A couple of average races but were done for a training purpose so feel ok about them!
Firstly, a duathlon for my french team in Metz. Good fun but very short compared to what I've been training for! The first run (5k) went ok and I came into T1 with a group of about 6 girls. Bike was good fun (20k). Lots of surges which were hard going as I haven't prepared for them at all. Our group got caught by a chasing pack before T2 and about 500m out from T2 there was a final surge which was one too many for me - I had nothing left in my legs! Came in at the back of the back and then just survived the second run! Our team did well though (first team!) and I enjoyed it!
Then Stockton Olympic distance triathlon. I thought I'd had a good swim but when I saw my result it seemed that it wasn't particularly! My bike was very average - it was 4 laps and very technical and stop start the whole way round. Then my run was ok apart from having a big stone in my shoe that I had to stop and get rid of! Not a bad race as I treated it as a hard training session.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Hacked off with myself and been feeling miserable all week and I have no one to blame but myself.
Antwerp 70.3. Had a crap swim. Sighted wrong, got on someones feet I shouldn't have and went off course quite badly! Ooops! Then onto the bike - very windy. Tried my hardest to put effort in but seemed to go nowhere. Couldn't get heart rate up to where it should be at all. Gave up on it. Really wanted to drop out of the race but felt I'd be letting myself down even more if I did. Cycled the rest of the course at an easy pace and decided to try and have a good run.
Did have a good run but so I should when I had cycled with no effort!
Not really a course to suit me as totally flat bike (I like the hills) and very windy. Looking back I'm not really sure why I entered this one, oh well. Not a race I would recommend even if you do want a flat fast bike as the bike course was soooooo boring!! Won't be going back!!
Antwerp 70.3. Had a crap swim. Sighted wrong, got on someones feet I shouldn't have and went off course quite badly! Ooops! Then onto the bike - very windy. Tried my hardest to put effort in but seemed to go nowhere. Couldn't get heart rate up to where it should be at all. Gave up on it. Really wanted to drop out of the race but felt I'd be letting myself down even more if I did. Cycled the rest of the course at an easy pace and decided to try and have a good run.
Did have a good run but so I should when I had cycled with no effort!
Not really a course to suit me as totally flat bike (I like the hills) and very windy. Looking back I'm not really sure why I entered this one, oh well. Not a race I would recommend even if you do want a flat fast bike as the bike course was soooooo boring!! Won't be going back!!
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Happy at Last!!
Well after this run of bad luck with races recently it finally came good at the weekend!
For the 3rd year in a row I did the Northampton triathlon. Ideal conditions for me - lovely and hot and not much wind! Very different from Bala 2 weeks ago!
I started well with a good swim for me and was 3rd or 4th out of the water. I worked well on the bike but finding it hard at the mo to get my HR up into my Olympic distance HR zone with all the middle distance training but it felt good. My bike felt great though and I'm getting much better at being down on my tri bars now.
Onto the run which was 4 laps with 2 out and backs on each lap so you can easily see where your rivals are! My main rival Zoe (who beat me last year by 4 mins) was about 300/400m ahead of me on the first lap. At the same place on the 2nd lap she was about 200m ahead and by the 3rd lap I'd got it down to about 100m then caught her towards the end of the 3rd!
I was so happy to cross the finish line in 1st - it felt so good and the confidence boost I needed after feeling miserable with my previous races.
For the 3rd year in a row I did the Northampton triathlon. Ideal conditions for me - lovely and hot and not much wind! Very different from Bala 2 weeks ago!
I started well with a good swim for me and was 3rd or 4th out of the water. I worked well on the bike but finding it hard at the mo to get my HR up into my Olympic distance HR zone with all the middle distance training but it felt good. My bike felt great though and I'm getting much better at being down on my tri bars now.
Onto the run which was 4 laps with 2 out and backs on each lap so you can easily see where your rivals are! My main rival Zoe (who beat me last year by 4 mins) was about 300/400m ahead of me on the first lap. At the same place on the 2nd lap she was about 200m ahead and by the 3rd lap I'd got it down to about 100m then caught her towards the end of the 3rd!
I was so happy to cross the finish line in 1st - it felt so good and the confidence boost I needed after feeling miserable with my previous races.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Bala Middle
What a disaster!!
I'm really having no luck so far this year!! 2011 was supposed to be a good one as I know I'm fitter than ever but crap things keep happening at races for me!!
Its supposed to be summer but for some reason on Sunday it was around 5 degrees, raining and blowing a gale.
I got in the water with no dithering (quite a step for me). Race got underway and swimming out was good as we had a current with us. Coming back was a different matter though. It was quite choppy and hard to spot the buoys. One minute I was with a group of other swimmers the next I seemed to have no one around me and had gone quite badly off course! Never mind I just looked up for a few strokes and tried my best to head in a straight line towards the finish.
I seemed to be in the water for ages (apparently I've since found out it was a bit long). With about 400m to go my body started to get really cold.
Finally out of the water and ran to T1. Put a bike top and gloves on and headed out on the bike. I was freezing cold but thought once I go up the little hill past town I should warm up.
Got to the hill and I was a shivering wreck. My legs wouldn't work and I felt disorientated. I then got really upset as I couldn't see myself carrying on like this. A group of guys cycling towards me told me they'd dropped out further up and that loads of people were turning back.
I was very lucky as a couple who I'd never met before (Rob and Sue) came to my rescue! They got me in their car with the heaters on got me into some warm clothes. They then very kindly took me back to the race start/finish area and waited while I got myself sorted out. A very big thank you!
I felt really frustrated after Bala as I had high hopes of doing really well in the race. I've since looked at the results and 383 finished the race but a massive 140 dropped out due to the conditions.
I'm really having no luck so far this year!! 2011 was supposed to be a good one as I know I'm fitter than ever but crap things keep happening at races for me!!
Its supposed to be summer but for some reason on Sunday it was around 5 degrees, raining and blowing a gale.
I got in the water with no dithering (quite a step for me). Race got underway and swimming out was good as we had a current with us. Coming back was a different matter though. It was quite choppy and hard to spot the buoys. One minute I was with a group of other swimmers the next I seemed to have no one around me and had gone quite badly off course! Never mind I just looked up for a few strokes and tried my best to head in a straight line towards the finish.
I seemed to be in the water for ages (apparently I've since found out it was a bit long). With about 400m to go my body started to get really cold.
Finally out of the water and ran to T1. Put a bike top and gloves on and headed out on the bike. I was freezing cold but thought once I go up the little hill past town I should warm up.
Got to the hill and I was a shivering wreck. My legs wouldn't work and I felt disorientated. I then got really upset as I couldn't see myself carrying on like this. A group of guys cycling towards me told me they'd dropped out further up and that loads of people were turning back.
I was very lucky as a couple who I'd never met before (Rob and Sue) came to my rescue! They got me in their car with the heaters on got me into some warm clothes. They then very kindly took me back to the race start/finish area and waited while I got myself sorted out. A very big thank you!
I felt really frustrated after Bala as I had high hopes of doing really well in the race. I've since looked at the results and 383 finished the race but a massive 140 dropped out due to the conditions.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Tri Grand Prix Race
Don't really know what was wrong with me at the race on Sunday. Just couldn't seem to keep my pace up on the bike. The course was 2 big laps and 1 smaller lap. Was doing ok on the first lap but then my speed just dropped along with my HR and couldn't seem to make myself go any quicker. Looking back at my Garmin data and my average speed was the same as I get when going for a long,steady bike. Oops!
When I came to the run my heart really wasn't in it and I just seemed to jog round.
All I can think is that somewhere in my subconscious I was a bit scared of bonking like I did so badly in my first middle distance race last year!
When I came to the run my heart really wasn't in it and I just seemed to jog round.
All I can think is that somewhere in my subconscious I was a bit scared of bonking like I did so badly in my first middle distance race last year!
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Manchester 10k
On Sunday I represented the South in the elite race of the Manchester 10k. I did this race last year and was glad to be back again. A really nice race to do, even with the weather being a bit miserable.
A very average run for me but very glad I did it. I have no speed in my legs for 10k at the moment after marathon and middle distance tri training so I didn't have any high hopes of a great time. I finished really feeling like I could keep going at the same pace for a fair amount longer but during the race just had no change of pace. Needed the race and I'm now looking forward to my first triathlon of the season at the weekend!!
A very average run for me but very glad I did it. I have no speed in my legs for 10k at the moment after marathon and middle distance tri training so I didn't have any high hopes of a great time. I finished really feeling like I could keep going at the same pace for a fair amount longer but during the race just had no change of pace. Needed the race and I'm now looking forward to my first triathlon of the season at the weekend!!
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
London Marathon
Well what a pain!
I'm really disappointed with what happened at London but really feel that I only have myself to blame. I ended up dropping out with a twinging muscle at just past the half way mark. Very upset as I really had hopes of doing something special there.
The reason I feel it was my fault is because I got myself into a bit of stress at the start (no change there really). The gun went and I just felt really congested and like I was held up behind loads of people running slower than I wanted to be running. So I started dodging around people and speeding up and slowing down. All this I think lead to me twinging my leg. It started niggling around 5k but I didn't think much of it. By 10k it was quite bad but I was still ignoring it. By about 16k I seriously started to wonder if I was going to last much longer as it was really affecting the way I was running. Then 20k and I knew I couldn't go on and was just looking for somewhere to stop. Eventually I saw St John's Ambulance so decided this was the best place.
All that training and focus on the race and then down to a moment of stupidity its gone! Oh well, you live and learn! In future it doesn't matter if I'm held up at the start of a marathon as being 1 or 2 mins down at 5k is really not the end of the world in a marathon and its probably for the best to start off a bit slower.
I'm really disappointed with what happened at London but really feel that I only have myself to blame. I ended up dropping out with a twinging muscle at just past the half way mark. Very upset as I really had hopes of doing something special there.
The reason I feel it was my fault is because I got myself into a bit of stress at the start (no change there really). The gun went and I just felt really congested and like I was held up behind loads of people running slower than I wanted to be running. So I started dodging around people and speeding up and slowing down. All this I think lead to me twinging my leg. It started niggling around 5k but I didn't think much of it. By 10k it was quite bad but I was still ignoring it. By about 16k I seriously started to wonder if I was going to last much longer as it was really affecting the way I was running. Then 20k and I knew I couldn't go on and was just looking for somewhere to stop. Eventually I saw St John's Ambulance so decided this was the best place.
All that training and focus on the race and then down to a moment of stupidity its gone! Oh well, you live and learn! In future it doesn't matter if I'm held up at the start of a marathon as being 1 or 2 mins down at 5k is really not the end of the world in a marathon and its probably for the best to start off a bit slower.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
