What have I been doing?
So, following the World Championships in Hyde Park in London
September 2013 I made the decision to go long.
Not fully long yet but half way there to Half Ironman or 70.3
distance. Having relocated to
Gloucestershire I was apprehensive about where was I going to find a coach,
which tri club should I join and where and when am I going to train. My new job as a Head and Neck Cancer
Specialist required me to commute to Oxford which meant early starts and late
finishes. I was shattered and seeing less and less of my children and
husband. The jobs itself was incredibly
rewarding and I learnt loads doing it but it was tough combining it with my
family.
I found myself a new coach in the form of a very great friend, phenomenal triathlete and fellow Tri2O member, Callum Hughes. Not only is he hugely knowledgeable and a great inspiration but he just gets it and he gets me. A perfect combination of skills that every athlete strives to find and I am lucky enough to say I have found it in Callum. Callum emailed me programmes weekly checking up on how I felt and made sure it fitted into my crazy life.
All was going really well and training progressing and then in November I picked up an ear infection. I felt well in myself so continued to train. I had planned to meet another great friend and master of all things related to the body with regards to strength and conditioning – Aynsley Fry from Gecko Fitness on the Wednesday. On the Tuesday I went for a run and then the thing that most runners or triathletes dread happened – I fractured my left foot. As a physiotherapist I knew immediately what I had done. Unable to weight bear I had to hop from where I was back to my car and then drive 2 hours from Oxford back to Cheltenham in agony.
When I returned home and took my shoe off there a bruise right over my second metatarsal and swelling was immediate. A and E confirmed it was indeed a fracture and I was advised to treat it conservatively in a boot rather than immobilise it. In hindsight I wish that they had plastered it up.
Any athlete will understand that when a doctor or physiotherapist says you can’t train or work – that’s not going to happen. Or maybe that is just me?? Stubborn as always I continued to drive to work (by removing the boot obviously), work on the wards with crutches and a boot on. I was unable to continue my clinical work which killed me, but I tried where possible to help out – not a wise decision. I tried to train with my boot on, on the turbo and cross trainer but in vain. The foot continued to swell and be painful and I was becoming increasingly frustrated.
On countless occasions I returned to fracture clinic to be told “no sorry it is still not healing”. At one point I was even asked if I had been dancing on it – to which I replied of course not. I danced on one leg by hopping at the work Christmas do – didn’t I Leigh-Anne??. No damage done.
Having been told it would take 6 weeks to heal and we were now 3 months down the line, you can imagine what this was doing to me psychologically and my goal to do well in my first Half Ironman – Grafman Middle Distance National Championships on the 8th June 2014 was slowly disappearing.
Two lessons to be learnt. If are you an active person and you experience a stress fracture and you know you won’t rest – get them to plaster it up even just for a brief time scale or do as you are told and rest it! Also when you are told 6-8 weeks don’t believe it, it will only disappoint you when it is not better at that time.
Being a physiotherapist I researched stress fractures of the second metatarsal in footballers, a common injury, and discovered that the time scale that was recommended was actually double in reality plus some. The foot is prone to small vibrations which makes these types of fractures heal slower so therefore in my eyes these fractures need a degree of immobility and definitely rest! Whoops.
I found myself a new coach in the form of a very great friend, phenomenal triathlete and fellow Tri2O member, Callum Hughes. Not only is he hugely knowledgeable and a great inspiration but he just gets it and he gets me. A perfect combination of skills that every athlete strives to find and I am lucky enough to say I have found it in Callum. Callum emailed me programmes weekly checking up on how I felt and made sure it fitted into my crazy life.
All was going really well and training progressing and then in November I picked up an ear infection. I felt well in myself so continued to train. I had planned to meet another great friend and master of all things related to the body with regards to strength and conditioning – Aynsley Fry from Gecko Fitness on the Wednesday. On the Tuesday I went for a run and then the thing that most runners or triathletes dread happened – I fractured my left foot. As a physiotherapist I knew immediately what I had done. Unable to weight bear I had to hop from where I was back to my car and then drive 2 hours from Oxford back to Cheltenham in agony.
When I returned home and took my shoe off there a bruise right over my second metatarsal and swelling was immediate. A and E confirmed it was indeed a fracture and I was advised to treat it conservatively in a boot rather than immobilise it. In hindsight I wish that they had plastered it up.
Any athlete will understand that when a doctor or physiotherapist says you can’t train or work – that’s not going to happen. Or maybe that is just me?? Stubborn as always I continued to drive to work (by removing the boot obviously), work on the wards with crutches and a boot on. I was unable to continue my clinical work which killed me, but I tried where possible to help out – not a wise decision. I tried to train with my boot on, on the turbo and cross trainer but in vain. The foot continued to swell and be painful and I was becoming increasingly frustrated.
On countless occasions I returned to fracture clinic to be told “no sorry it is still not healing”. At one point I was even asked if I had been dancing on it – to which I replied of course not. I danced on one leg by hopping at the work Christmas do – didn’t I Leigh-Anne??. No damage done.
Having been told it would take 6 weeks to heal and we were now 3 months down the line, you can imagine what this was doing to me psychologically and my goal to do well in my first Half Ironman – Grafman Middle Distance National Championships on the 8th June 2014 was slowly disappearing.
Two lessons to be learnt. If are you an active person and you experience a stress fracture and you know you won’t rest – get them to plaster it up even just for a brief time scale or do as you are told and rest it! Also when you are told 6-8 weeks don’t believe it, it will only disappoint you when it is not better at that time.
Being a physiotherapist I researched stress fractures of the second metatarsal in footballers, a common injury, and discovered that the time scale that was recommended was actually double in reality plus some. The foot is prone to small vibrations which makes these types of fractures heal slower so therefore in my eyes these fractures need a degree of immobility and definitely rest! Whoops.
Getting increasingly frustrated, a physiotherapy colleague of mine mentioned trying to find an Alter G, anti-gravity treadmill which allows you to run but with reduced body weight, perfect for fractures that require a balance between immobility and weight bearing stress to lay down new bone. I searched for one local to where I live and found one at The Gym, Cheltenham owned by Dan Fivey.
A fantastic invention used by top footballers and rugby players to aid rehabilitation. Its benefits are great and the endorphin rush I got when I first used it was brilliant. I now advocate its use for multiple reasons – OA, weight loss, people with cancer who have fragile bones due to treatments or lesions, people who have had strokes plus many other conditions and I have since discovered it is also beneficial for speed work to improve running times. Dan also has a sprung floor matt which proved useful too. His gym also contains a Watt bike and a number of other exiting gadgets we triathletes love! Definitely worth coming down and taking a look.
So my training consisted of anti-gravity treadmill work, turbos when comfortable (often in the boot) and lots of pull buoy work in the pool. My arms were getting bigger and stronger and my times dropping in the pool even if I was beginning to look like Popeye. I am never one to stop something, just work out how to adapt it or cross train if unable.
5 months post initial fracture I begun to start running again slowly at first and working up to more distance with the help of Callum’s programmes. Dan and I became good friends and are now business partners helping to give people who have had a cancer diagnosis back their quality of life through manual treatments in my case, exercise and advice. Combining my physiotherapy skills in this area and Dan’s expertise in personal training we make a good team. Things happen for a reason and maybe this was my reason for my fracture, who knows.
Training picked up and all was going well and alongside my training programme I started some TRX sessions with Dan. I quit the NHS after 14 years after being offered a job opportunity at the Cotswold Physiotherapy Clinic to set up privately in Cheltenham, close to home and my family. I had started an NHS service for those living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis and I intended to do the same in Gloucestershire.
The week leading up to the Grafman was as always busy. I started my first Breast Cancer Recovery group at Maggie’s, Cheltenham in partnership with the NHS, Heidi’s Heroes and Maggie’s which went brilliantly, I attended University over two days, had a busy clinic and then on Friday facilitated a survivorship day for people who had had Head and Neck Cancer, in Oxford, which proved to be incredibly informative. I spent the week tapering so that I was ready to race on the Sunday.
On Saturday my husband finished work at lunch time, we ate lunch, packed the car and said goodbye to my children and my mum who had offered to look after them for the weekend. To say I was grateful was an understatement. Without her I would not have been able to race effectively and the children would have driven my husband crazy. Trying to focus with four small children is also no mean feat.
We arrived at Grafham Waters in Cambridge in time to register, view the swim, transition and drive the bike route – something I always try and do. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and an early night. I woke at 5am and ate my usual rice pudding. Amazingly I managed it okay as normally I can’t eat it due to nerves. We arrived on time to put the bike into transition, do a quick turbo warm up and swim warm up. Normally when the kids are in tow we arrive at the race just on time and have to run to the swim whilst putting hats and googles on at the same time as entering the water.
The swim was a double loop one larger and one smaller with a run around an island and back in again. It felt comfortable and strong, unlike most of my other previous races. For that I thank Callum for his brilliant programme and also all the pull buoy work when I was injured. I struggled with my googles leaking and fogging up so I did have to stop several times and do breaststroke but I finished the swim in 29 minutes. Onto the bike, a fantastic 90km fast bike course. I struggled towards the end, possibly due to the heat and a lack of nutrition as I had never cycled this distance with the need to pack in the amount of nutrition required to get me through the 90km and half marathon at the end. Next time I think a little extra may be required – can’t believe I am sitting here with DOMS in my thighs saying next time!
I tried to ensure I paced the bike at the right heart rate as instructed by Callum and did well until my rival competition passed me at 30km – Libby Free, a phenomenal athlete. I tried to stick with her for as long as I could but just couldn’t stick with her towards the end. Bike leg was completed in 2hrs 38. Onto the run and my legs just didn’t work. I had only raced this distance once before a year earlier and as training had gone to pot with my fracture I had not yet reached this distance in training either so I was very apprehensive. All I can say is I just held on and did a lot of talking to myself to ensure I kept going. Callum had advised me to walk the fuel stations and I started off trying not to stop to keep my rhythm going but half way through I had to give in and walk through them to properly hydrate and throw water on myself. It was so hot and my legs were starting to give on me. I kept running though and never gave up finishing in 1.41 for the half marathon giving me a total time of 4 hours 51. Fifth fastest lady and second in age 35-39, 89th out of 428 men and women.
I was elated to have completed my first half ironman and celebrated with my husband and to have come second in my age group was amazing. Results then came through that the first lady in my age group Libby Free was not under Tri England meaning that I was National Champion for aged 35-39 and somehow winner of Vet 30 for the event! To say I was shocked and delighted was an understatement.
A massive thank you has to go my coach Callum Hughes – you are truly a legend, to my husband Dave who is always there for me supporting me and putting up with hangry (hungry and angry combined) tantrums and my children. Also to my mum who put up with room tidying and moths all weekend – you are amazing. I must also thank Dan for the use of his gym and his expertise on the TRX, Pete Hooper the Manager at Up and Running for my lovely pink shoes and nutrition bits and bobs. Ben Hooper who despite training to swim the Atlantic in November 2015 supports my moaning and promotes my training and racing wherever possible and to all my friends and the rest of my family for putting up with my crazy self in general and my constant facebook and twitter posts about training, kids, work and uni.
So, what’s next for me? Now a member of Tri Team Glos I plan to compete at the National Championship relays in August, complete a 440 mile bike ride over two days with hubby, run the Great North Run for a great charity called Odyssey which provides a challenging experience for those following a cancer diagnosis, the Cheltenham Sprint and hopefully qualify for the Middle distance European Championships in Mallorca on the 18th October 2014.
Now the training begins!
On Saturday my husband finished work at lunch time, we ate lunch, packed the car and said goodbye to my children and my mum who had offered to look after them for the weekend. To say I was grateful was an understatement. Without her I would not have been able to race effectively and the children would have driven my husband crazy. Trying to focus with four small children is also no mean feat.
We arrived at Grafham Waters in Cambridge in time to register, view the swim, transition and drive the bike route – something I always try and do. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and an early night. I woke at 5am and ate my usual rice pudding. Amazingly I managed it okay as normally I can’t eat it due to nerves. We arrived on time to put the bike into transition, do a quick turbo warm up and swim warm up. Normally when the kids are in tow we arrive at the race just on time and have to run to the swim whilst putting hats and googles on at the same time as entering the water.
The swim was a double loop one larger and one smaller with a run around an island and back in again. It felt comfortable and strong, unlike most of my other previous races. For that I thank Callum for his brilliant programme and also all the pull buoy work when I was injured. I struggled with my googles leaking and fogging up so I did have to stop several times and do breaststroke but I finished the swim in 29 minutes. Onto the bike, a fantastic 90km fast bike course. I struggled towards the end, possibly due to the heat and a lack of nutrition as I had never cycled this distance with the need to pack in the amount of nutrition required to get me through the 90km and half marathon at the end. Next time I think a little extra may be required – can’t believe I am sitting here with DOMS in my thighs saying next time!
I tried to ensure I paced the bike at the right heart rate as instructed by Callum and did well until my rival competition passed me at 30km – Libby Free, a phenomenal athlete. I tried to stick with her for as long as I could but just couldn’t stick with her towards the end. Bike leg was completed in 2hrs 38. Onto the run and my legs just didn’t work. I had only raced this distance once before a year earlier and as training had gone to pot with my fracture I had not yet reached this distance in training either so I was very apprehensive. All I can say is I just held on and did a lot of talking to myself to ensure I kept going. Callum had advised me to walk the fuel stations and I started off trying not to stop to keep my rhythm going but half way through I had to give in and walk through them to properly hydrate and throw water on myself. It was so hot and my legs were starting to give on me. I kept running though and never gave up finishing in 1.41 for the half marathon giving me a total time of 4 hours 51. Fifth fastest lady and second in age 35-39, 89th out of 428 men and women.
I was elated to have completed my first half ironman and celebrated with my husband and to have come second in my age group was amazing. Results then came through that the first lady in my age group Libby Free was not under Tri England meaning that I was National Champion for aged 35-39 and somehow winner of Vet 30 for the event! To say I was shocked and delighted was an understatement.
A massive thank you has to go my coach Callum Hughes – you are truly a legend, to my husband Dave who is always there for me supporting me and putting up with hangry (hungry and angry combined) tantrums and my children. Also to my mum who put up with room tidying and moths all weekend – you are amazing. I must also thank Dan for the use of his gym and his expertise on the TRX, Pete Hooper the Manager at Up and Running for my lovely pink shoes and nutrition bits and bobs. Ben Hooper who despite training to swim the Atlantic in November 2015 supports my moaning and promotes my training and racing wherever possible and to all my friends and the rest of my family for putting up with my crazy self in general and my constant facebook and twitter posts about training, kids, work and uni.
So, what’s next for me? Now a member of Tri Team Glos I plan to compete at the National Championship relays in August, complete a 440 mile bike ride over two days with hubby, run the Great North Run for a great charity called Odyssey which provides a challenging experience for those following a cancer diagnosis, the Cheltenham Sprint and hopefully qualify for the Middle distance European Championships in Mallorca on the 18th October 2014.
Now the training begins!
The World Triathlon Championships 2013 - Hyde Park London
Wow what an event and lead up to it. In true Lait (and to be fair Sherman) style the lead up to the Worlds proved to be incredibly busy and packed full. I managed to train hard and consistently and my times were coming down in all three disciplines. I even practised lots of transitions thanks to my friend and ex work colleague James - thanks for putting up with my girls squeals around Sainsbury's car park! I was feeling fit and ready to compete. I had even, in contrast to last year, managed some regular lake swims and was starting to build my dwindling confidence in open water. I love pool swims and can pull off times in the pool that seem to disappear as soon as i hit the open water. Not sure why but needs lots of work.
Then in my taper week - planned that way of course, my family and I relocated,from Reading to Gloucester. We bought a house, cleared a house, unpacked a house and then went back twice to make sure the old house was tidy enough. We were shattered. Having moved to Gloucester I joined some swim sessions with Tri Team Glos and searched in vain for a local pool that was open later than 7:30pm (essential with jobs and children) to continue my training sessions. I just happened to find myself joining Cheltenham Ladies College sports centre where I spent many years at school captaining the school swim team. I also discovered the hills on the bike! A huge difference to the rides I was used to. Hubby started his new job, the children their new school and I embarked on my crazy commute starting at 5:30am to get to Oxford for my new job as a Head and Neck Cancer Specialist Physiotherapist. I was feeling fit, strong and ready to take on the Worlds.
The weekend before the Worlds my husband completed the Challenge Henley Half Ironman. It was a long and tiring weekend but worth it to watch my husband complete an incredible goal for him. I was so proud of him for finishing. Monday came and he suddenly went down with a horrific tummy bug which was destined to wreak havoc in our family and put a serious threat to me competing at the Worlds. We assumed it was from the Thames until on the Thursday - four days before the Worlds, I went down with it, shortly followed by my two eldest sons, my daughter and finally my youngest son. I had planned to head to London on the thursday night but had neither the energy or desire to move anywhere. I was also due to organise a group physiotherapy photo for our magazine Frontline but I felt so terrible I was unable to do so. I apologise to all those I let down with this.
I headed to London on the Friday morning to register and for the GB photo with nothing in my stomach and still feeling pretty horrendous. I am not quite sure how I managed to get myself there and sit through the briefing but I am very grateful to my mum and sister Georgia who were amazing and a huge help. I missed the photo as I couldn't muster up the energy to walk the distance and chose to spend a lovely afternoon in the Serpentine Cafe with a friend who kept me sane and off my feet (as one of our previous rowing coaches used to say prior to racing) and kept trying to feed me cake to give me back my racing spirit. The weather was awful and wet and the ground really muddy. I had total respect to all those guys doing the sprint distance. Well done to you all for coping with such hideous conditions. Apparently 20 people were hospitalised with broke bones coming off their bikes and slipping in transition. I may be British but my confidence on the bike in the wet is still being worked on and it was somewhat nerve wracking wondering whether we would have similar or even as forecasted - worse conditions.
Saturday was spent wondering whether I would actually make it to the race start whilst I watched the Elite women on television and a number of detective programmes trying to conserve my energy. I had managed to eat a pizza the night before but all I seemed to want was chips and full fat coke which, for those of you who know me know I would never touch full fat coke normally and chips were not a normal component of my diet! I was trying to force feed myself to ensure if I made it to the race I would at least have some energy to compete. I managed a very gentle swim and then waited for my husband to arrive ready for bike racking at 6pm. I racked the bike and did a quick check of the swim, bike in and out with a fellow tri2o colleague and friend Harriet and noted the slippery state of transition. The atmosphere was amazing with so many athletes from across the globe all patriotic with their team kit. Time to have more chips, jump in the bath and then head for an early night.
5am my alarm went off. We had to be out of transition before 6:30am when it shut despite my race scheduled for 10:20am. I arrived in transition in the dark with all my bits and bobs. I arranged them by my bike and then headed for somewhere warm to sit for 4 hrs. Then the news came the the swim had been cut to 750m - not something you want to hear as a swimmer! Competitors around me, swimmers alike were not happy. It would become a runners race without the full swim and quite a disadvantage if you were a strong swimmer but it was the athletes safety that was paramount so fair dos. I met loads of amazing athletes of varied ages preparing to race whilst I was waiting and tried in vain to get some breakfast into me. The swim waves started, cyclists set off and the runners flew past the window of the cafe I was sitting in.
Then it was my turn. My hubby helped me get my wetsuit on - a tradition, and then we lined up in the holding box, on the pontoon and we were off, all 116 of us. For once my swim seemed to go well, I didn't get lost, I followed the buoys, i didn't do breaststroke and I didn't crash into anything - things that normally happen. Transition seemed miles away and definitely caused me to lose some places. In overall places in the women (of all ages from 18 - 80) I came out of the water 195 (out of approximately 700) and left transition in 218th whoops! Definitely an area that needs some serious work. I had survived the swim- just the cycle and run to go. The bike ride was picturesque and an incredible experience. My mind was focused on driving hard and making up as many places as I could as I knew given how I felt my run may well end up as a slow one or a walk. I would finish even if I crawled. My stomach was hurting but I just kept going trying to pick off as many athletes as I could. I gained places on the flat but lost some on the corners - not something I am blessed with being good at having taken up cycling only 2 years ago. The ride back from tower bridge was windy and there were a number of occasions my bike nearly toppled and my legs hurt a lot as I pushed through the head wind. Back to transition 2 and I had made up a lot of places coming in at 134th. Transition 2 was as slow as the first one and I came out in 155th place - another whoops. Looking back at my bike I realised I had not taken on any water or fuel as my energy gels are mixed with my water. This was in part due to the technical nature of the course but also because I still felt so sick.
Last part was the run. All I had to do now was hold on and keep the legs turning. My watch had not picked up speed so i was going by heart rate and feel - again, not being a runner this did not come naturally. My focus was no longer about doing a good time but just finishing. My stomach was cramping, my left Achilles aching and my right hip stabbing - all signs for me that I was lacking in fuel and obviously still ill. I stuck by another GB competitor for the first two laps and that and the crowd and my amazing family kept me going. Last lap and I knew all I had to do was hold on, I could walk or crawl if I had to but I was not going to stop having come this far. My lips and fingers started to tingle, I was getting pins and needles in them and my legs felt detached from my body. Another competitor said she saw my legs go. I had no control over them and it was surreal how when your body is failing your mind is so powerful in keeping the wheels in motion. I was overtaken at the last minute by a GB athlete. I normally have a sprint finish but there was just nothing left to get her back. I grabbed a flag and crossed the finish line with sheer delight that I had managed to complete what had looked impossible 2hrs 11 mins previously.
I finished 15th Brit and 26th in my category 180th in the women. I was disappointed not to have come higher up in the placings of the Brits but I had finished despite feeling hideous. My swim worked, my bike I pushed hard and my run i held on for dear life all on half a tin of rice pudding and one energy gel. Not bad going if I say so myself all things considered. As usual lots of personal learning points to take forward into next year. At the finish line one of the GB athletes said a unforgettable thing - she said, "the lovely thing about this age group is hearing children from all around the course shouting come on mummy." If you can go through childbirth you can go through anything and the strength that both going through labour and the love, support and smiles your children and family give you deserves as much credit as completing the race itself. Thank you to everyone who helped me get through not just the race but the preparation phase too you have all been amazing.
It is now time to get back to my family and enjoy my daughters 5th birthday next weekend, return to my new job and get stuck in on the wards, start a masters at Southampton University in Clinical Leadership in Cancer, palliative care and end of life and get on with preparing to potential go long and complete a 70.3. Bring on the Winter training
Wow what an event and lead up to it. In true Lait (and to be fair Sherman) style the lead up to the Worlds proved to be incredibly busy and packed full. I managed to train hard and consistently and my times were coming down in all three disciplines. I even practised lots of transitions thanks to my friend and ex work colleague James - thanks for putting up with my girls squeals around Sainsbury's car park! I was feeling fit and ready to compete. I had even, in contrast to last year, managed some regular lake swims and was starting to build my dwindling confidence in open water. I love pool swims and can pull off times in the pool that seem to disappear as soon as i hit the open water. Not sure why but needs lots of work.
Then in my taper week - planned that way of course, my family and I relocated,from Reading to Gloucester. We bought a house, cleared a house, unpacked a house and then went back twice to make sure the old house was tidy enough. We were shattered. Having moved to Gloucester I joined some swim sessions with Tri Team Glos and searched in vain for a local pool that was open later than 7:30pm (essential with jobs and children) to continue my training sessions. I just happened to find myself joining Cheltenham Ladies College sports centre where I spent many years at school captaining the school swim team. I also discovered the hills on the bike! A huge difference to the rides I was used to. Hubby started his new job, the children their new school and I embarked on my crazy commute starting at 5:30am to get to Oxford for my new job as a Head and Neck Cancer Specialist Physiotherapist. I was feeling fit, strong and ready to take on the Worlds.
The weekend before the Worlds my husband completed the Challenge Henley Half Ironman. It was a long and tiring weekend but worth it to watch my husband complete an incredible goal for him. I was so proud of him for finishing. Monday came and he suddenly went down with a horrific tummy bug which was destined to wreak havoc in our family and put a serious threat to me competing at the Worlds. We assumed it was from the Thames until on the Thursday - four days before the Worlds, I went down with it, shortly followed by my two eldest sons, my daughter and finally my youngest son. I had planned to head to London on the thursday night but had neither the energy or desire to move anywhere. I was also due to organise a group physiotherapy photo for our magazine Frontline but I felt so terrible I was unable to do so. I apologise to all those I let down with this.
I headed to London on the Friday morning to register and for the GB photo with nothing in my stomach and still feeling pretty horrendous. I am not quite sure how I managed to get myself there and sit through the briefing but I am very grateful to my mum and sister Georgia who were amazing and a huge help. I missed the photo as I couldn't muster up the energy to walk the distance and chose to spend a lovely afternoon in the Serpentine Cafe with a friend who kept me sane and off my feet (as one of our previous rowing coaches used to say prior to racing) and kept trying to feed me cake to give me back my racing spirit. The weather was awful and wet and the ground really muddy. I had total respect to all those guys doing the sprint distance. Well done to you all for coping with such hideous conditions. Apparently 20 people were hospitalised with broke bones coming off their bikes and slipping in transition. I may be British but my confidence on the bike in the wet is still being worked on and it was somewhat nerve wracking wondering whether we would have similar or even as forecasted - worse conditions.
Saturday was spent wondering whether I would actually make it to the race start whilst I watched the Elite women on television and a number of detective programmes trying to conserve my energy. I had managed to eat a pizza the night before but all I seemed to want was chips and full fat coke which, for those of you who know me know I would never touch full fat coke normally and chips were not a normal component of my diet! I was trying to force feed myself to ensure if I made it to the race I would at least have some energy to compete. I managed a very gentle swim and then waited for my husband to arrive ready for bike racking at 6pm. I racked the bike and did a quick check of the swim, bike in and out with a fellow tri2o colleague and friend Harriet and noted the slippery state of transition. The atmosphere was amazing with so many athletes from across the globe all patriotic with their team kit. Time to have more chips, jump in the bath and then head for an early night.
5am my alarm went off. We had to be out of transition before 6:30am when it shut despite my race scheduled for 10:20am. I arrived in transition in the dark with all my bits and bobs. I arranged them by my bike and then headed for somewhere warm to sit for 4 hrs. Then the news came the the swim had been cut to 750m - not something you want to hear as a swimmer! Competitors around me, swimmers alike were not happy. It would become a runners race without the full swim and quite a disadvantage if you were a strong swimmer but it was the athletes safety that was paramount so fair dos. I met loads of amazing athletes of varied ages preparing to race whilst I was waiting and tried in vain to get some breakfast into me. The swim waves started, cyclists set off and the runners flew past the window of the cafe I was sitting in.
Then it was my turn. My hubby helped me get my wetsuit on - a tradition, and then we lined up in the holding box, on the pontoon and we were off, all 116 of us. For once my swim seemed to go well, I didn't get lost, I followed the buoys, i didn't do breaststroke and I didn't crash into anything - things that normally happen. Transition seemed miles away and definitely caused me to lose some places. In overall places in the women (of all ages from 18 - 80) I came out of the water 195 (out of approximately 700) and left transition in 218th whoops! Definitely an area that needs some serious work. I had survived the swim- just the cycle and run to go. The bike ride was picturesque and an incredible experience. My mind was focused on driving hard and making up as many places as I could as I knew given how I felt my run may well end up as a slow one or a walk. I would finish even if I crawled. My stomach was hurting but I just kept going trying to pick off as many athletes as I could. I gained places on the flat but lost some on the corners - not something I am blessed with being good at having taken up cycling only 2 years ago. The ride back from tower bridge was windy and there were a number of occasions my bike nearly toppled and my legs hurt a lot as I pushed through the head wind. Back to transition 2 and I had made up a lot of places coming in at 134th. Transition 2 was as slow as the first one and I came out in 155th place - another whoops. Looking back at my bike I realised I had not taken on any water or fuel as my energy gels are mixed with my water. This was in part due to the technical nature of the course but also because I still felt so sick.
Last part was the run. All I had to do now was hold on and keep the legs turning. My watch had not picked up speed so i was going by heart rate and feel - again, not being a runner this did not come naturally. My focus was no longer about doing a good time but just finishing. My stomach was cramping, my left Achilles aching and my right hip stabbing - all signs for me that I was lacking in fuel and obviously still ill. I stuck by another GB competitor for the first two laps and that and the crowd and my amazing family kept me going. Last lap and I knew all I had to do was hold on, I could walk or crawl if I had to but I was not going to stop having come this far. My lips and fingers started to tingle, I was getting pins and needles in them and my legs felt detached from my body. Another competitor said she saw my legs go. I had no control over them and it was surreal how when your body is failing your mind is so powerful in keeping the wheels in motion. I was overtaken at the last minute by a GB athlete. I normally have a sprint finish but there was just nothing left to get her back. I grabbed a flag and crossed the finish line with sheer delight that I had managed to complete what had looked impossible 2hrs 11 mins previously.
I finished 15th Brit and 26th in my category 180th in the women. I was disappointed not to have come higher up in the placings of the Brits but I had finished despite feeling hideous. My swim worked, my bike I pushed hard and my run i held on for dear life all on half a tin of rice pudding and one energy gel. Not bad going if I say so myself all things considered. As usual lots of personal learning points to take forward into next year. At the finish line one of the GB athletes said a unforgettable thing - she said, "the lovely thing about this age group is hearing children from all around the course shouting come on mummy." If you can go through childbirth you can go through anything and the strength that both going through labour and the love, support and smiles your children and family give you deserves as much credit as completing the race itself. Thank you to everyone who helped me get through not just the race but the preparation phase too you have all been amazing.
It is now time to get back to my family and enjoy my daughters 5th birthday next weekend, return to my new job and get stuck in on the wards, start a masters at Southampton University in Clinical Leadership in Cancer, palliative care and end of life and get on with preparing to potential go long and complete a 70.3. Bring on the Winter training
