It feels like I was just here but just under one year later,
back to Banyoles for my third World Cup of 2012. Everyone waiting for the
anticipated 8 blocks of chocolate and beer in our race pack but too many
people’s disappointment it did not arrive. In the days leading up, I was
confident in the training as the weeks leading up after Madrid had been going
strong, focussing on key aspects that I knew I needed to work on. Basically looking into the present and
understanding how this will impact my races into the future.
Lining up for race start in a low number was a bit of a shock with
somewhat of the best 4 girls in the world infront of me. On the pontoon
everyone went far left, so it was just one position after another filling up.
With the heart beat music playing and without any on your marks and still a
metre back from the front of the pontoon, the horn went off. Everyone just
takes a little look at each other- are we meant to go? I didn’t have the best
start getting caught up in the usual bashing about rather than swimming. I
never really found any rhythm within my first lap, more just trying to move my
way around people. If anything, it would be to try and get some power to
improve my front 50’s and 200m pace. Sometimes I feel like one pace Natalie, Diving
back into the second lap, I was able to get some free space and move around
people being out of the front of our main pack of girls seeing a few bodies
ahead of me. Coming out of the water in 6th, I already had a brief
idea of who was up the road.
We quickly caught onto the back of Erin and Andrea. The 6 laps began
with the attempt to catch the girls up the road. The bike was a lot faster than
I remember from last year as the quality of field is much higher. I had to find
good wheels as I found out from the earlier laps that being behind a bad wheel
behind a corner meant more accelerations than I needed. I know I wasn’t
dominant enough on the ride to keep good position and this cost me. I was
caught in awkward positions or boxed in the middle and couldn’t get my way out.
Coming onto the last lap where anyone gets antsy, I was stuck in the middle of
the bunch with the lead girls having about 15 seconds on me. I was in the worst
position possible as when I racked my bike, girls were already running out.
Consequently losing that good 20 seconds, already meant I was 20
seconds behind where I should be. I should be with the group up the road. It is
much easier to push or not let the elastic band snap within your self when you
have alittle help around you from others. A 3 lap run, I was comfortable on the
first lap, feeling like I had good rhythm and form moving my way through the
field. It was getting warm outside so water was a necessary for cooling and hydration.
The second lap just felt flat, like I was going more upwards than forwards and
I was not gaining any time on the small pack of girls infront. I was telling
myself, keep tall, keep strong, don’t lose form. The third lap I did feel
better but it is all too late as I just gave the race to other girls infront of
me as soon as I came into T2. On a positive, the basic strength work that we do
for our glutes and flexibility feel like they have been working but I know it’s
just not there yet and I can’t expect a few weeks to change it with a click of
the fingers. I did have my best World Cup finish so far, finishing in 12th
place.
I have lots to think about after this race especially in big
running weeks, taking the easy, easy and making the quality, quality. Onwards
from here….
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