Reflecting on 2017 and goals for 2018...

So the last day of 2017 and what a year it has been. This week I have taken some time to reflect on my first season and plan 2018. I am really hard on myself after races, mainly due to the fact I still don't feel I have had a race where I have reached my potential, so this is my big driving force for next year.

This year has gone better than I could ever have imagined, my best moments:
1. 6th at Mallorca Olympic, with a time of 2.11 (the race I feel I have come closest to racing at my best)
2. 3rd at Windsor Olympic in the Race with the Stars wave; 5 weeks post elbow fracture
3. First overall at Marlow half distance - my first win
4. Winning my AG at Lanzarote 70.3 and qualifying for the World Championships in South Africa

So my goals for 2018:
1. Winning my AG in every race
2. A  half marathon pb
3. By the end of the year being ready to step up to Ironman distance

Finally my race plan (with a few sprint, olympic and half marathons thrown in for good measure):
1. Portocolom 111(April)
2. Barcelona 70.3 (May)
3. Staffordshire 70.3 (June)
4. British Middle Distance Champs at Hever Castle (July)
5 World 70.3 Championship (September)
6. Weymouth 70.3 (September)
7. European Middle Distance Championships (October)

I am also looking forward to another year with Emma Pallant and Team Dillon Coaching, I owe so much to Emma for helping me get to the level where I am able to compete in every race and also enjoy training so much.

Thanks to my fab team, helping me live my dream.. my training partners who make those 150k long cycles so fun, Sportful, Sundried, Energy Snacks, Pulse Physical Therapy and my new sponsor; Intelligent Facilities Solutions, your support is amazing!

So 3 months of hard winter training before heading out to Mallorca for the Easter holidays!

Happy New Year everyone!

The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell.

When I fell off my bike in May and fractured my elbow, I thought my season was over. The two GB Age Group races I had qualified for I was unable to compete in, and so my priority was to come back stronger for Lanzarote 70.3 in September. This was always my big race towards the back end of the season but it became more of a priority and my training became more focused for that race.  In my head the goal was to qualify for the World 70.3 Championships in South Africa the following year. However, realistically in my first triathlon season I knew this might be a big ask. The wind and humidity of Lanzarote was always going to make it tough and being a baby to the sport, with only one 70.3 behind me, maybe 2019 was a more realistic target. Head down train hard and see what happens. If you can convince your mind, stay strong and focused, you're half way there. To ensure I left no stone unturned, I headed out to Club La Santa for two weeks the beginning of August for some focused training with no distractions, which gave me the chance to Reece the bike course (of which they changed a week before the race!) and become acclimatised to the lovely hills and cross winds!

I then headed back out the week before the race (being a teacher the timing of this race worked perfectly) and stayed away from La Santa, so I could stay relaxed and focused. My friend aka chief hair braider; Annaleece, came with me for moral support. Little did she know she was in charge of bike and run splits (no pressure!!). I am a super relaxed and a laid-back person, not a lot really phases me, however pre race week, I was feeling sick with nerves and couldn't really stomach much food. I wanted to qualify so badly that this was taking over my thoughts all week leading up to the race (not ideal when tapering!). Regardless of the outcome of this race, I knew I had had a great first season, better than I could have ever expected but this somehow didn't seem to help the pre race nerves.

Race day.. 2nd female age grouper out the water; 28.15, a great start (coming from a swimming background it always helps me psychologically being out near the front of the swim pack), on to the bike and the first 30k out to the turn around point I felt good, the last 60k however was painful. I'd mucked about with my position too much on the TT and I was in all sorts of pain, I could barely stay in the bars for more than a few minutes. Those 60k were purely get the head down and push through it (think of the goal!). Being a rookie, I didn't fuel well either and I could sense the run was going to be a painful slog. It was a long 2 hours 59 minutes! In to T2 and Annaleece told me I was first in from my age group and I had 14 minutes on 2nd place. The run was 3 laps, I didn't feel too bad for the first lap, however, the poor fuelling on the bike had left me with nothing more in the tank. The run was a long mental battle. Annaleece kept me updated with how far back 2nd place was and in the end I had 18 minutes to spare. A 1.53 run was not at all a true reflection of how well I had been training. However, 1st in my age group, 15th overall on a really tough course and qualification for the World 70.3 Championships!! I had nailed the goal! I was super happy with the outcome but slightly deflated that my bike and run wasn't a true reflection of where I was. Maybe I was being too hard on myself. I have this tendency to sometimes expect too much to soon. Writing this race report two months later has given me a bit of time to reflect on what I have achieved so early on in my short-lived triathlon career. It is amazing how much you learn in training and in every race. Triathlon is such a tough sport but the body is capable of so much with the right headspace and mindset. 

Next up is Bahrain 70.3 in November, with the main goal to nail my race day nutrition... and then see what I am capable of :)

A few shout outs;
-Team Dillon and Emma Pallant for continuing to push the boundaries, I am so grateful to have stayed injury free this season and not felt like I have been overtrained at any point. This is something that I am truly grateful for after spending the previous few years dealing with stress fracture after stress fracture.
- Neil Mason (Pulse Sports Therapy) for always being there at the end of the phone, especially after fracturing my elbow. In 2007 I was told I would never run again and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in this position now.
-Friends and family for their continued support - missing birthdays, nights out, social events and being there at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to come and watch me race!
-Sundried for your support and to Intelligent Facilities Solutions my new sponsor for 2018!!

My quote for the year; "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." (Walt Disney)

Your setback is the platform for your comeback!

The triathlon season started well; 2nd overall at Woking Sprint, 7th at Portocolom 111 and 6th at Mallorca Olympic. More importantly I was feeling mentally and physically strong and the winter training was starting to pay off. Then boom, front wheel skids while turning a corner on a recovery ride in Mallorca and I fly home with a fractured elbow. Excellent! After a visit to Kingston hospital, a cast on a suspected wrist fracture and a ditched sling on the way out of the hospital; it was 4-6 weeks out of action, or so the doctor said!

So for the next two weeks the watt bike and treadmill became my best friend. I was determined to get back as quickly as possible; so I ate as clean as possible, drunk at least 4 litres of water a day, researched the best supplements to aid recovery and kept focused on the races ahead. In the grand scheme I knew the injury could have been a lot worse but nethertheless it did make me realise how much I loved training and racing and that you can't always take this for granted. I was even more focused to come back fitter and stronger than before. It also gave me a chance to improve my cycling and running. Swimming has always been my strongest discipline, so it was defineitly a blessing that my arm was injured and not my legs!

Two weeks post fracture I was back riding outside, however only in the bars, I still couldn't put any weight through the arm. Even opening the door was a problem! I then tried a swim to see if I was able to race the European Aquathlon in Bratislava; I managed 4 lengths. No aquathlon!
Four weeks post fracture; National Sprint Champs at Thorpe Park. I knew this was touch and go but I  took the risk and finished with a bronze medal. Looking back now, I am amazed I was even able to race that weekend. Pure stubbornness!!

Windsor Triathlon was up next. My first elite race and with a few swims under my belt, it felt like my swimming endurance was starting to return. I was finally pain free and feeling stronger. A good steady swim, a faster bike and a poor hot run, I couldn't believe I had finished 3rd; behind Louise and Emma. A TDC podium! All those 6am swim sessions were seeming worthwhile! I also loved having my family and friends there to support as well. (Mum and Dad you are legends!!)

I then decided to enter Marlow Half Iron distance on a last minute whim, just a week after Windsor. A double taper week was probably just what my body needed. Every 5th week in a hard block I seem to have mini meltdowns, so I was quite glad of an easier couple of weeks. Luckily I have a great coach who keeps me sane! Mentally I was feeling good and confidence was high after the previous weekend. 1st out the swim, 1st off the bike and although my running legs were struggling, I managed to hold on to take my 1st win. Only my second race at this distance. Thanks Bruce for the run splits update! So now I am ready to get back into a hard block of training before Lanzarote 70.3 in September. I am super excited to have an 8 week summer holiday to train like a full time athlete, including two weeks training at Club La Santa at the beginning of August.

So after nearly a year with Team Dillon, I can't remember what I used to do before! 3 x GB qualifications, a national champs bronze medal, 3rd in my first elite race and my first middle distance win. I am kinda guessing their training programmes work! Thank you Emma for continuing to push the limits and keep me mentally strong when the going gets tough!

So now time to enjoy the sun, no 6am alarm clocks and time to experience mid afternoon naps! I have learnt so much in such a short period of time; that it is important to enjoy and trust the process, train on days that you don't feel like it and take some risks because you never know what could happen!

Bring on the rest of the season! #bethebestyoucanbe

You have to experience the bad to appreciate the good...

How would you know the amazing feeling of smashing a personal best or nailing a training session if you didn't experience a bad race, a poor swim or a heavy run? There would be no differentiation. The same applies to everyday life. Everyone has stress and obstacles in their life, this is human nature, but it is how we deal with these days that make us stronger. It's how you let the bad days effect your life that will separate you from the average person. Obstacles are there to determine how hard you are willing to fight?

The last four winter months sum this up. The winter has been cold, long but surprisingly enjoyable. I have learnt more about myself in this time than I have in the last four years! Cycling to the pool at 6am in minus conditions have not only made me appreciate the warm weather (should it ever arrive), but has also helped me get back closer to that 61 second 100 metre PB! I am not sure I will ever reach those heights again, but I am okay with that. I have learnt that I am no longer a swimmer but a triathlete. It is important that I now give cycling and running as much respect as I give swimming. Therefore a watt bike arrived in January, a new TT and some nice new moulded orthotics!

November and December consisted of two 10k races and the chance to build my running confidence. I didn't get too many miles in due to a niggling foot injury but the turbo sessions seemed to be working. A PB at Bushy Park and the first time I broke the 50 minute time barrier. I was getting stronger and stronger. Two gym sessions were added to my programme, which helped with improving my core strength and building my non existent gluts! These months also included being selected for the GB Age Group European and World Aquathlon Championships. The GBR jacket arrived! This added fuel to the fire for winter motivation. Not that I needed it, triathlon occupies my thoughts everyday and I couldn't be any more focused to succeed and stay focused this season.

So 2017... another PB on New years Day at the Serpentine 10k. I then received an email saying I had qualified via a roll down place (from that awful race in Worthing) for the GB Age Group European  Triathlon Championships. It felt like I had been handed a wild card and now a chance to prove myself against the best age groupers. I am most definitely on countdown to the start of the season now. Two Mallorca races and Lanzarote 70.3 booked, sandwiched by Bratislava and Kitzbuhl. A couple of qualifiers and some local triathlons make up the season. I opted to pull out of the World Aquathlon Champs in Canada due to Lanzarote being so close. This still remains my A race and I decided it would be better to head out there 3 weeks before to train and acclimatise to the heat and wind!

A bad race then arrived in the same week my Grandad died. Time to dig deep. The dreaded duathlon (I feel lost without swimming). -6 on the start line at Dorney Lake; I was MASSIVELY underdressed. Rookie. You live and learn from your mistakes. I froze on the bike, unable to change gears or pick up a water bottle. A nice man put my trainers on for me in transition and took my helmet off.  I will never freeze again. The only saviour from the day a 43 min 10k PB.. I was, with only 3 runs in January, getting closer to the sub 40 min goal. Silver lining of a tough week.

So one more duathlon and a half marathon before the season starts on 2nd April. 15 races planned.. I CANNOT wait! I know not every training session or race this season will go to plan, but I am as mentally prepared as possible for this and will continue to do all I can to become the best athlete I can be, Team Dillon style! I have learnt in the last few weeks that life is relatively short. Appreciate every day. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, and the worst days give you lessons.

I want to thank Team Dillon and Michelle for their continued support and also Em for continuing to be such an awesome coach! :) Bring on 2017... The goal is not to be better than anyone else but to become the best version of myself. x x

Better late than never..

They say you should never have any regrets in life because at that moment in time it was exactly what you wanted.. however, it plays on my mind that I should have done my first triathlon years ago. I guess better now than later or never at all! Maybe I am more focused than I would have been 10 years ago, starting this journey relatively late makes me even more determined.

This background picture really sums up where my real triathlon training began, and when I really thought 'I want to be good at this sport'. This was taken at Worthing Olympic at the end of August. I had previously a few weeks earlier joined Team Dillon but due to a slight ankle injury and being on holiday, the real training hadn't really started. My legs died at the end of the run & I hated the feeling of finishing a race thinking; I could have done more. Also, I couldn't stand the fact that after coming out of the water near the front, every few minutes someone would overtake me on the bike. It became a bit of a running joke that my parents and friends would ask me after each race, 'did you pass anyone this time?!' Nope! I never passed anyone. This has become my driving force to train hard and give it all I've got in the hard and key training sessions, to ensure in the next race, no-one would pass me.

I stumbled across Team Dillon at Windsor Triathlon in June this year.  I have always been envious of the pros and what they do to become so good. How do they train? What do they eat? What makes them an elite athlete? So I hung around at the end to see them finish the run. I noticed Emma and Stuart of Team Dillon on the podium. Not thinking much about it... they then happened to be on the same flight as me to Budapest. It felt a bit like fate! At the start of the year I needed a new challenge, so signed up to Budapest 70.3.. with little knowledge of anything to do with triathlons (I had only done a handful of races previously). I did a bit of training, blasted the heat and finished it in what I thought was a reasonable time. I had the bug. After discovering Emma had finished 2nd in the race, I contacted Michelle as soon as I was home. I needed to be part of this team. I knew I had the drive and commitment to give triathlons a good shot, I just needed a lot of help and a supportive coaching team to help me! (Thank you Michelle for having me!)

As a PE teacher in a top private school, my year has always been broken down into thirds, one for each of the three school terms. Term one starting in September. So after Worthing Triathlon, in my head my first block of training was going to be in two parts from September to December, with a two week half term in the middle. I knew if I could get to October with no injuries or illnesses and my body could adapt to working 8-12 hour days, Monday to Saturday and training up to 15 hours a week, I knew I would have a good chance of giving this sport a good crack (once I discovered what a turbo was lol!). My first tri during this block of training was Thorpe Park Sprint, mid September. I had done this course in June in 1.32, so knew the route and having grown up in Chertsey, I knew the roads inside out. I was determined to not let anyone pass me on the bike!! 3rd out the swim, 3rd on the bike in to 2nd transition (yes no woman had overtaken!), my legs felt good considering we had only done a couple of brick sessions, I overtook second place on the start of the run (after wasting 45 seconds putting socks on!), but she had a stronger finish and pipped me at the end. My first podium, 3rd overall and 1st in my age category and a 1.15 finish, a 17 minute pb from 3 months earlier and a 21 minute 5k! This result was all down to Emma! I followed the training programme she gave me to the T, didn't miss a session and it had paid off.  I am not one to get to excited by a good result (even if it was a confidence boost), so was back training the next day. In sport you're only as good as your last result... so I am even more determined to become fitter, stronger and quicker, in all three disciplines and continue to try and become the best athlete I can be.

So I have made it through to October half term (excited to have two weeks off to train like a pro and take mid day naps!! What else would I want to do with my time off?!)... apart from a slight knee niggle and a small cold, I have loved every minute of my first proper two months of training. I also discovered I don't do very well with freezing non-wetsuit open water swims! (We won't be doing that one again ha!). Emma and I have made a couple of goals (dream big!) and set some races for 2017.. I'm excited already (these are on my wall, in front of my turbo, along with the picture below!). She has helped me so much in such a short period of time, from pushing me to go on long cycles, to making me rest when I've had a hard week, to answering the million questions I always have!! Mentally, it makes the hard training weeks so much easier knowing she is there if I need her! I hope next year I can make her proud and hit those goals :)

My life has significantly changed in the last couple of months, I eat better, sleep better or more even, yes have probably made a few small sacrifices, however, I love it and can't wait to get stuck in to the next 2 months of training! Bring on 2017!!!!! x x