Crikey!! - Up date on last 6 weeks - King of the Mountians, Weymouth and Cowman race reports.

Hadn't realised it's been so long since I lasted posted a blog. Every long ride I've done over the past couple of weekends I've been thinking about what to write. But then come home and need a nap! So my best blogging intentions have gone to pot!

Since my last post we've been out in French Alps at King of the mountains. Our friends Guy and Helyn have converted an old french school house, into a chalet haven for cyclist and outdoorsy people. So we sent the week cycling and being completely pampered by Helyn's and Guy. Their enthusiasm and love of the area is infectious and over our stay we clocked over 450 miles, which 14,000m of climbing. Need less to say my legs were fried at the end. Unfortunately the Galibier was still (very) closed whilst we were there, otherwise we probably would have road the Marmotte route, but may be that was a good thing. Will post some pics shortly.

Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon - 7th June 2009
First race back and was more than a little nervous but was keen to see if all my swim training would show. The verdict - not really, coming out the water in 36 minutes. In T1 face planted on a slippery step just as the Marshall shouted carefully it's slippery - comedy moment!! Powered away on the bike coming in with 3/4/5th women. Posting the fastest female bike split:-). Running legs came to from the start and i was able to run consistently, finishing in 3rd place. Bodyworks xtc team mate Yvette Grice took first place.

More Training!!!!

Cowman Middle Distance - 27th June 2009.
I can't talk about the cowman race without a picture of Bart Simpson coming into my head - childish i know. Heavy fog, which delayed the start meant the swim buoys were hard to sight, but every one had that problem. Missed the last buoy and had to make a detour back to swim around it. But that said took 40 seconds off last years time. Played on my bike strength and took 4 minutes off my time from last year, for a 2:42 and the fastest female bike split by 4 minutes. Having come out the swim in 10th, I came into T2 in first place. Unfortunately my legs were not having fun running and found the off road open sections really tough. Overtaken on the 2nd lap and then again on 3rd. Finished in 3rd place again just 21 seconds back from 2nd, having pulled some time back on the forth and final lap, Oh my legs are going to hurt tomorrow :-)

Promise to self to blog more often - Happy Training x

Weekend of first's!!

No not first kiss - I'm a bit old for that!! But first sea swim - Brahhh! it was cold. I looked for every oppourtunitry not go in, but told myself if i did 10 mins i'd let myself have coffee on the seafront. So Neoprened out in new Zoot Suit, hat and booties, i venture into the 11 degrees. Once my hands went from painful to just numb I actually started to enjoy it and spent almost 40 minutes in the water. Dissapointingly forgot to put my £2 for coffee in my bag :-(

Sunday followed with my first 25 mile Time Trial -Dismal time and just pure pain, but had a good hard run off the bike. The afternoon was spent eating too much cake (couldn't resist a second chocolate slice) at a house warming tea and cake party!!

Next week off to King of the Mountains holiday and training - latest update is that the white stuff is on the retreat :-)

Despite my best intentions, i've been a complete slacker!

At updating my blog only, the rest of my life has been madness for the past couple of weeks. working lots (more than i want to and more than I'm paid for!, putting together a piece of research I've been working on - work again!!. Within that I've been swimming lots, cycling lots and running quite a bit! The past 6 weeks have just been manic! Some good things have happened in between all that.

1. Took Simon (boyfriend) away for his birthday and for a break from craziness in the New Forest at the end of March. Rented a cabin for the long weekend. Did some good long rides, but the weather wasn't liking us - drowned rats one day and snowed on the next!

2. Discovered home shopping - I place my food shopping online and some lovely delivery man brings it right into the kitchen - bliss. My life's been made so much better by that alone.

3. Finished paying of Hawaii credit card bill - thank goodness! Only one more and student loan to go to be debt free!!!!

4. Only 3 weeks until for to King of the Mountains - for a week of cycling and catching up with Guy and Helyn. I'm hoping the cold white stuff is retreating.

5. Started racing again - did first time trial on Thursday - a 2 up with the boyfriend. Enjoyed the hurt!

6. I'm now running for 90 mins!!!!!! - Weymouth half ironman is looking likely!!

7. Found a local coffee roaster, which roasts your beans and then dispatches on the same day - for super fresh and delicious coffee beans - very important!

8. Went home for Easter weekend and caught up with the family. Had lunch with my younger brother, Jamie - had a good gossip and quizzed him about his new and first proper girlfriend. Also my other brother, Simon, his girlfriend Natasha is riding a cycle challenge for the stroke association in June. She hasn't ridden a bike for years - She rocks!

9. Discovered Gavin and Stacey on BBC i player - how have i missed this!

10. Learnt home to completely stripped and rebuild by road bike, when i had a spring clean. Now feel like i can call myself a proper bike rider. Actually I can probably do more repairs/fixes to my bike than most of the boy's i train with. Having said that i still prefer Simon to check over the gears.

Happy training

Sarah xxx

Good things come in small packages! (or large boxes if your greedy!)

Yesterday I arrived home from my ride to find a large box outside our flat door!

The lovely people at DJM had sent me my spring 09 training and racing kit - oh my god the excitement could not be contained. Even before I could get my helmet and sweaty bike kit off I had the box open and was tearing open the plastic bags to inspect my new kit!!

Like a child in a sweetshop (unless it's the sweet shop on Rye high street, which has sweets in jars floor to ceiling - I'm in heaven) I couldn't wait to try it all on.

Can't wait for the weather to get warm so it can be worn in all its glory, rather than hidden under winter layers.

Sported my new Zoot swim costume at training this am - In 90 minutes it and I got treated to 1,100m warm up, 2,400m paddle, pull and band set, 250m kick than to finish 20 x 25m fly off 40 seconds. Having never done a full length fly! let alone 20, I started doing 1/2 length one arm, 1/2 length butterfly. But I like a challenge so after the 3rd 25m, I decided to see if i could do a full length. It wasn't very pretty, or very fast, but got to the other side and had about 10 seconds rest. So my first length butterfly, turned into 17 lengths :-)

Easy Week!

This last week has been an easy training week and with Simon away on a course (cycle mechanic's course - funny since he's been fixing bikes almost as long as I've been alive!) I've had the flat to myself. But I've been boring! Training done -and the evenings spent reading journal articles and doing yoga. Long baths (I've finished the bubbles!) and early nights. But body and mind feeling ready to go again. When training you look forward to days off and easy weeks, but when actually come around, you want to throw yourself back into training again.

Swimming update: Still at the back of the slowest lane, in morning swim session. But have done an 86 for 100m's, during a set - that's a 2009 PB and equal to my fast 100m ever!!! Oh and still can't do butterfly and hate back crawl with band.