Home of IM Canada

The next chapter begins...
After a week of R&R with my parents in the UK, we are now settling into our new home for the summer, OK Falls in British Columbia Canada, home of IM Canada. It is the prefect training location. We have a lake to swim in literally on our doorstep and a local pool in Penticton. There are mountains to climb and trails to run on, and the best bit- the sun is shining!
Summer has finally arrived.

After my disappointment in Roth I am keen to get back into training. There will be no distractions here and my focus is only to get as fit and strong as I possibly can. We have found some local short course triathlons, so it looks like I will be doing my first Olympic distance race this summer!

The harder I work the luckier I get.
Time to make it happen.

Charlotte

Roth Photos 2008

The toughest day of my IM career. I was so glad to be finished. Our faces say it all. When I look at these photos I'm reminded of what it felt like to do an Ironman unprepared! Lest we forget:)






Our home stay Claudia was there to see us at the finish line. I think this photographer was an old school friend or something so she got in the VIP area! Good work Claudia:)

Quelle-Challenge Roth

Congratulations to Yvonne Van Vlerken and Erika Csomor for both breaking the Ironman distance World Record on Sunday, in 8 hrs 45 and 8 hrs 46, in the most horrendous conditions I have ever raced in. They raced together all day and both deserve some serious respect for their performances.

I got what I deserved. An average result after a very fractured preparation and injury problems. I hadn't been able to run "cold" or long for the last 6 weeks, due to sciatica in my left butt. I went into the race not in the condition I wanted to be in. It is a hard way to line up against a World Class field. I tried to convince myself I was confident, but deep down I knew there had been important sessions missed. On top of that, I found the conditions on the bike just horrible. I was frozen. It rained heavily for the entire morning, non-stop. On a course with lots of tight corners I was riding the first lap like a Grandma. I didn't want to come off my bike, however I even thought at one point that if I fell off I would be able to quit the race...not what I should have been thinking. I have so many negative feelings and unhappy memories of long rides in the rain that I went into a mental downward spiral.
It was about 15 degrees, my feet were numb, my hands were blue and stiff, I was dropping water bottles because I couldn't use my hands...my teeth were clenched, I was crying...How the other girls rode so fast, I do not know. I was thinking survival not racing. The second lap was slightly better but I was still just thinking the faster I ride the sooner this will all be over.

I was surprised that my bike split wasn't 6 hours. It was 5:19, terrible for this course, but not so bad. I was thinking I could still pull off a sub 9:30, and get in the top 10. The first 21km went almost exactly to plan. I ran a 1:31 and was feeling good. I was in 8th position and at that pace Hillary Biscay, who finsihed 6th, was within my reach. At this point my right knee started to give way. All of a sudden it disappeared from under me, and then was fine. But it kept happening, more and more, until both my knees were just totally seized up. I was doing the Ironman shuffle in all it's glory. My 4.15s gradually slowed to 5 mins/km, but that wasn't the worst. At 7min/km doing the walk/run I was shouting at my legs to keep moving. I knew there were girls coming behind me and I didn't want to be re-passed. But I was, and in the end I just got myself to the finish line as quick as I could and that was the best I could do. My second 21ks was 1:51...To give me a finish time of 9 hours 41, in 11th spot. Ironically my third fastest IM time to date, out of my 15 races.

Not the race I had hoped for. I am glad to be able to put this chapter behind me, and to move on to the next phase of the year.- My preparation for the World Champs in Hawaii and focused training in ideal locations- Penticton Canada and the Big Island itself.

I will be back to fight another battle, tougher, fitter and stronger. I am happy that I was a contender in Quelle Challenge Roth 2008, a race that will go down in history. I'm excited that us girls are stepping up and getting some well deserved attention. I am inspired to keep going at my goals. This was just a minor blip:)

Thank you to the race organisers for having me in Roth- it is an awesome, awesome race with an atmosphere like no other. I will be back next year.

Photos coming soon...

Charlotte

Things are hotting up...

Roth

Apart from the weather, which has been shocking the last few days, rainy, cloudy and windy.

Everyone is starting to arrive in town, and the signs and tents are appearing. It's getting exciting. We went to a breakfast this morning in Hipoltstein, organised for the English speaking athletes, which was fun. It has apparently become a tradition.

We explored the run course yesterday by mountain bike and then ran a section of it. It looks good...really good:) My favourite part of the race. There's a nice section from T2 to the canal, that goes through the forest, which you then return on to the finish. It looks like a fast last few kilometres. And the canal... it goes on and on, and I would expect at any other race would be a desolate stretch, but not here!

So it all looks good.

Nike gave me a pair of new racing flats just before I left, and I gave them a test run yesterday too- they are awesome:) They are my magic shoes! They are made with a super light rubber that is used in space. They weigh not much over 100 grams- and it is really noticeable. They are called Lunar Lites, and are yet to be released in Australia. They're a neutral shoe that will come also in a training shoe. I'll let you know how they go over the marathon.

This might be my last post pre race, as it all starts to get a bit hectic from here on in. Parents arriving tomorrow...

I feel good, and confident, and I think this course really suits me and the training I have been doing. I hope to make you all proud, and I thank all my sponsors, training partners, friends and family for their support.

Charlotte

Germany

IM Germany as a spectator.

ok, no internet connection for over a week... so my news is a bit old.

Spent the weekend in Frankfurt watching IM Germany.

It was a psyche up exercise and was very successful. Macca had an awesome race as did Chrissie.

I think the Germans seem to really know how to put on a race and how to spectate! The crowds were amazing and apparently nothing compared to the crowds in Roth. Unbelieveable!

Photos coming soon... I have some great ones of Macca and Eneko running side by side.

OK Quick Facts;

Homestay, Awesome

Bike course, super smoothe, some hills, definitely not flat as people suspect...

Bakerys, everywhere and I am keeping my eyes closed.

You can buy tires from vending machines outside bike shops

You can buy beer in Maccas

You can buy cigarettes from vending machines in residential areas on the street corners.

Everyone rides bikes everywhere, even old ladies:)

Roth has a stainless-steel bottomed pool where you can watch your own reflection as you swim

OK, bye for now

Charlotte