Hi, and thanks for tuning into my site

Thought I’d mix my blog up a little this week….partly because it’s late (whoops). Partly because I’m very tired and finding it hard (more hard than usual) to string coherent sentences together and partly because variety is the spice of life (they say ).
Good things that happened in my little head
• I won again…..this time in Almere near Amsterdam – an ITU Premium Points race.
• I led out the swim, drove a two up with Radka Vodikova off the front and ran the fastest run split. A great training race with a good bonus scheme incorporated within it haha. It’s perfect preparation for Budapest Grand Final next Sunday, I’m very excited (I seem very excitable full stop nowadays which is good – I think!)
• I moved up the mountain! I can already feel the advantage of the extra 50m in altitude …it could be the beetroot juice …my good mood but I’m putting it down to height .
• My mum has figured out Skype which is good because I can followthemummyswallow – and her amazing triathlon adventures. She is a full-on star and hard as nails. My poor dad has been riding around France this holiday with her and has, no doubt, endured some hard core ‘Jan racing’. Competitive? Us Swallows? No … Need to big up my sister Joanna’s victory in ‘Outlaw Ironman’ actually…10.45…a brilliant first ironman-distance victory. She is not me, no. Yes, she does have the same initial… Tricky, hey? JOANNA not JODIE!!
• My new pad has an amazing room and a spare room and lots of space to spin. (That’s body spinning not cycle spinning – that would not be in my happy column as is bores me a little)
• Bekstar (Keat) won her 2nd Ironman in as many weeks … this time in Louisville. I can cope with her being away as long as she’s winning
• There were shops in Almere … REAL SHOPS! – So it would have been rude not to indulge in a few shearing items (the must have of the season ) and a few more greatly deliberated good investment products
• I can download up here! Not only do I have season 6 of Grays Anatomy but new tunes everyday. Eliza Doolittle is making me very cheerful atm.
• In Almere, I actually got to catch up on Eastenders … OMG absolute pleasure, I have missed it so much. I also had MTV which is responsible for so much crap in the world but is such a pleasure when you live in the mountains!
Bad things this week in my little head
• The weather in Holland is worse than Britain … really awful. It poured every day I was there, they actually had to stop the age group race. The wind was so strong in our race I thought we were running backwards at points.
• Travelling home from Holland without a shower sucked. I was stuck in drugs testing when I should have been packing my bike and getting the train to Amsterdam. Actually, I am very lucky the drug testing was at the venue because the train carriage was ‘hempisised’ -most definitely…wonderful, wonderful Amsterdam hey?!
• Tiredness … arms, legs, head, feet. Never a pleasure but a sign of happiness to come I guess – I actually can’t believe I raced only on Sunday, it feels like a month ago!
• My organisation has been pretty bad this week … sorry sponsors. I’m back on top now and will set out my dates and calendar for you this weekend.
• A few more friends and training partners are off competing this week and I will miss them, no doubt. Lots and lots actually, but we are all about racing and getting what we want out of life and I must remind myself it’s not all about memememe Batman and Robin and Catwomen will look after each other just fine, I’m sure.
Ummmm… That’s it! not much to complain about hey? Not much at all. Don’t get me wrong triathlon life isn’t a life of milk and honey but for a quintessentially jaded troublemaker it’s a pretty good pathway at the moment ☺
Thanks for the read guys, the support and the loyalty. I know who I’m working for everyday… Essex Legacy, Sigma Sport, blueseventy, Instant Offices, Corporate Property Advisors, Computrainer and Asics – thank you ☺
Jxx

PS quote of the week – new feature – made me laugh a lot….
‘Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life.’
Muhammad Ali

I know, I know, I’m a bit late on this race report. I just waved good bye to my mum, dad and two of my group of brilliant training chums and I have been trying to spend every non-training minute with them before they go. Triathlon is weird, I guess a lot like the army, we bond and settle at base camp then get dispatched out to declare war (at least on our bodies) against our opponents in races so there is a constant movement of athletes in and out of camp.

Courtesy Mike Clyne/Tri247.com

Anyway, I have good news. I raced the ETU points race in Geneva on Sunday and came away with a pretty comprehensive win. I led out of the swim, broke in transition 1 and built that lead through the bike. It absolutely tipped down as we warmed up and remained miserable throughout the whole race… Freezing and grey. As I time trialled the six hill repeats that constituted the bike leg, it was, at times, difficult to even see the road- let alone the metal and slippy white lines that litter Geneva’s road surfaces.

The risk of falling was enough to keep me pushing off the front and by the end of the bike I had four minutes on the big pack that had formed behind me. I guess all the hill training in Leysin pays dividends and in fact I like them now … but not when it’s raining;)

Even though I was leading by four minutes by the end of the bike, my legs were pretty stiff and sore on the run – which was a bit longer than 10km which doesn’t help. I gained another minute with very, very cold blue legs and finished happy, proud of the effort and praying for the sun.

It kind of made an appearance today and so did a bit higher energy levels. It’s time to knuckle down until the Budapest Grand World Series Final in three and a half weeks. I really think I can be in great shape by then and just have a sharpener in a premium points race two weeks before the main event.
Anyway I’ll let you know how it’s going

Thanks guys, for all the support, it’s going very well

Right, so it’s 5am and I’m writing a blog… Another race, another sleepless night and sore tummy

This time I’m in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary for the famous world cup. This place is remarkable, I first came here to compete in my first Olympic distance race at the World Students Games in 2000. Then it had a definite east European vibe with utterly charming people and a huge love of triathlon within the town. Nothing has changed. The town rallies around the race and there have been endless parties since Wednesday when I arrived. Lying in bed last night nursing a sore tummy, fireworks, singing and laughter was all I could hear… Not usual verbs associated with triathlon? Well, visit the World Cup here then

Since Alpe d’Huez I’ve been getting on with training at home in Leysin and trying to keep my head down. The last thing I want is to lose concentration at this point in the season or to let a few good races get to my head. I arrived into Budapest on Thursday and was particularly appalling at patiently enduring the three hour bus ride into Tizzy. I seemed to have developed really bad travel sickness in the last few years and buses in Hungary aren’t good with that.

The race was a split transition and I’m lucky because having gone to the long course races I’m kind of used to that. I did see a few girls setting up their bikes in T2 when the lake is 8km up the road… A two lap, still water swim course, 8km into town, the 7 x 5km of a ‘loopy loo’ bike circuit, finishing with a 4 lap run around town.

Having briefly assessed the start list I was aware that Sara McLarty was here. A top US open water swimmer who, although she does not yet have the run to finish races on podiums, does have the ability to upheave a race dynamic and split the pack on a swim. I wanted to swim on her feet but was also aware that her comparatively low ranking meant that while I was at one side of the podium, she was at the other. Crossing the field runs the risk of sweeping the field across to me on her feet, then I would have to get round them; this is kind of what happened…. and I didn’t swim fast enough. I came out in the lead group – with McLarty off the front.

Angry at myself and at the other girls for doing naff all work I drove the group with a few harsh words (I’d lost my voice by the second lap;)), credit to my fellow Brit for trying to work with me to chase/keep away form the next pack but our attempts failed with about 8 girls sitting on, waiting to be outrun by the better runners behind??, I don’t know, I don’t really understand!

Anyway once the packs had merged I was confident for the run but was fully aware of the ‘whippets’ within the group and the importance of a good T2. I led the last bike lap out and entered T2 well, unfortunately there were two dismount lines, and I jumped on the first one so lost 10m but regained this quickly out of transition.

I lead the run for the four raps and from a pack of 6 we dispersed until, when I checked, at 7.5km , there were three left (we passed McLarty at 2.5km). I front ran into the wind because I felt it important to break the field and assert my authority on corners and lines on the run. Sapunova tried to break with 1km to go but I tailed her closely, towed her until 100m to go and just lacked the speed to break her. I finished second with frustration on my face but a smile in my heart; this is my second podium in a World Cup and my first since 2003. That’s a long wait!

Celebrations last night took the form of an incredibly weird but packed arena watching a kind of Bruce Forsyth comedy/singing sketch – it was truly horrendous but fun and a good end to a great day. Thanks to my sponsors; Sigma, Instant Offices, Corporate Property Advisors, Essex Legacy and Asics for helping me continue my triathlon goal of the 2012 London Olympics. Next stop Geneva in a week.

So… After watching my amazing mum race at Hyde Park (under 3 hours, yay!), a lovely run with Michelle Dillon and Jodie (number 2) Stimpson, a swim at Imperial College and lunch with my old crew from Battersea and good friend Daley T I got to witness Alistair Brownlee throw everything, and indeed consciousness, at the men’s race. It was an absolutely unbelievable last km, Alastair missed out on this one, but damn, he is one tough cookie and will undoubtedly come back to terrorize his elders many more times. Stuart Hayes was also a complete toughie and made countless attempts to break from the massive pack on the bike. He succeeded in lap 7 and ran himself into a very commendable and brave top 10 finish.

Monday I flew back to Geneva to be greeted by my gorgeous training partner Rebekah Keat. Bek finished second in Roth last weekend and is the coolest and most talented training partner I have ever had. It amazes me we can be friends with how we make each other hurt sometimes; haha.

So… Her with an ironman in her legs and me suffering 48 hour DOMS, we travel to the French Alps and line up on Wednesday; 110km from the top of Alpe d’Huez.
Now, I don’t profess to know any details about this race. My coach texted me on the Friday before London and asked if I’d like to enter. ’Of course,’ I replied – what a bloody martyr

All weekend I’d been getting hints about the race and its challenges but, to be honest, I tried not to listen, I even squinted my eyes as we drove up the 21 switchbacks. My philosophy is pretty simple, just go hard – if that’s up a climb so be it, everyone has to climb the same. The fastest, toughest person will win, and it can’t be as steep as the ‘Athens hill’ (the Athens Olympic hill has never been matched in incline in any race or training I have ever done. It was, in fact, ridiculous but I made it up there 6 times with a hole in my Achilles so I figure I should never doubt my resolve).

2.2km swim, 110km bike with three cols (ending at 2,000m in Alpe d’Huez), 22km run at 2,000m.

I raced how I love to. I hammered the swim with one of my best friends, Harry Wiltshire, and we exited with a large gap on the rest of the field. I was pretty fired up and darted up the first steep incline out of transition. Harry was very funny… ‘Calm down Jodes, we’ve got 110km to ride’…very funny moment when Harry discovered my racing testosterone (if girls get that!), and my foul mouth to boot… Sorry Harry ;} (he said it made his day afterwards!). I raced off only to follow the lead car which had decided to take a different route to the marked course.

I had to turn back and then was a bit behind Harry. The lead men caught just before the first Col which climbed around 20km. There were two descents and another two 20km climbs. It is hell! This course is unbelievable… Beautiful, tough and truly amazing. If I’d had time to observe our surroundings it would have taken my breath away – unfortunately the inclines and descents did that in a different way. It was absolutely thrilling.

The last switchbacks on Alpe d’Huez were not as thrilling, just long overdue, but by that stage I had a large cushion of time on the other girls and just had to run and look after my sugar levels. I won by a 30 mins in 6 hours 20mins. Bek Keat finished second, no mean feat after her Roth effort. Mentions to James Cunnama for his win, Scott DeFilippis on 3rd, Harry Wiltshire 5th, beautiful Lisbeth Kristiansen 5th, Tamzin Lewis 6th and big congrats to Emma Smith on 9th and getting in the prize purse – yay!!.

A great Wednesday it was and hopefully a sign that we’re finally getting to grips on releasing my potential. Next stop is Tizzy World Cup, so I’m back in the mountains enjoying training and loving life … yes guys, even when I have ‘that’ look … haha. Just gonna reiterate to all my sponsors how grateful I am and acknowledge my friends and family in how much support you lot give.

Just a quick note on Jodie’s behalf to say that she won today’s Alpe d’Huez long course race (2.2k swim, 115k bike finishing up the famous climb and then a 22k run). And she didn’t just win… Unofficial time was 6:20:07 with the second placed athlete, Rebekah Keat, at 6:48:56 – 29 minutes behind her! Stephanie Reymond of France was third in 6:58:35 with Alexandra Louison in fourth just edging out Lisbeth Kristensen who was fifth.

It’s 6am and I can’t sleep… It’s always the same after races, full of adrenaline and hyperactivity in the head. Especially late races, your mind doesn’t get a chance to switch off. My tummy doesn’t either; tummy cramps through the night as the long-awaited dinner finally makes it through an empty, tired intestine … It’s not pleasant – let’s move to happier thoughts

London World Series 2010; 7th place! I’m pretty damn happy at that. I have been in the mountains for seven weeks now and we have turned things around. I was so nervous going into yesterday, the only person I have to compare my standard to is Nicola Spirig (currently the most consistent racer in the world), so it’s sometimes difficult to know where you’re at in terms of the whole field.

The announcer was encouraging before the start ‘we have accumulated here the highest standard in Olympic women’s racing ever assembled’, and we probably did. Looking round my 25-strong lead bike pack there was not one girl who can’t run under 35 minutes on her day and that’s forgetting that the likes of Norden, Riveros and Snowsill were back off the pace.

I think the swim was a fairly solid effort by the faster girls and was the catalyst to keeping away on the bike. Poor Jess Harrison, my Poissy team mate, managed to lose a shoe in the transition zone and still managed to race a solid bike leg. I was trying to encourage her (having been there before – Stockton 2002 haha) but she wins the bravest soldier prize yesterday hand down! We built a growing lead on pack two, on the bike which is new, different and very much welcomed. There was far less gazing about and some consensus among us I think that it was for the greater good to put some wattage down at least.

I had a good T2 and was out in the pack of leaders: Spirig, Findlay, Roberts, Jenkins, Moffatt, Swallow, Holland and Murua. After 3.3km Moffatt had gone and there was acceleration. I couldn’t hold them and got slightly detached, soon Holland and Roberts followed and by 6.6km Bennett had caught us and Kate Roberts dropped off. The last lap was a battle but I ran 34:50 which is fast and I know there is so much more space to move forward in. It is not like I’m hitting the ceiling yet so I’m very excited about the Olympic racing coming up.

The spectators, my sponsors, family and friends were fantastic for us Brits today; hopefully we rewarded you with a little entertainment. Special well done to Helen Jenkins for her third spot, Nicola of course on her silver and on Paula Findlay of Canada on her first major win.

Anyway I’m off to Alpe d’Huez to race up a mountain No rest for the wicked. Let’s see how the boys do today, and my training mates to who are riding to the Alpe d’Huez race – see you there boys

Training is tough, that’s expected. I’m getting tired, that’s expected. It’s going to get tougher, that’s expected. These are facts that professional athletes have to come to terms with and accept. It is a normal reaction to conserve, protect, dodge or avoid real work – to take the easier option. Indeed in most professions the economic option is probably the correct one – in sport it never, ever is.

Training with a group is such an advantage in learning. I can see reactions and responses in all my training partners – learn new approaches and sift out the poor decisions they make. When I was away last week I missed them and I missed the mountains. We are becoming a team and not a team from a country or a town. A real team that try and create excellence in our environment and in our pursuits. It is a privilege to be here.
Last week I popped back to England to fulfil some sponsorship obligations. A photo shoot at Sigma Sport, a training session with Instant Offices in Hyde Park and a sunny afternoon spent at Basildon’s Gloucester Park Athletics ground on behalf of Essex legacy and active school week.

It was great to see young kids giving the different athletic events a go, all with smiles and all doing their best. Throughout secondary school Gloucester Park was the scene of many back-breaking track workouts with my old club, Brentwood Athletics Club. It may be that I’m getting old but I felt some sorrow that they have knocked down the old concrete block club rooms and replaced them with a full-on stadium. Those cold concrete rooms saw a lot of blood, sweat and tears from our workouts.

Kings of Leon that evening in Hyde Park … it was awesome – a brilliant venue, an even better crowd and a humble and hard working band … worth the four hours sleep to get back to Leysin and how I missed it when I’m away.

Back in Leysin the days are spent getting ready for the London WCS and all the races in August, the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Tour de France all daily sources of inspiration on tired, tired days. Just a shout out to Bek Keat for Roth next weekend, she is in awesome shape and will, no doubt, kick arse. Also to Nic Spirig who retained her European Title in Athlone this weekend. I would have loved to have been there but I guess I didn’t fit in with the team tactic … which wasn’t that successful for the women. Anyway, another weekend it will be different. Stay cool homies

All done and dusted, silver medal yesterday and a really good experience of the longer type of racing for me.  See, I used to think Olympic distance was long when I was a 400m swimmer and 5km runner.  Last year 70.3 was mega-long and now it’s 4km-120km-30km.  I guess that shows progression – one day Ironman will be on the agenda.

This was always going to be a training race – a process rather than a goal and I approached it as that.  After a crash on the previous Saturday I only confirmed I was going to compete on Wednesday with a pretty sore shoulder, but I did the test set and was so relieved I could come.

The swim course in Vitoria was flat, clear and fast.  I started well, went straight into the lead and stretched out. I didn’t feel my sore shoulder at all in the race, I was apprehensive because my new blueseventy Helix is pretty streamlined and obviously in wetsuits you have to counterbalance the pressure of the rubber on a sore joint but I was cool – adrenaline as always kicks in and I caught quite a few elite men which gave me a target to concentrate on.  It’s getting a little bit hard swimming on your own on a single lapped course. I swam the 4km in 53mins – about 3 minutes ahead of the next girl – but on my own as the course was completely clear.  Having someone up front helps in pacing and for me I particularly like to chase, but there was nobody.

Now, as I said it was a training race and I rode my road bike with my draft legal tri-bars.  This was always going to be tough against hard competition but coming from Switzerland I had to race on what I had.  The second girl, medallist at Hawaii last year came past at around 70km to go and she was quick.  I couldn’t stay with her but on a time trial bike it may have been different. She was very strong and has been around a long time and is obviously a tough competitor.  There’s a challenge for the next one

With around 50km to go on the bike I could feel a shearing pain in my lower back.  The problem with road frames and time trial positioning is that my position lies too short so I’m kind of scrunched up like a pretzel for a long time.  We are going to work on this now but, as I said, it’s all part of the process at the moment.  I tried to keep pain to the minimum by working out of the saddle as much as possible.

I definitely lost time from this but when I entered T2 my legs felt remarkably fresh, although my back was screaming.  Virginia had 7 minutes on me, mostly gained in that last 30km, but  I  just wanted to get running.  I gained two minutes on the first 10km, another 1min on the second 10km and she held on for the last 10km – but I guess that may have been a certain knowledge that second was on the cards.  I ran for first for a long hard way though and felt that in my back at the end.  I could not sit, bend or squat (so the drugs testing delivery was a slight issue!).  It was so worth it though and another major medal – European silver this time, with the knowledge that there is a lot more time to come off.

A good day at the office.

Hola mis amigos!!!

So… We decided that it would be good to have a little hit out mid-training last weekend.  Whilst Leysin is a beautiful, perfect and amazing place, sometimes a change is as good as a rest so Pontevedra last weekend it was to be.  This is an established race on the circuit yet low-key enough for me to train through and experiment a little whilst topping up dwindling funds.  My preparation has literally been train, travel, race, and just give 100 percent effort on the day.  I enjoyed the experience very much.

When all is said and done, 100 percent is all there is. Whether that leaves you first or 21^st it’s the same effort and should therefore merit the same congratulations…it doesn’t.  Champagne ceremonies, prize money and flag-raising are reserved for the medallists.  This time my best was good enough and the people of Pontevedra, buoyed no doubt by the presence and triumph of their man Javier Gomez, came out in force to cheer and support my victory.  This is an extraordinary town with an extraordinary triathlon enthusiasm.  The European Championships 2011 will be held here and it will not disappoint.

The swim took place in the river and although I am not sure what the current was doing I managed to overcome my lack of tidal understanding to break away with the first six girls and work up a little on the second lap.  I think I could have swum faster as I don’t think I read the river well, but I was in my comfort zone and able to settle quickly before organizing the group of six that emerged after T1.

I was a little bossy here!  To me, it’s important to take advantage of having the ability to swim and not allow the chase group the comfort to catch.  It’s in some ways less important to me than the other girls as I know my run is very good but if we have pulled away on the swim and I am strong on the bike, it would be a waste of many hours of training to let it group.  Gomez annihilated the swim and bike and had the fastest run split….victory is not always the be all and end all…style of victory is as important to us.

I worked comfortably on the bike and tried a few moves but the wind was such and the group competent enough to chase me down.  We worked well and extended our lead whilst the two chase groups merged.

I entered T2 first and exited in the lead. From here I just ran and extended my lead over the Czech Radka Vodickova to one minute twenty seconds, running 34.52. The course was up and down with a 400m on the track each lap (of which there were four).  It was perfect for my strength and I absolutely crave running on tartan so it was a treat waiting at the bottom of the hill for me each time around.  As I said the streets were packed, locals supportive and filled with atmosphere.

Its great to get a win in but I have so much work to do and look forward to Vitoria European long distance in two weeks and then London World Series in July.  Day by day, race by race.

Thanks to Sigma Sport and 2XU for my lovely new printed and logoed suit at very late notice and I hope that my team at Instant Offices are getting ready and looking forward to the Property Triathlon at Dorney Lake in four weeks time.  The new journey has begun.

It’s been three weeks since I arrived in Leysin.  It’s unbelievable that this life has suddenly become so routine and comfortable.  I can now appreciate first hand the advantages that training at altitude brings as I feel my body getting stronger.

Life here is relatively simple – swim, bike and run then recover.  Go to bed very tired and wake up less very tired, to quote a legend.  There’s no travel to add hours on to training- those minutes are spent in the activity.  There aren’t too many distractions either, things that normally divert my attention, like the internet, shopping, phones and everyday logistics. Of course there are these things but they are removed and less intrusive.  Life is good – I am learning so much about myself and understanding a lot about the older me.

Although the principles of training are simple (the most technology we use is a stopwatch and a heart monitor), the human side of training, the demand it lays on the head, the tricks it plays on the body and the normal response of tired, scared, lazy bodies, is complicated.

To win is to train the mind and the body into accepting the extraordinary levels of work, discomfort and pressure.  Not everyone can get there – if they could we would all win – but some people can and I am devoting my time to becoming one of these people.  I think it is good to aspire to some of these extraordinary athletes to help keep me inspired from time to time.  Sometimes I need other people to pinpoint legends of the past because I wasn’t around to witness their amazing feats.

I was pointed towards the Australian Rob Decastella this week – a big guy with a big moustache and an even bigger heart.  He was out of the ordinary for a marathon runner of his day…long limbed and muscular.  He won four world marathon titles and held the world record for ten years.  Look him up and inspiration won’t be that hard to come by.

Thanks to Sigma Sport for my new tri bars and to 2XU for some initial training kit – parcels are welcomed with open arms especially when the trek up the hill to the laundrette is being done on such tired legs.  It’s time to concentrate on the small details on my bike and in my racing to make big gains.  Speak next week.

Jodie x