Just had the most amazing race at the Olympic triathlon trial event in Hyde Park. It was so exciting to be part of the trial for 2012 and to see the Elites battling it out for amazing GB wins on both days. My race was on the Saturday and I got there in plenty of time to see the elite women’s race and stood by the finishing chute as Helen Jenkins stormed to victory. I am pretty cynical and hardened but it was impossible not to be inspired by her performance. In fact I was so inspired that I put in my best performance ever in my own race, slashing 11 minutes off my PB which included 5 minutes off my swim PB and a run time only a few seconds outside my standalone 10k PB. The venue is just perfect for racing and the crowd support was just brilliant. Even better we can all watch it for free in the park next year, no tickets required to watch two stunning events in a fantastic location. Off up to Box Hill on Sunday to watch the cycling test event.
2012, bring it on, I can’t wait.
I was absolutely thrilled to find out that I have made the age group team for the World Duathlon Champs in September. That makes two championship qualifications this year and it’s only March! I am so excited – so much work to do.
It was quite hard going packing in the qualification races for the European and World Champs because they were all so close together. I had to do three key races within three weeks which was quite a new experience for me. I knew it would be hard physically to keep turning out my best performance but I hadn’t realised how hard it would be mentally to be be fully focused for each race and keep the right level of mind set going into each race. There is so much that can go wrong in any race that features a bike, so that always adds an extra element, it is so disheartening to see people at the road side with punctures or mechanical problems, it doesn’t matter how good your first 10k run is if you don’t finish the whole race within the time limit!
The great thing is that I have two chances to do my best and pull on my GBR tri suit – can’t wait to get to the starting line!
There I was all set for my killer session with Nick, feeling good and really up for it. I arrived at Moorgate all ready to hop on a train to Palmers Green only to find there were no trains! Grrrrrr, snarl, gnashing of teeth. So cruelly robbed of my session, I had to improvise and set off along the Thames to Waterloo, trying to visualise having Nick there encouraging me to squeeze out that last extra effort. Apologies to any tourists who happened to get in the way as I splashed through the puddles – but I was a woman on a mission and if I couldn’t get the session with Nick that I wanted I was still going to get the best session I could and if that meant plowing through puddles on the South Bank so be it!
All in all I turned it into a useful session which will hopefully transfer into mental strength I can use in a race when things don’t go to plan. Often I find that anger and frustration can actually be used to good effect by channelling them into a run and using that mental energy for exactly what it is designed to do – running hard and fast! Don’t get mad – get running!
I have been reading and re-reading my email from British Triathlon confirming that I have a place for the age group team at the European Duathlon Championships to be held in Limerick next month. I am so excited to have a chance to race for the GB age group team. Both Duathlon and Triathlon hold championships for age group competitors as well as elites which means that normal people like me have a chance to compete at European and International events within their 5 year age group bands. As I am normally overtaken in the swimming pool by a number of bricks, there is zero chance of me ever making the triathlon team but duathlon which sandwiches cycling between a 10k and a 5k run is much more enjoyable. For a start it doesn’t involve freezing cold water (unless it is raining) or swimming in a weed infested duck toilet!!! Of course as Nick would point out, duathlon is also (generally!) a shark free event too and that has to be a bonus!
I started my race campaign back at the end of last year and it was great to see all those runs in the dark in sub zero temperatures and indoor bike sessions paying off with an age group win at my first qualifying event. On my last run lap I visualised all those times when Nick was encouraging me to do one more rep and stay strong to the end of the session. When they announced that I had won my age group as I crossed the line I was thrilled but I still couldn’t really believe it until I got the email confirming that I had made the team.
Now I need to make sure that I do my best and show that I deserve my place on the team. And of course enjoy the renouned Irish hospitality after the race!
