9

The Triathlon Roller coaster

“The Triathlon Roller coaster” (16/8/2010)

2 Days Before Race Day – (Friday)
So, here I am sitting in my hotel – The Seebichl Hotel – which is in a perfect location, at the top of the hill which is on the bike course, thank you sis for finding such a great hotel and location! Today, I have been around the swim and the bike course. Swimming in the Schwarzsee lake, the water temp was around 20.2, I was in my wetsuit but it felt very warm however, that wasn’t to last, as later on in the day at around 3pm the rain came down, and as timing would have it, if it rains at this time on Sunday it’ll be as we’re on the bike!! Great!!

Going around the bike course today, we had a police escort for the whole two laps, and I have to say that it is the best bike course I have done this year. It’s not just your bog standard flat loop, there is a hill just out of transition and technical section through the town on both the roads and cobble stones, which I’m sure will make the race interesting on the bike.

This afternoon I’ve just been chilling, watched American Gangster, good film, with Carrie and then watched some of the younger Austrian triathlons doing their mini triathlon whilst sipping a Coffee! Watching the younger ones cycling up and down the hill from my hotel did make me smile. They looked so cute, on what looked to be huge bikes, with their helmets falling off their heads, covering their eyes reminded me of my first triathlon . . . but we won’t go there!!

Day Before Race Day (Saturday)
Went for a little run this morning down by the course and my legs didn’t feel as good as yesterday, but felt ok on the stride, so was happy and then had a lovely breakfast at our hotel with mum, dad and Carrie. The eggs are lovely here, some say I’m easily, pleased but the yokes of the egg are bright orange, so that’s how I now they are nice and fresh! So I tucked in to my breakfast, and then went for a swim at the race hotels pool with Clarke Ellis from NZ, Stuart and Will which was pretty picture perfect to be honest. They have got a 48m swimming pool on the 7th floor (top floor), with all glass windows surrounding it so you can swim and look at the amazing views of the mountains, pretty amazing.

Now I am just relaxing before I take a spin down to the start, to take a look at the in’s and out’s of transition and then I will sit outside my hotel for a bit and watch the men’s bike as they come up the hill.

The sun seems to be trying to break through slightly between the clouds, so I am hoping it will stay the same for our race to be honest, as it will make the bike a lot safer, I’ve had too many crashes in the rain from inexperienced rider’s thanks!!! I’m not too bothered if it’s a wetsuit swim or not to be honest, but I would just like it to be dry, either way, I’m sure this will be a great race.

So, I’m just finishing watching the men’s run on my laptop and OH MY GOD MR STUART HAYES YOUR ARE A TRUE LEGEND! The guy who has just won the Kitzbuhel World Championship Series Race is my training partner and I am
so proud of him. He has just proven, that even if some people don’t want to help you achieve your dreams, there are always people around that will, and with Team Dillon we have a supporting group around us that are the best and I am so pleased for Stu, he totally deserves his win today! BIG CONGRATULATIONS!

Now, let’s see how I go tomorrow.

Race day in Kitzbuhel
Well what can I say the ups and downs of racing triathlon and I have defiantly been experiencing the roller coaster ride of racing recently, with the bad race of London Hyde Park to the second in the London Triathlon to the thing I hate the most, the DNF in Kitzbuhel!

So, here’s the (short) story . . .
I was number 32, which didn’t give me a great start on the pontoon, but I know I was swimming ok, so I wasn’t too concerned. I dived in and got battered a bit to the first buoy (again), and found myself just of the first pack at the 750m turn around point just behind Nicola Spirig and Barbara Riveros, but I could see the front pack as I dived in so dug in hard, and managed to bridge the small gap onto the back of the front pack which is a much nicer place to be! Then I sprinted up and down the ramp into T1 had a smooth transition, out in the lead pack with quite a big pack of about 22 girls. The bike wasn’t the hardest of paces, but the undulating bike course made it challenging. I felt good up the hills and found myself naturally going to the front but then on the decent through the tunnel Helen Jenkins would lay the pace down, so it was a matter of hanging onto her wheel, which I can tell you was not easy.

On lap 5 of 6, the worst luck started, and my back wheel punctured, but there was still hope, with me not being too far from the wheel stop I a changed my back wheel and started again, but I was 1 minute plus down from the front group who were moving. The Nicola Spirig train was coming up behind me, so I jumped on but could tell I was losing time, and the adrenaline from stopping, changing my wheel and starting again, my legs were hurting, but with one lap to go, with the gap to the leaders being around 1 minute 30 I was in the mind set of “OK I can still run some girls down, lets GO”. THEN I soon realised that lady luck was not on my side, with yet again, the wheel I had just changed puncturing again!!! It obviously wasn’t meant for me today. I was too far away from the transition area were the wheel stop was. DAY DONE!!

I rimed it back to T2 and watched group by group go by, pi**ed off does not put it into words enough. I saw Dad, Carrie, Michelle and Stuart, handed them my stuff, grabbed my running trainers and went for a run. The highs and lows of triathlon, oh well, onwards and upwards, next up for me is the Lausanne World Sprint Championship Race next weekend (Saturday).

Thanks for tuning in xxx

8

That’s Much Better

“That’s Much Better”

So, I was on a bit of a downer after London Hyde Park, as I really wanted to have a good race on the modified Olympic course, and starting off with a bad swim was only the beginning of a hard day at the office! Lessons were learnt during the race and I went into the following week ready for some tough, hard core, balls in the wheelie bin sessions with Michelle and Stuart.
Stuart had a fantastic race at Hyde Park, which to be honest has been long over due, he is the most hard working triathlete I know, and to have him alongside me to train with is a privilege.

Stuart is like a big brother, rolled into a training partner, rolled into a teacher, who I am always learning off, and for him to have a good race at Hyde Park on home turf really did make up for my shocker of a weekend!!

So from one end of London to another for the Challenger London Triathlon at the ExCel centre. I had done some decent times in training, which I think I needed to get my confidence back, so I was ready to race. Kirsty (a good mate) came around and braided my hair for me on Friday evening which got me into race mode, and then I travelled up to London on Saturday ready for the race on Sunday.

The weather hadn’t been what I was hoping for in the lead up to London, and it looked like it was going to be a wetsuit swim, which I wasn’t looking forward to if I’m honest, as I hadn’t used it at all this year!! Anyway, race morning came and the sun was shining. I was stood around with the other elite women, waiting for the juniors to start there race and I couldn’t wait to get in the water to cool down – it gets pretty hot in that wetsuit when the sun is beaming down – bit of a change in climate from the day before when it was raining, but that’s good old British weather for you!!

I was next to the best in the water, Helen Jenkins, Liz Blatchford, Vicky Holland and Kerry Lang, as you can see, not a bad GB women’s field! The horn sounded, the rope lifted and we were off, the women stayed in a line for a few 100m, but then Helen found clear water and went off to the front on her own, and I swam the first 700m next to Liz, just behind Abbie Thorrington and a few other women.

Around the top buoy and on our way back, I tried to move around Abbie but ended up swimming next to her for the rest of the swim. I exited the water with her, about 15 seconds behind Helen and Liz.

I got into T1 and had a smooth transition and jumped straight on the bike where I was in time trial mode to try and catch Liz and Helen. This would have been easier if my legs were there with me on the bike but I think I left them back in transition!!! I could see Liz on her own out in front but not Helen, I managed to catch Liz but then the chasing pack which contained Kerry, Vicky and about 4 other women caught me, and then the chase was on to get Helen.

The group didn’t work great but we managed to catch Helen at the first turn around point but no sooner as we had completed that task, everyone seemed to sit up and were concentrating on taking in the sights of London – very frustrating!! It then became pretty obvious it was going to be a running race, and I was hoping my legs would be waiting in transition where I left them.

Leading up to the London Triathlon, one of my aims was to get out of T2 with Helen, she is the top GB women at the moment, and I wanted to see where I was running wise against her, as she is not only GB number, but one of the best and most consistent in the world.

I don’t think this race it was meant to be, I didn’t feel my normal self going out of T2, but I gave it a blast and lead for the first lap of 4. I was hoping to get into my running stride, but if you’re not on top form, and trying to run with Helen, you’re in for a tough day at the office, and going out onto the second lap, Helen showed why she is one of the best in the world and started to get away from me. I finished second behind Helen, with Liz Blatchford finished 3rd.

I’m pleased with how I raced, and am looking forward to the next few weeks where I am racing Kitzbuhel WCR then Lausanne World Sprint Champs.

It’s been a good weekend, with a smile back on my face; I’ve got to say Happy Birthday to my big sis Carrie who was 23 on Saturday, and my best friend Claire Hipkiss who was 21 on Monday.

Love ya all xxx

7

One Word…..Gutted

(20/7/2010)

So, it’s Saturday morning and I have just come back from a lovely run in Hyde
Park, the course is set up, and running around with the Dextro Energy banners up, and all the marshals out, gives me such a thrill!

The weeks preparation has been great, I got such a huge confidence boost from last weekends win. Knowing that I am swimming, cycling and running well going into a race is such a great feeling, but this weekends field I knew would be the toughest to date, but hey ho, that is what makes the race!

So, my journey to London started off with me driving down to Stuarts parents house on Thursday morning, ready for the race briefing at 5pm. There was a GB team meeting and dinner at 6.45pm, after the race briefing but with me and Stuart not being able to afford another nights accommodation, it would have been silly not to just go back to his parents house and chill there.

Don’t get me wrong, I am so proud to be part of the GBR team, and it fills me with pride to have GBR on my chest when I race, but I am not part of the British Triathlon Squad. They do not fund me, they do not help or support me, so I didn’t want to sit around a table with these people, when I could go and have dinner with Michelle, Stuart and the rest of Team Dillon.

Without getting into too much detail, words were exchanged between myself and the BTF, which I will not go into at this time. However, I will say, I did get very upset but Michelle soon sorted me out. This just proves, yet again, what a great support I have around me with Team Dillon and my family. I know these people believe in me and will be with me all the way to 2012 and beyond.

On the other hand, as always, there are some people who I feel don’t want to help or support me, and just seem to just want to make things difficult and try to put things in my way. This is just my feelings at the moment, and I hope I don’t feel this way forever.I would like to point out that, I am not using what happened on Thursday night as an excuse for my performance on Saturday, it just wasn’t my day, but it did make me feel so angry afterwards.

Moving on, after my training was done on Friday morning we moved into the hotel, which was so close I could throw a brick from window and it would land right into Hyde Park!! Carrie, the accommodation was perfect; cheap, close location, and big rooms, and I can tell you, in London, this is hard to find! THANKS SIS.

Race Day

So, race morning, after I got back from my little morning run with Michelle, it was time to chill out and watch TV, have a quick look on facebook and pass some time, the sun was out, lovely and warm already, and London WCR is awaiting.

I felt great in the swim warm up, and was really ready to race, was in a good mind set, and not too nervous, going onto the pontoon I wasn’t in the best position, ranked number 37 meant I was placed in the middle of the pontoon, but I wasn’t too far away from Laura Bennett, and was right next to Annabel
Luxford. The swim started, and I was going fine until the first buoy and then things started to change, I have to say this was the worst swim I have ever been in, going around the first buoy I got absolutely battered!!! I was being pulled left right and centre and just couldn’t move anywhere. I panicked slightly, probably down to lack of oxygen then eventually managed to get around the first buoy, this is where the battle really commenced, I had to try and get myself back into a decent rhythm, so I was swimming down the outside in an attempt to swim up, I was making some ground but with the girls up front really pushing the pace, it was always going to be hard, I tried swimming through on the next lap, and did but just couldn’t make enough ground on the main girls.

Into and out of T1, I was fine and as I looked up, I saw Nicola Spirig just in front, I thought to myself great someone to work with to get up to the main field, but there was this shiny material on the floor, which I found out after was Skins branding which I slipped on. My bike went from underneath me, and I skidded across the floor, it was quite a good skid, and I’ve not got a lovely cut on my elbow and leg, and a cracking graze up all the left side of my body and my back, great!!! I jumped straight back on my bike and tried to bridge the gap, but I ended up being left in the jokers pack, who didn’t want to do any work apart from a couple of athletes. I said to myself I wish Lisa Norden would of come out the water with me, because I think she would of done her bit on the bike and we would have been able to bridge the gap, but it was too late, by the time she caught up to our pack, my legs were already blowing red and I think hers were too.

We went onto the run 1 minute 40ish seconds down and I all I could do was run as hard as I could. I felt like I was sprinting all the way, I caught a few girls that were in the front pack and I finished 2nd out of the jokers pack, with Barbara Riveros beating me. I did not enjoy racing for 25th place, it was not fun on the bike, but that’s racing I suppose.

So onwards and upwards now, I have the London triathlon in 2 weeks time, so I’m looking forward to that. I know I am in good form at the moment, and to not show that at the Hyde Park WCSR was disappointing, but I’ve got to move on now to the next one.

I just want to say a huge thank you to all my family and friends that came down to support me over the weekend, it was great having you all there, and also to all the support from the crowd, London 2012 will be awesome!!

6

Countdown to the BIG Des Moines

Diary Countdown to the BIG Des Moines!!

Monday
Today I woke up at Stuart’s parents house, as I am flying from Heathrow on Tuesday it made more sense for me stop here and travel with Stuart early Tuesday morning. So, this morning we got up and did a spin on the bike around Richmond Park, it was first time for me around Richmond and it reminded me so much of a park back in Sydney, isn’t it wired how one minute you’re cycling amongst the hussle and bussle of main roads and traffic and then the next you’re into a park surrounded by loads of cyclists and runners . . . brilliant!!

Tuesday
Travel day, well, anyone who has travelled to anywhere in America knows that it is not the easiest journey in the world to make. We started off at 5am leaving for our flight to Chicago and then onto Des Monies, where TJ met us at the airport. TJ is a long distance elite triathlete who Stuart met out in Australia a few years back. Once we found TJ we all went for some lunch and then travelled to his parents house where me and Stuart were staying. OH MY GOD what a place!!!!! The house/mansion we were staying was gorge, and comprised of the following; games room, cinema room, the best living and kitchen rooms, swimming pool, jacuzzi, and who knows how many bedrooms!!! Basically, you name it, they had it, I felt like I was living in something from MTV cribs!! A huge thank you to Nan and Rick for having me there!! xx

Wednesday
So, up early and in for a swim with TJ and Stuart and then mainly just ticking over really, keeping the feel for things and not wasting any energy. Me and Stuart spent most the day watching movies in the cinema room! Life is good and I am one spoilt lucky lady indeed!!

Thursday
Up early for a swim with TJ and Stuart again with some pick ups and yet again, just ticking over again. I met tiny Ashley – TJ’s fiancee – I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so tiny!!! A runner great runner and sooooooo lovely! After swimming it was back to TJ’s house and he showed me something that could save a lot a people a lot of money, especially when in the USA but also all around the world really!! It’s a bike bag that is within the dimensions so you don’t have to pay (or something) anyway it’s absolutely fantastic, so take a look www.rustersports.com/. On the evening me and Stuart went out with all of TJ’s family for dinner which was really nice, they are such a nice family, really close and very supportive, it truly was great meeting and chatting with everyone.

Friday
This morning the rain came BIG time!!! And I tell you, when it rains here it really does rain!!!! Luckily it stopped just in time for us to go and swim in the lake where we are going to be swimming on Sunday, it was really warm which was ace, about 23ºC, so I am thinking non wetsuit swim, which suits me fine. Then later on that evening it was race briefing, nothing really new to be honest, well apart from the big prize purse for winning and being first out the water, it will be an interesting battle for the latter, between Hayley Perisol and Sara McClarty, I wouldn’t like to pick between them to be honest. It’s great to be surrounded by the Worlds best of the best – European/World/Olympic Champions, the excitement is building!!!

Saturday
The big day before the race, well to be honest it’s been really relaxing, I did what training I needed to do this morning, and then chilled for the rest of the day. We had the England V USA match to watch, which was good considering what country I am in!!! But oh dear . . .what the hell are we doing?? The only good thing about the match was it took my mind off the race, and the it was off out for dinner with Stuart, TJ and Ashley!

Sunday Race Day!!!!
So, this is the day I’ve been waiting for, the build up has been huge, mainly because I wanted to test myself against the best of the best but also because of the big prize fund. I’m not going to lie, I really needed to do well in this race for that reason also. When you’re not being supported by the federation I then have to rely heavily on family and friends which I hate, but for this year, has to be done.

Anyway, this morning Ashley picked me up and took me down to the race venue. At this time I wasn’t sure if the race was going to go ahead as the thunder and lightening was the worst I had seen, but luckily the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the humidity was up to 95%! BRING ON THE RACE.

Right, introduced onto the pontoon, the gun went, and off I went. I had a good start and got straight onto some quick feet (not too sure who it was?), I was swimming great and felt really good sat in the lead pack. I came out at the halfway point and saw I was in great company, with Helen Jenkins, Sarah Haskins, and Laura Bennett, so, apart from the two USA girls off out in front, I was in a good position. Out the water, in and out of T1, and in the lead pack on the bike. Doing some turns but not too much and it all really kept the same on the bike, few girls just sat there as always but there we go!! Now onto the run, I haven’t felt like I have been able to run how I want to run so far this year yet, so hopefully today was going to be the day!! I went in and out of T2 in about 10th position, and the lead girls already had a bit of a gap in front, with Emma Moffatt leading the way, but the way I love to run was what I had planned. I went out hard and went straight to the front running how I wanted to run and it stayed like that up until just before 3k to go, when Emma Snowsill showed why she is Olympic Champion and came flying past at such speed, I tried to go with her but my legs wouldn’t let me. This is where the pack split up and Emma Moffatt , Helen Jenkins, Andrea Hewitt and Paula Findley showed their strength and left myself and Laura Bennett to battle it out for 6th and 7th place. Before this race I had beaten Laura and she had beaten me, so we were both on for the battle, but she was too strong for me today and I ended up 7th.

I am so pleased with how I raced today and I know it’s all coming together, I have to remember that I am only 21 and learning more and more every race. I want to end this blog by first saying thank you to Stuart and Michelle for letting me basically live at their house for the past month and to my family and friends for all the support they show me day in and day out.

I have met some great new friends on this adventure, the Tollakson family have put me up in their home, came to support me on race day, and I was a total stranger to them, so thank you. Special mention to Ashley who was my Michelle for the day and did an awesome job with taking care of me race day.
Now I am having a day of dirty food in the United States of America to celebrate!!! Thanks for tuning in guys.

See you all very soon
xxx

5

Blenheim Triathlon 2010

From Blenheim Palace to DesMonies

The week leading up to Blenheim was great, it started with me up in Loughborough for the Monday and Tuesday to get some key training sessions done with Michelle and Stuart, one of the sessions was track session on Tuesday which we had to do in the good old British weather, THE RAIN but it wasn’t to bad and we were joined on the track by some sprinters which was good and then back down in Birmingham on the Tuesday evening for the rest of the week.

I no I mentioned it in my last blog but I owe Michelle and Stuart a huge thank you for having me up at there place in the week, there is not many coach’s and training partners that let you stop at their house all week, thank you guys!

On Tuesday it was my mum’s birthday (Happy Birthday again mum love you) so me and mum went to the pictures on the evening with my sister Carrie, Linda and Steph ,we went to see Sex In The City 2, which was a fantastic film, loved it. It was good to go out and chill on the evening as I was feeling really tired from training so was good to just go and have a mental break and switch of and watch a film.

Things were pretty boring for the rest of the week as training was coming down, this is the time that I struggle with, I feel like I should be doing more than I am but Michelle is always keeping a close eye on me to make sure I don’t do anything extra leading into races.

OK so race day at Blenheim Palace, it was great to have such support at the race as loads of people I know came down to watch me race, I had family, my mum dad sister auntie and cousin, best friend Clare and 2nd family Linder and martin and old work college Billy and his family who his two little girls I fell in love with and are absolutely gorgeous and I have got to mention Sarah, the Team Dillon Mary Poppins ! It means so much to have such great support behind me! Thank you guys!

So the swim it started of as fast as what I thought It would with Abbie Thorington taking it out hard and leading from the go, I found myself slightly back from the leaders of 3 so had to really work hard to get out the water near then but caught then in the long run to T1, then out on the bike and was first out along with Abbie , Vicky Holland and Heather Jackson, I really wanted to push the pace and tried to get the group working which we did and managed to work well but on the 2nd lap there was a crash with Heather and Vicky at the pack so it just left me and Abbie, we pushed on and carried on working hard. Apologies to both girls ,its not fun to come on in a race.

I got into T2 and off I went pushed out hard and ran hard through out the whole run, pushing on, this was the way I wanted to as my main race is next weekend in DesMonies and would be my last hard day. I ended up winning by 2minuets 45seconds which I was chuffed with as I wasn’t totally fresh going into the race but felt great.

Now I am flying out on Tuesday to the USA with Stuart who had a fantastic 2nd place as well. Now to DesMonies & let the balls be slammed !

4

Race Season Knocking On The Door

Training hard, ready for the best bit . . . “The Race”
I have been training really hard since I got back from St Anthony’s, not only concentrating on one discipline, but all three really.

Triathlon is such a hard sport, you just can’t let one of them go, otherwise you will not get a look in, as the world class series races are jam packed with the best in the world, who would want it any other way??
I have been training a lot at Loughborough with Michelle and Stuart, it’s a lot easier to train up here, well when I say easier I mean you can get out on the bike, run on softer surfaces and swim in a 50m swimming pool (now and again) but it defiantly is a lot harder physically when your training with these guys!! I have had loads of “balls in the wheelie bin” sessions recently and it’s all about putting the pennies in the bank and getting ready for the major race season which is knocking on the door and getting me very excited. I do love training but this is what I train for, putting myself on the start line and giving it all until I cross that finishing line. Exciting times ahead!!!

I can not believe the wacky weather we have had over the last week but I have bloody loved it and I bet all you athletes out there have loved it too, it’s so much nicer and easier to get out and train in nice hot weather, I did my long run on Sunday in shorts and vest and caught the sun. LOVE IT!

My next race coming up is the Blenheim Triathlon, obviously last year this was a great race for me, not only because I won, but it was my first proper race under Team Dillon which was the start of my new journey in triathlon, I am feeling really good in training and am excited to give it all on the 6th!! Wish me luck, hope to see you there!

I will let you know how I get on.
Xxx

3

Ups & Downs Of Triathlon

Its been a while since I have written a blog, sorry about that, but I will fill you in on what’s been going on. After I got back from St Anthony’s I got ill ☹ which for all you athletes out there you know how frustrating that is were you cant train, its such a pain in the arse but it didn’t last to long, thankfully and I was back into training within a week.

I have been living up at Michelle and Stuarts house this week doing some real hard core, balls in the wheelie bin sessions. I love holding on to Stuart and Michelle’s wheels on the bike session and then trying to keep Stuart from getting too far in front of me on the run but this week, Mick Williams ,an Irish elite triathlete joined us so it was great to have some one else pushing me on the bike, he is a ex-Olympic swimmer so is also great company in the pool and I no Stuart loved having someone to push him in the hard swim sets.
I finished off my hard training week doing a bike race at Hillingdon, which was a 50k bike race. Michelle has been pushing the pace as usual on the bike and I new she was getting stronger and stronger when she was going through and off with Stuart and I was holding on for dear life! Which of course I love, I no I have got the best job in the world and I am so lucky to be able to do it.

So the bike race . . .

Lucky me had Dad and Carrie with me today and when I got there it wasn’t long before I saw Michelle and Sarah Murphy. It had been a while since I had seen Sarah and was great to see her, she is a true legend and I have got to mention her bag! You can tell she has been going to triathlon events for a while with Michelle as Stuart asked for a Tool out popped one from her bag, Michelle asked for safety pins out popped some from her bag. A TRUE LEGEND! So Michelle and myself warmed up on the turbos and then got on with the 50k race, it was about a mile loop, which meant about 31 laps.

I was using this as a good burn up so tried going of the front a few times and was having fun but also trying to stay out of trouble.

There were a few crashes during the race where the race had to get put on hold and re- started, as we were getting to the end of the race with 8 laps go the pace moved up witch to be honest I wish it had happened earlier, with 2 laps to go Stuart told me to just have a go and see if I could get a gap and hopefully Michelle wouldn’t be to far away from me but as I went Michelle was blocked in, I had a bash and got the gap but got caught coming wouldn’t lap to go. It ended with near enough 30 odd women having a bash for the sprint; I was staying well out of that. So I had fun at my first crit race today.

2

My 21st Birthday

So I have the great pleasure of spending my Birthday out in Australia doing what I love and training hard. With an added bonus of spending it with some great people who I just want to say thank you for making my birthday a great 21st. Michelle (the best coach) and some great training partners Stuart and Bex and we were also joined by Spike and Erin both from NZ.

On my birthday day the rain was definitely pouring down as we set out on the bike only to turn around after 10 minutes. So we ended up swimming first and then the sun must of remembered it was my birthday and came out and made it gorgeously hot for the long ride. My legs were not happy to be out but I certainly was.

Then I got to talk to the famo back home which was great, they had also sent me over a moonpig card which was lovely and just having the opportunity to talk to them over skype was perfect. Technology eh!

They had also put up all my birthday cards that I had received back home and put them on the living room table along with 21 big balloons then they took a picture of it and put it on facebook which was such a lovely thought and I loved it!

On the evening Patrick (the saint and the kindest man I know) arranged a fabulous dinner at the Hyatt country club along with his partner Dee who is also a fabulous person. WOW I AM SPOILT, not only by spending my birthday meal at the Hyatt but with the great people too. Great food (the biggest chocolate cake ever) ,the best company equals a great 21st bday night. A quick thank you to my Australian family Patrick, Dee, Michelle, Stuart, Bex, Spike, Erin, Liz for making my 21st a such a great day in Aus.

OK so now I have spoken about my birthday and the celebrations I had I will tell you a little bit about training. I am training very hard out here so when I had a late night at 9.30pm on my birthday so we had to start training a little later than usual. The next day we had to get up an hour later lol the life of a triathlete.

Last week I had Crit and Well I not only have the great advantage of training with Michelle and Stuart, I also was joined by Liz Blatchford and the 2009 World Champion Emma Moffatt. For those who don’t know Crit is a bike race were go go around a loop which takes about 2 and half minutes per lap to get around it . It also contains a dead turn so the power gets put down and a small bridge where there is a slight hill, you go around this loop for 50minutes and then the organizer put up a flag that says 3 laps to go and then it’s a race across the line, its a lot of fun and a great workout.

I have got some really exciting news coming but it will have to wait until my next blog, I don’t want to bore you to much.

xxx

1

To Race Tough You Gotta Train Tough

So I have been out on the gold coast now for 2 weeks and instead of the usually “Balls in the wheelie bin” sessions it feels like its been a balls in the wheelie in non stop! Things have really been ramped up this winter which is exactly what I need to step my performance up this year.

Even though I am not running, swimming and cycling super fast at the minute I am loving training out here. I mean how can you not when the sun is shinning and your doing what you love for a living.

I am doing my training with Stuart Hayes in the swimming pool and running which is great to have an athlete that pushes as hard as you in every session. Stu really drives me through the sessions when I am hurting its great to have someone there going through the pain with you as well but what makes the sessions even better is having the coach on the side lines that knows how each session feels and really understands and gives you the motivation to get through it.

Michelle is not only getting me through the hard swim and run session but in the bike session she is training herself which is great for me as I not only have Stuarts skinny ass to chase but hers also. She is training for the national road race championships and is going very strong.

We did a session around a place called Nerang and it’s a two and a half minute circuit with half of it up hill. when I had to go hard I had Michelle next to me shouting at me to dig in making me push that little bit more. It just shows how strong she is when she is still shouting at you when were both cycling up the hill! But I love it.

I had a quick look at my diary today and notice it was only 8 weeks till Mooloolaba World cup so I best keep working hard.

All the best guys
xxx