June + July 2015

Blenheim triathlon is always going to be a really tough and challenging race, with it being one of the only races in the super series with tough hills in both the bike and run course.  Previously I have enjoyed Blenheim, but have also found it extremely hard. This year was something else. I had a good swim, coming second out of the water, with many thanks to Zone 3 wetsuits.  Then came the steep uphill to transition, and this is where the race went downhill for me. I just had absolutely nothing to give. There wasn't anything I could do as several people ran past and away from me.  I got on the bike in the chase pack and tried to work hard, but it was challenging when only a few people would share the work. The last 2.5km run didn’t go much better and I finished 12^th. This was really disappointing for me as this was the European Youth relay Qualifiers and I have been selected for the last 2 years and was hoping to go back and reclaim our gold medal from last year in Russia. But it was one to forget and to move on to the next race.

My next race was the European cup in Holten, Holland. It was set to be a hot one, with temperatures soaring up to 42 degrees. I made sure I kept well hydrated throughout the build-up to the race, using my H2PRO Precision hydration tablets which were a massive help. The race got moved from early afternoon to 5pm, to try and race in a slightly cooler temperature. Thanks to vision for sport for helping me protect my eyes from the strong sun. I was quite a low number so was early going out onto the pontoon, so got to pick a good position. I had a clear start, but then I got really beaten up and dunked. I managed to go around the outside and get clear water again. I found myself near the front of the pack and started to push quite hard. There was a little breakaway of a few swimmers ahead but I was at the front of the next pack. I had a quick transition and got into the front group, with only 1 person in the breakaway ahead. It was a quick course and I stayed with the front pack. There was a crash at the bottom of the hill and this allowed there to be a break going into the last 400m, and I got caught up behind this. I felt strong going out onto the run and felt as if I ran well. I was really pleased to finish 14^th in my second ETU cup.

I attended a sportsaid day with BNY Mellon on the 8^th of July called the Play Brilliant event. In the morning I went to the Athlete Lab London with my BNY Mellon buddy Andy Gibb and a group of BNY mellon workers and clients, where we did some cycling on the bikes. We also did some filming there and an interview. It was a really lovely venue and also tough work, but fun and enjoyable. Then we attended the event with the other athletes. We got to watch people show their sport and see some equipment as well. It was a lovely afternoon and really interesting to watch others who perform at international level show  their sport.

My next race was the Junior Mixed relay in the European championships in Geneva. We travelled out as a team again and I had a few days out there before the race which was nice and relaxing. I got to watch the individuals, both junior and elite the day before my race. Again it was very hot, so using my H2PRO tablets was really helpful to stay on top of my health and hydration. The race was short and I was on first leg, which I liked. I had a good start, but the first buoy was very close, so I got a little caught up here and got a little delayed, but I soon got going again and tried working through the field. I came out of the water 4^th and made the front bike group. The bike course was very tough, with a big, steep hill in it. I kept with the bike group, but had quite a bad 2^nd transition, going out onto the run a little behind the leaders. I felt I was running a lot better than I have been, and once I got some water from the aid station on the run I felt really strong. I handed over to Jimmy Kershaw who was prior to Olivia Mathias and James Teagle. We had a good race and managed to finish 7^th in a tough field. It was such a great experience and Geneva is such a lovely place to both visit and race.  I’m now really excited to race at Liverpool next weekend for another race of the British Junior super series.

I would also like to say a massive thanks to Swimzi for taking me on as a Brand ambassador. I'm really excited to what has to come of this new partnership.