Belinda Granger’s Blog

Well I have to say it has been quite a while since I last wrote a blog. I intended on writing one after Quelle Challenge Roth in July but I got so caught up with my parents visiting that before I knew it too much time had past.
But I am happy to report that I flew to Belgium last weekend for Antwerp 70.3 and came away with a win. I have raced three WTC 70.3 races now and have won all three!
Justin and I flew over to Belgium on the friday night and were met at the airport by none other than Marc Herremens- an absolute inspiration and all around great guy. He drove us straight to our hotel and we quickly got settled.
I was really looking forward to racing another Half Ironman. I don’t seem to get to do too many of these races and I actually really enjoy them. Mind you, I was a little apprehensive about the race as I had been really struggling in training since completing Challenge Roth in July.
But it is amazing what the mind and body are capable of doing once that gun goes off.
I felt pretty good in my pre-race touch-up on the saturday and then Justin and I, AJ and Lilly were all taken out by Marc and his girlfriend for an amazing dinner on the saturday night. Now normally I wouldn’t go out the night before a race but this was an offer too good to refuse and we were not disappointed. It was a fantastic meal and super company- I started to forget that I actually had a race to do the next day! Thankgod it was a nice late 11am race start.
Race morning went without a hiccup. We made our way to the start with everyone else. Unfortunately it looked like the weather was not going to make it easy for us and grey skies loomed overhead and the wind was already blowing. But it was not going to worry me if it rained as I had spent 5hrs in rain only three week’s earlier.
I had another ripper of a swim- my new Orca 3.8 is the best suit ever. I exited the water in second place. On the bike I felt pretty good- not as spritely as I would have liked but I knew it would take me a little bit of time to get into the groove. I was joined by a young girl at about the 55km mark and I must admit I was a little surprised as I did not know who she was and I knew I was riding strong. But it was a good thing as it gave me focus and the two of us continued to ride together into T2.
Onto the run and we both set out at a solid pace and were running stride for stride. Now if there is one thing the Doc has taught me and that is to race hard but also to race smart. I didn’t know how well this girl ran- I had never raced her before so I decided to just play it safe and run the first loop together. About 2kms into the second lap I decided to test things out a bit and picked it up. I was able to pull away and open up a good sized gap. I actually felt stronger as the run went on and was so happy to be able to continue picking up the pace throughout the 21kms.
I was amazed at how many people lined the run course- the run snakes its way through the old town of Antwerp and finishes in the huge town square- it is such a spectacular finishline. I crossed the line in 4hrs12. I was very happy with the way I raced- I raced hard but I also used my head- something I don’t always do!!
Felicity Hart (the young girl from GB that I had been riding with) held onto 2nd which I was very happy about as she had ridden so well throughout the entire race.
Probably one of the best moments of the race was having Marc on the finishline standing up and ready to give every finisher a hug and their finishers medal. He was there for every competitor- what an amazing guy.
I am now back in Leysin in Switzerland and back into training again. I have two weeks to get myself ready for IM Canada.

I think I have found my new calling - yes after 17 years in the sport I have come full circle. I competed in the ITU Points Race in Subic Bay last Saturday and what a morning of racing it was.

I lined up on the start line at 6.45am with 16 other girls - I say ‘girls’ as that is exactly what they were - very young girls!! My god I was old enough to be their mother. I remember thinking to myself just before the gun went off ‘what am I doing here? I am plain crazy”. But once the gun did go off there was no more time to think - it was survival of the fittest or should I say fastest.

I had completely forgotten just how fast you need to start in an Olympic Distance race and just how rough and tumble it is. I found myself in a Chinese sandwich and it wasn’t pretty. I slowly found my groove and positioned myself in a good pack.

I exited the water feeling fine and ready to go on the bike. Unfortunately about 8 other girls had the same idea and I was the last one out of T1 - yes my transitions definitely need some work. It didn’t take long to hook onto the back of the pack and I decided to sit there and get a feel for the group - who was strong and who was struggling.

I decided to really try and use my head in this race and think tactically. I could see that the four Chinese girls were working well together up the front and that the others were just tagging along for the ride. I waited until the first turn to make my move and then I attacked and didn’t look back until I got to the top of the climb.

By that stage there was only one girl left with me and I was happy about that. I then proceeded to try and catch the two Japanese girls who were up the road.

By the second lap I had caught one of the girls and by the beginning of the third lap we had reeled in the last girl. So now it was three Japanese girls and me! This was going to be such a fun run (yeah right!). I pushed it up the last climb and could see that two of the girls were struggling so as soon as I turned at the top I took off like a crazy woman.

By the time I got to the bottom of the hill I had a good 30 seconds up my sleeve that I was able to hold going into T2.

On to the run and I felt quite good - probably because I was running at marathon pace and not 10km pace!!! It didn’t take long for the first Japanese girl to catch me and I quickly realised that if I wanted any chance of staying in the top three I was going to have to up my pace considerably.

Let me tell you my mind was willing but the legs were screaming. When you are used to holding sub-5 minute pace and all of a sudden you need to hold sub-4 minute pace - it is a whole new ball game. I kept thinking to myself ‘it is all about turn-over’. The Japanese are true champions at this. Their legs move so quickly it hardly looks like they hit the ground.

By half way I was caught by a second Japanese girl but I was able to keep her in my sights and by the third lap I was able to re-pass her again. But by the fourth and final lap another Japanese girl decided to pass me - I honestly thought that I was going to have to be happy with third but just as I was thinking this I noticed that she was really laboring and I was not.

I ran back up beside her and tried to stay as quiet as possible - hoping to psych her out. We basically ran side by side all the way through the crowds - it was pretty cool as everyone was screaming.

I distinctly remember a guy in the crowd with an “M dot” T-shirt on yelling out to me ‘come on Belinda, unleash that sprint of yours’. I am like ‘yeah right mate - are you sure you have got the right girl!’ Put it this way the words ‘Belinda’ and ’sprint’ are rarely used in the same sentence.

But I was not going to give up without a fight.

I thought about Nic and the Big O on track smashing out their 200’s and looking like gazelles. Now I must admit I looked more like a rhino but those animals can still move when they have to - it just ain’t as pretty. With 400m to go I unleashed my lethal sprint and was able to break her. It was very satisfying crossing the line in 2nd place and I had so much fun doing it.

I had forgotten how much fun short course racing can be - now don’t get me wrong it hurt like crazy but I really enjoyed the tactics and having to really think about my next move. I was also really impressed with little LC who came out of the swim beside me had a solid ride and run finishing well within the top 10.

It was also fun riding down the next morning and watching our boys race. They were all so close at the finish - I honestly didn’t know who was going to cross the finish line first. It was very cool to see Luke and Justin finish in the top 10 and full credit to Arland who really gave it everything and made the two boys work for it.

The lead group really was in a class of their own though and it was very exciting to watch them on the bike - I am still amazed at the speed in which these guys corner. Two of these guys are Olympians so I suppose I should expect nothing less.

Well done to Melvin and TRAP for holding a great weekend of racing.

Well what a day it was- I wouldn’t so much call it a day of racing but more a day of surviving. Ironman China was my 27th IM distance race and by far the most brutal, exhausting and demanding race I have ever done. I discovered at the end of this race that as human-beings we are capable of so much more than we think- the survival skills installed in us as atheletes far surpass what I ever thought possible.
We arrived on the island of Hainan on thursday afternoon. I like arriving at the race venue late. It seems to really work for me and I have had my best performances when I fly in late and get down to business. Unfortunately we flew in as a typhoon was brewing and for the two days leading into the race we were not even sure if there was going to be one. But amazingly on the staurday afternoon the weather cleared and by sunday morning we all knew we were going to be in for an extremely hot day. Apparently the weather is always extreme after a typhoon- I had no idea just how extreme it was going to be.
Justin and I went for a short jog before the race and could not believe how warm it was already at 5.30 in the morning. But we also knew we had been training in very hot and humid conditions so we didn’t stress about it.
The gun went off at 7am and we were off and swimming. It was a two-lap swim and after exiting the water at the end of the first lap I knew it was going to be a slow swim. The current was very strong and none of us stayed on course. I think every swimmer out there swam an extra 500m or so. I exited the water with team mate Chris M and we both looked at each other and couldn’t believe how long it felt. But there was nothing we could do about it and we got on with the job.
Out onto the bike and I really made a conscious effort to work into it and not go too crazy from the start. I knew I was in for a long hot day and I did not want to leave it all out on the bike course. The course was so much tougher than I had anticipated with so many hills and false flats and wind from every angle. I completed the first lap in 2hrs33mins and felt pretty much in control. The second lap was definitely more of a challenge as the wind had really picked up and I found it mentally and physically very demanding. I had a few sections where my speed dropped off so dramatically that I thought I had blown myself up but it was simply because the wind was so strong.
I dismounted my bike and didn’t even look at my computer- knowing my final ride time was not going to help me get through the marathon. From the first step of the run I knew it was going to be about surviving- about getting from one aid station to the next without walking. My km/hr pace was not going to be important. It was going to be my head that got me through this race. The doc often talks about the fact that there is no such things as the ‘ideal training venue’, only the ideal attitude. Well I was thinking about this on the run and the same can be applied to a race. There is no such thing as the ‘ideal race condition’ - it is all about your attitude on the day and how you can best cope with what is thrown at you on any given day. I kept saying this to myself over and over again and with every step I grew stronger, knowing that physically I could get through this race as long as I could stay strong mentally. I needed to look after myself and this meant that I needed to walk through every aid station and hydrate. Surely enough the km’s began to come down and I was able to start visualising the finish line. I had been scared to even think about the finish as it just seemed so far away.
Crossing the finish line was incredibly satisfying, not so much because I had won but because I knew how close I was all day to cracking. I was proud of myself for staying composed and holding it together in such extreme conditions. I was also very proud of my team mate- Donna who showed such great tenacity all day finishing in second place. This was her first Ironman race in five years and she showed just how much determination and strength she has- a truely inspirational race.
I believe the race organisers did a wonderful job- they had been served curve balls all week and I don’t think anyone expected such extreme conditions on race day. Overall it was a very successful first-time event. I also want to thank all of the guys from The Bike Boutique who again looked after us all- you guys are great and it makes such a difference having you supporting us at the races.
Well it is back to Subic Bay for me and another block of training. I am looking forward to getting back with my team mates and my coach- hard to believe but I really miss being away for them all- they are like family to me.

Ok- first up I must apologise for the lateness of this report- unlike my speaking skills, my writing skills have never been one of my strong points.
Unfortunately I arrived home from Malaysia with what I thought was a bit of a head-cold- it has now turned into the full-blown flu and I have managed to give it to Justin as well. The both of us are here at home looking very sorry for ourselves but it has given me some time to write my race report!
I am very happy to have been able to start the season on such a high note. After Christmas I started training very hard again but you are never really 100% sure of how your form is. I knew that I had been riding well as I had been doing quite a few rides with Greg Bennett and co. and I was hanging in there and even managing to take turns with them. My swimming was fine and I was really enjoying the squads at the Noosa Aquatic Centre. I was also making sure that I did at least threee of the ‘Sutto Specials’ each week as well- you know the ones- they include a lot of band-only!! My running seemed to be going really well- but sometimes I can kid myself on this one so I really wasn’t sure. I had been doing all of my longer runs at pace and just to make sure I couldn’t cheat myself I did a lot of my interval workouts on the treddie. Everything seemed to be right on track for a good race.
I arrived in Langkawi on the wednesday morning and was very excited to catch up with Hillary- I was over the moon when she told me she was going to race Malaysia. It is funny but I seem to always race so much better if I am happy- having Hillary there made me really happy! It was also good to catch up with the rest of my team as I had not seen some of them for a long time. It is amazing the feeling of camaraderie between us all.
The good thing about arriving to a race late is that there is no time to stuff around- you basically get in there and do your thing- this seems to work best for me as I do not get a chance to waste energy on things that are not important. Race day arrived and I awoke feeling really ready to get out there and give it a good go. Even after all these years of racing I still get just as excited about race day. It was a perfect morning- even a little cool, well sort of! The pros had a seperate start so all 19 of us set off at 7.30am. I seemed to be having a fairly good swim until I hit the turnaround- then it all went pear-shaped. I do not know what I was thinking but I spent the entire way back zig-zagging the harbour. I exited in 58 minutes and was a little disappointed to say the least. I put it to the back of my mind and started thinking about my ride. I felt good on the bike from the start. I had decided not to wear an aero-helmet at this race as I had raced here back in 2003 and I still had vivid memories of how hot it was. I was really glad I made this decision as I never once felt too hot out there on the road. Being able to pour water on my head made such a big difference. I did not feel like I was pushing the bike too hard. I felt like I was in control and I knew that I needed to save just that little bit extra for the run as this is where the race really begins here in Malaysia. I had followed the race last year and knew that the heat and humidity had brought quite a few of the athletes undone. I was determined that this was not going to happen to me this year. I purposely did not ask for a split back to second place when I dismounted the bike. Honestly- I didn’t want to know as I really wanted to concentrate on me and my own run. Too many times in the past I have started the marathon at someone elses pace and not my own. Today the run was going to be about me.
I took the first lap out easy- well don’t get me wrong, it didn’t feel easy but I was in control and it felt comfortable. I wanted to work into it and the aim was to finish strong. By lap three I really started to feel the pinch but I was determined to keep it going. I had so much support out there- Alex was just great and one of Hillary’s mates from the the USA- Dean was awesome and really helped me refocus. I knew that with each lap the time gap between myself and second place was shrinking but I was determined to bring it home in first place. I knew this race was about staying strong all the way to the finish and not necessarily about being super fast. After the third lap I could see that the time gap was no longer coming down and by halfway through the last lap it had actually blown back out- so it was just a matter of staying on task and holding strong until the finish line.
It was an extremely satisfying feeling crossing the tape- not just because I had won but because I had stuck to my own game plan and had shown patience and confidence in myself. I knew what needed to be done to win this race and I methodically went about doing it. Ironman is not always about being the fastest athlete out there on the day, sometimes it is about being the smartest.
Well I am now resting up and trying to get healthy again before heading over to Subic Bay on the 13th March. Both Justin and I are really looking forward to joining the team and preparing for IM China on the 20th April.
A huge thankyou must go to Alex and the rest of the guys from The Bike Boutique- you were amazing out there on race day.

OK- well first of all- what a day in the lava fields. After doing this race for the 6th time I think I know better than most to always expect the unexpected. This year’s race served up so many curve balls - before the pro men even hit Hawi, many of the ‘main players’ were out or simply having ‘off days’ and this could also be said for the women’s race with Natasha crashing out before she even hit the 20km mark on the bike and MJ calling it quits once we hit the Highway on the return to town. I could almost see the delight in some of the other girl’s eyes when they were told of this news as it now meant the race was wide open and any one of 15 girls had a chance to take the big one.
I had a reasonably good swim but found myself pulling a pack of about 10 girls all the way around the course. I was able to bridge a gap to another small group of pros but we all basically exited the water together. Once onto my bike I tried so hard to break away from them all but just didn’t have my normal ‘zip’ and had to just plug away the entire ride, never really feeling comfortable. Once we hit the road to Hawi the wind started to pick up and I was able to make a few of the girls hurt and on the return from Hawi I was able to shed a few of them but by the time we hit the highway back to town I was feeling pretty ordinary again and with about 40kms to go Chrissy flew past me yelling ‘come on, come with me’- if only I could!!! I would have loved to have been able to go with her and I think I normally would have been able to but I just did not have the legs.
Once onto the run I felt OK and actually ran the first 14kms qutie well and was able to settle into a decent pace but I started to really lose it once out on the highway- not so much physically but mentally- it was almost like I just did not want to visit the land of hurt-crazy I know as I have trained for so long to get to this place. I must admit seeing Chrissy running out of the Energy Lab as I was going in gave me such a lift it was almost indescribable- I swear I picked my running back up to 4min30 pace. I found a running partner - a young boy doing his first pro race, while in the Lab and we made a pact to get home together and that is what we did- ran stride for stride and it was just so good to have him to get home. I managed to hold onto a top 10 position when there were many times out there that I just wanted to call it a day. Those of you that know me know that this was just not an option and I was going to finish no matter what. But a top 10 ensures me a start for next year so I will be back.
I have to finish by saying that the display by Chrissy out there yesterday was by far the most inspirational race I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. I have never seen anyone dominate a race like she did- and I am talking about the greats here- Natasha Badmann, PNF….. I truely believe that we have a new Queen of Kona in the making.
Beck also had a great day and a great run to finish in 5th- not giving up until she crossed that finishline, even managing to take one more scalp along the finishing straight. Hillary and I hung tough and even though we are not happy with our races, we know we gave it everything out there on the day - a day where many of the ‘top dogs’ faltered.
All of us are so proud to be part of Team TBB, and after our domination of this event I know the world is saying ‘what about this Team TBB!!’ Our coach is simply the BEST triathlon coach the world has ever seen. He now has an Ironman World Champion- something he so deserves as he has worked so hard and so passionately with all of us over the past year. Doc- you are a legend of the sport!!!

Hi guys
Well I do have to admit it has been quite a while since I last wrote a blog- in fact I think the last time I wrote to you all it was back in Leysin, Switzerland when the weather was cold and miserable. Far out- how things change! I have now been based in Thailand for the past two weeks and the weather has been anything but cold. In fact we have been very lucky with the weather and have managed to dodge the rain every ride so far- it is supposede to be the wet season.
Since I last wrote a blog I have completed another Ironman- Lake Placid- my 4th for the year and my second win, and I have also raced and won my first Ironman 70.3 for the year in Singapore. I really love this distance and wish I had the opportunity to race it a little more. I was really happy with the way the race went for me and everythying is looking very promising for Hawaii this year.
The training here in Thailand has been fantastic and the girls have really been training hard and reaping the rewards. There are four girls from the squad competing in Hawaii this year and of course Bella is going back to Florida to defend her title- one she has successfully won four times now.
I am really looking forward to racing in Kona as I feel like I have really stepped it up a notch or two this year and it is even more exciting knowing that my training partners will also be there fighting it out in the lava fields.
I will stay here now for two more weeks and then I will head straight for Kona- it is the one race where I like to get there nice and early and get completely settled- I like training there and I know that my training here in the heat and humidity of Thailand is going to be of great benefit.
Well the next time I write I will be settled in my condo along Alii Drive in Kona- until then
xx

I have finally arrived in Leysin, Switzerland after spending the week in Roth, Germany recovering and catching up with sponsors. It really is great to be back here- even with the weather being a little ugly it is still the most amazing place to train. More importantly, it is wonderful to be back with all of my Team TBB training partners and my coach.

Justin and I took two days to drive across to Leysin this year as we stopped in to visit my bike sponsor- BMC in Grenchen on the way through. It was an incredible experience to be taken through a guided tour of the headquarters and to actually see it all in action. Honestly the technology involved in making frames these days just blows me away- it is as high tech as making aeroplanes! It was also a real treat for me to finally meet the team behind BMC- what a great bunch of people they are. I thorougly enjoyed myself and look forward to returning.

I have been in Leysin now for three days and have slipped back into daily life here very quickly. We have a great little one bedroom apartment with stunning views and it is very comfortable- Justin and I have made it even a little more comfortable this year by purchasing an automatic coffee machine while in Germany- small p[leasures can make all the difference!
I really do love the routine we have going here- most mornings begin with swim squad and then we are told what is install for us for the rest of the day. As a triathlete this routine is important- especially for me. I like routine and I like to be organised. So now all I need is for the weather to improve and then I am set. They have predicted good weather for the weekend so hopefully they are right.

It will be good to watch the start of the Tour this weekend- with all of the controversy surrounding the riders this year, it is sure to be interesting. Lets just hope it actually does start this saturday!

Well I will keep you updated on my goings-on but for me the next seven weeks are going to be all about getting some solid and uninterrupted training in. Strangely enough I am really looking forward to it.

Well I am usually a bit of a slacker when it comes to getting race reports in on time but I could not sleep this morning- a usual symptom of post IM racing.

Firstly I have to begin by saying that the ‘Quelle Challenge’ in Roth is the most exciting and wonderful race that I have ever done. This was my 4th time here and also my fastest- good to know an old chick can still get faster.

We awoke on sunday morning to close to perfect conditions which were a far cry from the conditions we experienced on saturday. We all thought we were going to be in for shocking conditions but were pleasanlty surprised when we saw blue sky, fresh temps and a nice little breeze blowing.

I had a solid start to the day and swam very well- I only just missed the pack that Justin and Jo Lawn were in but I was able to keep them in sight for the entire swim- I don’t know how I do it as my pool swimming is pathetic but if I have some feet- watch out. I exited in a time of 52.33- only 45 secs down on Jo Lawn. I was exactly where I needed to be- last year she beat me out by over two minutes). I got on my bike and was able to go from the gun. I used to take a good 20km to get going but because I am now ’swim fit’ I am able to get onto the bike and push from the start.

I felt so good on my bike- I love this course. So many people see the bike times and think it must be short or that it is dead flat but it is not. There are plenty of solid hills- that is why I love it. The reason it is so quick is because the roads are perfect and there are literally thousands of spectators lining the streets willing you on. It is truely an amzing sight to behold and you won’t get it at any other triathlon event in the world.

I felt fantastic for the entire 180km. I seem to be able to get through 180km so easily these days- a true sign that I have done my fair share of IM races!

I entered T2 with a bike split of 5hrs51mins- my fastest ever and the fastest of the day. I was pumped and felt ready to have a solid marathon.

I exited T2 and really thought about how I was going to get through the run. I didn’t want to go out too fast like I always do. I wanted to work into it and come home strong. But I also knew I couldn’t go too slowly as I had some awesome runners behind me. I started out at 4.45 pace and worked it down to 4.30 pace by the 15km mark. I got through 21km in 1hr35- perfect! But as we all know the marathon doesn’t really start until the 30km mark. I got through 30km and had dropped off a bit and was back to running 4.45 pace- I still felt OK but was now in third place. I knew Erika Csomor was behind me somewhere and I also knew it was possible for her to run a sub 3hr marathon . I kept plugging away at it and counted each km down. I know I lost a fair bit of time over the nest 8kms but luckily the last 4kms are great as there are spectators everywhere and you just can’t help but give it everything you have got left. I held onto 3rd place with a time of 9hrs07 minutes- my fastest ever. My marathon time was 3hr19- it wasn’t what I was looking for but then it wasn’t a disgrace either. I did give it everything out there and my times were faster in all three legs. Unfortunately it was only good enough for 3rd on the day. It was a great field with both 1st and 2nd going sub 9hrs. The winner- Yvonne Van Vlerken was amazing. I have never been witness to a debut IM performance as good as this. God help us all if she learns how to swim!!!

All in all it was a great race and certainly a step in the right direction for Hawaii this year. It is nice to know that even at 36 yrs of age I can still see plenty of improvements.

I am looking forward to a relaxing week here in Roth- yes coach I promise it will involve some light training!!! I have no choice here as I want to visit the German bakeries. Then it is over to Leysin for the next two months for some solid training and prep for Hawaii in October.

Looking forward to joining the squad again. It looks like there has been some awesome results from the group over the weekend yet again.

Heya

Thought I would check in for the last time before the big day on 24th June.

I have been in Germany now for two and a half weeks and have been loving it. The weather has been pretty good and we have had some really warm days- lets just hope race day is a good one. My training has been right on track and every session has been going to plan which is always a nice thing before an important race.

I had a short hit-out at a race last weekend in a place called Kraichgau- it was 2km/60km/12km. I raced here last year and loved it. This year was just as fun and I had a really good race and won by 13 minutes. I also improved my time from last year which is really good for my confidence going into next weekend.

Next week will start to get interesting as all the race hype begins and the media circus rolls into town. ‘Quelle Challenge’ is a huge event in Germany and will be shown live on one of the biggest television stations. Some of the professional athletes have already arrived in Roth but most will get here midway through next week. It is a really good field this year in both the men’s and women’s races so it really is going to be a great race to watch- you can see it live on www.challenge-roth.com.

I am really looking forward to race day. Anyone that knows me knows I much prefer racing to training. Even though it is a fast course here in Roth, by no means is it an easy course- I have seen so many athletes make this assumption, only to be very disappointed with their finishing time. The bike course has three very solid hills per lap and of course you need to do complete two laps. By the time the second lap comes around these hills feel like mountains but there are so many spectators lining the sides of the road that you cannot help but give 100%. it is an amazing sight and an even more amazing feeling.

Well next time I write I hope to be telling you about my great race.

There are three Team TBB members racing- myself, Justin anf Luke so hopefully all three of us

Well after a whirlwind trip back to Thailand, Justin and I have finally arrived in Roth, Germany. I remember saying to Justin after a three hour run last week in the heat and humidity of Thailand that I could not wait to get to Europe and some ‘cooler’ weather- all I can say is be careful what you wish for!! We arrived in Nuremberg early this morning and were greeted with rain and wind and 11 degrees- oh my god- all of a sudden the 30 degree temps of Thailand didn’t seem so bad.

Needless to say Justin and I have not ventured out into the cold yet- preferring to stay indoors and get ourselves organised and settled. They did tell us that this ‘cold spell’ was not going to last and that it would start warming up from tomorrow- lets hope so.

We will be based here in Roth now for the next four weeks, preparing for Quelle Challenge which is on the 24th June. We have a race coming up on the 10th of June in a place called Kraichgau- it is a good distance- 2/60/12 so it will be a nice little hit-out before Challenge Roth.

Both of us are looking forward to returning to our base in Leysin at the end of June. It is such a wonderful little place to train. I love our routine there- swimming in the morning, coffee, pastries and a chat at the local cafe afterwards (can’t wait Lilly!) and then back for more training.

Will let you know how it all goes here in Germany.