An agegroup win, and open water swimming.

June update.

Race day smiles

This month kicked off with a familiarisation day for the Cotswold 113 middle distance triathlon. These days do exactly what they say on the tin! It's basically a course familiarisation day, great for first timers and anyone who wants to recce the course. For me it was all about my first open water swim of the year. This went well as Jason Tait from South West Swimming leads the swim, stopping every now and then to give course tips.
The following week was the race...I took the age group win, but unfortunately I am still waiting the prize ! Graeme from 113 events assured us that the prizes would be sent by post. Please see separate blog post for the full race report

Rear mounted bottle cage

So I have started to think about race day nutrition for Ironman Wales. Its clear that I want to use Tailwind Nutrition so I needed to start practising how I was going to carry it all on the bike. I have been practising with a rear seat mounted bottle cage. This is going 'ok' ! I can do it..a little more practice needed to keep my pace up though ! However, a bigger problem has been the integral aero hydration system on my Liv Avow. It has a refillable bung on the top, but the fluid spurts out of it at a rate of knots, absolutely covering me in sticky drink. It's a real problem, and I was starting to think I was going to have to completely change my plans on re-fuelling. So, I took to twitter and soon realised that this was a major problem for anyone with an Avow or Trinity. Somebody had a little gadget that you fit inside to prevent splashback. I managed to get my hands on one and hey presto...! Refuelling on the fly is now a thing.

Flippin' freezin' 

So after my first OWS of the year at the familiarisation day it became clear that I was going to have to swim every Saturday morning now.  I can't get to any evening sessions at any of the local lakes due to work commitments. So, I've been going to The Lakeside Campus. The first session I did was Saturday the freezinth of June, sorry, Saturday the 15th June ! Wowzers that lake was cold ! I had face freeze, but somehow pushed on for 3 laps, 1800m or so. I got out, wet suit off, dry robe on, drove home for a hot shower, no hanging about !

I've been twice since in much nicer weather conditions, and today, I did my longest swim ever !! (I sipped on 500ml of Naked unflavoured Tailwind in the car on the way to the lake to fuel me for this). I swam Two and a half miles non stop, apart from a little goggle bother ! I'm so chuffed with myself. It's been a long time coming...4 years or so really. So yes, 6 laps of the lake at 600m a lap. I started a 7th lap but I had missed the cut off time for starting the last lap of the morning so got whistled at by the lifeguard to get out ...however, how good is it that I actually wanted to do a 7th lap? I'm finally becoming a swimmer. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Kerry Anne Payne but my confidence has definitely improved and so has my swimming.

Tri club curry night !

I no longer dread it and I need to stop saying that I'm not a swimmer. An awful lot of credit has to go to Malvern Tri club coaches at our Friday night sessions. We have just had the last of our Friday night sessions for this year until October and we celebrated with relay races in the pool and of course a Tri Club curry night !

What the flock?

As well as the focus being on open water swimming this month I have got some good cycling sessions in and been doing a mixture of speed and hill work on my TT bike. ....Sometimes there are a few hold ups.

Booty drop

The Tailwind Nutrition UK Trailblazers had a parcel drop this month. A great selection of nutrition, tote bag, polo shirts and neck warmer. Thank you Tailwind. It will all come to good use.

So as training months go I'd put June right up there. I feel progression has been made and I'm loving it. Fingers crossed that July brings similar gains.

This is my chuffed face. 

Cotswold 113 (middle distance triathlon)

 What a great weekend !  

Obligatory medal selfie. 

Eyeballs out all the way

This is a very well organised, friendly race. Attention to detail in the briefing the day before puts your mind at rest. I was  in wave 2 with some other members of Malvern Tri club,  which meant being in the water for a start time of 6.10am. Sounds horrendous...getting up just before 4am, (and it was) but definitely worth it as the traffic can build up at the water park as the day goes on so I think it was a wise choice to opt for an early wave. Also, as the run is 3 laps, some of it on narrow trails, it gets harder to overtake as the race gets busier. Out of the 3 disciplines its no great secret that swimming is not my best. I have grown to really enjoy it now though, and don't have that crazy frog look on my face any more before entering the water ! For me the swim is what it is, it took me forty minutes to swim the 1.2 mile course...i have no idea if I swam a straight course as my watched got kicked early on and only recorded 6 minutes ! I felt ok, especially as I got into T1 and Dick and Drew (2 members of the club who are far better swimmers than me) were only just leaving. Not a bad start. Onto the bike and I was up for giving it the beans. Generally I hold back a little in triathlon on the bike knowing i have to run, so this time I thought Id try harder and see what happens. Its a flat course with several out and backs and a handful of roundabouts. So it was time trialling all the way, which also makes it tough I feel as there is absolutely no respite ! Don't be fooled by a flat course.

First old bird

There were loads of marshals and big clear signage. Several pot holes although some of the road has been resurfaced since I last did this race. I saw all other team jade members en route. My time for the 56 mile bike was 2:34:59. Very pleased with that. T2 was ok, out onto the 3 lap multi terrain run, first lap was hard as I was desperate for a wee, and couldn't relax, I felt better for stopping at the loos at the end of the lap, there's a bloke with a hose pipe at the end of each lap too which was very welcome !
There's plenty of support on the run, and plenty of nutrition too!..(However I fulled the whole race with Tailwind nutrition on the bike and water on the run).the route goes through a little village and through the woods around the lakes. Nothing not to like. My time for the 13.1 mile run was 1:46:59, pleased with this too, but I was hoping for 1:45!  (Never satisfied) The finish is a red carpet with a PA system...lots of supporters at the finish. Free massage, more food, a medal, a T-shirt. And right by the lake so lots of participants get straight back in to cool off the legs! Total time with transitions, 5 hours and 7 minutes exactly.

 I was really pleased to pick up the age group win, there's just 2 categories, 18-49 and 50 plus...(guess which?)...last time I did this race i was third in age. In usual Team Jade fashion we all stayed to see everyone finish. Brilliant.

Stats

Thanks to Drew for sorting the accommodation it was perfect. Thanks to Dick for bringing the kids along as the race mascots 🐶🐶. Massive well done to Emma on her first triathlon. Special well done to Dick on his victory run lap. As ever great to have Ron supporting, joined by Andrea and Caroline, Janice was part of a relay and then became part of the support crew, and a guest appearance from Steve James was good too. Steve Clarke and Wayne were also racing.

Team Jade blinged up

A parkrun, a Time Trial, a recce and a snake.

The merry merry month of May........

On top of the world, well, the Worcestershire Beacon

These photos are taken the same week. A bit bleak on top of the Malvern hills for my run and then glorious sunshine on my bike ride literally a day or so later. 'Ne'er cast a clout until May is out' too true, as I was wrapped up again later in the month.

Sunny (S)miles

On my way to a PB

Malvern Buzzard at Parkrun.

So I threw a Parkrun in this month, just to keep a little bit of speed work going, running a fast 5k on a Saturday morning with other runners always brings better results than me just trying to bang out some fast intervals around a very dull trading estate circuit in Malvern ! I went to Worcester Pitchcroft and was pleased with a sub 21 minute 5k. The following week I threw myself into the deep end and raced a 50 mile Time Trial. It was an open event organised by Bike Pace, basically up and down the A40 in Abergavenny. It was an afternoon start, so a nice relaxed drive over in the morning. It's been a while since i've time trialled a 50, so I had no idea how things were going to go ! I was a bit conservative for the first 5 miles or so, and then thought I may as well just go for it and see what happens. My water container was loaded up with Caffeinated green tea buzz Tailwind, and that was all the nutrition I took on board. It was a 2 lap course, I raced the second lap slightly faster than the first and was rewarded with a 12 minute personal best for the distance. I was 3rd female to finish in a time of 2:08:45...just over 23 MPH.(See separate blog post on time trialling) 

Oooh, new shoes.

I treated myself to some goodies this month too ! I bought a pair of Hoka One One Clifton 5s in preparation for the long mileage building up to Ironman Wales. I tried them on in the kitchen, loved them so much I instantly ordered a second identical pair ! so hopefully that's me shod for the year.

Goggles, tow float and Hokas (Pair 2)

Thinking ahead for open water swimming I also bought a Tow float, essential for open water swimming at some venues, especially the sea. They attached around your waist and float behind you making you very visible in the water to lifeguards, boaters etc. Some, like this one, are waterproof and you can store things inside...car keys, inhaler, water bottle, phone, for example. I also ordered a pair of Roka R1 goggles, I received a money off voucher to try a Roka product so thought these were worth a go. Not tried them yet,....I don't get into open water until June !...('Ne'er cast a  clout and all that)

SNAKE

I had to put this picture in ! For 20 years I have been walking and running on the Malvern Hills....this month I was going about my business on British Camp, near the reservoir, bothering nobody, when a brightly coloured ADDER slithered across the path in front of me! I couldn't get my phone out quick enough for  a photo...but the next best thing photographing the look on my face !! This was pretty much my expression for the remainder of my run !! As I was saying repeatedly to myself, 'I've just seen a *******SNAKE !' I was really spooked by it, but then really pleased that I was lucky enough to see an Adder on the Malvern hills, I had heard they were there, but until now......

Tenby

Recce, done., pass the Tailwind rebuild.

We spent the bank holiday weekend in Tenby. What a beautiful area the Pembrokeshire coast is. On Saturday morning I set off to ride/recce the 112 mile Ironman Wales bike course. I had downloaded the route to my 'Mio' and Ron was around in case I got lost/confused. (I did) It was a long day in the saddle what with trying to work out bits of the course where Mio was telling me I was going wrong. (I wasn't) But nevertheless it was stunning, tough and really enjoyable. The scenery is breathtaking in places, some of the hills are short,sharp, punchy and brutal, (especially second time around) but still very doable on a TT bike. The only nutrition I used was Tailwind, this time I used Caffeinated Green tea buzz, and also the Neutral flavour, I wanted caffeine in the morning, and then towards the end to keep my concentration up, but it was nice to back off and have the neutral flavour in between. This is what I plan to do on race day. I arrived back at the carpark (Transition) and whilst Ron 'lovingly' packed my bike away for me (!) I set off for a short run, 5 miles of the run course. This, to my surprise, was more comfortable than expected, but I was certainly ready for my Tailwind Nutrition chocolate rebuild and recovery shake when it was over. 
However, I'm not going to lie, a curry and a Gin and Tonic were consumed later that evening ! The rest of the bank holiday weekend we enjoyed the Pembrokeshire coast at a more leisurely pace.
Perfect weekend.

(Another) Delivery for Ms. Sivertsen.

Time trialling...for the TT Curious.

A little bit of info for those of you that know nothing about Time Trialling but would like to know more. This is my take on it.

TIME TRIALLING, A BRIEF EXPLANATION FOR THE TT CURIOUS.

 Time Trialling is a form of cycle racing. It is very addictive and great fun! For me it feels very gritty, secretive and old skool !

Individual time trialling is often referred to as ‘The race of truth’. Mainly because it is every (wo)man for themselves. There’s no pack riding, drafting or ‘chainganging.’ Welcome to the ‘Pain Cave’.

Club time trials are usually held in the summer months on a designated evening and time. Individual riders gather almost secretly in some layby or similar to ‘sign on’. Here you are issued a re-usable number which is pinned to your back. Your number relates to the minutes past the hour that you start, so for example if the time trial starts at 7pm the first rider will leave at 7.01pm and they are number 1, 7.02 its rider number 2 and so on. Riders then line up one behind the other and are set off at 1 minute intervals to ride the measured course, eyeballs out, lungs busting, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, as fast as they possibly can! The course is generally not marked on club TTs, riders are expected to learn the course in advance.  However club TTs tend to be quite short, usually 10 miles, and the courses easy to learn and ride. Other than the volunteer club time keepers at the start and finish line there are usually no other marshals. At the finish the time keeper makes a note of your number and the time on the clock, you hand your race number back in and you hang around to see everyone else come in so that you can check out your finish position and time. Some clubs may allow guest riders for a trial ride, or have a ‘come and try it’ event.

Open time trials follow a very similar format. However entry in advance is required and is usually via the CTT. So affiliation is required (cylclingtimetrials.org) The distances can be 10, 25, 50 or 100 miles.  Riders are allocated a number in advance. On the day of the race registration will be in a village hall, scout hut or similar. Riders ‘sign in’ collect their number, maybe warm up on their turbo trainer by their car and then once again assemble on the start line, which can be a couple of miles from registration. If there are roundabouts or turns to negotiate there will most likely be bright signage (arrows) and often marshals. Once you have crossed the finish line you return to race HQ, to sign off, return your number and most importantly enjoy coffee cake and cycling banter with the other riders. There are usually prizes for fastest men, fastest women, sometimes down to third place, sometimes a vet category. Prizes can be cash, or a trophy.

There are also 12 hour and 24 hour events and also hill climb specific races.

Sometimes there are slots available for tandems, or ‘two up’ racing. Two up - two riders together, taking turns to share the pain, usually resulting in a faster time than individual riders.

You don’t have to have a specific time trial bike to participate, road bikes can be used, however if this is the case the road bike cannot have bar extensions or deep section wheels, the rider cannot wear aero clothing or aero helmet. Often, in the open time trials there is a separate category for road bikes. These rules may be more relaxed at a club night event. However, at all events all riders must have their shoulders covered by clothing, so save your sleeveless tri tops and singlets for triathlons.

I love time trialling. We are lucky to have a womens series here in the midlands which in the past I have participated in. I like to include time trials as part of my training to really try and nail the speed work. I recently did a 50 mile TT as part of my build up to the Cotswold 113 middle distance triathlon. Fuelled by tailwind nutrition, caffeinated Green tea buzz! It seemed to do the trick as I got a 12 minute PB at this event, completing it in 2:08:49.

For more information on time trialling, including more detailed rules and regulations, check out the CTT and VTTA.