Blogs

Tue, 29 Mar 2011

Not the start I'd hoped for, but Sydney in 2 weeks!

By Jodie Stimpson - Vision Fitness Ambassador

So, the weeks leading into the race I was starting to feel good and freshening up, and after training in Australia with Team Dillon since January, it's been a tough training camp, so I was really looking forward to my first race in the Mooloolaba World Cup however Mooloolaba obviously didn’t feel the same!!

The weekend started with us moving into the Hyatt Column on Thursday, which Patrick helped me out with, yet again, which i am totally grateful for doing yet again. Patricks support whilst I've been out in Australia has been awesome, and I cannot thank him enough. The place is so beautiful, and totally posh (which I am so not used to), so was I was truly blessed to stay in such a great place!

So after we move in to our new home for the weekend we all headed down to the race briefing, the same routine, uniform check then the do’s and don’ts for the race, and then out for dinner with the team.

Friday was just ticking over with a few pick ups, but it was race day for the first two members of the team. It was the 5k run race down in Mooloolaba which my roomy Chris ran really well, with a time of 16.07 and Martin ran a cracking 27.12, so well done guys!!!!

Saturday was near enough the same, just ticking over, but was race day for our TD boys, Will and Stu! They both headed down and came back with a 8th and 11th. Congratulations to them both, well deserved!!!!!

Race morning and after a little jog and breakie, I headed down to the race. I felt good in the swim warm up and was ready to go on the start line. The sea was pretty breezy to say the least, which I knew would make for an interesting start. So the gun went and I ran and dived into the sea, I felt ok for the first few strokes but then al of a sudden felt myself draining in energy. I knew then my goal was just to finish the swim and I did the 1500m fighting instead of swimming. The run up to transition and then onto the bike, I was about 30 seconds down from the leaders, and then things just went from bad to worse. The heavens opened and it started hammering down with rain. This subsequently made the roads very oily and slippery, especially the far corner of the course, and on the first bend myself, and 3 other athletes were down. I smacked my head on the floor and went skidding for what felt like ages! I jumped back on my bike with what felt like a HUGE bump on my head and some cuts and grazes and tried to carry on, but I just went backwards through the packs.

I am not one for pulling out of races at all, I would rather carry on and finish last than DNF, however I reminded myself that Sydney was in 2 weeks and I needed to think of the WCS, and running after a bump to my head probably wasn't the best idea.

Truly gutted and upset about the race, it wasn’t the crash, I would never blame that, it just was not my day. So Mooloolaba gave me a nice bruised forehead, a few cuts and grazes and I will leave it at that.

In 2 weeks time I am on the start line at Sydney World Championship Race. The first of the World Championship Series, so time to re-focus. Well done to everyone who finished the race, it was tough going.

xxx

For more information about Jodie Stimpson - Great Britain Triathlete, visit www.jodiestimpson.co.uk.