I can't stop looking at the beautiful bikes. Check these out!! If I am feeling a little low, or having a problem getting out of bed to train I look at this picture of the timetrial machine and it gets me going again :) Biggest challenge is going to be finding a great name for it! I can't wait to get my mitts on that thing. I am going to fly! I met with Terry last night to go through the race schedule and we have a couple of races ear marked to do really well in. This year is going to be easier in some respects now I am focusing on shorter distance as I will be able to race more frequently and train in a different way. With Ironman, the emphasis is endurance. Shorter distance is about having a solid base as well as speed. I am very motivated at the mom
ent and feeling great! I was on the track last night for 8x400m reps at maximum speed. Awful awful set but one of the ones that gives you that fabulous feeling of a job well done afterwards. This is the other bike, a beautiful carbon frame and what I will be doing the majority of my training on. Matilda (my current bike) will be moving to Nice which cuts out the crappy having to take her apart and put her together each time. This year The Dutchman and I are in Nice every 2 weeks until the end of September. All great training!!So I included my first Wiggle blog below. I decided to focus on the people who are there for me day in and day out. I don't thank them enough for what they do, I really couldn't do it without them.
______ www.wiggleblog.co.uk
Hello, welcome to my first Blog! Whilst triathlon may be an individual sport, I am by no means alone so I wanted to introduce you to a few of the people who play a big part in my training and racing.
I’m really getting into my base training at the moment and can already feel the results. Last weekend The Dutchman and I went to Nice for the weekend. Saturday was spent skiing in Auron and Sunday I went out for a 11km run along the promenade, around the port and then up the hill, into the steep winding road to the top towards Villefranche. It’s the same run I do all the time and I never get sick of the wonderful views of the Mediterranean. The sea was so flat I was thinking I should have taken my wetsuit and taken a dip! The sun was out and it was a beautiful day, certainly makes training a pleasure!
The Dutchman: The Dutchman is my beloved and main training buddy. An ex semi pro cyclist and being Dutch means he knows how to handle a bike. He was known on the racing circuit in The Netherlands as ‘Kamikaze Pilot’ for his extreme descending skills, some of which he is teaching me! He has 1 bike that in 15 years he has never replaced the brake pads, says it all really. He also runs to keep in shape and drags me up Primrose Hill in London for nasty hill repeats. Its not all bad, I’m rewarded with a hug after each one :) The Dutchman has a base in Nice so we can often be found cycling around in the beautiful Maritime Alps, generally with me trailing along behind and him reminding me that “this is not a vacation!”.
Antz Pantz (Also known as Antoinette): One of the team who follow me around to races, making sure I have everything I need. Antz Pantz is an accomplished Ironman spectator and accompanied me to Ironman Austria last year and after stupidly forgetting my Co2 head, I had to convince one of the stall owners at the expo with extreme sign language to open early and sell her another before rushing back and handing it over to me relay style as I came out of T1. Superstar and I couldn’t do it without her.
Corinna: My other loyal supporter who I shared a flat with for 3.5 years and has seen it all. Including me fall off my rollers numerous times. Corinna dishes out the tough love, the kind that works best with me, and was seen at Ironman UK telling me to run faster because she wanted a holiday to Hawaii (Ironman World Championship). How could I refuse when she was wearing a grass skirt, a shell bra over a sweater and several lei’s along with her wellingtons.
Terry: My coach. Terry agreed to take me on 5 weeks before Ironman Austria last year and completely revolutionised my training. A well known and respected coach he has taken me to the next level in my training and racing. Terry manages to strike that fine line between pushing me hard but not too hard by having me do 11 sessions a week including 2 core sessions, 3 swim, 3 run and 3 bike. I train every day except Fridays and twice a day except Sundays where I do my long bike ride instead. My weekly training hours sit between 16 - 20 hours depending on where we are in the programme. A great coach who is always there when I need him.
Rich: My sports therapist Rich always jokes that the massage is free, its the advice I pay for :) Rich has thumbs of doom and if there is a knot lurking in a muscle, he will seek it out and banish it! An awesome masseuse, I give him credit for keeping me injury free by working wonders on my legs each week by stretching and massaging out the stress and strains that triathlon training puts on my pins. Having been in the triathlon game since the early 90’s he always has a wise word ready for me.
Wiggle: Last but not least, the great team of people at Wiggle who look after us athletes making sure we have everything we could possibly need.
So, that’s the team! Wonderful people who do more than they realise.
Cx
I’m really getting into my base training at the moment and can already feel the results. Last weekend The Dutchman and I went to Nice for the weekend. Saturday was spent skiing in Auron and Sunday I went out for a 11km run along the promenade, around the port and then up the hill, into the steep winding road to the top towards Villefranche. It’s the same run I do all the time and I never get sick of the wonderful views of the Mediterranean. The sea was so flat I was thinking I should have taken my wetsuit and taken a dip! The sun was out and it was a beautiful day, certainly makes training a pleasure!
The Dutchman: The Dutchman is my beloved and main training buddy. An ex semi pro cyclist and being Dutch means he knows how to handle a bike. He was known on the racing circuit in The Netherlands as ‘Kamikaze Pilot’ for his extreme descending skills, some of which he is teaching me! He has 1 bike that in 15 years he has never replaced the brake pads, says it all really. He also runs to keep in shape and drags me up Primrose Hill in London for nasty hill repeats. Its not all bad, I’m rewarded with a hug after each one :) The Dutchman has a base in Nice so we can often be found cycling around in the beautiful Maritime Alps, generally with me trailing along behind and him reminding me that “this is not a vacation!”.
Antz Pantz (Also known as Antoinette): One of the team who follow me around to races, making sure I have everything I need. Antz Pantz is an accomplished Ironman spectator and accompanied me to Ironman Austria last year and after stupidly forgetting my Co2 head, I had to convince one of the stall owners at the expo with extreme sign language to open early and sell her another before rushing back and handing it over to me relay style as I came out of T1. Superstar and I couldn’t do it without her.
Corinna: My other loyal supporter who I shared a flat with for 3.5 years and has seen it all. Including me fall off my rollers numerous times. Corinna dishes out the tough love, the kind that works best with me, and was seen at Ironman UK telling me to run faster because she wanted a holiday to Hawaii (Ironman World Championship). How could I refuse when she was wearing a grass skirt, a shell bra over a sweater and several lei’s along with her wellingtons.
Terry: My coach. Terry agreed to take me on 5 weeks before Ironman Austria last year and completely revolutionised my training. A well known and respected coach he has taken me to the next level in my training and racing. Terry manages to strike that fine line between pushing me hard but not too hard by having me do 11 sessions a week including 2 core sessions, 3 swim, 3 run and 3 bike. I train every day except Fridays and twice a day except Sundays where I do my long bike ride instead. My weekly training hours sit between 16 - 20 hours depending on where we are in the programme. A great coach who is always there when I need him.
Rich: My sports therapist Rich always jokes that the massage is free, its the advice I pay for :) Rich has thumbs of doom and if there is a knot lurking in a muscle, he will seek it out and banish it! An awesome masseuse, I give him credit for keeping me injury free by working wonders on my legs each week by stretching and massaging out the stress and strains that triathlon training puts on my pins. Having been in the triathlon game since the early 90’s he always has a wise word ready for me.
Wiggle: Last but not least, the great team of people at Wiggle who look after us athletes making sure we have everything we could possibly need.
So, that’s the team! Wonderful people who do more than they realise.
Cx
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