ITU World Champs (London) and Ironman70.3 Pays D'Aix (France)

My ITU World Champs in London and Ironman 70.3 Pays D’Aix in France experience were amazing, motivating and unforgettable!

We arrived in a rainy London on Wednesday 11 September. Registration, Race briefing, team meeting and opening ceremony all done so I had plenty on time to settle in and rest.

We had to rack our bikes the Saturday so I went down to the venue, took a quick spin on the bike and did a quick run (in my awesome Linebreak compression kit) to loosen the legs.

It was an early and cold start to race day. The swim was shortened from 1.5km to 750m due to the cold weather. I was really keen to see how my swim improved so I was not too happy about it!

Walking onto the pontoon was nerve wrecking but also an unforgettable experience.  The swim was very fast from the start with no time to get into a comfortable rhythm.

The bike route was 2 x 20km laps. It was a flattish but very technical course with lots of twist, turns and speed bumps.  I lost my water bottle on the first speed bump but it didn’t bother me too much, I knew I had enough GU’s to keep me going. I felt really good on the bike. My goal was to ride 1h10min and I did the 40k’s in 1h09 so I was very happy.

The run was 3 x 3.3km laps.  I struggled to get on pace on the first lap but on the 2^nd lap I found my rhythm and started running negative splits. The support along the route was unbelievable.

 I finished in 45^th position in a time of 2h12min.

Off to France for a week’s holiday and then Ironman70.3 Pays D’Aix (France).

After a week of touring through France, riding up Alp D’Huez , sun and amazing beaches,  Half Ironman was the last thing on my mind and I started hating myself for entering.  I dragged my lazy body to registration and racked my bike.

Race morning was beautiful but standing at the start, I knew I was so unprepared for the 90km bike and especially the 21km run but I was just going to enjoy this race.

The swim was 1.9km in the crystal clear waters of Lac de Peyrolles. I felt surprisingly good halfway and started pushing the pace.  Exiting the water in 7^th place in a time of 31min, I was very surprised and happy of course.

The bike course was a very hard 90km with lots of steep and long climbs. I knew I had to pace myself…it’s a bit different to a 40km Olympic distance race. I was feeling so positive after my awesome swim that the wind that picked up didn’t even bother me. I reached the halfway mark in which seemed like 30min instead of 1h30. At the 70km mark we hit a 4km climb…it was so steep, I kept on checking for another gear. But it was the best feeling riding past some guys walking up the hill. I finished the 90km bike in 8^th position in a time of 2h58.

 The 21km run was 4 laps which I thought was going to be flat…O man I was wrong. I felt great the 1^st 2 laps and enjoyed the sun, heat and atmosphere. The 3^rd lap was hard but I managed to crawl through it.

Lap 4, the last lap, yeah!! I put the last bit of energy into it. It is amazing how the atmosphere and support of the crowd can carry you if you have nothing left.

I finished in 11^th position in a time of 5h34. But this was a race that position and time did not matter to me. I enjoyed every minute of this race…the easy and the hard times. The route, the vibe and the support was unbelievable. I wish I can go back every year to do this race.

This race motivated me so much and I know what to work on…so onwards and upwards!!!

Thanks to GU, Linebreak, Virgin Active and Xterra Wetsuits for your support on this unforgettable journey.

A BIG thanks to Albert from New Balance Multisport club for getting my running back on track and to Neil from Dinamic Coaching for improving my swim and bike and also for keeping me calm in London, Jakes for my super fast ZIPP wheels, (you might not get them back), Anneline as my training partner and then to all my supporters - thanks again!