Thursday 20 March 2014

My Abu Dhabi adventure and race report

 The last time I wrote I had left Lanzarote and was on my way to Abu Dhabi via Dublin. On the flight to Dublin I bought something on the 4 hour flight for dinner that claimed to be a toastie but actually looked and consisted of bread and sludge. Once I arrived I made my way to the airport hotel where I was staying for the 10 hour stopover. Dublin airport was dead and I had no idea where I was going. It wasn't as close as I had anticipated and walking around the airport at 11pm with bright pink shorts attracted some looks (from the minority of people there were to see me). After changing terminals and a bus ride I arrived at the hotel and got everything set out for my 5am alarm. I jumped out of bed when it went off and was soon downstairs waiting for the bus to take me to the airport again. I even had enough time to check in online so was super organised and sped through check in as I only had to drop my bag and bike off.
 Whilst waiting for boarding I began getting emotional and had to hold back the tears that so wanted to flow. Just thinking about Rose and the reason as to why I was sat where I was set me off. It was heartbreaking to think how my family's lives have changed forever after one night and that truly hit me. I felt humbled and blessed to be having this amazing experience but I couldn't help think that it was because of a deep and tragic loss. I would give up this trip 100 times over to just have Rosie back. It still is hard not to reflect on this thought. My excitement was off the chart but slightly tainted. I just had to try and push through and think that Rosie was still with me on my journey and had got me here, my 'job' now was to utilise the opportunity. I boarded the plane and after moving because of the size of the guy I was sat next to and a 30 minute delay as someone ran off the plane in fear I was on my way to Abu Dhabi.

 I arrived in Abu Dhabi at 8.30pm their time (4hours ahead of the UK). I waited for an over in passport control with some painfully annoying women behind me who spoke like the sisters Patty and Selma from the Simpsons due to how much they must smoke and how much they complained. I was on the brink of telling them to shut up - everyone wanted the queue to go quicker, and wanted more staff but tutting was not going to help anyone! Another thing they did was stand pretty much on my feet after we moved forward so I started playing a game. I would stick my roll on bag as far as I could behind me and would let the gap in front of me grow and see how long it would take for them to start tutting at me in impatience - it's the simple things. By the time I did get through security I was pretty annoyed myself and then had a mad panic as I couldn't find my bag. I eventually found it and then it was into the taxi and off to the hotel.


 When I arrived it was 22.50 and I was told I had 10 minutes to grab some food at the buffet. I put a bit of everything on my plate and worked my way through it. Now I am not much of a sweet tooth normally preferring all things savoury but I decided to get a plate of cakes of which they had a huge table full. I never thought of the UAE as dessert makers but wow they were good! As the cakes weren't huge and came in little 'samples' I found myself able to eat lots. I had a strategy of trying them all so I could have the best one last. All of them were so good I had a selection of half eaten cakes and then had to rattle it down to what flavour I wanted to end on.



This happened every dinner and lunch time that I ate at the hotel. Any weight I lost in Lanzarote training was probably put on in these moments but my excuse was always I'm loading energy for the triathlon and on the days after I justified it by saying I had done the triathlon and had burnt them off already. After finishing the first night on pistachio number I went to see the media people who had arranged the logistics of the tri and my arrival. I was told about swim practice in the morning and then headed off the bed. 

I was excited to see my room as the hotel lobby and service was everything you would expect of a 5* hotel.






 




 The room as expected was amazing and the view of the palace light up was breathtaking. The only disappointing thing was I had no one to share it with. I unpacked and paced around for a while and then decided I should try and get to sleep.

The view from my room
Due to the time difference however marginal I struggled to sleep and eventually drifted off at 3am (11pm my time) and a mere 3 hours later I was up for swim practice in the sea. Having slept perfectly in Lanzarote this threw me off a little but I was so excited I didn't really seem that tired upon waking. Now I am a lover of a good breakfast and if done well is definitely my favourite meal of the day. I was in for a treat. The breakfast again was a buffet and had everything - of which I think I had! (It's ok though because I was doing a triathlon). I got a taxi with some other inspire winners and some media and went down to the swim start. The location was

beautiful, so much so I did something I rarely forget to do...I forgot to take a picture so you'll just have to take my word for it. The sand was a lovely shade of yellow and lovely to be stood on and the sea was a shimmering turquoise in the sun and was crystal clear (that is the best description I can do to only just give it justice). With the water being 24 degrees it was a definite no wetsuit swim for me. I didn't even need to be told twice and before even seeing if the others were with me I had dived in. I loved the swim even if I did go slightly off course and, as I was leading everyone behind me followed. In my defence I was only doing what the marshal's told me too and it's the others fault for trusting my sighting that much. Even so I finished the course in 28 minutes and probably added some more to the normal 1.5metre route. As I was walking out I also bumped into a friend from the Tri Club who was volunteering out there so stood and chatted for a bit before walking the 2.5km back to the hotel alone. It was a rather uneasy walk as I was unsure how strict the dress etiquette was in this part of Abu Dhabi. I had seen many women walk with shorts on and there were no issues but I felt the stares so halfway through my walk although boiling put on the leggings I arrived in over my wet tri suit just to play it safe and feel more comfortable. My legs felt anything but comfortable and the humid air was insufferable - my legs were burning up in the cotton leggings. (I found throughout the few days I spent there I think it was more my blonde hair that raised attention as opposed to my legs being out or not). I was glad to be out of the humid air when I arrived back and then bumped into mum who was checking in.
Mum had got no sleep on her 7 hour overnight flight from the UK so she laid down to get some rest. I said there was a press conference at 11am to which she said she would join me there. I busied myself and made my way down at 10.45 with my Hollie4Kona running top making it's first appearance (mum had brought the kit with her). During the opening of the press conference the competing professional athletes were announced and in the same moment I was also mentioned as an 'inspire a nation' GB athlete competing in memory of her niece (my mum later joked this would be the only time I would hear myself named as a GB athlete as it made me sound like a pro). Upon hearing my name the tears almost instantly dropped. I don't know why this set me off but I spent the next few minutes trying to subtly wipe away the few tears that had fallen. After that it was the real pros turn to take the take the stage and they were asked a variety of questions. The short course athletes were first and the Brownlee brothers included. Once they had finished Jonny sat next to mum and she took it as the time to have a chat with him.

My mum casually chatting to Jonny Brownlee
The women's short course professionals were next and then the long course male and females followed. This included Ironman World Champion and winner of this event last year, Belgian Frederik Van Lierde and winner of Ironman Lanzarote, Austrian Yvonne Van Vlerken. These are athletes in my chosen triathlon distance who I look up to. After the press conference there was to be autograph signings. I had brought the Brownlee's book with me to get signed so I lingered in the lobby until the signings began. Without realising I was an 45 minutes early but just thought I would stay there in case I could grab someone and get a picture before hand (even though my mum and photographer had gone back up for a sleep). What was great is the the media organiser saw me there and then said I could go into the VIP section where all the pros were sat having private press interviews. This was my chance to properly chat to some of the people I admired. I spotted Frederik Van Lierde sat alone and went and sat down opposite to have a chat. I got his autograph and as I began talking about my cause and mission he admitted to hearing about me on Twitter. We talked for about 15 minutes and he listened and replied with interest and care and asked me to send over my blog and fundraising info to him again. I also found out we were in La Santa at the same time the week before! He was real nice guy. I wished him all the best for Saturday and I truly meant it when I said I would be routing for him.

Me with Ironman World Champion Frederik Van Lierde
I of course had a picture with the World Champion and then went over to Jonny Brownlee and sat opposite him. I first got my book signed and then we chatted for about 20minutes with surprising ease. He was lovely and we spoke about about all things tri and Lanzarote. He also admitted he could never do an Ironman especially in Lanzarote. He found being on the bike for 4 hours too tough and couldn't do it any longer. I thought to myself it would probably only take him 4 hours to do the 112 miles anyway but does that make me tougher than a Brownlee brother? ;). He also admitted to hearing about me on Twitter and scrolled down his feed to find when I was last mentioned, only that morning. I didn't get to chat to Alistair alone but he kindly signed my book and I got a picture with them in my gear.
Me with the Brownlee brothers
Finally I spotted Yvonne and chatted a little to her. Again we spoke about Lanzarote as she was the 2013 winner and we wished eachother good luck. Yet again I was overwhelmed with the kindness of such an athlete. At the official signings I got three posters with all the pros signatures. My niece Amber said she had wanted the Brownlee's autograph so I got this big one with everyone on for my niece and nephew to share. I had the best hour mingling with the stars in my chosen sport and was truly in my element. The only one I was sad to not have seen was Jodie Swallow who is another favourite long distance triathlete of mine that wasn't at the press conference but told me to go speak to her on Twitter (I just had to find her out of 2000+ rooms).

 At 2pm mum and I and the other inspire competitors and media were going to dinner at the second highest point of the UAE, Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain to watch the sunset and stay overnight there. I was pretty tired and hungry by this point after minimal sleep and was running on steam. What none of us anticipated was a 3 hour coach journey to another hotel and then after a quick change and a further one hour trip up the steepest and longest mountain I have ever seen. It was however a pretty spectacular sight. The road to the top cuts through the mountain to create a road that is 7miles long with 60 corners and climbs 1,249 metres and has also been said to be the greatest driving road in the world. We were also told that the Brownlee's train around here and after landing and two hours sleep they had climbed it - that's what makes world champions! By the time we got there the sun had gone down (not that we could see it anyway as it was so cloudy and would you believe it...rainy!). I joked with mum that she couldn't come with me as she would bring the rain with her (running joke in our family) and she retorted saying it would be a miracle if that happened. Well miracle or not it rained in Abu Dhabi! As much as I appreciated being treated it did seem like a long journey to make for very little gain. 

Mum and I halfway up Jebel Hafeet
We had to be up at 5am to get back to our other hotel and then made the long journey back. We arrived at 8.30 and I set to work on my bike in a somewhat grumpy mood as I was so tired. The day before I had started to get my bike together but managed to get the seat post lodged. Thankfully I managed to fix this easy problem myself and began to fiddle with the rest of it and for the life of me couldn't work out to fix the derailleur. I began getting frustrated and joined my mum by going to sleep.

 At 11.30 I woke up and knew I had to get stuff done. Registration for the triathlon closed at 1pm and my kit had to be racked in transition by 5pm. I showered, registered and then decided I didn't want to get oily again so just took my bike to the bike mechanic. Mum could stand me now as I wasn't so moody so she came with me. Whilst standing in the queue I realised what I had done wrong and knew how to fix it but was pleased I had someone who could check it over anyway so just let him fix everything. He was so sweet and explained to us he was outside sorting peoples bikes out until 1am that morning and wouldn't finish until late that evening either and as well as that he was also racing in the morning! I couldn't help feel for him (and I was complaining of being tired and frustrated!). As well as sorting my issue he did a great job of the rest of my bike. He fixed my somewhat slack brakes and it was in the best condition since I got it. He got a nice tip and mum and I wished him good luck. We were still thinking about him whilst walking the 2.5k to transition.
 It was absolutely boiling on the way to transition and even by walking we were sweating profusely. The humid air and the beating sun was stifling. As I was putting my helmet on to enter transition who else was I holding up other than Jonny Brownlee! I apologised and once we recognised eachother wished one another good luck. I joked to my mum once I had racked everything that he was following me - much further from the truth. The transition was much like an Ironman system whereby you put your kit in coloured bags for bike and run as opposed to having it by your bike. The walk back made us feel the full affect of the heat and made us very lethargic and sticky. Having worn trousers to be safe I just wanted to get them off! The excursion for that day had been cancelled so we were left to our own devices for the rest of the day. I found it odd how one day was so full on and the other had no contact at all but didn't really complain as I had a lot to sort out.
 There was a pasta party at 17.30 but I wasn't really hungry enough after a big lunch and also seemed to be stuck to my bed. I was in one of those sleep trances were no matter how hard I tried I could not haul myself out of bed. I did make it to the race briefing at 19.00 though which I found very beneficial as without going I probably wouldn't have got my laps right on the bike leg (something which lost Jodie Swallow 40k and most likely the title). After a run back due to it pouring down mum and I had built up an appetite. Although I got dinner for free mum did not and it was pretty expensive especially as she is not a massive eater. We decided to just order room service together and we sat in the room having a girls night in which consisted of burger and chips. It may not have been what the pros were having but it suited me just fine, the burger was protein right?

I doubled checked I had all my kit ready and set my alarm for 4.45am the next morning. Just as I checked Facebook for the last time to see who had kindly wished me good luck someone from the Tri Club, Matt, was letting others know my number and wave time. It was then that I realised I had thought myself in the wrong wave time for the whole week. I actually started at 7.25 as opposed to 7.45 which could've screwed my race up and also meant I had to change where my bike was racked in the morning. It was 22.45 and I thanked Matt and exclaimed he had saved my race. I am such a muppet sometimes!



Race day;


 As always on a race day I jumped out of bed ready for the big day. I had my trusty porridge and fruit for breakfast even if a full English did tempt me. I then put my new Hollie4Kona tri suit on ready for its maiden voyage around Abu Dhabi.






























 Mum and I got the shuttle bus to transition at 6am. Once at transition I had to rack my run bag and change where I had racked my bike. The big decision I also had to make that morning was whether to race the swim with or without a wetsuit. The temperature again was 24 degrees which made it optional. Looking around it was a spilt bunch. I knew the temperature was perfect for no wetsuit and meant I had the extra advantage of not having to take it off hopefully speeding up T1. But as it is widely known the wetsuit can aid buoyancy and stroke technique. I did however think this margin would be what I would gain by not having to take it off when getting out of the sea and as the sea was very salty the buoyancy was naturally there. I thought if I did my 28 minutes like I did in practice non wetsuit I would be happy with that so made the decision to go non wetsuit (it also meant my tri suit was on show the whole time). Mark had given me the instruction the night before to just draft the swim anyway and take it easy and knew I would enjoy it more without a wetsuit.

My favourite saying and a great sign to see on the morning of the race in transition

I watched Frederick Van Lierde and Jodie Swallow lead the swim long course and cheered them in. Before I knew it I was due to get ready and narrowly made it in the pen and got myself amongst the group when the gun went off. I didn't even have time to think and as you can see me in the picture as the swim started I am so startled I'm stationary (either that or I'm starting my Garmin!).

Where's Hollie?
The drafting idea didn't go to plan as I seemed to be in the lead of the chasing pack so was helping others out behind me who wanted to draft. Early on in the swim I did come across one guy who had decided to do breaststroke which made it almost impossible to swim past him. I got a sharp kick in the ribs when I did - bastard! That hurt throughout the swim and made it hard to breathe, so much so I thought at one point I had broken a rib! I ran out of the water in 27min35secs and was pleased with my efforts. 
Running out of the sea to transition
 My T1 time was 4m14 which isn't to be sniffed at considering there was a run to transition but when getting on the bike felt a sharp achy pain down the side of my left foot. This is a pain I struggled with throughout the race and the day after and was the first thing that went against my race plan. In the first 10k on the bike I was hitting 35km/h which dropped to 33km/h for the next 20 and then consistently 30km/h for the remainder. I knew the 35km/h would not last but wanted to keep as it as long as I could and just made my plan to not drop below 30. The heat didn't seem to be insufferable on the bike but I never got into a proper rhythm. I felt like I constantly fighting a battle with the bike and wasn't comfortable. The relatively flat course did not suit my style of riding or my bike. I saw TT bike after TT bike pass me and was desperate to drop to some aero bars. At some points I even found myself leaning over my bars as if I had some but it wasn't a maintainable position without bars. Furthermore, the new suit had very minimal padding and as my saddle was pushing me to go aero it was hurting my derrière a lot (this reason alone made getting off so appealing!). The first half of the bike went as well as it could with all of these issues but I still hit 50k in 1h43 which meant I was on for my desired 3hour bike leg. However the second half didn't go the same as the first...
The highlight of the course was obviously going around the Grand Prix track which we did twice and as promised I did make the F1 car noises around the bends. However, on my second lap of the track I was beginning to feel rough. I had got through 4 high5 energy gels up to that point but although normally loving them was struggling to take anymore. I needed to keep drinking due to the heat but had a feeling it was this excessive amount of liquid that my body was not used to that was making me feel ill, either that or it was the dodgy stomach I had had since Lanzarote. By this point at 60km I had probably drunk and discarded 5 bottles of water and Aqualyte (an electrolyte drink). I found this the most refreshing but also feared it was the massive glugs of it that I was take that was my downfall, either that or my body wasn't used to it as I have never used it before. I did however get a boost around that time as a Team4Talent member slowed down to shake my hand and to ask me if I was the Hollie the inspire winner. He said he had read my story and wished me all the luck for my future goals. I sped up a little but it wasn't maintainable. At 65km I was out of the race track circuit and things got continually worse from then on. At 70km I had to slow down as I thought I was actually going to be sick. It was at this point I saw a guy who I had been playing cat and mouse with the whole course overtake me. I don't know why I was so desperate to reel him back in but it was the incentive I needed to take my mind of my sickness. This guy had a TT bike that was probably 3 times the cost of mine and had an aero helmet on yet I had overtaken him. He obviously was displeased by this and had passed me twice until I had a lead throughout the race track. I managed to pass him after my sickness blip and kept him away until the end of the bike leg.
 I finished the bike in 3h21 - obviously 20 minutes slower than the time I had really wanted but also 40 minutes quicker than the time I made for myself prior to coming out here. By this point in the race though I was just happy for the bike leg to be over. I felt increasingly lacking of energy and patience on the bike and for the last 15kms had been counting down to the finish which seemed to never come. It was during this time that my mood was low. Mark had warned be previously about mood swings being a sign of low energy and I was getting them bad. I began seriously doubting myself and my goal. Was I being stupid for going for this ridiculous goal of getting to Kona and could I ever do it? I felt stupid and naive for even suggesting I could do such a thing. The calibre of athletes here made me feel weak, would they just be laughing as they pass me and my trisuit? Even the thought of carrying on for another 80km on that bike seemed like an impossible feat and I wondered how I had ever done it. I got off the bike with the same low attitude only made worse with the searing pain I got in my foot upon landing. It was also in this moment that I felt the full force of the heat hit me. Being on the bike it hadn't seemed so bad but when I stopped it felt like a wall of heat pushing against my face. I began to run with my bike shoes on and could not, I had to stop on my way to transition to take them off but still struggled to run barefoot. My depleting confidence and energy was not helped by this revelation. I knew from that moment it was going to be a painful run and one that for the first time in a long time I dreaded. I have never been a fast runner but tend to come into my element on the run and enjoy the feeling of being out on a triathlon run course. I spent 4 and a half minutes in T2, longer than in T1 which wasn't great considering I only had to put my trainers on. I think this was the first time in my triathlon career (if i can call it that) that I procrasinated during transition. I would've sat down but thankfully I wasn't that low. A volunteer put some sun cream on my face as I realised I hadn't done that yet and knew I needed it as there was no cover on the course from the sweltering heat. I hobbled out of transition with a grimace on my face. I really wanted to run past my mum with a smile but this wasn't looking likely. I began to see all the people on the return leg of the run and wished so badly I was on that side of the pavement. I also wished I was doing the 5k run instead. I saw mum about 1km into the run/hobble and exclaimed I had a bad foot. I instantly regretted the decision as knew it would get to my supporters at home that I was struggling and worried about my mum worrying about me for the hour (I hoped) I would be out on the course. Shortly after seeing mum I made another decision and that was to stop complaining and just buckle down and realise this would be the hardest 10k of my life. I also came up with a new race strategy. I was not going to take on any more nutrition be thats gels or bananas as instructed on the run as firstly I couldn't face it and secondly feared they would make my stomach feel worse. I decided however to keep myself hydrated even if it felt excessively. I walked through the first three/four aid stations at one point going so slow I hit 14min/km! My hopes of a 1hr 10km had been blown. I had been and was being overtaken by people I would never have wanted to overtake me and the 'chicked' written on the back of my trisuit looked like an embarrasing addition to my kit.
 The run was an out and back course and by 5k I was relieved to be at the halfway point. When I was at the turnaround point around 6km I began to feel better physically and mentally. A woman wished me good luck and we exchanged a few words until she had passed me. Her words picked me up a little. By this point I had got my time splits increasingly healthier and was around the 6m30/km. By 7km I was taking water on the move and grabbing the ice cold water sponges and squeezing them over my head whilst running. On the way to the 8km mark I started seeing the professional long course males on their first laps and I clapped them all as I saw them even shouting 'Go Freddie' when I saw Frederik Van Lierde in fourth place, not that he noticed as he truly was 'in the zone'. When I turned the corner to the final 2.5km straight to the finish I felt well enough to really pick up the pace. I took my last water of the run and grabbed some ice which I put down the back of my trisuit. I have no shame in admitting it felt truly bliss when one dropped down to my bum. When I hit the 8k I began to speed up. I was now hitting my desired 5m45/km - my run was only just beginning. The previous 8k had merely been a warm up for me and I began overtaking the people who had overtaken me when I was weak. My foot pain was still there but since I said those words to myself after seeing my mum the pain had been pushed away. I don't think the pain was physcially any less, I just think my endurance brain kicked in and tried to push it out as there was no way I was not completing this event. Us Ironmen are hard! For the first time since my swim I was enjoying the race and as I rounded off to the red carpet which indicated the final 200metres although I wasn't actually ready to finish I was happy to have made it to that point. As I turned onto the red carpet a woman volunteer shouted at me "Go on Hollie - do it for Rosie". She had obviously seen my story previously and I was grateful to hear such support even if it did make me well up and shed a tear. I highfived the hand she had held out and overtook everyone in my sight, including the woman who I had chatted to 4kms earlier. I ran past my mum and sprinted across the line in 5h04, completing the run in 1h06 (in hindsight considering all the challenges 6 minutes over my desired time wasn't too bad). So here are some stats for you all; I was the 49th woman out of 193, 6th in my age group out of 23, and 630th overall out of 1277. I chatted again to the woman I had just overtaken who was genuinely shocked I had overtaken her after she had me at the 6km mark - how did  I come back from that disadvantage? I lost mum briefly which made us both panic but once reunited we shared some of the free athlete food on offer and then I stood at the finish line to see the long course pros come in. Mum by this point was boiling hot as a spectator and took some shelter from the beating hot sun. Watching all the pros come in was great and afterwards I got to see Alistair and Jonny Brownlee be awarded their 1st and 2nd medals on the podium after finishing together with the Yorkshire flag in their hands. They truly are amazing athletes. I got my kit from transition and walked back to the hotel with mum.

The Brownlee brother's on the podium
 The rest of the day we spent chilling out. I had many lovely words of congratulations on social media which I was truly humbled to receive. So how did I feel post race? I loved the race and was proud of myself to have finished and overcome many obstacles but I am not going to lie I felt a sense of disappointment. I had an amazing time and wonderful experience but had lost some confidence. I only found out I didn't break the 5 hour mark 3 hours after completing the race but knew it would be a close call. I don't even know why I felt so strongly going sub 5 but it meant something to me. I know physically I gave the race my all despite feeling sick pretty much throughout and faced an injury. I did reflect that day that I had learnt a lot from the challenges I was faced with and this in hindsight was probably more beneficial than everything going right. The Abu Dhabi triathlon challenged me more than I expected due to my own physical ailments, but it was pushing on through the pain and discomfort that taught me more about myself. I know that a flat bike course is not suited to my style of riding and that I definitely could have benefitted from a TT bike on that course. I found out that a 10km run is far too short for me as I come into my element later into the course when others have weakened (this is obviously a good motivator for Ironman). More importantly, I discovered that I can change race tactics when things look their bleakest in endurance racing and you can no longer stomach energy. I got round in a time I am still somewhat beating myself up about but that is an albeit a respectable time with some respectable statisitics to go with it. I told Mark about all that challenged me and he had nothing but positives explaining I was in the top 50 women in new kit and that I had done great considering. Moreover he said I was able to change strategy mid race which ultimately saw me through to the end (not that I would ever quit a race anyway unless forced). He also said that my stomach issues before the race could've impacted my performance and feeling sick on the bike would have stopped energy being absorbed so that can explain my depleted mood. I am still low and questioning whether I am being stupid and unrealistic by trying to qualify. This said please do not think I am giving up, I am just sharing my thoughts - Hollie4Kona is definitely still on, I just need to build some confidence again. I have never had a race not go my way but that could be because I have never really had any serious goals, all I have ever wanted to do in a triathlon is finish. This is my first triathlon of the season and my first on the road to Kona. I came to Abu Dhabi with no expectations and no desired time yet I have left feeling somewhat disappointed. Why? I can't answer that right now but I hope with my second triathlon on the 6th April being one I completed last year I have a benchmark to test myself against and hopefully see my progress.
     
Me with my medal
 The day following the triathlon mum and I were cultured and went to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. We had a nightmare trying to hire the Abaya's as we were unaware we needed our passports but eventually managed to get in and were grateful to do so upon looking at the beauty of it.




































We then thought we would go to a shopping mall but shortly called the taxi driver to pick us up after a record 5 minutes (the shortest time in history any woman has ever spent in a shopping mall) as it was eerily quiet and full of men in coffee shops who were staring at our Western dress and blonde hair. The misadventures of Hollie and Meryl, I'm sure this could only happen to us! We went back to the hotel and packed before going out for my first drink in 2 weeks at the Hilton. I had a celebratory cocktail and mum and I shared a bottle of prosecco and had a lovely Italian meal. We flew back on the Monday at 13.25 and were back in the UK at 8pm. My journey was over and I could officially call myself an international triathlete! The date I arrived home also marked the 2 month countdown until Ironman Lanzarote, the place my journey started. I am already excited to get back there so the training is back to get ready for that. My first event is a half marathon on Sunday. I recently booked this has my best friend Ele wanted to do another after recently completing Silverstone. This particular one is local to me and just an extra bit of training which I explained to Mark I am happy I have now as may act as a much needed confidence boost to up my mood. Maybe it is just the end of such an amazing trip that has left me feeling somewhat drained and depleted but whatever it is I need my mojo back. There is only one last thing to say and that is Thank You to the Abu Dhabi Triathlon for giving me such a wonderful experience and one I will truly never forget, I enjoyed the challenge and will certainly learn from all I was faced with during the triathlon. As for Abu Dhabu it is a beautiful country and I feel blessed to have experienced it. I also want to thank Gemma, Ryan and Mark from IMG for organising everything and being so hospitable to me and my mum. Again I will never forget the once in a lifetime opportunity I had to compete in Abu Dhabi. Here is to the next challenge, Thank You Abu Dhabi! (Maybe one day I'll come back and get that sub5 hour!).

I love Lanzarote!

 Although I wrote some of the last blog in Lanzarote this is going to be solely about my 5 days training at Club La Santa  - the first part of my trip abroad this month. So I shall start at the very beginning...a very good place to start (sorry couldn't help myself there).

 On the Wednesday night I mentioned I went swimming and when I got back did my final packing and prep for the morning. At 9.30am on the Thursday my taxi with my dad inside arrived. I was ultra organised (probably because of my excitement) and had all my gear packed and ready by the door.


 Even though I have become a morning person because of training, a few years ago that was definitely not the case, but give me a holiday to get ready for and I would be up ready and waiting. I was like a kid waiting to go to Disneyland that night, in fact I'm sure I whispered to Dan before I went to bed "I'm so excited", much like the TV advert does for Disneyland. That night was also the last night I would spend in the flat Dan and I called home for 16 months. Our latest house has fallen through and we have had no choice but to move elsewhere temporarily as we had already put our notice in on the flat. Dan has the job to pack, empty and clean the flat in my absence and move into his Nan's spare room where we would be staying until we found another house. Not quite to stability I craved and need during my training efforts but it could be a lot worse and I am grateful that we are able to live in comfort - so thank you to Dan's Nan.
 Dad, as a seasoned traveller had checked us in online and as we were in BA's 'club class' we zoomed through check in. I had noticed before leaving for the airport that my bike bag which inflated to protect the bike had deflated on one side so just before putting in the hold I pumped it up with the hand held pump - needless to say I got some odd looks. After that all I could do then was hope and pray it would be enough to support the bike during the flight. Once we had flown through security we both had a wander around the Heathrow's shops. Dad treated himself to some shorts and me to some sunglasses. After we had done that we headed to the BA lounge where Dad got a small hot breakfast and a glass of wine whilst I being good had sparkling water and muesli. This may not sound like a big deal but there was free champagne there and for me to resist the temptation to get a glass shows a huge sign of dedication to what I am aiming to achieve in the next two weeks. I even continued this form on the plane where we got the business class treatment and denied free bottles of champagne! I was proud to say the least.

 On the first night there I had planned to fit a swim in on arrival but by the time we arrived, got our bags in the room and went to the supermarket, the Olympic pool was closed and as the sun was almost down wasn't sure if it was the right time to go in the lagoon and furthermore had no information as to lagoon etiquette. We went to dinner at the tapas restaurant at 8pm and I continued on the sparkling water whilst Dad got a bottle of wine - this was true detox! After dinner I went straight to bed and this form continued the whole week. I got a solid night sleep every night.
 I'm going to continue this blog as a sort of diary as to what I did each day.

Friday;
 I decided to get up at 8.15 and join some runners in an organised off road 8km run. I thought this would be a great way to start the week, possibly meet some people as well as get the full force of the rising sun whilst running. Running (and cycling of course) in the scorching heat was the thing I really came out here to try as I'll be doing exactly that in the heat of the midday sun come Ironman Lanzarote in May. I have never really run in the blazing sun except for the occasional scorcher in the UK. I remember the London Marathon being hot once but this is a whole other type of heat. I decided to go with the slower group at 6 minute per kilometre as opposed to 5. This was firstly as I didn't know how I would be in the heat, secondly because I wanted to take in my surroundings and take it easy, and thirdly and most importantly I would be kidding myself if I tried to go in that group as I really only hit 5min/Km when doing the shorter distance of 5k and even then it's a push. So off we went, my pace was good to start and I got comfortable. It was even hotter than I had expected at that time and it did begin to effect me which worried me a little. The route was uphill for 4k and then downhill on the way back. I slowed up on the way up as I was merely taking it easy and being a tourist and taking pictures of the stunning views. My pictures may not do the scenery much justice but it really was an almost breathtaking way to start the day and my training. I slipped above the 6minutes sometimes but managed to catch up with them and finished in 46 minutes - which averaged about 5.45 minutes per Km. The heat was exhausting but I managed to keep decent time splits and as always got chatting to someone.



 After that Dad and I had a salad at the pool bar and then I chilled out by the main pool for 2 hours. It was in these short hours that I made the biggest mistake of the holiday which thankfully was resolved quickly. I got sunburnt. I know, I know, rookie error that could've effected the whole trip. I cursed myself for days for it and learnt my lesson. By that evening the back of my legs were agony and it hurt to walk, I was so worried I would be able to cycle as I struggled to bend my legs. By the Saturday the back of my legs were swollen but thankfully with some ibuprofen and liberal application of aftersun they died down and I was able to walk and cycle properly soon after. Phew - disaster just about averted. I just had to embarrassingly walking around like a lobster and looking like an amateur for the trip but I just said to myself you've made your own bed, now lay in it. That's what I did and accepted it.
 Whilst sat at the pool on the first full day with dad I received the press releases for the Abu Dhabi triathlon which included mine and others 'inspire a nation' stories. I read my own short one which included my picture and smiled.



 However, when I received the second big press release by Tri247 (http://www.tri247.com/article_12586_Abu+Dhabi+Inspire+winners+announced.html?region_id=&category=) which included other stories of successful applicants I began to get emotional. Not everyone who won had their stories in this one but mine was a massive chunk of it which included some quotes from myself and a picture. I was reading as if they were someone's else's words not my own and the tragedy and hurt of my own story choked me. I was taken out of my bubble. It suddenly came real and reading my words again brought the pain of losing Rose back as if it were yesterday. The sunglasses covered my teary eyes but I decided, after dad brought me surprise white chocolate Ice Cream, that I would go swimming to remain focussed on what I am doing FOR Rosie rather than let this bring me down. So I did a 3km swim in the lovely Olympic La Santa pool (definitely going to miss having a 50m pool at home now). I did a 400m warm up and then 26 x 100m on 1m55. It was tough and kept me occupied - I loved it. After that I went to a heart rate monitored spin session which again kept my brain occupied on the task in hand as I focussed on my heart rate. I confirmed what I already knew about my heart rate being naturally quite high but also relished in the fact my recovery was quicker than most (I can't help compare myself to others as it was on a huge screen in front of us). In simple terms this means that my fitness is high as broadly speaking the quicker you recover the fitter you are. After dinner I flopped to bed as you would expect.


Olympic swimming pool at La Santa

Saturday;
A shameful selfie mid-run
 I decided Saturday was the day to tackle getting my bike back together. I may be a triathlete but I am not a bike geek and definitely no mechanic. Within minutes I had lost a bolt down the stem of my handlebars and spent ages trying to get it out. By that time I was stressed out and it was decided I should admit defeat and just ask the professional to do it which was swiftly sorted by lunchtime. Whilst the bike was being put back together I went for a 7km run in the heat of the day.
 I basically just decided to explore. Although I enjoyed getting out it was hard to do so. I had felt a distinct lack of energy today and I linked this up with not being able to hold any food down. My stomach is sensitive and instantly suspected that it may the water in which they wash their salad so decided to not get salads anymore. This said I continued to have this problem until the Monday. Training as intensely as I was intending to did not make this issue easier as without the energy training is obviously difficult.
 After my run I had some lunch (which was gone soon after) and then met up with a work colleagues friend, Colin. He had moved out here in November after quitting his job in the city and moved out to Lanzarote to train full time and try and become a pro triathlete. By this point I was already loving the lifestyle here and truly admired his guts to do such a thing. He had the 'look' of a triathlete and a runner and had the results and sponsors to prove it. I merely wished I was good enough naturally to be able have the guts to do the same. After a good chat about all things triathlon (of course) we parted and he kindly offered to lend me his sectioned wheels in May. We agreed that with the increasing expense of triathlon and kit that can seemingly offer you the world, the only thing you can do is help eachother out to achieve better results, so thank you :).
 Dad and I decided to venture out of Club La Santa that night for dinner and went to La Santa village (me as designated driver of course). We went to a lovely restaurant called Amendoa. The food was 10 times nicer than at the resort and a lot cheaper, a little gem :). This was the first meal I kept down so thankfully I was beginning to get better.

Sunday;
 This was the first time I was really going to get some miles in on the bike. I had booked to go on a 60km bike tour which said to be pacing around 25-26km/h. Not particularly fast but enough to get used to the Lanzarote landscape which is known to be predominantly up or down. I let all the ones who wanted to fight for front position go for it and just settled myself into a rhythm by drafting off others. I felt that I could've pushed the pace more but just remained patient. Within 15kms I had moved up the ranks a little. I know it's not a competition when cycling as a big group like this but it's a little incentive and I'm sure I wasn't the only one doing it. By 35kms I was at the front which probably vexed a lot of the men in Lycra of which were the majority. The pace was tougher at the front obviously but I used my saying of, you've made your bed now lay in it and I did just that. I pushed through to the end. I had a little falter when climbing one particular mountain that I timed completely wrong and a few overtook me but I regained my place soon enough. We ended up finishing the 60km in just under 2 hours which actually meant we averaged 29km/h, that's 18mph for those who work in miles. Considering it was me setting/keeping the pace and as it wasn't an easy route and it was my first real cycle in the baking sun I was over the moon with that. The downhills really do counteract the tough climbs.
 Many may have seen on social media that it was the 6month anniversary of Rosie's death on the Sunday. I'm not one to really be struck by dates, days or times but this one actually affected me and had my dad not mentioned it on the Friday I would never have thought about it. I couldn't get my head around how quick the time seemed to have gone and it was a horrible thought to think I had gone half a year without hearing Rose's, albeit mostly loud, voice. Although I do not go a day without thinking about Rosie's death this was just another reminder of the tragedy me and my family suffered on what was supposed to be a weekend of family time and celebration - the day that I became an Ironman. With this in mind I wanted to do some of the toughest climbs on the island to honour Rosie. So I decided on Mirador Del Rio and Tabeysco. Mirador is on the Ironman course so also was a beneficial climb to do. With it already being past lunch I couldn't do the whole 80km to alone so Dad kindly decided to skip the rugby and ferry me around. This was a really beneficial trip, much like I did in Wales we drove the Ironman course which was a huge advantage to have. The road to Mirador was bloody tough. Climbing Los Vallos looked like an impossible feat and I was only sat in the car looking up at it. However after we had dropped back down the other side with hairpin after hairpin bend I got off and started the actual climb to Mirador. Although a very tough climb the view even half way up was absolutely breathtaking so much so I had to get off to take a picture.
 


 It was here that I made a prayer to Rosie. At the top I found my dad who drove up another route and we walked around the top and had a coffee - what a tribute to the beautiful girl we lost 6 months ago.
 
At the top of Mirador Del Rio
After that I wanted to conquer Tabeysco - this was a climb that started at sea level and took in 550m+ of steep climbing over hairpin bends in just 5km. Only the gradient of this can truly show the severity of this. With this said although I just grinded my way up, almost feeling like I wasn't moving, I managed to get to the top in 31minutes and was rewarded with a view of the valley of the 1000 palm trees (even if it does look like the trees have been cut down). Another fitting tribute to Rosie.

The valley of the 1000 palm trees

So that day my legs took over 1600metres of climbing over 80km - a days cycling well spent. We then drove the Ironman route back to La Santa again getting the knowledge of the roads.
 That night we ate at a fish restaurant in La Santa village and I had a cocktail, non alcoholic of course!

Non-alcoholic cocktail

Monday;
 This was my final full day in Lanzarote and I was desperate to get another day of cycling in. The woman I had spoken to during my first 8km run on Friday morning had a friend who would be happy to cycle with me in the morning. I met up with Cary (sorry if I have spelt your name wrong) at 9.30 and bumped into another 2 cyclists who were also planning to get out. It was agreed that would cycle with them and as they were heading east of the island where I hadn't explored yet. The aim was to climb fire mountain, otherwise known as Timanfaya. The ride was more of a recovery ride to me but I was happy to be in other peoples company. At the top we saw the camels that drudge people up the lava volcano every day hundreds of times and then had a well deserved ice cream. Cary has assured me that I'll get loads more readers of my blog because of this reward.

Fire mountain


 I did not find this climb as hard as I expected at all or maybe that was just in comparison to the climbs I had conquered the day before. In fact I found the 400m climb into Tinajo from La Santa the toughest of that day which I actually did twice as after lunch I rode to Puerto Del Carmen. Whilst eating lunch however at the pool bar I had a man approach me who put his hand on the book I was reading 'Iron War' and asked whether it was good. This is a book about the rivalry between six time reigning Ironman world champion Dave Scott and Mark Allen's attempt to knock him of his title. This book details their relationship towards one another as well as the ultimate Ironman race in 1989 that saw them race side by side for just over 8 hours - Mark Allen only just clinching the lead by 58secs in the final 2 miles of the marathon. The man who came over to me explained he was there racing on that epic day even if he wasn't mentioned in the book. He then went on to tell me he brought Ironman to Lanzarote and has been the race director ever since. I chatted for a little and explained I was competing in May and have vowed to email him to explain my story and willingness to help and express my gratitude for taking the time to coming over and talking to me.
 After my encounter with Ironman Lanza's race director I cycled alone to Puerto Del Carmen to meet up with Dad when he finished golf so I could go for a sea swim and do the Ironman course. The ride there was tough - it was steadily climbing the whole way and I got the full force of the feared island crosswinds. However, in terms of training it was a great ride to experience. After my favourite combination of mint choc chip and pistachio Italian ice cream for a bit of recovery and energy (well that's my excuse) I got in the sea, wetsuitless of course as wetsuits are for wimps (Gill you will be pleased!). I did 1km of the course without going too far out as my dad was naturally worried but although short enjoyed the experience of getting in the sea. I even managed to spy on some lovely looking and colourful fish as the sea is crystal clear! 

Lovely swim location in Puerto Del Carmen

 I had fallen in love with every aspect of Lanzarote! I even loved the cheesy and touristy Puerto Del Carmen, a place where people watching is at it's best. Dad and I both imagined that it'll be an amazing place to run during the Ironman due to the sheer support you receive along the strip. Excitement began building inside of me. By this point I had completed some tough rides and faced the elements of heat and wind that Lanzarote can throw at you amd was ready for the challenge. My run is improving and with my love of sea swimming growing I could already start to imagine the enjoyment I will get out of this Ironman, whether I qualify or not. Obviously I need to take hydration seriously otherwise it will not be an event I will enjoy or possibly even remember but let's not scare my family too much here! With my love of Lanzarote already deep rooted this will be MY race!

Tuesday;
 So my last day. I decided to get up early and compete in a timed run. This was a half marathon consisting of 3 laps but you could chose to do as little or many as you wanted. I wanted to do the full half marathon but knew that Mark, my coach, would've probably gone potty with me so decided to just do the 2 laps which was 14km in total. Mark had said that doing Reading half marathon so close to Abu Dhabi could tire me out especially as I was working and then flying. Therefore, if I did one 5 days before in the heat I would've had some headshakes coming my way. I started the the first 7k lap with the woman I had run with on the first day. We were hitting solid 6min/Km which I was happy with and of course I was chatting nonstop. Rather than punish myself I just wanted to get experience and exposure in the sun and raise my body temperature so I just stayed comfortable. After the first lap she needed the toilet and I decided to plod along. All I had wanted to do during this was get my 10k in an hour which I did, just. This shows that my comfortable pace at home isn't jeopardised when in the heat - if I could keep that up that's a 4h20 marathon time which I wouldn't be displeased with. The course was just an out and back lap so everyone involved were supporting one another. With 12km down I felt strong and had picked up the pace. I was so tempted to go for the final lap but a voice in my head said, 'you don't have to punish yourself to exhaustion during every workout - you're feeling strong, take that to Abu Dhabi'. I completed my 14km in 1h18, the fastest half marathon runner completed 8minutes after me in 1h25. That is just madness in my eyes especially considering the heat but he did admit to only doing team triathlons as he is a crap cyclist so I suppose you can't be good at everything!
  After my run it was time to get ready, pack and say goodbye, for now, to Club La Santa. Dad and I went to Puerto Del Carmen for lunch before going to the airport and I played it safe with a pizza - it was a tourist town after all I wasn't expecting anything like we had in the traditional town of La Santa.

 My flight left Lanzarote at 6.25pm to Dublin where I had a 10 hour stopover before getting a flight in the early morning direct to Abu Dhabi. It was a pain and definitely not the most viable way to get there but as it was not me organising or paying I couldn't really change it or complain about it. It had however managed to get a hotel arranged for me in Dublin so I could get some rest overnight. Although a pain Mark did point out that the good thing about this long haul journey was that at least I will get some much needed rest before Saturday rather than beast myself in training and travelling and risking exhaustion.
 When saying goodbye to my dad in Lanzarote I began getting emotional even though I didn't think showed it. I had a lovely time with my dad and really love the tradition of going away together every year, it really is special time. Dad wished me good luck and said he was proud of me which made me begin to well up. We hugged a lot and then waved and blew kisses to one another until we could see eachother no more. Within 10 minutes he had text me saying he missed his chaffeur!
 As I sat in Lanzarote terminal I began to reflect on the holiday I had just experienced. I had an amazing time and felt really comfortable training and staying there. I don't know whether it was the mutual triathlete atmosphere or just the freedom but I felt almost at home in Lanzarote. The roads are a cyclist's dream, the sea is crystal clear and running in such a striking landscape is truly breathtaking. I'll be back in May but I'm definite I'll be back for more even after that. But now it's on to Abu Dhabi! The next time I write I'll be an international triathlete!

Saturday 8 March 2014

I'm a sub 2 hour half marathon runner! (and other reflections)

This blog will mainly be about the success I had at the Reading half marathon on Sunday 2nd March as well as a brief look at what the next two weeks hold.

The days following my long 18miles with my sister on Sunday 23rd I had a solid week of work. Two of three days admittedly I had booked myself to do some shadowing of another department in Sky for my future career development. Here I was going out on the trucks and actually gathering the footage to go to air as opposed to being indoors playing the vision out. I found this extremely interesting and what I found really great was how social everyone I spoke to was and furthermore how they all seemed to have had an interest in the outdoors and cycling. They all agreed with my personality and pursuits I should not be kept inside! This is another exciting avenue for me to explore outside of Ironman. 
I was on the early shifts (6am-6pm) this week and they always knacker me out as I have to be up at 4.30am without even thinking about training and then it's a long day ahead of that. Anyway, although I'm not calling for sympathy I was tired going into the weekend and the Reading half marathon on the Sunday. 

I had been hoping/planning for a long time that this would be the event I would break the 2 hour time and get a PB (my PB was 2h02 which I got in Marlow in the October). I wasn't as prepared physically as I would've liked to have been but arrived on Sunday morning ready to race. This was also a training event for my sister and friend Lee for the London marathon 6 weeks after. Joining us as well was Rosie's boyfriend, Ryan who is also raising money for SUDEP Action in memory of Rose by doing a half marathon, tough mudder and a triathlon with me. Emma although new to long distance running was desperate to get sub 2 hours as well so I focused on promising this to her in the hope it would make me achieve my own goal. 
 I walked from my Nan's house with Dan to the start at the Madejski stadium and was due to meet Emma and the gang there. The sheer volume of people there (over 14,000) meant that Vodafone couldn't cope so I was unable to get hold of Emma for an hour. By that point they had begun walking to the start - I knew there was little chance of me finding them now. A few frantic calls to Ryan who appeared to have the only phone that occasionally worked and we found eachother. I had at one point resided to the fact I would he racing alone. I really wanted to help Emma achieve her goal and cross the line together on what I knew would be an emotional day so this really upset me.


 After freezing everything off until we crossed the line at 10.25 we were on our way. Ryan and Lee were faster runners so we let them go ahead and I told Emma to just get into a comfortable pace and not get caught up with the excitement of an event, as I have fallen victim to before. Although congested and busy we managed to hit good times, the first Km was 5m35 and we both felt comfortable. We continued this pace even with all the unexpected hills throughout only reaching 6m for a Km when recovering or getting water. We passed our family at mile 2 at my Nan's house and then shortly after going up a steep hill went past Tony the Fridge. This is a guy who has run from John O'Groats to Lands End with a 42kg Smeg fridge on his back raising money for Cancer Research. We had had some banter on Twitter about him beating me but not today. 


The race went smoothly and we were hitting my desired time splits and knocking the miles off as we went along. I also got a cheer from a Twitter follower around mile 5 which was lovely! At the half way point Emma began to struggle a little, the sheer emotion of what we were running for hit home hard. She began to get upset which although I didn't show it began to affect me. Tears began rolling down my cheeks but I knew to keep us going and to get that time I had to push us both on. All I wanted to do was stop and give Emma the biggest hug but I knew she would regret not getting sub 2 hours if she knew she could've made it. Through my quivering voice I said, "just remember why we are doing this and think of her watching down on us running together". I don't know if it helped but we pushed on. Throughout the course we saw some familiar faces as a lot of family come from Reading. We both had some moments we struggled but managed to counteract that with an up and by taking our gels and lucozade, when available. I was pushing Emma hard and felt bad for doing so at times as I know she had previously said to me, "there's nothing worse than watching someone else's feet". 
At the 9 mile point Emma spotted the 2hr pace maker. She had asked me then whether we should push towards it to which I said no as we had been making gradual and comfortable distance on it from the beginning. When we reached the 12mile stage I needed to focus Emma on something and I told her to use the marker (which was about 200m from us) as a target to reach, and wow did she! On the final hill to the finish toward the stadium she began picking the pace up - so much so I had to sprint to catch up and when I did I felt sick. My Garmin bleeped 300m short of the finish that we had completed in 1h56.55. However, we rounded at the corner into the stadium and saw our official Reading half marathon finish. We couldn't see our supporters anywhere but I grabbed Emma's hand and we ran across the line together in 1h58. We broke the 2 hour time and did so together. I was euphoric for myself but most of all I was so unbelievably proud of my sister. She has gone through what no parent should ever have to experience and found running as a way of coping. That moment truly was a special one, Emma had completed and achieved her goal of a sub 2 hr marathon in honour of her daughter, Rosie. I had also broken my PB by 5 minutes and had started my road to Kona for Rosie with a great time and experience. I will never forget that memory and what has made that better is my niece unbeknown to us captured it. This is a picture and moment to savour forever - that picture holds more emotion than I can even begin to explain here. Emma thanked me a lot, expressing she would never have got that time without me so I suppose my pushing was a good thing after all. It has to be said that because of the pressure I put myself under to achieve a sub 2hr time for me and for Emma I didn't enjoy the run as much as I would've liked but am more proud of my time than how I felt. After all training can be enjoyable sometimes - the races are what we do it all for and I would hate to have looked back and thought I could've pushed more then. So it really was a good day all round.


 I expressed my good news on Twitter and Facebook and again got so many lovely responses, too many to write on here but I truly mean it when I say Thank You. I also heard from my coaches wife who had told him I was a sub half marathon runner now just before he went on stage at the Tri Show to speak. She told me he had a huge smile on his face, much like me then. He later said that would be the first of many. My best friend, Ele also completed her first half marathon that day at Silverstone in 2h05 so well done El! 
A final fact to end on about my progress is on the same day a year ago I completed the pancake flat Bath half marathon in 2h10. I have managed to cut nearly 15 minutes off my time in a year and Reading was not flat so that is another way to show how far I have come. My goals to go forward on the run is not so much to get that time down anymore, although I wouldn't say no if I happened. My real aim however is to be able to keep that pace consistently for a marathon. I felt strong at the end but was ready to finish (although I still think that's in the head) so who knows. 

So after my running exploits that day I got home and chilled out. I was so chilled out that at 7.30 when I got a text from Gill at the tri club asking where I was it took me a full minute of brain racking to realise I should have been at Channel Swim meeting! I rushed there and then apologised profusely for my lateness and forgetfulness. The chat involved lots of logistics and arranging times that we are able to get down to the sea to train together. As we are doing a non wetsuit crossing there is a whole other amount of medicals and training that needs to be completed. The first horrific training I was told about was down in Dover. We would have to swim in 14 degree water wetsuitless for 20 minutes. After getting out we would have 10 minutes to re-clothe ourselves before the uncontrollable shakes came on. There is nothing that can be done here except for wait until they have passed. It would also be impossible to even try to have some coffee as your hands will shake so much there would be none left. If that wasn't bad enough you are forced to go back in for another 20 minutes and experience the shakes all over again upon getting out. This is just one of the things I have to look forward to. I did however give myself a more desirable task of coming up with a team name and logo. The day after at work I racked my brain and came up with The Salty Seals and it has been approved by all, so now it's onto the logo which a friend is kindly helping me with.

So although I am writing this whilst in the 20 degree heat in Lanzarote after a run and swim awaiting my bike partner I just want to reflect on what this trip, which will also take me to Abu Dhabi to compete, really means to me. The night before I flew to Lanzarote I went swimming with the tri club. Before that however I spoke to my coach. He had spent the last few weeks coaching in Lanzarote and of course told me everything he knew. The ease at which we spoke was great and I finished explaining that this feels like the true start of my journey. To get away, to have a break as well as do some quality training and competing in the heat is really needed. This sentiment was echoed by Gill as when I was leaving after swimming she gave me a big hug. She then said this is the start and wished me good luck. This trip to me really signifies the beginning of my journey for Rose. It will kick start all of my hard work I have done at home which could be seen as my base training. But now the hard work really starts. My trip to Abu Dhabi also signifies the start as it is my first triathlon since Wales and the reason I am there is because of what I am aiming to do in Rosie's honour. That said I am not going to race too hard and fast in Abu Dhabi as I just want to enjoy every second of the race, location and atmosphere and most importantly I want reflect on what it stands for. I feel blessed to be given the chance to experience it and that's what I'm going to do. This is a race for Rosie - I love you beautiful. With my tattoo that I have had for 4months but only just had the guts to tell my parents about (you never get too old) I know Rose will be there for every kick, pedal stroke and stride.