120k bike this morning, I'm soaked and its official winter training has begun and I’m going to be very sore it the morning! 2014 racing season has gone so fast seems only yesterday I was standing next to the pool in Abingdon waiting to start my first triathlon. A Little did I know at this point that the race I was about to compete it would change the path I was on and be the start of an incredible journey which is still only just beginning.
An event which I really enjoyed despite not having a clue what I was doing, transition how hard could it be??!! Not quite so straight forward I thought, as I found myself flying backwards into a poor unsuspecting man trying to put my socks on, Sorry!! Or as I ran back into T2 with 1 shoe on the bike and a 1 on my foot, a few funny looks from the spectators were coming my way! Yet despite all of this I still managed to cross the line as the 1st woman. Munching away on the Easter egg we were given at the end I started thinking this is what I want to do, how good could I become??!!!
My love for triathlons grew over night entering another. And as the time came to compete in my 2nd triathlon I was filled with excitement. Watching everyone around me get ready for the race I was soaking up the atmosphere. Picking up hints and tips from other competitors, I got myself ready…….. If I can do one thing better this time that would be amazing, continuous improvement was what I was going for. And staying upright in transition I was over the moon, even more excited to find out I had finished 2nd – amazing!!
Subscribing to 220 triathlon magazine and joining England Triathlon was the next step, I just wanted to learn as much as possible. This is where I saw it Age Group Worlds qualification races and there is one in 10days time………….
Reading on all I could think about was the incredible experience that was representing Great Britain in Rowing back in 2006/07, what if I could do this again. Visit amazing places; meet brilliant determined people while competing in a sport I enjoyed.
So I entered the Big Triathlon in Nottingham, it was a qualifier for both the Worlds 2014 and Europeans 2015. The plan to see where I came so I could see how much work would need to be done to qualify at the Big Cow event in September for the Europeans 2015. I gave it everything, with what can only be described as a comical race, involving falling over on the run and rolling around on the exit ramp from the swim. I had no idea that I was 1st to cross the line in my age group – I had qualified for be Worlds 2014 and Euros 2015. Unbelievable, bring it on I thought!
I better get myself a bike……….!!!
Having been riding on poor old clunker, a bike which was too big, that you could hear me coming from a mile away with all the squeaks coming from him. It was time to invest; I didn’t have a clue on bikes still don’t now! So I put my trust into the guys at Boutique Cycles, and what an amazing job they did. When the day finally came to pick him up I was so excited, Carlos was and still is an incredible bike to ride. And following the advice given to me by Dave I was ready to go practice my new cycling position, I felt like I was flying!!
With only a short space of time between qualifying and racing in Edmonton I put everything into training. I added more structure and started to time myself during sessions. Changing my diet, making the 90min round trip to the lake, running across the fields and taking Carlos out whenever possible this had become my new lifestyle. One which I was enjoying more and more by the day, I felt like I was back to my old competitive self. My motivation and drive increased by the day, I wanted to be a fast as possible in Edmonton. I wanted to push myself and see what is possible in a couple of months.
So as you may have seen from my previous blogs Edmonton was an incredible experience. One which I was lucky enough to get to share with some amazing likeminded people all of whom achieved great things during that weekend. Travelling out there I would dream of getting a medal but never thought I would be able to achieve it after being in the sport for 5months. So returning with the Silver medal was unbelievable and has driven me forward…….. next year I will be the one in the centre of the podium, I will drive myself to be the best that I can possibly be. With what will be a full years training behind me, I know I can become the World Champion.
So what did I learn this year…………. More that I could ever list, and I know I will continue to learn. I’m sure I will make many more mistakes along the way but as long as I can learn from these I will become a better, stronger and rounded athlete.
My top 5 learning points:
1. Always make sure that I have applied body glide or Vaseline before racing and training, the chaff marks and neither pretty nor comfortable!
2. Nail taking feet out of shoes before trying it in the race, my poor north wave Tri shoes will never be the same again since bouncing along the road for at least 300m!
3. Kick your legs really hard in the last 100m of the swim; this is to get the blood back into them! And means your legs will stand up upon exiting the water!
4. Use elastic laces, but make sure they are done up before racing!
5. Give the bike a last check over before starting the race, just think what you could do when the brakes are not on nor the handlebar pointing to the ground!
Most memorable moments from 2014:
1. Edmonton – the whole experience, but especially being told in the age group village I had medalled and collecting my medal at the closing ceremony. No words could describe the sense of achievement and excitement I felt that weekend. Getting share the experience with some amazing triathletes all of whom I’ve learnt so much from and I’m sure will continue to learn from in the future.
2. Crossing the finish line at my first ever triathlon Try Tri Abingdon – I had completed the race! The Easter egg was great too!!
3. Running into an empty transition for T2 at my first standard distance race – I was winning??!!!
4. Nailing T1 at big cow, getting my feet in the shoes while they were already on the bike!
5. Overtaking a male age grouper on the bike at the Thames Turbo Sprint Tri – only my 2nd triathlon. I didn’t know they were an Age Grouper at the time, so was telling everyone I had beaten a man with his name on his bum!!!
Moving forward I am now looking to the future and training hard. My goals………….well I am pushing myself to become the 2015 Age World, Euro and British Champion.
To help me achieve this I am currently looking sponsors and support for the 2015 season. I am completely self-funded at the moment and am looking for funds to help with training, technique courses, kit, equipment, race fees and travel. I have set up a Go Fund Me page (www.gofundme.com/stephmottramtri) to help with this which can be found on the right hand side of my blog, where I can also be contacted. I am able to promote companies through my blog, social media and on my kit. Any support will help enable me to complete the training I need as well as travel to and compete events. This in turn will allow me to develop as an athlete and achieve my goals for 2015.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me this year and moving into 2015, there are too many names to mention but you are all amazing - keep pushing those limits ..................
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