At the end of 2006 season, I considered rowing for another season but decided to concentrate on triathlon instead with the following goals:

1. Train for triathlon all year long (not just summer or when injured from rowing)
2. Qualify for Age Group Olympic Worlds for Ireland
3. Race at Worlds and finish in top 20 in my age group

There was no mention about going longer distance, not even a thought of it. People who did that were weird – amazing but weird. I was an Olympic Distance Triathlete. Full Stop. However, after a long but consistent (and injury free) winters training, great wedding and even better honeymoon in New Zealand, I arrived back in UK ready to start sharpening up and doing some speed work for Olympic Distance.

Then I got asked to work at the Rowing World Championships in Munich for GB Rowing – this threw me. Inside I am shouting “Yes please” and the other little voice is going “ahem – small matter of the dates…..”. Rowing Worlds – Sept 2-3rd (and that’s before getting into the pre-worlds training camps I would be expected to cover as part of the deal), Olympic Triathlon Worlds – Sept 3rd, Hamburg. Arse – same country, sadly same day. I went home that night and sat on sofa with my husband. There was no question of me turning down GB Rowing – this is what I do and thrive on – they are the real athletes, the elite, the Olympians. However, I had set my heart on representing my country as an Age Group athlete – there must be a way.

So out came the BTA handbook and I spotted the Long Distance Champs – in July. Only 10 weeks away but before I had to go on any camps. This was ideal, I thought I can do this instead, I happily announced to my poor bemused husband. “It’s only double the distance and I have a good Winter Base of training – how hard can it be?. I’m sure I saw his eyes roll upwards at this point. Being the fantastic supportive husband that he is, he didn’t rain on my parade by pointing out I had NEVER done a race at this distance before and I wanted to do the Worlds. “I’m all slow twitch fibres” I continued, “I will probably be better at this distance anyway”. He didn’t look convinced but wisely kept quiet and nodded.

And so began the next phase of training. Time for some research into training programs, find a race to try out and see if I could go the distance (not yet properly appreciated by me) and try to find a coach. This was new territory and I needed someone who knew what they were talking about. Plenty of experience at SAUK to learn from too, how could I fail!

Well, finding a coach took longer than I wanted. I thought I had found one but he let me down. No worries, still 8 weeks to go and not yet time to sharpen so happy to provide my own from personal knowledge. Some longer swims, rides and runs all thrown in the mix (not all at once I might add). Time to try out a race – Marazion Middle Distance.

I learned a lot at Marazion and as those I spoke to afterwards will know, I suffered bad on the run. Swim and bike were good but legs died at 8km into the run and the next 12km was the most excruciating experience I have ever experienced in a race. I nearly quit but 2 things kept me going:

• My husband didn’t travel all the way to Cornwall to watch me not finish
• Robbie Ricc certainly wouldn’t quit (all those articles and reports kept coming to mind)

So I dug deep and somehow got to the finish, managing to curb the overwhelming urge I had to steal a toddler's jelly sweets from his hands as I passed.. In the next few weeks I quizzed everyone on fuelling strategies (as my physiologist colleague would call it). My old nemesis “gels” came up time and time again. There was nothing for it but to teach my stomach to tolerate them once and for all as I never wanted to have that feeling in my legs ever again! Oh, I finished 5th female in 5:22 so not all bad (even got a mention in 220!).

In the next few weeks, I found a fantastic coach (Andrew Potter), who immediately got what I wanted and provided me with a brilliant training program. Without this I would have been lost. I also found (after extensive research), I could tolerate SIS Orange gels – Thanks to Karen and Peter for their help and advice on this. The next 6 weeks saw me follow my program, persist with the gels, feel pretty tired but getting stronger and more confident. I prepared meticulously for my race of the season – apologies for my absence on club sessions but with work commitments and racing I was rarely around at weekends and when I was, I went into solo mode. I had to race alone so I wanted to prepare my mind for the experience too (and legs on the bike!).

Before I knew it, I was packing up my bike and racing to the airport (why does it always take longer than you think to get bike in box!). Made it in time and met up with some Ful-on-Tri members and also another Team Ireland member, Nick, also travelling from the UK and also randomly, a physiotherapist! We arrived in Nantes to glorious sunshine and 30º C and got our hire car and drove the 2.5 hours to Lorient. After the scenic route around Lorient, finally found hotel, bike put together and bed.

After breakfast the next morning, it was time to go and register. We walked out the door to find it was chucking it down with rain! Got registered and got a look at entries in my age group – 23. Not bad – aiming for top 10. Took a spin out to transition/race area to check it out (will remember to tighten handlebars properly the next time!). Flat swim with a pontoon to be negotiated mid race – up and over! A very long transition – my rack wayyyyyyyyyy down the end near the exit and just past the portaloos! At least it would be easy to find. Then to the race briefing where they went to great lengths to tell us they would be severely punishing drafting and demonstrating the required 10m distance. Lots of murmurs of discontent. The bike was going to be 76km rather than 80km. No murmurs of discontent. They also went over the race start schedule – all age groupers starting in groups 2 mins apart with everyone off within 10 mins! I look around the room and it’s full of people with IM kit and IM tattoos and just generally looking hard! Being more of a Jellywoman than Ironman, I started to wonder how I had got myself here in the first place and the nerves began to kick in!

The Swim
Packed my race bag that evening and got to bed very early and surprisingly, I had little trouble sleeping. Managed to get breakfast down before my nerves really started. I had an hour after racking the bike to sit, read my book and relax. Before I knew it, time to suit up and wait in the holding pen for the swim. The swim was a 2 lap effort with the climb up and over the pontoon in the middle. The water was flat and warm but salty as it was an inlet from the sea. It was also a total wrestling match, especially around the buoys. I managed to survive lap 1 relatively unscathed but still surrounded by people – wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or bad. For once, my sighting seemed good and I negotiated the pontoon at mid way ok.

I chose to jump in the other side – others dived, bellyflopped and even a couple of peopled bombed in. The 2nd lap was no better – still a fight to get around buoys without being dunked, hit or plain drowned. Well, it kept the adrenalin going, that’s for sure. Mid-way, someone tried to pull me under twice as we approached a buoy. They nearly succeeded but instinct made me deliver a kick to a very soft area – funnily enough no further drowning attempts from that person. At the pontoon for swim exit, I beached myself whale-style which was surprisingly effective on the floating ramp. Run to T1 gave me plenty of time to start taking off wet suit. Mild panic in T1 when I couldn’t find my helmet and race number (someone had knocked it onto the ground), but I was soon off on my bike and straight up the hill out of transition. Iain told me from outside T1 that I was on 55 mins – considering the long transition, I was very happy with that.

The Bike
The bike was predictably a draft-fest. It was a relatively flat and fast course on closed roads along the coast with a few gentle ups and downs and a steeper hill near the turn-around point. There were lots of motorbike referees but that didn’t seem to bother the drafting groups. In the first few kms of bike, you had little choice as everyone started to bunch up. I made a break and found some space – drafting is my biggest bug bear in triathlon. I settled into my tri bars and enjoyed the bike. On lap 2, I began to worry that I was pushing too hard but then the Kiwi battle commenced! First, 2 Kiwi chicks passed me taking turns on each others wheels. Clearly team drafting – grrr and a burst of adrenaline. I gained on them again and pushed past and stayed past.

Then another Kiwi chick started to do the bunny hop thing…speed up, overtake and then slow down. This happened a couple of times and I got bored of dropping back and then re-overtaking, it was ruining my rhythm. Next time she tried to overtake, I didn’t let her. She came again, I pushed and she dropped onto my wheel and stayed there for a little while. Then I heard the motorbike engine, the whistle and I didn’t see her again. Pesky Kiwis! Suddenly, I am heading towards T2 and I suddenly notice the gentle ups and downs on bike were hills on the run as they shared part of the course – in fact the run didn’t seem to have any flat bits at all. Then there was the steep uphill in towards the start/finish area. This run could bite hard, I thought but I had fuelled well on the bike and was feeling strong and confident.

The Run
Running down T2, I got a stitch but on a positive, I had easily found my running legs by the time I had racked my bike. A quick loo stop and I was off on Lap 1 of 3. I had decided to take lap 1 of the run relatively easy and scope out the ups and downs. Up the big hill feeling good, round the side of transition and along the lake to start lap 2. The sun was hot, the wind was strong but the drinks stations frequent and I tipped bottles of water over me to keep cool and it worked well. Iain was 300m up the road at top of a small rise and was great to see him – picked up a drinks bottle I had left with him, took some juice and left it with a random GB supporter further down the road.

Still feeling good, then I got passed by a flying Ful-on-Tri girl we had met on the plane – we exchanged supportive banter. At the half-way point, gel time! Stomach thought about cramping but I had words with it and it played the game! Up the big hill at the end of Lap 2 with a Canadian bloke on his last lap, am still going strong, legs still with me! A French girl had collapsed half way up the hill and was receiving oxygen – at least I did’t feel that bad. More cheers for Ireland from US, GB, Cananda, France, Australia and of course a few Irish supporters.

At the end of lap 2 with hairs standing up on my neck and feeling good, I started to push on. Picked up my drink from GB guy and took my last fuel. Onwards to home – legs start to go on return leg but I’m almost home and dry, nothing can stop me now. Up the hill for the last time and there’s another Kiwi girl in front. I focus on her, gain and as the line comes into view, I attack for the last time. She has nothing left and I cross the line, very tired but very happy. I have had a good race and pushed myself as hard as possible but not had the Marazion feeling. My stomach gains revenge in the next hour with frequent full-on cramping but I don’t care – it behaved during the race and that’s all that mattered.

Team Ireland gathers around – some had good races, some not so good. I was the sole female representative but we reasoned that made me best in Ireland at this distance so all good! We arranged to meet in the pub later on and headed back to the hotel for a very welcome shower, sleep and food. A great night followed, meeting triathletes from all over the world. I had to feel sorry for one of the Kiwi guys: the time trial bike that he had couriered from the UK never arrived and he raced on his regular road bike, missing 3rd place by 2 seconds!

I really enjoyed my International racing experience and as I travelled back the following day my memories were of a very colourful event, very well organised (despite starting times) fantastic support along the course, well marshalled with friendly competitors and supporters alike. I certainly never felt like one of the smaller nations there – everyone seemed to cheer Ireland on. I was personally very pleased to achieve my goals and was 10 mins off bronze. For the record:

Distances: Swim 3K, Bike 76K, Run 20K.

My thanks to all at SAUK for advice on training, fuelling etc and to my coach Andrew who I can highly recommend if you looking for one next year. I will put his details on the forum. I know I wouldn’t have felt so strong without his program, advice and weekly chats to check on how things were going.

And so, my perception of training has changed. I fear I am more suited to middle distance than Olympic but I still love the buzz and burn of Olympic distance and know I will continue to do both (in fact, I raced one the following weekend in Scotland – very tough course and cold as anything but managed a 4th place). Sadly, I now have to leave my bike at home for a month as I head off with the rowing squad – not sure how I will cope but I will soon start planning my next challenge. Watch this space…..

One thing I did notice in Lorient– no SA competitors. What are you waiting for – next year it’s Holland – hope to see you there ?

Photos on Facebook here.