pz3TX and ready for Kona!

Lucy Gossage set a course record of 4:14. 47 at the Vitruvian (half iron distance). The cancer doctor, who splits her time between Cambridge and Nottingham, has got her eyes on Kona. She set Britain’s best female age group Ironman time for two years in Frankfurt (9:53.28) and has received welcome support from bluseventy - she'll be wearing the new pz3TX swimskin in Kona!

“So Hawaii is looming and I’m really starting to get excited. It’s a funny time training wise as everyone else is winding down at the end of the season while I’m building for my biggest race of the year. And trying to think about how on earth I can get used to the heat while the nights are drawing in and the weather is gradually getting colder.....

“Luckily I’ve had a few really fun weekends over the last month, which have helped keep me motivated. The first was the Outlaw Triathlon which I raced as the cyclist in a relay team with two friends Lou (Collins) and Helen (Gorman); the second was the National Club Relays a couple of weeks later. Both are amazing events in my home town of Nottingham with incredible support and to me summed up what triathlon is all about – fun.

“Winning the club relays with TFN teammates Lou, Fez and Amy was probably my proudest moment in triathlon. We’d been talking about having a team for a year or so but Amy (Parkinson) and Fez (Verity Butler) had been injured so never thought it would happen. They were both still injured (Amy had a stress fracture in her foot!!) but decided to race anyway... We all gave 200% in every part of the race and to win such a big event with a team of true friends was a pretty amazing moment. I was on a high all week after it!

“Last weekend I raced the Vitruvian at Rutland Water, a race I’ve done twice before which I always enjoy. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel on race day as I had come off a massive block of training with only five days to recover. Fortunately it seemed to be my day and I had what was probably the race of my life, though I’m still in a state of disbelief and keep thinking they must have got the times muddled up somehow.

“Anyway it’s now just five weeks till Hawaii – so just a couple more weeks training and then time to taper, fly out there and do the best I can. I’ve got no expectations of doing well out there but am really excited about the opportunity to race there once more – and am determined to go out there, enjoy it and throw everything I have at the race on race day. Not long now!!”

Three weeks until Ironman Germany!

Our top Age Grouper, Lucy Gossage from Nottingham, UK, has been very busy with her final preparations for Ironman Germany in Frankfurt. The big goal is Hawaii qualification and things are well on track at the moment. We caught up with her ahead of the big race....

"So 3 weeks to go until Ironman Germany and I'm starting to get nervous. Most of the long training is in the bank now and there's not too much left to do but ease down gradually, eat well, sleep well and keep my fingers crossed for some good luck!

I've had a good last month's training including a middle distance triathlon in the New Forest, the 3 day Tour of Wessex (you can see from the photo that the weather was terrible!), a 3.8km swim race and a 100 mile time trial. I know I can't do anything to get fitter between now and D-day. So it's time to catch up on work, admin and sleep and chill out a bit before Frankfurt! As my friends say time to be normal for 3 weeks...

I rode 4hours 19minutes for the 100mile time trial. I’ll get nowhere near that on race day but I was pleased with it, especially after a massive training block. The course was very fast and luckily the last 25 miles was downhill with a tail wind so it went very quickly!

I’ll let you know how I get on in Frankfurt on 4 July!"

blueseventy backing Britain's top age-group ironman

blueseventy is pleased to be supporting Britain’s Lucy Gossage. When we heard that Britain’s top Age Group Hawaii finisher from 2008 only had a tatty looking old wetsuit that needed replacing, we were straight round to the post office to send her a new Helix as she prepares for Ironman Frankfurt!

Lucy is a cancer doctor and has an Ironman best time of 10:05! As part of her iron-preparations she decided to run the London marathon, for fun, and broke three hours. Here’s what she had to say about it...

"I was one of the 37,000 athletes lining up at the start of the London Marathon in April. And what a great day it was. I'd combined it with visits to old university friends and was viewing it more as a training session and a fun weekend in London than a big race. So was pretty relaxed at the start, placing myself right at the back of the championship race (I didn't want to get run over by hundreds of 5 minute milers!)

I went into it thinking I would pace it pretty conservatively - as always on race day though you end up going quicker than you think you would. Anyway, to cut a long story short I got half way in 1.29 and was still feeling good so thought I'd go for the sub 3hr finish. And managed, comfortably, with a few minutes to spare - and didn't wreck myself either!

"Was a fab day out with the crowds, music and atmosphere, topped with an incredible feeling of solidarity with everyone else racing. I'm pleasantly suprised to have a decent marathon under my belt, but the run has also given me a bit more confidence in my run up to Ironman Germany (now only 7 weeks away - eek!)"