I took part in a little 5k race in Manchester on Sunday. It was freezing cold and when we got there the ground was icy! I ran a fairly cautious race – some tight bends with icy conditions meant slowing into them. I came 1st though which is always good, just would have liked to have been quicker as my running is going really well at the moment. I'll just have to put it into my next race at the end of the month.

I also had a little accident earlier in the week! Whilst on my bike on Wednesday morning I skidded on ice and came off! A bit bruised and shaken and a tight neck but all ok now. I really should have been on my turbo instead of chancing the conditions – lesson learned!!

On Sunday I competed in the Leeds Abbey Dash 10k. During the week building up to the race I checked the weather forecast a few times and it wasn't looking good – lots of wind! I don't mind the cold or light rain but really didn't want it to be windy as I wanted to get a good time.

For the 6,000 or so of us taking part in the race we really lucked out. Cold but sunny and no wind!! Great running conditions. (Apparently it was grim everywhere else)! I had a really good race and got within 1 second of my pb clocking 35.53 and finishing 13th. I started off a bit too quick and went through 1k in 3.20! Luckily it didn't mess me up too much. I'm really pleased to get so close to my pb on my first race for almost 3 months – there's definitely a lot more to come.

Had a good break from training with a nice week away in Portugal. Tried to surf but not very good - had a lot of fun trying though! Managed to squeeze in a few morning runs on the beech!!

Back into full training now and have a 10k planned for next weekend in Leeds. Looking forward to it as it attracts quite a good field. Had a great training session last Tuesday so feeling confident.

Did the Sutton Six 10k yesterday. Came 1st in 36.28 and it was also the Cheshire Champs. Ran comfortably with no pressures to do anything time wise. The girl who came 2nd was thanking me for pulling her around in a pb! That's probably what I could have done with for the the previous 10k's I've done this year! Might have got my times then.

Season over and finished on a high with that 10k and also the London duathlon.
A nice break from training now with a holiday to Portugal in October – can't wait!!

A much happier KC now!! I won my race yesterday!! It was the London duathlon and I took part in the elite race. I was so nervous in the build up before the race. Took the first run nice and easy picking it up just before transition in case I messed things up. On the bike I was hoping the girl I ran with was going to be there so we could take advantage of it being a drafting race and work together. There seemed to be no sign of her so I had to get on with it. Came through in 1st off the bike then onto the 2nd run where I stayed in first and won by 2 minutes!! Really pleased.

I'm feeling so disappointed. I had news a couple of days ago that I haven't made the team for the worlds. I understand that I haven't made the times for 5k and 10k (managed to squeeze 2 more races in – 26 July 10k at Battersea Park and 4 August 5k at Battersea Park came 1st in both with times just outside what I needed). What is most frustrating is that there are places to take four girls but they are only taking one!
I feel let down with the time frame I was given to get these times – 4 weeks isn't really enough, considering I've been asking since March. I also think I was trying to do too many races in this time to try to get these times.
Anyway enough gloominess about it all. I'm just gonna make sure I work hard during the winter, hopefully stay injury free and come back next year ready to prove myself.
I'm going to do the elite race at the London duathlon in a few weeks time and prove what I'm capable of. So watch this space......!

I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to find out what I need to achieve to gain selection for the world duathlon elite team. It's really frustrating that there isn't a duathlon selection race specifically for qualification for the worlds. The only races of this type are earlier in the year in April. Instead I've been told to aim for times for 5k and 10k races.

I did a 10k on the seafront in Liverpool on 22 June – it was without doubt the windiest day ever! I managed a 36.32 (and came 1st) which I thought was pretty good going considering. I'm then told I will need to do a sub 36.30!

13 July I did the Rosemere 10k - 1st in 36.27. Was hoping for better. Think I started off a bit too quick!

I then entered a Friday evening 10k on 18 July which turned out to be quite hilly and just before the race I'm told I need a to find a sub 36. This is bearing in mind I have to get this time in the next 4 weeks. I managed 37.30ish (finishing 1st) on this course and couldn't really have expected much more.

A day and a half later I did the Deva Divas sprint tri just as a training session. Had quite a bad swim. I started on the wrong side of the lake - after Dan the expert had told me to start on the other side – why don't I listen?? Legs felt tired on the bike probably from Friday's run. Came 2nd. Ok but not a very good time.

I've now got a bit of a panic to find flat 5k or 10k races. There really aren't many around at this time of year.

Training is going really well at the moment and my injury from earlier in the year has so far stayed away. So alls good.

I've had a few races recently. Firstly I started the Corus elite sprint tri at Reading. Got pushed about in the water and swallowed loads which lead to me pulling out. Its always the same in that kind of situation – about half an hour after it happened I started thinking that I should have carried on. Just have to put it behind me and move on and think that if it happens again I will deal with things differently.

Next was Shrophshire olympic distance tri. Really pleased with my result – came 3rd. Swim was much better than last year and bike and run were good. Still wanted to have done a few minutes faster. Never happy!! I do love this course though so will be back next year to better myself!

Then I took part in the elite race at Windsor. Had a really terrible swim! In all fairness it is a hard swim – out and back and against the current all the way up (also a fairly brutal fast start). At the turn point it took me three attempts to get around the buoy because the current was so strong!! I was then so far off getting into a pack on the bike. I worked really hard and caught a girl I know on the bike in the hope we would work together but I dropped her quite quickly. Kept pushing hard not knowing if I was catching anyone. When it came to the run I was dead on my feet – I've never had that happen before! I think I still did about the 3rd fastest run time . It was a good learning experience. I really want to compete at this level in the future but I really need to improve my swimming. If I can't make it into a pack on the bike I'm never going to be able to make an impact with my strong run and I'm never happy being just someone who makes up the numbers!

Had a frustrating race on Saturday at the Horwich triathlon. 800m pool swim was ok . Biked quite well in the freezing cold and pouring rain then had a really good run. First half was all up hill to Rivington Pike. Finished feeling really strong and felt that I'd had a good run. When the results came in I'd come 3rd which really surprised me as I really thought I'd won. When I got talking to people after it turns out I'd gone too far on one part of the run! I also ran along the path that takes you around and to the top of the pike when I think most people ran straight up to it on the grass! Was disappointed not to win or at least have the fastest run.

Back from Florida training camp and good news – ITB all good and back to full running training!! Yay! Had such a good time out there. Really hot and quite humid so hard run sessions were done in the morning. There was a total of 16 of us out there with one of the lads also being a physio. I managed to talk to him about my injury on the 1st day and he gave me some exercises that were different to those I’d been given before and also to be held in the stretch for much longer. Seemed to do the trick!

Also got some good long bikes and sessions in. We had the use of an outdoor 50m pool too which was fantastic. I was really pleased with my swim sessions out there as for me swimming is a real battle.

Back home to work and reality now. Really want to go back again next year for a bit longer if I can get the time off work!

I did have some disappointing news whilst away - they're not going to take me to the European Duathlon Champs. To be expected really when I haven't done any races to prove mysel. Oh well, I'll just have to find out what I need to do to try and get selected for the worlds in September.

Racing next weekend – Horwich Tri. Quite exited that tri season is now here!

Not a happy bunny! ITB still playing up. I really thought I was getting somewhere with it. Slowly built my running back up and feeling confident when it goes again. Aarrgghh! Back to physio.
I’ve now missed one of the duathlon races with this injury and it now looks like I’ll be missing the age group champs too. Then for the elite champs I’m in Florida for a training camp. I’m really hoping to get selected for the European elite duathlon champs in May but I don’t think that they’ll consider me with not having done any races to prove myself. My main focus is getting over this injury in time for Florida now.

Back yesterday from training in Spain. Had a really good time. Got some good bike training in with some good hill work over the Pyrenees. Overall it wasn’t as warm as we were hoping it would be and we got drenched whilst out on the bikes a few times. Did have a couple of nice days though and on one of them cycled over to France. Really beautiful, with lovely quiet roads. Made a nice change from cycling in the UK.

I was able to do some running but ITB still not great. Getting a bit worried now as I’m supposed to be doing some duathlon races in March and April.

Whilst out running 3 days before the Dewsbury 10k I picked up an injury to my ITB. Gutted! Meant missing Dewsbury which I was really looking forward to in the hope of getting a pb. Hopefully a 2 week rest from running will help. I’ll just have to do extra cycling and swimming sessions. Off to Spain for a 10 day training holiday in 2 weeks so really hope to be okay by then.

Sunday, 20th Jan saw me doing my first ever half marathon - the Four Villages Half starting and finishing in Helsby. I finished 4th in 1hr21. I was quite pleased although I was hoping to get under 1hr 20. I felt really good all the way round and know I can definitely go a lot quicker!

The furthest I've raced before this was 10k so racing a half marathon is more than double this distance. I got to 6 miles feeling comfortable but thinking how normally my race would be just about to finish and now I've got 7 miles to go!

Anyway it was straight back into training on Monday. Legs haven't been too bad but of all the things to be tight my left shoulder has been sore!

My focus now is the Dewsbury 10k on Sunday, 3rd Feb. Hoping for a pb! Raced here last year and knocked nearly 2 mins off my time and came 2nd so aiming to knock a bit more time off and to win!!

KC

New Blog

Well, this is my first blog entry. I hope to keep this up to date with what I'm doing, my training schedules and race information.

Check back soon to see how I'm getting on!!

KC