January 2022 - hunting for the highs

I ended the year with my motivation levels on a high. 10 days hard training in Lanzarote in November, followed by a full month where I had a swim focus firmly back into my weekly training schedule was making my endorphins sparkle. Every training session was ticked off, every week progress being made, every day nailing my numbers. I was literally riding high.

But as the clock chimed in 2022, my lucky streak ended as I woke up on New Year’s Day with a covid-like cough. Over the next few days, I went from feeling a bit rough to not being able to do light training, with even a short walk around the block being out of the question. My body was exhausted, my cough was so bad it kept me awake, my nose ran and my temperature was iffy. While the lateral flow tests were negative, I spent the first 10 days of the year inside, mostly in bed and feeling lousy.

In total, I lost a full 17 days to illness and as I write this reflection on 1st February, I am still frustratingly not feeling fully back to health and certainly not full fitness.

[Pic: Lanzarote training Nov 22 - sadly no smiling pics of January training ]

While I was ill, I gave myself a bit of a break from social media. The jealousy of seeing my friends training was becoming a bit too much. Halfway through the month, thinking I was ready, I tried to race on Zwift which was a bad idea. I could not hold any numbers, I could not even finish –a bloody DNF on an online race what an absolute all-time low. And, somewhat unfortunately, back in December I had eagerly signed up to a month-long team running challenge, which in the end I could not really contribute to, and it just became a bit of unnecessary pressure, while I was trying to recover.

So, while my in real life races don’t start until May, I am currently reflecting on January with a bit of frustration. I have tried to be all positive about building the base back, but I will admit I am still finding it hard to not be utterly hacked off by my set back. The swim fitness I had worked hard to gain is slow to return, the run speed I am trying desperately to find is alluding me, and the cycling numbers I should be able to hold are still not attainable.

It is easy to say I need to find some perspective, god knows that is the sort of cliched advice I am known to give out, but genuinely I am struggling where to find it. I have gone from feeling uber motivated with a “I can stand atop any mountain” to feeling generally just a bit hacked off about life and everything. Mentally it's not the best place to be, and I know I need to find a way to snap myself out of it.

Since today is Chinese New Year, perhaps this serves a timely reminder for me to reset and go find my inner tiger. What I do know is that when I sit down to write my February reflections they have got to be considerably better!

Linda x

SwimRun Holy Island 2021

Race Report – September 2021

Anglesey is an island just off the mainland North West coast of Wales easily accessible by car over a short toll free bridge. It’s beautiful, rugged coastline, full of little coves and sandy beaches lends itself perfectly to be the home of an annual swim run event called “Love SwimRun Holy Island”.

You can enter the event as an individual or a team of two. We entered as a team, choosing the longer of the two distances on offer. The full distance route begins at Southstack Lighthouse and you basically run and swim your way all the way down the coast to Rhoscolyn. It involves seven runs and six swims, with the longest run just under 6k and the longest swim around 800m, you cover a total of 23k. This distance is very achievable for a first timer and challenging enough for those experienced to push themselves to race for a decent time. The shorter distance has less swims and run transitions but joins a similar route to the full distance just starting a bit further down the coast and cutting a bit off the end while still allowing all the competitors to finish at the same end point. It is a great format, and it works having the two distances running together.

While Adrian had completed SwimRun events before I hadn’t, but I really fancied having a go and so we signed up without giving it too much thought. I suppose as a team we are not well matched as Adrian runs considerably faster than me and swims a bit quicker. However, I knew I could keep up in the swim and Adrian was happy to run at my pace and just enjoy taking part.

We originally signed up for the 2020 event but then covid hit which meant a delay for us to 2021. Covid restrictions also meant our regular swim training went out of the window too and it was only really a few months before the event that we started swimming again in our local Lake to get some sort of swim fitness back. We are really luck to live so close to a lake that offers swimming and one that has a natural run route around, this is perfect for practicing swim run transitions and testing out our swimrun wetsuit.

On the morning of the event parked up and ready to go!

In terms of specific kit we purchased for this event, we bought a swim run shortie wetsuit but made do with old trainers, which we just about got away with on the day. The trainers were okay for running in but a little slippery as the grip on the tread was fairly gone, however, swim run shoes are a bit expensive and we did not feel the need to make the investment. The swim run specific Zone 3 wetsuit was a good purchase (we bought the entry level ones and got them on sale for a good price), although we did cut the legs up a bit as we both felt our knees being covered was restrictive to run in and after we cut them up they were great. We also bought a couple of soft bottles which are easy to stash in our wetsuits and fill up on route and a whistle, which is a mandatory kit requirement.

The LoveSwimRun event organisers are big on being environmentally friendly which we loved. This means you take your own cup or soft bottle with you as no single use cups are available at feed stations and you have to make sure your kit is spotlessly clean before you take part (shoes need to be scrubbed and wetsuits rinsed) this helps to protect the natural environment and lessens the overall impact of the event. Kudos to the event organisers for this important attention to detail.

Group shot at the start of the race!

As we were entered as a team the rules state you must stay within 100 metres of each other on land and 10 meters or so of each other in the sea. Lots of competitors tether together to help with this rule and we thought we would practice swimming with a tether however, after a few attempts which saw us get horribly tangled up in it (and I almost drowned Adrian) we abandoned the idea. We also decided not to bother with hand paddles or swim buoys as it just felt too much of a faff for us to carry them and we did not regret any of these decisions on the day.

On the morning of the race, we parked up near the Village Hall in Rhoscolyn which is both the finish for the event and Race HQ. All competitors are transported up to the start line by coach, this was no mean feat for the drivers as those tight country lanes were difficult enough to drive a car up but for us competitors it was good to sit back, relax and actually a nice, chilled way to get to the start the event.

We got off the coach just before the Lighthouse and walked a few meters up the hill to the start line. It was breezy but sunny and the weather forecast was looking okay too, everyone seemed to be in good spirits and smiling. There were lots of people competing as a team and plenty first timers too. There was a group photo, a final race brief and we were off.

The race starts with a steep, fast downhill followed by a lovely open coastal 5k trail run to the first swim entry point.

Steep downhill from the start, lovely view of the route ahead we are about to swim and run around

I was feeling a bit warm in my wetsuit (I had put a tri suit underneath which in hindsight might have been a bit too much clothing) and glad to get into the first swim. Before the event began I had been nervous about the first two swims as they go out around a headland point and then back in. I am a confident swimmer, but the open sea is something that I am always cautious of however, I need not have been worried as the sea state was calm and the swims are short relative to what we are used to doing. Adrian was leading and I was on his heels (literally touching his trainers!). We had agreed I would swim on his right since he only breathes out of his right side and it meant he could easily keep an eye on me. We swam really well together and seemed to power round that first swim getting to the beach with no issues. Our plan was to keep going as soon as we hit the shore, get running quick and not hang around to avoid getting cold. It worked well, we found our run legs quickly and were off.

Exiting from a swim

The next swim had a bit of a clamber down a steep cliff edge before entering a cove but lots of Marshals were on hand to help. There was a photographer at the water’s edge here, and we stopped for a quick pose before setting off again.

Posing for pictures!

I was really enjoying the swim now. Adrian was doing a great job of sighting and I was keeping up well. We hit the next beach much sooner than I expected and again straight out and off and running again.

The next few swims were across bays with a few rocky entry points all helpfully marked out by marshals. We found we were getting into our groove well and really enjoying the swims and transitions.

Me belly flopping into the swim and Adrian patiently waiting for me to get in!

The coastal landscape does take your breath away and the running sections are definitely made easier by the beauty of the surroundings. I started to lead some of the swims with Adrian leading the run. There was one final longish run before the last swim and at that point I did think to myself I am feeling a bit tired now, so we both sucked down a gel to give us a wee bit of caffeinated energy before the last push home.

The sun had been shining for most of the race and doing a good job of keeping us warm, although by the last swim it was noticeably clouding over, and I could see Adrian was getting a bit cold. Once out of the last swim our final run took us away from the coast back inland, skirting around a forest through a farm finishing with a short downhill road run back to the Village hall. We pushed on as best we could with the run to the end, I was working hard to keep up with Adrian who was like a puppy on a leash trying to get away and over the finish line.

A very, warm welcome awaited us, with plenty of drinks and food on hand to help us all get some much-needed calories back in quickly. By 2pm most of the competitors were finished and the award ceremony commenced. We enjoyed sitting in the sun clapping the podium winners. There were some lovely raffle prizes for everyone on offer too.

During the event, we overtook quite a few people in the swims and the runs, which we always find quite motivating and even although we had absolutely zero expectations about our placing for the event, we were pleasantly surprised to finish 5th in the mixed team category.

Overall, I would highly recommend this race. It is a small, friendly, well organised, with good pre-race briefings, very well marshalled and we found plenty of cheers from the locals along the route on the day too. Importantly we felt very safe in the swims, there were plenty safety boats and people on paddleboards looking out for you.

I have already mentioned the environmental aspect of this race and that was seen right through to the lovely wooden finisher medals we all received. I think we may return to do this one again.

Linda x

All pictures of the race were supplied free courtesy of the event organisers.

Race Report: Redbull Timelaps 2021

Goodwood Motor Circuit 30th October – 31st October

Team Zoot Ohana!

Redbull Timelaps is an annual 25 hour endurance cycling event taking place at various indoor and outdoor venues across the UK. Due to covid restrictions, the ‘in real life’ event at Goodwood Motor Circuit was a much smaller affair than usual but nevertheless still enough cyclists to make it competitive and an exciting atmosphere.

Ahead of the event, Redbull’s team did a great job communicating with us all, supplying nutrition and training plans and most importantly ensuring we all understood the rules of the event. The main rule is only one rider from each team on track at one time and there could be no overlaps, so you had to have your rider stop their Strava tracking before the next rider started or it would be discounted. Simples!

I booked a mixed team relay at the circuit, thinking it would be an ideal opportunity to get some of the UK based Team Zooters together. That and having previously taken part in a Cyclothon at Brands Hatch remembered how much I enjoyed riding on a smooth motor circuit so it instantly appealed. I quickly had volunteers for a team pulled together and while there were others interested the event got sold out super-fast which meant sadly, we could only enter one team.

Since we have done a few endurance events before, Adrian and I did not do anything particularly specific to train, although we did add some longer turbo sessions into our weekly training schedule.

A couple of weeks before the event unfortunately, Antonio one of the original team had to bow out due to injury which opened the door for Greg to step in and we were back up to our team of four. But then in a cruel twist of fate, just days before we were due to start, our other female team member Becky injured herself far too badly to take part. However, the ohana that is Team Zoot Europe came to the rescue and as soon as I put a call out on our team’s facebook page for a volunteer we had an eager taker – hurrah for Katie!

The final full team pictured below (L-R) me, Katie, Greg and Adrian

Tactically, our plan was simple. Just to ride as many laps as we could for an hour and then rotate. This meant we had six shifts each except for one rider who would do seven. We also had the famous power hour at 02:00, where all laps ridden counted double - this hour coincides with the official end of BST and the clocks go back in the UK.

Greg was our starting rider, followed by Katie, me and then Adrian.

Weather forecast for the event looked a bit grim, but then again it is the end of October and it is the UK so none of us really expected it to be that nice, but then again none of us really anticipated it getting as bad as it did.

So anyway… we started the day in full sunshine. Event kicked off at 13:00 and Greg blasted out the first hour, followed by Katie, me and then Adrian. Goodwood circuit is 2.3 miles a lap. It is sheltered in some places and exposed in others, it’s very flat with a couple of rises and a chicane to keep you on your toes. The surface is smooth as can be which is a dream to ride on.

By the time the second rotation started for Greg around 17:00 the rain was starting to fall, and the wind was picking up, with the forecast showing there was considerably more on the way. Team spirits were high, probably due to the amount of sugar we had all eaten, but mostly we were all happy to be racing at an actual event! Everyone was pushing out the watts, getting the laps in and happily totting up the miles.

Before the event began, I wondered how I would while away the three hours in between my lap rotations. Well, that was easy. By the time you get off the bike, shower, change and eat something that is easily the first hour gone; add to this a bit of social media faffing, picture taking, chatting to everyone in earshot that is the second one; taking a nap and prepping to get back on and you quickly realise three hours off the bike goes way faster than the one when you are on it!

Riding in the dark on the track is a weird, but kind of cool experience. The track itself is in total darkness except the track corners are lit up. There was some music blasting from the marshals at various points around the track and Redbull had a massive, illuminated, inflatable arch over the lap marker with searchlights that you could see from the far side of the track.

Hanging onto a group of cyclists or better still inserting yourself in the fast pelaton (fyi that did not happen for me, there were some seriously, fast cyclists at this event) helps avoid your hour on the track becoming a lonely affair. I played a game of "can I catch the red back light of the cyclist in front of me" which had its appeal until at one point the light I was following was the motorbike safety marshal and that was just never going to happen!

Anyway, as the night went on so did the rain and the wind was certainly noticeably keeping us on our toes. Picking up to 50kph there were a few gusts and hairy ‘hanging on’ moments, even the inflatable Red Bull Arch collapsed and was taken down eventually due to the strength of the wind.

Around 05:00 it felt like it might be just teetering on the edge of safety as the rain absolutely battered us and the wind blew even harder. But we all kept going out regardless, coming in absolutely soaked, getting dry kit on and then going out to repeat it all again. The harder the weather came in, the more everyone just gritted their teeth, laughed a little hysterically and kept smiling so that tells you a story.

As daylight broke the weather did not really lighten off and while the sun came out for our final laps, the wind decided to play with us right up to the finish.

Overall we were really strong and consistent as a team throughout the event, but I can’t write this report without mentioning a few team rider highlights: Katie - an absolute legend on a bike, pushing crazy, ridiculous watts and putting in a truly savage 90 minute shift when the weather was at its worst, even coming in to the pit quickly and going back out to do an extra lap, while she waited for the next rider to get ready; Greg – who got on the bike like some crazed puppy let loose and belted out the power hour; Adrian - for turning up on his 25 year old Lightspeed road bike which he has not ridden in six years, and rather impressively, if not almost somewhat literally, managing to ride the backside off it. And me - well apart from forgetting to start my watch for one of my turns, I am chuffed with my performance too.

In total our combined cycling effort for the 25 hours came in at a massive 472.65 miles and in doing so we earned second place in the overall mixed team outdoor event and first place at the track. Not bad at all for a bunch of triathletes, who are generally more comfortable sitting on our time trial bikes than the road ones.

Kudos to everyone who took part, but particularly to the Redbull event team and all the marshals for creating such a well organised event, generally looking after us, supplying endless cups of teas, coffees, biscuits, cans of red bull (obvs), hot showers, clean toilets and general love and support.

Thanks for the memories!

Lx