Blog
ETU X-Champs, Germany - First GB Elite Race
15th Jul 2015
A surreal experience after dreaming of an Elite GB vest for 25 years! Exciting finally lining up in the Union Jack tri suit.
Another week, another apartment, another scenic venue… this time the small town of Schluchsee in the Black Forest – overlooking Germany’s highest reservoir, in which we would swim. I had to keep reminding myself that this race was different from all the others – my first selection for British Triathlon’s Elite Team and an official tri suit with my name on to prove it!
Everything was more stringent and well organised as you’d expect of the ITU and of German efficiency – not quite the relaxed atmosphere of Xterra! Although most of my competitors are the same girls I race with in Xterra, it’s always that bit more special with everyone officially representing their country! I was the only Elite from GB, besides our Junior man James Anderson, but most of the ladies from my team Aloha Racing were racing here. It was great to have these friends to recce the course together and support each other.
The hot weather of 30+° has continued for the whole 3 weeks I’ve been on the continent, I was really hoping just for once, this would be a cooler race, perhaps even some British rain. I was in luck, as a thunder storm the day before brought the temperature down to a pleasant 20°. I wasn’t really sure of my form, it’s difficult being away from home for so long, not being able to do any of my normal training, normal eating, see my physio Alex or massage guy John, and you realise how much you miss them when they are not there! I could definitely feel the toll of all the travel, camping, making do on catering, and not having access to key support people! I was excited to race, but not really 100% confident in my physiology.
All athletes would be racing together, but the Elites would get a 3 minute head start – partly as we were not allowed wetsuits while AG athletes were. We were called down to the beach for the start, it was cool doing the line-up where we were all announced. We then took our places on the beach. I had a good start, before some junior men swam over me - who were not going in a straight line! This meant that I lost the fast feet I was following. It seems however and wherever I start the swim, I still end up in the same pack… but it was great swimming with my Aloha teammates Karin and Renata. It turned out we were well up in the race after 2 choppy laps – rough enough to make you feel a little seasick! But tough swim conditions seem to suit me where a lot of athletes struggle and lose time.
After a long run to transition, I exited in 7th place, so far so good. The bike started well, no technical mistakes, not too much congestion in the single-track. But before I’d had chance to take more than a couple of sips from my drink bottle, it went flying from the bottle cage as I hit a root on the first descent. So there went my electrolytes and caffeine for the day. Yes, an annoying and perhaps preventable issue – the trouble again being on the road as I’d discarded my usual race bottles at aid stations on the previous races, and was using untested bottles that had been handed out in those races. I was able to pick up water at the halfway aid station, so at least I wouldn’t go thirsty.
The rest of the bike went pretty well, a few of the expected names passed me but I wasn’t losing too much ground. I was just outside the top 10 reaching transition, but within striking distance if I could pull out my usual run speed.
I had worked pretty hard on the bike though, and this combined with no electrolytes meant my legs cramped up as soon as I bent down to put my trainers on in T2. The alignment issues didn’t help either, as some unusual muscles had been overworked and were seizing up rock solid. It took me several attempts to get my shoes on, all the while more girls coming into transition. When I finally got sorted I wasn’t sure if I would be able to run at all…
But experience has told me stopping is worse than continuing once cramp sets in, and the best thing to do is try and ignore it, carry on at a steady pace and avoid sudden movements / changes of direction. Not easy on a technical trail run, which half of the course was! I knew I was off my usual pace but passed one girl early on and thought I may be in 10th place. For the first time ever, Sandra hadn’t caught me on the bike, so I knew she would be a danger behind and I wanted to move up to at least 9th so I had some safety margin on my top 10 finish! On the 3rd of 4 laps I caught up with Maud, who’d had a great bike, but it didn’t look like it was her day on the run – so a quick word of encouragement and then I overtook. Hopefully I’m now in 9th, but it’s impossible to keep track now most of the AG athletes are on the course, and you can’t tell who’s on which lap.
I made it to the last lap, and probably 400m of the finish, when I was aware of a girl behind me, breathing extremely hard, but also running very fast… I didn’t even have to look round to know it would be Sandra. I tried to speed up so it wouldn’t come down to a sprint finish, but too many athletes in the way on the single-track, and then my legs wouldn’t respond when we reached the fire road. Sprint finishes used to be my speciality when I raced 3,000m on the track, but on this day the cramp wouldn’t let me. It was a pretty frustrating way to end the race, losing out by 1 second on the line, but at least it was to a great athlete who had caught up several minutes on me over the run! I had some consolation that I was still 10th, and still achieved my goal…
…or so I thought until it came to the presentation. The top 10 was announced and my name wasn’t in it. I don’t know what happened, if someone’s chip hasn’t registered or just that I didn’t have the right info from spectators telling me my position. It is pretty hard to count in a multi lap race. So of course when I found out the real result - 11th - missing my goal and any pay check by the narrowest of margins… I was pretty gutted.
Now, on reflection, I can rationalise 11th was a creditable performance, and I was only 1 second off my goal, but sometimes it’s easier to be 1 minute, or 10 minutes away, instead of analysing every error or decision I made throughout the race that might have cost me one second! Even if it’s being a good sportsman at times, going wide at a swim buoy so as not to cut off another athlete, or pulling aside on the single-track to let a faster runner or rider go by. I guess I know the biggest factor was not being up to my usual standard on the run, annoyingly that has happened in my 2 last races thanks to heatstroke and cramp respectively! But every race has it’s learning points and at least I know there’s room for improvement.
I was also super happy for Aloha Teammate (and team coach) Renata - who amazingly won the race despite having knee surgery only a few weeks ago!
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