In the footsteps of champions

I've just come back from an incredible weekend at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in London, where I was treated to a five-star lifestyle without breaking my budget of pennies, courtesy of Dextro Energy and my friend Mo.

I took my bike down on the train, which was an experience in itself, and emerged from King's Cross station to brave the crazy London traffic on two wheels. I made it to Hyde Park just in time to catch the end of the women's elite race. I've never seen a championship event like this up close before and knowing that the same course will be used for the 2012 Olympics made it all the more exhilirating.

I stuck around to watch the start of the men's race - the swim was amazing, they just zipped through the water like they were jet-powered - but witnessing a couple of crashes on the bike section started to give me the heebie-jeebies for the next day so I headed off to investigate the hotel.

Dextro Energy looked after me (and the 50 other competition winners from around Europe) very well. We were put up in a beautiful hotel in the heart of Mayfair, treated to a 3 course dinner and given a fetching red and black tri suit to make sure we looked the part. Before dinner, there was just enough time to sneak in another weekend treat - a lavish afternoon tea courtesy of my friend, who was reviewing it for the magazine she works for. Amazing! I'm sure there must be a scientific study somewhere that says that vanilla cupcakes and rose champagne are perfect pre-race fuel. No? Oh well, I was only there for the fun of it so wouldn't be taking my nutrition strategy too seriously.

Sunday morning was an early start - 7.30am breakfast (more sensible - berries, cereal and yoghurt, mmm) then a short cycle to the start area to prepare. After a group photo we were left to rack our bikes and get ourselves ready for our 10am start wave. This gave me just enough time to freak myself out watching some of the earlier waves take to the murky waters of the Serpentine. The water was a tropical 21 degrees C so I'd taken the brave / stupid decision to forego the optional wetsuit. It was my first open water event and I had visions of writing around on the ground beside my bike trying to break free. Better to put up with the cold and save myself a few minutes. I'd need it - as I've said before, swimming is not my strong point. Neither is cycling or running, come to think of it.

Before long, we were ushered along the plank / pontoon and plunged into the lake. We had to swim a couple of minutes to get to the start point and that's where I really started to panic. It was so strange to look through my goggles and see nothing but brown water. I tried closing my eyes but couldn't get it out of my head that my face was submerged in bird poo, feathers and pond weed. Get it together, I told myself. Breathe slowly. We had a few minutes to gather our thoughts before the horn sounded and this was just long enough for me to convince myself that I did want to do this.

Fortunately the dark water was soon lifted by bubbles from the feet in front of me. Slow and steady, I made my way round the 750m course. I still can't swim front crawl so was surprised to find I wasn't last out of the water.

I thought I'd make up some time on the bike but it wasn't to be. My legs are usually pretty strong but the water had left me feeling queasy and it took a while for me to feel like pushing it. It was a really flat course with some tight corners and, strange as it may sound, I think I'm better on hills. There was quite a high proportion of serious-looking competitors, sporting time-trial helmets, tri bars, disc wheels or, at the very least, a proper racing bike, so I didn't feel too bad on my little hybrid.

My one brick session last week must have paid off - I finally made it onto the run section without experiencing jelly-legs. Again, the course was flat and easy - a simple two loops on a section of paths. I felt like I was pushing it but going fairly slow, so I was surpised to see my final time as only 24 minutes for the 5k. Encouraged by someone on my tail in the last minute, I even managed a sprint finish. That's not like me at all - usually I've got nothing left in the tank at the end and hobble along the last few minutes looking like I might need a paramedic!

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole event. My time won't be setting the record books on fire but it was much better than I expected (1 hour 36 minutes - I thought I'd be getting picked up by the stragglers bus). With a bit of training, I might even break out of the bottom half of the results table.

Be careful what you wish for!

A few weeks back I went into a competition-entering frenzy. It started with an offer on the front of Runner's World to win a brand new car. A quick bit of mental arithmetic and I figured my chances had to be pretty high. Not that many people read UK Runner's World and, of those that do, how many actually enter the competitions? It didn't end there... what else could I enter? I came across a few holiday competitions and then one in the SportSister newsletter for a place in the Dextro Energy Triathlon. I entered them all then thought nothing more of it. Until last Monday...

I was a bit taken aback when an email arrived in my inbox say that I'd won the triathlon competition. Amazing - I never win anything! But, hang on a minute, it's a place in a TRIATHLON. In 2 weeks. I'm struggling enough with my marathon and half-marathon training and haven't actually been in a pool since the last triathlon at the beginning of May. I'd planned to just run and do the odd gym session or bike ride through the summer, before launching into a swimming programme over the winter. Oops.

I briefly considered saying 'thanks, but no thanks' before it occurred to me that the prize included:

• Travel costs to London
• A night in a 5 star hotel, with dinner and breakfast
• An undoubtedly very fetching 'high end competition outfit'

Two of my best friends live in London and I can never afford to visit them so that was enough to persuade me that it would be worth the pain.

Let's just hope I'm not last this time...

Lost in transition

The past two weeks I've done virtually no exercise, except for taking part in another triathlon last Sunday. This one was a novice but I found it hard! I'm back to finishing in the bottom third, which could be for one of two reasons:

• inadequate training - given that I have no natural athletic ability at all, when my training isn't intense and specific I really struggle to make improvements 
• over-training - I worked really hard for the 10k and might have burned myself out a little bit - added to this I'm mentally drained from starting my new job, so maybe I just needed a rest.
  

Either way, I decided it would be a good idea to take a wee break and let my body and mind recover before I throw myself into marathon preparation.

I really enjoyed taking part in the triathlon. The first section was a 250m swim in the pool, which went much better than the one in March.  The difference here was that everyone was sent off at 15 second intervals, based on their predicted time, and we had to swim up and down the lanes in a snake-like formation. This meant that if you'd predicted your time wrong, you'd end up in a traffic jam.  I managed to overtake one person but found the whole 'tapping on the feet' thing very confusing so just slowed down and stayed behind the person in front for the last couple of lanes.  From here, we went straight out to the bikes.

I have a habit of taking ages to get ready. I don't wear loads of make up or blow dry my hair but I tend to faff and I like to be dry and comfy.  As a result, my first transition took over 3 minutes!  Heaps of people were overtaking me to head out onto the bike course, so I panicked and went for it without having a proper drink.

The bike section was good - just under 10k on undulating roads and the weather was lovely. I pushed as hard as I could but didn't make any significant progress. The run was the same but only 4k - I hadn't done any 'brick' sessions this time so my legs really did feel like jelly at the start, but I got round in 22 mins, even though by the time I finished my shins were starting to cramp.

My worst mistakes this time were not doing any swim or 'brick' training and hardly spending any time training on the bike, not practicing the swim transition, and not drinking enough.  Hmm, that's quite a few mistakes.  Why didn't I pay any attention to the idiots guides in Triathletes World. Ah well, I'll hopefully remember for next time.

The whole thing took me 55 minutes (87th overall out of 125; 16th female).  After a proper drink and some food I got my energy back, so I decided to go mountain biking in the afternoon.  My legs could only manage about an hour but I had to make the most of the nice weather.  After that, I was so shattered that I needed to take a few days off training.

This week I've concentrated on work stuff in the evenings but I wonder if my tiredness is as much mental, from the stress of changing jobs, than physical.  I know that exercise normally helps me to gather my thoughts and work through any worries.  Now I still feel tired, even though I've had a rest, so I'm off for a run to see if that sorts me out.

All about the money

This week's training went well. My legs felt okay on Monday but I took a rest day anyway. Tuesday was a bit of a rubbish day at work and I was tempted just to have a bath and shop online for new running shoes to cheer me up. I realised last week that my weather beaten shoes definitely need to be replaced but I put them on anyway and decided to do what I could. Once I got out on the road, I felt much better and ended up doing my planned 4 miles after all.

I'm focusing mainly on running for the next few weeks but treated myself to a trial subscription to Triathlete's World to start planning for later in the year. I've realised that triathlon can be a very expensive hobby. It's so easy to get sucked into buying the latest 'must have' gadget. I've been there and have the Garmin Forerunner to prove it. Don't get me wrong, many of these products are fantastic but they don't get you fit... you do!

It can also be tempting to pin your hopes on a flashy new bike, so I was delighted that my second hand Rocky Mountain attracted a few admiring glances and 'nice bike' comments last weekend.

One thing that you can't economise on, however, is race fees. This week, a group of work colleagues agreed to enter the Great Edinburgh Run. £26.00 for the priviledge of running 10k and only a too-big t-shirt to show for it! So far, my races are adding up to be almost as expensive as my old private gym membership. I'm living without fad diets and fitness crazes but my bank account isn't feeling the benefit. I've got 3 more races coming up between now and May but really want to enter a couple more triathlons too. At this rate, I'd better choose them wisely.

First triathlon - in the snow

Yay! I've completed my first triathlon and I wasn't last!

At least I've been better at training than I have been at writing on this blog. It looks like it's just going to be a weekly thing, until I get a new job anyway. I love writing but usually it's the last thing on my mind when I get home after a day at my computer.

Last week's training
I stuck religiously to my programme with just a few minor blips. I couldn't convince my hubby to go mountain biking last weekend so we went road biking instead, which resulted in me having a hissy fit and going home early. On Thursday, my training buddy cancelled on me so I did another session on the indoor bike trainer by myself. On Friday, I went for drinks after work. On Saturday, I suffered the consequences of 2 for 1 red wine and could barely manage to walk the dog without keeling over.

The wee triathlon
On Sunday morning, bright as a button and fully recovered from Friday's excesses, I tucked into the breakfast of champions - porridge with yoghurt, raisins and seeds, washed down with copious amounts of apple juice and coffee. Perhaps just a tad too much coffee - before long the excitement and nerves really kicked in and I'm sure the extra caffeine didn't help.

The Wee Triathlon is the first event of the season from No Fuss Events, whose main focus seems to be gruelling and epic mountain bike races. I'd travelled to the event with 3 fellow triathlon 'newbies' and over breakfast we fretted over exactly what a 'technical descent' might be. More on that shortly.

The swim
The event began with a series of 400m swim heats in the pool. I had no idea what to say whan I was asked to estimate my swim time. The last time I'd donned a bathing suit was on holiday in December, and that was to go snorkelling. "Hmm, the slowest?" I predicted. After much deliberating, I settled on 13 minutes, and was put in the slowest heat.

Looking quite the part in my swimming cap and goggles, I got into my allocated lane. On the shout of "Go!" I felt the adrenaline surge and pushed off with all my might. I can't really remember the first length but recall gasping for breath about halfway through the second and swallowing a gulp of water. By the end of the second length, I was experiencing what I can only describe as a minor panic attack. I think the excitement must have caused me to over-breathe really badly. I actually had to stop after the fourth length to regulate my breathing and went on to finish the last 12 lengths with my head out of the water, swimming breaststroke in the style of a drowning hippo. How I wish I'd done some swimming training.

Miraculously, I wasn't the slowest person out of the pool and finished with a time of 10 minutes and 32 seconds.

The bike
As I watched the faster heats from the warmth and comfort of the poolside, I looked out the window to see the snow blizzard getting steadily worse. By the time we got outside, it had turned into an eye-watering sleety hail.

As a result of my rubbish swim time, I had to wait 5 minutes at the start line before I could head off on the bike. By then, my two pairs of gloves were soaked through. I'd learnt my lesson in the pool and decided to set off at a comfortable pace. The first section was on road and we were splashed by more than a few cars. By the time I reached the trail I was completely drenched. I managed to overtake a few people (the turbo trainer sessions had paid off) and was doing really well until I reached the downhill section. It was really steep, with a mesh of tree roots, wooden steps and rocks, all mashed up into a muddy mess. I fell a couple of times and my chain came off so I decided the best strategy was to pick up my bike and run for it. I am not a technical mountain biker at all. I did get back on just in time to smile for the photographer though. I had to save face after the swimming spectacle!

After that, it was back down the road at a pace. I got up into my biggest gear and powered along as fast as I could. Just as I thought I was reaching the end, we were diverted back up a narrower, steeper trail. "Nooooo" cried my legs, but I dug deep and made it to the top. The faster, flowier (is that a word?) descent was much more fun and I felt totally elated as I flew into the transition, taking just over an hour for the 10 miles.

The run
All that was left was a relatively quick 3 mile blast. Again it was half on road and half on trail, but it wasn't quite as hilly as the bike section. Initially, despite being unable to feel my feet, I felt fine and focused on plodding along at a comfortable pace. After about 10 minutes though the pain really kicked in. My lower legs were bright red after being blasted by the icy cold water and my feet were truly sodden. I had visions of ending the day with frostbite, or even trench foot. A searing pain was rushing through the muscles in front of my shins, even though I've never experienced shin splints in the past. I stopped to stretch and walk a couple of times and eventually the pain subsided. After 38 minutes I reached the finish line!

Although it was a huge challenge, I absolutely loved it! I was expecting to be one of the last finishers but as it turned out I was faster than most of the other girls. I'll definitely be entering some more triathlons this year and I loved the off-road format. In the meantime, I'll definitely think about going for a few swimming lessons.

Rocky style

I got my heart rate monitor back yesterday - it ran out of batteries about 6 months ago and I only just got round to getting it fixed. I had forgotten what a great motivator it is. I can tell if I'm slacking (or working too hard) because it beeps furiously at me and I can set a calorie-burning goal to work towards. But by the time it arrived, I'd already done my David Kirsch Ultimate Bootcamp DVD, which I LOVE, and been for a 3 mile run with the dog. I put it back in it's box and started planning this morning's training...Rocky style!

After a 15 minute yoga blast I fuelled up with some peanut butter on toast and gave it an hour to settle. I got the bike trainer set up and put on a race simulation DVD from CTS - it's like having a private spin class in your own living room, but even more challenging. I was just looking at their website now and see that they also do audio downloads for interval running, so I'll have to try some of those soon. After an hour on the bike, I practiced my triathlon 'transistion', which was laughable, and went straight out for a run. My legs were jelly for the first 10 minutes but I got into my stride and really enjoyed it. The best bit was getting home to see from my watch that I'd burned over 800 calories. Rocky would be proud.

Of course, this warranted a proper refuel, so I made my favourite recovery shake:

• 1 small banana
• 1 scoop protein powder
  
• 1 handful frozen berries
• Milk

Yum!

1,2,3...GO!

I'm not feeling particularly motivated today and I haven't done any exercise. Actually, I'm sitting in the warmth with a scarf and fluffy slippers on, drinking a glass of red wine. The weather is supposed to be awful this weekend but I'm definitely going to power through it. Only a few weeks to go 'til my first race of the year! This is what I've entered so far:

1. A triathlon. My first. In March. Am I insane?
2. An adventure run. In March. In the dark. Definitely!
3. A half marathon in April. A jog in the park in comparison.

I've constructed a very vague training plan, based around a few I downloaded from the excellent Runner's World Smart Coach, but I'm not going to take it too seriously. I've had too many injuries in the past and know to take it easy until my fitness is better. I'll just do these for fun and see how I go.

I started with a first training run with my team-mate for race number 2 last night. We jogged, we chatted and we tried not to slip on the ice. It took us about 40 minutes and was apparently only 3.67 miles. I refuelled with a skinny hot chocolate on my way home. The perfect mix of protein and carbohydrate!