Video of the finish!

Just got this from Anna's brother in law, really cool! I dropped the flag and had to go back for it...

Job Done!!

What an amazing experience today has been. Thousands of triathletes from all over the world competing against each other in the centre of Auckland and I was one of them. When i decided to try to qualify for the GB team back in August last year I thought it would be a good challenge but one I was not sure I could achieve. The journey to get here has always been fun but has also been hard work and at times frustrating but today has made all that more than worthwhile.

I got a bit lost on the swim as the tide was running fast and the waves were too big to see the buoys, all quite fun and added to the adventure. The bike was good, hills one way and headwind the other, lovely though all around the coast up to Mission Bay x 2. The run was lovely and one I do often when I am here, all the way along the waterfront with big crowds shouting 'Go GB' all the way. Fantastic....and then they give you a medal...

One of the nicest things about doing this has been the support I have had from everyone. Thanks to my sponsors Bluefin Insurance and to Dorrington for all your interest and support. Thanks also to friends and family who have been encouraging and motivating by just askng me how its going. In particular thanks to the Birdies who have been a constant source of motivation and sat up into the early hours last night watching the race on the net.

Thanks most to Anna, without whom I could not have done this. She provided the inspiration, encouragement, understanding and support that has been invaluable.

 

 

Thanks also to Annas family who all came to watch today and are now more tired than I am!







 

 

 

Dad, this was for you x.



One sleep to go!

Well its  just a few hours to go now and I am looking forward to it. Pouring with rain, thunder and lightning and wind have been prevalent today so probably the same for tomorrow. We watched some of the mens race on tv but missed the end as GB had to rack our bikes between 3-4pm this afternoon straight after the mens elite race. We were all standing in line as they played the national anthem for Johnnie Brownlee though.

I have all my transition bag packed and my numbers on everything. Ann, I have the book in my bag, all wrapped up safely.

All numbered up and ready to go!

Thanks so much for all your good luck texts and emails, I will let you know how it goes...........

Womens Elite Race

Feeling a bit more positive today as the wind has dropped and the sun has come out. If it stays like this it will be almost fun! Went for a trot round the run course this morning which is fab, nice and flat for me after the hilly bike.

Auckland put on a fabulous city centre race for the Elite women today.. Fabulous atmosphere and exciting racing up and down the steep hills in the middle of the city. The elite races are two laps of a 750m swim so they jump out and dive back in again after the first lap, like this...

 

 

Then it was 8 laps of the bike course and 4 laps of the run course, all coming through transition in front of the grandstand which made for a great atmosphere. This is the girls coming through on the bike with Jodie Simpson and Andrea Hewitt still in the pack.

 

 

This is how it feels to be the new Triathlon World Champion!

 

 

And this is how you celebrate!

 

 





Team Briefing

Busy day with a trial swim of the course at lunchtime and team briefing and photos this evening.

The swim was ok but I felt a bit spooked about something although not sure what it was. The swim in a dock with really high walls and a container ship on the other side and then out into the ocean and back, think I might be scared of the high walls as I cannot think what else it would be. Something to work out for Monday.

Team briefing was good, very motivating and good to meet all the rest of the team and the girls in my category. These are the RG active girls and the others in my category. Rachael, thats Julie Tapley on the right, she is actually really friendly!

There is still some concern over the weather but hoping it will settle down for Monday. There are a couple of hairy bends on the bike course so the person who wins will probably be the one who takes the risks.

This is the team photo of the guys and girls in my age group on the standard distance.

 

Opening Ceremony

Just got back from the Opening Ceremony which was really fun. Must have been about 5,000 triathletes there from every nation you could think of. Big teams from GB, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

We all gathered over at the events centre and walked in teams behind our national flags though the waterfront of Auckland, all lead by a group of  Maori's from the local tribe. Really good atmosphere and lots of people watching the parade of nations.

Met lots of people today, loads from GB, US and Canada.

 

At the end of the parade we filled up the Cloud with so many colourful tracksuits, it could have been Uxbridge on a Saturday afternoon! We watched the Maori tribe do some dancing listened to some good speeches and then the whole Noozie team did a Haka. All 5,000 of us then joined 2 queues to get some pasta.



Great experience and so many people with different stories of how they got here and what they want to achieve...Lots of them, like me just want to get to the start line and then get to the finish line with no dramas.

The Aquathon!!

We came back from Waiheke at lunchtime and could see people warming up around 'The Cloud', the big white cloud like building which is the home to the Triathlon. As usual I had the time wrong and the Aquathon started at 2pm and not 4pm... This is 'The Cloud' is at the back with the swim area for all events to the left and Sky Tower at the back..

All very exciting with everyone in the National Team kit...apart from me as I didn't have time to get home to change. Anyway racing soon got underway, 1000m swim and a 5km run through the water front area, the same course as the triathlon. This is the first swim wave, you can see them all splashing. By all accounts the swim is fine until you reach the end of the dock and have no protection and then its pretty rough.

Some good racing through the streets with really good support for everyone. Loads of GB athletes and supporters.

Met up with the guys from RG Active who were all on good form. If only I had my kit on too!!! Meeting up with them for a bike ride around the course again tomorrow. Generally there was a lot of concern that the wind will be too much for the tri bikes and also the forecast is rain which makes the downhills and corners pretty tricky.