Liz Blatchford’s Blog

I raced the British Championships at Bryn Bach Park in Wales last Saturday for my 3rd race in as many weeks. Considering having traveled from the US that week i began the race feeling surprisingly good and was looking forward to a good day. My bike however had other plans!! I had a good swim, lead from the gun and was first out of the water onto the bike. The bike course is hilly and technical and as i climbed the hill on the first lap my chain came off and jammed. I jumped off and fixed the problem but by the time i got back riding, a group of 5 girls had formed up front : Hollie Avil, Jodie Swallow, Marie Rabie, Andrea Whitcombe, Abbie Thorington and Kerry Lang. I worked hard to catch them for the whole bike leg but never put any ground into them, keeping the deficit at 1 minute for the whole bike leg.

Onto the run and i had people to chase so that gave me something to aim for! I manged to peg back all but Hollie to take 2nd place. Andrea was 3rd. A frustrating race but still happy with my form.

I am now in Korea in the holding camp before the games as the first reserve. I head back Stateside on the 16th for the Chicago Triathlon, my next race. Around the world in 30 days!!

Well its not quite the storyline of Sex and the City but it was still a good weekend. I raced New York City Triathlon yesterday to achieve my first win this year. very happy:) And what a surreal experience, jumping into the Hudson at 5.50am and as you breath to the left seeing the Manhatten skyline! With the crazy downstream current (and hundreds of stinging jellyfish) we were out of there in no time, onto the bike and i was determined to have a better ride than the week before in Minneapolis. I didnt care if i couldnt walk when i got off the bike, so i smashed myself to stay with Becky Lavelle, Julie Dibens and Jodie Swallow and suprise suprise i could still run! SO, running through the streets of the Upper West Side and into Central Park in my o-so-stylish trisuit, I’m sure i saw some celebs checking out my get up… haha. I managed to pull away from the other girls and finished feeling strong. Becky was 2nd and Jodie was 3rd.

I am now back in the UK for the British Champs this weekend in Wales.

I raced Des Moines World cup on Sunday, and felt 100 percent better, more myself in the hot conditions. And what an amazing race they put on.. 10 days previous half the city was underwater but they managed to move the entire race and everything ran perfectly. so thankfully they found uncontaminated water for us to swim in, so we didn’t have to do a duathlon..few. Had a good swim and with alot of American girls there we had a group away on the bike. solid run and I ended up 5th.

I will now stay here in the land of corn for a few weeks, do a bit of training til i go to Minneapoils for Lifetime Fitness Tri.

So the Olympic Dream is over this time round for me:( Things didn’t go as planned in the old selection race… A bit of illness the week of the trial and then a bloody cold race just got the better of me.

So next was Vancouver Worlds and im still hating the cold..!!! ahhh.. but got thru a good swim only to turn into a popsicle on my bike.

So mother nature is not loving me as it looks like Des Moines next weekend, my next big race, may become a duathlon as there has been flooding and tornados. common!!!!!!

O well, what does rocky say.. its about still moving forward whilst taking the hits..?! something corny like that;)

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Im enjoying my last few days at home on the Goldcoast, getting ready to head to Europe next week for my olympic trial at Madrid World Cup. All is well, training the best i have for a very long time.. excited to get out and race.

Tommorrow i head an hour down the road to Byron Bay for a little hit out local race before i get on the plane. really just a nice excuse to go hang out in Byron;)

My annual migration seems to come around so quicly each year.. now i have the horrible task of packing my life (bike and race wheels included) into 20kg. doesnt leave much room for a wardrobe does it.. haha, the dramas of my life.

After not such a great opening race for 2008, I traveled to New Plymouth, New Zealand for round 2 of the World Cup Circuit. After Mooloolaba I took it very easy and tried to rest up with just some easy training sessions. I traveled to NZ on Thursday and still didn’t feel the best. BUT….it turns out that the hit out at Mooloolaba and the recovery week did my legs the world of good and I was a different athlete riding and running off the bike in New Plymouth.

I had a good swim and placed myself in the front pack of the swim and bike. My legs felt good throughout and ride and when it was time to hit T2 and run i had the spark I didn’t have the week before. I run myself into 4th, but then just got out sprinted by Daniela Ryf of Swiss in the last 100m. So I finished 5th, which was a good result for this time of year. Now it’s back to another block of training and getting ready for Madrid World Cup (GBR Olympic Trial) and then Worlds in Vancouver Canada.

It was also great to watch AJ race to a 3rd palce finish in the men race, well done!!!

Liz

Well Sunday was my season opener with the Mooloolaba World cup. This has always been one of my favourite races. Hot, hilly, ocean swim, don’t have to get on a plane to get there… all the right ingredients, if you ask me! My race however had alot to be desired for. Good swim put me in a small group away, but that did not last for long. So when i got off the bike with 40??! other girls and my legs just didnt wanna go, i knew it was going to be a hard ol run. and that it was.

Anyhow im off to NZ tomorrow for redemption on Sunday at the New Plymouth World Cup. bring it on like donkey kong;)

Recovering well from my broken hand Christmas present. I should be back on the road this week after 6 weeks of turbo!!! going a little crazyyyyy. Been back in the pool already and its kind of catch up time with the old swimming!!

So i turn 28 tomorrow and really cant believe i am getting so close to 30 but hey there are plenty more years in me yet. I did my first ever tri at age 14.. so that means i have been doing tris for half of my life!

cheerio

December was a really fun month at home. catching up with friends, getting ready for chrissy, spending time at the beach and a bit of training! Unfortunately for us “locals” it seems that half of Australias population also like to come to the Gold Coast at this time of year, hence making riding an interesting but dangerous experience. Something which i discovered first hand only 2 days after christmas when an impatient motorist failed to see me and ‘took me out’…

I know things could have been a whole`lot worse but still frustrating to be out of action again!! After a trip to Emergency it was determined i have a broken hand, and a few other cuts and grazes. So 4 - 6 weeks in a cast/splint, no swimming and alot of turbo… as i say it could have been worse! So i am already planning next years christmas… not here!

Now i remember why i love triathlons… after the weekend at the Laguna Phuket Tri, and not just the winning part (thought that does help!). I had such a great weekend, met so many lovely people, ate amazing food, great party and had a good race to top it off!

In fact i couldnt be happier with my race to be honest. For where i am at, i pleasantly surprised myself and even managed to surprise Brett, which is virtually unheard of! I felt good in all 3 legs of my race and led the womens race from start to finish. I even had an elephant escort me down the finish shute! O and i had no idea elephants could run that fast… i actually had to pick up my pace so as not to be beaten by Lilly the baby elephant! so cute!

I arrived home to the Gold Coast this morning and am looking to sleeping in my own bed tonight!