because my parents always encouraged me and my siblings to take up new things - even if this meant that a lot of their spare time was spent taxi-ing us about.  I realise that not all kids are as lucky as that and getting access to sport is not easy for many.   Recruit into Coaching is just one new scheme which is looking to support the government's target for all children under 16 to take part in at least 5 hours sport a week.  The scheme offers funding to help train and support individuals to become qualified coaches, who then put in volunteer hours to support local sport and youth clubs.  Its very different to my legal job but equally fulfilling.

Right, I guess I should get back to my planning!

PS I also have a website now.  I'll continue to post here but more information about me, what I'm up to, pics go to www.racheljoyce.me.uk.

A couple of days have passed since race day and I am sat out on my balcony looking out onto the ocean, reflecting on the race.  I finally managed to get a good night’s sleep last night: before last then I had been too excited to do something boring like sleep!  I was delighted to cross the line in 7^th place as I think anyone standing and cheering on the finishing shoot would have noticed.  My official position has now been bumped up to 6^th place due to a disqualification.  I was still pinching myself on Sunday evening as I was stood up on the stage at awards banquet with a multiple Ironman champion on one side (Jo Lawn), and a world 70.3 champion on the other (Sam McGlone) listening to Chrissie give a great speech.

6:45am on Saturday morning couldn’t have come soon enough for me last week.  I’d felt ready to go from about Wednesday as I was finding it quite difficult to not get psyched out by the never ending stream of finely honed athletes parading up and down Alii Drive in the days leading up to the race, and all the pre-race chat.  I had to ban myself from looking at some websites as I didn’t want to get caught up with all the talk of odds, and chat about who was doing what.  This may sound silly.  No one was expecting anything from me (except for me!) – I haven’t won an Ironman, and very few people knew who I was.  But, I decided that if I read too much into the race predictions I may convince myself out of a top 10 position before the gun had even fired! I think my support crew: my parents and John were also pretty ready for me to race as I wasn’t always my most relaxed in that pre-race week!

I actually felt pretty calm on race morning.  After putting my bottles and nutrition onto my bike: 1 bottle of Sis Go electrolyte, 1 bottle of water, another bottle containing 7 Go gels and taping two Smart gels to give me a kick when I needed it, I headed to the shore.  The night before the race I had picked up new blueseventy PZ3 suit.   It felt fast before I had even hit the water so I was looking forward to putting it into action.  I got myself into a good position on the start line just behind Lucie Zelenkova and Tereza Macel.  I thought if I could hang onto Lucie’s feet for a bit that would pull me into a fast group and that tactic seemed to work.  The swim went pretty smoothly.  There was the usual argy bargy  to start with and I have a hint of a black eye from being hit round the head by the guy’s arm who I spent quite a lot of time swimming next to but I exited the swim with 3 other girls in about 4^th or 5^th place in 53.31. 

I couldn’t wait to get through transition and start the bike…and made the error of not putting suncream on the tops of the arms.  This means I now sport the number 146 in white on both arms.  This may not raise an eyebrow in Kona  - funny tan lines seem to be de rigueur here this week but I have a feeling this may not be the case on most places!

I started at a good pace but even so, it took Chrissie about 10 minutes to come past me making me look quite pedestrian! It was good getting the cheers through the town but on hitting the Queen K it was much quieter and a case of getting into the aero bars and starting the time trial.  I rode by feel and felt like I was pushing quite hard at the start and not feeling brilliant.  But, at about 40km my legs warmed up and I felt good.  My plan was to ride strong up to Hawi and then start to push on the way back.  I was passed by a couple of girls on the way out but I could see from the time checks that, although Chrissie and Tereza had increased their lead over me I was actually gaining on Lucie and Leanda who had got out in front of me on the swim.  I passed Lucie close to Hawi and Leanda on the way down from the turn around.  This gave me a great boost as I know both of them are strong cyclists.  I then took my first Smart gel…my first caffeine for about 6 weeks.  It was brilliant!  It really lifted me and I felt good as I got back onto the Queen K highway and almost relished the head wind.  My mood was boosted again when I past another girl putting me into 4^th position.  It was with about 20 miles to go that I really noticed how much stronger I felt compared to my previous experiences on the bike, and could keep on pushing.  That said, I was getting quite uncomfortable trying to tuck myself up on the aero bars and I could really feel my arms getting fried in the sun….no missing the sun cream in T2!!  Rolling into T2 was amazing. The atmosphere was electric and I couldn’t help chuckling to myself as I thought, “Don’t mess up your dismount, don’t mess up your dismount!”.

Running through transition I was relieved that I could straighten my back and also that my legs felt okay.  I did have a moment as I realised it was the World Championships and I was in 4^th place but that was short lived…with a marathon to go and some super fast runners behind me I knew there was a long way to go! I could feel myself smiling as I headed out onto the run course and I felt great for the first 10 miles.  The cheers along Alii Drive were a fantastic lift and the aid stations had everything: ice, water, iced water, gels, Gatorade and coke.  I drank at every aid station and took to tipping ice down my top to keep my core temperature under control.  This seemed to work as I felt hot but not unmanageably hot.  I also got a massive lift when I passed Steven Lord who went crazy when he saw that I was in 4^th position, and when the legendary Natascha Baadman gave me a shout of “You look so strong”.  Unfortunately that strength left me soon after and I started to struggle as soon as I hit Pilani Drive.  I decided to walk up and start running as I hit the top.  This was a bit embarrassing as the hill attracts a lot of the crowds but I think the tactic worked as I felt okay when I resumed my running. 

The run up Queen K highway was tough but I guess I’d have been disappointed if it had been anything but!  As my legs started to suffer I kept myself up beat by reminding myself of how lucky I was to be racing, and many people would love to be in my position.  This helped as Miranda Carfrae past me in a blur – she was running super fast!  Just after the Energy Lab I was over taken by Sam McGlone, which put me back to 7^th place as Bek Keat had past me a bit before.  I checked out how much time I had on the others and think it was about 3 minutes. Those closest to catching me didn’t look like they were going too much faster than me so I put my head down and kept going: my thoughts were limited mostly to reaching the next mile marker.  At about mile 23 I saw John and I knew I was getting close.  Only then did I allow myself to think about the crowds in Kona and the finishing shute – I found this really helped to try and hold pace.

The finish line did not disappoint.  I was ecstatic (and also slightly wired from all the Coke I consumed in the last 10km!) and couldn’t stop smiling from about mile 25 to, well I’m still smiling!

After pizza, shower and more pizza I met up with the friends and family: we chatted about our days and then watched the final finishers.  A fantastic occasion which gave me goose bumps…(how can that happen in 35 degrees??).  My first Hawaii Ironman World Championships and the occasion did not disappoint. I loved it!

I big big thank you to John and my parents who made this trip so much easier for me.  Without them I’d have been camping on the beach! I’d also like to say thank you to the trilife.com for their support, Fusion for providing me with my race kit, SiS for keeping me fuelled, Taylor Wessing for their continued support and blueseventy for my suit.

Its amazing what you can pack into 3 days with a bit of organisation and planning – two things that don’t necessarily come easy to me.  On Thursday night last week I finished up my time in Lanzarote and flew back to London for a brief pit stop.  With a good block of training under my belt I boarded the plane feeling fitter and stronger (and with a few more dodgy tan lines!) than 3 weeks earlier.  In London there was just time to do my washing, get a long massage from my friend Laura, re-pack and of course, train.  While London is not the ideal place for triathlon training because of all the traffic, it was great to get out for my run by the river… I think the surprise sunshine probably contributed to my good spirits and the fact that taper time was just around the corner!!

It is now the morning of my fourth day here in Kona and so far so good.  I arrived on Monday after a night stop over in San Francisco.  Getting off the plane I definitely noticed the humidity but the heat wasn’t too bad. I think training in Lanzarote definitely helped with this and as I’m here almost 2 weeks before the race, I have plenty of time to get used to the heat and humidity.  I am staying in a condo about 3 miles out of Kona.  I quite like being a bit out of the main hubbub and its an easy cycle to the swim start.

On Tuesday I met up with Jo,  Steven and Russell to swim part of the course.  We only did about half of the course but the ocean is lovely. I think the main danger will be getting distracted by the marine life.   After breakfast at Splashers we headed out for a ride.  The others were doing the whole thing but I cycled to a shop close to the Hawi turning.  I probably cycled a bit further than I had intended, but I think it’s really useful to see the course and also see just how much I sweat in the heat – quite a lot it transpires!  I’m going to need to make sure I keep on top of my fluid consumption before and on race day.  At our stop at the shop we each bought huge 32 oz buckets (I’m sorry: you can’t call something bigger than my head a cup!).  I then headed back and it seemed that the wind had changed and the tail wind I was hoping for.

Yesterday was an easier day.  I think I picked up a head cold on my way over so was sniffling and sneezing a bit.  I ran the Alii Drive section of the run course and then took it easy for the rest of the days and hung out with my parents who arrived on Tuesday.   I’m just back from swimming the course today and will be doing the rest of my training later today.  Its already busy here, so it’ll be interesting to see just how busy it’ll be next week!

The count down to Hawaii seems to have fast forwarded and it is now less than 5 weeks away.  Since I qualified for Kona back in May  I have swung from feeling it is ages away to thinking, “By jeepers!  Its just around the corner”.  These feelings usually correspond to how I am feeling about how training is going.  So, when I was laid up in bed with flu my thinking was more along the lines of the latter but as I got back in to training and got a few good sessions under my belt I felt more in control and calm about it.  However, I mostly can’t wait to get to Hawaii, to experience the hype that I have so far only heard about and of course, get out there and give everything I’ve got on race day. 

As part of my preparation I arrived back in Club La Santa, Lanzarote on Sunday night for 3 weeks of training in the sunshine and with the wind.  Although I was sorry not to be able to fit John in my suitcase J, it was great to be back in La Santa, and I was smiling to myself as I stretched out in my swim this morning in the outdoor 50m pool which is literally 2 minutes walk from my apartment.  By chance, my first week coincides with International Aerobics Week.  Gulp! My last attempt at aerobics resulted in the step teacher picking up her step and giving me and my sister a “slowed down” lesson…it was the longest 50 minutes of my life and so I think I will stick to the stretch and relax classes to avoid similar humiliation!  This evening I will be joined b Jo Carritt and her boyfriend, Steven Lord.  They are both also heading out to Hawaii, Jo to race and Steven to spectate on this occasion due to an injury.  So, it will be good to have company for some training sessions, and also I hope I can drag them onto the pool tables!!

Before heading out here I had a couple of days in Suffolk to go to one of my best friend’s wedding.  Karen and Gabriel got married just near Woodbridge where I grew up and was at school.  As it was an afternoon wedding John and I made the most of the sunny morning and cycled around the Suffolk coastline for a good few hours.  The wedding was beautiful, and I don’t think I have seen a bride or groom smile so much for so long!  My second work out of the day was the 3 hours spent dancing in heels -  I don’t think my calves have had that much of a work out for a long time! 

So, now its time to get my head down for the last block of training.  I’ve been able to draw some confidence from a couple of low key races I did in the UK before I left:  a sub 50 minute 3.8 km swim and then my quickest Olympic distance race to date at Dorney lake as part of the F3 race series. So, 3 weeks to go and then I can start thinking about taper time – yippee!! 

So in my last blog I was all set for racing in Antwerp 70.3.  In fact, I was feeling really itchy to race at it felt like it had been too long since my last triathlon race which was Windsor in June.  Although I had done a couple of time trials the race against the clock just isn't the same as head to head racing!  But sometimes things just don't go to plan....

Zurich Marathon Swim

The weekend before Antwerp I had a flying visit to Zurich to take part in a relay swim going the length of Lake Zurich from Rapperswil to Zurich.  I was in a team with two of my morning swimming buddies: Jane McMenemy and Sheryl Slater. Getting there a day early we had already had a paddle, and John and I ran the Ironman Switzerland route so it felt like we had seen Zurich by foot.   We were disappointed that there was no separate category for all female teams so didn't really consider ourselves in contention, and were set to enjoy a beautiful sunny day on the lake.  We were lucky to get a very comfortable boat with a lovely couple who navigated us down the lake.  After a paced start, we were in 4 th place but our strength was that we didn't have a weak swimmer so in the 3rd hour we cruised by the leading 3 boats and took poll position.  Suddenly our competitive streak came out! The look on the guys' faces as we moved past them was priceless!  In the second half of the race we continued to lengthen our lead and finished first in 7 hours 5 minutes, 10 minutes behind the next team.  As we exited the water the commentator said in astonishment " Here is the first team...and they are all girls!". 

Oink Oink

On returning to London I didn't feel my best and was surprised that a swim would make me feel so drained.  Then my temperature creeped up, my limbs began to ache and soon I was very very sick....I had the dreaded swine flu.  Two days in bed and I was ready to move from the bed to the sofa but still failed pretty rubbish.  As it was already Friday I realised that racing in Antwerp was looking unlikely although I didn't necessarily accept that!  I kept thinking I was just being lazy, that I would be okay and even after deciding to pull out I still doubted my decision thinking I was just being weak in pulling out.  I was really disappointed as I had been feeling great in training and was looking forward to seeing where I was at but I think I could have been out there for a long time if I had of raced and ended up feeling worse and setting myself further back in my training.  Sometimes these things happen and its not the end of the world :-). 

Although I really wanted to race in Antwerp it wasn't my A race and the following week I was heading out to Estonia for the Puhajarve Triathlon, organised by team mate Ain Alar Juhanson.  My sister and I were travelling out together and this would be Katie's first half ironman.  I had been coaching Katie since March, just after the she bought her first bike and decided to enter this race....quite a steep learning curve!  My report for the race is below:

Puhajarve Triathlon

Last week I travelled to Estonia for the Puhajarve Triathlon, a half ironman race organised by friend and 2 times Ironman Lanzarote winner Ain Alar Juhanson.  Having spent a bit of time training with Ain at the beginning of the year in Lanzarote I had heard plenty about the race and was looking forward to seeing Estonia.  I would also be racing with my sister, who was persuaded to enter when she met Ain in February…before she even owned a bike!

A group of us linked to theTriLife.com arrived in Riga (in Latvia) on Thursday afternoon and were immediately met off the plane and transported to the race venue (all included in the race entry!).  The race is based around a beautiful lake in Puhajarve, and the race hotel is within stumbling distance of the race start.  Arriving a day early gave us a chance to swim the course (2 laps) and cycle one loop of the undulating bike course (3 laps), and just hang out in the sunshine before registering, picking up our goodie bags and heading over to the pasta party.  A quick scan of the start list indicated that there were some big names racing:  Stephan Vuckovic (silver medal in the Sydney Olympics), Estonia’s Olympic xc skiing champion and a cyclist who had a TdF stage win to his name.

The race started at the very civilised hour of 11am so it was nice not to have to force down breakfast at 4 o clock in the morning!  The atmosphere was relaxed, almost festival like as there were a number of sprint and kids’ races taking place before the half ironman distance race started.  The individual race set off 10 minutes before the relay teams…and as an added incentive there was bonus prize money up for grabs to the first person (team or individual) over the line.

I had come down with the dreaded swine flu a week or so before, which had forced me to pull out of Antwerp 70.3 so I was looking forward to being in a race again.  My plan was to race at ironman race pace...which would take some self restraint!  The swim soon became quite strung out and I swam almost all of it on my own, and on finishing I was spurred on by the cheers of the crowd into T1 and heard from the commentator that I was first woman out of the water.   Onto the bike, athletes immediately encounter two short sharp climbs which soon warm your legs up.  These climbs attracted a lot of the crowds which was really handy as, while they didn’t feel like much on the first loop, by lap number 3 I certainly thankful for the encouragement!!  Science in Sport was the nutrition sponsor for the event so at the top of the hills there was a chance to refuel before heading out onto the rest of the loop.  The bike course was deceptively tough – lots of gradual up and downs so there was no freewheeling!  The road surface was good and roads wide so, although there wasn’t much traffic they had plenty of room to overtake.  I held about 52 minutes for each lap and after 2 hrs 42 mins I still felt comfortable and ready for the run…

I came out of T2 with Pete Slater of SiS, and we ran pretty much together for the first half of the run.  We both agreed that the run was “quite challenging” as the route went up and down some quite steep hills in the shaded woodland around the lake.  However, the hills didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits and there was as much encouragement from my fellow competitors as there was from the supporters.  I shared a couple of high fives with my sister and smiles from the girls and guys I had met on theTriLife camp in Provence, before heading into the finishers’ tunnel and crossing the line as first woman. 

The event didn’t finish there though!  In the evening we gathered for the awards ceremony, followed by the awards banquet in the hotel with the finishers’ stage becoming home to live band who entertained us till the wee hours.   

A great race which I would recommend to seasoned and newbee triathletes alike.  Its great value for money and a superb venue, and Estonia seems to be one of the few places where we don’t suffer for the weak pound. Next year though I’ll be staying for a day or two extra post race to enjoy the Spa hotel facilities!! 

Full results at:  www.puhajarvetriatlon.ee

Okay, even by my standards it has been a very long time since my last blog and, despite the radio silence, I promise I haven’t been twiddling my thumbs!  So, here is a whistle stop update of what I have been up to since Lanzarote!

Two x Training Camps

Almost immediately after getting back from Lanzarote I was packing my bags again to join theTriLife team in Provence for a training week.  This is the third year that I have been to Provence and I really do love training here – I can spend hours cycling and not look at my watch once.  There was also a great bunch of people out there and we had a lot of fun - I even found someone who didn’t mind me chatting away as we pedalled our way up Ventoux! 

A couple of weeks later I was off again, this time to Lake Garda in Italy.  The cycling here was stunning – lots of mountains, which I love but also a fair amount of flat and the lake was stunning.  As well as beautiful scenery, the Italian cyclists also provided some entertainment as they pull up their  shorts up to make hotpants…I mean, you don’t want to get unsightly tan lines now?!  While we were there, we made the trip up the (in)famous Stelvio pass.  I really loved this climb – 48 numbered hairpin bends, climbing to 2800m (I think).  It was blimin’ cold at the top – I mean people were off skiing!

Windsor Olympic Distance Triathlon

In between training camps I tried my hand at a draft legal Olympic distance race.  I have watched Windsor triathlon before and always thought I’d like to race there as it is such a great venue.  The swim is right in the town centre, the bike takes you on a loop round the nearby countryside and then you are treated to a 3 lap run around the town past the castle.   The crowd support is always fantastic too!  As it fell just a couple of weeks after Lanzarote I wasn’t really feeling my fast twitch muscles firing but I was keen to get out there and give it a go.  Unfortunately I scuppered my chances of doing well very early in the race. I got a good start in the swim and was leading momentarily, until I did the unexplainable and put my head up, did breaststroke letting a group swim right past me.  By the time I sorted myself out I was in no man’s land and there was no chance I would catch the front pack for the bike.  Once onto the bike I caught the 2 girls who were the second group, and thought we could work together to at least minimise the gap – but it wasn’t to be as one girl then punctured and the other was struggling to hold our wheels.  Anyway, I ended up doing what I know best and riding on my own – not a smart move but the thought of sitting up and waiting to be caught just felt weird!  Despite this, I came into the run in 2^nd place – but then I was over taken one by one by the group of girls behind me and finished in 6^th place.  However, despite being disappointed with the result, the event lived up to my expectations and I saw so many familiar faces during the run.  Also, although I came 6^th –there was only a minute dividing me from 2^nd place so I didn’t completely embarrass myself!

Two x Time Trials

Last year I did my first time trial and so I thought it was time I increased my repertoire of distances.  So, first up was a 50 mile time trial to spice up my training schedule.  The lessons of last year were learnt:  I got there early, did a warm up and didn’t red line it in the first 5 minutes.  It’s amazing what a difference these steps make!  There was a slight blip when I went round a roundabout 3 times before I decided on which exit I wanted to take, and I think this perhaps explains why the second 25 miles was two minutes quicker than the first!

Next up was a 100 mile time trial – a bit of a different beast!  My start time of 5:58 meant I was up at 3:30 in order to get to the start in time.  Having found the 50 miler quite easy, I perhaps didn’t give the 100 mile event quite the respect it deserved.  Not something I’ll do again!  The route alone should have alerted me of what was to come: we cycled up and down the A1 between Biggleswade and some place 4 roundabouts north of Biggleswade, 3 times before turning off a road going west towards Bedford.   For those who don’t know, the A1 is a busy bit of a road – favoured by big lorries! It was one of those days where things just weren’t going right – it was quite chilly so my gels had solidified in the flasks that I’d dispensed them into so while I could see them I just couldn’t eat them!  Luckily, I’d stuck an emergency Snickers in my back pocket which was a delight J.  I then got cramp which I had to stop and stretch out and then spin for a while. I quite fancied stopping right there BUT I didn’t get up at 3:30am for nothing!  Luckily, hysteria then started to set in and when the wind picked up and the rain started I actually enjoyed the harsher conditions and could push again without cramping.  My time was disappointing but it was good training and the tea and cake selection at the end felt much deserved!

Next up

I am now itching to race, which is lucky as I’ll be off to Belgium next week for Antwerp 70.3.  It’s my first 70.3 for over a year and I’m looking forward to racing the shorter distance.  I’ll report back soon!

Ironman Lanzarote lived up to the hype.  I think everyone who raced on Saturday would agree: it’s a tough old course, which makes it all the more satisfying to reach the finish line! And the finish line doesn’t disappoint with each finisher being individually greeted by the race organiser, Kenneth.

I was really excited to be racing in Lanzarote as I loved the time spent training here earlier in the year, especially the riding as it is both beautiful and very tough.  I arrived 4 days before the race so plenty of time to settle in, check out the run and swim course and just get back into race mode.  The week before flying out I had been struggling a bit to get that “ready to race” feeling probably because I was concentrating on getting into race condition:  As I’m learning you can’t always have the perfect race prep….I was on antibiotics with a bad ear infection the week before and so had been out of the pool for longer than I’d have liked and then I trapped a nerve in my back causing me to walk in a rather stooped and, one might say, geriatric manner!  Luckily though it all came together in time and instead of thinking of the sessions I hadn’t done I focused on the good sessions I had done!  As soon as the plane landed I felt good….

…and then, the day before race day I woke up sniffling and sneezing.  Oh well, as my support crew told me – it’s only a cold!  Race day arrived and together we made the short walk to the start.  I sorted out my bottles and race nutrition and before I knew it I was on the shoreline ready to go.  The swim course is good and the only obstacles I battled were the negative thoughts that kept entering my head.  Luckily every time I had a positive one to counter it - though I’m pretty pleased no one could hear the thoughts going round in my head!!  I kept the swim steady as although my sniffles were nothing serious I didn’t feel brilliant and thought it was worth warming up into the race rather than pushing the swim now, and digging into my reserves so early in the race. 

As I ran up to T1, a friend watching the race shouted some words at me which were just what I needed to snap myself out of my doubting thoughts.  The transition was looooong so it was quite a relief to head out on the bike.  I was passed by Rob Johnson early on, and soon after by Ain Alar who looked really strong.  Just after the turn towards Yaiza I spotted Hilary Biscay who had led out of the swim and was pleased to catch and overtake her quite early on.  I was cautious not to get too excited early on as I knew the most testing parts of the ride would come in the second half with the climb to Haria followed shortly after by the climb to Mirador del Rio.  I could write loads about the cycle route but I won’t bore you!  Highlights included the climb up Timanfaya (Fire Mountain), the descent to La Santa and then the super fast descent to Tahiche (60km/h+)….but I probably liked the challenge of the powerful winds that buffeted us from the side going to Famara and which were in your face from Teguise more …for some twisted reason.   Although I felt as if I was cycling okay I was still not feeling my best – I struggled at times to keep fluid and food down, and was having stomach cramps which were a bit distracting.  I think in hindsight I lost concentration in the final part of the bike – the bit where I should be putting my foot down to try and minimise any gains made behind me.

It was great to roll into T2, collect my shoes and get out on the run course.  Just as I got onto the course I saw a group coming into T2 behind me – roughly 5 mins behind me I guess.  I stayed calm and started at what felt was a really sedate pace as I still wasn’t feeling brilliant.  My first thoughts were “Where are the first portaloos!” – great! Over the four loops I would become more familiar than I would have liked with them! I was overtaken quite soon by Michaela and then by Bella who was really flying.  I kept plugging away and seemed to be holding quite an even pace, and at about the half way point I moved back into second place.  I could see that Bella was long gone so my focus was keeping my second spot and I  did….just (36 seconds is a bit too close for comfort!).  Although the run was by no means as quick as I feel I can go, I was pleased as it was the quickest Ironman marathon so far and it felt much more controlled than the other two.  The support for the whole of the run course was amazing – from the supporters and my fellow runners who I found really encouraged me on.  It felt brilliant to cross the line, shake Kenneth’s hand and then enjoy the slick recovery tent set up which took you from resting beds, to massage, to food!

A big thank you has to go to the race organisers for putting on such a fantastic race and for arranging my home for the week at Parque Tropical, all the supporters and volunteers and my personal support crew: John and Katie. Thanks also to Rich and everyone at the trilife, to Fusion for my new cool white racing kit, blueseventy for providing me with my lovely Helix, and to Kenneth, Isabelle and all the other members of the organisation team who did a fantastic job.

Gulp!  It really is only one week to go until Ironman Lanzarote where I will be lining up to race in my 2nd Ironman this year.  I'm excited of course, and a wee bit nervous too it has to be said.   I've ridden the course quite a few times this year so I know what is in store and one thing is for sure - this course deserves every triathlete's respect!!  I will be in a position to give you more insight into the course in 8 days time but, for those of you who haven't read about it in this months 220, the race starts off with a 2 loop sea swim; then the bike loop that takes you up, down and all around the whole of the volcanic island; and finally the run route finishes (you?!) off  on the sea front back at Porta del Carmen - just as the *normal* tourists are finding their way to the beach!  It looks like there will be loads of Brits racing out there, and I have a good few friends racing so I think it will be a lot of fun (okay, maybe not the last part of the run but...).  Team mate, Ain will also be racing so I have been getting tips from some one who knows how to race and win (x2) this race! I'm very grateful to Isabel and the Ironman Lanzarote race organisers for kindly arranging my accommodation for the week - I will be setting up base in PdC from Monday!  Anyway, if you read this and are out there come and say hi and, of course have a great race!

I'm trying to think what I have been up to since I got back from SA.  Well, of course I have been swimming, biking and running some more but I have also had the chance to catch up with friends, have a trip up north to see my family and pop back into the Taylor Wessing offices to say hello to everyone there.  It has also been great to catch up with theTriLife.com team - I helped out this morning at the Women's only training day at Dorney Lake.  I was coaching transitions...which was actually quite a useful revision for me.  I'll be back at Dorney lake on 4 July on theTriLife stand, and watching the races too....keeping my eye out for some speedy transitions ;-). I also met up with the guys at Fusion at the end of April and we had a fun morning doing a photoshoot for the website and an advert so keep your eyes peeled for that.  I'll be getting my new race kit in time for next week so I'll be sporting the new look TriLife team race kit - made by Fusion.  (Hopefully this won't have to be cut off me like the last one, but that's another story!).

Anyway, I better get packing!

I haven’t been my most lucid the last couple of days (**more of which later), hence the slight delay in posting my Ironman South Africa report but here goes…

I arrived in PE the Monday before the race.  Even though there’s only an hours time difference with the UK I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get over the flight, and most importantly reacquaint myself with the sun...and well, PE is not a bad place to hang out!!  One of the first things I saw as I came out of the airport were big flags announcing the up coming race and this was just a taster of the enthusiasm and support I would encounter in the week running up to the race, on race day and post race day from all the locals.  John had found us a fantastic B&B, which was within walking distance of the race venue and our hosts, Mandy and Mauvin made our stay very comfortable and relaxing.  Getting to PE early also meant that I had plenty of time to ride the bike course, run various parts of the run course and swim in the sea…although I did manage to scare myself by thinking about the great whites!!

The week all went very smoothly except that I somehow managed to miss the PRO-race briefing. Now I’m still not sure how I managed to do this.  I’m a trained and qualified lawyer – I was paid to read the small print, yet having read the race information booklet I failed to pick this up in the race week timetable….I  was asked if my taper extended to mental tapering –haha!  Anyway, it was no problem as thankfully fellow Brit, Rob Johnson was on the ball and filled me in on what was said.

Race day…

Race day arrived and I slept so well that I actually felt quite fresh when the alarm went off at 4 am.  I had my usual breakie – oats, bread and jam and a cuppa builders.  I arrived with John at the race venue at just before 6 – sorted out all my drinks, and gels, fiddled around with my bike a bit, and got nervous.  Before I knew it I was in my lovely new blueseventy wetsuit J and lining up with the rest of the pro field on the shoreline.  I glanced behind me and saw the 1500 other competitors (gulp!) and spectators lining up in every available place!  In my last few races I have always missed the faster packs and so either swum on my own or in a group which has felt pretty easy so my plan was to NOT to repeat this.  Ahem…However, as we arrived at the first buoy I realised I was just off the pace of the group in front and on my own.  I wasn’t really sure were I was but I hoped I was 2^nd woman.  I ended up swimming the first lap on my tod and then at the turn around point as I ran up onto the beach a group caught me so I swam in that group for the second lap –I’m not sure whether the group was swimming faster or slower than me but at least my effort was significantly lower for the second loop.  I think I came into T2 just ahead of Andrea Brede, and after not exactly the smoothest mounting I was on my way, the crowd giving me a great send off!

I felt pretty good on the bike so just worked on getting into a good rhythm and waited for the out and back section on the route to find out where I was in relation to the other girls.  First I saw Lucie Zelonkova and worked out she was up by about 9 minutes, then behind me I saw a couple of women who were about 4 or 5 minutes back.  The next part of the bike loop (we did 3 loops) was my favourite  for scenery as we headed down to the coast and rode next to the ocean for about 20km.  The scenery was spectacular which all helps to keep you feeling positive!  I even saw a couple of little monkeys on the road – apparently commonplace in SA but not to me – I’m more used to squished hedgehogs and toads ;-).  Coming back through PE gave me a massive lift as the cheers and noise from the crowds were incredible.  I had to remind myself to stay calm as there was still another 120km to go.  As the bike went on I was conscious that it was getting pretty warm – my new helmet may have been aero but it was not keeping me cool and I felt like I was guzzling energy drink and water but never really feeling that my thirst was quenched.  I didn’t feel bad though – so I just kept trying to take on fluids, and keep to my nutrition strategy.  By the third lap it was seriously warm – I could see Lucie was riding strong and I’d lost some time to her but on the other hand I thought I may have gained some time on the girls behind  me so there was something positive to focus on J.

As I rode into T2 I couldn’t help but smile as the crowd just seemed to be getting louder.  I also had to chuckle at my luck, as just as I rolled into transition I saw I had punctured…phew, how’s that for timing!   As I headed into the run I felt hot – and at the first aid station I was grabbing at the sponges , which  unfortunately only provided a temporary respite from the heat.   I saw Lucie early in the run and could work out how far I was behind – still about 9 minutes I think.  She looked strong and I don’t know how I looked but I was feeling rubbish! Tr247’s John Levison was out on the course and handily able to give me a time check so I knew, that for a while I was at least holding the gap.     I then saw Bella and Sonja behind me, maybe only 4 or 5 minutes.  It wasn’t long before I also started having stomach *issues*  - leaving my dignity in T2  I apologised to the marker who was riding with me and dived behind a bush…the first of a number of emergency pit stops.  I actually felt a bit better after that and I think I even gained a little time but by 2 hours in I was really wondering if I could finish.  My aim before the race was to do a solid run and improve on my time in Florida but I could feel that this was not going to happen.  I felt really thirsty and I was taking on coke at every aid station, the effects of which lasted about 1km and then I’d run the next km dreaming of coke at the next aid station.  Sonja came past me in lap two looking comfortable and I had no response .  For about 2 km I resorted to a run/walk.  I had quite a number of conversations in my head- best not printed here but  the result was I started running again and didn’t stop until very close to the finish line.  Again, the cheers from the supporters and even fellow competitors (they were in a better state than me !!)  were amazing and kept me going.   I was SO close to shut down in the finishing shoot but determined to enjoy the show Triangle had organised – there were African dancers, poms poms and I was very happy to finish with a podium spot.  Lucie and Sonja I think were literally holding me up as we went out to acknowledge the crowd!  

All in all this was an awesome race – a big thank you to Triangle for putting on such a great show, the volunteers who I think out numbered the competitors and of course, the enthusiastic crowds whose cheers  I think literally pushed me round that run course!!  I hope to be back next year J

**Post race drama

Rather than head straight to the medical tent, in my hazy state I thought I’d go to drug testing to get it out of the way.  Big mistake!  After being there for about and hour and a half I fell asleep and was then stretchered to the medical tent.  Here I got first class treatment – a massage, ice on my legs and a drip.  In between my napping I noticed that the wind had really gone crazy and I looked at the doctor and said “The tent’s going to fall down.”.   He was sensible and told me not to worry, which made sense I was barely compus mentus and the tent was designed to withstand winds of 150mph.  But….the freak weather did bring the tent down and the next thing I knew a supporting beam had collapsed onto my bed and was really starting to pin me down.  I think it’s a credit to the medical staff and Triangle team that immediately I had 6 guys trying to lift the thing off me.  I can’t remember the details  - all I know is the adrenalin certainly woke me up enough to roll myself (or maybe I was pulled?!)  out of the bed – the drip ripped out of my arm and I crawled out from the tent.  Anyway to cut a long story short, due to the quick acting volunteers there were very few injuries.  I passed another few hours in casualty on a drip and had my stomach checked out to make sure I didn’t have anything other than some bruised ribs.  So another thank you to Jay Jay (from the drug testing team) who had a longer day than expected as he had to follow us to the hospital and give me a lift home at 1 in the morning….and still no sample…

It's been good to be back at home for a couple of weeks:  I've caught up with a few friends; paid a visit to my niece (who at 10 weeks already seems to be mastering a good pedaling action with her legs!); somehow managed to get TWO parking tickets :-(; and even felt the warmth of the sun on my back on my rides, runs and swim (yes, I swam outside!!).  Tomorrow I'm flying to South Africa ahead of Ironman South Africa next week.   I'm looking forward to racing - I'm pleased with how my training has been going and more than anything, looking forward to building on my performance in Florida last November.  I am nervous, of course, but one thing I always keep in mind is that I do this sport because I enjoy it - the training, the racing, the people I meet ...even the pain but that's another story :-). 

I've also got some new race kit courtesy of Fusion UK (www.fusionsportsuk.co.uk) which has relatively recently launched in the UK.  The kit looks and feels great so will hopefully all help with the race day *feel good factor* so thank you to the guys at Fusion.

Right, back to the packing!

Once again, it has been a wee while since my last post and I can’t believe that we’re already well into March.  It feels like quite a lot has happened since January, but I think what I really mean is that I have swum, biked and run a fair few miles in the interim J

I’m writing this from the sunny climes of La Santa in Lanzarote – my second visit this year.  I was out here at the end of January with fellow Otters (the London based swim club I train with) Katherine and Jane.  Between them they boast the fastest woman’s channel swim of 2004 and a British record or two, so needless to say I was pretty well sorted as far as my swim training was concerned!! We were also joined by Al (a.k.a Viperman due to his strategic consumption of caffeine loaded bars during rides).  Although the weather was rather wetter than normal it was warm, the training was good and tea and biscuits plentiful...

It was a rude awakening to return to a snowy London and so time to re-acquaint myself with the turbo LThe snow was beautiful though and I enjoyed an amazing run through a white Richmond Park sin automobiles!  It was great to catch up with thetrilife.com team at the TCR show and receive all the new kit.  As well as catching up with people I also did the 10km race on Sunday morning which I won.  I got a rather spangly pair of racing flats – so I may have to do another just to put them to use!

And now here I am back in Gusty Grotty!  This is my third week here and I’ll be homeward bound tomorrow.  I’ve gotten in a good block of training, mainly thanks to the plentiful choice of hills to ride up, the wind which rarely forgets to blow, the fantastic 50m pool and miles and miles of running trails!! I’ve also had loads of different people to train with (or play pool/darts with as the case may be….).  A big thank you to Ain for putting me up and providing me with more gels, bars and energy drink than I could shake a stick at! I think I probably set a personal best for my consumption in 24 hours in week one but may have peaked too early.  Another fellow thetrilife.com race team member, Alex has also been out here kick starting his 2009 season.  John also managed to get time off work to join me for a week while our home club, Serpentine, was out here.  And now my sister is here having taken up triathlon at the beginning of the year.  She’s ridden some serious miles in some seriously challenging conditions and hasn’t been put off J .  In fact, I think she may have been persuaded to join me in racing in the Estonian half ironman distance race organised by Ain and taking place on 8 August (www.puhajarvetriatl on.ee) ….so watch this space – there could be a scalping!!

So now I’m home for a week or so before I fly out to Port Elizabeth to race in Ironman South Africa.  I can’t wait to get out there and race, and excited to see South Africa too as I have never been there.  Anyway, time to run now.  Train happy J

Happy New Year!  It has been quite a while since my last post and with it being the festive period, it has been a pretty busy couple of months.  After getting back from Florida in November I was lucky enough to be able to return to Taylor Wessing for a 6 week stint of legal work.  This was perfect timing as it has meant I have bolstered my coffers before heading into the 2009 season.  It also meant that I could catch up with everyone at work, exercise my brain again...and oh yes, my return coincided with the party season ;-).   I really enjoyed going back to the office as, while I love training, it was nice to have a few weeks to think about something else and reassure myself that I haven’t forgotten everything I’ve learnt about construction law!

Christmas was spent up north with my family and a visit to Scotland to see John’s mum.  The sight of us turning up with our bikes no longer raises any eyebrows and we managed to get some good rides and runs in while we were away despite the chill factor!  There wasn’t much company up in the Scottish hills other than some sheep – I don’t think we saw another cyclist for the 4 or so hours we were out.

I am now back in London and enjoying getting back into a training routine although, like everyone I’m sure, I wouldn’t mind if the temperature went up a couple of notches.  Luckily I have a trip to Lanzarote in a couple of weeks which will give me an opportunity to get some good miles in on the bike without going through the defrosting process afterwards! I have been pleased with the consistent running training I have had since Florida and I’m now working on continuing to build volume and introduce some higher intensity sessions. 

The year has got off to a good start for a number of reasons.  First, I am now an auntie to beautiful Emma Charlotte who was born on new year’s eve.  She is very cute and although she was asleep throughout my visit, her parents have been told she has strong legs.  Anyway, she now has her first swimming costume – I say you can’t start ‘em too early!  The second piece of news was from blueseventy (www.blueseventy.com) agreeing to offer me kit sponsorship me for 2009.  This is great – as it means I can channel extra funds into entering and travelling to races.  I am already racing in the blueseventy helix which I love for its flexibility, so I am really excited about trying their swim skin for non wetsuit swims.

Anyway, more news soon.  Happy training J

This time last week I think I was working out the least painful way to get out of bed and also thinking about a BIG breakfast, one that didn’t include any kind of energy drink/gel/bar!!  I was also feeling pretty happy about the fact I was finally an Iron(wo)man!!  The race was brilliant – of course I didn’t feel great the whole day – but I loved the experience and am now looking forward to the next one.

As I said in my last blog, my race preparation had gone well.  My swimming and biking had gone to plan and, although I didn’t have as many miles in my legs as I would have liked, I had at least been running in the lead up. I was also in one piece thanks to the many massages I had had from my friend Laura (at www.handsonsports.co.uk). I arrived in Florida the Tuesday before the race so had plenty of time to familiarise myself with the course, and I had all the comforts of home thanks to my very own “support crew”. My parents, sister and John were all out in Florida and between them I enjoyed delicious home cooked meals, had someone to do all the mechanical bits on my bike and had lots of laughs.  However, I am not sure how keen they will be on repeating the experience as I was trying to keep to the UK time zone... It was a small condo and going to bed at 8pm and waking at 6am isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of a holiday (not to mention the 3.45am start on race day)!!

The Race

I was relieved to hear that the pro field were to start 10 minutes before the age groupers so the initial scrum was a bit less bumpy than usual.  However, I’ve still got work to do on getting into a speedy pack as I missed the first two groups and so settled into a pack where I maybe found the pace a bit too comfortable but I figured a minute at two in the swim wasn’t going to make too much difference.  The toughest bit of the swim was the run onto the beach to go into the second loop – standing up and running (well, to be honest it was more of a walk) through the water was hard work and definitely got my heart rate up.  I exited the water with Bree Wee, and we started the bike in 2^nd and 3^rd a couple of minutes down on Nina Kraft.  

It was pretty chilly at the start of the bike but I just made myself comfortable on my aero bars, where I was to stay for almost the entire bike.  It was unfortunate that one of the highlights of the course came so early – a bridge – which was the only thing we would see (twice!) for the whole 112 miles which was remotely close to resembling a hill and an excuse to get out the saddle.  Otherwise it was straight, straight, right, straight, straight, straight, right etc etc.   At about 55 miles I went past Nina Kraft who was with a steward on the side of the road (with what I later found out was a broken seat post), which meant I was in the lead…briefly! Just before the 60 or 70 mile point (I lost track), Bella came past me.  She was with 3 other guys so I thought I would keep with them but then I had to slow for a “comfort” break so lost touch and was back on my own.    I actually found the bike course more difficult than the IMUK course – the hills at least added variety whereas the unrelenting flat of Florida meant there was no let up in effort.  A couple of 5 hour turbo sessions though proved to be good preparation for this –physically and mentally! I did go through a bit of a dip but then started to feel better (probably with the aid of a caffeine gel!) and was pleased to hear that I was only down 2 minutes on Bella at about 85 miles.  Fellow Brit, Toby Radcliffe came past me just as I was picking up a bit - it was a relief to know I could still talk and break up another straight section albeit very briefly!!

Coming into T2 in 2^nd place, I think I must have sensed that the chasing girls weren’t far behind as I was in and out in less than 2 minutes.  I felt surprisingly ok at the start of the run but focused on keeping it steady.  Having seen the results from previous years I guessed that there’d be some speedy run splits and so I didn’t let myself be put off as both Jessica Jacobs and Tamara Kozulina came past me in quick succession and made me feel like I was practically walking!!  I was overtaken by Bree Wee at about 10km - I didn’t have the legs at this stage to try and run with her – so I moved into 5^th place.  The rest of the run is a bit of a blur – the support from the crowds was amazing and definitely perked me up going into the second loops.  My family and John were out on the run course and kept me positive (although my sister’s attempt at humour when she shouted “Enjoy the subdivision!” was probably lost on me at that point!).  In the final few miles I just kept thinking of how good it would be to cross the line and kept putting one foot in front of another – it wasn’t pretty but I got there and crossing the line did feel FANTASTIC!!  I finished 5^th in the Women’s Pro field in a time of 9 hours 37 minutes. 

There were of course lots of lessons learnt from the day – just a couple of the more amusing ones include:

1.       DO NOT put a hydration tablet straight into your mouth – no matter how much salt you think you’ve lost!  Yes, I did do this during the run after I was warned by a fellow athlete that my black shorts were almost white with salt.  It is very difficult to breathe when you are frothing from the mouth. 

2.       Try to avoid driving 400 miles immediately after the race – I looked like I had been riding a horse for 5 days every time we stopped for gas!

3.       Beer and pizza taste pretty darned good after 10 hours of racing J!

P.S If you’re interested in seeing the short race video check out this link: http://www.ironmanflorida.com/)

I thought I’d post a quick update as it has been a wee while since IMUK.  It is now less than 3 weeks until Ironman Florida and I am really looking forward to the race and the sunshine J.  Since IMUK I’ve put in a good block of training including some consistent run training, which has been a great relief!  Although I know I am not at my running best, after the various niggles I had over the summer, I am just relieved to have been able to run at all.  My volume of training is now coming down and the intensity is going up, and it feels good to be doing some faster stuff.  I fly out the week before so there’ll be plenty of time to reckie the course, get over jet lag and get used to the heat.  The course is flat and having looked at the results from last year it looks fast and furious and it looks like there will be a strong field out there.  However, as this is my first Ironman I will be going in ready to run (well, swim, bike, run) my own race and not get to carried away early on in the bike – it’s a long day and too much too soon will come back and bite me in the last 10km!

As well as training I have also been doing my BTF Level 1 Coaching Course.  The exam is in a week or so and I’ve got lots of homework to be keeping me busy….I will be doing my best not to revert to my last minute essay panics of university and being a bit more organised!

Finally, congratulations to Ain on his fantastic result in Hawaii – I have to say I was getting pretty excited watching the updates on my computer on Saturday evening!  

The UK Ironman is held in the historical town of Sherborne in Dorset and much like the UK 70.3 in Wimbleball, the surrounding landscape is pretty bumpy! The swim and transition area are based around the town’s castle so what with the picturesque swim in the castle’s lake, the bumpy bike route and a run route that took you up, down and around Sherborne this course is considered one of the tougher Ironman’s on the circuit.  Add to this a fiery wind and it got that bit tougher!! 

Although I am not yet able to say “I am an Iron(wo)man” I did at least make it to the start line of my first Ironman last weekend.  Since Wimbleball my training hasn’t exactly gone according to plan but I’m coming to the conclusion that it rarely does!  The virus I got immediately after Wimbleball took much longer to recover from than I had (optimistically) expected.    Luckily John had some time between job time and suggested a break in the French Alps which was just the ticket to jump start me back into my training.  I got back in the first week of August and with only 3 weeks till IMUK I have to admit the idea of even getting to the start line seemed pretty hopeful.  However, after testing myself at the Bedford Olympic distance race I felt stronger than I expected and so thought “what the hell” I’ll at least start the thing!  Originally the idea was just to treat it as a swim/bike but after a decent brick session the week before and chatting to Rich we decided I should run an hour or so off the bike.  I knew before I started that the idea of stopping would be difficult to say the least...

The Race

The race was supposed to get off at 6am...unfortunately sun rise was at 6:30 so I wasn’t surprised that after having got into the water we were held for 15 or so minutes.  The start was a bit of a scrum - but a few dunkings later I found clear water and worked on getting into a good rhythm.  Unfortunately by this time I was smack bang between two groups.  I know it is not energy efficient but I actually enjoy swimming on my own so I just worked on building through the swim.  On the second loop I sensed I was the lead woman as I was breathing into a camera lens!  My first transition went pretty smoothly (except for a batman-esque moment with my gillet which I forgot to do up so I did have wings for the first km of the bike before I left it with some friendly supporters) and I heard that the next two girls were exiting the water as I was getting onto my bike.

The bike starts with a bit of a climb out of Sherborne and I knew if I overcooked it there I’d be paying for it a bit further down the road.  I spun my way up, and then started the first of three loops.  I had mentally divided the loop into three parts:  the first part down towards Dorchester felt predominantly downhill with a few up hills thrown in – so I did my best to enjoy the chance to get down into the aero bars and keep a good cadence.   The second part came at the turn around point close to Dorchester, heading back towards Sherborne and this felt predominantly up hill.  I knew that, amongst others, Bella would be hot on my heels after the swim and it was about an hour into the cycle on this section that she went past me.  I did my best to keep her in sight but a conservative descent and a bit of a mess up by me at the feed station meant she was soon out of sight.  Even though it was maybe less hilly, I actually found the third section of the loop the hardest as it combined some short climbs with some gusty head winds.  Now in second place my aim was to keep a good cadence, keep even splits on the bike and at least hold onto 2^nd position.  The supporters around the course were brilliant – it can’t have been easy getting to some of the remoter spots but their cheers really lifted my spirits.  John and Rich were also out on the course reminding me to keep eating as on long rides this can sometimes be where I fall down!

I have to say it was a great relief to head back into Sherborne after the 3^rd loop and the cheers going into T2 were amazing!  T2 was also a bit of highlight in the race (not only did I get the 10^th fastest split of the day ;-)) my sister; Katie was at the ready to help me on with my trainers, cap etc.  Katie volunteered to help at the race having watched me in Wimbleball in June.  I have to say having seen the long days she put in (in not the best of weather on the Friday and Saturday) a big thank you has to go out to everyone who gives up their time to help at these events.  I thought doing (most of) an Ironman would be hard enough but the volunteers putting 2 or 3, 12 hour +, days back to back have the real stamina!

After the initial painful first mile I settled into a steady pace up to 13 miles –although this was interrupted by a few portaloo stops. Up to then I had just about held onto my second place but a few slight twinges in my knee and I knew I could either carry on and see what happened, or stick to the plan of stopping  and move forward to Ironman Florida in 8 weeks.   It was really tough to pull out but luckily John and Rich were there to talk sense. 

I may not have finished the race but I have many positives to take away from the bit I did - one of which is a still functioning knee! Big congratulations to all those people who took part on Sunday – I think those who were still running in the dark showed real toughness and are a real inspiration.   I am now focusing on Florida in 8 weeks – no hills L but hopefully some warmer temperaturesJ!

Last Sunday I was finally back on the start line at the Bedford Classic Triathlon.  I have to admit that I was wondering whether that was such a good thing when the alarm went off at 4am and a quick look out the window showed that it was going to be another wet day! However, as it had been over 2 months since my last race outing - a race was definitely what I needed.   What with getting over shingles, rehab from the various niggles I had no idea what kind of shape I was in but the idea was to go out and “have fun”…hmm, I thought as I looked at the persistent drizzle! 

John and I just made it to the start line on time but only just thanks to my organisational prowess…I was in charge of printing off directions, which I did….to some random postcode the wrong side of Bedford.  A quick call to the race organiser had us back on track leaving me 20 minutes to register, put on my wetsuit, and take another cursory look at the course.  All good for taking your mind off any pre-race nerves I suppose.

The swim was an out and back river swim although there was no current to speak of, and it went well – I had a good start and was soon in clear water and able to find a good rhythm which gave me a couple of minutes lead. I knew this would be needed as I knew I would have some good girls chasing me on the bike and run! As the bike course started with quite a few roundabouts I used the first km or so to take on some energy drink and spin my legs before putting my head down and going for it on the bike.  The bike was one loop so I had no idea who was behind me and by how much so I focused on keeping a good position and a good cadence as I have a tendency to grind out a hard gear on the flat, which makes the run after interesting!?  All was going well on the bike until 2km from T2 when I misread an arrow at a roundabout and took a wrong turn…darn it!  On finding myself in Bedford’s open air pool car park I figured I was in the wrong place so did a u-ee and corrected myself – I think a few of the mini tri competitors were probably cursing me having followed me there – oops!  Luckily, I still entered T2 in first place.  My running training has been most affected by injury this year so I wasn’t really sure what would happen next. I deliberately started at a conservative pace – again focusing on holding my form.  The first 2 laps felt pretty comfortable (well as comfortable as it will ever feel!) and the third, well I got through it without being overtaken and was first woman over the line J.  Despite the conditions this was a well organised race and a good one to get back into the swing of things.  My aim now is to keep on with the training and do everything I can to stay injury free! 

After my race in Wimbleball I was keen to get straight back to training to work on all the things the race had highlighted to me could be improved.  I always feel really motivated coming out of a race as it’s fresh in my mind what I need to focus on...however, various things have been conspiring against my plan!! 

1. The Kniggly Knee! I think because I was going into the race straight off the back of an injury I compensated for the weaknesses by changing my biking/running style etc and as a consequence have irritated my left knee.  This is a new niggle but with treatment, stretching, Pilates and strengthening exercises it seems to be settling down. 

2. Shingles! In retrospect I can see I managed to ignore all the warning signs that something was up.  Since the race I had been feeling a bit flat and tired - I put this down to the post race feeling and so ignored it mostly...and just carried on as usual.  Then, I started coming up in nasty looking bumps.  At first I thought a mozzy had taken a liking for me, but soon it was clear these were not bites....so I thought it must be the new washing powder (a shame as we'd got 2 for 1!).  Then, I thought I'd pulled a muscle in my shoulder (coincidentally in the same area as the bumps!) as it was incredibly painful to touch.  Still I didn't put 2 and 2 together and so when the doc said it was shingles I was pretty surprised!

In some ways its good that the two have come together as while I have eased back on the training so I can get over the virus I can focus on strengthening my knee with the various exercises I have been given.....so hopefully in a week or so I'll be back to full health and ready to go!!

The setting for the UK 70.3 is beautiful – Wimbleball Lake is situated on Exmoor and is set in a valley surrounded by rolling hills…more of which later!  The race start time was an early 6am which meant it was pretty chilly as we lined up for the swim … but the chill factor was to become a theme for the day!!  As we “warmed” up in the lake the mist over the water meant that the first buoy wasn’t even visible by the time the gun went off.

Despite a minor panic attack after about 300 metres which meant I missed getting onto the feet of the group in front I was happy with my swim.  I was on my own for most of the course – it felt comfortable (except for my numb feet and my left hand which started to “claw” Jim Carey style as a result of the cold!!). I was the second woman out about a minute and a half behind Julie Dibens.  The run up from the lake to the transition area was hard - I was seriously blowing by the time I got to my bike and it seemed to take forever to get my breathing under control even once I was on the bike.  The bike course consisted of two loops: the first half of the loop is generally flat or downhill; and what goes down must come up so the second half consisted of a number of steepish climbs. 

This flat/downhill start meant that there was no warming up and I was soon ruing my decision not to pick up my arm warmers. Brrrrr!!!  I was cold but I just tried to bike a bit harder to warm up and thought to myself that I would soon have some hills to warm up on!  Bella Comerford came past me just before the big descent on the first loop but other than a few guys I didn’t really see many people on the first loop.  Any warmth I had gained on the climbs was soon lost in the torrential downpour and hail storm that came down during the second loop.  It was at this point I saw Rich at the top of the one of the lanes – I think I managed a rueful smile - it was great to see a familiar face and it reminded me to stay focused and try and ignore the shivering!!  Soon after this I saw my sister, Katie who’d traipsed over various fields to find a spot on the route to support, which provided me with another lift.  At this point I was still on third place and I think I still had 3 minutes on the next woman but the last 20 miles were a real slog and I could sense that I was losing time.  Despite taking on gels I had no energy and my focus was to get to T2 as soon as I could.  I was overtaken just before the second big climb and again in the last 10 miles by 2 women but I really didn’t feel myself and wasn’t able to stay with them.

Finally (!) I made it to T2 and after about 3 attempts got my trainers on.  Due to an injury to my calf I haven’t been able to run for the past 6 weeks so I had NO idea what would happen on the run.  I started really steadily - it felt more like a shuffle – but my aim was to finish without causing any damage to my leg.  It wasn’t pretty!! I was ticking off the hills on each loop just willing the third lap to end … and eventually it did.  I finished 6^th pro woman AND as a bonus I also got a place to the 70.3 world championships in Clearwater, Florida in November!  Although my initial reaction is to be disappointed with my position - if I look at it objectively it was a solid enough performance in the circumstances. It was my first race for a year and I’m now looking forward to getting my head down to some hard training and doing better in my next race.   A big thank you has to go out to all the people supporting and marshalling on the day, especially to Rich and my sister, Katie.  

I am writing this from beautiful Provence where I am on the inaugural TriLife training camp – one of the highlights of which is the Ventoux climb.  However my experience last year was to go out hard and hang on for the next 19km – not something I wanted to repeat this year!

It’s been a fantastic week  – I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great people and been out on lots of picturesque rides.   My coach Rich Jones is also out here to keep his eye on my erratic pacingJ.  The 50m pool we’ve had exclusive use of has also meant that the swimming has been excellent....I especially enjoyed my drafting session with Ben and Ain-Alar (who flew in direct from his Ironman Lanzarote top 3 result last weekend!).  A niggle in my calf has meant I have been limited to aqua jogging this week but at least I’ve had some people to chat to during my sessions which has made it much easier and less mind-numbing.

Yesterday was THE big day – the Mont Ventoux climb – one of the classic rides in the cycling world -  no matter what your experience on the bike, climbing this mountain will always be a huge challenge.  Lance Armstrong once described it as the world’s best climb and he is someone who likes to suffer.  What makes the climb such a challenge is a combination of the length of the climb (approx 21 km) and the  unrelenting steep gradient.   Waking up every morning in its shadow is a reminder of how much the mountain dominates the region.

For the climb itself, my main training aim was to keep the pace steady and to have a controlled ascent – there is no tougher place to learn pace discipline than going up Ventoux!   We set off at one minute intervals in time trial format – I kept it very steady over the first few km (which were “relatively” flat).  Then the real climb started with a gradient of 9-11%; not too bad you might think but then this gradient continues for the next 16km or so!  It was great having our very own support on hand (Lou and Kate) who were armed with spare water and a camera.  Compared to last year it felt like a different climb....by exercising some self-control in the early stages of the climb, I felt almost fresh by the time Chalet Reynard came into view.  The last 6km of moonscape (photo above) are more exposed to the weather – the summit wasn’t even visible as it was covered in heavy mist.  In the last few hairpins I caught up with fellow Tri-Life athlete Ben and we reached the summit together.  As it was pretty chilly up there we were soon hugging our cafe au laits in the summit restaurant!

I finished ride by cruising down the Gorge de la Nesque – a stunning road hewn into the cliff edge and even better practically all down-hill back to base.   We finished the day with a celebratory dinner – everyone on the camp who set out to climb the hulking monster was successful - at which we were presented with our very own Ventoux kilometre markers.

I’m back in London (briefly!) after 8 great days in Cesentico on the north east coast of Italy, very close to Rimini.  As a base for a training camp it was great – lots of great hills to cycle up, a beautiful open air 25 m pool within stumbling distance from the hotel and a great bunch of people to train with.....oh yes, and I would be lying if I said that the Italian gelato wasn’t part of the draw to Italy! 

As I do much of my training at home on my own during the week it was a real treat to get out on my bike in a group and talk to other people rather than chatter away to myself...!     Having just downloaded my Garmin data for the week, I can feel reassured that it is normal for my legs to be feeling a wee bit tired– I notched up some big miles, and a lot of metres of ascent.  On instruction from Rich one of my focuses was to focus on my descents.  In the past these have been politely described as “slow” and I have, less politely, been told “that a granny could descend quicker”!  I think improvements have been made and at the end of the week my brake blocks were still in tact...surely a good sign?? 

One of the highlights of the week was taking part in the Nove Colli, a massive cycling sportive with over 12,000 riders.  Starting with so many riders was an experience in itself – the first 40km took us to the hills and absolutely flew by as we just hooked onto the wheel in front and cruised along at a swift 50km an hour!! The hills were a bit frustrating though as the sheer number of riders meant we were reduced to a crawl.  The flat road home was again pretty swift as John and I joined a peloton and then worked with the group trying to chase down the next group.  A lot of fun!

Tomorrow I catch the train to Avignon for The TriLife training camp in Provence.  I love this part of France and can’t wait to get down there.  Watch this space for my report  on climbing the mighty Mont Ventoux!!!

Last weekend marked my first foray into the world of cycling time trialling when I took part in the Norwood Paragon 25 mile TT...in Horsham.   It was quite an experience, an introduction to a whole new world of cycling and a bit of a wakeup call.  Over the last year or so I have actually come to prefer the hills over the flat and judging from how I felt on Sunday I think I may need to work some more on the latter!  It was an early start but judging from the speed at which I had to pelt it down the A24, we could have made that a bit earlier.  John and I just managed to get to the start in time but without a warm up which we soon learnt was an essential part of time trialling preparation!! The village hall car park in Broadheath was scattered with veteran time trialists working away on their turbos when we arrived at 6.25am.  Instead the first 5 miles of the route constituted my warm up and then the burning in the legs set in and stayed for there for the next hour.  I was pretty pleased with my time – 1:01.11 – for a first effort but I think time trialling is definitely an art to be learnt so expect to improve on this, and I’ll hopefully be breaking the hour mark soon!  I posted the fastest women’s time of the day so not a bad result all in all!  Unfortunately ( ;-) ), my friend Stew (who was my two minute man) beat me by 20 seconds so to honour our bet,  it was me buying breakfast later that morning!!

I’m now in Italy for the first of two training weeks away... you can read more about my espresso fuelled hill climbs in my next blog!

As you may have seen from my bit in this month's newsletter April was a month of big changes for me. At the end of March I finished working at Taylor Wessing, the law firm I have worked for for the past 6 years,   having made the decision to take some time out of work to train and race full time.  I guess this has all been a bit of a leap of faith on my part - leaving a job that I enjoy (and a regular pay packet!) meant it was not a decision I took lightly although when it came to it it was surprisingly easy.  I think this is because I'm one of those all or nothing type people.  Since 2005 I have had some ok results and in the back of my mind I was always asking myself  how much better could I be if I could train more, train harder, recover more etc.  I think its a feeling almost everyone in triathlon (and all sports) has  - its was has us all coming back for more!  Its rare to have a perfect race - there's always something to be improved.  By taking time to train full time my ambition is to be the best triathlete I can be.  At the moment I don't know what that is and I don't expect it to happen overnight so this season is going to be about training  hard, racing hard and learning a lot along the way!!  The support I have had from my family, friends, The TriLife, work and (last but not least!!) my boyfriend has been brilliant and confirmed that this is the right thing to do.