10 weeks

OK tri season is now over and after 1 week of no training I am about to start my 10 week training plan to take me to my first ever marathon! I'm really excited but also feeling nervous that 10 weeks really isn't going to be enough time to achieve the goal I am aiming for (sub 3 hours)! My coach thinks otherwise as I have the run fitness and a reasonable amount of running miles already in place and its just about making it marathon specific. I'm still keeping up with swimming and cycling training - especially my swimming! Apart from needing to keep this up as I have big plans for tri next year I think the cross training will hopefully help to stay injury free.

We shall see. Watch this space.........

Little Woody 2010

I completed my first middle distance tri yesterday.

The swim venue got changed at the last minute due to blue/green algae in the original lake. I think this ended up for the better as it was now in a diving quarry with crystal clear water.

I started off really well. Had a really good swim - 28.30 (possibly slightly short)! Long, long run up a big hill to T1. Off on the bike and feeling really good. Minor incident with my chain coming off before the long 2 mile drag up hill but easily sorted! Went past lots of people on the hills and by the time I had done the 12 miles which took us to where T2 was situated and the start of the big lap I was apparently in 1st! I was having such a good ride and feeling really good but in hindsight I had definitely overcooked it!

My HR was higher than the zone I planned to keep it in but because I was feeling good I ignored this. So first lesson learned - even when feeling good keep to the plan!

Next lesson to be learned was how to eat on the bike. I found it so hard to eat anything. I had pieces of fruit bread, cereal bars and raisins to eat but really couldn't get them down. All I managed for the whole very hilly 98k was 1 tiny piece of fruit bread, a few raisins and 3 gels. So with about 40k to go I started to go through a bad patch. This was quite worrying as I still had the 2 hills in English Bickner about 9k from the end to contend with yet.

It was during my bad patch that I dropped into 2nd place. I persevered and somehow got to the end of the bike.

When I got to T2 I saw Dan who was very encouraging and said I was now 10 mins behind 1st place and just to keep the run steady.

This time I did stick to my HR zone and after about 5 mins I got into my running. I saw Dan again around 6k and he said I was now 7 mins behind and if I kept this pace I would get her. I just kept it steady and didn't let myself get carried away. I then saw Dan again at the halfway point and I was now 5.15 behind. The only problem was there was a girl not far behind tracking me and most likely biding her time!

Next time check and the gap was down to 2.45 with about 6.5k to go, then down to 1.45 with about 3.5k go go. It was just after this point that my body had enough! My hips got tight and my legs started to go. Around 3k to go the girl behind caught me and I was so frustrated as there was nothing I could do. I was light headed and wobbly! I've never felt so bad. I was really starting to wonder if I would make it to the finish line. I just had to break the rest of the run down into small chunks. When I saw the road I knew I probably had less than 1k to go and I just kept thinking when I get to the finish line then I can collapse - just keep going. The main thing that kept me going was that if I stopped and walked I might lose my 3rd spot as I really had no idea where 4th place was!

I somehow made it to the finish line in 3rd and was only 40s behind 2nd. Then I did collapse!!

Really pleased with my result but several lessons learned! I really was frustrated at how close I came to winning - if only I hadn't started off like an idiot on the bike, if only I had got my nutrition right, if only....... We can all say if only when we don't win though!!

A really friendly, well organised event. I will definitely consider this one again in the future.

I did the Milton Keynes Big Cow Triathlon at the weekend. A really good race and we had great weather for it too.

I had my best swim! I actually got stuck in and worked hard and even managed to work in a group which I normally find really daunting.

My T1 was awesome!! I was 16th out of the swim but went into the bike in 7th!

I worked really hard on the bike so when I saw my bike time at the end I was a bit disappointed as I expected it to have been 2-3 mins quicker.

A smooth and fast T2 and a good fast run. It was a 3 lap run and I started off the first lap quite hard and just tried to keep it going. I think I did slow slightly but not too much.

I finished 3rd and was quite pleased. Going into the run the girl in 1st was about 9 mins ahead and I pulled it back to 2.5 mins and 2nd finished just 40s in front.

A really well organised race.

France again!

Home from France for less than 2 weeks then back again for another race!

Sprint duathlon in Lievin with my French team. After feeling tired in my legs last time and missing the pack this time I felt a lot fresher so I went off with the lead girls including Sandra Levenez also in my team. It was a really fast pace and I started to worry about how my bike would go after running so hard. With about 1k left of the run I dropped off the pace a bit. I looked behind me and saw there was a fairly large group of girls not too far behind so I decided to ease up a bit in the hope of working in a group with them on the bike.

A good T1 and onto the bike. It went fairly well but not many girls would do any work on the bike. Radka from my team did a fair bit of work at the front and when no one else would go through I took it on. I think the 2 of us put the most into the bike.

I had a rubbish T2. I was in the wrong position, near to the back of the pack, plus it was quite a long run in and my feet have been so sore recently which made it difficult running with no shoes.

The final run wasn't too good either! I think I put too much into the first run and really didn't have much left.

Every time I race out here I try something different and learn something new so its all good and our team won!

Last week I spoke to my sister on the phone and she told me about the ash cloud and that the people coming out for the camp probably won't get flights. I told her to stop being so dramatic (she can be a drama queen at times) and that it will be gone by the weekend. But it wasn't. Only 2 people made it out and that was because they decided to drive.

Oh well. We're half way through the camp now and its so far gone really well - apart from the lack of athletes! This is the first camp I've coached on so it has been a good experience and not too daunting! I'm also managing to get all my normal amount of training in too.

Well I got over my cold within a couple of days and back into full training now. I think I was just run down with all the travelling before and after the duathlon race with lugging my bike box around. Maybe I'm just a light weight!!

Really enjoying training out here. Getting some good bike rides in and finding good routes for when the training camp starts.

I'm also trying really hard with learning french! Seems to be a slow process!

I have a cold! Not a happy bunny! I was planning on doing a 10k race in Angouleme this evening as well. What with all my other 10ks being cancelled and now having a cold - am I destined to never run a 10k again?!!