It’s funny how the world works really. After more than a decade away from the UK and British triathlon, an old tri buddie of mine connected over facebook to introduce me to a potential sponsor. So after many phone calls, hours of hustling for other sponsorships, this opportunity comes out of the blue

The talented and amazing Michelle Dillon of Team Dillon Coaching (www.teamdilloncoaching.com) had heard about the Xterra World Champs and thought I might be a good match with View Hotels. And thus has begun a great relationship with Neil Wong Hou-Lianq of the incredible hotel chain based in Australia. Neil is a great guy, and newbie triathlete, who loves to be in touch with his sponsored athletes…I’m hoping to get out to Australia at the end of the year and enjoy the facilities View Hotels have to offer!

Well…it ain’t over til its over…

Having won the World Xterra Championships over a month ago, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on this momentous achievement. I think it’s finally sunk in….

It was a challenging day to say the least. I’d gone out to Maui 10 days early to prep on the new course. During that time, I was lucky enough to stay with a bunch of British guys that took all of the anxiety away and filled my heart with the wonderful sarcastic humor that is home! Sharing 1 small bedroom with 3 other blokes, I quickly remembered why I love the sport of xterra so much. It’s gritty, its tough and its one big family struggling through together!

With illness and injury having plagued me for the last 12 months, I was relieved to wake up on race morning feeling quite good. Sharing the car with my best friends Tammy and Jess as well as hubby Marshall, we trundled towards what is now affectionately known as ‘the front line’. Like soldiers getting ready for battle, we sat in silence…awaiting our fate.

The swim start was BRUTAL. I guess it always is. For once, when the gun went off, my nerves dissipated but boy was I beaten up! After the first lap, I was already 30 secs down on where I wanted to be. I’d been blocked by slower swimmers but with the run on the beach, I managed to make some time up and get clear water ahead of me!

In and out of transition and before I knew it, I was right where I wanted to be. In third position, on Mel’s (McQuaid) wheel and ready for action. But no, a win is not a win without hardship! I felt a spongy-ness bellow me and yes, I was right…a flat tire!! In pole position and a friggin flat tire. I couldn’t believe it. With every negative thought pouring through my brain, I got off and attempted to fix it by using CO2. A minute down, I headed off again, now with a semi-flat tire and the first set of trails to contend with. After a technical descend, the tire almost rolled off. Again, flat as flat could be. Luckily Jess had convinced me to carry 2 CO2s so after another minute of messing around, I got the tire filled up. Now 2 mins down and behind a bunch of other pro chicks that I’d spent hard earned time in the pool trying to gain a lead on, I was off.

You know its funny because even with the years of experience I have in racing, I still get overwhelmed by nerves and pressure. I knew I was fit enough to contend the race but somehow, in many races in the past, I’ve let the pressure get the better of me. However, with this flat tire, there came a strange sense of calmness. I didn’t care anymore. the race was over so what did I have to lose? i might as well enjoy this beautiful course and race until I blew….

On a rode, passing this girl, passing that girl and finally realizing that I was actually going pretty well and maybe I could salvage a podium spot….

Meanwhile, poor Si (aka hubby), was going through an emotional roller coaster. Having not known about my mechanical he was baffled by the twitter feeds.

Into T2 – 3.5 mins down on 2nd and 3rd, 6.5 mins down on the lead held by Mel. Normally this info would distress me but not today. I truly wasn’t even listening, I was just ready to run. Feeling the best I have probably ever felt coming off the bike, I got going up the path. Up and up and up. Passing this person and that, overtaking 2nd at only just over 2 miles. I knew the game was on.

The rest is poetry really. There are so few times in an athletes career where they see the tunnel but this was one of them for me. And by a tunnel I mean that I was so much in the zone that all I wanted to do was go forward, all I could see was the next few steps on the trail ahead of me. Dancing over the rocks and tree stumps I went from 6.5 mins down on the lead to 1 min 20 with only 1 mile to go. I kept on thinking to myself, ‘every step has to count’…that was it. That was my mantra.

And so on the last single track descent, with a helicopter above me, I saw Mel ahead, laboring. This was it. This was my chance. I pushed it out of my mind and focused on taking one step in front of the other.

In a flash, I overtook her. I was now in the lead. Coming down on to the road, there was Si, screaming and shouting..pretty much going ballistic. Focus focus focus…thats all I kept saying to myself.

With a technical river bed yet to navigate, I had to keep my wits about me. Would Mel try to stick on my heels? Was anyone behind getting close to me? BOOM, and down I went. I tripped on a rock and smashed my knee into a boulder. With blood pouring out, I popped up instantly. “Paterson get yourself together”….drumming through my head.

Limping up the riverbed, I finally got on to the beach. People were shouting and cheering but all I wanted to do was get to the finish. I daren’t look behind me. Finish finish finish.

That last 50yards in to the finish was glorious. It was like being a kid at Christmas. All that hard work, all that sacrifice, worth it….to see Si jump around, to see all my friends so happy. Magical. Plain and simple.

The days after were a blur, so many well wishes, emails, phonecalls. That’s been the best bit. All those people that have helped me through the years, just so pleased for me. My dad, my mum, my family, my training partners, my coach. When you achieve something like this, you realize that you have done this for them as much as for yourself!

I will never forget what that felt like and hope to feel it many times over in the future! I never forget how lucky I am to do this job. How lucky I am to have been given the opportunity to excel. Thats something I want to give to others and I’ll continue to try and do that as long as I can.

Seeing the transformations of all these great athletes is nothing short of awe inspiring. I love that I can help them on this journey and have an impact on their lives!

I can’t thanks my sponsors enough for helping me make this happen: Kswiss, Trek, GU, CEP, Drymax, X-endurance, AquaSphere,Speedfil, Compex, GoPro Cameras, Slowstep Cycling, Rehab United, Final Fit, Fuel Factor, Performance and Nutrition Coaching.

For sure I’m gonna do another one in Feb to get folks motivated for the upcoming 2012 season…yeah!!!!

Its been a difficult but amazing year so far. After a 10 week running injury I came back to win 5 out of the last 7 races I’ve done since May 1st….with my first Xterra Championship win and first 70.3 championship win, I’m now enjoying a mid season break before building up for the second half!

In the meantime, bring on the pina coladas (actually that’s a total lie because anyone that really knows me, knows that I don’t drink!), so bring on the chocolate and lets chill!

Never before have I seen such camaraderie, professionalism, commitment to detail and passion for this sport…it has filled me with renewed motivation to know that I am representing the best brands in the business that truly do care about their athletes.

More gossip to follow but first, check out the press release below…

Press Release

July 16, 2010

There’s something enticing about the iconic, idyllic image of the Cancun Ironman 70.3: the pristine sandy white beaches, the world-class luxury hotels, the balmy weather with its powder blue skies, and the warm crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean.

Flash back to Southern California in April this year at the competitive California Oceanside 70.3 with its cold 60 degree harbor swim. The negative: Even with a swim skull cap and booties I only made it 100 yards into the swim before my cold water-induced asthma kicked in and I had to make an unceremonious exit to the dockside and a premature end to a race I’d been training for all winter. The positive: Rethink! Enter Cancun Ironman 70.3 with its alluring idealism and those 80 degree waters. No more coldwater wetsuit swims for me!

Even without difficulty breathing in cold conditions, Ironman training is fraught with dubious opportunities for setbacks and injuries because of its relentlessly long and demanding training sessions, day after day after day. And yet injuries are part of the training cycle. It’s how you physically and mentally cope with them that are the key to eventual success.

As I write this I am four days on from badly tweaking my right Achilles tendon again for the second time in six months by simply walking down stairs!

Flexibility in your training regime is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental requirement in getting to the start line.
I’m probably not much different from many long distance triathlon athletes with regards injuries. I can’t remember the last time I had two full months back-to-back where I didn’t have to deal with some injury or setback in training. In the last 18 months I’ve lost many weeks from a bad back (fused 4th vertebrae) which I still have, bad neck (related to the bad back), IT Band Syndrome in the left knee (three months run training lost), badly sprained ankle, crushed and lacerated right foot from a motorcycle accident, Achilles tendon strain (now twice), and a seemingly ongoing right hamstring strain that I can’t quite shake off. And that doesn’t even include the usual day-to-day muscle wear-and-tear that is actually normal for Ironman training. Sound familiar? Business as usual for Ironman training I guess.

There are really two choices for an Ironman athlete faced with training-induced injury. You can either give up Ironman training completely (unlikely with the triathlete mentality or you wouldn’t be Ironman training in the first place!), or adjust your training on the fly and keep going (with lots of pre-exercise stretching). If it’s the latter, it becomes doubly important to also set achievable short- and if necessary, medium-term goals to get you through to the other side of rehab – both physical and practical.
Can’t run for two weeks? Then do more biking. Got a bad back? Then wear a wet suit for support when you swim in the pool. You have to train! Water temperature too cold so you can’t breathe? Then find an Ironman 70.3 race where that’s not an issue.

Don’t look for excuses, look for answers.

Yet training flexibility and adapting your training regime to injuries is only half the battle. Ironman is a mental game. If your mind is not in the race, your body will soon crash and burn.

Your mind has to reach the finish line before your body. Once your mind gets there, your body will follow.
So all touchy feely, New Age hocus pocus aside, it struck me recently that there is a roundabout fundamental truth in the notion of the Law of Attraction, but with a slight twist: think positive thoughts and you’ll get a positive outcome, think negative thoughts and you’re pretty much screwed!

And yet that’s really just Coaching 101. Because negative thoughts are an inevitable self-fulfilling prophesy, while positive thoughts will lead to success.
Why mention it in reference to Ironman 70.3? Well, Ironman racing and training have a pretty discerning mental palette. If you bring negative thoughts to the daily mileage table that you have to commit to, just to get to the start line, the filet minion you see on the distant finish line menu will turn into a fatty fast food cheeseburger long before you’ve had time to order a glass of water – vitamin enhanced of course!

Positive thoughts are needed to drive an Ironman athlete in those dark, early morning training days in winter when it’s cold and raining outside and, cocooned within the comforting sanctuary of warm bed clothes, the snooze button has been hit for the third time but it keeps coming back like an annoying mosquito five minutes later. Positive thoughts are needed to drive you to keep going at the end of a 15 mile training run when it feels like needles are being jabbed in to your quads with every step.

So, as seems to be the norm, my training emphasis has changed again. Now I have to settle on a delicate balance between obtaining the fastest time in the race as possible and making sure my body can even reach the finish line in an Ironman 70.3 at whatever turns out to be my race pace on the day.

Training-wise, I’m now focused on a methodical, yet simple approach to my weekly regime. Swim – two or three 2.5km swims to hopefully improve my bad technique while building endurance. Cycling – three or four two-hour “increasing resistance every 15 minute” turbos indoors to promote a steady bike leg in the race (turbo training offers a safe, predictable environment). Run – three 6-13 mile “contained speed” runs to encourage an injury free half marathon finish (with occasional interval training segments to increase such fundamentals as VO2 max).
No doubt all will soon be adjusted for whatever problem turns up tomorrow.

The bottom line? Adapt and continue. Lead with a positive mental attitude and the body will follow. In other words, be prepared to overcome whatever setback or injury presents itself with a positive mental attitude and flexibility in training. And just keep going.

http://www.frasercartmell.com/

Vincent Fichera – Slowstep Cycling . He’s my coach and he rocks!

Last night I went round to his house and he cooked me up some great nosh! Buffalo steaks with pan fried carrots, sauteed potatoes and garlic spicy bread…who else has a coach like that?!

We have gone on quite a journey together. He has developed into an amazing artist, a warm and caring guy and has really opened up my eyes to different ways of training and of seeing myself. I’d like to think I’ve had a hand in teaching him the ways of us women. Ultimately we have grown together.

It really is amazing when you find a coach that’s first and foremost a friend and secondly, someone who you really trust to take you to the top.

He believes in me and I believe in him. Simple as that really.

Wildflower 1/2. That is one tough race. Unfortunately it was a tough race for all the wrong reasons. I haven’t had a race like this for a while but I genuinely wanted to quit and I had to muster up all my mental energy just to finish the darn thing.

It’s been a tough month since the highs of Oceanside 70.3.

It all started from falling off my mountain bike AGAIN, about 2 weeks before Oceanside! I broke a rib and thought here we go…what a great start to the season. However, after some bio-laser therapy (thanks Jane!), I was up and going after only 5 days. Of course I decided to do a mountain bike race and in protecting my broken rib, I managed to hit my knee very very hard when sliding through some sand. No big deal I thought. It’s just a bruise! Well let me tell you, a bruised patella is THE most painful thing.

In the week leading up to Oceanside, the knee did not heal, in fact it got worse. I figured how bad can it get from the race? I’ve trained hard for this, so lets give it a shot. The race went great, but the knee was agony the whole time. In fact, after the race, I actually wondered if I was going to be able to get up on stage to get my award! How embarrassing would that have been?

Needless to say that walking was a challenge for the next few days. I was in total despair. With all the publicity I was getting from this race, I felt the pressure fall down on my shoulders. What’s your next race? When can I train with you? Wanna come out on the bike tomorrow? Ahhhhhhh!

And so for the next 3 weeks I couldn’t bike or run. I really had to delve into my emotional well and get some perspective. I focused on what I love about this sport and why it’s important to me. I focused on gratefulness at being given the work ethic and talent and for having the opportunities in my life to realize them.

In reading the blog of my TT team member Dan Hugo (about his illness/fatigue), I could completely relate. When something like triathlon is so integral to your being, it’s incredibly difficult when you can’t experience the daily highs of the endorphins or the mind body connection journey that takes place every day…several times a day. I guess all you can do is focus on the positives. What can I learn about myself from this experience? How can I grow from it? It sounds sort of cheesy but it does work!

So an x-ray, an MRI and several therapy sessions later, I was able to get back on the saddle so to speak.

After 1 week of good training, I hit Vegas Xterra West Cup. I was so euphoric to be back in action, I believe that carried me through the race. However, Wildflower was a different kettle of fish. I tried to keep positive but I had nothing there.

The thing is…those girls out there were strong. Super strong. I hate to give excuses cos that’s not me. Those gals were just better than me on the day and there was nothing I could do about it. And Julie Dibens…no comment. She is a top chick with major talent. I had the pleasure of sharing a cabin with her and yes folks, she really is that nice!!!

Now that my knee is a good solid 95% better, I’m gonna be back on full training. Let’s hope my head catches up with my body at the same rate!!

So Wildflower…don’t think I’ll be back any time soon!!!!

I had forgotten how darn hard Xterra’s are! After having a great build up to Oceanside 70.3 , I had a few troubled weeks leading into this race where I didn’t quite get the speed work in that I know you need for this style of racing.

So, off we went. The heart rate shot up and I plowed through what felt like a long choppy swim. I came out a good minute behind Mel which was not ideal but I quickly got through transition and onto the bike!

This course is a tough one. Steep climbs, pegged heart rate and a few technical descends. Still, I felt strong and kept plugging away. Shonny blew past me like I was standing still, about 3/4 of a lap into the bike. She dusted it and I never saw her again! Go girl!

I felt solid throughout, enjoying the scenery and being back on my mountain bike again – in fact my new Jamis which is super smooth by the way! I figured I would have time to catch up Mel and Shonny on the run but boy was I wrong. Shonny won it out the park and I got within a minute and a half of Mel.

A good start to the Xterra season but plenty of speed work needed on my end to get back to these girls!

Well done to my best pals Jess and Tam. Tams placed first in her age group and Jess was 2nd. Must have been those pre-race puddings and boy talk that did it!  If only you knew what goes on in our hotel bedrooms……

Hey and well done to team-mate Conrad Stolz – he rocked it out the park!

Off to Wildflower it is!