I had a good swim and came out just off the leading 2 Japanese swimmers, but there was no real gap in the main pack and a large group formed on the bike and made for a slow pack ride with no real fire in it, so I sat in and waited for the run. I had a good T2 and run out in front and formed a group with Kiyomi and Tomoko Sakimoto. We run together for the first half of the run before Kiyomi and I pulled away from Sakimoto. Kiymoi got the better of me in the final stages and took the win. Another podium for the start of my season, so all is on track. I now fly to the UK and set up camp in Loughborough for the summer.
Full Ishigaki report here: www.triathlon.org

Thanks to Choclate Graphics and Aquadiva for my nice pink race suit!!

Take care,

Liz

Posted: Fri, 30th April 2010

I had a decent swim sitting in the front end of the main job. The bike was fast for the first few laps, but a very large group formed early and there was no breakaways. The course was tough with the climb up Macquarie street at the start of each lap and a little nervy going back down into transition on the cobbles and around under the opera house. I tucked in the group but never felt 100% comfortable. I managed to get on the front coming down the hill the last time into transition, got off the bike clean and then had a few problems, i couldn't get my bike to stay in the rack and i had trouble getting my shoes on (a few people have asked if i was doing my hair and makeup in there..) which cost my an extra 15 sec in transition and i missed the front run group on the first lap.

So off to a bad start on the run and I just didn't have the spark in me for the first 5k of the run and was looking at finishing outside the top 20. I managed to find some legs in the last 5k and pulled back some places and ran myself into 12th, but too little too late. So I picked up some points and $$ for the series. Not a terrible start to the 2010 campaign, but not the best either. I am now resting up a little and enjoying my last few days here on the Gold Coast before heading to Ishigaki, Japan for the World Cup on the 25th. From there it is back the UK.

Take care,

Liz

Posted: Wed, 14th April 2010

It was as great day on the Sunny Coast with 29 degrees and water temperature at 25 degrees, the swim was an ocean swim with a nice little 1 to 2ft wave breaking in the Mooloolaba bay. I had a good swim and sat in second on the feet of Laura Bennett for the 1500m. Coming into the beach I managed to get a wave and had a good wade over the shallow part of the sandbar to exit the water second behind Laura.

Laura and I had a small break on the first lap of the bike but decided it would be a long hot day out there alone and sat up for the next group who unfortunately weren’t keen to work and maintain/establish a gap so a front bunch of about 20 girls formed. Again this bigger group wasn’t working together and the chase group closed down our lead to 30 seconds by the end of the bike. Conditions where hot and humid and the 14 times over the Mooloolaba hill was going to takes it toll and some or all of us once onto the run.

I had a good T2 and sat in on the front pack for the first few laps with Tanner, Stimpson, Sakimoto, Roberts and Mensink. On the third lap girls began to drop off and I was left running with Sakimoto from Japan. Frintova from the Czech Republic was running through making ground. Onto the last lap and I started to feel the pain of the tough Mooloolaba course and the heat of the day. When Frintova came past me and Sakimoto pulled away it was all I had left to hang tough for the podium. I finished 3rd for my first World Cup podium since 2006 which put a smile on my face. The race was a great hit out before the first World Championship Series race in Sydney in 2 weeks. Congrats to my Chocolate Graphics team mate Kate Roberts on her 4th place!

See you in 2 weeks in Sydney!!!

Take care,

Liz

Posted: Tue, 30th March 2010

Preseason training is in full swing. I have just finished a 3 week British Triathlon training camp near Girona in Spain. An amazing part of the world to train in where we stayed at a custom made facility for sports camps gironacycling.com . I am now in Loughborough braving the English winter but making the most of the squad and facilities at the training centre. I have just over a month left before my first race in Mooloolaba and I am beginning to get itchy feet! a good sign I think.

I am happy to announce that I will be riding a new bike this year - Blue bikes, so I'm loving that and look forward to getting out racing on it. I will once again be racing for the Chocolate Graphics team in 2010, thanks to John, Cheryl and the crew at Chocolate Graphics . Along with Chocolate Graphics I will be wearing the Scholl logo in 2010, I am very happy to be working with Scholl International- the best foot care products on the planet

And check me out on twitter for daily updates.

Liz

Posted: Fri, 5th March 2010

Friday October 16th, 5pm, Bali Niksoma I lovingly exchanged my vows, rings and sloppy kisses with my long time lover and BFF Glen Murray!! We had a fantastic day with about 35 friends and family there to celebrate with us. The sunset was amazing and the Balinese people put on a perfect ceremony for us. We could not has asked for a better day and i will remember it forever (well most of it!). We spent 2 weeks in Bali honeymooning. I managed to do a far bit of surfing with Glen as my own personal instructor. I got plenty of waves at Padang beach, Playgrounds at Nusa Lombongan and at Balian in the last week of our trip. I left the massive barrels of Uluwatu to Glen and tried my hand at photography;)

After Bali we flew back to Melbourne to Glen's parents, picked up Buttons (our dog) and the camper van and took a week to drive back to the Gold Coast via the NSW coast. We stopped at Wollongong, Sydney, Port Macquarie, Crescent Head, Woolgooga and Yamba for various nights and surfs before arriving back on the Gold Coast. I am now settling back into some training on the Coast before i head back to the UK for the British Triathlon December training camp in Spain.

Take care and bomb the base, it's winter (or summer or I'm confused)!!!
Liz

Posted: Fri, 20th November 2009