What a whirlwind of a week that was. It brought together over 3,000 athletes, from more than 30 countries, to race in seven races throughout the week. The standard was high and the fields were large, clearly Pontevedra, in NW Spain, was the place to be.

A week later we sit in the Pyrenees recovering and feeling slightly odd as all we have to do is feed ourselves –  and ride our bikes if we want. What has happened to the hustle and bustle, the navigating from x to y within a time limit, checking race routes, checking bus timetables, hugging people, wondering where to find lunch.

We arrived in Pontevedra on the Thursday for our first race on the following Tuesday. For once we were there for the Parade of Nations and the Opening Ceremony which included a performance by Cirque de Soleil and live music. The Parade of Nations was delightfully chaotic, many athletes gather in a square and are eventually marshalled into some kind of order behind country flags then we walk to another square following a local band. This provides a brilliant time to seek out many old friends. There were about 15 people Paddy and I hoped to catch up with ranging from those living in Kendal to New Zealand, it was quite a week of ice cream, beaches and coffee.

Friday saw us ride one lap of the three lap Long Distance Aquabike course which was one big hill with a flat bit full of speed bumps. Saturday saw us venture out of town to the Cross Triathlon course to recce that, giving us two days to recover before racing it on the Tuesday. What a fab course, loved it. The Cross is always a bit unknown and the courses vary widely. This was kind of blue level, untechnical, but super fun to ride, with lots of bumpy descents and loose gravel. Also very pretty through a forest with some nice touches like a skinny stone bridge. Lots of descents means lots of ascents and it had over 1500ft of climb per lap of 9 miles, some of it too steep to ride unless you were elite or about 20 years old. All of us old gits walked on the day.

Before race day we needed to register, support Caroline Holden and various other friends in the Sprint Duathlon in town, do our swim familiarisation for the cross tri, (12km out of town in a lake) carb load, kit sort and amass the biggest load of liquid you’ve seen.

We had to be at race site on Tuesday four hours before we started as they were closing the roads and car parking looked limited. So we needed to pack for maintaining hydration and stabilising body temperature if it was 30 degrees, for hanging around for ages and for racing. All went smoothly with that time scale giving us ample time to check out transitions and the swim start, chat to people and read our books. The weather was blissfully about 24 degrees. Thank goodness.

Swim was 1km, non wetsuit and I had a poor one. Partly as I seem to have forgotten how to sight, but also I hadn’t swum recently after coming off my MTB and bruising my ribs quite badly. Three weeks previously I hadn’t been able to swim a stroke but with the help of physio and tape and painkillers on the day all was possible. Loved the bike, haven’t lost my nerve which was a relief. 2 laps, 3,000ft up, 18 miles. Lost one of my bottles, but had my bladder as well so managed enough fluid. Then on to the run which was 5 miles and another 500ft or so uphill. I had a blinder of a run which was great. Came in after about 3.5hrs in 6^th out of 9, but second Brit so I get to qualify again for next year. Paddy was 14^th , again with a time good enough for next year as he hits the next age group up, the heady heights of 70-74.

Then recover, recover, recover – but juggle that with frantically waving the Tri Club bells for friends in the aquathlon, registering for the aquabike, doing swim familiarisation in the river, carb loading and racking our bikes the day before racing. The temperature was steadily rising and sleeping was a challenge with the windows shut against traffic noise and a fan on all night.

Hit Sunday hot but happy and feeling reasonably good. The swim for this one was 3km in the tidal river in the centre of town and, thank goodness, the influx of sea had held the temperature to wetsuit legal. I’d still be out there if we’d had to swim against the tide without a wetsuit for that distance. Very happy with this swim, sighting was better and I had good fun on the downward leg using the current. Shot through a very long transition and onto the bike. 75 miles and over 4,000ft of climb with the temperature climbing into the mid thirties. Hot, hot, hot. Think of riding up Shap from Kendal three times and that is about it. Far more fluid than I thought I’d use. About four litres I think over 5 hours. I got to enjoy the first big descent before the afternoon wind got up, which made the next two a bit tricky. They were wonderfully unprepared for hot weather on the food stations. They ran out of electrolyte and proper bike bottles by the time I got half way through the second of three laps. Luckily I hadn’t chucked both of my empty bottles and could refill one with water, getting a bonus soaking while I did so to try to hold my temperature down a bit. Held effort down until the last lap then used whatever I had left – which wasn’t much to be fair. Great day out, finishing in 6 hrs and 9/19, again with a time good enough for next year. Paddy was also 9^th with a qualifying time for next year. I have never ever been so glad that I didn’t have to run given the temperatures. I have seen the light, aquabike it is!!

Before we race GB Paddy and I always say ‘it’s so expensive, such a faff, we won’t do it again’ and every time afterwards it’s – ‘ that was SO amazing, when are we going again!’  I think we will have to wait until 2026 but bring on another wonderful experience full of colour, logistics, friends, smiles, excitement and FUN.

First up at the end of August 2023 was the European Middle Distance Championships in Belgium which was my ‘A’ race for the season. Belgium’s claims to fame are being completed flattened in the war and having ‘frites’ as a national dish. They also had one of the best organised Age Group races I have had the privilege of racing, and a very large GB contingent!

However the river looked as attractive as a four year old’s potion. ‘Keep your mouth shut and drink coke afterwards’ were my thoughts. Glad I did as many were sick and water samples taken on the day failed quality tests. But as results take a week to process, it was all a bit late!  It was a pontoon start so I practiced diving the day before. On the day I managed to pull off my first ever dive start and keep my goggles on. I then had an adequate swim and ran into transition, which was the centre of an athletics track where 1200 bikes were racked. Remembered where my bike was and then the least said about the debacle with my shoes the better. Sufficient to say that I need to rethink footwear and that I lost a chunk of time.

Loved the bike though. Just moseying along trying to keep power between 120 and 130 watts as planned. There were some long gradual uphill drags and some fast downhill sections and the two laps seemed to go very fast. For once I didn’t feel alone as an older woman on the course as they set the aquabikers off just after us, nice to have company. It’s the first time my ‘new’ tt bike has really felt solid after lots of experimenting with arm positions,  and some tortuous time trials. I could even read all my figures with a new garmin holder.  I wondered what the run would bring as I strained my Achilles in early May and have only run 2 x easy 30 mins a week for the last three months. Great prep for a half marathon! The plan was go slowly the first 3 miles or so and let the legs come back to me. I tried, and as I hit three miles someone in my age group went past so that was great motivation to speed up at the planned time. Paddy told me I was third at that point. I worked hard to stay on her tail until I managed to go past with about three miles to go and I just tried to keep going . Delighted to come over the line in second, also delighted to manage to fuel properly on the run, not my strong point, and run negative splits. Job done, very happy.  Total time 5:46:00  with a run of 2:01:00 which is around what I manage normally – so maybe this run training stuff is over rated? Or maybe not! Don’t listen to me on that one!

Second and third up Italy, Lake Garda, for the European Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon Championships. We did stop off on Lake Como first for a few days of rest and recovery. Hardly ever been to Italy but these areas are beautiful, a bit like Windermere on steroids – better weather, bigger mountains, bigger lakes.

Lake Garda was HOT!  30 degrees plus which is hot for slogging uphill on a MTB dressed in the sweat bag which is the GB tri suit uniform.  And FRIENDLY as a number of friends were racing which made for a good crack.  The duathlon was first up and with two hours to go the organisers announced that over 60s would do two laps instead of four on the bike course due to extreme heat; that caused a bit of an outcry!  It was quite short anyway with an initial 4 mile run on the flat, unusual for cross, and 28km bike course with four laps and 2,500ft of climb, then a final run of just under two miles.

The bike course was then reduced to nearer 13km for us with 1,500 ft of climb. The course was hard work to ride but not technical, lots of steep uphill. I had a poor first run, no idea why really, then onto the bike where I could see Helen, friend and rival, in front. She is better technically than me and two falls on the same corner (duh) put paid to my chances of catching her.  Any ego I had left was flattened by a younger male shouting ‘out the way Grampa’ as he shot past! He could at least get the sex right!  Survived the last run and ended up 5^th out of 5 with 4.5 mins separating 2^nd to fifth, with racing time just under two hours.  Good fun and I learnt lots.

I had 48 hours to digest my learning and recover enough to repeat the experience. So my rest day involved a little swim, a little bike, lots of ice cream and a bit of replanning.

Then I lined up again to compete in the European Cross Triathlon Championships. This was a really interesting race for me as reflecting on the duathlon meant I made quite a number of changes. It was the same course as the duathlon with a swim in Lake Garda to start with.  An on shore wind and strong sunlight made the first leg of the swim challenging, like being in the sea without the salt. The oldies won out here though as we were the only ones allowed optional wetsuits, we all chose to wear them. I realised that Angela, the German in my age group, was drafting on my feet. Came out for the Aussie exit with her on my heels, dived back in again and my goggles came off. Couldn’t see so I stopped to put them on, Angela went past and I then jumped on her feet and drafted her for the second lap. We laughed about that afterwards. 

Didn’t bother with MTB shoes this time, went straight for running shoes, and left the bladder behind. This also meant I had to re-think my repair kit options as I was carrying it in my bladder rucsack.  I just took water bottles on the bike as the course was shortened for us wrinklies again, so I needed less fluid. I arrived at the three flights of stairs along with two others and with Angela in my sights. A flying dismount took me infront of the other two and I set off up the steps waaaay too fast, causing a huge HR spike which meant the whole of the first lap was hell. There was about 15 mins of uphill riding after the steps so I never really recovered. Come the second lap I realised I needed to fuel alot more for the run and that the hills where I’d planned to fuel where too steep to take my hands off so I did a bit of recalculating.  Ingested 60g carb in the half hour before the start, then 140g in 1.5hrs of riding and 20g on the run. So a total of 220g, about right. Despite putting more air in my tyres to go faster on the tarmac I managed to stay on this time on the technical sections and eventually came barrelling into transition. Last effort, four mile flat run. Like a park run instead of the usual uphill challenge – thank goodness by then! Eased into it and hoped my legs would come back to me, gradually they did sufficiently to pick up the pace a little. Not anywhere near enough to catch Angela but good enough to hold on for my second silver of the holiday.

A great ten days in Italy, friends, ice cream, sunshine, beautiful scenery and some taxing racing where I learnt a lot.

Britain is going to seem a little dull after this and it’s over and out on racing for this season. Time to reflect and recover.

My head said this recently and I’m now working on it! How? What can you do when a challenge seems really big, maybe too big?  Time to find some strategies. But if you don’t go for challenges that are new and possibly unattainable are you really pushing your boundaries and discovering yourself?

Firstly what is the issue –

I managed five qualifications out of seven races for the European Multisport Championships in Bilbao in September 2022. Interesting and, yes, I am proud to have achieved that.  I’m at the top end of my 55-59 age group so podiums are unlikely. If anyone finishes four Championship events in the week they are awarded a special medal and ‘Legend’ status. So the aim is Legend status. Time to ring the changes, expand my comfort zones and hopefully have some fun.

That was fine until I had a brush with Covid at the end of March followed by a patchy recovery at best and some races where I got results but went very deep. A mid season two week break gave me time to look at the Bilbao events. And my head went ‘HOLY ****!’.

Out of all the Championships to choose this has an enormous amount of climb across my races with even the Standard distance duathlon sporting 15km of climb out of 40km, with a max gradient of 14% and a total of 700m of ascent.  Similar to the Shap/Orton route for anyone who lives in South Lakes. And as for the cross events – duathlon and triathlon on mountain bikes, lets not go there.

Ok, let’s calm down.

Continue reading “When your head says ‘Holy S***!’” →

This race was ethereal. There one minute and not the next, appearing through the swirling mists of Covid travel restrictions and then disappearing again. Would we, could we? Three weeks before race date I went to Scotland for a middle distance race in the belief it wasn’t going to happen.  Then, suddenly, the mists cleared and WE WERE IN! Well done the powers that be.  Well done Verity, admin at British tri, who worked her socks off to get us the right paperwork. Holland didn’t want us as the UK has high levels of the Delta variant, we are a Red country to them.  Quarantine works as a deterrent. Look at how empty that plane is – lots of space to get the legs up!  Our email says – reason for exemption from quarantine is ‘top level sport’…. that’s a first. I was SO excited.

The first aim for any race, especially long distance, is getting to the start in a condition to race, no mean feat this time. Training for an ironman distance is a big commitment when you are sure it’s going ahead, training for one you think will disappear is considerably harder and many didn’t make it, choosing to drop out of registration earlier on. I felt very privileged to have the opportunity. Continue reading “Almere, Netherlands, World Long Distance Triathlon Championships Sept 2021” →

Aberfeldy middle distance triathlon, Perthshire, Scotland. 1.9km swim, 56 miles on the bike and a 13 mile run.

Two very damp nights wild camping, one very good curry, a purple and red pub, no vegetables, one banana, empty supermarket shelves, four ticks to bring home. Scotland in all its glory. Beautiful ….but

This race was maybe more of an adventure than a race. I entered late, looked at the B&B prices and decided to camp. Also decided I didn’t need a campsite. Arrived in the rain and ate a very good curry in a leaking bus shelter to avoid crowded spaces. This took me back in time. Comfortable – yes, I was dry and warm and fed. Don’t need much more than that.

I found a quiet forestry car park and had two beautiful red deer as neighbours for a while. Luxury of a different type perhaps. I had bothered to check I had tent pegs but hadn’t checked all the poles – so getting in through a collapsed porch was an extra challenge. Our tent has seen better days which meant my feet received a bath from soft Scottish rain water. Continue reading “A wet and happy race” →

When all the puzzle pieces fall together.  Race report for Cotswolds 113, June 6 2021

I have just completed the Costwolds 113 Middle distance triathlon race and LOVED it. It’s very  rare that all the bits of the jigsaw fall into place and when they do it just feels amazing. This was that race.

Things had been good through training with a Covid spin off being the lack of coughs and colds around the place. Taper was relaxed, if slightly short in my eyes, at five days. For once I focused on the last few sessions and did them properly. I am always tempted to skimp these. It’s as if all the hard work is done and what difference will an extra 20 minute spin do? Lists, list and more lists with race plans, kit lists and morning routine all written out numerous times. And I knew the course, having raced it last year. A huge bonus was that my daughter was racing as well.

Continue reading “A Good Day Out in the Cotswolds” →

If anyone thinks racing is just about swim, bike and run think again –

The first race of my season was the Yorkshire Duathlon and I pulled my calf muscle 7 weeks before. It was only a little pull and muscles take between 4 and 6 weeks to heal so I should have been fine. Physio, exercises, stretching, blah, blah. But six weeks later, with virtually no running, it still hurt.

I suspected my Chimp, but he’s quite hard to corner.

Everyone has a Chimp, it’s the part of us which is irrational, quick, often aggressive or defensive and stops us doing what our rational human brain would like. It’s primary job is to protect us from harm. My rational human brain wanted to run, my Chimp didn’t. My Chimp is male, he is also quite cunning. So it wasn’t until a physio stuck his thumbs in my calf, five days before the race, and declared it psychosomatic pain that I could nail the Chimp. (for lots more on this read The Chimp Paradox, Dr Steven Peters)

The key to this race seemed to be for me to get to grips with my Chimp. OK, so what is the issue here I ask him. Are you scared we have forgotten how to race? Don’t want to get beaten? Worried about times? The answer was that he didn’t want me to get hurt again before racing. He was saving my leg for the race. Here followed some dialogue about how bad a training strategy that was, and all the reasons why my leg had healed.  I wrote him a very polite letter.

‘Dear Chimp

Thank you for trying to protect me. I understand that wish and I am grateful for your care. I have sought help and my leg is fine. I have done the exercises. I should be able to do 20 calf raises off the stair and I can do nearly 20×3 so my leg is strong. I have stretched the neural pathways. They are the same as the other leg. I have wrapped it up with calf sleeves and compression socks. I have used a foam roller on my legs nightly. I have been back to physio. That calf is FINE. There is absolutely NO damage. I am ready to run.

I think you try to protect me so that I can race, which is lovely – BUT when you do that I race slowly because you haven’t given me space to practice. You could support me even better if you let me practice – then we could do better together. Thank you Chimp – we will race will on Sunday.

Love the rest of me.’

In the following few days we managed to run distances of up to three miles, with my form gradually getting better. 

I’m very visual so my Chimp this time is about the size of a Labrador when he is sitting down, he has a long tail moving from side to side, huge brown eyes and very soft deep chocolate coloured fur. He loves mango and I can clearly see him chewing the flesh off the stone. He remains calm and eating mango all week.

We get to race day and the sun shines. I feel good. We run, we bike and we run again. That’s what a standard duathlon involves – 6 miles running, 24 miles biking and 3 miles running. In the first run I have a completely clear image of my Chimp and I waltzing round a room singing ‘We’ve done it, we’ve done it, we can run’. Which was a kind of nice celebration, if a little strange.

• 

• 

• 

Despite not running for six weeks we held even splits across both runs of about 8.45 min a  mile and came in 4^th giving a qualifying performance for the European Championships next year. Not a bad start to the season really.

Great day out, really well organised and masses of lovely marshals. The sun shone and people smiled.

The Chimp Paradox Dr Stephen Peters

It’s all in your Head – Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan

https://youtu.be/gwd-wLdIHjs  and https://www.painrevolution.org/ Lorimer Moseley, Australian pain specialist

Humm, why was I racing a middle distance race on the flatlands of the Cotswolds when my friends were doing a perfectly good standard race in Windermere? Precisely because it is flat and the Lake District isn’t. I entered when the date was in June and it was a preparation race for a flat Ironman in July. The best laid plans, ah well, me and the rest of the world. I realise I am very lucky to get any racing at all; it’s definitely a luxury in today’s world.   

I’m not sure I thought about luxury as I racked. In fact that early in the morning I’m pretty sure I didn’t think anything at all. Paddy’s marshal briefing was at 4.45am so I was the first person into transition which, luckily, had great lights. Something missing off my kit list was a head torch.

It was odd swimming in a small, shallow, WARM pond surrounded by trees. I hadn’t realised how much I look at, and appreciate, the amazing views of space and mountains when I swim at home. Weird watching weed the whole way round, I do like the patterns it makes. The staggered start (Covid safe) and the shallow warm water worked well and I came in in 36:05 which is my fastest time ever in a middle distance apart from river swims with currents. I thought that was really interesting as I haven’t done any focused swim training, or intervals, or fast work. I have purely swum around in the Lakes stopping to look at the view. How does that work then?

It was odd having neutralized transitions. 10 minutes in T1 and 5 minutes in T2. Although having decided to use the loo in T2 I still managed to be late leaving it and ended up with an eleven second penalty. I’ll revert to my normal, less pleasant, practice next time.

It was also odd, and not in such a good way, riding Paddy’s tt bike. For various reasons I have probably only ridden it a handful of times and never for long. My mistake. The bike leg went ok, covering 56 miles in 2:57, averaging approx 18.6 mph and putting out approx 150 watts. Handling could have been better, lack of practice, and the bits into a strong headwind were hard work. I’d love to say the views were good but I had my head down…. The marshals however were fantastic. Hoards of six on every junction, some stopping traffic, illegal or not, others just shouting support.

Then I tried to run….even odder …. my body is not used to being held in a cramped, tucked position for three hours and it complained by refusing to stand up properly and then refusing to pick my feet up properly. So the run was a fairly painful affair – serve me right – but the route was lovely. Three laps and my head was up enough to appreciate a very pretty run route, mostly off road, along ponds, (I guess they are little Lakes really) and through woodland. Lots of tree roots to fall over. The trend in amazing marshals continued and having our names printed on our numbers meant a lot of the support was personalised. A great help. A slow 2:07.

Followed by a slow two days as my hamstrings gradually loosened off.  This is a great, flat, middle distance race. Very well organised with the best marshalling ever. There are two dates for next year coming on line. The early one would be an ideal race for Lakesman entrants and the local Premier Inn has comfy beds and a pub next door. … Club trip?  

Ps apologies for the very poor photos, we were both too busy.

I was inspired by a blog written by a team of 13 year old girls who completed ‘the Strathpuffer’ last year. This is a 24 hr mountain bike race in a forest in the North of Scotland, held in January. My rationale was that if they could do it so can women who are over 50.  It will be fun, something different and a bit of a challenge. That was July, in the hottest summer for years.

January 2019 and I have a team of women, and a fear monkey. This is supposed to be a little bit of fun but my head as gone into overdrive and is hiding in a black hole somewhere. It quite often does this before races. Eating gets harder, my head is convinced I’m ill, it’s normally lying. It’s trying to protect me from myself. After a week of this I decided this is ridiculous and we sit down and have a big talk with each other.

What is the issue? There are several – as someone very close to me pointed out I am a lousy mountain biker, I hate being cold and get cold very easily and I can’t function without sleep. Ideal! And all of those mean I might let the team down and that isn’t OK, So how do I get out of this hole? Find the evidence to convince myself these problems aren’t problems….

Continue reading “Manage my Fear, Strathpuffer 24 hour relay MTB race, Jan 2019” →