Last weekend Spin All Star triathlete Catherine Jameson got her season off to a flying start, with a late decision to try her hand at the half IronMan distance. So late in fact she had to race on board a borrowed bike.
Luckily it had her favourite race wheels, the Dark Energy DMX960 Fat Boys slotted in and Catherine was able to ride an amazingly strong bike leg against world class competition.
All we can say is Hats Off Catherine, and over to you to tell us your story.
CHALLENGE FUERTEVENTURA RACE REPORT 2015
So last weekend
saw the start of my racing season for 2015 and also my first ever half distance
race out here at Challenge Fuerteventura. It was a last minute decision to do
this race for a number of reason but I’m so pleased that I stepped up and took
it on.
After the end of
season last year it took me a while to get back into training but in the lead
up to Christmas my fitness was slowly coming back, I was finally enjoying
running and looking forward to what 2015 would bring.
Unfortunately, in early
January I managed to pick up an injury stemming from my lower back which meant
that whilst being away training in Aguilas, Spain, I couldn’t run and struggled
to find anyone to put me back together. On a plus my swimming and biking was
going amazingly and I clocked up a lot of miles in the saddle!
Thankfully when
I got home, Mark Booth from Body Limits, Newport Pagnell managed to realign me
and got me back running. He really is a miracle worker and I wouldn’t have been
racing now if it wasn’t for him!
In many ways
only deciding to do the race and sorting everything out the week before had its
benefits. I had no time to over think things which made it all stress free,
well mainly!
Challenge
Fuerteventura has always attracted a strong field and this year was no
exception with the likes of Daniela Ryf, Anja Beranek, Eimear Mullan, Corinne
Abraham and many more on the start line. I knew the only way to compete with
these girls was to go out hard right from the start. There was no time to get
into the race, I knew it had to be full gas from the beginning.
The men had a two minute start on the women
which had positives and negatives as it meant that I knew I would be leading
the girls round if all went to plan. As soon as the starting horn went I
sprinted out to the first buoy and quickly knew that I had clear water ahead. I
could see the guys in the distance so I just kept thinking that I needed to
swim to them.
The course was two laps where we had an “Australian
exit” which meant that we had to run out onto the beach in between laps.
At this point I could have a quick look at where the other girls were and I saw
I had a lead on Daniela and was closing in on many of the guys. By half way
round the second lap I was passing quite a few of the men so I put my head down
and pushed on. Goal number one was achieved, I lead out of the swim and put
good time into the other girls.
Running into transition I saw that the elastic
bands holding my shoes on had snapped as well as the elastic band securing my
front bottle to stop it falling out on the rough road sections! I wasn’t too
smooth getting on my bike with my shoes dragging along the ground and I am sure
it didn’t look pretty but never mind I made it onto my bike and it was time to
set off on the 90km hilly circuit.
After my slow transition Daniela rode up to
me on the road out of Playitas and at this point I knew no matter what, I had to
try to stay with her. There was no way I was going to let her get away from me!
Not long into the bike course the inevitable happened and my front bottle hit
the floor. I tried to hold onto it but it was on a technical section so I had
no choice but to leave it and ride on. Daniela and I rode past each other a few
times in the first 10km or so but after a while she didn’t come through so I
had a sneaky look back and I couldn’t see her. I was shocked as I thought she
would be right behind me. I knew I was feeling strong but the thought
“have you gone out too hard” did cross my mind!
At around 30km Anja
came storming past which took me by surprise. She rode away initially but I
stuck to my plan and slowly reeled her back in. We went through half way
together, 90secs ahead of the rest of the field but unfortunately minutes later
as we started to descend my chain came off whilst switching to the big ring and
jammed against the frame. There was no hope of saving this one so I had to stop
and sort it quickly! Anja, by this point was flying down the hill and I knew it
would be hard to catch her again. I could see her pretty much all the way but I
got no nearer to her.
By half way I was also running short on fluids, my bottle
with High5 energy and gels had almost gone so I was just onto water which I
managed to pick up on the course. Lesson learnt.. don’t drop vital nutrition!
In the last 20km Daniela suddenly went storming past like a train but this time
I couldn’t go with her. She made it look easy and I can see why she is such a
class athlete. I saw she caught Anja but then didn’t put too much of a gap into
us. In the end I came off the bike 3rd and had a massive lead on 4th, 5th etc.
I was looking forward to the half marathon in a strange way as I knew it would
be an achievement in itself. I always knew I could run the distance but not
having run that far since mid last year and only having been back running for 5
weeks I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The run course here is a toughie as
its ridiculously hilly so I just found my rhythm and tried to stick to it. I
ran in 3rd for 80% of the course but then the girls got me!
At the end of the
day I finished 7th but I know there is so much more to come. I learnt so much
during the race from needing to wear bigger racing flats as with socks on they
have wrecked my toes, to needing to carry salt sticks as I suffered with a lot
of cramp on the run which slowed me down.
All in all it was a great first half
distance event and I hit most of my objectives. Congratulations to all the
other competitors, it was a tough but fun day and I’ll be back!
I’d just like to
say a massive thank you to my coach Mark Pearce, Intelligent Triathlon Training
who has taught me tons and pushes me daily. Thank you also to Mark Booth for
putting me back together and to my sponsors who without you this wouldn’t be
possible, Jackpot Racing, BlueSeventy, Spin Industries, High5, Impact Cycle
Trading, ISM, Pedal Cover Insurance and Lane1 Sports Management. THANK YOU
