29.05.2009
Madrid WC this weekend
So, finally time to bite the dust... After 7 months without any racing it is finally time to get back into that racesuit of mine. It feels like a very long time, far too long really, and I think I would have pictured my comeback somewhat different. My goal was to comeback stronger and fitter than ever before - instead the battle with my knee has forced me maybe to take a step backwards. Thankfully the season is long and we are just getting started. This is what olympic champion Kate Allen reminded me of when I met her in the pool today. Patience. Patience. A difficult word sometimes.
My prep training has gone well and I'm fitter than in a long time. But I'm still not quite on top of the game, yet. The goal is to get the most out of my body on raceday - the result will be an indication but wont change my world. At the moment I'm enjoying being here but kind of looking forward to get back to Davos and the upcoming block of training. Hopefully I'll be dying to get to the racestart in Washington...or at least that the plan.
25.05.2009
Win in gladbeck
Yey, the premiere went well and I took home the induvidual spint race in the morning. I was pushed to the line by Christiane Pilz who took second with fellow team mate Lena Brunkhorst in third. This set the team in a very good postion for the afternoons team time trial which we one easy with some 5mins+ to spare. Nice one.
The body responded well even tho it was a bit of a shock to the system.
Bundesligarace in Gladbeck
It's finally time for me to get in the racesuit again. The knee has recovered and I've been training well for some 6 weeks now. The format is a short and sweet one with a super sprint in the morning (250m-5km-2,5km) and a team time trial in the afternoon. It's a good oportunity for me to blow out some cobwebs, get some transition practice and hopefully a lot of good speed in my legs.
30.03.2009
Bike race, Wendesloppet
As some people know I have been back home in Sweden for a few weeks now. I’m training well again after my knee problems and looking forward to start the 2009 season soon. Warming up for the first couple of races I’ll do a bike race, Wendes loppet, this weekend. It’s a small tour of three stages taking part in my hometown Kristianstad over Saturday and Sunday. You can find more info of the race here;http://www.ckc4.se/?vad=visaextra&extra=13
27.03.2009
No Mooloolabar this weekend
Unfortunately I had to take my name off the startlist for this weekends first World Cup race in Mooloolaba.
Just a 2hr drive away from my base at the Gold Coast it was supposed to be a easy-to-get-to first bigger hitout of the year. But sometimes things doesn't work out as smooth as you wish - and this years trainingcamp been one of them. We haven't been able to rehab my knee as well as we hoped and I'm not at all where I want to be before a major race. I have decided to go back home to sweden and continue my rehab work on home soil with my friends and family around. I have learnt that although an camp environment is very good for you in hard training - it could be just as challenging when you are injured. So instead of another few weeks on the coast I'll have the great pleasure of celebrating a Swedish easter this year - something I haven't been able to do in a long time. Herring, meatballs and (chilly) nordic air might just do the trick...
I'll keep u updated with how the knee is progressing - and hopefully I'll be able to give you some nicer material by the end of May. Maybe just in time for the Madrid WC...
20th Feb 2009
Race debut in Auckland this weekend!
So it's time to get back in the racesuit again. After having spent 3months at the Gold Coast working on the base for this season this will be my first hitout for the year.
I have been struggling with a knee injury for about 5 weeks so I know my run wont be up to scratch, that was also the reason for my withdrawal from the Hobart race last weekend. This weeks training has shown great improvements and I think I'll be ready to get back into run training again sometime next week. The time I couldn't put into my running I spent in the pool instead which makes me quite excited over the swim tomorrow. It will be a good opportunity for me to see where I'm at.
The start is at 4:04pm local time tomorrow, it's all broadcast live on TVNZ (www.tvnz.co.nz) and live streamed on www.triathlon.org.nz
What a year!
2008 turned out be my breakthrough year.
I would like to make a shorter summary of the highs and lows from the year that’s been before I start to fully look into what’s ahead of me.
The season started with two races down in Australia, their national championships over both the Olympic and Sprint distance. I finished that with two silver medals and some pointers to what I needed to work with in the last prep phase for the World Cup season.
I did my homework well and started the year with a bronze medal at the Mooloolaba WC and a silver medal at the New Plymouth World Cup. Those were my first couple of time on the podium and the high lasted for weeks. After this we went back to Europe and the base to be in the French Pyrenees. Another block of base training was ahead of us before the next block of races that was going to take us all the way over to Canada and the World Championship, a major test event for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
My first hit out was the Europeans in which I came down straight from heavy training, I didn’t expect much so guess my what a positive surprise it was for me to run in third and claim my first ever medal in a senior Championship! Two weeks after we travelled down to Madrid where I got some good news that my running was coming on nicely and I finished in 5th spot, first of us girls not making the breakaway of four. I had an early morning flight the following day and survived the long haul flight over the Canada and Victoria. The nigh I arrived I went out for dinner – and caught a serious spell of food poisoning. I day in the hospital and 3,5liters of IV wasn’t the best ever prep for a world championship. I hoped that I would be ok at race day – but pushed my body a bit too hard in which it said; STOP and no more after 5k’s into the run. A disappointing 20th place…
I went back up to the Pyrenees and continued my hard training, I posted better and better times all over and started to get really excited over the fact the Olympic games was coming closer! Two weeks prior I ran my best ever 5k in the German Sprint Champs(3rd) and two days after we took off for Beijing. The Olympics was the disappointment of the year as I blew my race in the swim missing the front pack. It didn’t help that I ran more then 3 minutes quicker than the year before –the gap to the front girls were too big. Ouch.
I got back home, trained like hell just feeding from my recent set back. I won the Swedish Champs, the Swedish Duathlon Champs and a race in Germany. All set to head out for my last block of races this year. I came down to France angry, fit and hungry for revench. It worked, and worked well. I had my best ever swim performance getting out of the water in 10th position, then running away from the girls crossing the line first. A victory in Lorient WC, thank god I didn’t stop the season over in the Olympic village! I went straight over to Dallas to claim me 5th win in a row riding away from the girls in the Toyota Lifetime Fitness race. The year just got better and better.
My last race was maybe a bit too much, I was mentally on my way down and the race worked out to be the hardest one on the WC series this year. A cruel hill together with gruelling heat made everyone suffer (apart from maybe Warriner who looked like she could do two in a row). Out of 19th starters only 8th finished –this must be some kind of record?
I managed to hold on to 5th place and left Mexico ranked number 5th in the World Cup series.
A long way away from the girl I new last year who was happy for every single WC point she could get…
It has been a great year and I have enjoyed, maybe not every single moment – but close to it.
My plan is too keep improving and keep getting up on that podium.
It must be one of my favourite places in this world actually!
27.11.2008
It’s been great having some time off triathlon catching up with friends and family again. The season behind me has been very intense, lots of races, training camps and new experiences. Saying that is has also been the best year in my life!
I’ll go back to the Gold Coast to join my coach Darren and the girls in the squad. Some of them are already down there having started out – some will be arriving next week.
On my way down I’ll make a stop in Sydney and catch up with my friends over there, soak up some sun and (hopefully) catch a wave or two.
Then it’s back to work.
Hard work and hard work only.
For months.
Bring it on!
24.10.2008
The very last race of the season is just around the corner. I’ll finish this year with the World Cup final in Huatuclo on Sunday.
I arrived here in Mexico late Thursday night without bags or bike. It was all stuck in Mexico City and I had to negotiate the time until Friday lunch with no gear but what I had travelled in.
Lesson: Always pack a kit of running gear in the handluggage…
The bike course looks demanding as it will take us over a major hill each lap, the temperatures are high and there is lots of humidity. I expect Sunday to one of the harder races I lined up for this year. Even though the field is small it’s compact and consists of some world class athletes. With the lasts points of the year being handed out everyone has a position on the overall World Cup ranking to fight for.
I’m currently in 5th but have the opportunity to move up to 3rd when I place either 2nd or 1st.
To watch the race live go to: www.triathlon.org
Local start time is 8am
05.10.2008
Another win in the Toyota US Open, Dallas!
The flow just seems to continue! What a year this turned out to be.
I left France thinking life just couldn’t be any better. How wrong I was…
I turned up in Dallas tired after the long haul flight, just looking at the race as a bonus on a already long and prolonged season. Everything turned out perfectly for me with a lovely homestay, great training and enough rest to feel ready when the race came up.
The bike was in top condition and the legs ready for another battle. The field was small but condensed and it was some strong girls lining up at the start ready to get going. I had a great swim up to the turnaround half way and then lost the main group. With being such a small field there weren’t as many feet to hang on to as in a World Cup, the sun was right in our eyes and I struggled to see where the swim exit was.
As always it is a big relief to get to my bike and get the helmet on, right girls – let’s get started! I came out with Diebens on the bike and already before we left the park we had caught the main pack.
I was worried about getting a drafting penalty so I moved to the front to avoid being caught up to close to someone else. I realised I could push the pace a bit to get the girls stretched out, my legs felt fine and the effort level wasn’t too high. About half way trough I had pulled away from the main group having Haskins, Diebens and Spririg keeping my pace.
In to T1 I had about 30 seconds to Sarah Haskins who ran out in 2nd place. Knowing my current running fitness I was very happy to have that kind of lead already. Before the race I thought I would have to chase pretty hard on the run, and I was a bit surprised to be off the front. Just like in Lorient I had to do my own race trying to push all the way , the run was an out and back course and I had no idea what was happening behind me until I reached the halfway mark. My running started to feel better as I got into the race, guess the TT takes it out of you a little bit more than a World Cup kind of bunch ride. The last 4k’s were all in a sudden downhill slope and I enjoyed letting to body go finding that easy rhythm where it feels like you just floating on top of the surface. When I did the last turn out on the homestretch I started to believe I actually was going to win this race.
As crazy as it was, me – winning the Lifetime race. But the banner was there and the announcer was calling out my name. Kathi (my homestay) was grabbing me and giving me a massive hug before I was called into the interview area. The rest of the afternoon was a blur of smiles, people, important people, drug tests, vip lounges following by a post race party with a hummer limo pick up…
I will now stay on Dallas until the 23rd when I’m flying over to Mexico for the last race of the year, the grand World Cup Final.
27.09.2008
World Cup win in Lorient!
What a tremendous year 2008 has been for me. Yesterday I made the year complete with winning the gold medal in the Lorient World Cup. Now I have the complete triple with one medal of each colour in the BG World Cup Series for 2008. This is so much more than what I hoped for when the year started and it feels like I have now taken the step from U23 to high performance triathlon on elite level.
The race was one of those rare perfect ones where everything just cruces along and you wondering why it is so easy. I’ve done some great swimming work with SS Delfin in Broby which I believe helped me a fair bit in the swim. I exited the water in 10th position and well within the main group which for me is a best ever result. I didn’t have to make any catch up work on the bike but could look after myself the whole way. The speed was decent the whole way and as the course was undulating with some technical challenges I had to be switch on the whole time. In the past week and a half one of my legs has given me a bit of trouble so I was careful not pushing too hard. I was a bit scared of coming off the bike just to realise I wouldn’t be able to run as fast as I wanted to.
Into transition I had a good position in the front end of the pack and I exited not first, but well among the leaders. I felt straight away that the leg was fine and that there still was a lot of power left. The pace felt slow so I moved to the front just to knock it up a bit and maybe stretch out the girls a little. Guess my surprise when I realised I was off the front. The thought running trough my head was “gosh, my coach is going to kill me for this”… But as the legs felt fine and breathing was under control I kept going and crossed my fingers that I wasn’t going to get the hammer at the 7k mark… With the run being a loop I couldn’t really work out what was happening behind me or tell how they looked, if they just were biding their time or really had a struggle.
On the third lap it hit me, it was one of those moments I could change something in my life. I could grit my teeth and become a World Cup winner. Or I could just remain a quite ordinary athlete. I remember watching the presentation after the Salford WC in 2007 and telling Darren, my coach, that I one day wanted to be like those girls standing up there on the podium with flowers and champagne. I realised that I today had the chance to be the one highest up on that podium, the one grabbing the banner and seeing your flag rise under the national anthem. Did it motivate me, OH YES it did. I wanted it so bad.
But I didn’t dare to believe it until the last downhill on the course with only the last straight to the finish chute left in the race. But once there I had time to enjoy the moment and saviour the experience. This was definitely one of the biggest days in my career and a moment I’ll never forget.
Coming back from the Olympics I was disappointed in my performance knowing I had so much more in my body. I’m now very happy with the decision to keep racing, I proved a point to myself -and the girls out there.
Next up now is the Lifetime Fitness race in Dallas the 5th of October. I’ll put on a good pair of wheels, a very sexy set of X-treme’s, which I hope will help me get the most out of my legs in the non drafting 40km cycle leg. Then I will remain in Dallas for the last weeks leading up to the World Cup final in Huatulco Mexico. As I am now back in the game on the overall prizepool for the World Cup series I will be looking into improve my current 5th place.
21.09.2008
Swedish Duathlon Champion
This was my first attempt at the titel since the race never fitted well with my program or been held in a town too far away for me... But today the race was almost on home soil as we raced in the city of Malmö. The race venue was in the new area of Västra Hamnen where the famous building "Turning torso" is situated as well as the big housing project "Bo 01". It's a young cool area almost with a bit of continental touch. The race was hard, fast and windy and totally blew me away with how hard it was. It was a luxury to run a 10k without having a 40km bike already in the legs. But it makes the 40k TT so much harder... Heading out on the 2nd runleg meassured to 5km I had a big lead. Big enough to take a quick coffee or watch a longer comercial break. The fitness and strength is there which was what I wanted to know. Now the big challenge will be to polish it enough so I will be competetive also in a field like the one we will se in Loreint next weekend. I field with lots of stars, olympians and very very fast people...
03.08.2008 3rd in German Sprint Champs
The German Sprint Champs was held in Gelsenkirchen late afternoon saturday, it was also the last race for the Bundesliga and the Grand Finale of german racing. It was my first race back after having spent two months in the Pyrenees - and my last prep race before the Olympic Games. As I hoped I got a few hints about my body and how it responded to the training, I also know what parts to polish on over the next couple of weeks.
The race started bad for me with a not so good swim, I wasn't warmed up enough(corse was closed until just a few minutes before start) and didn't really get into swimming until about 1/3rd through, which was far too late. I had to work pretty hard on the bike trying to make up for some lost ground and ended up getting a decent 26km TT under my belt... I came off the bike about 1min behind the leaders which was a group of 6 strong girls including Dittmer, Tanner, Berk and Müller. My running felt really good and I settled in to a nice rhythm quic
News