World Triathlon Championships Chicago Pre event blog

The week before I leave for a journey like this, is always a nightmare since at 76, I am still working in our family antiques import/export business up until the last moment. Although I gave up doing the heavy lifting involved in packing containers full of furniture, decorative things and small items a few years ago,  I am the main stay of the office; I must finish all the manifests for the current work before we go. It does not end there since I will been attending to all business emails etc. whilst we are away in the USA, so there is not a lot of time left to sit around and get too nervous about the important event coming up next week. 

This is why all of my training is done at silly o'clock every day (yes, every day) after the alarm goes off at 5.20am. My husband Steve is also my coach and training mate and has been for the 26 years since we fell under the magic spell of a life in triathlon. I have lost count of the number of times that we have been on the GB team together going to World or European Triathlon Championships. Last year in Edmonton was the first time I had won my age group at the Standard distance since most of my previous first places were at middle, long, or 'Nice' distance. The best I had done in Standard were a couple of bronzes and a few silvers. The fact that there are roughly double the number of little old ladies in my 75-79 age group this year, I feel is totally my fault for winning last year in Edmonton on a freezing cold, wet day, and rubbing salt in the wound by finishing 54 minutes in front of the next woman. I am not kidding here, when I tell you that I have spies amongst my FB friends who have been noting my training, but of course the elite women cope with that as a daily matter of course and if I have set myself up to be chased down; that has to be a good thing doesn't it? Motivation is key. So America will be defending its honour on home ground in Chicago. All of my opposition are American and I fully understand that. I had been hoping that it would be as cold as Edmonton 2014, where there was a dump of snow just a day or two after the event. That was a big advantage to a Brit. This year the weather in Chicago has been very hot, so no thermal blankets needed there.  

Having seen the elite series race in Chicago last year on TV the whole race looked very inviting. However, we now know that a large part of the bike ride will be underground on the lower level of a triple level main road… along eight blocks in a tunnel to a u turn and back, on ramps, off ramps, laps, and not much chance of crowd support. Well ok that doesn't sound like it’s very scenic. What we all have to bear in mind is this; it is what it is and it’s the same for everybody. We are not there to look at the scenery; you can do that when you are not racing. Get your head on straight and knuckle down. The swim looks good and run looks like a spectacular city run and the finish will be hopefully noisy and welcome. And Over!  

Competing as part of the Great Britain Age Group Team is a real feel good thing to happen in anybody's life. How wonderful. How proud you can feel. What an honour. However, as a note to all the many first timers on the squad……. It’s an honour that you have earned. Enjoy. Another piece of advice to the newer team members is to always have another race on your calendar beyond your BIG race so that the end of the important event doesn't end up being the end. Always be looking at the future. 

Steve is doing the Aquathlon on the Wednesday.

I have the Sprint distance on Thursday.

We both race in the Standard on Saturday. 

Then we are on holiday and going to explore the Michigan Upper Peninsular for a week.

This is a strike off THE BUCKET LIST!

Steve and I are both life long cartophiles, if there is such a word, love maps, have hundreds.