Monster Olympic

Race morning, I'm up at 5:40am a slice of jam on toast and a slice of peanut butter in toast and a bowl of Crunchie nut cornflakes. I have prepared every thing the night before. So a quick 5-10min. bike to Jubilee gardens and into the hustle and bustle of transition.

                         Jubilee Gardens/ Transition

Nearly 450 people with last minute preparation, nerves, excitement. Spotting people I know and faces I recognise from previous races. Chatting to the guy next to me who had returned to do the Oly after doing the Middle the year before, he was all the way from Sheffield. It puts it into perspective just how good these races are when people are prepared to return and travel that sort of distance to get to the race.

I hear Liz call for the Middle distance guys to go down to the river, I knew we would be called soon. I was more interested with chatting than setting up transition. But I had registered the day before and had already put the stickers on the bike and helmet and set my race belt up. An extra gel in my running shoe this year in case I need it.

Liz calls us to go down to the river, and I got a chance to chat with fellow competitors about there previous races. We got to the start of the race and it was only at this point I had noticed the temperature had dropped. Michelle Chalmers said she had a cycle top in transition to put over her tri-suit. It was at that point I had visions of freezing on the bike. For a split second I just has thoughts of pulling out of the bike because I was cold, like some had to do in the Peterborough Middle distance race.

We put all of our shoes into the biggest bag I have ever seen, Paul briefed us on the race and we started getting in to the water.

My open water drills kicked in sitting around 15th off the front and then a few people with last minutes decisions reshuffling there positions in the water, I was floating on my stomach and owning my space.

Yes that space was mine all for 10secs, the race started and then it was anyone's space.

For the first 400 meters I was fighting with people. Trying to get round one side then them swimming directly in my route trying to swim the other side with no luck, so had to make my route through a mass of people. Kicking hard towards the bridge had a clearing. Got into a decent stretch of clear water before hitting another wall of orange hat swimmers in our group and pushing my way through, after getting squashed near the side of the boat. After that it was a case of picking a route through the slower blue hat swimmers from the group before us. Making my way to the turn around point near the bridge, I managed a sweet corkscrew turn then looking for clearings in the swimmers for a quick route through. With a much needed hand out onto the carpet towards transition.

                                  Swim exit and an army of Marshall's

My transition almost done in reverse but not touching my bike until my helmet was on, all I could hear was Jodie saying 'don't distract Daddy, don't distract Daddy'. Out on the bike it was just picking off a mass of cyclists at the back of the Middle distance. Not thinking too much about the 25miles ahead and pacing. Down the A10 with the wind on my back, dreading the thought of hitting the Bumpy road into Pymoor.

                          Out on the bike before the rain

We turn left on the BP roundabout on the A10 and it s just a few miles up the road and the first person passes me with a pink race number, I had realised the Olympic guys had pink numbers and the Middle guys had white numbers. I kept out the draft zone and kept with him for quite a while but as we hit the bumpy road slowly watch him pull off. But I didn't want to dig too deep, my training hasn't been very hardcore for the past month. I wasn't about to just find out if the wheels were going to fall off for digging deep. It was also good to see people I knew from the Middle distance. Saying hello to David and Wardy on the bike. The wind was tough and it was relentless. Onto Coveney, I wasn't worried about the hill just pleased I was out the wind for a bit.

Deciding not to opt for the energy gels being given out this year, because all I do is just bat them about 10ft out the Marshall's hands. I had plenty of gels, I also had an extra attached to the bike in case.

After descending from Coveney worked my way back up to the A142, for the last push with a side wind. And BOOM hit the A142 with the wind on my back. It doesn't matter how much your hurting. If the wind is on your back your going to use it. I had worked damn hard against it. A little push up to the BP garage a quick hello to Tony and just pleased I wasn't going out for another lap. For once I was pleased I wasn't doing the Middle. Full respect to the people that done it because the wind was hideous. 

Down past Tesco's, and one more little push on the bike up Backhill. Down into transition.

Then the sudden thought of 'I just need my foot to hold out for the run'. A nice steady pace to start, it took me a while to get into a rhythm and my running just seemed laboured. Into pocket park and I had a dog yapping at my feet and nearly tripping me up twice, with a feeble 'oh come on' from the owner. I must admit I had a vision of kicking the dog. Who was getting more aggressive with the barking. I just knew I couldn't kick kit. So I shouted at the top of my voice really quick, 'GETOUTOFMYWAYNOW' I have never seen a dog looked surprised before, but it pulled the look off well. And instantly stopped barking. Out on to Lisle lane, further on as I got towards the Vineyards my legs started to cramp up. A quick stretch and look behind. And trying to run and stretch at the same time. I should imagine is quite comical to watch. Running and drinking is a nightmare out of a plastic cup. With cramp already started I stop and walked for 2seconds after each aid station while I downed the water, then making sure I put my litter in the bin each time, going out my way slightly.

Ran to the top of the High Street and a cheer from Laura, worked my way down to broad street and into Cherryhill to see the family, for a cheeky little dance up Cherry hill, where at the top I paid for the dance with a little bit more cramp.

                                           On Cherryhill; 'Go home or go hard'

                                           written on the path.

Just focusing on a comfortable stride, with my foot on the back of my mind continued another lap, high five-ing my kids and a cheer from the trouble and strife who had come to watch, then back into Cherry Hill park. The next lap was a bit tougher, my foot had started to hurt a bit. I changed my approach as I was running the lap, pushing hard at first, then dropping the pace back to feel more comfortable, and saving my energy for a strong finish. Another quick high five from the kids. And then a realisation that I should have gone for an earlier sprint to take the chap in front of me.

    The welcome sight of the finish line.

Another great well organised race by monster, that just seems to become even more organised and race friendly each year.

Thank you to all the Marshall's for there friendly cheer. I tried to say thanks when I wasn't pushing hard. If I missed anyone Thank You.

Monster Olympic pre-race thoughts..

Well you are probably thinking Monster Olympic and not Monster Middle....

It was a tough decision!

After biking the route of stage 3 of Tour de France and then back home again up the A10 after 3weeks of racing on the trot, I was to say the least exhausted.

After about 1-2 weeks off I started back at training and feeling very sluggish. Even with the slow and steady training I managed to pick up a chest infection. I cut my training right back and focused on getting well again. During this period my aim was supposed to start my long runs and build them up each week.

My first long run back in to my training went well and I felt strong my pace wasn't great but I wasn't too bothered at this stage, I just still put it down to feeling tired still. With a few training sessions to keep me ticking over.

It started the following week. My 15 mile run, I started at a steady pace and was keen to get my pacing even. Training on a 2mile circuit and timing and adjusting my pace every 2 miles.

My first 2 mile felt good, and for the next 2 miles dropped the pace to keep the pace where I needed to be. On the third lap I started feeling a bruising to the the ball of my foot as I continued to run. I started to avoid the pain by running on the outside of my foot. I completed my run but for the next few days I felt the pain. I persisted with shorter runs during the week to keep my legs ticking over.

The following week my aim was to head out on my 16 mile run. After a few short runs out it my new trainers I decided to wear them for the longer run hoping they would cushion my foot strike and offer more support. I decided to start out at a slower pace and opt for more of a mid-foot strike and not the fore-foot strike I had worked so hard on over the winter. I focused on my fuelling strategy taking a sip of my Hammer drink every mile from the outset to keep me hydrated and taking an energy gel on board every 5miles. By the end of the run I don't think I have ever felt so much pain my ankle and my knee were sore. Looking back Im not sure why I persisted so much. But I was determined to do the run and didn't want to think this injury was going to hold me back. Not a great approach in hindsight.

About 5 days later and I had to go to the doctors with an ear infection that seemed to be pushing on my jaw pushing it forward and my teeth were misaligned and I couldn't eat properly.

I went to my GP who said I didn't have an ear infection but that it could be related to hayfever and the middle part of my ear causing it to swell up. But in any case I should go and see my dentist just to get it checked out. The following day I was still in pain, I made an emergency appointment and was very interested to what was going on as it was an unusual case. She took an X-ray of my mouth and noticed that the right side of my jaw had dropped on one side and wasn't sitting in its socket properly. She sent me away with a couple of jaw excercises and some Ibuprofen and told me to monitor it.

                          
                         Xray showing my jaw dropped on the far left

That night I could not resist going out for a swimming session still, I made people aware I had taken Ibuprofen and just to keep an eye on me. After 1/2 hour of swimming I realised that my jaw was lining up a bit better. So with a couple of days of eating soup and cereals the swelling went down and I was OK.

All I needed to do was try and put my running right again. The only way I could do this was to reduce the impact on my joints and build up with shorts runs off road on the Amhurst field which is quite flat.

The longest run I managed was 5miles then I started hurting and I had to stop to reduce the risk of further injury. In the past week I have head out in a few 30k bike rides with 6-8k runs off the back on the road. At this distance the foot has started hurting and I have reduced the pace and not pushed it any further.

This has left me with the decision to knock the distance down to an Olympic distance down from the middle. But after my foot hurting so much I am pleased to still be racing. I just hope that my foot can hold out until the finish. I can't wait to race now but still gutted I am not racing my first Middle.

Give me a cheer if you see me I will need it.