Helle Frederiksen - Professional Triathlete

Winter update

2011-12-16T17:09:00.005+01:00

So it has been some time since my last blog entry. I am very happy to write that I have settled in well on my winter home of Club La Santa, Lanzarote. As many of you would have seen through my Facebook page, the weather here is great. It allows me to train unhindered and also outdoors. This for many in central/northern Europe is tough at this time of year.

(Despite a big physical demand, mentally I am relaxed and excited when looking forward)

I am currently coming to the end of a solid block of training and look forward to a slightly easier period over Christmas. Fortunately for me Club La Santa is the perfect get away for elite athletes at this time of year, which has meant I have been far from alone when out training. Helen Jenkins, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Jodie Stimpson, Kerry Lang, Vicky Holland, Timo Bracht, Daniel Unger, Stephan Vuckovic, Mario Mola, Felicity Abraham are just a few of the elite triathletes who have been based at Club La Santa.

(The consistent warmth of Lanzarote makes Club La Santa a perfect winter base)

Work under new coach Joel Filliol is great. Joel has an amazing way of communicating and connecting with his athletes and despite us being approx. 5000 km apart at this time of year the relationship and work could not be better. It now looks likely that I will remain based on Club La Santa until the end of February. I then plan to head down to the Sunshine Coast of Australia where I will meet up with Joel and the rest of the squad to prepare for my season start in Mooloolaba ITU World Cup.

Keep training hard and enjoy your Christmas.

Thanks for your continued support. Regular updates via Facebook and Twitter.

New season, New start, New approaches

2011-10-30T09:29:00.003+01:00

"A person/human being eminently skilled in something, as an occupation, art, or science is often referred to as a master." A strong word? Yes. A fitting word? Undoubtedly.

I have recently made the decision to leave my long standing coach Michael Krüger. The decision has been an extremely long and thought out process. Michael Krüger I regard as a master at his occupation. Without Michael's expertise and guidance I question whether I would be calling myself a professional triathlete today. In 2006 I raced my first World Cup in Hamburg, Germany and placed 57th overall. In 2009 I was one step away from the top of the podium in Huatulco, Mexico. In between all this has been ITU European Cup victories, ITU World Cup top 5 finishes, National Championship titles all of which I give all credit to Michael. These results would not have been possible without his guidance and work over the past 6 years.

Despite all of the above I believe I have yet to show my true potential. Which is the main reason for taking the next big step in my professional triathlon career. In order for an individual athlete to be successful they sometimes need to step out of what is comfortable and convenient by making decisions and taking chances that they do not know the outcome of. This reduces the element of 'what if?' from the thought process. Undoubtedly I have had my best years, until now, under Michael and as Kara Goucher, perfectly sums up here, change is hard. However I am fully confident that in my case, change is good.

'From one master to another' I am extremely excited about my future development and progress under my new coach Joel Filliol. Joel, like Michael, is one of very few coaches who I regard as a 'master of occupation'. Just one look at Joel's resume is enough to fill any athlete with confidence. However there is more to a coach-athlete fit than just past history. What works for others does not necessarily work for you. Any new coach-athlete formation takes time, many email, Skype calls all of which is a way a gaining understanding of ones work. After ending my first Skype call with Joel I got this instant reassurance that my belief in the work I needed to do, to go forward was supported. Having now been officially working under Joel for a mere two weeks my mind set and belief is already refreshed.

Michael is the Danish National Coach so despite not coaching me on a personal day to day basis he will always have a role to play in my work. More to the point I will always want him to have a role in my work. There is no way after 6 years, a relationship which has ridden an extremely bumpy rollercoaster will just end. Michael has not only been my coach but is a great leader of Triathlon Denmark, a super good (fast...too fast) training partner and most of all a personal friend.

Looking to the future I am now extremely focused on getting to work with Joel. Excited and Driven. I am hungry for a solid winter, based down in the sunshine at Club La Santa, Lanzarote. Denmark's winter is getting ever closer.

A massive thanks for your continued support and following. Regular updates via www.hellefrederiksen.com, Facebook, Twitter.

Europe's Biggest Playground...

2011-09-30T21:48:00.010+02:00

So as you may have already read I recently announced Club La Santa, Europe's leading sports resort, as my new sponsors for 2011/2012 beyond. So what does this mean? Of course I am not going to go into the specifics, as is the case with any sponsorship agreement, but I am happy to tell you a little more about Club La Santa as a resort and how we plan to collaborate.

Firstly Club La Santa is Europes leading sports resort situated on the island of Lanzarote. Lanzarote is one of many Spanish Canary Islands which lie in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100km off the coast of Morocco. Due to its location it experiences good weather all year round, of course you can get the odd one or two weeks that is wet and windy but temperatures very rarely drop below 15 degrees during its cold periods. However the wind is ever present.

(8 lane outdoor pool is perfect in the mid day heat)

For many, myself included, Club La Santa is regarded as a triathletes playground. It has everything a triathlete needs 8 lane 50m pool, 6 lane running track, fitness centre, massage therapists, physio therapists, bike centre for hire and repair of bikes, open water swimming facilites, weekly running, triathlon and duathlon events plus more all of which is contained within the resort. Step outside the resort and the cycle routes are some of the best, tough but good. Good mountain climbs, good road surfaces and more importantly the traffic is cyclist friendly. Coastal trails allow for endless running with nothing but a few rocks seperating you from the Atlantic Ocean. All in all I can not not talk highly enough of Club La Santa.

(The infamous Tabayesco climb at the North of the island)

So why have I partnered with Club La Santa and what does it mean? With 2012 being my most important year to date for obvious reasons it made perfect sense to return to Lanzarote during the coming winter. Followers of my blog will be aware that I spent the winter leading into 2011 based on Lanzarote. I entered my 2011 race year extremely strong and conditioned. So why not repeat what has worked for me in the past? The partnership will see me situated on Club La Santa from November 2011 - March 2012. This not only allows me to escape the European winters but also have an opportunity to train with some of the best in the sport. Club La Santa is regular training ground for 2011 ITU World Champion Helen Jenkins and many of her British colleagues. Also the French National team make it their home for several weeks in the winter along with many of the Germans, Spanish triathletes. This making my training experience a lot more interactive.

(The sunsets viewable from CLS are spectacular)

While down on Club La Santa I will also be interacting with the guests of the resort. When it fits I will be inviting guests to join some of my non-specific sessions e.g. long rides, easy runs etc. Along with this we are looking into the possibility of putting my Human Nutrition degree into good use by offering nutritional lectures/services for clients but I can not confirm this at this point. This will allow me to give something back to the resort that is backing me so much on my journey to London 2012 Olympics.

(The cosy friendly environment of CLS makes it a great social attraction)

There are many ideas in the pipeline and I am extremely excited about this new partnership with Club La Santa. I look forward to seeing many of you over the winter and calling you my training buddies :) Should you be interested in visiting Club La Santa, Lanzarote for the first time and want inside information on local routes etc. Please feel free to contact me via my website www.hellefrederiksen.com.

Keep an eye out for HF Triathlon training camps being run on Club La Santa in the near future.

Club La Santa - www.clublasanta.com

Sushi, Rice and Fried Frogs...ASIA

2011-09-23T22:00:00.005+02:00

So after over 15 days away from home it is finally nice to be back in Denmark. I am a little bit late with this latest blog entry and it is simply because I have needed to get over the jet lag. Thankfully I can now say I have fully recovered from the travel and I am now able to reflect on my time in Asia.

Beijing?!?! Did Beijing even happen? Not a great experience all round but I do not want to sit here and make excuses for why I DNF’d. A number of factors resulted in my DNF but nothing worth writing about…

On to Yokohama, the following week. WOW I was happy to get out of China. Despite Japan being only a 3 hour flight it seems a million miles away from China. You can clearly see the difference in how the two countries are run. Of course politics plays a massive part in the social experience but there was not really a social experience in China, I suppose a reflection of the politics behind the country?! Anyway safely in Japan and my hunger to race and race solid was big, extremely big. With only 7 days in which to turn around my confidence and belief it meant a lot of communication with the people who believed in me the most. 48 hours before race start I had identified a clear race plan which enabled my focus for the race was where it should be. The method was a visual process of breaking the race into segments and focusing on all the key/critical points individually. This was a new method that I had not tried before and it worked to great effect.

Race morning and my focus was clear and pretty simple. Race my own race, stay out of trouble and realise the race is not over until you cross that finish line. Air temperature recorded at race start was a pleasant 28 degrees with water temperature measured at a similar 28.7 degrees. We were in for a hot swim. However 95% humidity meant this race was going to be HOT. Swim was solid, I exited at the turn around in 12th and then by the time we entered T2 I had positioned myself in 9th. Helen Jenkins (GBR) and Lucy Hall (GBR) had established a very respectable lead coming out of the water. On the 2nd lap of 8 we caught the leaders and formed a group of 24 eventually on lap 6 becoming a group of 40+. Now it was a case of staying out of trouble and hydrating. The temperatures towards the end of the bike had now reached 33 degrees and the added humidity made it almost unbearable. This run was certainly not going to be fast and I was focused on holding my own and finishing solid.

As predicted the run was not fast but I was able to run relatively solid finishing 21st position overall. It is certainly not a break through performance but from the result of only 8 days previous I was extremely happy with the turn around in belief.

Full Results

For now I am based in Denmark for a minimum 3 weeks where I will decide whether to take a season break, prepare for a small block of races Oct/Nov or the possibility of experimenting with altitude training/testing.

Once again thanks for all your continued support. I really enjoy interacting with you all via Facebook and Twitter so please keep it coming and keep promoting. I have a super cool new website launching in the next week or so which will allow you even more interaction with me personally J

Beijing WCS...or lack of.

2011-09-17T13:39:00.001+02:00

Hhhhhmmmmm Beijing…to be honest I have already forgotten about the race (or lack of) so not really so much I can fill you in on. I can say that I was extremely frustrated and annoyed to not fully get into the race. There were 1 or 2 factors that lead to my DNF but nothing worth talking about. No excuses. I am now fully focused on Yokohama. I am hungry and driven to prove a point, one thing is for sure I have some devils inside to let :)

I am currently now in Yokohama I arrived Thursday evening. I am regularly training with Lisa (Nordén) as I am the only member from Denmark at the race. It is nice to push some hard swims together and get out on the bike. Lisa is great company so it is nice not to be alone while travelling. Yokohama is a busy place and extremely hot and humid. Everyone is in the same race though so no disadvantage here. From now until Monday (race day) it is all about keeping the legs active and then making sure I am on that start line ready.

Thanks for all you support. Live coverage of the event can be seen via www.triathlonlive.tv

CycleFit.de Official Sponsorship

2011-08-24T09:36:00.004+02:00

I am very proud to announce a newly formed sponsorship with CycleFit.de. The sponsorship which will run until the end of 2012 will allow me access to CycleFit.de's exclusive fitting service along with MotionLogic Insoles.

Company founder Lloyd Thomas has created a very respectable reputation throughout the cycling and triathlon world. Firmly establishing CycleFit.de as the worlds leading cycle fit company. HTC Highroad, Commerzbank Triathlon Team plus many of the world's top individual cyclists and triathletes all use CycleFit.de and their services.

Cycle fit is vital for injury prevention and also maximizing your race performance. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced professional there is no doubt that CycleFit.de can optimize your race day performance. Unlike many other cycle fit companies, CycleFit.de have education of the highest degree no only in cycle fit but in human movement. This reassures me that the service they provide is of the highest standard.

I look forward to a successful partnership.

For more information on CycleFit.de and their services please click here

A step forward and a step on the podium

2011-08-24T08:22:00.007+02:00

This past weekend saw me racing in the beautiful town of Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. I had chosen to race this European Cup event as part of a consistent training block. All in preparation for Beijing and Yokohama WCS.

I made the short flight over from Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday morning. This allowed me plenty of time to relax and settle. I had raced and won Karlovy Vary European Cup in 2008 so I knew what I was in for. A very tough race over an extremely tough race course. Conditions on race day were perfect. Clear blue skies with temperatures reaching mid 20's.

As race start approached I was relaxed and confident. The 3 lap swim consisted of a tough uphill exit after every lap. I positioned myself well through the first lap and exited the water in 3rd position. Upon entering the water again it was clear that there was a break away of two athletes ahead of me, Gaia Peron (ITA) and Rahel Kueng (SUI). The gap was a little to big for me to bridge. I positioned myself towards the front of the lead chasers. It was a tough swim. Entering T1 you could definitely feel the uphill exits in your legs. I had a smooth T1 and exited leading the chase group. The two leaders had now managed to put 30 seconds into the main bunch. Impressive swimming.

(Swim exit and entry bridge)

Once onto the bike my legs instantly felt good. We ascended out of the lake area and headed back to town. 6 laps in and around the city made for some hard riding. 'Heart Break' hill greeted us on each lap. 21% at its steepest and approx. 500m long. Ouch. There were some strong athletes in my group of chasers Agnieszka Jerzyk (POL), Radka Vodickova (CZE), Daniela Chmet (ITA) but still we could not get ourselves organised to reel in the leaders. I rode solid. I was here for a tough session and therefore I made sure I worked hard. 'Heart Break' hill was having its effects on the chase group. Originally 10+ athletes finishing with 5. The leaders continued to ride well. Their lead by the end of the bike was a very respectable 1 minute 04 seconds. Now it was a case of could we catch them?

(The start of 'Heart Break' hill)

Quickly through T2 I set the pace in trying to catch the leaders. The run was the discipline I was most unsure about as my longest run during the 3 weeks leading into the race was no more than 10 km. Could I actually run fast? At what point would I suffer? Despite asking myself these questions I continued to push. Focusing on my cadence and form. I was quickly gaining on the two leaders. With Jerzyk on my shoulder I knew I was not alone in the hunt for the win. After 2 km we had taken 20 seconds out of the lead. Through 5 km and the lead was down to 10 seconds. Now I was confident it would be down to me and Jerzyk. What I was not so confident in was pushing the pace further. Through 6 km we had established the lead. I was now noticing my lack of race fitness, although I was reluctant to show it. Jerzyk tried many times to kick. Within the last 2 km the 'elastic' snapped, I could not hold her. Her final kick I was unable to respond.

(Hunting down the lead)

Crossing the line in 2nd with a run split of 34'26" (I do estimate it to be around 150 - 200m short). I am very satisfied with my performance. It has now given me a clear indication of where things are at and what needs the most work. Tough course = sore recovery. I am now feeling the effects of such a hilly course. At least I should have no surprises come Beijing. I am confident I can now make big improvements in my race fitness and speed to perform well over in Asia in just under 3 weeks time.

(A podium is always good for an athletes confidence)

Full Results

DNF such a positive experience...how?!

2011-08-11T18:56:00.010+02:00

Going all the way back to the beginning of July ITU World Cup Edmonton was a little disappointing. I went to Edmonton hoping for a big result. Those horrendous blisters, suffered in the Europeans, had healed well but I was still only able to manage an 8th place finish. However 8th is still a respectable result and I was able to take many positives from this high finish despite a disappointing race. One positive that I was not able to take away from this race was an intestinal parasite (Giardia Lamblia). The evening before my start in Edmonton I was feeling very nausious, I put this down to race nerves/excitement. On race morning the nausea was still there and throughout the course of the race only got worse. The 10 km run was simply a case of survival to the finish line all that kept me going was olympic points.

My recovery after Edmonton was extremely bad and I simply wanted to just sleep, sleep, sleep. The nausea was always present and it now became a big concern that I was suffering from more than just travel sickness. My energy levels really deterioated and the easiest of training sessions was putting me in bed for 2 - 3 hours immediately after. I wasted no time in getting stool samples tested however the results were negative. This now was very alarming as I was still in a very low training phase and even after a 3 day period of completely nothing my symptoms were still the same and I was exhuasted. While awaiting my blood test results I got informed of the parasite Giardia Lamblia. My symptoms were an exact match. With the parasite commonly found in infected water in Canada and South America I was convinced I had found the cause of my problems. Fortunately I was able to contact a very well respected doctor in Denmark, Martin Kroll. Martin was excellent and wasted no time in waiting for blood test results and prescribed me with a very strong dose of anti-biotics.

Despite being on anti-biotics I was still not able to train hard. London World Championship series was now fast approaching and I was still not running hard. London was regarded as the biggest event of the year, an Olympic qualifier for many countries (not Demark) and most of all the Olympic test event. 4 days out from London I was very unsure on whether I should race. This was to be my only chance of getting on the race course prior to the London 2012 Olympics. The biggest question was is the experience of racing London more important than the rest of my 2011 season? There was to be a massive risk of injury if I was to 'race' London. My body was not ready for it. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do for the best. As always I got advice from those closest to me and who had experience of these situations. Then I got asked the question "why do you have to finish the race?" without thinking I got annoyed "I do not want a DNF on the Olympic test event, if I start I am finishing!!". As it was discussed in more detail I actually started to see more positives in a DNF than actually finishing the race. The biggest factor now was could I mentally set myself up to not finish the race and come away from the event happy with my decision? Only one way to find out...

On deciding to race London I had decided to DNF. Of course on paper this does not look great, however I had convinced myself that the result on this day did not matter and will not determine the result in one years time. Come race day I was very relaxed, I had forgotten it was the Olympic test event and more importantly I was feeling confident that I could race well. I planned to race hard and see just what I had in me. The swim was a tough one, quite a battle on times but still I exited towards the front. Once onto the bike I did not want to just sit in, what was the point? I did not need to save my legs for the run but still I needed to get something out of it. So I did. I pushed the bike hard. I wanted to see exactly what this bike course had in store for us, what type of racer it suited. I cemented my position on the front of the group for a number of laps. Once I was satisfied I had got what I came for I kept out of trouble. My positive experience now allows me to design my training and perfect my skills to benefit my race in London next year. Of course I will still need to run 10 km after the bike and did not get any experience of the run course. Do I need it? Of course it is better to have it but there is no denying it is flat, fast and will be extremely painful. I am pretty sure I can set myself up for that.

Having now returned from London I am looking forward to the rest of the year and gaining full race fitness. My next goal is Beijing and Yokohama WCS. I will now head to Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic where I will race a European Cup as part of my preparation for these two big events. As a result of this parasite infection I will now look to race late into October and possibly November but no official plan is made yet. Just take one race at a time.

To coincide with the launch of my new coaching company HF Triathlon I am soon re-launching my personal website www.hellefrederiksen.com. This will really allow my followers an inside look into MyWorld. I am soon able to announce the addition of a new sponsor to my support team. Please continue to check both sites along with my Facebook and Twitter pages for more information on the re-launch and the unveiling of this new sponsor.

HF Triathlon - My Very Own Coaching Company

2011-07-31T23:27:00.006+02:00

I am very proud to announce the launch of my newly founded triathlon coaching company - HF Triathlon. The company has been in production for the past 9 months and to now finally unveil it to the public is a very proud moment for me. I have established the company to provide elite level coaching to athletes at all levels in the sport, at an affordable price.

Having been in top level sport for many years I understand what an athlete requires from their coach. However unfortunately, in my opinion, there are not enough options available to the growing number of triathlon competitors worldwide. Founded along with my partner Ben Powell, HF Triathlon is committed to athlete care and attention.

I will take a backseat role in the company whilst still having a vital part to play in the design and planning of each athletes training programme. The day to day running of the company will be taken care of by my partner Ben. This allows me to continue to focus on reaching my peak and London 2012 Olympics.

Triathlon as a sport is growing rapidly, a clear sign of this growth is, this coming weekend the London WCS race will be hosted live via big screens in 6 cities throughout the UK. 10 years ago triathlon was a little known sport rarely found on internet search engines. Now with events such as The London Triathlon hosting over 11,000 competitors it is a clear sign that high quality coaching companies need to be established.

I am passionate about my sport and I am also a realist. I know that racing does not last forever. Establishing this company allows me to pass on my knowledge and race experience, while combining my education to benefit others in achieveing their goals and ambitions.

HF Triathlon is proudly supported by Nike, Sailfish and Maxim.

For more information please visit www.hftriathlon.com

Regular news and updates available via Facebook and Twitter

Training for Triathlon - Part 3

2011-07-23T09:31:00.007+02:00

As many of you, like myself, are deep into your race season I thought it was appropriate for this next article to be based on 'Getting ready for race day'. Whether you are a race day expert, complete novice or a soon to be Challenge Copenhagen finisher this article should give you a few extra pointers to ensure your race day experience is the best possible.

Race day preparation is very much individual. We are all special and unique in our own way therefore it very much depends on the person how they prepare for a race. What I aim to do in this article is provide you with some useful tools that can enable your preparation for racing is a good one.

I will cover many areas including race day focus, morning preparation and training preparation so I hope it will give all of you something to take away.

(Many first timers will race Challenge Copenhagen, preparing well will help your final result)

Pre race preparation

This area covers the entire period leading up to a race. It includes your winters training and all training sessions leading to your big day.

Identify your goal and how much you are willing to sacrifice to achieve this goal. Once you have done this write it down and keep it somewhere so you can always remind yourself what you are aiming for. As training progresses it is not uncommon that people get ahead of themselves and try to determine new goals. This is fine but by having your initial goal established anything beyond this is then a bonus. So as an example an athlete establishes they want to complete and Ironman = goal identified. The initial goal is to finish the event training 10 - 15 hours per week = sacrifice made. As training progresses they realise they are capable of a time under 11 hours = bonus. Do not then reidentify your goals and target times. This can possibly add disappointment to an area that originally you were content with. Remain focused on your original goal and ensure you cover all areas that will provide you satisfaction in reaching this goal.

Get to know your goals inside out and what processes need to be taken in order to achieve them successfully. Do not feel you have to achieve things alone. Of course it may give you more satisfaction if you do achieve things alone but ultimately two, three or four heads are better than one. Seek advice from those who are able to give good advice. You will still be alone on race day to achieve 'your' goal. Creating a support team of advisers/coaches is a must.

What I mean about getting to know your goals inside out is understand exactly what is required to achieve them e.g. In order to complete an Ironman you are required to finish inside 17 hours. Find out exact cut off times and then establish the pace at which you will need to swim, bike and run in order to accomplish your goal. Test if you can train at the paces required to finish inside the cut off time.

Another example is you want to qualify for the World Championships and represent your country. Find out the selection criteria, selection races, how many spots etc. Then establish what areas you will need to improve on in order to gain this World Championships spot. This is getting to know your goals.

Adapt your training to accommodate your race. To some of you this may seem like common knowledge but I am sure to many of you it will be useful advice. Those athletes with experience will know that adapting your training to your race is something that is now just done without even thinking about it. But for someone who is new to the sport adapting your training is possibly the best pre race preparation out there.

Firstly it is important to determine the course and climate in which you are racing. Not always can you prepare for climate conditions. By knowing what they are you can mentally prepare yourself for a hot day or for extra layers in the luggage. Making yourself familiar with the course is something that will benefit you the more you look into it. The easiest and quickest way is to find the course profile and adapt your training accordingly. So a bike course consisting of a lot of hills means your training ground becomes tougher including more hills - common knowledge? Not always. However do not be affraid to delve deeper into things.

- Past history: This is a great way to research your target race. You can gain so much information from race reports, athlete experience, race results etc. e.g "After the toughest ever run to transition which included a 9% gradient climb, I enetered T1 exhausted and it took me 5 minutes to recover before I could ride." This type of statement is not uncommon when reading peoples race reports (maybe not the 9% gradient, but obstacles which will hinder you achieving your goal). This research will then allow you to adapt your training to conquer such obstacles in a race.

- In depth course analysis: This will leave you with no unpleasant surprises come race day. Identify areas of the course that require more focus, areas where you can defeat your opponent. Then work hard on these areas. The best way to do this analysis is to recce the race course. Recce'ing the course months in advance leaves you with plenty of time to adapt. This is not always possible and for shorter distance races the course is often not advertised until a month
before. However race organizers are there to help and from my experience if you contact most race organizers asking for in depth course information they will supply it to you.

(Recce'ing the race course ensure not nasty surprises on race day)

- Race start: Be sure you are aware of when the race actually starts and prepare for this. Should you be racing at 7 am in the morning the body needs time to get used to being active at this time of day. So training early in this case will be beneficial for race day. As you get ever closer to race day then try and emulate race day routine by getting up earlier etc. Also vice versa.

Recently at the ETU European Championships the elite men raced at 7 pm. It will come as a complete shock to the body to race at this time had you not adapted your training. So I know many of the elite men altered their training pattern leading into the race in order for their body to adapt to race time.

Race day preparation

Race day preparation is very individual and very personal. However there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that all is done to prevent any unneccesary mistakes.

- When arriving at the race destination, in the days leading up to the race, ensure you go over the race course. Swim the swim course, or some of it atleast. This will help ease you mentally and help you acclimatise to the water temperature. It will give you a general understanding of the distance to bouys, current, tide etc. Ride or drive the bike course to ensure nothing has changed from your preparation. It is best to ride it but obviously you can not ride an Ironman course 2 - 3 days before race start. If you can ride the tougher parts of the course this will really prepare you well mentally. Come race day there is nothing worse than entering the unknown on a race course. Running or walking the run course will also put you mentally in a great place. Once all of the above are checked of you are left with no surprises on race day leaving you to focus on other areas.

- Arrive at the race site with plenty of time before race start. 2 hours is always plenty of time, it means you can really relax about your last minute preparation. Check over your bike, make any last minute changes. The most important thing during this period is that you are in a good place mentally. You are clear on what is needed of you to achieve your goal. Aim to be out of transition 1 hour before race start then you can get dialled in on the race.

- Visualize yourself in the race. It is a great tool to do this the night before the race. Just lie on your bed, eyes closed and picture yourself in your race. Swim start, swim exit, T1, Bike start, tough parts, T2, Run start, tough parts, Finish all these areas and more should be covered. Go over grey areas many times. e.g your transition routine...swim exit, googles up, wetsuit unzipped and down to waist, compose into T1, wetsuit off, helmet on etc. This type of visualization will reassure you that on race day you know what you are doing. Also complete this visualization once you have set up all your equipment on race morning. This will help your adrenaline build up but do not over do it. If this type of visualization makes you nervous then look for things that take your mind of the fact you are racing.

- Most important night sleep is 48 hours prior to the race. Many people begin the day in a negative mental frame of mind if they do not have a good night sleep leading into the race. It is actually proven that the most important night sleep is the evening 2 days out from the race. So if you wake with only 4 hours of sleep due to nerves etc. Do not panic this will have little effect on your race performance. Of course more hours is better than less, as is always, but do not think your day has started negative with little sleep.

Of course there are many more areas I could talk about regarding this topic. There are so many views on what is right and wrong. Hopefully the above helps and reassures you, your race day preparation is on the right road. My simple advice is to seek advice if unsure. Prepare well and most of all enjoy your experience. Do not expect to much from yourself and the rest will follow.

Thanks for your continued support. Please follow my Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates on my day to day training and life. Keep smiling and keep having fun!!

(Have fun along the way...)

Training for Triathlon - Part 2

2011-07-08T18:23:00.006+02:00

This next part in 'Training for Triathlon' I am going to cover the topic of 'Speed'. Speed is one of the most important elements combining in success. It is common knowledge that without speed racing almost becomes participating. In this article I will try to highlight the importance of speed training throughout all disciplines.

Being a short distance athlete I am no stranger to speed sessions. Week in, week out I conduct speed sessions in the pool, open water, on the bike, on the turbo, in the forest, on the treadmill the list goes on and on. The reason why I do this? Simple. Without speed I would be absolutely knowhere in the sport. As a previous blog entry outlined No Adaption = No Progression. This applies to you also. Whether you are a sprint distance competitor or an accomplished Ironman finisher you all still need speed to reach your full potential. Of course before you can really work on becoming faster you need to be a) Fit b) Strong c) Prepared to suffer. If you was to take anyone of those traits away you would be putting unnecessary strain on your body. The risk of injury would be greater and also recovery would be far more susbstantial.

Speed is often an element added to an athletes training programme as the new season gets closer. 8 times out of 10 speed sessions become more the norm during a training week when a major race is the focus. This ensures the athlete is at optimal performance levels and able to withstand higher race intensities. However many athletes will perform some sort of speed sessions all year round. This is known as 'general speed'. The intensity of which is less demanding than 'high end/specific speed'. It all depends on your performance level how much speed training you conduct.

There are many different training methods and philosophies on developing speed. What I will do now is identify to you a process to ensure you are at a level to benefit from structured speed training. It is not a process that will turn you into Javier Gomez or Marino Vanhoenacker if it does then please let me know!

Firstly lets start at winters training...it is that time of year when you are either totally done, have just had a long off season break or you are a very eager newcomer looking forward to your first season in triathlon. Is now the time to start speed training? NO!! Get into a rhythm again, find your feet. The winter should all be about getting fit, gaining endurance and becoming stronger than your previous year(s). My advice would be enjoy it as much as you can, gradually progress quantity levels in all three disciplines but not too quick otherwise you will be wishing you took an even bigger vacation. In my eyes a winter's season runs from November - February. Progress through these months do not become too eager as by the time you reach mid season (July) your done. After a good solid winters base training where you gained fitness and strength then is the time to introduce your speed training. At first the speed training can be generalised with no session focusing on specific races, more with a view to increasing all round general speed.

General Speed - Bike specific

- Brief introductions of speed with a long resting period allowing your body to recover. 10 x 30" sprints with recovery between 3 - 5 minutes. The long resting period avoids significant lactic build up. Power, Strength and Speed is gained from a session of this kind.

- Hill repeats 4% - 5% gradient. Any steeper and the focus is purely strength rather than a combination of strength/speed. Working on a hill of this gradient is exceptionally good, the longer the better. If it is short then you just have to become really good friends with it ;) Similar focus to the session above. A sustained tempo for approximately 2 - 3 minutes with a long resting period 5 - 6 minutes during off season. As you get ever closer to race season then think about extending the interval and decreasing the rest. A key point: mainting good leg speed/cadence around 85 - 95 rpm is perfect for speed generation. When the cadence drops lower than 80 rpm the session more focuses on strength.

(Tabayesco, Lanzarote is a climb I use regularly during my general speed phase)

General Speed - Running specific

- Treadmill session. Following a 10 - 15 minute warm up period. A base session of 200m tempo followed by 800m recovery is great for a general introduction to speed training. Dependant on ability and race distance you could also conduct 1000m tempo, 1500m recovery and just like cycling as you get closer to race season extend the interval and reduce the recovery. Why treadmill? I hear you ask. A treadmill is great for leg speed, just like a indoor trainer is great for leg speed on the bike. Also running on a treadmill has significantly less impact on the body therefore you reduce your recovery time. Minimum 1 x treadmill run per week is definitely a big recommendation from me.

- Strides. Performing a very simple 4 - 6 x 60 - 80m sprints at the end of an easy/steady run is a very good way of enhancing leg speed whilst increasing strength. As your body is slightly fatugued (do not perform an exercise like this after a 'high fatigue' session e.g long run, kombi run etc.) it then regenerates stronger after recovery.

The date of your season start will determine when to actually introduce general speed training. Should you be an experienced athlete then it is very common that general speed training is a regular during winters training. As a general guide 3 - 4 month out from your first race you should consider introducing lower intensity speed work.

Once you have established a consistent rhythm with your 'general' speed training it is then a good time to focus specifically on your upcoming goals. Sit down with your coach/adviser and assess your upcoming goals. Once this has been done you can then identify the key speed sessions both, cycling and running, that will ensure you are on that start line feeling sharp. Below is a few example sessions to highlight the difference between 'general' speed session and 'race' specific speed sessions.

Speed Session - Cycling - Race Specific

Olympic Distance/Middle Distance

- Draft legal; 30 - 40 minutes through and off (chain gang) session initially split as 2 x 15 minute sessions with 10 minute recovery period. Advancing to a continous 30 - 40 minute period. Just as in races you will need to become good at riding in a pack. Pack riding is great for leg speed as you gain the advantage of being in someone elses draft. These sessions should be hard, very hard and high intensity. Your recovery during a session like this is on another riders wheel so be prepared to suffer (trait c) above). Gather a group of cyclists between 6 - 10 approx. push the pace hard and take equal turns on the front. Maintaining a good cadence of around 85 - 90 rpm. Select a course where traffic levels are low to minimise risk.

- Non-Draft legal; Time Trials!! Whether they are alone or as part of a mid week series. This is no better way to emulate a race situation. The shorter the better in terms of speed generation but also long are a good way of mentally preparing you for a tough ride. There is no denying that time trialling is brutal. It is not my strongest area which is why I now work a lot with time trial sessions in training. No secret ride hard for the required distance/time period. A good time trial session is to find a route between 20 - 30km long and hammer it once a week leading up to race season. No limits just all out. Race day you will be gauranteed to feel the benefits. Keeping the cadence higher rather than lower is a must. Remember you are a triathlete, you need to run, holding a low cadence will totally overload your legs resulting in a poor run.

Long Distance

- Long intervals. 4 x 15 minutes, 2 x 30 minutes, 1 x 45 minutes all around/above race pace. These intervals should be conducted during your long rides leading up to race day. Why? During a cycle ride of an Ironman more often than not you will encounter a 'down/flat' period. Mentally this is a tough period to get through. By conducting a hard interval mid way through a 5 hour ride you then have to mentally prepare yourself to get back in the zone and focus. Conduct a final interval towards the end of the ride as this will be the point where you are at your lowest. This final interval will ensure you HAVE to regain focus and will no doubt help towards your mental preparation for an Ironman. If you do not train for a hard ride come race day you get a hard ride.

Speed Session - Running - Race Specific

Short Distance

- 6 x 400m at best pace with a 200m active recovery (very easy jog/walk). This is a high intensity session aimed at generating speed that can be transferred into races. You should aim to hold an equal avergae for the entire 6 repitions. A good warm up 2 - 3 km and a solid cool down of 1 - 2 km. Good completion of a session of this kind provides great satisfaction.

Long Distance

- 90 minute progressive/build run where you build your pace from below race pace ending above race pace. As a guide you can look to build your pace every 15 minutes allowing for 6 distinctive changes in tempo e.g through 15 minute = 4'30" per km, 30 minute = 4'25", 45 minute = 4'20", 60 minute = 4'15", 75 minute = 4'10", 90 minute = 4'05" average running pace = 4'17". This session is great for enhancing your Ironman distance running pace. While providing you an increase towards your speed endurance.

I very much hope you have found this article useful and it has enhanced your awareness of training for triathlon. Triathlon is a unique sport therefore requiring unique guidance and advice. Gain as much help and assistance as possible, there is no proven right and wrong method to training. We are all unique and not one person is the same. Remember this when deciding how to train and what sessions to conduct. Always ask yourself are you able to get the best out of this session. If yes then continue, if not then re-assess.

Now it is race time again for me, currently in Edmonton, Canada. Sunday will see me race the ITU World Cup. You can follow live updates via my twitter & Facebook pages.

To be or not to be that was the question...

2011-06-30T21:43:00.007+02:00

Sorry for the delay on this latest blog entry things have been a little bit busy since arriving back in Denmark from Spain. The delay in publishing this latest post has enabled me to really reflect on my race and the result. Had I written this post within 24 hours of the race my reflection may have appeared a little different. Now 5 days post race I can look back and say I am satisfied with my performance and result in this years European Championships. I will now try and give you a clear insight as to why my thoughts/reflection has changed in the past days…

Leading into these European Championships I was very happy with my shape. Having evaluated past races and identified areas that were letting me down. Training had been tough but tough in these areas that were preventing me from a big result. Swim-Bike brick sessions and hard bike intervals were the focus while the rest remained consistent. Running sessions were possibly the quickest sessions I have ever completed. So there was no denying I was confident I could race well. Early season goals were set as a top 8 Europeans finish. The goal going into this race was still the same but deep down I believed if it was to be my day then a medal was possible.

Pontevedra, Spain was the host of this year’s Championships. Being the home city of reigning world Champion Javier Gomez crowds on race day were spectacular. This generated a great atmosphere and the vibe around the race site was simply awesome. Racing with start number 4 allowed me a good start position on the pontoon. I had a solid swim, not exactly a lonely one as for the entire 1^st lap I was in the ‘washing machine’. The 2^nd lap however I was able to gain positions and exited the water 11^th. Holding my position through T1 I instantly felt good on the bike (something that up until now has been non-existent). With 4 girls managing to gain 30+ seconds on the main pack of 35+ athletes after T1 the pace was ‘on’. The main pack did not hang around. A number of strong cyclists including Danish teammate Camilla Pedersen rode very strong at the front. Quickly this lead evaporated and by the time we got onto the 3^rd lap of 8 we were one big lead group of 39+ athletes. The race it seemed was playing into the hands of the quick runners in the field. This was giving me confidence. I rode smart, stayed out of trouble and focused on hitting that run as fresh as possible.

Temperatures were recorded at high 30’s and rising this is something that before the race I had hoped for. Was this to be my day?

Dismounting the bike I believed I could run for a medal. Instantly Emmie Charayron (FRA) established herself as the leader accelerating away from the field. Behind a medal group was forming this group included myself, Frintova (CZE), Mazetti (ITA), Murua (SPA), Stimpson (GBR), Yelistratova (UKR). The heat was immense but I tried not to think about it instead I was forced to think about the growing pain that was coming from my feet (forefoot area), what was this? Is it just the heat? For 1.5 km I was ‘comfortable’ from 2 km I was ‘uncomfortable’. Suddenly the pain in my forefoot region on both feet was severe. I no longer landed on my forefoot and as the run progressed this only got worse. Why now? After the 1^st of 4 laps I lost contact with this medal group. My cardiovascular system was under no real pressure. The pace in the pack did not pressure me but now the pack was simply pulling away!! I was still lying in a very good position and had to just grit me teeth (lots of them) and keeping pushing. As the km’s passed the pain level increased and my position slipped. From being a medal contender I was slipping ever closer to being the wrong side of top 10. Now as the pain started to affect other areas of my body it was then simply crying out for me to stop. I become nauseous, suffered with severe headache and lost all control of my bladder (Really not nice and very ladylike, apologises to all those spectators who witnessed it L ). With 1.5 km remaining I was sitting in 10^th position so close to my goal of top 8. I sucked up the pain and pushed as hard as I could and then collapsed across the line in 9^th position only 2 seconds from 8^th.

Immediately after the race I was gutted to have finished in 9^th position knowing I put myself in contention of a medal. My feet really were in a bad way. What caused it? Why were they so painful? It is not uncommon for my feet to get blisters, which is why I always tape them before every race. This race however the tape came off during warm up and god only knows why I did not re-tape them = ERROR. The tarmac, which led us from swim exit to transition and also greeted us when we dismounted the bike, was incredibly hot, so hot that I think it has caused my feet to blister as a result of minor burns.

So as I mentioned at the beginning had I written this blog within 24 hours of the race I would have been very negative. There is no denying I wanted a medal and did not get it = NEGATIVE. Now having had time to reflect I can honestly say I am satisfied with my 9^th place finish. Firstly 9^th is a solid finish position = POSITIVE. Up until 2 km I did everything I needed to and put myself in contention. The areas I had worked so hard on had paid off; I had a great waters exit = POSITIVE, strong run to transition = POSITIVE and was instantly able to push power once onto the bike = POSITIVE. These are all areas that have let me down in the past. Not this time. I again was able to gain a large amount of Olympic points pushing me ever closer to that Olympic spot = POSITIVE. Other than the extreme blisters I have no major injuries = POSITIVE. As you will probably notice the areas that have let me down are all minor issues. This is why now I am able to look back and be satisfied with my performance, progress is still being made. Olympic points are still being collected so I would be a fool if I were not satisfied.

Thanks to those extreme blisters on my forefoot they have now received an entire regeneration of skin. Making them look 30 years younger J and I am back running after only 3 days off. I am now very focused on my next race that is Edmonton ITU World Cup, Canada on 10^th July.

Thank you for your continued support follow me day to day via Twitter and Facebook.

Training for Triathlon - Part 1

2011-06-16T09:12:00.004+02:00

Ok so as promised here is my blog entry on open water specific swim training. I will now over the coming weeks conduct a series of articles titled ‘Training for Triathlon’. This entry will be part 1 in that series. During the last part in the series I will announce something very special. This announcement will then ensure you’re road to the top does not have to be a lonely one. Thanks for all your support. Enjoy.

As many of you are aware Triathlon as a sport is growing massively across all distances. Initially many Triathletes believed that in order to be the best Triathlete on the planet you would have to swim like a swimmer, cycle like a cyclist and run like a runner. How times have changed!! A recent study on ‘Science in Triathlon’ concluded that Triathlon is to be perceived as a sole sport and therefore many training techniques need to be adapted and developed in order to assist in the growth of the sport. I want to see the sport grow therefore with out expert guidance we are all pretty much alone out there.

This adaption and development has been in the sport for some time now. I would like to give you some training methods and advice that can hopefully help with open water swimming. It is no secret that my swimming ability is very rarely shown when in open water. As the level of this sport is changing rapidly I knew something had to change in order to ensure I stood the best chance of improving my open water swimming. So I sat down with my coach (Michael Kruger) and partner (Ben Powell), who both have an amazing knowledge of the sport and a great ability to adapt, to a) Identify the reasons why a good pool swimmer is not necessarily a good open water swimmer and b) develop training methods to aid the transfer from pool swimming to open water swimming.

After many days of research combined with months of observations we concluded the key differences between pool swimming and open water swimming. I have listed three below and will indentify how you can alter your pool training to cater for this certain area.

These, now, as time goes by become more and more obvious.

The cadence of a good open water swimmer is predominately higher than the cadence of good pool swimmer.

As I said above this, now, as time goes on becomes more and more apparent. A perfect example of this is those Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Johnny. Open water they are up there with the best and also in the pool they are very good. Technically compared to an Olympic level swimmer there is a huge difference, the only way to describe it would be slow and smooth for the Olympic level swimmer and fast and hectic for Alistair and Johnny. This is simply because those boys know that in order to tackle the ‘washing machine’, get out of trouble, bridge a gap their cadence needs to be high. This is a perfect example that swimming like a swimmer is not necessarily the way to go in terms of open water swimming.

- In order to assist you with a higher cadence in the water one area to focus on is the catch phase of your stroke. If you have been taught by a swim instructor then you have probably been advised to enter smooth and reach long focusing on the high elbow. This I could not agree more with if pool swimming is your sport of choice. In regards to open water swimming however I would advise to adopt a more instant catch, focusing on the front end of your stroke. Still adopting the same principles of high elbow during the recovery and catch phase but instead of gliding out on your catch phase focus on catching instantly. To get started focusing on the front of catch rather than finish of stroke is a good way to gain a higher cadence. You can then focus on the finish of stroke when you are confident you can adapt your stroke frequency. A good way of doing this is to complete sets of 100m where you add 4 – 6 strokes every second 100m so for example. 8 x 100m = 1^st 100m count strokes (84), 2^nd 100m increase 4 - 6 strokes (88 – 90).

- Another training method is to create drag while maintaining the correct body position in the water. The use of finger paddles, pull buoy and band (inner tube around the ankles, inner tube with towel attached when you get good) is extremely beneficial. When adding drag it is required that we catch instantly in order to maintain our forward propulsion. If we seek the long gliding style during this method of training then we will encounter a pause in our forward propulsion. This is one of the biggest elements we should always avoid when trying to swim effectively. It is very important to contract in your core body when using this method as you are then able to hold the correct body position.

Pace set in the pool compared to open water is much more consistent. In short meaning that open water swimming (when racing) is unpredictable in pace. Closing gaps, staying with a break, gaining clear water at the start, swim exit. All of these are phases that requires a rapid change in pace.

Many of you at some point while racing have experienced early build up of lactic acid. On more than one occasion I have felt this after 200 – 300m and I am sure some of you have even earlier (I feel for those of you who have experienced this at an early stage of an Ironman…ouch!!). A successful open water swimmer will be able to tolerate this lactic build up, recover and then tolerate more at later stages in the swim. Lactic acid can build up from many different factors 1) Starting hard – too hard, 2) Bridging a gap, 3) Being caught in the washing machine and trying to fight your way out, 4) Accelerating around a buoy and so much more. In order to aid with the tolerance of such build up I now regularly complete two types of swim sessions that are purely targeted at the tolerance of lactic acid levels and also the ever changing pace of a 1500m ITU swim. You can adapt these sessions to suit you also.

- Fartlek session. I complete 1 x fartlek swim per week this is a hard session and is regarded as a key session for me. As the pace in races goes up and down this can be very interrupting for my rhythm. A fartlek session is exactly this, a session aimed at interrupting rhythm and recovering on high lactic acid levels. It is very important that I get used to my rhythm being interrupted it then helps come race day. One session that we came up with over the winter period is a session of 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m during that specific distance regularly change from race pace, above race pace, threshold, steady just totally mix it up. Many different intensities are thrown into the one distance so in simple form 800m as 25m Steady/25m Race pace, 50m Threshold/50m Above race pace….and so on. Complete throughout the 600m, 400m, 200m taking about 30 – 40 seconds break between each one and you have yourself a killer session which is extremely beneficial.

-Lactic tolerance training. These sessions are brutal. There is no other word to describe them. This type of training is designed as being extremely hard with very big rest. Enhancing your lactic tolerance levels and the ability to produce lactic acid. This then assists when racing, firstly mentally you would have been in this place before that is always, in a strange way, comforting. Secondly your body has now become better at recovering with high lactic levels in the system therefore being able to swim more consistently despite working hard. A typical lactic session for me would be 6 x 100m max efforts – all out nothing in reserve with between 3 – 5 minutes rest. Sounds easy and short but believe me after two they hurt. Maybe you should try to feel my pain?!

I would advise to conduct at least 1 x Fartlek session per week and 1 x Lactic tolerance session every 2^nd week. These sessions assist greatly in helping you adapt to the uncertainty that is open water swimming.

Open water is very rarely as calm as a pool; there is often a current to deal with and people who will do their upmost to interrupt your rhythm.

This one is a simple one either practice race scenarios in a pool or better still get out into the open water and practice there. One time per week, during the cold months, the Danish National squad have an open water specific session in doors. We extract all the lane ropes from the 50m pool and place 4 buoys to help create a 100m swimming area. The squad then conducts a main session of around 1500m which is very tough but great fun. No room to move, fighting for space, closing gaps all factors that we all encounter when racing open water. In the summer months we conduct the same type of session but outdoors in the many lakes we have in Denmark. This type of work is highly recommended especially as race season approaches. Of course you may not be able to take all the lane ropes out but for sure you can get a group of 4 – 5 of you in one lane and conduct sessions of 50m’s, 100m’s, turns at the flags etc, hard 15m easy 35m. All whilst getting used to be enclosed just like race day.

I very much hope you have found this article of interest. Hopefully it has made you aware of certain points that seem so simple but are not actually visible unless pointed out. My simple advice is seeking help off those who are able to help, never feel you have to do things alone. Working with someone with experience is far more beneficial than working with someone without.

Keep following for the next installment of 'Training for Triathlon'

I am not a Time Trial specialist!!

2011-06-13T12:57:00.006+02:00

So as I wrote in my most recent blog post, this weekend was all about trying to regain the Danish Elite title. A puncture in 2010 forced me to retire from the race and also unwillingly give up my Danish Champion status (see month of defeats...for more details). Unfortunately 2011 is also going to be a year where I do not carry the status of 'Danish Champion'...

Despite the Danish Championships having no relevance to my London 2012 qualification I was still very much hoping to capture yet another Danish title. Due to the tight schedule of races offering qualifying points for the Olympics the Danish Triathlon Federation opted to shorten this year Elite Championship. Now racing over the 'Sprint' distance of 750m Swim, 20km Bike, 5km Run it was to be a short and sharp battle to be crowned Danish Elite Champion 2011. Sprint distance racing has less impact on the body, therefore enhancing recovery time during this busy racing period. Definitely giving thumbs up to Danish Triathlon Federation on this one.

The week prior to this race was a tough one, not physically but more mentally. It was a week full of uncertainty and a roller coaster of emotions. Upon arriving back in Denmark (Monday evening) from Madrid it became clear that I had at some point during the race in Madrid encountered a heavy impact on the underside of my foot. Tuesday morning the pain was considerably bad, taking no chances, I visited Team Denmark's base in Brondby to get an ultra sound scan. In my mind I feared the worst - a stress fracture. Fortunately at this point nothing was visible on the results. However the doctors were not so convinced and transferred me for a Scintigraphy. This definitely did not ease my thoughts and the 24 hour wait for the Scintigraphy were definitely anxious times.

As you can imagine my thoughts were very extreme "How will I manage to gain Olympic points now to secure my spot!!" this was the biggest. It seems many of us think the worst before we know the truth and this is something I am very bad at. Wednesday proved to be a good day. I got the scan and within 10 minutes I was able to get the results....I had no damage to any bones in my foot. What a relief!!! It is still not known what the problem was 100% but the conclusion was that it was severe trauma to the ligaments in between my big toe and 2nd toe. A sharp object on the run from waters exit to T1 being the only real explanation.

With a few days rest from running and riding come race day I was ready and eager to race. I think the rest did me good. I was prepared for a hard day of racing and an extremely cold swim, water temperature recorded on race day being 12.7 degrees meant there was definitely no need to hang around!! Although this race was draft legal I was prepared for a solo ride and a ride where I would be trying to keep the gap to the front as little as possible. I guess you are probably thinking why? Well this is simple fortunately for us Danes/unfortunately for me we have a lady named Line Jensen who is an incredible swim/biker. It is no secret that Line is one of the best open water swimmers in the sport therefore I would need something special to stay on her feet.

As predicted I exited the 750m swim just trailing Tri4 team mate Anne-Sofie Lønnberg in 3rd. We had established a 30 second lead on the main chase pack containing both Michelle Vesterby and Camilla Pedersen. Line was a further 20 seconds ahead which meant it was now a case of riding hard, staying focused and keeping the gap as small as possible. I committed early and rode hard; however Line continued to extend her lead. From km 1 to km 20 I kept on pushing. Entering T2 1 minute 24 seconds down it meant I needed extra special legs to close this gap. I was definitely not going to end the day not having tried, so try I did...despite my best efforts 5km was simply not enough for me to close this gap. It is never nice to finish 2nd but apart from the Danish title I got what I wanted out of this race, which was a very solid/hard training session. Big congratulations to Line Jensen on a very impressive performance much deserved. Also congratulations to my Tri4 team mate Jens Toft on being crowned Danish Champion.

This race was part of my preparation for the European Championships which take place in Pontevedra, Spain 25th June. I will now focus on maintaining my current swim level while enhancing my running speed. I am looking forward to proving my ability amongst Europeans best in just less than two weeks from now.

No adaption = No progression

2011-06-06T19:37:00.006+02:00

So while I am currently 10000 m up into the sky flying back to Copenhagen. I thought it was no better time to reflect on my 16th place finish yesterday in Madrid WCS.

Going into Madrid I was very confident with my most recent block of training. I was able to take many positives from my early season races whilst working hard on the areas that prevented me from ensuring I was consistent in all my performances. A lot of the training sessions I conduct are based purely on past race experiences and specific areas that need improving. Having such a close support network ensures that each race is analysed in great depth which allows us to pinpoint exactly the areas that need to be improved during the next block of training.

Having really worked hard in my weaker areas I was on the start line in Madrid confident and sure I could race hard and perform well. Race conditions were great; 27-degree air temperature ensured a hot day of racing. 23.8-degree water temperature made for pleasant swimming without a wetsuit.

As many of you will be aware I have not truly established myself as an ’exceptional’ open water swimmer. Based on my pool times I should be regarded as one of the fastest swimmers in the sport, but this sport counts for nothing if you can’t adapt to open water swimming. This is something I have learnt the hard way. Prompting me to adopt a new approach to swimming. One approach I have adopted is that I now train in the pool as a Triathlete not a swimmer. I swim triathlon specific sessions…. hard, very hard!! I use equipment that will only benefit open water swimming and I have adapted my technique to enable me to become more suited to open water. This sport is changing so quickly therefore it is important I change with it. Along with adapting my swim training I have now taken a new approach to open water swimming and judging by my swim this weekend something has worked. After a very solid swim I exited the water in 8th position. Having established this position after around 300m it was a great confidence boost to hold it for the entire swim.

Transition 1 was tough or at least the run to transition was tough. Being 300m long this took a lot out of me and I lost a few positions here. Once out and onto the bike it took me sometime to find my cycling legs, in fact it took me too long. (Now less than 24 hours after the race we have designed a specific training session to combat this problem. As I mentioned above this sport is moving so fast it leaves no time for hanging around and dwelling on things.) In the time it took me to find my cycling legs I had missed the split in packs which left me in t

he chase pack around 30 seconds down after lap 1. The main group was made up of 16 athletes and included some big names Helen Jenkins (GBR), Lisa Norden (SWE), Paula Findlay (CAN), Barbara Riveros (CHI) and Andrea Hewitt (NZL). I was not short of company in the chase group with the likes of Emma Moffat (AUS), Daniela Ryf (SUI), Vicky Holland (GBR) and Annabel Luxford (AUS) in the same group, it seemed I was not the only one taking time to find my cycling legs. Our group worked well and we needed too with a 3rd pack containing Emma Snowsill (AUS), Carole Peon (FRA) and Anne Haug (GER) pushing hard to catch. Throughout the very tough 40km ride the gaps yoyo’d many times but entering T2 it was clear the leaders would come from the front group. A 30 second gap to leaders meant I needed my ’A Game’ running legs if I was to gain a top 10 position.

Very shortly into the run it was clear the ride had taken a lot out of me and I did not have my ’A Game’ running legs with me. My legs were heavy, very heavy so it was important that I composed myself and did not try and seek something that was not there. My focus now was to run solid and gain good Olympic points. I quickly decided to build into my run. I had great support out on the course, which was duly needed at many points. I was able to maintain a solid run and hold my position finishing in 16th overall. I would not say it was exceptional run and definitely does not reflect my true running form. However Madrid is a tough race, which is evident from the gaps in the finish times. It is very rare you see the top 30 girls spread out over 6 minutes a clear indication of how much the Madrid bike course takes it out of you. All credit to the top 4 girls, Paula Findlay (CAN), Helen Jenkins (GBR), Emmie Charayron (FRA), Andrea Hewitt (NZL) they ran exceptionally well and quick.

I am very satisfied with my performance, it has given me great confidence in many areas where I was lacking and showed me areas that require more attention. I have gained great Olympic points from this result, which is my sole focus for this 2011 season.

I now look forward to racing on home sole next weekend at Fredericia, Denmark to try and regain my Danish Championship title, which I lost due to a Puncture in 2010. Two weeks later I will then head to Pontevedra, Spain to battle for title of European Champion.

I hope you enjoyed this latest blog entry. Thanks for all your support. Will keep you posted on developments over the coming weeks.

4th - Monterrey World Cup

2011-05-11T11:01:00.005+02:00

I got it right – finally! It is kind of a relief to get a good result under my belt after a lot of”not so good” results. This was a result I knew I was definitely capable of but up until now ‘I had not got it right’. The most important thing is that it has now moved me up in the Olympic rankings – so I’m now ranked 30th – out of 55 slots.

It was a very early morning in Monterrey. Due to extreme weather forecast the women’s start was moved from 8.30 am to 8.00 am as they expected temperatures to reach low 40’s later in the day. By that the men’s race could also start 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The Athlete’s lounges opened 1,5h before race start and at that point it was completely dark outside. As ITU races don’t tend to be such early starters it had been a while since I had experienced race preparation in total darkness.

As I mentioned in my race preview the swim was very narrow. After 50 metres we (75 girls) were squeezed into a 40 metre wide space and within the next 40 metre it narrowed to only 10 metres wide. It created a lot of turbulence and fighting. I didn’t have a good swim but I still managed to get out of the water towards the back end of the first group. A smaller group of 6 got away but got caught quite soon into the bike. Only Sarah Haskins (USA) was strong enough to ride solo up front. Haskins rode very hard entering T2 approximately 1 minute ahead of the main group, containing myself, of 50 athletes. This turned out to be very beneficial for her as she eventually won the race.

I had a good 10km run. I was running in the front group consisting of around 8 girls in the beginning which as the km passed the group got reduced. On the final 2,5km lap Ueda (JPN) made a move with only me and Haug (GER) able to go with her. Ueda got a little gap and secured 2^nd place. I was now running in 3^rd with with Haug just behind me. Haug kicked with 200m to go and some kick it was too, my little legs simply could not follow. I recorded the 2^nd fastest running split – only 3 seconds slower than Ueda.

I passed the finish line in 4^th only 2 seconds from podium and 14 seconds from Gold.

I am very pleased with the result. Of course I would love to Podium – but I’m racing for the Olympic points and this year that is all that counts.

With a smile on my face I have now arrived safely in Denmark. I will have 3 weeks solid training before I fly to Madrid to race the 2^nd round of Dextro Energy World Championship on the 5^th of June.

Monterrey ITU World Cup - Preview

2011-05-06T16:49:00.003+02:00

I have within the last 4 weeks changed location from Australia to Japan to Denmark and I am now in Monterrey Mexico. Monterrey is Mexico’s second largest city with a population of 4 million people. I arrived in Monterrey late Tuesday night after almost 24 hours of travelling this combined with the 7 hours time difference to Denmark meant I was one very tired girl on arrival at the race hotel. After a good first night sleep Wednesday meant I was already full of energy and was able to get the most of my training.

Parque Fundidora is the location for Monterrey World Cup. It is a very nice location and a great setting. The park having in the past been used for F1 racing makes for some fast racing. The nearby mountains providing a stunning backdrop for what I know will be a great race.

As I am now two days out from the race my job is to do nothing or very light recovery training. I really enjoy this time leading into a race it enables me time to really get into race mode. Getting relaxed and focused on what needs to be done.

The race takes place this coming Sunday 8th May at 8.30 (GMT -6h). The swim will take place in the canal that runs through the park. It will be short 300m sprint to the turn pontoon once out and over the pontoon it is then 1200m straight heading to T1. The bike will be 8 laps consisting of a 5km totally flat and very technical loop. The run will consist of 4 laps of 2,5km also flat. The weather condition will properly start out quite chilly (around 20 degrees) and then rise to around 30 degrees or so. The temperature out here is a little unique as it is around 17 degrees at sunrise but during the afternoon it reaches high 30s.

I am in a very good place both physically and mentally. This course is definitely a course that is beneficial for my racing style. I am looking forward to getting on that start line and pulling out a result I know I am capable of :)

You can follow live text updates on twitter.com/triathlonlive and results will be available after the race on www.triathlon.org.

Ishigaki ITU World Cup - Race Report

2011-04-23T23:23:00.002+02:00

It has taken me some hours of travelling and some detailed thoughts to evaluate my most recent performance in Ishigaki, Japan. The season is now well under way and Ishigaki was to be my third race in 4 weeks on the road. There was special atmosphere in Japan. As you are all aware Japan is currently experiencing the after effects of the March 11^th Earthquake that has had a devastating effect on Japan as a country. There was understandably major doubt in the weeks before whether the race would actually take place. Ishigaki is Japans most southern city and is about 2000 km south of Tokyo after long deliberation ITU (International Triathlon Union) agreed that it was safe for the race to go ahead.

In the days leading up to the race you could sense that the Japanese people we really pulling together to make this race as special as it has been in past years, despite all the problems the country was currently experiencing. It was only fair that all athletes racing dedicated their day to all those who have been effected by this disaster.

Leading into the race I felt very good. Training had gone well since Sydney WCS one week earlier and I was feeling confident. Race morning arrived and I was feeling good and most of all relaxed. The race started great for me I had a good swim and exited the water in 8^thposition heading the main pack with a small group out in front. This was as good as it got for the first part of my race. Shortly after exiting the water I experienced severe lactic production in my legs. This was a big problem as I simply could not push any power on the bike resulting in me not being able to maintain my position at the front of the race. Entering the 2^nd transition in around 35^th position it was now a question of catching as many girls as possible. I had a very solid run and showed signs of what I know I am capable of. I was able to catch 17 of the girls who were ahead of me finishing the race in 18^th overall. On paper it is a respectable result but if I am honest it is a result I am not satisfied with. Again I had a great run – clocking the 4^th fastest run of the day. My swim was also great but had I been able to hold my position on the bike it would have given me the opportunity to run for podium.

Immediately after the race I couldn’t find any positive. But now having had time to reflect I have a clear understanding of the area that needs to be improved in order to prevent this from happening in the future. Having collected Olympic points with my 18^th position it has helped me move up in the Olympic simulation placing me 40^th out of 55 available slots.

I am now home in beautiful, sunny and warm Denmark (believe it or not we have 23 degrees). This is one of the best places in the world to train when the weather is like this. I have one and a half weeks in Denmark before I leave for the next World Cup – Monterrey, Mexico taking place on the 8^th May. I will now be based in Denmark until autumn and only leave Denmark when I am flying out for races. Soon I will have a ‘complete’ support network around me in Denmark this will enable my preparation and focus for every race is 100%. I am very positive about the next phase of training and very excited to get it right.

ITU World Championship Series - Sydney

2011-04-12T18:53:00.004+02:00

Finally I have had chance to evaluate my ‘race’ on Sunday and establish that I am 100% well and truly focused on closing the chapter titled – Sydney WCS 2011

I am now confident a combination of me swallowing too much salt water and the big swell was the reason for my sickness during the race. Having spoken with a number of experienced athletes it seems that it is something that is not unheard of. The sickness occurred on the second lap of two during the 1500m swim. It took me completely by surprise as I was actually feeling good and focusing on making my way through the field. Out of nowhere my whole body went to jelly and I started to shake, felling nausea and couldn’t see anything. Having lost around 35 places during the second lap it was apparent something was not right. A disorientated swim exit left me out of contention on the bike, although trying hard to bridge a gap to the group ahead of me it was apparent my efforts were never going to be rewarded. This is when I decided to count my losses and withdraw focusing on gaining full health and becoming ready for Ishigaki.

I have now arrived safely in Ishigaki, Japan after a relatively long travel. This coming weekend I will race the ITU World Cup which is the final race of three in this current travel phase. I am looking forward to being on the start line on Sunday and determined to demonstrate the form I showed in Mooloolaba World Cup. The unfortunate events on Sunday has not interrupted my Olympic qualification plan in any way, yes ideally it would have been nice to gain additional points but as it is so early in the season it is not the end of the world. Olympic 2012 selection is still very much on target.

Currently I am in good spirits and confident in my current shape. I have had a few minor problems with my belly since the race but in general I am in good health. Monday I ran along the waterfront by the Opera House in Sydney, a hard interval run with coach. Seeing that coach was unable to follow me is always a sign of good legs. A semi hard swim at the open water pool in Botanic Garden also followed on the same day. So all in all I am fit, healthy and anxious to race.

Thanks again for all your nice words and support. I will keep you posted as the week goes on.

Please follow my Facebook and Twitter pages for more regular updates.

Sydney WCS - Update

2011-04-10T09:06:00.004+02:00

Unfortunately an early and disappointing end to Helle’s World Championship Series opener in Sydney today. Helle pulled out less than half way into the bike. Having now spoken in detail with Helle she informed me that she was suffering with severe sickness just after exiting the water. Helle started to experience nausea/sickness and was suffering from loss of vision while still in the water only for the problem to get worse once exiting the swim and running to transition. Helle being persistent and determined, although very much out of contention, continued to ride solo at the back end of the race in the hope that something would materialize from her efforts. Unfortunately after 2 of 8 bike laps, with only pride to race for, Helle accepted it was best to withdraw from the race. Helle is obviously upset having felt extremely confident in her current shape to perform on the highest level. With no time to dwell on the past Helle is as I write this to you currently conducting a run session to ensure her shape remains in tact leading into Ishigaki World Cup and that all the bad memories from today are quickly replaced with positive ones.

As Helle has recovered so quickly with approximately 4 hours since pulling out of the race the race doctor has established that there is no major health concerns related to the sickness. The most likely cause being excess in take of salt water due to extreme race/water conditions. We will now work hard in certain areas to ensure this problem does not happen again.

Helle will be in touch over the course of the coming days and update you on her progress/training leading into Ishigaki.

Thank you for your continued support and I can promise Helle will be 100% ready and CONFIDENT in 7 days time when she is on the start line for Ishigaki, World Cup.

Helle would like to pass on her congratulations to all the girls & guys out there today, some great racing by all and some very, very gutsy performances.

Ben :)

Mooloolaba ITU World Cup - Race Report

2011-03-29T17:43:00.007+02:00

Finally I have the first race of 2011 under my belt and what a race it was. I was very excited before this race to get my season under way. I had not raced for over 6 months and with this year being very important in regards to London 2012 Olympic qualification I was eager to show off my hard winters training. As many of you will know I chose to spend my winter in the warm and sunny climates of Lanzarote. Having heard the many stories of how badly the majority of Europe suffered major cold fronts and snow storms I am all too happy with my choice.

Before the race I was in very good spirits, I knew I had done the work over the winter, not crazy amounts but enough so that my confidence and belief was high. Physically my body was in good shape and most importantly I was relaxed in my mental thoughts.

Mooloolaba, Australia was the location witnessing one of the strongest World Cup start lists seen in past years. 20 Olympians from Beijing 2008 were in attendance proving the quality of this early season race was fierce.

The weather conditions were not what we had expected – not at all. It was very windy and wet but still 24 degrees. The ocean was wild! The waves were massive it was obvious it was going to be messy. It was very hard to even see the buoys and it was going to be even harder to control your own body due to the forces of the current and waves. I have never tried to race in similar conditions added with the tough Mooloolaba course I was prepared for a tough day at the office!!

I had a solid swim – it could have been better, but it definitely proved that I have put in the work over the winter. I was out of the water approximately 20 seconds after the leader, Emma Moffatt (AUS). Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get my butt into the 1^st group. Instead I found my self amongst a large chase group consisting of around 20 athletes including Roberts (RSA), Frintova (CZE), Campbell (CAN), Line Jensen (my follow Dane), Tremblay (CAN), Klamer (NED), Müller (GER), Annaheim (SUI) and May (LUX). Unfortunately not everyone was so keen on committing to the chase as is so often the case. Line, I and a handful of other girls worked hard out there but we were unable to catch the group of 10 athletes without the help of others. By the end of bike leg our group trailed the lead group of 10 which had now become 8 by 50 seconds. Nicky Samuels (NZL) and Daniela Ryf (SUI) had broken off the front and established a lead of 1 minute 40 seconds by the time they entered T2 - impressive work girls!!

Immediately starting the 10km run I committed to running hard. Despite working hard on the bike my legs felt good. After 2.5km I could feel I was on for a good solid run. Through the 5km mark only 3 girls on the course had recorded quicker 5km splits (Moffat, Riveros & Frintova). It was at this point where I started to suffer from a lack of hard running miles in training. Now it was a case of holding my form and maintaining my race position. I ran very well and was pleased to have finished 11th overall, recording the 6^th fastest run of the day 36’33.

Overall I am very satisfied with my start of the season. It is still very early in the season and a lot can happen so I will continue in what I have been doing up until this point and ensure that I take each race as it comes.

Next coming race will be in 2 weeks where the circuit moves to Sydney and the World Championship Series will kick off. I will stay in Noosa, Sunshine Coast where I will rest and then train for Sydney.

Løbe Magasinet

2011-03-12T17:07:00.005+01:00

Great article published this month in 'Løbe Magasinet' which for all you non-danish followers stands for 'Running Magazine'. I guess it is the Danish equivilent of Runners World. Very proud to show off my new Nike Running kit...the wardrobe continues to grow :)

Currently I am in Denmark putting the final preparations to my training before I head off to Australia to start my race season. The weather is cold but my spirits are high. I am very much feeling confident as we approach the 2011 season.

Adios Lanzarote....Bienvenida Race Season

2011-02-18T22:31:00.006+01:00

What can I say? Currently I am very happy with how my winter training has gone so far. I can’t believe that it has now been 3 months since I left Denmark. Towards the back end of last year I made the decision to spend my winter in Lanzarote. It was a big move but a move which has now proved to be the best decision I have made training wise – it has really paid off, I have never had a better winter training period.

My body really benefits from the warm weather and relaxed environment in terms of faster recovery and I have adapted very well to training in the harsh and windy climate of Lanzarote. I have been consistent in all three disciplines through the winter and for me this is key. My former injuries are under control and I am training pain free. I now feel fit, confident and I am soon ready to race.

I now only have 2 days left in my second home, Club La Santa. I will be ending this winter training with two weeks training camp in Playitas, Fuerteventura with the rest of the Danish National Team and some age groupers. The 6th March I will be returning to Denmark for a short visit, 12 days, before I will fly to Australia to start my 2011 season. I am very excited about getting the 2011 season under way. My race schedule will be updated to my website over the next few days.

As many of you are aware I recently announced the addition of Sailfish and Nike onto my sponsor team for 2011. As is generally the case with new sponsors you receive new products and I can say that I have been one very lucky girl in the past weeks. Nikes first shipment arrived with a very cool chauffeur, who personally delivered two very generous sized sports bags filled with clothing to my apartment in Lanzarote – thanks Johnny :)

My new 2011 race bike has also arrived and in true LOOK style it did not disappoint. With a very cool integrated headset and adjustable stem the new 695 is definitely one of the most state of the art bikes out there. I am very much looking forward to putting it to the test in just under 7 weeks when the season starts.

Thanks everyone for your continued support. I hope you have all had a great winters training, those of you in Northern Europe I hope you have managed to stay injury free whilst training in the freezing conditions. I wish you all the best with you current season plans, stay healthy and race hard!!

New Year = New Opportunities

2011-01-05T13:09:00.008+01:00

As we have now entered a New Year I am very proud to announce the partnership of two major brands who will support me on my quest to gain selection for the London 2012 Olympics.

The first of the two major brands is Sailfish. Sailfish have now established theirselves as one of, if not, the leading wetsuit supplier in the world of triathlon. Company owner Jan Sibberson and I are both very excited about the new partnership, a partnership which will last at least 3 years and see me racing in a Sailfish G-Range suit. I have recently returned from Tenerife where I have been lucky enough to view and try the new range of wetsuits, swim skins and also tri suits. Having been able to test the new range I have no doubt 2011 will be an even bigger year for Sailfish and their products. I am very honoured to be part of the Sailfish team.

The second of the two major brands is possibly one of the biggest companies in the world. It is the worlds leading supplier in athletic shoes and apparel - Nike!! Nike and I will become partners throughout 2011 & 2012 and hopefully our co-operation will continue further. From a very young age I have been a massive fan of Nike and their products, to now be part of the Nike family is a massive honour for me and I look forward to representing the company. Nike are very much leading the way in terms of apparel and footwear in most sports throughout the world. I will now have the priviledge of training, racing and casually wearing many of Nike's amazing products.
The announcement of both Nike and Sailfish reassures me that my road to London 2012 Qualification is not a lonely one. I am very fortunate to have the team of sponsors that I currently have. I want to extend my thanks to everyone who has helped me up until this point. I look forward to my future with the backing of all my current sponsors, coach, family and friends.

Good luck to everyone in 2011, I wish you good health and great achievements.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year – Glædelig jul & Godt nytår

2010-12-27T23:37:00.010+01:00

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I want to use the opportunity to thank personally my sponsors Inopi, Look, Maxim, Reynolds, Claudio Columbi, 2XU, SRAM, Kaiser Sport, Adidas Eyewear, Team Denmark, Danish Triathlon Federation and my graphic designer Oliver Powell your support throughout 2010 has been tremendous and I am very fortunate to have been supported by you all throughout the year. Of course my family and friends who are my biggest followers and supporters, without you guys pursuing my career would be a tough task.

For all of you who are following my blog you know 2010 hasn’t been one of those years I would like to remember. I believe that I am now even stronger both physically and mentally after having “survived” 2010 – and I am only looking ahead now.

I have spent my Christmas in lovely warm Lanzarote with my boyfriend. Believe it or not it is my first Christmas away from Denmark but even though I have missed my family and friends being able to get outdoors and train has meant the world to me. As the weather in most parts of Europe is so severely cold right now I am only thankful that I have spent the festive season in the sun.

(Picture: Christmas Day in Lanzarote, weather wise a million miles away from the BIG FREEZE in Europe)

Training is going very well. My body has once again adapted to the training and I am starting to feel fit again. I have had a lot of great people to train with during the 6 weeks that I have been on Lanzarote. The British National Team where here 2 weeks in December and I joined in as much as I could. I really want to thank you for letting me join your sessions and that I enjoyed training with you guys and I loved your company.

Quick Note: On the sponsor side – it is also going very well. There will be some positive changes for 2011 and 2012 which I happily will announce in the coming weeks

Making of...LOOK Promotion

2010-12-07T15:50:00.002+01:00

Just as I posted my most recent blog update LOOK sent me through this video from the photo shoot taken a few weeks ago in France. Do not have your speakers turned up too loud before pressing play :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feyHKWjUxxo

Great job guys!!

A winter in the sun...

2010-12-07T14:35:00.019+01:00

“As they say – no news is good news.” Anyway – that is the case for me. My body is not giving me any bad news therefore I am doing very well.

I am at the moment in Lanzarote where I have been for 2 weeks now – and I am really enjoying it. And it doesn’t make it any worse that it is snowing and freezing so much in Denmark at the moment so my Danish training squad can’t train outside.

A few days before flying out to Lanzarote I was invited to France for promotional work with LOOK Bicycles and a better insight into LOOK as a company. LOOK has been my main bicycle sponsor since the beginning of 2010 and we will continue to work together through until the end of 2012. LOOK’s headquarters is based in the city of Nevers approximately 250km drive from Paris. One of the main reasons for my visit to LOOK was to complete a photo shoot promoting the new 2011 bikes and apparel range. Aside from the photo shoot it was also a great way to meet the team/manufacturers behind LOOK’s magnificent bike range.

I arrived in Nevers late Wednesday evening. The photo shoot took place Thursday morning and then I spent all Thursday afternoon touring the headquarters and getting a real insight how LOOK Bicycles operates. It was a great experience. I was very fascinated by the way that everything is made by hand and how much “know how” and precision it takes to create these amazing frames. They told me that it takes 50 man hours per frame from the first drawing until the actual frame is complete. That is why LOOK Bicycles is one of the most prestigious bicycle brands in the world!!

I am very proud to be a part of such a unique set up. I really enjoyed my time in France and look forward to returning in the future. I would like to thank Raphael Jeune (LOOK sponsor manager), Christelle Dumortier (Communication assistant) and Celine Sarriau (Communication Manager) for creating such a good atmosphere.

36 hours after my arrival back to Denmark from France I then departed again. This time the destination was Lanzarote – not just for 2 weeks which normally has been the case but more like 2½-3 months. This is the first time in my career I have decided to spend the winter in the sun away from snow so that I can train and not be interrupted by weather issues.

Training is going fine and I have my back and hip under control. My training is still under progression – but situation looks bright.

Thanks for following my progress and I will post a more detailed update on Lanzarote in the next coming weeks.

A Huge Recognition

2010-10-28T21:27:00.002+02:00

I am still in Denmark sorting out my back and hip problems. I need to be very patient but my therapists are really optimistic. But as they say “your body doesn’t forget”. You can’t cheat your body. It remembers the damage that has been caused on it. I have already come a long way. I am back training as a Triathlete where I do all three legs – not much but I am training :) That is really amazing and you don’t really appreciate how much you love the sport before it is taken away from you. I am gradually building up my strengths and the stability in my body again.

As the plan looks now I will be leaving Denmark around the 20th November to spend my winter on Lanzarote and prepare for 2011 season. I am currently very busy with lectures, sponsor work and making personal training and nutrition programs. But I love it!

Recently I received some great news. I have received an Olympic scholarship from the International Olympic Committee. We are 8 athletes in Denmark all from different sports that have received this scholarship. It is a huge recognition from the International Olympic Committee to be chosen as one of the athletes that they believe has a large chance of qualifying for London 2012 and also performing at a high standard in London. The Olympic scholarship support is a unique opportunity for me so that I can train more targeted and focused during the Olympic qualification.

A Premature Seasons End :(

2010-10-13T05:18:00.002+02:00

This was definitely not the way I wanted my season to end. I kept on hoping that maybe I could turn it all around and end my season an honorable way with some good results. But nothing has gone my way this year. I could not get rid of my hip/back injury – which I have dealt with since April. All through the season I have raced and trained whilst in pain. Around 3 weeks ago I finally realized that I couldn’t continue this pattern. My pain got worse and I had neural pain all the way down my leg. Three years ago I had a discus prolaps (slipped disc) so I recognized the pain. I started to get concerned and I was worried that I could cause further damage to my body. So I made the tough decision of “calling it a season” and REST. My body had been screaming for me to rest at so many points throughout the year and I continued to ignore it. Now I want to take the opportunity to get my body back to a pain free one and build up a solid base ready for 2011 season.

After that decision was made I had 16 days completely off – and I mean I did absolutely nothing. It was while at “my second home” on Lanzarote, visiting my boyfriend, Ben that the final decision was made. The plan was to train there for the last two world cups. In the beginning it was tough to stay there, there were so many triathletes who were preparing for Hawaii including my boyfriend that I found it hard to switch off from the sport. But after I had accepted my decision I then began to enjoy my time in the sun and made the most of being able to do nothing.

When I arrived back in Denmark I had an MRI scan of my back. The results were kind of positive – that means my back wasn’t any worse than it was three years ago. I still had my discus prolaps, but it was ‘inactive’ and then some of the bones in my back have changed a bit due to the crashes and over strain. I was happy that I didn’t have a new prolaps but there were still small issues that needed to be sorted. To overcome all those back problems I have started to do specific back/hip training together with a Physiotherapist from Team Denmark’s medical crew.

I started to “be active” again one week ago – with an average 1 hour of training per day. The main focus is my back/hip strength training and then start to run again. Since March I have been running 27K average per week – shocking, huh?! I will do everything I can to build it up gradually now and then I will hopefully next year I can show what I am capable of.

Currently we are making a plan for the off season all the way until the season is scheduled to start in March 2011. I will be staying in Denmark until my back is strong and the training is flowing again. Along with my own training I will be busy over the next 1½ month preparing lectures, training schedules and nutritional programs for many of my clients. Once I have completed all this administration work and got back into the flow of training the plan is to then move down to Lanzarote for around 3 months to live with my boyfriend and spend a winter training in the sunshine.

I do hope that my next update will be a bit more positive in regards to the progression in training. I am also currently establishing my sponsor team for my journey until London 2012 Olympics…. More news to come.

Recent Media Articles

2010-09-06T10:48:00.007+02:00

In the sport of triathlon it is never easy to get the media exposure that our sponsors rightfully deserve. The main reason for this is that Triathlon is still classed as a minority sport. However with participation numbers ever growing I don't think it will be long before it is recognised a lot more throughout the media. I am fortunate enough that throughout my home country of Denmark I feature in Newspapers and Magazines numerous times throughout the race season.

I have included below some recent Danish media coverage I have received which hopefully helps raise the profile of the sport of Triathlon throughout Denmark and also gives back something to all the great sponsors that support me on my journey :)

- On-Sport.dk video article while paying a visit to Kaiser Sport my current footwear sponsors

View Article

- Sporten.dk article regarding my tough race season so far and my on going back injury

View Article

(Apologises to my non-Danish followers it is kind of hard to translate these articles)

This photograph I can honestly say is not the prettiest picture I have had taken but I think it is a great shot (although quite scary). It was taken while performing a Swim - Bike brick session at Club La Santa, Lanzarote during my preparation for Kitzbuhel WCS. I Hope it gives you an idea of the work we put in as Professional athletes despite many high and low periods. Despite all the glamorous media coverage that we attract as high end sports athletes, away from the camera we endure a lot of pain during our many hours of training.

Photograph was taken by Bob Foy, one of sweetest most relaxed sports photographers I have ever worked with. Thanks Bob!!

And MY rollercoaster contiues....

2010-08-29T20:03:00.007+02:00

Too much disappointment.

Too much pain.

And it is never easy to write a blog when you wish that the last 3 weeks has been a bad dream...

But – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger - at some point anyway. Unfortunately I had a DNF in Kitzbühel. The week before Kitzbühel I did the World Cup in Tiszaujvaros (Tiszzy) where I really thought things were on the up. Going into Tiszzy I had been doing very little running due to a hip injury. The injury had occurred as a result of my crash in Madrid WCS back in June. During the race in Tiszzy I started to feel that the pain was getting worse – but obviously as I was in a good position I tried to ignore it. After the race I realized that I had done quite a lot of damage – I mean everything hurt – even brushing my teeth! But I tried to live with it and tried to focus on Kitzbühel. But as most of you know it’s really demanding to be in constant pain.

Come race day in Kitzbühel I felt a bit better – but at that point I had not been running since the race in Tiszzy. And here I was thinking that it was the run that was my Achilles…..apparently not!! It was to be a poor tactical decision which would end my race pretty much from the start. I picked a spot on the pontoon totally left away from all of the top swimmers. It was a very unwise move. “Why? I hear you ask” my reason being I wanted to try and get clear water. I thought that by picking the far left of the pontoon would help me avoid all the mayhem and stay out of trouble. Admittedly it did, but I was not able to be pulled along by fast swimmers so by the time I hit the first buoy I ended up being stuck on the inside amongst all the mayhem and being totally honest, it took a lot out of me, I like to think I can take a couple of blows but by the time we were out and around the first buoy I was out of contention. I exited the first swim lap in around 50th position I managed to make up a few places but as a result I exited the water in the 3rd bike pack which contained 10 athletes. The front two packs consisted of 25 athletes, both worked equally well.….this must of been my worst swim in a World Championship Series race and with the standard being so high there is no room for error!!

Once out onto the bike it was soon apparent that I was amongst girls that a) were not willing to work or b) simply could not work. I tell you it is so frustrating to find yourself in a bike pack that can’t get organized and work together. We kept on loosing time to the leaders and by the time we hit T2 there was around 4 minutes to the front group. Out on the run I was in big pain and I was worried about it. After only 2km of running I decided to call it a day and pulled out. It wasn’t worth it – I was running for top 30 and I didn’t know how much damage I could cause on my body.

It turned out to be a wise decision. When I arrived back in Denmark I was examined by my osteopath and it turned out that I had a discus protrusion in my lower back the same place where I had my discus prolapsed 3 years ago. The nerve in that area has been compressed for a while so it was swollen and inflamed. That was why I had so much pain in my back and hip. I’m now being treated regularly and the nerve is getting much better. I have now just started to run my longest run so far being 20 minutes. The plan is to gradually increase my running over the next couple of weeks and all being well you will see me on the start line in Budapest.

Admittedly I have not had a great 2010 race season. With now only 3 races left in my season I hope I can salvage something from these next few races and end 2010 in a positive frame of mind. If I can manage to do that then at least I can take some positives from this year’s race season.

(Picture) Courtesy of Will Clarke

Trying to erase all memories of a bad day in the office!!

Tiszzy Race Report

2010-08-10T22:17:00.005+02:00

Finally I got it right!! The race started as I wanted it to - finally my swim came together and I showed I am a front pack swimmer. At the half way point I exited the water in 5th, after the swim finish and T1 I was lying in around 8th position. The swim was, to no surprise, led out by Sara McLarty (USA) who managed to get around 60 seconds on us lead girls behind. At the beginning of the bike a smaller group of 11 girls formed but unfortunately for us the chase pack managed the bridge the gap and caught us after around 22km. The first group was then 40+ girls for the remainder of the 40 km bike course. While McLarty extended her lead to 90 seconds. I worked well in the group and tried to stay out of trouble by holding my position amongst the first ¼ of the group. It is a very technical course in Tiszzy with 11 corners per lap so the risk of crashes is a bit bigger - and understandably that still crosses my mind.

Once safely off the bike and into T2 a group of 6 girls (including myself) quickly exited transition. The group consisted of Sapunova (UKR), Swallow (GBR), Moreno (BRA), Jackson (AUS), and Kovacs (HUN). After around 4km the group was down to 5 and after 6½km the pace was picked up and I couldn’t follow the front girls. I dropped down to 6th position and in the last 200m I was overtaken as well. I thereby finished in 7th position and got good Olympic points.

I am happy about my performance and I now believe that this is the start of MY season and from now on I am on the right track. I proved that now I am where I should be on the swim and my running level is also improved (with very little running). I finished the last 10km in 34.54 which is 50 sec faster than I did last year on the same course in Tiszzy. That 10km split gives me confidence because I have been running very little due to the crashes and injuries. I would imagine that I am running around 1/3 of the weekly amount of my nearest competitors. So I know there is much more to come.

Stories from the circuit

As all of you know it is a good idea to do some recovery training after a race and especially when you are racing next weekend as I am. Vanessa Raw (GBR) and I went on cool down spin a short while after the race. After only 5min of riding Vanessa chose to dive over her handlebar. She landed on her belly and looked pretty sorry for herself – and maybe a bit embarrassed – I wish that I had brought my camera! It turned out that the front wheel came off as she tried to get over a curb. Luckily she suffered no injuries and she was able to laugh about what happened. I put the bike together again and we continued our little spin. Later, whilst performing a U-turn Vanessa realized that she couldn’t brake and was very close to taking a spectacular dive again and ending up on her belly. At that point we saw that her front fork had snapped and there was also a crack in the front wheel. We found our self in the middle of nowhere in Hungary with a broken bike; no money and no one to call that was able to help out. What do you do then? The only thing we thought of was to try and hitch hike!! After a short while a car pulled over…. apparently we didn’t look that stupid with our helmets on – but believe me we did we were exactly like 2 blonde girls totally lost. Although we were cautious we decided it was the best option. Vanessa got in the car with her, now, broken bike and I rode back to Tiszzy. Luckily neither of us were kidnapped and we both arrived back to our accommodation in one piece. Just goes to show that even during cool downs anything can happen. Now we just have to cross our fingers that she is able to get a new bike before she leaves for Kitzbühel.

I will stay in Tiszzy until Wednesday morning where I leave for World Championship Series in Kitzbühel. I am just going to train a bit and enjoy the life of a Pro. Oh yeah and let the foot heel as well :)

Take care :)

World Cup Tiszaujvaros - Preview

2010-08-06T21:58:00.004+02:00

Having just arrived in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary aka ‘Tiszy’ I thought it may be a good time to update my blog before I take to the start line on Sunday. My final weeks training in Denmark went as well as it could of. I was very anxious to see how my run would be after my little running break due to an ongoing hip injury. I am not totally free of pain yet…but it is a lot better - so much better that I am confident running on it won’t make it any worse. I am happy to say that the speed is still there, all that is needed now is for me to be patient yet again so that I can reach my peak in time for Budapest.

I have had a solid block of training since my last World Cup race in Holten. I feel a lot more confident now coming into Tiszaujvaros; I am ready for racing again!! I am feeling good both physically and mentally. I am looking forward to being on the start line and racing again. It is my 4th time in a row being here at Tiszaujvaros - I just love the hospitality of the people here. The atmosphere they create in this little community during this triathlon weekend is amazing.

A full preview of the race can be viewed here online at triathlon.org.

The women race will kick off Sunday at 10.30 CET and the men at 13.30 CET. Live timing and text will be available on www.triathlon.org. Stay Tuned!!!

Two steps forward, One step backwards....

2010-08-01T16:27:00.001+02:00

Where am I now…? Well definitely in better shape than 3 weeks ago, but still not quite where I would like to be. The reason why I’m not satisfied is I haven’t really been running as much as I would have liked. After my crash in Madrid where I landed very heavily on my hip it has since caused me a lot of pain and troubles. Not only did I land heavily on it in Madrid but two tumbles during pre season training has meant the tissue in that area is damaged and won’t really work properly. Right now I have had a whole week off running and the problem seems to be getting better. Fingers crossed this little break from running will help the area settle.

After the World Cup in Holten I had a solid training week in Denmark before flying out to Lanzarote. I have spent the last 9 days in Lanzarote based at Club La Santa where my boyfriend lives and works. Training went well but was influenced by a lot of pain from the hip but I still managed to get some good sessions under my belt. I just love being on that Island, in the sun and amongst great people – that makes me happy and everything works so smooth. I have now recently arrived back in Denmark where I will stay for the rest of this week before I leave on Thursday for the World Cup in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary the 8th August. After that race I will fly directly to Kitzbühel, Austria for the 6th round of the World Championship Series the 15th August.

The next 5 days the main focus is to get the running back on track again and of course stay on top of swimming and riding. Hopefully I can update you all on my feelings and thoughts before I take my place on the start line next weekend.

A Step in the Right Direction

2010-07-12T10:19:00.003+02:00

2010 Holten ITU Triathlon World Cup - If I look at the official results I am not satisfied but if I look at the process during the race I am satisfied. I came to this race with a purpose of getting in the mix again on the bike, not be afraid or too careful and to race as aggressive as I normally do on the bike. If I only look at that I am happy. I feel that I am there again, I am not afraid and I feel good mentally on the bike.

But that was just 1/3 of the race. The swim was really bad – not to be in the first pack was really disappointing. I again had to work so hard on the bike – but no matter how hard you work you can’t do it alone when the first pack is working together. But I kept on riding hard in the front of my group because I needed to regain that confidence on the bike. I knew that it maybe wasn’t the best strategy for my running legs but it needed to be done.

On the run I paid the price for working so hard on the bike and I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and where I have been leading up to the race in training. Unfortunately I also struggled with my asthma but that’s just a part of it at times.

If I stop and evaluate this race and the process I have been going through the last 3 months I can’t expect to be completely on top of my game. The last 5 weeks since the crash in Madrid has been turbulent as I wrote in my previous blog and especially my swimming has suffered. On my run I am still a bit behind due to injuries which kept me from running in March/April and also due to crashes in April and at the World Champs Series in Madrid. If I take a step back I think the best decision right now will be to do a 4 week training block until World Cup in Tiszaujvaros and World Champs Series in Kitzbühel. I need to get that extra fitness as I am lacking and not able to show my true potential. If I can regain that level of fitness I had before Madrid and keep my confidence on the bike I think that could be the recipe for good results.

A Month of Defeats...!!!!

2010-07-07T22:51:00.003+02:00

What is the limit for the amount of bad luck one person can take….???

I will start by apologizing for this late update. It has been a very tough month both mentally and physically for me.

Everything looked so bright and I was very eager and excited to get my race season started on the right track. The 5th June I raced the 3rd round of the World Championship Series in Madrid. The settings were perfect for me. It was a very hot day with a temperature of 35 degrees. The swim was non-wetsuit, the bike course was tough and hilly, the run would be challenging because of heat and hard bike course. But I love it like that. During the race I could feel that this day would maybe be the day where I would get my biggest result to date. I was flying on that bike and I didn’t get tired at all. So I was just waiting to get on that run course and show what I was capable of, a position between 5th – 7th was definitely possible the way I was feeling. But unfortunately that shouldn’t be the case. Just before 2nd transition I was pushed from my left side while I was getting out of my bike shoes. I then got a pedal in my front wheel and then it was game over. I was dragged along the road on my back and hip. I had road rash all over my body and some which was extremely deep. My race was over!!! I was hurting, frustrated and angry because this was the 3rd crash I have had in a World Champ Series and all of them have been unavoidable and never my fault. Below is a glimpse at the road rash suffered in Madrid.

How can so much bad luck hit one person?

I couldn’t do anything else than look ahead and concentrate on recovering and then let time decide when I was able to race again. Des Moines the weekend after was definitely a no go. I was recovering fast but it was still a very hard time mentally and I was in a lot of pain. Due to my quick recovery I was pretty much back in full training again 10 days after the crash.

3 weeks after Madrid we had the Danish Olympic Distance Triathlon Championship. I have been the reigning champion the last 4 years and thought that race might be a good training race. Due to the European Championship being held a week later in Ireland I thought it would be a good idea to race again and get the worst tension out of my body. On the other hand I didn’t make the decision to race until 2 days before the race but I was there at the start line.

I had a fine swim and exited the water 2nd. The next plan was just to get on that bike and time trial until the leader was caught and then cruise it on the run. But again the bad luck was still hanging above my head. Only 800m out of transition 1 I had a flat tire. There was then 4km to wheel stop so I had no chance of riding on a flat tire for 4km – therefore I had to withdraw from the race. VERY disappointed and again frustrated I left the race course before the finish line.

Can I find any positive in that? To be on the start line only 3 weeks after a crash, that has to be up there with the worst in Triathlon, must be a positive and strong signal to send and an achievement in itself.

Only 6 days after the flat tire episode at the Danish Championship I was on the start line in Ireland at the European championship. I was just praying that this race would be the race where I would turn all this bad luck around and get the results I know I am capable of. I knew that if everything came together I was able to get a top 5 maybe even a podium having placed 9th the previous year.

Again I had a good swim – only 22 second from the front. So I was where I should be for a good result. But somehow I didn’t manage to stay in the group coming out of transition?? Why is that? Is it the cobwebs of not racing that much? Am I not in good enough shape? Whatever the reason I found myself in the 2nd group and very quickly all the tension and fear I gained after Madrid came straight back. I found myself sitting around 5-10m behind the 2nd pack and pretty much time trailing the race! Obviously I need time and I need to race to get this out of the system. Due to all this I came out on the run around 30th which was a huge disappointment. I knew that no matter how quick I ran I wasn’t able to do better than around 10th - 12th position. I couldn’t see the point in killing myself on the run because it was the position in this race that matters, it wasn’t the points I was after. I just ran steady and didn’t push it. I know this is not the right frame of mind but when you know you are capable of maybe a podium then running for top 20 seems worthless.

Another disappointment…. The only thing that is positive is that I didn’t get a DNF (did not finish). As I mentioned before I think it is racing I need to get over all this. And I guess that I have now reached my limit for how much bad luck one person can experience. I still have my beliefs and my chin is up, and I know that I will turn it all around soon maybe this Saturday where I race the World Cup in Holten, Holland. The women race start Saturday the 10th July at 11.30 local time. Please check http://www.triathlon.org/ for live race updates. Stay turned :)

Reynolds Wheel Sponsorship Officially Announced!

2010-06-15T15:39:00.003+02:00

So it is now official, I have now been announced as 'Reynolds Wheels' individual sponsored athlete for 2010. I am really looking forward to working with Reynolds, their products are amazing and have had excellent reviews. The RZR wheels are so light and responsive.

No doubt they will help me perform at the top throughout 2010.

Cycling World/Reynolds Wheel Sponsorship

Under Construction...

2010-06-15T15:22:00.001+02:00

Hi All,

Many thanks for checking into my new blog, currently I am awaiting the completion of my new website before I officially launch it all. This blog will run alongside my new website to give you all an insight into my life.

The website will be more of a professional look on things. Of course it is designed to give my followers information about myself but also it is a marketing tool for my current sponsors and potential sponsors. This blog will be my personal way of keeping in touch we those who follow my progress on a regular basis. I will inform you about recent news, training, training camps, race reports, high/low's etc all of this will be covered in this blog by myself. I look forward to the launch of the new website in conjunction with this blog and hope it gives you an insight to life as a professional triathletes.

Thanks everyone.