Ironman Weymouth 70.3 Race Review

My first 70.3 - Weymouth Race Review

I entered Weymouth back in November 2016, having had a whole a year off racing (mainly duathlons) due to a severe injury. I entered Weymouth as a personal challenge, rather than a race; the distance scared me which is why it appealed. Training had been a little inconsistent in the run up to the event with a flare up of my hip and then a bout of food poisoning which lasted a week, so I didn’t feel the most prepared. 

This was my first Ironman branded event, and to give them credit, they do it very well. We arrived in Weymouth on the Saturday morning and I was impressed that there were no queues to register or rack. The sea looked calm (not for long!)  and I was excited but anxious to start the race.

Race day morning was cold and dark, but I made my way to the start with my head torch on. Within a couple of hours the sun was coming up over the sea and the pros were entering the water. I did a quick warm up, the sea was cold (16 degrees) and very choppy, nothing like the calm, warm(ish) sea I'd recced a few weeks before. I then returned to the start queue with 2600 other athletes, going with the 37min swimmers as I predicted a time of 40ish minutes. It was cold waiting, and I started to regret getting in the sea before!

Standing at the start with the sun coming up I reflect on how lucky I was to be on the start line and to have the support from friends and family. I was also very grateful my Mum had come with me to cheer me on. I started getting excited to start the fun part, the race!

The Swim

The swim can only be described as a washing machine, it was choppy and hard work. The sun was coming up which though very pretty, made sighting a bit tricky. I panicked a few times and I reverted to breaststroke which disappointed me as I knew I could swim the distance, but I was struggling to catch my breath. I emerged feeling very sea sick and cold. However, the spectators, commentator and the crowd as I ran to T1 were amazing!

T1 was a disaster; I think I hold the record for the longest T1 - 13mins 48! Yes, it’s a fairly long run but the problem started when I couldn’t find my bag, it had fallen off its peg, but in the panic, I was sure someone had taken in and charged around the tent. When I eventually found the bag, I was so cold it took me a while to find my bike gear, add some warmer layers and put on my socks. I still don’t understand how it took me 14mins!

The Bike

The bike course is stunning, its undulating with a couple of larger hills. It starts with a long incline which was good for me as I started to warm up and over take a fair few competitors. I was feeling sick from the swim and couldn’t take on any nutrition or water, which was worrying me slightly. As the bike went on and I warmed up I started to really enjoy it, which helped me continue to work my way up through the field, but I knew I had to hold myself back a little as there was still a half marathon to run. The roads were fantastic, being some of the smoothest I’ve ridden in the UK. There’s a large steep hill at mile 38 which is worth knowing about, just after this I had slight gastro problem and after a quick stop I was off again. I then noticed as my feet warmed up I had only put one sock on! Luckily, I had put a fresh pair in my run bag.  As I came into T2, I managed a couple of jelly babies and a glug of water - and hoped I would get around the half marathon.

The Run

T2 was much smoother and with a clean pair of socks and a quick toilet stop I was ready to go. I surprised myself; I felt great! The run is a pan flat 3.5laps along the sea front, which mentally I quite liked. The route is lined by crowds the whole way (apart from about half a km at the end of one lap), which really helped. The sun was out and people were cheering, and telling me I was making it look easy (not sure it felt easy!), and at 10km I finally managed to take on a gel. I was happily sticking at a

pace 4:30-4:45km which was quicker than the plan but I felt good. At 16km doubts started to creep in as this was my longest run for a couple of years, however, with one lap left I held onto the pace and was ecstatic to get onto the iconic Ironman carpet and finish shoot. The feeling coming over line was a mixture of emotion - pleasure, happiness and relief. I had not only completed my challenge but also in a quicker time than I thought. I really enjoyed the challenge of the distance and the variety of training more than duathlons. The organisation, volunteers, crowds and atmosphere in Weymouth were just fantastic, and have left me eager to sign up for my next one!

Stats:

Overall Time: 5hrs 48mins

Swim: 44mins

T1: 13:48!

Bike: 3:06

T2: 4:50

Run: 1:39

 

Would I recommend the race to others? Yes definitely for beginners and experienced athletes. With a hilly bike and flat run it’s a great course.  

So what have I learnt from this race:

1. Sea swims are tough, and there are definitely improvements I can make. Swimming in a lake is great, but it didn't prepare me for the challenge of the sea. 
2. Plan my transitions before as I head to them, leave my shoes on my bike not in the bag to save time walking in cleats.
3. Go to the toilet on the bike, (don’t climb over a farm gate and strip off!)
4. I can still run the distance even if I haven’t done it in training!
5. I can trust my body again, (after a stress fracture, I was constantly   worried  I would repeat it again and every small niggle would make me panic) this proved to me I can do it!
6. I want to enter another!

If you entered I’d like to hear how you found the race so please leave a comment below.

Heather

My Weekend Training with GB Olympic Triathlete Helen Jenkins

Another 5 days later post Bewl and I'm driving to Wales with a bike, wetsuit and training gear squashed into the back of my small Peugeot 107. Ready to embark on a training weekend with Helen Jenkins and her coach and husband; Marc. This was run by Science in Sport, the competition was from Triathlon 220 and I was one of 5 lucky winners.

  

The weekend was fantastic, Friday night was a Meet and Greet with the other lucky winners, SIS  representative  Emma, Helen and her husband/coach an also IC triathlete Mark. Helen brought Welsh cakes which were very tasty and we were all supplied with a SIS endurance pack to help us over the weekend.  

We discussed the weekend. I was a bit worried we wouldn’t be doing much training but I quickly released I was wrong. The schedule went as followed;

 

Saturday:
8am- Park Run
11am - Bike Ride
3pm - Core exercises and stretching,
5pm - Sea Swim

Sunday:
6am - Sea Swim
9am - Bike Ride
10:30am - Brick Run
12pm - Q and As

 

Saturday morning was the Porthcawl 5k, we had a warm up with Helen then headed to the start line. It was busy around 200 competitors but a beautiful course along the sea front. Helen was off and I had no chance of catching, she got a course record of 16:40!! Unbelievable, I was happy with a sub 20 of 19:50.

 

The happy finishers...

 

A quick jog back and breakfast altogether (a full welsh breakfast).  We were off on a 3 hour bike. 47 miles with a lovely challenging Welsh Bryn,this was a good long climb and part of the route was from the famous Dragon Ride. Helen’s friend Darren Pedal Cover Insurance owner and road champion also joined us. Plus we had our own escort, Mark in the van incase we had any mechanicals or needed some assistance! Riding with Helen was great and I picked up lots of tips, I was admiring her Liv bike! She made all the hills look so easy.

 

Upon returning, we relaxed in the sun, learnt some stretching and important core exercises from Helen to prevent injury.

 

We then headed out for a sea swim. Mark and his friend were with us on surf boards. Having never open water swum in the sea, I found it pretty tricky. The sea tastes horrible and the waves are off putting. Mark was very helpful helping me sort out my breathing and giving me tips, while the speedier swimmers stuck with Helen. I made the swim to the other beach but was lucky to head back on the back of Marc's surf board, great fun! The sea was a warming 18  degrees. This was followed by dinner with the Jenkins, where we were chatting about the day.

 



Gotta eat like a champion to be a champion!

Sunday morning 6 am and I'm peeling on a wet wetsuit. This isn't pleasant. We headed down to the beach for a pre breaky swim, meeting Helen, Mark and his very helpful friend at the beach. Some buoys had been set up for a circuit.

 I have to enter the water?

 

Mark coached me for the first half and I was surprised how much better I was. We finished with a race running in and out the water, this was tough on the legs! Must be good strengthening for the quads. After this session we were all starving and headed back to the hotel all together for breakfast.

 

Can we have breakfast now?

We then headed off for an hour's bike, a more relaxed affair and a brick run after. The brick was along the sea front and we kept going as long as we wanted. At an easy pace, I chatted with Helen for a beautiful 10k along the coast. Feeling incredibly lucky to be running alongside a such an inspiring athlete. So as we discussed life and training I was picking up as many tips as I could!

 

All showered and packed we finished the weekend with a chat, questions and answers in the sun. The sun had been shining all weekend in Wales which is a variety! I didn’t want to leave as we said our goodbyes, having met such lovely people over the weekend and enjoying the taste of an Athletes life! Train, eat, train eat, rest…..

 

 

Helen and Mark were two genuine people, kind, helpful and good fun! Emma from SIS was fantastic too. An inspirational lady with a few ironman’s under her belt and no pushing of the brand just helpful nutritional tips throughout the weekend.  Thank you all for such a great weekend! I hope they have another weekend next year I can join!

 

Blenheim Triathon and First Time Triathlete Tips

Blenheim was my third sprint triathlon and after a good open water swimming session with my coach a few days before, I felt fully prepared (or so I thought). I met my friend Sean in the drizzle with high spirits and went into the beautiful palace court yards to where our transition area will be. Bikes racked and wetsuits on, we picked up our swim hats and headed down to the lake. With a motivating briefing (we had to hug the person next to you and cheer), I was pumped up and ready to go!

Swim

A new type of ‘start’ for me; you had to jump off a pontoon into the lake, swim 100m to the centre of the lake and tread water for a few minutes before starting.  I jumped in at the front (not realising how many people were in my wave), which gave me time to acclimatise to the cold. However I had to bob around for a while and as the lake was only around 15degrees I started to get a little chilly.

The whistle went and I went into a steady front crawl for the first 100m. Suddenly the rush of a hundred or so other quick and stronger swimmers charged passed/over me pushing me out to the side and off course! They just kept coming and I lost my rhythm, struggling the rest of the way which was disappointing! Once being hauled out the water by very helpful volunteers, I jogged up a pretty steep hill for about half a km to transition. Passing Sean on the run (he later told me he fell over and hurt his toe exiting the water), T1 was quick. The wetsuit slipped off easily using the Vaseline trick and I avoided the temptation of drying my feet...

Bike

The bike course was fantastic; closed roads, beautiful settings, a fair few hills and the sun came out. I felt like I was flying, overtaking a fair few competitions and even having to shout out a few to move out the way!

After three laps and with a smooth transition, I ran to rack my bike. But I could not find my trainers, and jogged up and down with my bike like a headless chicken! I finally spotted my pink towel and trainers and set off on the run.

Run

The run consisted of a 5.6km (two laps) race; a quick downhill and then a long uphill around the lake. My left leg kept cramping which is strange, and I put it down to the extra effort up the hills on the bike and not drinking any water (silly move!). With a last sprint to the finish I was very pleased to receive my finishers medal! I saw Sean on the last lap of his bike as I was going into the second lap of my run so having crossed the finish line, I cheered him to the finish.

I was slower in the run than at Hyde Park but was pleased to find I got the 3rd quickest bike and run time for women overall, 10th lady and 3rd in my age group with over 1200 women. I'm pretty chuffed as I have put in a lot of work to improve my cycling and Dan’s training programmes are clearly working!

I encourage all ages and levels to give triathlons a try; it really is a sport everyone can enjoy. Especially when you pick a beautiful setting like Blenheim to race in.

Here’s what I have learnt in my first three triathlons, which I hope help you avoid the mistakes I made!

Beginners Tips for your first Triathlon;

1. Practice an open water swim in a wetsuit as much as possible before the event, and if you have time acclimatise in the water (dunk your head under and try and breathe out under water).




Holbourgh Lake (where I've started practising).

  

2. Practice transitions; you can save minutes on a smooth transition and always make sure you have your helmet on before touching the bike!

3. Look for signs/marker to memorise where you rack your bike and remember the row number. Take a bright towel to place your trainers on so you can spot it on return from bike.

4. Wear goggles under your swim hat, not over! This stops other competitors knocking them off in the scrabble! Also spit in your goggles before racing this stops them fogging up.

5. Apply Vaseline on your inner wrists, ankles and neck to stop your wetsuit rubbing. Also apply onto the outside of your wetsuit up from your ankles to knees and wrists to elbows to help it easily slide off.

6. As you exit the water, open the neck of your wetsuit to let the water gush out (this makes it easier to take the top half off when running).

7. Don't dry your feet or bother wearing socks when getting on your bike, your feet will dry on the bike (saving a lot of time).

8. Take water on the bike (this may seem simple but I have forgotten this before and forgotten to drink if I have taken it! Dehydration will not only be detrimental for your run but will also slow down your recovery time after the race).

9. Practice drinking on the bike and how much you drink. I can only sip a small amount regularly or I get a stich on the run!

10.Use elastic laces, when your adrenaline is high and you've leapt of the bike, tying laces is impossible.

11. Save some energy for a sprint finish and enjoy the race, smile at the crowds and if the race is at Blenheim, you’re encouraged to high five the spectators on your run in, which makes you feel pretty cool J

One of the best Holidays I've been on- My Triathlon Training Holiday in the Pyrenees with Embrace Sports

My Triathlon Holiday with Embrace Sports in the Pyrenees.

 

Day 1:

I arrived at the airport at midday and was friendlily greeted by Eric, Neil and Ali from the Embrace team. I was then introduced to the other 15 on the trip, we jumped in the car and drove for just over an hour  to the farmhouse, chatting about our training and forthcoming events on the way.

The farmhouse accommodation is lovely: very vintage, a big kitchen, good sized rooms, a pool and a hot tub to soak our aching muscles in. We arrived in gorgeous weather, those that brought their bikes built them and those renting were set up on our bikes. I was given a great little bike a Planet X full carbon! We then set off on our first introductory ride, there were some very quick and strong riders, but we naturally broke into two groups. The ride was sunny and flat and with only very small hills to warm us up for the mountain the next day. The 18 mile cycle was finished with 4.6k brick run where we all learnt the route so we could do this on our own after each ride. A good afternoon to break us in…

 

 

 

Day 2:

A big day!

We started with breakfast and a bike 101, which I very much needed! Teaching us bike maintenance, how to clean it after sessions, which lubes to use depending on conditions and most importantly how to change a puncture tyre.

 

We then set off to the lake for my first open water swim session, after a briefing everyone shot off across the lake to the rock and back (370m). I seemed to have a bit of a panic attack. I just couldn’t control my breathing, Eric was very good coaching me through it and I finally managed to get my stroke under control. My wetsuit worked well I didn’t feel cold even though it was only 13 degrees c, it was just the breathing in the cold water that I struggled to get my breathe under control. The lake was beautifully clean though and I even spotted  few  fish! My first open water swim experience was most interesting! 

Next..The mountain climb – Col D’Aspin. Overall  44.6 miles /75km and 1490m climbed! The mountain climb was 12km at an average of 6.5% with a max of 10%, climbing 779m. It's strange you set out in the heat and then at the top its freezing. We all waited and cheered each one of us up to the top.   I can’t believe you churn up a hill for over an hour and it takes less than 20 minutes to get back down!

We then finished the ride with our lap of the brick run and a core class. Then a feast on a homemade bbq!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3:

Bike 202! Over breakfast we learnt the basics of riding in a group and tactics up and down hill.

We then set off to the lake again for some more swimming.  I think I was even worse, it was colder and I was still struggling to breathe. Managed two laps in a mix of front crawl and breast stroke, still finding it hard to put my head under.

 

Next a woodland run – a lovely trail run of 6km laps, I aimed to do two but felt so strong (could be to all the great food provided) I managed to complete 3 laps = 18k in a quick 1 hr 21 on trail.  Not bad and the longest I’d run for a while.

 

We finished the day with some transition practice and an easy 25km cycle. Dinner was at a local restaurant

 

Day 4 – Col D’Peyresourde 105km Bike Ride.

 

We left at 9am and the weather was gorgeous. The ride was beautiful through mountains and valleys. We stopped at the famous Tour de France town Luchon at 50km for some coffee. The climb was 15km and we climbed to 1585m. It was hot and tough and took me just over an hour. I also chatted to some French guys as we went up,  as I passed them in the last 2km they shouted “You machine, you machine!”, which gave me the encouragement to do a  little sprint finish. Apparently, they climb that mountain every other week. My cycling could get so strong if I had that option! We then finished the ride by descending the other side of the mountain; totaling 105km in the 26 degree heat. I found it a pretty tough but persevered as to complete the 4.6km brick run. Everyone else was popping on their trainers so I felt obliged!  We returned to the farmhouse about 4pm and chilled by the pool.

We were all pretty knackered by the end of this day, dinner was a lovely feast of homemade thai green curry, vegetable curry, peanut chicken and salad followed by ice cream. Amazing, I must get all their the recipes!

 

Day 5:

Duathlon Day

 

A 5km trail run, 24km cycle, 5km trail run. I really enjoyed this fun event, it gave me a chance to practise my transitions and I achieved a  negative split on the run. The bike was a TT course and in the blistering heat it was tough, but I felt my competitive side kick in and over took Sarah on the last run to be the first lady home!

 

This was followed by a cooling lake swim - with the weather much warmer I managed 4 laps of the lake. I was more relaxed and quite enjoyed it!

 

We then finished the day with a Q and A on triathlon and a core class with Kat which was a great end to a fab day.  Dinner  was then a delicious homemade  French beef stew, salad and potatoes (a healthy version of the dolpinaise potatoes  with crème fresh, asparagus, spices and carrots). Yum!

 

Day 6:

Aquathon Day

Not my favourite day, we started with a sunny 15k ride down to the lake and pulled our partners out a hat. I was glad to be paired with Millie a strong swimmer and runner, the event was a tag style, person 1 swims 400m and then changes out their wetsuit as quick as possible, puts on their running shoes and runs a mile lap before tagging their partner. This is then repeated so we both go twice.  I opted to go first thinking its best to get it done! For some reason in the rush and swim, I just completely lost my breathe couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to drown! As the others speed off I panicked, I just couldn’t get my breathe. Luckily one of the coaches spotted me waving in panic and charged into the lake (no wetsuit!) and calmed me down. I pulled it together and managed to swim the rest of the lap. I then pulled the wetsuit off as quick as possible and charged off onto the run which felt strange in my swimsuit! I managed to catch a few and tagged Millie who caught the rest of the group! Second round went was much better, I was slow but didn’t stop, progress!

 

 

 

We then cycled the next 15km back to the farm house for some well needed R and R and a trip to the chocolatier. We cycled their without our lycra! The chocolates were amazing and it was very interesting to see how they were made. Buying a few treats, we then headed back for some sun, reading and writing by the pool as well as getting our bikes ready for a mammoth ride tomorrow!

 

 

Day 7:

Two mountains 1200ft elevation, 125km covered and a 4.7km brick run after….

This was an epic last day, we set off bright and early in the hope that the weather wouldn’t be too hot when we climbed Tourmalet. The ride planned consisted of the epic Col du Touramlet famous in the Tour de France, a 17.5km climb with an average gradient of 9.9% eek! With an added climb up the other side of Col d’Aspin and a valley ride home.   The first 30k of the ride wasn’t the flattest going over  a couple of 2-3km climbs, then 10km with a 1% up hill gradient to the bottom of Tourmalet. From what I remember the climb itself was tough but with beautiful views and scenery. I followed a very hairy wild donkey for a while at the start which distracted me! We cycled through the French ski resort La Mongie without a stop before the last 5km to the top. The group had opened out and it was just you grinding up the hill against the mountain at a depressingly slow average pace of 6mph. The climb took me 1:47 minutes and its funny how you completely zone out and think about random things like old jokes, the words of a song and I tried to calculate random sums concerning speeds and the minutes left I would be climbing in my head! As you climb higher, you start to see snow at the side of the roads which is surreal considering your body heat is so hot, I was tempted to rock off the side of my bike and fly in the snow piles, I had to take a gel half way through the climb my legs were drained, it made such a difference and I felt quite strong up the last km, reading all the names of the famous cyclists in the road is pretty cool, someone had written “shut up legs” in the last km which made me chuckle! Upon reaching the top the views were astounding and it was such a great feeling of accomplishment. You then suddenly feel rather cold and after a few quick photos, I layered up and started the challenge of the steep and long descent!

 

 

 

 

The rest of the ride consisted of another hard climb up Col’d Aspin, our legs were really feeling it now but the coaches were so encouraging. We also stopped at some shops to refuel, I grabbed a bounty bar and some Haribo, nom nom… 

 

 

It’s crazy how much you need to eat on these rides!   The valley ride home was flat and the coaches were great letting us draft during the tough head winds. Once returning we all went for the routine brick run and collapsed back at the farm house. Time for a quick shower, some well-earned bubbly and a slide show to laugh at a collection of photos the guys had taken during the week.

Dinner was a elegant 3 course meal and wine at a restaurant down the road. It was sad, we were all saying our goodbyes, yet celebrating our amazing achievement of the day. Everyone in the group got on so well and we all had good banter between us. I absolutely loved the holiday and encourage anyone, whatever training level to go. As well as great training, it was relaxing and fun. As soon as I can I will be booking next years with Embrace sports and cannot wait for the season to start….