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melissaswimbikerun · 5 years

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Breca Bay of Islands Swimrun

Trying something new! Battling the elements and nature in a swimrun event with Chris Birley at the Breca Bay of Islands race.

The swimrun event is something that has always intrigued me - mostly because it looks hard! What better reason to enter one when you’re living in New Zealand - home of the beautiful Bay of Islands course.

The first challenge is finding someone equally crazy to be your partner (the event has to be done in teams of 2). Luckily I know a fair few equally crazy people! My friend Chris also has the bonus of having raced a swimrun before and was willing to travelling half way around the world to race this one with me!

We had a very short discussion of whether we should do the sprint or the full course - which ended with us obviously entering the long course! 28km of running and 10km of swimming in total over 24 transitions.

Breca Bay of Islands course

I had no idea how to train for a swimrun. I swam slightly further on my 3x/week swim sessions and ran to the swimming pool. Thinking that would be enough. I did a handful of specific sessions in my specially bought new swimrun wetsuit. More importantly I was unable to train with my swimrun partner (as recommended by every training plan I looked at), as he could not have been further away - in the UK. Therefore I did all my sessions solo. Back home Chris and I was about the same speed at swimming and Chris slightly faster on the trail - so I hoped that we would be okay on race day (with no team practice!!). The rules are that you have to stay within 5 meters of each other at all times.

Solo training for the Swimrun (above at Blue lake, Rotorua and below at Hawkes Bay)

Nathaniel and I traveled up to the Bay of Islands (a mere 10 hour drive) 2 days before the event. I met up with Chris the day before the race - were we did our one and only pairs swimrun practice to see if we could swim together using a bungee rope to stop us losing each other.

Finally united with my swimrun partner the day before the event!

It was then time for registration and race briefing before setting our early morning alarm clocks for race day.

Race Day

05:00h wake up. Excitedly nervous. Quick cereal for breakfast and get into race kit.

Ready (and overly excited) at the start line.

06:30h Assemble at the Waitangi Treaty Ground for Pōwhiri - where we were welcomed into the race by the local Maori tribe as the sun rose over the Treaty Grounds - amazing!

07:00h - race start!

Still not entirely sure what to expect we ran the 800m from the Treaty grounds and then onto a pier which we jumped off into the sea for the first swim. 2 meter leap of faith - luckily the water was deep and pleasantly warm.

The first swim was chaotic, I hoped that Chris was on my feet. I saw someone swimming past wearing the same wetsuit as Chris, I panicked that I was being left behind and sped up to get on his feet. As I exited the water at the beach it was clear the man with the green armed wetsuit was NOT Chris. I waited and watched many pairs exit the water until I saw a solo man with green arms , Chris. I was tethered using a bungee rope to Chris for all remaining swims! Whoops.

The remaining swims were more relaxed - with the open ocean to ourselves! A few pairs with paddles and fins would intermittently swim past - only for us to pick them off on the next run.

Chris and I had no swim toys whereas other teams had paddles, pull bouys and fins. I regret not having fins and I spotted some amazing fins that fitted over shoes! (Next time I’ll get some).

Rock hopping - so fun!

The race involved some technical rock hopping (not something that I had practiced) but I loved it! It felt so free to be making our own way across the beautiful landscape rather than on a man-made track and I knew 100% that I would no be there without the race taking me.

Soon we got to the long run and the teams by this point had began to separate out. Chris and I are stronger runners than swimmers so we began to pick off lots of teams ahead of us - I was loving it! There was a fair few hills to begin with and at the top we ran across a vineyard and was rewarded with stunning panoramic views. We got to enjoy the downhill and some flat until we reached Russell for an aid station and some cheers from the crown when running along the harbor.

Then it was the big 3km swim! Off we swam to an island we could hardly see across the pacific ocean. At half way I stopped and looked around - it was scary to see how far the nearest shore was. I wasn’t too phased and Chris and I carried on until we finally saw the red exit flag. It felt good to get to the beach!

If you look closely on this picture you can see me literally dragging Chris out into the ocean “Ready or not!”.

We ran up and over the island to be greeted by another swim - 1.8km. My arms were in bits but that was not the end. 24 transitions in total!

Finally we reached the end of the last swim and nothing except a hilly 5km run was going to stop us reaching that finish line. The run was very enjoyable - picking off all the people in front. When I could hear the finish line Chris and I sprinted to the finish down a long hill. Unstoppable!!

Bay of Islands Swimrun completed and a medal round my neck I had a well deserved beer.

Had an absolutely amazing day and would recommend this event to anyone crazy enough to swim 10km and how loves adventure!

Thank you again to Chris Birley for being my partner and making this possible:)

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melissaswimbikerun · 5 years

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Challenge Wanaka Half

Is it triathlon season already?! Yes.. In the Southern Hemisphere.

Many months ago and literally, half a world away I entered the Challenge Wanaka triathlon. The full distance was cancelled (escaped a bullet there!) and last weekend I completed the Challenge Wanaka Half Triathlon. Here is a write up of the build up and the event.

As mentioned previously I have worked hard on my fitness after arriving in Palmerston North with the goal of Challenge Wanaka as my driving force. Its been hard to find training hours around an Emergency Department Rota however little by little improvements have been made. I was excited to get on the start line.

The preceding weekend I did a sprint triathlon at Kinloch Taupo to use as a practice for open water swimming and transitions. It was the New Zealand National Sprint Championships so there was some speedy women around and I had to try hard not to get carried away. I really enjoyed the taste of racing. Now it was time to be disciplined during taper ready for Challenge Wanaka.

At the beautiful Kinloch, Lake Taupo for a sprint triathlon

Challenge Wanaka Triathlon

On Thursday we flew early from Wellington Airport to Queenstown. We did some tourist sight seeing on the way to Wanaka - stopping at Arrow Town for some famous Kiwi pies. In the evening we swum in the lake and explored the beautiful Wanaka.

On Friday we built the bikes after the plane trip and rode them along a small portion of the bike course before attending the briefing and racking our bikes in transition. Carb-loading on pasta and then settling down in our tent with an early alarm.

Race Day.

5am alarm - its still cold and dark at this hour. It took a lot of will power to get out of my cosy sleeping bag.

Muesli and coffee for breakfast. Then putting on my tri-suit and covering myself in suncream (weird when its cold and dark outside!). About an hour before the start we put on our wetsuits and walked over to the start.

We checked the bikes were okay in transition and headed to the water to warm up. Than got in first as his swim start was 10 minutes before me. I got in about 10 minutes before my start time to acclimatize and warm up.

The swim

I positioned myself to the far right of the swim course - for some reason my open water confidence has been knocked so I find myself wanting to stay away from the crowds. It was a long way to the 1st swim bouy and I had positioned myself away from the fast feet (which I now regretted!). I caught up a group of swimmer ahead and rest on their feet for half of the course. On turning the last bouy I could not see a thing as the sun was so low ahead. I was losing speed as I kept constantly looking for a direction to swim in. Everyone around me was in the same position. I eventually located the swim bouy when it was about 10m away then finally turned away from the sun and aimed for the swim exit.

T1.

All transition bags were in a pile together and as one of the quicker swimmers it was a big pile of identical bags!! It took longer than necessary to find the pink bag labelled 314 with my bike kit inside. Also by this time my wetsuit was drying out and was difficult to pull off.

Bike

My favourite discipline! I’ve been improving a lot on the bike since my form dropped after travelling and I am back to loving being on 2 wheels. The scenery was stunning and sometime distracting me from racing. The whole course was amazing. It was suited to a TT bike and I missed by pretty blue bike getting dusty in the UK but unfortunately I could not take everything out here.

I was careful not to push too hard on the bike as I wanted to feel good on the run. I was praying this strategy would work.

As I entered T2 I still felt strong and had been presented no problems by my legs thus far.

T2 - Quick dismount and found my spot in transition easy enough. Trainers and visor on then off for a half marathon.

The run

Historically the run on a middle distance triathlon is were I lose my tiny little mind! Not today.

I embraced the hurt in my legs and pushed on at a comfy pace. I over took 2 women who stuck to my shoulders stressing me out. I hate that. I stopped at the feed station to drink water from a cup (I always choke and inhale the water if I try and run and drink!) and the women stalking me over took. I now ran stress free along this beautiful run course which followed the trail along the lake and then the river outflow track.

I felt strong. At 12km we were faced with a long drag uphill which I tried to run and it was burning my legs so I decided to walk up the steeper bits and I found that afterwards I was still able to run well.

At 18km I went through a bad patch were it took all of my mental strength to convince myself not to walk back to the finish. The heat was getting to me. The savior was the cold wet sponges that were handed out at the aid stations (and the reason why I look so wet on my pictures!). The end of this run is a credit to how much stronger my mental game is and I was able to encourage other struggling athletes.

15 minutes later and I was running down the finish shoot and it was a great feeling!

5h 49 minutes in total. It was never going to be a fast race due to the course. The main thing was I enjoyed it and felt strong.

Trying to not look exhausted at the finish line. - that kid is staring at the timing chip that he wants back on my ankle, not my bum!

I also found out that I had beaten my boyfriend, Nathaniel by 8 minutes. I am still pretty smug about that. It also means that he will have to do another triathlon if he wants to beat me.

We celebrated with a burger out and some beers in the evening. We enjoyed the rest of our holiday in by spending a few days in Moke Lake before heading home.

I would 100% recommend Challenge Wanaka triathlon. It is one of my top triathlon experiences to date.

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melissaswimbikerun · 5 years

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A long way from home: Living, working and training on the other side of the world.

Its been a long time since I updated this training blog and I long time since Nathaniel and I took that flight from Los Angeles. I guess it has not been my top priority and not much training and racing has been happening. However things are FINALLY beginning to settle down and my fitness is returning.

I have my first main test for a long time - I will be doing the 70.3 at Challenge Wanaka - supposedly one of the most scenic courses in the world. A big claim as I have the stunning Lake Tahoe triathlon to judge it with (however thankfully Wanaka is not at altitude!).

I lost an incredible amount of fitness between August and November. I have been slowly pushing forwards and making gains back and thankfully so far avoiding injury.

I love my new home in Palmerston North within the might Manawatu district of New Zealand. However, it is hands down the hardest thing I have ever done. The realisation of just how far I am from my closest family and friends is so difficult and it hits home every day!

Palmerston North is a beautiful place to use my spare time training. I am blessed that it is very bike friendly and is the safest that I’ve felt cycling in New Zealand. There is also lots of beautiful trails to stretch my legs. The cherry on top is the beautiful summer lido for me to do my swim training and just a 2km jog from home.

The Journey

My first struggle and when the realisation that I am unfit hit home was at the Whangarei half marathon - I struggled home with a time of 01:46:32 - and a very positive split.

Learning new skills - whilst travelling I have taken up mountain biking. We cycled the Queen Charlotte track and Heaphy tracks on our bikes. I am extremely proud of myself as I seriously expected myself to be rubbish at it. After throwing myself off the bike far too many times I did finally get the hang of it and have been really enjoying the trails on 2 wheels.

Up hill on the Queen Charlotte Track - look closely and see all my bruises!

On the stunning Heaphy track (we cycled this both ways in 3 days).

The toughest thing is started training and knowing that you’re a long way from your best. It is so easy to quit yet I’ve dug deep on every hard training session with legs aching from the previous day and I’ve seen gains.

I have increased my Palmerston North 5km Parkrun time from 21 minutes 49 to 21 minutes 18 - hopefully with more gains to come.

Getting back on the bike has not been easy. Pushing the pedals has never felt so hard but like with all disciplines I am getting there!

Probably why I’m still not at race weight ...

I have swam in some pretty epic places so far too

Swimming at Abel Tasman whilst waiting for low tide.

Blue lake, Rotorua

Current training in Palmerston North.

Swimming. I have the most beautiful lido to swim in and a short drive to the beach.

Cycling.

and also still keeping up my skills on the trail

Running

one complaint is that there is too many steps around!

Challenge Wanaka

So there you go - a very brief round up of activities over the last few months.

I am nearly at the end of my journey now - one more week of training and then a taper. I’m excited at how it will go. Hopefully I can comfortably finish and not suffer the whole way round.

I’ll update again after Challenge Wanaka with a round up of my race and trip.

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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California road trip continued...

I realised I missed the pictures from the Grand Canyon so here they are...

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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California: The Ultimate road trip

Normally I keep this blog about my triathlons/training and staying away from my usual mundane life. However for the last 22 days I have led a much more colourful existence road tripping around California and Nevada. And, just so I don’t stray away from the main theme of this blog, I did do a triathlon during my trip! So here is a write up of our time in the USA. Also there is more to come as we are only the first part of our journey as our travels continue on to New Zealand now.

Outline of our route and 2100 miles traveled

On Monday 20th August Nathaniel and I began our journey. We said goodbye to our loved ones and got on a flight from Manchester to Los Angeles.

Jessica and I at my leaving party

Ready for our adventure at Manchester Airport

We arrived at Los Angeles International at 3pm local time (11pm Greenwich mean time - so we soon got quite blurry eyed!). After security and collecting bags and bikes, we got a taxi to meet our home for the next 22 days. Meet Oliver, the converted Dodge Campervan!

Oliver the campervan

After some paperwork we set off on the road. We stopped at one of the biggest supermarkets that I have ever seen. Very tired by this point it was a struggle to scout the miles of shelves for food and equipment. We spent far too long searching for a coffee-maker (which was probably the only thing in the world this massive supermarket didn’t sell).

We drove out of the city and eventually got too tired to function any more (it was about 5am UK time!!) so we pulled over in a quiet lay-by in the Angeles National Forest and stayed there for the night. (Luxury, I know!)

Lake Tahoe

It was a 400 mile drive to Lake Tahoe. We could distract ourselves from the journey by the scenery as we drove along the Sierra Mountains. We stopped for lunch at the beautiful Mono lake.

Having an interlude from driving at Mono Lake

We arrived at Lake Tahoe at around 5pm and it was more beautiful that we could have imagined. The biggest bluest lake surrounded by mountains! We were staying at Meeks Bay Campground for 6 nights. It had its own beach and each site had a BBQ and fire pit. We had to put all our food and toiletries in a bear lockers so the bears can’t get hold of anything.

The beautiful lake Tahoe on our loop cycle

The bear thing made me scared of venturing to the toilet block alone in the night for a few days. We never did see a bear in Tahoe though. One morning we did wake up and find the bear locker wide open, however the only thing we found eating our food was a pesky Blue Jay pecking at the loaf of bread! (We must not have closed it properly). The biggest mammal we saw was a beaver swimming in the creek near our campsite. He was a good spot.

The crystal clear lake was beautiful to swim in and we swam most days. The 2nd day we cycled the 70 mile loop of the lake with a cafe stop leaving the hilliest 16 miles to cycle with full bellies and 3 pints of beer each inside us.

Incredibly scenic cycling at Tahoe

We didn’t do too much at strenuous as we were tapering for the Lake Tahoe middle distance triathlon at the weekend. We did some running which I found really difficult - probably due to the 2,600 meter altitude that Meeks Bay was at!! At least we had a few days to acclimatise to the thin air.

Relaxing at the lakeside beach post ride

Pancakes for breakfast!

Checking out the triathlon venue

Nathaniel and I during an altitude trail run

Lake Tahoe middle distance triathlon

The morning of the triathlon it was an early wake up at 5am and Nathaniel and I scrabbled around in the cold and dark having cereal and gathering up all I triathlon stuff. It was a short cycle up the road to the triathlon venue.

We had already registered the previous day so we had plenty of time to prepare before the start. Than racked his bike next to me and transition and I guided him where to place his shoes and race belt etc. It was really nice to have him doing a triathlon with me, get we were both quite adamant to beat each other.

It was freezing waiting for the triathlon to start and we found the warmest place to wait for the delayed start was actually in the lake. The gun went off 15 minutes late at 7:15am.

The swim:

It was hard to site the bouys initially due to the sunrise but after the first turn it became easy. The swim was relatively uneventful- apart from losing my swim hat early doors, which I just stuffed down my wetsuit and continued hatless. There was no big groups to draft and I found myself alone for the majority of the swim except when I caught a man up near the end of the swim. I came out the water 6th Overall and 2nd Female. Leaving Nathaniel 15 minutes to claw back.

The bike: After running up a gigantic hill in T1 during the usual fumbling with my wetsuit I was off on my bike. Out on the road there was a guy to pick off. I felt strong on the flat, TTing along on the drops of my road bike. The course consisted of 2 out and back North portion (flat) and 1 our and back portion south (so very hilly). Approaching the turn around point I could see one other woman in front. I overshot the first turn in fact because a competitor in front carried on zooming up the road. I have learnt better than to trust other competitors so did a double take and looked at my distance - this was the turn around point! During the outs and backs I was making some progress against the woman in front and was keep Nathaniel at bay on the flat but it was soon time for the hills... This is when it started to get ugly!! The hills destroyed my legs as I picked off many competitors, only to be over taken again on the long technical descents. My legs began to struggle at the south turn around but I had caught up the woman in 1st place. I overtook her at a pace (proving a point, I guess). I think she must have seen me as a threat as she cycled away at a pace I couldn’t keep on the next hill. I could see Than on my way to T2 - still about 15 minutes behind (It’s out that he had a puncture on the first portion of the hilly section or he would have been sure to eat into my time buffer!)

The run. (A.k.a. The struggle!) After a speedy T2 (I got an applaud from the crowd for my discount and another competitor complemented the speed of my T2), it was time for the run. Heading off like a bat out of hell I began to struggle with my breathing - I needed to check my pace. The path soon turned off the concrete back and soon turned into a technical dirt track and, at one point, even a sandy beach! The air was hot and dry and, now, dusty. I chatted to another competitor, whom later learnt my name and gave me encouragement whenever he saw me. He soon ran off in the distance as I struggled controlling my breathing in the altitude. Exhaustion and altitude forced me to adopt a run-walk strategy. I expected Than to come cruising by any moment - but he never came (i presumed that he was having a worse time than me!). As I approached the finish I was going over scenarios in my head how I could brag to Than about my victory without putting him off another triathlon.

Smiles at the finish line Up the hill to the finish and who should be standing there with a beer but Nathaniel Manning!! I was extremely confused. Maybe he had pulled out?! Nope it transpires that Than was also confused as he had indeed “finished”. Later we discovered that he and some other competitions had missed at 1.5 mile section near the start of the run course which was poorly signed. Than thought I was ahead still and was worried when he looked about at the finish. He apparently also asked the medical tent for me... I’m dubious as he also had time for 3 beers in all this worrying and looking!!... Anyway a record was set - officially my slowest middle distance triathlon at 6 hours and 7 minutes!! Then again it was the hardest middle distance I have ever done. I still kept hold of 2nd female overall and came 1st in my age group. Nathaniel also got a prize for 2nd place in his age group (coming a good 20mins ahead of 3rd so we didn’t confess about the unintentional shortcut!). We were awarded with beer glasses and trucker hats! Cheers. And also Nathaniel is game for another triathlon... yet he still has to complete an actual middle distance triathlon!!

Las Vegas.

Following the triathlon we stayed one more night at the beautiful Meeks Bay and BBQ’d the biggest steak you have ever seen! The morning after we packed up Oliver, the campervan, and drove back south over the mountains and then the vast empty dessert - we were heading to “Las Vegas Baby” (the comment that Than would intermittently yell whilst popping the horn!).

The masses of sky scrappers appeared out of the desert and closer we got the buildings grander and the traffic heavier.

We found the Venetian hotel and waved goodbye to Oliver in the hands of the valet parking. After a long wait to check in we opened the door to the best hotel room I’ve ever stayed in (I’ve lived a sheltered life or maybe it felt it in comparison to our Campervan).

Vegas was everything I expected it to be big, fancy and at the bottom of everything fake. I wanted to give the city a chance.

We had a quick flutter on a slot machine before heading to our dinner reservation at The Cut. It was my treat for Nathaniel’s birthday which I regretted when the bill came - totalling US $500 (a bargain considering there was a wine on the wine list for $24,000!!). However it was the most delicious steak however Nathaniel had to finish it as a migraine had ruined my appetite.

Than and his expensive belated birthday steak

We ended that night with a bit of Blackjack. $100 down I retired to bed.

The second day we explored all the lavish casinos, trying our luck with a few chips as we went. We made our way down the strip to the New York New York hotel were he had dinner and watched a Cirque de Soilei show.

The following morning we had went on a tour of the Grand Canyon. Firstly we got to see areal views from the small plane and then driven to 2 different view points. Our photos really don’t do the Canyon justice - it’s size is just incredible! Landing back in Las Vegas we pigged out on the final night in the Bellagio buffet. Apparently the best buffet in the world but I don’t have much to compare it still. But it still being full the majority of the next day if good - then it was!!

Views over the Grand Canyon

Mammoth Lakes.

We decided to visit mammoth lakes on our way to Yosemite. It was a good decision as this place is beautiful. We stayed up from the town at a place called Twin Lakes: aptly named due to the 2 lakes surrounded by granite cliffs and waterfalls.

We easily found a campsite on the first night. However, unbeknown to us, it was a big bank holiday weekend in the USA (labour day) so we were demoted from campsite to car park for the second night.

Views from our run in Mammoth

We did a beautiful run from twin lakes to Mary lake and around Horseshoe lake. Then lunch before we cycled up mammoth mountain to the panoramic view point. This tough day deserved beer so we stopped at Mammoth Brewing company tasting rooms. Than came out with a huge tasting platter and we selected our favourite for a few more pints (conscious that we had to cycle 4 miles up hill home!).

Cycling in Mammoth

Than bought me a lovely tankard from the tasting room however I couldn’t hide my disappointment that it wasn’t a mammoth brewing co cycling jersey.

Tasting at Mammoth Brewery

Yosemite National Park.

We were lucky enough to get to camp inside this breath-takingly beautiful National Park and did we make the most of it?!? 74 miles of footpaths and scenery was explored. Our legs ached but we will remember those spectacular views forever.

On our first full day with did a very ambitious 10 mile walk which ended up being 17 hilly miles however we were rewarded by seeing a bear walk across the footpath. A few days later we saw a bobcat on the footpath before he jumped back into the mountain rocks. Along with plenty of deer and birds of prey we have seen a lot of exciting wildlife.

At the river next to the campground

Nathaniel took over map reading after the 17 mile walk we did on the first day (which was supposed to be 10)

Walking up to North Dome (Via Indian rocks)

Half dome in the background

The bridge over Yosemite falls

Vernon falls in the background

Cooling off after a long walk in the river

Admiring a giant redwood

San Francisco

After 6 days of paradise in Yosemite it was time to continue travelling. Headed to the west Coast for San Francisco. San Francisco is a lively vibrant city which had a cool feel to it.

We swam in a beautiful outdoor lido in the Mission district which was full of lane swimmers and was a joy to swim laps in. We camped near a surfing beach and nature reserve due to the lagoons. During our 2 nights in San Francisco we did plenty of cycling. The first day 50 miles exploring north of the city and finishing with a burger and a pint in Sausilito.

At Alpine dam

Climbs in San Francisco earn you good views

perhaps the most iconic view

The 2nd day we did a 35 mile loop going through Muir wood. Afterwards we cycled over a very busy golden gate bridge with tourists crashing hired bikes constantly!! Over the over side of the bridge we had BBQ and tasting treats at the Presidio picnic before heading down the highway 1 back towards LA.

After taking 2 days to venture down the HW1. Seeing the sea otters at Monterey on the way. We checked into a hotel in LA ready to fly to New Zealand, our next adventure.

#travel #triathlon

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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In the hottest of summers we do the wettest triathlon - Blithfield Triathlon

Newlines read that we have had no rain for weeks and fields are parched. Yet we enter a triathlon and I do not think I have raced anywhere so wet.

Jessica made me enter another triathlon before I left to go travelling - mainly so she can prove that she is still the best multi-sport athlete since her downfall at Holkham.

Okay.. so she did beat me on this wet day in Blithfield however I am still unconvinced that she actually is better than me - all I needed was another mile or two on the run...

The swim

Blithfield is renowned for its choppy swim in a large exposed reservoir - however it seemed to take it to a whole new level on race day this year. At times the swell was so high that I was not able to see the buoys. It was not the fastest swim but I came out the water with Jess as 1st and 2nd Females.

The bike

Because of the weather I needed my road bike - however it was broken so i made due with the TT bike. The only way to describe this race experience is like drowning on a bike. The wind was very strong and kept blowing me across the road. I was praying to stay upright and cycled very cautiously. Jess dropped me and cycled off into the distance from the start. I kept my 2nd place and stayed on 2 wheels. I was glad to see the dismount line.

The run

“Your sister is only 5 minutes ahead!” said one of the marshals. 5 minutes is a hell of a gap to gain in 40km of cycling and a hell of a gap for me to try and make up in a 10km run - but I can try! I set off determined to chase her down. I dropped some other men who came out of transition at the same time and stayed with a lean fast looking guy in his 40′s for the first lap - after that he seemed to kick on... I did not have a kick.

I could see Jess on all the turn around points of the 2 lap out and back course. I was gaining on her - but could I make it up?!. As I entered the last 2.5km it was still over a minute to make and Jess was pushing on. I could see the lean looking chap who came out T2 with me overtaking Jess (if only I could have found that kick to go with him!). In the end I decreased the deficit by 4 minutes on the run but still finished a minute behind my sister. We took 1st and 2nd females overall. A lack of competition in the field kind of takes the fun out of winning as the next woman was about 10 minutes behind me. We just race each other. We won some goggles and some cheap wine and had a hot shower so I can not complain.

Gritting my teeth to the finish

I have finished my job now and will go travelling on the 20th August for an exciting life adventure. My next triathlon will be on the 26th August in Lake Tahoe California. Hopefully there will be pictures and I can find some wifi to right a blog entry.

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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Overdue update

I am conscious that I have not updated my blog since the London marathon. Do not worry I have not given up swimming, cycling and running I have just not found the time to write an entry.

During my night shift at 5am in the morning I have written a little update on my activities since London.

In chronological order of noteworthy events:

1. 21st May - Slateman Triathlon - Brutal race. This was a triathlon low for me - the only perk being that it is the most beautiful location. I had an average swim. Hated the tough bike course and completely loss the ability to use my legs on the run - lots of cramp. Outcome: RIDE MY BIKE MORE!

Here is a picture of Jessica running up the Slate quarry as I do not believe that I ran at all.

2. I think my biggest achievement this year to date must be getting Silver at the AG British Standard distance triathlon Championships, Leeds on the 10th June. Despite a terrible swim of fogged up goggles and getting lost on the course, I hung in on the bike (still needs improvement) and kicked ass on the run to get myself the silver medal. Lost to Jess though. Outcome: MUST RIDE MORE!

Getting a silver medal at the British Championships is a highlight of my triathlon Journey so far. With Jessica being crowned British Champion

3. 1st July - Outlaw Half Holkham. I had ridden my bike more in the sunshine in preparation for this race. I had a great strong swim (still behind Jess in the water though). However I was able to claw back Jessica on the bike and entered T2 together. On the run I proved superior. I bagged myself 3rd place in my age group and most importantly - 1ST DENMAN.

So there we go update in a nutshell. I still need to ride my bike more - but alas always at work! However I am counting down the days until I finish the Junior doctor foundation program and go travelling for 3 months (plenty of time for cycling and running!)

Next weekend I am doing the Blithfield Triathlon were I will attempt to increase my tally of victories against Jessica.

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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First triathlon of the 2018 season - Slateman Classic Triathlon

This was the third consecutive year that I’ve done the Slateman Triathlon. I just love the challenge it poses and the natural beauty that it is set in.

I have been struggling with my speed and stamina since the London Marathon. During marathon training I had largely neglected my cycling so I knew that The Slateman Triathlon was going to be tough with its brutal bike course.

My PB on the course was when I first did the triathlon in 2016 and targeted it as an ‘A’ race - 3hours 5 minutes. Last Year I got a pityful 3 hours and 15 minutes. This year I struggled round to get 3 hours and 12 minutes - which I am not too upset with considering I was unable to run due to bilateral inner thigh cramp (and now running is my strongest discipline it was a huge handicap!).

Rebecca, Jessica and I before the start of The Slateman Triathlon

I’ve been swimming well lately but did not do myself justice in this race by storming off like a bat out of hell when the gun went. I was in the lead for all of 150m until I inevitably tired and Jess swum over a minute quickly purely due to better pacing. Also my goggles fogged and the sun was low so it was almost impossible to sight the swim exit - I think I sort of followed the race line though.

The bike was tough and my legs burned for the majority of the route however I pushed on and did a respectable time. At T2 I somehow managed to let go of my bike and embarrassed myself as it clattered onto the tarmac (luckily no harm done!).

The run was were I miserably lost any chance of making up time on Jess. My legs were constantly threatening to cramp from the off. At the top of the quarry they angrily cramped up to both thighs. So bad I was unable to bend my knees. I had to hold onto the fence to stand upright and tried to gently stretch out which they were fighting. I was unable to push fast downhill either and had largely given up on a fast time by the descent so I took no risks and pottered down to the finish.

Jessica however did AMAZING - She smashed my 2016 PB and finished 8th female overall in some top competition!! Kudos.

I think that this beer was earned and deserved?!

Lessons learnt from the Slateman Triathlon 2018:

1. I need to cycle A LOT more

2. Do more brick runs off hard bikes

3. Pace swims better

4. Do not drop your bike in transition - it makes you look like an amateur fool.

Okay, so that is a few things to work on before my next race, Leeds British Championships on the 8th June.

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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Virgin London Marathon 2018

Race day has arrived! I had done all the training. I had done a good taper. I was running well. However unfortunately race conditions were far from perfect. It was the hottest London on record - reaching over 23 degrees Celsius!! Unfortunately at about halfway it became clear that I would not be able to achieve the time that I had trained for. I finished in a slightly disappointing 3 hours and 42 minutes. The sub 3 hour 30 dream continues. I have unfinished business with London Marathon!

Ready for the marathon!

I would not say I hated the marathon. I had a big smile on my face for over 50% of the race. The crowds of support were amazing and the course is iconic and inspiring. It was not easy. I am positive that in cooler weather I could have got under 3 hours 30. The heat made me feel sick and I could not decide if I was drinking too much water or not enough. I felt too nauseous to take in any nutrition. My legs subsequently went weak. I fell over nothing at mile 12 over London Bridge. At that point I made myself forget about a target time and finish this race.

It is frustrating as I made lots of sacrifices for this race. I had never missed a training run was hitting all the paces on quality runs. I ran a PB half marathon whilst training. However it just was not the day to run a fast marathon. I made the decision to slow down rather than make myself unwell.

In the end I am happy with my time considering. I had a good time running around. Most importantly I earned my beer afterwards!! It tasted so good.

Happy with my celebratory beer with Nathaniel

For now I am going to get back into cycling and race in triathlons this season. I’ll keep up the running and hopefully do another marathon by next year. A bit of rest first as my legs ache a lot today!

#marathon #triathlon #running #Runner

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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The last Cross Country race of the season: Inter Counties Cross Country at Prestwold Hall, Loughborough.

Its sad to see the cross country season come to an end. This season has gone really well with the off road races. I’ve ran through plenty of mud.

The inter counties cross country was a fast and extremely muddy. Its always a good leveler with an international standard competing.

You can just about spot me - mid pack near the back!

The Ilkeston women in Derbyshire vests

After the race - we’re a bit muddy!

The following day after the cross country Nathaniel and I ran 23 miles down the high peak trail. Some people don’t advise this distance before a marathon however I think its a good mental boast prior to the marathon. However I feel a bit stiff still as work has meant that I’ve not done much running since.

Now I’ve got more time on my hands never week so its time to get my head down and do some training. However we keep getting snow and Baltic temperatures!

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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Training through extreme conditions.

If the temperature at London Marathon is anything more than Zero Degrees Celsius I have not trained for it. Unfortunately after the high of the Half Marathon we had some pretty appalling weather. Sub-zero temperatures and a huge dumping of snow. Not ideal for marathon training.

I am proud to announce that Ilkeston Running club voted me Member of the Month for February!!.

Receiving my award from Neil

They said that was due to my excellent BDL performance and new half marathon PB. I got given the award before the club handicap 5km - afterwards I ran 20:28 - taking the course record from my sister, Jessica.

Its been too slippy to do any tempo sessions but it was probably good to properly rest my body after the effort of the half marathon race. Jessica, Nathaniel and I ran 24km down the trail in blizzard like conditions. I turned to Nathaniel at one point to ask if we should turn back and he had ice all in his eyebrows and a pile of snow on his head!!

Another day I donned my cross country spikes to stop me slipping for a 10km run. I was supposed to do a brick session but my toes were so cold - also my calves and hamstring was beginning to pull so I called it a day.

Still training (and smiling) despite the extreme conditions in the UK

I had a good rest (from running if nothing else) over the weekend as I work 3 days of 13 hour shifts. However keen to make up my miles I ran a solo 20 miles Monday down the canal and back. So if my calves ever did get chance to recover they are tight again now.

In other news I can announce that next year I will be racing Challenge Wanaka. This will be my 3rd Iron distance event. Exciting!

Please check back after the weekend. I will be racing at the Inter-Counties Cross Country for Derbyshire. The annual event where I try not to come last!

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melissaswimbikerun · 6 years

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Carsington Half Marathon success

I am the worst critic of myself. However, I even impressed myself this weekend with my performance at the Carsington Water Half Marathon! I finished in 1:34:01 (a new PB and 2nd female overall).

I was using this half marathon as a marker to see how my marathon training was going - my only real proper race before the marathon (we'll just forget about all the XC races I keep doing...). For those of you whom are not familiar with the Carsington Reservoir area, the trail hugs to the edge of the reservoir with a undulating terrain and a few good kick ups in the gradients. I have ran around the area a good few times - I knew this was not going to be a PB course however, it was the half marathon effort that I needed for my marathon plan so I entered it nonetheless. My half marathon PB was 1h38 and I hoped that I would get around Carsington in 1h40 but thought maybe that was too ambitious giving the course so I was not putting too much pressure on myself.

I did a semi-taper last week. My only quality session was on Monday, 10 miles including track intervals. All my other runs were steady and a lot shorted than my usual training. I even managed to get out on my bike on Saturday for a quick 36.3km (but unfortunately including all the hills in vicinity - thanks to Nathaniel!). I can't complain, I am constantly missing cycling.

We woke up early Sunday to a gloriously sunny day. It was about 2 degrees when we got to Carsington and Nathaniel convinced me to swap my T-shirt for a long sleeve top (good job somebody is looking after me as I was freezing when I started running but never got too hot). It was probably perfect running weather. The trails were a little icy through the woods so I had to be careful but otherwise they were also perfect.

Nathaniel, Jake and I jogged the 2.5km to the start line instead of getting the coach like the other competitors as it gave us adequate warm up and got us used to the trails.

When the race started naturally, I shot off at a unsustainable pace (I will never learn). I slowed down slightly but still got the 5km mark at 20:34 - too fast! After 5km the terrain gets more lumpy which slowed me down. I still felt strong and carried on pushing hoping that my legs and lungs would hold out. The lady who finished first overtook me at 8km and looked to be doing negative splits as she tanked past (she eventually finished in 1h27 - breaking the course record!).

I came past the 10km mark and saw the turnoff for the 10km race - half tempted to turn off so I could have won the 10km race (yes, all of the women racing 10k were behind us!). But I kept my head down and pushed on. I could see Nathaniel's brother Jake ahead of me but he was getting further away, I was conscious not to lose my pace.

After the 10k turnoff things got psychologically harder as there was parts of the course were I could see no other competitors. I find my motivations from picking off other competitors so it was difficult to run alone - I had to keep looking at the pace on my watch like on a training run to make sure I stayed under 4:30min/km pace.

5km to the end a man ran past me and asked what time I was aiming for - I didn't know how to answer... I was on target to get sub- 1h35 but in my head that seemed unrealistic. Towards the end I began to feel sick and my calf began to feel tight but psychologically you can push through this hurt as its nearly the end. I got to the finish line and saw 01:33:xx on the clock. Unfortunately it just ticked over the 01:34:01 when I crossed the line.

I could not have dreamed of a better performance on a challenging course. It really brings home that all of the training has been worthwhile. I have improved so much! The training has not been easy and I have made sacrifices to make time for it. This half marathon was a huge positive boost that I needed. Now I need to push forwards with the final block of my marathon training.

Than and I after the podium. 2nd female and I won a bobble hat! Than ran 1h24 and finished 5th overall - a big positive and impressive result from him as well!!

The next event in my calendar in the Inter-Counties Cross Country on the 10th March - I won't taper for this race. Followed by Clumber park duathlon - work is forcing a taper for this race as I'm working long days beforehand so I'll roll with it and set this race as an effort (just need to get on my TT bike for the first time since autumn!).

#running #half marathon

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