Tomorrow we are driving down to Sherbourne in Dorset for Sunday's Ironman race, normally it'd be me and the kids supporting Chris, but this year I have the pleasure of the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run! Chris, Dom and the kids will be there cheering me on...
The weather is awful at the moment, very very windy, very wet and rainy....and you guessed it, we are camping in Sherbourne of course! We thought it couldn't possibly be bad weather two years in a row - wrong! The prospect of gale force head winds on the 112 mile hilly bike (which I was already going to struggle with) is not sitting too easily with me as you can imagine.
Since new year's day, I have run 510 miles, swum 100km and biked 1020 miles....sound alot? Well in ironman training terms, it isn't really especially the amount of biking I have done. But I have done as much as being a mum of little ones and circumstances have allowed. At times I have felt like I had taken on an impossible task and throwing in the towel, but being a stubborn cow, I kept at it. Chris has been incredibly supportive, urging me to train whenever possible, always ready to take over with the kids so I could train or race.
Who knows what adventures Sunday will bring, definitely alot of pain and hard work, just hoping the wind drops, my bike holds together and the hills aren't as bad as in my dreams! If I finish, I will be over the moon, the time cut off for completion is 17 hours which will be about 11pm Sunday night. You can follow my progress online on http://www.ironmanlive.com/
(look out for training pals and fellow Dealies, Paul McGeehan, Gary Winstanley, Mark Sayer, Tim Malpass and Ed Smith)
As a certain Mr Cross said, and I paraphrase, it takes alot to be brave enough to simply be on an ironman start line.....I'll be there.........wish me luck, I might need a bit!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
2012 Olympic Flag Run
Yesterday I ran with other Dealies along the cliffs from Dover seafront to Deal pier (10 miles) carrying the 2012 Olympic flag and original torch from the 1948 GB Olympics. We started off in Dover in the pouring rain but finished in Deal in brilliant sunshine. The local MP and mayor then hoisted the flag. About 400 flags were raised all over the country yesterday to mark
the countdown to London 2012.
Our friends from Malaysia come to Great Mongeham
Simon, Shilpa, Sid and Seb came to visit from KL in Malaysia. We had a great few days with them and Rocky who had come over from the Isle of Wight. We spent last Tuesday exploring the Romney Marsh on the R,H&D railway. The little trains took us for fish and chips at Dungeness and then the funfair at Dymchurch. Kids had a great day, so did we although Shilpa was a bit confused about the attractions of the nuclear power station!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Deal Tri Dinosaur 10km
Last Sunday, Indie ran for the second year in the kids 1500m race, running alongside Izzy who was running her first ever race. They looked so sweet finishing together.
Since Cath and Terry were staying with us for the weekend, Terry was roped into running the annual Deal Tri 10km with me. It was a very hot weekend and Sunday morning saw more blue skies and high temps, not a day for PB's. I set off a bit fast and almost vommed going up the big hill but hung in there. Saw quite a few runners collapsing, most likely due to the heat. Terry 'treated' Jason and I to some professional stretching afterwards, I think we both managed not to cry!
Jason 45.46
Chantal 53.47
Terry 54.10
Zoe 55.13
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Beaver
Travelled up to Belvoir Castle near Grantham on Friday evening, managed to pitch the tent in the castle grounds in the dry (the biggest miracle of the w/e considering the week of torrential rain that literally stopped as we drove into Belvoir). Dom had travelled down from Manchester and was waiting the in trees for us to arrive. We were soon joined by fellow Dealies Simon W, Dominique and their four girls.
Saturday saw Dom racing the LITTLE BEAVER, an olympic distance tri. We cheered her off on her swim, but due to race timings, she wasn't back before I then headed for my swim start for the BEAVER (2km swim, 85km bike, 20km run). The swim was round and up and down a muddy old puddle that you could stand up in. Spent 5 mins being swum over and being bashed into before settling into a decent swim stroke. Was out of the water in 35mins which I was well chuffed with (especially after my panic attack in Dover harbour a couple of weeks ago).
Then a long run up to the bike transition (and I mean long!), through sludgy grass and cowpats (real rural this race!). Out onto the bike where, of course, I immediately lost any advantage I had built on the swim. Felt ok apart from my usual rubbish struggle up any little hill on the course, and there was quite a long one that had to be tackled on all three laps, GOD I HATE HILLS!
Back to the castle and out onto the run, amusingly 3 laps of the castle grounds including three times to the top of the hill where the castle stands. Very funny, not....Felt rather sick by the last lap and my back was pretty seized up but finished with a PB for this distance so the effort was worth it. Dom had done really well in her race despite being undertrained and not feeling 100%, moreover she had enjoyed it which is really cool. Simon did great in his first attempt at this distance as not the easiest course to begin with....
Saturday saw Dom racing the LITTLE BEAVER, an olympic distance tri. We cheered her off on her swim, but due to race timings, she wasn't back before I then headed for my swim start for the BEAVER (2km swim, 85km bike, 20km run). The swim was round and up and down a muddy old puddle that you could stand up in. Spent 5 mins being swum over and being bashed into before settling into a decent swim stroke. Was out of the water in 35mins which I was well chuffed with (especially after my panic attack in Dover harbour a couple of weeks ago). Then a long run up to the bike transition (and I mean long!), through sludgy grass and cowpats (real rural this race!). Out onto the bike where, of course, I immediately lost any advantage I had built on the swim. Felt ok apart from my usual rubbish struggle up any little hill on the course, and there was quite a long one that had to be tackled on all three laps, GOD I HATE HILLS!
Back to the castle and out onto the run, amusingly 3 laps of the castle grounds including three times to the top of the hill where the castle stands. Very funny, not....Felt rather sick by the last lap and my back was pretty seized up but finished with a PB for this distance so the effort was worth it. Dom had done really well in her race despite being undertrained and not feeling 100%, moreover she had enjoyed it which is really cool. Simon did great in his first attempt at this distance as not the easiest course to begin with....
Had a cool evening by the tents, you'd have thought the kids were in the most amazing 5* theme park/hotel complex, so happy were they climbing trees and weeing in the woods.
(Dom 3hrs 19, Chantal 6hrs 12, Simon W 6hrs 22)
Monday, July 07, 2008
Bewl 15
Ran this off mainly off road undulating race yesterday around the edge of Bewl Water in East Sussex. Chris and my parents looked after the four kids, as Zoe racing too. Poured with rain for the last couple of miles, even the brass band at the finish line packed up early!
Left hip hurting more and more every long run/race, hope it holds out until 7th September......
Chantal 2.10.25
Zoe 2.19.57 (her longest ever race!)
Left hip hurting more and more every long run/race, hope it holds out until 7th September......
Chantal 2.10.25
Zoe 2.19.57 (her longest ever race!)
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