Di wins Ironman Texas 70.3

Texas 70.3 for those that don’t know is an Ironman Triathlon totalling 70.3miles. It consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. I initially entered Ironman Texas with the idea to do an early season tri too see where I was and possibly look at qualifying for the World Championships in Canada, later in the year. Texas was an unusual choice for me, it was going to be testing in the fact it was fast and flat, normally, I’d go for hilly hard courses where this was a total out and out flat speed course.  Living in Derbyshire, opportunities for perfecting your TT position are not easy, everywhere is a hill. ! I arrived in Texas thinking  ‘OMG I’m never going to do that well, it’s so flat’. However I had a week to prepare, I did short rides, focusing on technique and positioning on the bike and actually felt pretty good.

I’m not sure how many of you know the Ironman protocol but the night before the race you rack your bikes in transition, it was a course that was suited for disc wheels, full TT bikes and Aero helmets and expensive tri accessories. Transition was like a ‘Bling Palace’ of top end TT equipment and bikes. 

So race morning arrived, I was very nervous, so i texted Phoebe for her general get a grip Di and go and kick some arse advice. No one can really explain the atmosphere of an Ironman event until you have been to one, it’s a 5am start and everyone is up putting their kit into transition, pumping up their tyres and generally busy being nervous.  The first part of the race is the swim, where 2000 people are stood there wearing wetsuits, everyone suddenly looks a pro, I was pretty nervous, but with good nerves. The race starts off according the your age group, I started at 7.45, the swim should be where i feel most confident (being a swimmer) but knowing I should be out of the water first always makes me even more nervous. The wait to the start seemed to take forever with 100 plus loud nervous Americans in my age group, I couldn’t wait just to get on with it. It was a deep water start which suits me best. I was first to react to the cannon and we were off. It wasn’t going to be an easy swim, it was super choppy and I had to overtake other age groups that had been set off in the earlier waves and caught up, to be honest it was a bit like the scene from the titanic, loads of weak swimmers laying on their backs for a rest or holding on the bouys, the swim course was super hard even for me and I was a swimmer, so I knew plenty of others would struggle, this obviously played to my advantage, I just ploughed on through the busy water, trying not to batter too many others on route. I came out the swim with no one in my age group around me, so a good start, the swim time was 28mins not all that impressive on paper but for the conditions a good solid start.  

Transition went well no problems and I was out on the bike course, firstly you have to get on at a certain point at the mount line, there was loads of bloody men messing around in the way so, I ran though them, did a top flying cyclocross style mount which I got loads of cheering for and some good MuleBar Girl - Sigma Sport attention. After 10miles on the bike course, the nerves had settled and I was nicely into my pace, the way out was easy, tail wind and fast. I use a power meter to make sure I didn’t over cook it, which was so easy to do on such a flat course. I went out hard but controlled, I knew every second counted, conditions on the bike were not great, foggy and rainy but warm, to be honest the fog and rain was just normal to me, but I don’t think the Americans were quite as used to it as me. I rode well but within myself to the turn around point, from there it was a head wind all the way back to transition, when I reached 15mile to go, a girl overtook me, she was in my age, there was no way I was going let her take over me, in my own head I wanted to be first going into the run, for 2 reasons firstly my running is my weakest discipline and secondly I knew I had a whole team of MuleBar Girls at at the airport in Spain tracking me, I had to be back off the bike first. Previously I have never really had a team that have supported me at triathlon and it was amazing how powerful it was, all I could think of was being back first for them. So as the girl over took me it was game on, we battled it out all the way back, putting attacks in and overtakes, overtaking in triathlon can be quite tactical, drafting rules mean you have to stay 3m apart and only 30sec to do the overtake, I just keep making her work, I knew I had at least 20watt to play around with too, as I’d paced the way out. I still felt fresh. I let her get a way at one point where i took on nutrition, then put an effort into re catch her. I knew fuelling for the run was essential. I crossed the dismount line for the bike slightly in front of her and with a fast transition I was out onto the run course in first position.

The run course was compact it was 3 laps with lots of turnaround points where we could see each other, she quickly over took me, for me this was no surprise as I’m not the fastest runner, rather strong and consistent, so I had to think purely of myself now, I had to run at my pace and let her go, she put at least 40sec into me on the 1^st lap but to my surprise I could still see her, so I decided I must keep her in view. On the second lap she wasn’t getting away and I was actually gaining on her, I monitored my mile times and keep them consistent, I managed to get within 15sec of her, so the question was where do I want to go or if? I didn’t want to leave it to the last minute but if I was going for the over take I needed to make it count. So on the 3^rd / final lap, I quietly mixed in with the sea of runners she was in, I don’t think she really saw me then at a turn round point I went for it, gained some distances and didn’t look back. This effort did cost me a little as at 11miles it really started to hurt. However there was no way she was going to catch me without a really big effort from her. She didn’t respond and all I had to do was get to the end, I went under the finish line in 4 hours 35. I was first in my age groupers and 20th overall female and 161 overall (including the men and pro athletes) not too bad at all out of 2000 athletes.

This race taught me not to be scared to put yourself in races that you don’t feel are to your strengths, working at your weaknesses are what pays off. I was really happy with my overall performance it was my best run off the bike in a long time. I used my power meter throughout the bike section working around my threshold power and holding what I knew I could hold. When the other girl caught me I knew she would have had to have worked hard so then I went on the attack and made her suffer.

I qualified for the World Championships in Mont Treblonc Canada, however I declined to accept the opportunity because I have other events planned and I can’t  get the time off work and its in the middle of Cyclocross season so decided I’d prefer to represent the team at cyclo-cross and do some more triathlon over the summer within the UK. 

I’m not going to rant about Ironman here because they do provide fantastic events and opportunities but it is very expensive, it’s a rich man sport. I have the backing from an amazing team and sponsors. I have so many people to thank. 

The support from the girls even from a distance, was special, the sponsors we have and the amazing products I have the luxury to use. Thanks, MuleBar, Sigma Sport, Oakley, Lazer, Wildoo, BlueSeventy and Purple Harry. 

Also best thanks to my partner and coach Gary McCaffery, anyone out there needing a triathlon coach all I can say is my results speak for themselves visit www.resultsfitnessandswimming.co.uk for more information.

Right time to get some MTB’ing now with Phoebe, bring on the summer :)

Di xxx

How to get down to Race Weight and other Training Advice From the Spanish Mountains

This year is the first year that I can remember that I have had time to plan a full race calendar and try and get some results with focus and goals. I am not sure what my goals are yet as I am not sure where I stand, but I guess they are somewhere along the lines of win some shit, turn up on time with the correct equipment and have some adventures along the way.

My awesome team, MuleBarGirls-SigmaSport are being super supportive of my discipline-of-most-focus, Gravity Enduro, and sent me out to Spain to train for a few days. I flew in with the roadie girls and at the airport we went our separate ways, to rejoin at the weekend.

So there I was, on my own in Gibraltar needing to get to Malaga (yes, I know, wrong airport) and my 27.4KG bike bag and the girlfriend of the guy who runs Roost DH willing to look after me. So Big Up to Sophie, the wild blonde chick who managed to make a trip through "The Boarder" to the bus station feel like a terribly exciting adventure. I resigned to Paddington Bear status as Sophie hailed taxis, bought my ticket and loaded me onto the bus, making sure that the bus driver knew where I was getting off (I didn't) and that Mal would be there at the other side to meet me.

Mal had kindly saved me a late night plate of food, but I was struggling to eat it, a few hours later once I was in bed I realised why. The potato salad I had had in Gib must have poisoned me and I spent the night with my head down the toilet heaving, spewing, snotting, crying, sweating and trembling...gutted that my week had started out like this!! At 4am I passed out just praying that I could ride the next day.

At 7.30am I crawled down to breakfast to say hi to my new friends for the week and to see if I could fuel up for the day ahead. I couldn't eat, but I quickly realised that I had got super lucky with my fellow riders; the Swedish world cup lads, Paul who owns his own BMX shop (cool, huh!) The Staff and Awesome Chick # 2, Seraina, my sistafromanothamista.

I promptly fell asleep in the van on the way to the first trail in the mountains despite the Heavy Metal pouding the insides of the van. When we arrived I wasn't sure what to expect. Everyone else was on DH rigs, whereas I was on my Cannondale Jekyll trail bike. I needn't have worried, the trail was mellow and we had a chilled out ride down it together as a group, stopping to look at tricky sections and to make sure no-one was hitting anything blind. I loved the trail which started pedally, a few berms into a line of hip jumps, a little valley with some "badadadum" rock gardens (the flow of which is apparently the Rhythm of Seraina's life, and a damn good Rhythm to live to IMO) and then a final, fast pedal to the bottom. It was a beautiful 5 minute run at the bottom of which the van would be waiting, music blaring, to take us straight back up.

Sadly, I felt too rough to do more than a few runs of this lovely trail and pulled out early to go back to sleep in the van. Back at Villa Roost I bailed on the Jacuzzi, pool, TV, beers and impromtu dirt jump trip, ignoring all my Fear-Of-Missing-Out impulses and went to bed, knowing that if I rested and got better it would all be there again tomorrow.

The next couple of days were dictated by the weather as it started raining. This was a complete shock to me and something I had not prepared for. My suitcase full of bikini's and hot pants just weren't gonna cut it, so Mal lent me a rain coat. It was this sort of nothing is a bother, totally chilled helpfulness that made Roost such a lovely place to stay. Especially for someone as scatty as me!!

We rode a mix of trails and I hearted the feeling of improving with each repeat run, when your tentativity and precaution gives way to the feeling of flow and playfulness. The scenery was stunning and the mountains were still pretty lush (thanks to the way in which the bark tranfers the water to it's leaves...thanks Tree Geek Andy!) and everyday I did something that scared me being guided through by the super patient and enthusiastic staff.

For me, I only got 4 days of riding in due to logistics, 4 brilliant days (hampered only perhaps by the fact I forgot to turn my shock onto "descend" mode until the last day!) and felt like with a couple more days then my riding, my rhythm, my Badadadum, would have been truly zoned-in. The season is close and thanks to this trip I feel like in a couple of weeks I will be ready to go get stuck in and give it my best.

Of course, it all ended with a party.


With my food poisoning only a faint reminder I was READY to get on it! The night began with Seraina walking into a lamppost and it ended, as all party nights should, with dancing on the tables.

It was now time to head over to see the rest of the Team who had been training hard over near Cadiz. 6 1/2 hours of buses through Spain, which was actually more enjoyable than it sounds and I found them at night making friendship bracelets with a Spanish family on a patio at the end of a dirt track. They all looked pretty tanned and pretty weary so it was clear they had been spending long hours in he saddle. Luckily I joined them on rest day and we did a gentle pedal down to the beach for coffee, ice-cream and a bit of sun-burning. The girls have clearly really bonded and it makes me think that on top of the serious training, the genuine friendship is gonna make them a formidable force on the road this summer!

I am gonna end this blog with some heartfelt thank you's.

Thank you Team MuleBar Girl - SigmaSport for supporting this awesome trip!

Thank you Cannondale for the best bike in the world, I love it like a friend.

Thank you Roost DH for literally offering the best service imaginable, I'm gonna tell everyone how much I salute you!

Thank you Steve from Cycling Espnana for the transfers and helping me join the team for a lil while.

And finally, Thank you Gibraltan potato salad....for getting me down to race weight in 48 hours.

Day 2 at Cycling Espania near Jerez

After waking up late for breakfast (we blamed the time difference) we were presented with yet another fabulous array of food from our hosts at Cycling Espania. Although we sat out it was chilly and the clouds looked a bit ominous. With a 4-5hr day ahead of us we were just hoping the rain held off but true to this part of the world the clouds blew away and the sun was shining in no time.

Very quickly we realised the wind in this region of Spain was going to make training tough and after 2.5hrs pushing into a head wind with a couple of climbs we welcomed the lunch stop. The local lunch speciality seems to be a Spanish omelet sandwich which, I believe, is about as perfect as you can get for a mid-ride meal :-)

The route home was a fast descent followed by around 15miles of flat fast road with a tailwind! Perfect to get out legs moving again. Natalie and Lou headed off to do an extra hour accidentally taking the key to our villa which left Phoebe, Emily and I no choice but to spin down to the beach for chocolate 'recovery' milkshakes and a spot of kite surfer watching in the sun... How traumatic

After spending some time in the pool (ice bath) our awesome host Steve and his lovely girlfriend Layla brought over some home made prawn crackers, spring rolls and Bombay mix which went down beautifully with the delicious chilli expertly made by Lou... Now, to bed!

Introducing Abbie Dentus...

We are super excited to welcome the talented Abbie Dentus as a guest rider to the team for the year. Abbie successfully secured herself a spot on the Olympic Development Programme at the end of 2013 and will be racing with us during the Women's Team Series this year.  Here she writes about her first race with the team...

On Saturday 22nd March I raced my first womens team series event, at hog hill. I got given a great opportunity by team MuleBar - Sigma Spor to guest for them for the women's team series. I was really nervous as this was my first big race as a 2nd cat junior as I wasn't sure how I would do, turns out I really enjoyed the racing and even the hill!

As I am not so good with downhill sections and corners I tried to make up places in the bunch on the hills so that when I slowed down for the corners I would still be in the bunch, otherwise I knew if I was at the back going into the corners I would have a lot of work to do to try and get back up to the front again.

Photo: Dawn Fry

I felt pretty good during the race and attacked a couple of times, however our attacks got brought back again, the first attack that was made was to try and get myself and a couple of riders to bridge across to my teammate up the road to try and help her out as much as possible, however the bunch pulled all of us back in the end.

With 5 laps to go I made sure I was positioning myself near the front and on some good wheels so that I didn't need to panic about getting stuck near the back,y teammates Louise, natalie, Emily and Adel helped me throughout the race and getting me to the front of the bunch. Last lap and I was still feeling pretty good, I was starting to get really nervous now as I wanted to keep my position near the front 3rd-4th wheel so that I wouldn't have to try and make up places on the hill. As it came to the hill the pace started to build up and then that's when the sprint started to happen, still at the front I stayed behind the wheel I was on and starting sprinting up the hill, I could feel my legs really starting to hurt but knew I was nearly at the top and didn't want to lose out on places  now, as we got to the part of the hill where it kicks up again I gave everything I had left for the sprint and got 6th, which I was so pleased with!!

Riding with MuleBar - Sigma Sport helped me get this result as they would always be looking out for me in the bunch and helping me out! They all rode fantasticly and I really appreciate the work they did to help me in the race!

Abbie xxx

Training for Texas

After the cross season, I took a bit of down time before starting my triathlon training. It didn’t really go to plan as I suffered a knee injury, I don’t really know how I did it, but i struggled to run and ride for a few weeks, however on the upside I kept my swimming up maintaining a decent fitness level. My knee has almost recovered and I have been putting in some endurance base work on my new team road bike.

The Cannondale Evo is super smooth and an excellent piece of kit I would highly recommend to any cyclist or triathlete out there.  My first tri race is Ironman 70.3 Texas, it’s a really flat windy course on the coast of Galveston. I normally opt for hilly triathlon, but thought Texas will be a great place to practice some of my weakness, I hope the distance on the flat will help increase my power and TT skills. Running training is ticking over nicely now and am looking forward to doing some open water swimming out in Texas.

Once I’m back me and Phoebe are helping out with some women’s specific coaching sessions for road and circuit racing, it will be great to get involved in increasing participation and hopefully encourage some more events for ladies around the Derbyshire area. I also did a Breeze Leadership the other weekend, so it will be great to get some rides organised to increase participation at grass roots level.

Di xxx

Introducing New MuleBar Girl... Emily Barnes

After having a fantastic time guesting for the MuleBar Girls last year, I am on the team for 2014 and really looking to the season ahead - it is sure to be an exciting one! 

On Saturday both Lou and I lined up to race the women's race at Cyclopark. A strong 20+ women field were there and the wind was going to make sure it would be a tough race. Lou got away in an early break which did a great job of building a strong lead and I finished in the main bunch. 

Photo: Dawn Fry

Next up we have a race in Belgium... 

Natalie, Louise, Clem, Adel and I will be making our way over there with Daddy Barnes as driver and swanny. I'm not sure how my legs will cope, but hopefully I'll be able to hang on. I'm really looking forward to my first big race on my new Cannondale. Sigma Sport and Cannondale have kindly supported the team with a Cannondale Supersix Evo Red road bike each. They look awesome and ride so well, hopefully we can do them justice and kick off the season well. 

When we get home from Belgium, we have a couple of weekends of the Women's Team Series, at Hog Hill and the Dave Peck Memorial Road Race in Twickenham... Then we are off to the 2014 MBG TRAINING CAMP!!! 😃 I am really looking forward to a week in sunny Spain ☀️ with my awesome teamies, riding up hills (I might regret saying that), training and chilling. We will be staying with Cycling Espana in Jerez, where we have access to road, track and MTB training, to facilitate the whole team. A week of getting some good, sunny miles and laughter in before it's back to the UK for more racing!

A quick summary of planned racing for the team up until the Road Champs is...
12th April - Tour of Reservoir
19/20th April - Nigel Measom 2-day
27th April - Cheshire Classic 
3/4/5th May - Bedford 3-day
13th May - Tour Series (Stoke-on-Trent)
18th May - CiCLE Classic
20th May - Tour Series (Peterborough)
24th May - The Milk Race
29th May - Tour Series (Edinburgh)
1st June - Hillingdon GP
3rd June - Tour Series (Redditch)
7th June - London Nocturne 
10th June - Tour Series (Woking)
22nd June - Curlew Cup
26-29th June - National Road Race Championships

Thank you to all the sponsors and people that support us. With all of the girls in full time jobs or education, it would be difficult to manage without such dedicated support. We are as motivated as ever and can't wait to get pedalling... 

Emily xxx

A week in the sun ...

After 3 cancelled holiday's in 2013 and two separated shoulders, I finally made it away with my bike for a week in Fuerteventura - boom!

My training partner for the week was Rebecca, having both been completely off the bike Dec/Jan due to injury and illness we were eager to head to the sunshine and clock up some well deserved winter miles.

I was blown away by how beautiful and dramatic the landscape is in Fuerteventura. The weather was between 20 -24 degrees, making it a perfect destination for a winter training camp. We stayed in Costa Calma, which is in the South of the island, although Fuerteventura does not have the large network of roads like Majorca, as soon as we escaped off of the main road airport road we found ourself pedaling up into the mountains with hardly a car in sight.

Goal for the week - to ride! No set mileage, no set distance to just ride and to try and stay away from the bar!

As the road network is fairly limited our routes out and back were the same each day, and we would just vary the middle section. You do not have the luxury of cafes in every town, so we had to plan our routes through larger towns to ensure we had somewhere to stop for lunch.

The first section of our route each day took us from the East to the West of the island where we had to battle the evil Fuerteventua headwind. We were warned by the locals that this section was a battle of the mind as much as the legs and they certainly were right. I don't think we uttered a word to each other in these first few miles as we battled the wind and our own gremlins - at one point after looking down at my speedo I think I cried when I realised we were going 14km/hr. We both reached some pretty dark places and wondered why we hadn't opted to head to the beack and drink mojitos.

After reaching Pared our route then turned North and headed up into the mountains, although still battling a bit of a headwind the amazing scenery helped lift our spirits.  The climbs in the region - although not as longs as you would find in the Alps - were tasty and often enough for it always to be a hard day in the saddle. There were plenty of other cyclist climbing in the mountains and keen to race up the hills, one day we were even joined by an elderly man from Luxembourg who apparently used to coach the Schleck brothers as juniors.

Our ride home every day was aided by a super strong tail wind which literally took us over the climbs enabling us to pick up the pace and get the legs spinning and leaving us grinning from ear to ear.

We achieved our goal and only got drunk once - impressive I know! The riding was certainly a lot tougher than I expected, but it was amazing and I will definitely head back to Fuerteventura next winter as there is so much more of the island I would like to explore.

xxx