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.

Yawn, yawn, yawn.  It’s 4am and I am lying awake, dying to get some rest….race season is upon us and seemingly post race insomnia too. 

Restlessness is not the only recurrent feature from previous races seemingly the force that is Vanessa Fernandez is also back in full flow after an average racing 2009.

Vanessa dominated my race in Portugal yesterday and appeared to be the groomed and prepared champion of 2008 and before.  She has won 21 world cups- that is absolutely amazing- but after the metaphoric (and literal collar break!) fall she encountered last year, maybe her comeback will be her biggest victory.  It would be hard growing up as the National golden girl in Portugal and yet only be in your early twenties.

Considering my own race – if fourth place yesterday is going to be my worst result of 2010 I will take it smiling.  I didn’t feel great on the swim which was a wavy wetsuit one and felt average and very comfortable on the bike.  I felt goodish on the run.  I ran 40 seconds slower than Fernandez (36.40) so I’m not too far off the track on a very windy day in a good European field. 

It frustrates me that I didn’t catch Fernandez’s wheel out of T1 as this would have presented a very different racing scenario than a rudimentary pack precession behind her but I can feel the rust coming off the old chain and I can address issues like this. 

I head home today and begin to prepare for St Anthony’s in two weeks and Seoul in Four.  In fact whilst I raced in Portugal, the World Series races kicked off in Sydney.

I managed to catch the race on Portuguese television at a beach cafe….yet another demonstration of what Vanessa has done for triathlon in her country.  It looked amazing as it did in 2000.  The racing was dynamic and vibrant with Riveros-Diaz, Hewitt and Moffatt sprinting to the finish – the times were not fantastic (36.45-10^th place) – but it is very early season and all the athletes are feeling out our training and shaking off our winter coats.

I’m glad to be back racing and I am counting down the days till the next sleepless post race

Jodie xx