Blogs

Mon, 20 Jun 2011

Top 20 in Kitz - now for First Senior Europeans

By Jodie Stimpson - Vision Fitness Ambassador

Ok so Kitzbhuel WCR last year was not a good race for me, a DNF with not only 1 but 2 punctures!!!! However, one good thing that came from it was that I loved loved loved this course, and I actually think it suited me, which made me all excited about the race.

I arrived on Thursday for the briefing, and stayed in a place just on the outside of town, right by the bike course, perfect. On the Saturday I got to watch the men's race from the comfort of my bed on www.triathlon.org (and looking out my window to watch them fly past on the bike) and yet again, what a dominating performance by Alistair and a brilliant day for Team Dillon athletes, Will Clarke who finished 4th after a blitzing run and Stuart Hayes 13th after yet another break away on the bike! So now the goalposts had been set, it was time for me to try and match my team mates performances.

Race morning all was fine and I was feeling excited for the race. I went for a little jog before breakfast and looking around thought that we may be luckier with the weather than what the men had yesterday in terrible conditions.However, I still did not think we would have all 4 seasons in a matter of two hours! Welcome to the mountains!!!

So, I got next to some great swimmers on the pontoon; Sarah Groff, Laura Bennett, it does make a huge difference being next to good swimmers, as you don't seem to fight nearly as much, you actually get to swim. So I had a nice swim up to the first buoy and noticed I was with Paula, back towards the swim exit and then I think I got in and out in around 14th place on the first lap (and with Dean's comment going through my head; "CAN YOU PLEASE WAKE UP ON THE FIRST LAP!" I was quite pleased. I then seemed to get a bit stuck, and wanted to go around a few of the girls but whoever was in front of me wasn't' having any of it! Anyway, I exited the water in 9th position, my best swim to date, and I was chuffed!!!

I had a good T1 and was out on the bike with no dramas, but here comes the total blonde moment . . . I blasted out of T1 and pushed all the way up the hill where I saw the preim line at the top, I put my head down and crossed first girl in the pack, I thought "YES, THAT'S MY FLIGHT PAID FOR", so I carried on cycling and on the second lap I found myself at the front again going up the hill, so again I put my head down pushed up the hill and again got through first in the pack, "YES, THAT'S MY ACCOMMODATION PAID FOR", next thing I heard was Jess Harrison say "C'MON GIRLS WE NEED TO CATCH HELEN AND SARAH"!!!! I didn't even realise that Helen and Sarah had got away out of the swim and were on a break away, what can I say . . . GUTTED!

Just to put some gossip at rest, I would like to say that Helen is a GB team mate as well as a friend, but I had to push on and try and catch her, as that's where the race was, and as far as I was aware, this was an individual race and I was racing for myself, not for anyone else! I am not only racing these races for Olympic selection, but also to put some money in the bank, which is very empty at the minute! I have to fund these WCS races myself, with no financial support, as you may or may not understand, it's pretty tough. So, this weekends 19th place did not win me any money, however I came away moving up the rankings by two places, for me it's swings and roundabouts at the minute. So, I am sorry that I may have cost Helen the win today, however I do have my reasons and I am sure Helen understands my reasons for chasing, and I'm pretty sure that if you ask any other GB girl looking for Olympic Selection (including Helen) what they would have done in my position, they would have done the same!

Anyway, enough ranting, back to the race. The pack caught Helen and Sarah on the 4th lap I think and then it was just a big pack of around 20ish athletes. As soon as we joined together I felt the pace fade, with nothing in front to chase, nobody was willing to work to keep the chase pack behind away - I think to be fair I had done my fair share of working but there we go -. So we ended up entering T2 with around a 20 second lead (which could/should have been about a minute).

I hold my hands up totally and say I messed up in T2, I jumped off the bike and felt totally disorientated, and ended up coming out of T2 in about 20th place with a big line of girls in front to chase, which I did, and felt great on the first 5k, but then BOOM it hit me, and I died, died, died in the last 5k just trying to hold on to whatever place I could! I crossed the line in 19th, satisfied? Well kind of, but no time to dwell, it's my first Senior Europeans next weekend :-)

Jode
Xxx

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