The best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves

I'm writing about what April's been up to again. She has just taken part in her first ever swimming gala. She has been swimming with the E group of the swim training scheme since January and only hasn't done a gala before because we were away when the last one took place. She was chosen to swim backstroke and front crawl, her breaststroke still has a few issues, although it is getting better.

This was another new race for me, but one that I was expecting to enjoy as it is run by a group whose races I have enjoyed in the past. This race is another one organised by Freebird Events. I went just hoping to enjoy the race, clearly after what I was saying about last weekend, I hadn't done enough training (seems like the story of my life at the moment), so I just wanted to get out there and enjoy racing.

I was really looking forward to taking part in this race. My training had been going pretty well, I'd been doing quite a lot of running with a view to the Half Marathon in a few weeks time and I actually felt relatively well prepared. Mind you, I was still feeling nervous, especially as it's a race that I hadn't done before. My day prior to the race probably wasn't ideal pre-race stuff, I was out all day long shopping with my Mum and my sister - but hey! It was fun.

Cycling

In the Pool

Transition

This race seemed like a good way to round off the season, with races for children as well as for adults.  April was feeling brave enough to venture into another race involving swimming and I fancied something short and sweet to complete my year's multisport activity.  This race took place at a school in Loughborough, fine for us as we have family there.  We were able to go down the day before and be handily on the doorstep in the morning.  There was no rushing to get there as it took less than ten minutes from Daniel's Mum's house - great.

My Mum had been telling me for a couple of years now that this race existed, right on their doorstep, and I'd been thinking I'd like to give it a go.  It turns out that I did so just in time as this year saw the last running of the Balerno Ladies Triathlon.  I have to say it's a shame too, the race was great - small but perfectly formed as they say.  The race was set up for a maximum of 64 ladies to take part, 62 doing so on the day.  I really enjoyed the race, was very impressed with the organisation that would put some bigger events to shame and would have been keen to

This was probably my last trip to Stratford for this race in the forseeable future.  Not because of the race itself, which I really enjoy doing, but because of it's distance from home.  We're trying to find races rather nearer here for next year, trying to cut down on the fuel and accommodation bills that go with racing.  It can become a very expensive business, especially with prices rising as they are doing at the moment.  And what a trip it was!  We made a bit of a thing of it this time and stayed down near Stratford, after all, we've generally just blasted in an

This year saw my seventh running of the Derby Triathlon, a run that I'd like to keep up.  I enjoy this race and certainly wouldn't want to miss it.  I can't quite believe that I've been doing triathlon long enough to have done anything seven times, but it would seem that I have.  This is always a good race, a beginner friendly one which is probably why it was the first race that I ever really enjoyed.  The first time I raced there was my make or break for triathlon, was I going to keep doing it or was I going to decide that it really wasn't for me after all.  All th

Waiting for the Start

Running Out

The Bike

Today saw April take on her second triathlon.  She was somewhat nervous going into it, so was I on her behalf - it's almost worse than doing it yourself!  She hasn't had much time for training as we seem to have been very busy and then her bike spent most of the last week at the repair shop after she fell off it on Monday and managed to snap the brake lever off it - not good (she didn't half cry!).  Anyway, this was a good race for us in many ways as it was local and organised by people that April knows, a lot of the kids that she knows from the tri club were taking part alth

Back to Transition

Run out with the Bike

Run to Transition

This was my fourth running of this race and it proved to me again why it it that I keep going back.  I know I must sound like a fun2tri advert at times, but they really do know what they are doing and it makes all the difference.  This race has the potential to be quite confusing with split transition areas and the need to collect your stuff in it's numbered bag at the end (which I did without any trouble at all), also with the swimming through the pool.  The reality is that it all goes very smoothly because they know exactly what they're doing.  Having said all that, we

Outdoor Pool

The Run

Outdoor Pool

I'm not really sure where to start with this one.  What a brilliant race!  It was great in lots of ways.  I like this race anyway because I've done it a few times before, I know what to expect and it's always really well organised and enjoyable to complete.  I do like to go back to a race and to try and better my previous times.  I was also happy this time because my full cheering committee were with me and it gave me such a boost towards the end of the race tosee the three of them there and hear them shouting encouraging things to me.  The weather was beautifu