RUN & BIKE SOLIDAIRE

The triathlon season is coming to an end. It's become too cold to swim in open water. It is now the period of Bike & Runs.
In a bike and run, you compete in pairs. You need to cover a given distance with one person running and the other one cycling. There is no rule to swap the bike. The pair decides how often they want to alternate.

Today, I participated to the Run & Bike solidaire (10K) in Saint Cloud. This event is organised by the Française des Jeux Foundation which raises money to support athletes, disabled people and kids through sports.

We were 8 from EPPG Tri Club to participate (Léo, Charlotte, Yann B, Yann P, Olivia, Emilien and Marion, running with her boyfriend Gilou). I was pairing with Léonore with whom I trained and defined a strategy yesterday. Indeed, we decided that the best for us was to swap the bike every 500m. Why 500m? Because we can run full speed over 500m (more is too much) before taking a rest on the bike for 500m and so on.

Yann P, Flo, Léo, Charlotte, Gilou, Marion, Yann B and Olivia

The weather today was not great but at least it was not raining. After droping our bags and warming up a little, we made our way to the start area with the 400 other teams.
I ran first and Léo had the bike. We stuck to our plan to swipe every 500m. It was not easy to stay together and exchange the bike with so many other paticipants around us as the road was not so wide but we did ok. Then the terrain was quite hilly and sometimes you had to start running full speed right in the middle of a hill which was exhausting...but it was only a 10K so I knew the pain would not last too long. In the end, after giving everything we had in the last kilometer, we finished in 48mins18secs.

In the finish area, we found Yann and Yann as well as Marion and Gilou. We took some pictures with sports celebrities like Lilian Thuram and Marie-Josée Perec.

Léo, Marie-Josée Perec, Charlotte, Olivia, Florelle

We were all very happy because our club mate Emilien and his friend had finished first!
It was my first Bike & Run and I really enjoyed it. It's nice to run with a friend and support each other through the race. My next one is already planned on 23rd November in Palaiseau.

MY 2015 CHALLENGE

DONE!!!!

I have registered to my first long distance triathlon (Format L)! It's called Triathlon des Lacs and it will take place on 07 June 2015 in Lusigny sur Barse near Troyes.

Provided that I manage to stay uninjured until that day, I will have to complete no less than a 3km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21km run.

This is sooooo exciting!!!....(at least for me ;p)

CROSS TRIATHLON DE JABLINES - ANNET

On the 21st September 2014, I participated to my first tri with the EPPG Tri Club.
It was a "cross" triathlon which means that the bike leg was done on a mountain bike.
The event was taking place in Jablines Annet Leisure Centre which is a 30 mins drive from the East of Paris.
We had to swim 1KM, cycle 22KM and run 8KM.





The swim was a challenge since I'm not used to swim 1KM in a row. The ride was not easy because it had rained the day before and in the morning therefore it was muddy and slippery (and it was only the 3rd time I was riding a mountain bike in about 10 years or more!). 


I have the yellow cap

Concentrated on the bike

Finally the run was also tough because we had to run on various surfaces (grass, concrete, gravel)  and even jump a big trench.

I finish in 2:22:11...not wonderful but quite happy for my first tri in more than a year.


EPPG after the race

Triathlon de Paris 2012

The Garmin Paris Triathlon is taking place this weekend (07 & 08 july). Some of the world's best triathletes will compete this Saturday morning. Then around 4300 participants will try to finish the Olympic distance triathlon (1500m swim, 20km bike, 10km run) as soon as possible on sunday morning.

Unfortunately the weather is quite bad today and it is gonna be even worth tomorrow. It means that it won't be too hot which is great but at the same time the roads may be wet and slippery.

Despite the weater, I think that it is still gonna be a magic event just because it takes place in the heart of Paris. The competition starts and ends right next to the Eiffel tower.

Although I wanted to, I did not register for the race because I am only just recovering from the marathon I ran mid April. I had a problem with my left knee that required attention and more importantly rest (not allowed to run)...

However, I will be going to see the race and support my friend Antoine with whom I have been cycling lately. Good luck Antoine!!

Vauban Triathlon 2012

Citadel of Besançon by Vauban

The Vauban triathlon took place in the beautiful city of Besançon this sunday (20th May 2012).
This tri is called Vauban in reference to the citadel of Besançon that was built by the Marquis of Vauban in 1668. 
These fortifications are Besançon's main attraction. It is a fabulous construction dominating the whole town.

Proud to be a volunteer!

I really wanted to participate in the Sprint distance (750m swim / 20km bike / 5km run), but having not yet fully recovered from the Paris marathon, I thought that it was wiser to give my legs some more rest. However I wanted to take part to the event somehow so I enrolled as a volunteer. 
In the past 6 years, I have attended many sports events that did go really well thanks to dozens of volunteers making things go smoothly. Given the fact that I had nothing special planned last weekend, I thought it was the perfect occasion to, in my turn, give some of my time for the others. 

Mom is in the house!

 My mom who did volunteer last year already came with me again this year. From 8am until 2pm, we prepared sandwiches and then sold them. From time to time I was escaping my work station to follow the race and watch the athletes. 
It was quite frustrating to watch and not swim, cycle or run with the participants. I could feel the excitation in my veins but the only thing I could do was to shout encouragements. 
But it was great anyway to be there and I really enjoyed the good mood and the nice talks with the other volunteers. 
That being said, I hope that next year, I will be in shape to do the triathlon. I really want to swim in the river Doubs, especially since last year, the swim was cancelled and replaced by a 2.5km run due to the water not being clean enough.

The winner of the female sprint

Swimmers in the river Doubs

Dorney Lake Triathlon - 24.07.2011

Busy transition area...didn't know where to rack my bike!

Done! Last Sunday, I completed the Dorney Lake Sprint Distance Triathlon in 1h30mins and a few seconds. It was a great event and I really enjoyed it. The weather was fantastic (we have not been lucky with the weather lately so it was enjoyable to see the sun for once). I was just worried about the wind that represented a problem for the cycling part...it's just so much more difficult to cycle with the wind right in your face! It's like trying to push a wall!

Before the race:

My start time was at 11am so I worked out that I had to wake up 3 to 4 hours earlier to eat my breakfast. So I was up at 7h30. I prepared myself a nice & strong cup of coffee (coffein to wake me up) and ate some energy bars. I usually do not have a sensitive stomach but I can not do physical efforts with a stomach full of food. I do not even eat a proper breakfast, I prefer the energy bars, it is less heavy than bread (in my opinion).
I was watching the news from Norway on TV telling about the horrific events in Oslo. I kind of lost track of time and next thing I know it was already 9am...I had to hurry and finish gathering my stuff because I wanted to be at Dorney Lake at 10am to see my friend Jonathan start with his wave. I was glad I had prepared all my things the day before.
I jumped in my car and drove to the lake that is located near Windsor (the lake is Eton College's rowing centre) only 20mins away from Chiswick.
Of course I missed Jonathan's start...and I realised that I actually had to hurry because I had 40 mins left to collect my race number, dress myself up and rack my bike in the transition area (which turned out to be a difficult task as there was not much space left!).
You really have to be methodical in your preparation and do things in the right order. For instance, don't put your wetsuit on and then realise that you need to pee...that's just bad time management. Basically, I almost recommend writing a list of things to do, this way you don't forget anything and you can relax and concentrate on your race. I actually have a list but I did not look at it and realised in horror that I had forgotten my race belt at home (that is used to attach the race number). Thanks God, one of the goodies provided by the triathlon sponsor was a racebelt. I was lucky on that one.

The race:
I zipped my wetsuit at the last minute as I did not want to cook in it. It was actually quite warm outside. Then the 56 contestants (all girls) had to listen to the instructions before getting in the water. The water was 18 degrees (still a bit cold for me). At that point I was wondering where to position myself strategically...I did not really know so I stayed in the middle. I am not (yet) a strong swimmer so I thought that I should not be at the front...but I did not want to be completely at the back either. When the referee blew his wistle...Oh my God! That was like being in Fight Club. You get kicked big time. Blows are coming from everywhere. People just swim and don't care about any obstacles in front of them. They just go ahead. So you do the same! It is really really stressful but the important thing is to stay calm and relaxed and above all, control your breathing...

Fight Club Start

So I swam the 750m as fast as I could trying to use my arms as much as I could rather than my legs. I got out of the water, not too quickly to avoid falling. My friend Jonathan said he was now using ear plugs because it helps keeping your balance when getting out of the water...something I will need to try next time.

I had a hard time removing my wetsuit and did an awful transition time of 3mins!! (some people take less than 40 seconds!).

I jumped on my bike and pedalled as hard as I could. I am not strong in the swim but I am ok on the bike so I had to give my best because you can't really count on the running alone to gain minutes. It was really windy so as I wrote earlier it was a very tough ride for half of the lap. I completed the 20K in 42 mins.

Then I did a second awful transition of 2 mins where I swapped my cycling shoes for trainers and started the remaining 5K run. I noticed a guy ahead of me who was running at a good pace and I focused on trying to catch him. I never caught him but the strategy worked because I managed to run the 5K in 25 mins which is a very decent time given I had just cycled 20K before at full speed.

 

After the race:

I felt astonishingly well after crossing the finish line. Of course I was out of breath and was dreaming about a huge glass of water but I had the feeling that I could have gone for another 5K. So I thought that maybe I could have pushed myself even harder in the run...But I think that all the hard training I've done lately has paid off. I recover much quicker now as I am used to exercise regularly. And also during the race, I've made sure that I was drinking enough water.

This triathlon gave me motivation for the rest of the season. I felt great and I feel that with a little more work and preparation I can improve my time by 5-10 minutes...so my aim for the triathlon I will be doing in september is to go under 1h25 and be as close as possible to 1h20. It is ambitious but I need to challenge myself!

Reward time

Pippa and the Blenheim Triathlon

Did you watch Will and Kate’s royal wedding last April? Even I was admirative in front of Pippa Middleton’s perfect dress and figure. While I was in France a couple of weeks ago, I was reading a French gossip magazine called Public. There was a picture and an article about Pippa – the new fashion icon - completing the Blenheim triathlon. In the photo, she looks absolutely stunning: not a single drop of sweat, perfect hair, £270 designer sunglasses (according to the article), a huge smile and no signs of suffering or tiredness at all. The magazine even said that she won a medal…So I was really impressed and intrigued: How can she finish a triathlon looking so fresh? I certainly do not look as good as her when I cross the finish line of a tri! Since I had time to waste, I did investigate further on this very critical topic and found out that she only ran a 5K (she was doing a relay with 2 of her pals) and did not do the cycling or the swimming. She did not win the race or anything as implied by the magazine…she got a medal because EVERYBODY gets a medal when crossing the finish line so nothing extraordinary here. I know it is quite sad but truth had to be told! No, Pippa Middleton is not a wonder woman. And yes, it is normal not to look like a super model after a triathlon. 

Tri Vauban...checked!

Last sunday I was in Besancon (France) for what was supposed to be my first Sprint tri. Unfortunately, due to the draught that's affecting the country at the moment, the authorisation to swim in the river was withdrawn at the last minute for sanitary reasons. The triathlon had to be turned into a duathlon. We did 5K run/20K bike/2.5K run. In all fairness it was probably a good thing for me as I believe that I am a much better runner than a swimmer but I was still very disappointed.

There were 22 girls competing in total and I finished in 18th position. It took me 1h28 mins to do the whole thing (vs 1h08 for the winner). I was quite satisfied with my performance. I don't think I could have done much better with the running. However I think that I have lost minutes during transitions. I have noticed that I did not have a proper technique for running with my bike. Other contestants managed to run while pushing their bike with one hand on the saddle whereas I was running holding the handle bars with my two hands which was not efficient and slowed me down. Then during the second transition, I had to take my breath for a few seconds before starting the final 2.5K. Finally I had decided to cycle with my trainers and I believe that it was a mistake that costed me a few minutes on my bike chrono. Using my clipping shoes would have allowed me to use more of my leg power. But I have learnt the lesson for next time.

Next challenge: Tri Vauban on 12th June

On Sunday 12^th June, I will be taking part to the Tri Vauban in Besançon (France). Besançon is my hometown. So I am really excited to go back home for a long weekend and compete in front of my family. My mom even offered to help with the organisation and she’ll be distributing drinks to participants.

This triathlon will be my first Sprint distance (750m, 20KM, 5KM) ever, therefore it is definitely a personal challenge. I will be able to see if all the training I have been doing lately has been fruitful. Most particularly my swimming. In my last triathlon (back in September 2010), I was not able to swim front crawl and lost a lot of time in the water. So since last winter, I have been focusing on learning front crawl and hopefully have made some progress.

I really don’t know what to expect from this competition because it is the first time I am doing it and I have no idea of the level of the participants. I have checked the entrants list and was a bit stressed because there are only 4 girls racing including me. And I am under the impression that they all belong to the local triathlon club. So probabilities are that I will probably finish first from the bottom of the list (this is the optimistic me speaking here!). But what the hell! I am excited anyway! I will get to swim in the river Doubs in my new wetsuit and discover my hometown from a new angle.

The other tricky bit is travelling with my bike to France. When I booked my train tickets back in March, I checked the conditions for travelling with a bike and I have to say, it is not cheap! If you want to avoid additional charges (£30 per leg for the Eurostar and I think it was €10 per leg for the TGV), you need to disassemble the bike and put it in a bag or suitcase, then it is considered as a hand luggage. So that is definitely what I am going to do. I have bought a second-hand bag on eBay and my friend Gavin showed me how to remove my wheels, saddle, pedals and handle bars (let’s hope I will remember how to put them back or I am in trouble).

Last Saturday, I also went to the local health shop to purchase energy bars, shots and gels that I will need for the tri. I think I bought supplies for the whole season! But this way I am sure that I have enough of everything! I have been told to try them before race day to avoid bad surprises.

This morning, I was preparing my training for the next 4 days before leaving London for Besancon. I think that training planning is definitely something that I need to improve in the future as I am really not structured at all at the moment. I do things as I feel and apply no science to them at all which is probably detrimental to performance improvement. I do not keep track of anything (heart rate, pace, etc…) so I do not know how I perform and if I am doing better or worse than the previous training session. I can only measure progress thanks to the results I get when I race. So I am not really serious on that topic. I will have to change that!