Lara agrees to train for the Worlds on an Alcohol Fuelled High – and has a hen do the weekend before Chicago!

‘Towards the end of last year I thought I would sign up to the qualifying races for the world qualifiers. Partly because at Mark’s birthday I ‘made a deal’ with Colette. We said ‘it would be fun’ (I was very drunk!)

So I set about training over the winter and my Achilles and ankles kept playing up. Numerous trips to see the physio and I kept being told to stop running for periods of time, but it wasn’t helping. Then my friend announced her wedding date (I’m her bridesmaid) and it coincided with Chicago. So I just kind of gave up on training, although I continued to swim.

The 1st qualifier at St Neot’s was the most freezing swim ever, I’d already made my mind up I hadn’t trained enough to qualify, the swim really just made me feel like I’d complete the race but not really compete. The run was tough after a severe lack of training, I walked a lot!

Then the 2nd qualifier, Dorney. It was warmer, I’d managed to put in a bit of training so I thought I’d try hard this time! Not to qualify but just for myself. A bit of a talk to myself coming in from the bike and I ran harder than I have before. Probably my quickest run in a triathlon. It taught me that I didn’t break on the run and it was more a mental thing for me.

A few weeks later Mark emailed to say I’d qualified! I wasn’t even checking! I think it was a mixture of some people pulling out and the fact that somehow (at St Neot’s!!) I had managed to come within the required percentage of the winner). So I looked up the race and it had been brought forward by a day…….I could race and still make it back in time for my friend’s wedding! I’m not sure I really believe in fate, but I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss. I’m all about life experiences and this was certainly one I’d like to add. So I went about booking everything.

Training since then has been intense! I decided I really had to get some proper training in so enlisted Mark’s help. It’s hard work and I feel a little like I’m trying to go from zero to hero in a very short space of time. I still struggle with my run. I’ve set my sights on a certain pace. No great shakes by others’ standards, but one I’d be happy with. Some days suck because I don’t feel I’m getting as fast as I want, but that’s just the pressure I’m putting on myself (and the fear of being the slowest runner in Chicago!) Then I remember why I’m doing this; for the fun and the experience and I mustn’t lose sight of that.

So my race is on 17th September, sprint distance. I have a hen weekend in Marbella the weekend before I leave!!! Haha!

My advice to anyone who is thinking of trying to qualify? Go for it, if you train mega hard you’ll qualify. If you don’t train so hard, you still might, but expect a fair few months of hard graft if you haven’t put the base training in!’