Blogs

Sun, 11 Sep 2011

7 days prior to Beijing!

By Jodie Stimpson - Vision Fitness Ambassador

Sunday - Travel day
Today I started with my long run, before heading over to Heathrow Airport. It wasn't the nicest of leaving presents from UK, with me running in the rain for the whole sesion, but I actually enjoyed running in the rain, it kept me cool, and I knew it wouldn't be like that over in Beijing. The flight is just under 10 hours which I am not dreading too much really, as I have done Australia quite a few times which is more like 23 hours, so really this should be a doddle. Ha, ha, famous last words hey!!!

To be honest in one way I am looking forward to the flight, it's been a hard block of training I have been in since London to try and improve for Bejing and I am looking forward to freshening up for the next few races; Beijing ,Yokahama, LA, Dallas and finally Barcelona.

Monday - First day in China
Well my first day in China, hmmmm, I got off the plane and onto the transfer bus and I think the drivers hand was attached to the horn. They really like using it out here, thus giving me a headache!!!!!! When I got to the hotel WOW very nice, the food is not really to my liking at all, as I have been told not to eat the salads, which anyone who knows me knows that's very very difficult for me. I love my salads and the meat is quite fatty ,and I am already finding it hard to eat right so I think it might be a hard week food wise. I went for a swim to loosen off and try and get rid of the travelling kankles!!!! And later on I went out for a run with the GB coach Glen, Todd, and Lucy and I felt like my legs weren't attached to my body at all, I felt very heavy and found it hard to run, I hope they freshen up quickly.

Tuesday - Erm . . . Still not quite right
I slept like a log last night and felt good in the pool. The pool here has no lane ropes, so it's very wavy with the whole GB team in the pool!!!! But still, to be fair was quite good fun. Today has been pretty chilled, I watched a DVD called "The Driver", which I liked, no chick flick though (makes a change).

Wednesday - Better than yesterday
Well I have said today was better than yesterday but when I say that I mean training wise but certainly not sleep wise. I did not sleep at all last night, but training felt ok, I started with a swim with some pick ups and then ran afterwards, with a bit of a session which my legs felt good on. I ran on the blue matting which half the run course is on to get the feel for running hard on it, even though it felt really hummid and sticky the actual heat isn't too bad, its hard to explain to be hoenst, and then later I spun the legs out on the bike. Most of the team are here know with everyone arriving from different places.

Thursday - Bike Reccy
Today I did the bike reccy which was the most exciting thing about today, it's a hard course which of course I like but there are 2 main parts that I think are tough. There's the long incline of course, but what I think is going to be harder is the steep short hill on the matting going out of transition, as the matting isn't the best, so its going to rip it out of everyones legs. The weather has been cooler today because of the rain last night, and I could actually breath properly on the run without any pulling on my chest which was good but who knows what its going to be like on race day.

Friday - Not long know
The racing has started and it's kicked of today in the elite fields with the U23 boys. Well what can I say 1st ,2nd, 3rd and 12th CONGRATULATIONS lads, the title went to the one and only Matt Sharp ,and then a sprint finish with David McNamme (2nd) and Tom Bishop (3rd), and Aarron Harris coming in 12th. All 4 lads were running together for a while which reminded me of the Gold Coast Worlds in 09 where Hollie,Vicky , and I were running together, good times. The boys have started this championship off in the best way possible so I hope the teams success continues. Last night was a relief, as it was the first night here where I have slept naturally with out a sleeping pill and with an easy relaxing day I feel ready to rock and roll. Ok, I am going to give my predications a day early for the men's race tomorrow, and I promise I did write this the day before and not cheat . . .

Alistair 1st

Jonny 2nd

Will 8th

Lets see if I guess right :-)

Saturday - Racing all day
The day started of with Lucy Hall in the junior race where she was in a wicked position with a 40 second lead with another girl on the chasing pack, but Lucy didn't get taken out by the terrible conditions she was racing in, but by a dog sprinting into her front wheel, knocking her out of the race, such a shame and very frustrating as I'm sure she would have podiumed!!!

Onto the men's, ok so I didn't get them right, I got Alistair (which was expected I suppose) and that's it. Alistair won in fantastic form yet again, Jonny with a brilliant 3rd place and Clarkey another top 15 under his belt. Well done to Todd and Adam as well, it was tough conditions for those guys with it pouring down and the air temp dropped quite a lot I think to 13-14 degrees!!!!! Must have been a shock to the system coming out of luke war 24 degree water to that cool air temp!!!! Well done all around.

Last to follow was the U23 women which has Non Stanford and Lois Rosindale racing. Good luck girlies!!!!! One more night sleep and onto my race!!!

Sunday - Pre Race - Beijing World Championship
Seems like I have been waiting forever to race, with travelLing out here a week from the race and seeing everyone else race it's like,"come on, when's it my turn". Well here is it. Fingers crossed.

This morning I went for a jog and the legs didn't feel great but I won't read too much into that, sometimes you feel good in the warm up and have a terrible session, sometimes you feel awful in your warm up and feel great in the session, so I will just have to wait and see how the legs race today. I am going for top 8 so it's time to go and play.

Post Race - Well that did not go to plan :-(
I was really hoping for top 8 today, I have been training really hard and have really been putting the work in with Michelle since London to try and achieve the top 8 and I just had nothing. I had an OK swim, but my goggles steamed up so couldn't see a thing and with it only being 1 lap there was no chance for me to wipe them. Going into T1, I ran past my bike, and had nothing in my legs at all. I was in the second pack and spent all of the ride at the back of the pack just with nothing in the tank, and to be honest struggling to hang on!!!! Then onto the run which wasn't any better and I realised I just needed to finish, which I did, with my worst position in a WCSR of 34th and finishing the 2011 season 25th in the overall rankings, one word . . . devestated!!!!!!

Now I have Yokahama next weekend, and I have to try and pull myself back together and get ready for it. Honestly, I am not in a great mood writing this blog and if I'm honest I will be in a mood for a few days (so I'd stay away) but I will be back to my normal self soon, rearing to go, and hopfully get this bad race behind me ready for next weekend.

I have got to finish this blog with saying what an awesome job all the age group athletes did over the course of the weekend. All I have been hearing is medals coming from here, there and everywere. Well done to Liz Blatchford who finished 8th today. Not only is that a great result, but she got that result coming back from hip surgery, so well done Liz and I hope you have a quick recovery!!!! And last but by no means least, BIG congratulations to Helen Jenkins who is World Champion 2011, she is an amazing athlete and well deserves the title, she swims , cycles and runs the best in the world and that's why she is number one! Well done Team GB, 2012 look out!!!!

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