No I have not discovered time travel and transported myself 985 years into the future, but I have run & ridden 3,000 miles in 2015.

Quick review of my 3,000 mile year as follows, it has been an up and down year. I came into 2015 recovering from two cracked ribs and a split intercostal muscle in my back from the kicking in ironmanUK swim. Also I was carrying a fair bit of extra weight from inactivity.

2015 was a come back year of 70.3’s and  Olympic distance triathlons with some new open water swims in rivers & seas. There have been many firsts for me too including new events & challenges, some trophies for Age Group wins & podiums and discovering the motion of the ocean doesn’t suit me and I’m quite seasick when swimming. 

January – the New Year started inScotland with some sunny running miles in sunshine around distilleries and forests. Returning back south to Wiltshire I did my first Slaughterford9 where the river was dammed to waist depth for the first time. I knew it was going to be chilly when I heard the screams ahead of “It’s a fanny freezer !” Well as a short arse it was washed my bell button out, bbbrrrhhh It took my legs a few hours to thaw out afterwards, but at least all the mud was washed off.

February – the month of 10, first a very cold, windy & hilly Longleat 10k followed by a chilly Melksahm 10 miler. 

March – snowboarding in Canada for some really cold cross training, not that it helped me run Silverstone half marathon, but managed to pace Emma round for a PB on battered boarding legs.

April – my first ever triathlon training camp, this got me out in the bike in sunshine and hauling myself up mountains and an early season sea swim. It was a real boost to start triathlon training  for the season. With no work/home distractions we just slept, swam, ran, cycled and ate all planned for us. With packed days we slept well. “Eating & sleeping ain’t cheating” says coach Neil. 

May – took part in my first Pirates DIY Half triathlon. I chose to ride on the Saturday and the weather was horrendous for May, I’m sure a few toes of others were on verge of frost bite. The cups of tea on alternate bike laps kept me alive for sure. The swim & run on Sunday were much more pleasant. Went with Chippemham Tri for the inaugural Gower training week. This was mastering how to tackle hills with a hangover ! A highlight was also a two day charity cycle ride form Taunton to South Wales for 2Wish charity. Excellent organisation, smart cycle tops and the police escort stopping all traffic through Cardiff city cent of 250 cyclists  was pretty cool. 

June – the first ironman Staffs70.3 Fast & flat as advertised it was not but great cycle and run routes. The swim was long due to a buoy being blown off course. Great setting for a race. No PB for me and not at race fitness but glad I took part in the inaugural event – tip for other Read the race pack and go to briefing, that way you end up at right place at right time, simples !  Staffs 70.3 was also my first race report was published on  Trireview website.

There were also two memorable swims in June first a solstice sunrise swim in lake 32 at 4:30am. Then the Henley classic which is a sunrise swim along a guiding laser light a upstream along the rowing lanes of Henley Reggatta. I camped and had Italian meal in a Pimms tent as a relaxed preparation before flaming torch light procession to the start in the morning.

July – Long Course Weekend at Tenby, Wales. This started on the Friday night with the swim when I soon discovered I was seasick in the sea whilst swimming. Even the huge barrel jellyfish couldn’t distract me enough to stop me losing my lunch on two occasions in the 3.8km swim which actually turned out to be long in distance, again for me. The bike ride was beautiful on the Saturday through Pembrokeshire coastal area and villages. Maybe from the seasickness the day before I suffered from leg cramps and had to stop or fall off to relieve it three times. Then Sunday was run day with marathon, half and 10k options, all were hilly but had spectacular start point in castles with bands & many spectators. 

ISOMAN – the equal triathlon was born and I took part in the half distance which was 3.5 mile swim / 35 mile bike / 13 mile run. The calculation on distance being that you spent the same amount of time on each disabling. There was also a mandatory 7 and 5 minutes transition for all. Coming in with a half marathon PB AT 2:00:05 and swim & ride on 2 hour mark I became the most equal female athlete in the event. Also reviewed in Tri Review website.

Edit
I also took part in my first of two Tri relay teams, taking the swim leg at Outlaw full in Nottingham. Pirates Ahoy came in fourteen hours after what can only be described as biblical conditions of rain. 

August – after getting lost down a rough track on my road bike I sprained my wrist, so strapped up and stuffed in my wetsuit I headed to Bournemouth for the BHF Pier to Pier swim. At last a fixed distance swim this year for me ! 1.4 miles. Whilst relatively calm I was seasick but just the once at the half hour point. I did really enjoy the swim watch the coloured beach huts go past, see cliff railways & hairpin paths and crabs scurrying along seabed. 

  

I was entered for the Monster Middle distance in Ely but after speaking to the organisers managed to drop to Olympic distance due to my sprained wrist. On the way there I was rearended by two cars, luckily my bike was ok so I carried on to registration. Swimming with drinking cows and low flying swans in the fire was an experience, the roads for the bike were like washboards and I’m glad I dropped a distance. The run was well supported and through the cathedral grounds although whiplash was starting to creep in my neck. I crossed the line, grabbed water & a banana along with my results. As I was flaked out on the grass enjoying the sun I thought I’d stay for the presentations, good job I did as I was first 40-55 year old female. Cool trophy, Buff, arm warmers etc. 

My second triathlon relay at Cotswold Classic 113 was in just as wet conditions as Outlaw, again I did the swim leg but for half distance. 

August continued to be a wet one and I had a roll over place from 2014 for the Severn Bridge Sportive. It poured down from start to finish, my small group had 5 mechanicals but it was pretty cool riding over the Severn bridge on the actual road through the toll gates as closed to all traffic that day for the sportive & half marathon. 

September – at last the weather improved and I headed to Gower for the end of season triathlon, also the last race in Chippenham triathlon championships. Well this was the worst seasickness I’ve encountered yet, 4 times in the sea, once in transition then once at start of bike at top of hill out of Port Eyion. But as with Ely when car crash & wrist hindered my preparations I overcame the seasickness to get another old ladies trophy and podium ! Third in over 40’s and a free place in an event next year. 

October – started with a bang as I was hit on my bike during the Cotswold Autumn Classic sportive, I kept up right but couldn’t see the car in the fog as it drove off, so called home and then took a shortcut back to the finish. The highlight of the month and end of season was going back to Mallorca with Performance Edge for a triathlon training camp. Nearly 300 miles of cycling, running and a bit of sea swimming, yes still seasick but have a possible solution for next year, keep tuned ! 

   
 
 

November – local events in Parkruns and grassroots 10k on a chilly morning in Swindon.

December – festive fun events with Santa Scamper & Christmas Day Parkrun in Chippenham. I also cycled in 15.5c temps and took selfies with daffodils, it was more like a spring ride than winter. To finish the year off an let the mileage click over 3000 I brought my running shoes up to Scotland. The first miles and last miles of the year were running miles in Scotland so fitting to finish there. 

  
2015 has been a great year of memorable miles, events, training wth friends and having fun. May not have achieved my goals in weight and times but had a few surprise bonuses along the way in podiums. 

We lost Kira our 4 year old Cocker Spaniel but Roxy has joined our pack, a playmate for Jango and Megan is still my four paw running mate.