English
It’s been another busy couple of weeks for me: Not a couple I want to repeat in a hurry though!
Last weekend I had the UK Biathle Champs up at Salford. Biathle is a continuous run-swim-run event run by Modern Pentathlon: its a good lead in to Triathlon as you get to practice the continuous elements, which I think have helped me have such a speedy transition. Transition wasn’t to be my problem on these two weekends though – I was going to have all my problems in the water !
The Salford event was important to me as a good result would mean selection for GB at the World Champs in Monaco in September. Prior to the event I was feeling pretty confident, though my swimming was definitely not on top form I didn’t expect it to be as far off the mark as it appeared when I put it to the test! This time I was at the bottom of my age group, but there were a few new faces and a doubt entered my mind for the first time – was I going to be good enough this year ?
I got off to a good start and was fourth into the water after the first 1 km run in 2:15 pace along the quayside. In the swim things started to change: there was a lot of jostling and I suddenly found myself dropping down the positions as T2 came up. On the second run I gave it everything – I needed to be in the top 6 to qualify: I was holding in there until the last 200 metres when I was just passed: I had nothing to come back with ! I came in 7th – out of contention, drained: At the finish my mates were there for me, but I wasn’t in a happy place. I sat and cried – I felt like I had gone backwards, my Club’s swimming training being wound down after Nationals certainly hadn’t helped my performance in the days leading up to the competition.
None the less after an awkward trip back home we put it behind us and moved on to the next event this weekend – the Brooks South West Aquathlon Champs to be held at the Olympic Sailing Centre on Portland. This was a testing event, with a 700m swim followed by a 5 km run. There were only two heats , and my heat went off with three age groups combined – starting at different points: it was a glorious sunny day and diving off the jetty into the fish filled lagoon of the sailing centre was a super start.
The swim started to drain me but I knew my main competitor , although older and a good swimmer was beatable on the run, so I started to work on that strategy. Perhaps I should have concentrated more on the swim: as I came round the last turn one of the safety kayaks obscured the buoy, and I missed the turn: I’d swum another 30 metres before my dad – hanging off the jetty like a demented gibbon, finally got my attention and I painfully realised I had to turn back: that 60 metres extra was the longest swim of my career – how could I have missed it ? But I still had my race plan – it was looking like a slim chance but I gave it all I had! Transition was tight as the boxes were very close together and that slowed down my wetsuit change: and with effectively three races going on together the run course was pretty chaotic! I hunted down my prey – gaining 30 to 40 seconds on her per lap. But it wasn’t to be enough, I came in second: 30 seconds down !
I’ll take the painful lessons from these two weeks and try not to repeat them: On the plus side, I heard a few days later from the selectors and did get selected for Monaco, and although I came in second on Portland I think that I may have won the Brooks South West series – we’ll have to see…
Next week I’m off to Crystal Palace to see the Modern Pentathlon World Champs and pick up some tips! I will be competing too as I have the National Schools Biathlon (Invitational) which is running alongside: Unfortunately the girl’s race is on the Sunday which stops me doing the Dextro Hyde Park Tri (the boys can do both !)
I made it on to TV in the Triathlon Grand Prix on Channel 4 this weekend and was caught in this clip for local Manchester TV ChannelM My next Tri is the IRC at Bryn Bach in September after a week to recharge ! – Then its back on the bike !