I woke with a few nerves on Monday morning, put on my lovely new tri suit which outshone the old and battered running shoes I’d decided to wear.  I predicted that the cross country run was going to be a mud bath after all the rain.

The venue was already really busy when I got there just before 9am an hour before my designated start time.  There’s a really great buzz at these events, it’s contagious.  Everyone is busying themselves, setting up their bikes and laying out their kit for the transitions.  It’s very exact, with gels, shoes, hats, gloves, all being laid out in a very specific manner.  I seemed to have more ‘stuff’ than anyone else and was very glad that I’d brought some big plastic bags to lay over and under my kit, as it was threatening to rain at any moment.

It was freezing, so once I’d registered and had numbers written all over me in permanent pen I had one last loo stop before heading off to the pool to wait in line to start.  Having done the same event last year it felt quite familiar and I felt relaxed as I took everything in.  I even had someone asking me for advice, which tickled me no end.

The 400m swim felt great, I found the 16 lengths relatively easy.  My biggest frustration was the lack of pool etiquette. The general rule is if someone touches your toes as you swim, then at the end of that length you should let them overtake.  Well, one guy just wouldn’t let me pass even though I was virtually on top of him.  I didn’t have the nerve to overtake with someone heading straight towards me in the other lane.  So, I ended up asking him as politely as I could manage if I could pass and eventually he did! So, my swim ended up a disappointing 13 seconds faster than last year.  Clearly, that is why I found it easy – I wasn’t pushing myself enough at all!

Next, a slow jog from the warmth of the pool area to the bikes, it was really chilly – more October than May… The bike section went by in a cold, wet blur.  Without doubt my new bike felt so much better than my old mountain bike, but the rain started about 2k into the ride and just got heavier. I was surprised to see that my time was 6 minutes faster than last year and that was in terrible conditions, without cleats and bike shoes, so I’m hoping I can make a bigger improvement next time.

As predicted, the run was like a challenge from Total Wipeout!  The entire run, over rough fields, was a squelchy bog – it was really tough on my legs, which already felt like lead.  There was even a point when we had to run through a stream.  I was pulled out by a very nice man throwing out a rope for me…  I found myself giggling with the absurdity of it all!  No surprise then that I was slower than last year, but only by 28 seconds.

So, overall I was slightly faster. That feels great, but more importantly I loved every minute and can’t wait to get going again in 2 weeks time.

Of course, we sometimes forget things, too. Is there anything that we’ve forgotten on our checklist? Anything that you like to pack that we’ve left out? Share your race day must-haves with the Trigirl community in the comments section.

Final verdict? ‘Thoughtfully designed with women and practicality in mind.’

Just what we were going for!

Trigirl is excited to announce our new ‘Ask the Experts’ section, a place where you can get tips on everything from handling race day nerves to recovering from injury.

We’ve assembled an expert panel to answer your questions, so you know that you’ll be getting good advice.

Send your questions and we’ll be sure to get you the best possible response as quickly as we can. And of course we’ll also continue to provide new articles on the Trigirl site with all of the latest in triathlon kit, training advice and more!

Please enter your questions on our website here:

http://www.trigirl.co.uk/training/ask-the-experts/

The Spark, our new novice trisuit, offers comfort and quality in a fun, flattering style, also available in adult sizes. Made from our high-quality Newport material, the Spark is sold without a support bra, offering the flexibility to pair with your favourite sports bra or our matching Flash crop top (perhaps your new favourite!)

Though the Spark was designed with the novice in mind, it stills features amazing Trigirl details including our exclusive elastic-interface triathlon chamois, mesh panelling for ventilation, and soft, microfibre gripper elastic in the leg hem to keep everything in place.

If you’re looking for a girl’s size or novice trisuit, look no further than the Spark!

Training in the rain this week has been very wet to say the least.  I managed a 10k run, which I was pleased with, as I’ve not been running longer distances recently but have focussed more on speeding up over 5k. It felt good to know that I still have it in me, though can’t believe I actually ran a half marathon last September. I’m sure the speed (fartlek) training is paying off, as my average running time per mile is definitely improving. I also tried running with the dog, which proved impossible as there were so many stops en route and too many people/dogs to say hello to.

I’ve had a couple of sessions on my new bike and have really enjoyed getting used to an easier, faster ride. My old bike was so heavy that just to get started my legs would be in agony due to the build up of lactic acid! Not good. I still need to get used to a number of things though – working through the gears and understanding what configuration is best for flats/hills, etc. The riding position is surprisingly comfortable, but any length of time on the drop handle bars causes a pain in my neck as I get used to keeping my head up and facing forward… This is quite normal I am told and will ease as I get more miles in. Finally, moving to cleats and cycling shoes is going to be my biggest challenge. I’ve decided to go with the SPD system (as explained on the trigirl site: http://www.trigirl.co.uk/tri-kit/choose-cycling-shoes/). The decision maker for me was that the SPD shoe also works on the fixed spinning bikes. I think I’m going to ease myself in gently and won’t use them until I’ve practised clipping in and out. If it’s going to be wet next week, I’ll be rubbing vinegar onto the wheels to reduce risk of skidding – thanks Jo for the tip.

So, I’m ready as I’ll ever be and raring to go (with a few nerves mixed in)!

Trigirl Cycling Shoes Advice

Already using clipless pedals? Which system do you use? Here at the Trigirl office, we’ve debated the options, but we’d like to hear what you think. Let us know and help other Trigirls decide what will work best for them.

… However, over the two week holiday my training consisted of one evening swim – Andy (my very tolerant husband) walked through the door and I walked out. I’m not used to swimming so late in the day and it felt like a real struggle from start to end. We then took the kids to Devon for a week with my family, which was wonderful, but a challenge on the training front. I did manage 3 runs, which got slower as I ate and drank more. I’ve never seen hills like it and admit to walking up the steepest inclines I’ve ever encountered. That’s it! However, I’m sure the Devon hills helped because running on the flat is going to feel a breeze. I even managed to multitask and took the kids out on a bike ride while I ran along with the dog. Managed 3 miles in an hour due to an unplanned stop at the swings!

Yesterday the kids went back to school and I got back on track by joining my ladies tri group for a really full on training session. I believe ‘Fartlek’ is the term for what we did, or as Wikipedia describe it: ‘Fartlek which means “speed play” in Swedish is a form of interval training which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise’. Boy it was tough and I’m aching everywhere today! We pushed ourselves and ran as fast as we could for one minute then had another minute recovery before repeating 9 times. Jo, our coach, explained that if we can manage just one session like that each week, it will gradually increase our average running pace. I like the sound of that and will try and incorporate it into my training, along with everything else.

My biggest news is that I’m the proud (and slightly nervous) owner of a fabulous road bike. I did a lot of research and eventually decided to go down the second hand route, hoping that I’d be able to get a better quality, higher spec bike, even if it had been ridden before. I came up trumps and through my well connected contacts (Jo and her bike shop owner friend) was put in touch with someone who had a nearly new bike which had done no more than 15 miles. The best news for me was that the previous owner was exactly my height, which meant that the frame was the right size. Honestly, I could nearly pick it up with my little finger and it feels like I’m riding on air compared to my clunky old mountain bike! I’ve spent far too long looking at it and now need to get out on it. Will let you know how it goes in my next installment, just hope I’m faster….

In all of the excitement, don’t forget the importance of recovery. Taking the time to let your body repair itself is as important as training to help you cross that finish line in style. Schedule at least one easy day and one day off a week to keep yourself fresh, engaged and injury-free.

I joined a spinning class last week and will continue to go once a week, it’s a brilliant workout – so hard on my legs that I sometimes think I’ll keel over in the middle of a ‘hill climb’, but surely it can only help to build those leg muscles up for the big event?  Bizarrely, I love being in a dimly lit sweaty room, with some great 90’s house music banging away.  It helps distract me from the severe pain I am in through most of the session!  It’s ironic really, because I love to be outdoors when I’m running and would hate to be holed up in a gym on a treadmill.  But spinning is safe.  No pot holes, no traffic, no punctures… and therein is my problem with cycling.  I’m just too nervous on the roads, even if I am careful and ‘road wise’ I just can’t account for all the cars/lorries/white vans around.

However, spring has arrived, clocks have changed and yesterday I got my bike out of the shed and took to the roads.  The weather was glorious and I headed for some quiet country lanes to re-acquaint myself with outdoor cycling.  It was wonderful to be out in the sunshine with the daffodils in bloom and lambs in the fields, certainly enough to put a smile on my face.  However, another reason for my lack of enthusiasm came straight back to me…

… my bike just isn’t up to triathlons!  It’s a three-year-old mountain bike which is clunky and heavy.  I spent £200 ‘upgrading’ it last year with thinner tyres and drop handle bars, but the reality is that it’s still slow and I’m using far too much energy just moving along the flat roads, let alone the hills!  I was hoping that I’d jump on and just get on with it, but I can’t face a season of four or five triathlons using my old plodder… So, decision made, I’m on the hunt for a new ‘tri bike’.  I’ve just been to my weekly tri group and got some basic advice, the most important thing is to make sure it’s the right frame size for my height and that it’s made of carbon fibre or aluminium so it’s as light as possible.  Wish me luck- Ebay, here I come… perhaps a new bike is just what I need to get me into the cycling, I really hope so!