1. Strava

I joined Strava! All of the Team Wiggle athletes are on there, check out the Team Wiggle Strava page.

I have been using it for riding and running and get a kick out of the days where you get an ‘achievement’ which means you either get a new personal best or become the fastest on a particular ‘Strava Segment’. It’s all a bit of fun and I wanted to share with you my favourite run so far. I did this one at lunch time last week and I’m sure you will agree it not your average lunch time run. “Back in an hour, just off to Russia…”  was not what I said as I headed out the door. Not sure I’m going to break those PB’s without the Strava gremlins to help me out!

2. Cycling in Nice

I have written before about my weekend base in Nice and having the opportunity to take advantage of the fabulous cycling that the Maritime Alps have to offer. There are quite a few pro cyclists who base themselves in the area and I was lucky enough to come across Nicholas Roche just before the Tour de France. He was out riding with his Dad, Stephen. We had just climbed the Col de Vence and taking a little break at the top when Nicholas popped up behind us. He was very chatty giving us his views on the Tour and Olympics (his predictions for the Olympics were spot on!) and happy to have his picture taken with me.

If you are heading to Nice and want to hire a bike and go on a local guided ride (tailored to you), give Claire a call at Cycle Cote D’Azur.

3. Racing!

I have had a two races recently, neither terribly successful. I wanted to get in another middle distance race before heading out to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Championships next month so picked the Cow Man which doubles as the British Championships. Unfortunately I was pulled up on the track three days before the race with a sharp shooting pain up the back of my leg so was given strict instructions from Ellis at Tatami Health to pull out of the race if I experienced any pain. I got through the swim and bike without any trouble but 100m into the run had to stop. I have never not finished a race before so it was quite a difficult thing to do but reason overcame pride and I stopped… Subsequent diagnosis has put the problem down to a recurring nerve problem in my back, rather than a torn hamstring. In some respects this is good news as I can continue to train and race whilst treating the problem.

I put it to the test last weekend with the Bedford Classic race, but perhaps didn’t have the best preparation having spent the day before at Olympic Park and only getting 3.5 hours sleep. My swim was very slow for no other reason than I felt fatigued. My High5 gels perked me up and I managed to pick up the pace on the bike and run but couldn’t do any better than 6th in my age group. It was worth not having a great race and going to the Olympics instead!

I do a lot of races and the Cow Man, supported by High5, at Emberton park was one of the best races I have done. Organisation was fantastic and the entry fee great value for what you get and there were nice little touches such as a variety of different fruits and foods at the end and loads of lovely encouraging marshals on the course. Something you would think would be relatively easy to get right but many organisers struggle with is the race briefing. I’m not sure who did the briefing at Cow Man but he was spot on. He was clear, concise and most importantly we could hear him! It had been pouring for rain several days before the race so there was water and mud everywhere. I left after the race with every single belonging having mud on it somewhere with my Zoot running shoes sporting a terrible smell once they dried out. A good tip is to use nappy sanitizer to remove the mud stains and get rid of the smell. Also, don’t forget to put the inner soles back in. It will stop and wondering during the next race why the shoes feel loose and giving you blisters!

Enjoy the Olympics, happy training.

Cx