Tribelles. Belle triathletes, belle site, belle information.

It may seem from a quick glance here that I have dropped off the planet this year. No blogs and no race results. I am still writing, just less about me and more about the sport or sports that I love.

Tribelles, my new site targeting women triathletes is in it's early days, but it is up and running. Check it out here.

http://tribelles.com/

It is being developed by myself in collaboration with some of my tri friends and some of Rob's design and technology friends, for women either wanting to get going or go faster and enjoy the sport even more than they are now.

I am loving designing it and writing the articles, although the actual build and some of the logistics are driving me back to my bike for a breather in the real world in between online world challenges. The current site is on a very simple blog base so apologies for limited functionality just now. But wait, there will be more! Coming to a website very near you, very soon is the new cool site which has great forum capability, ability to upload all your training technology (Garmins, Polar, Strava...), tailored and standard program designs, online challenges, competition and more. I am excited about it, I hope you will be too.

If you like the content and articles, please share them with your friends. My goal is to build a strong, broad, global women's triathlon community so we can all learn from each other, share great tips, knowledge and stories and help more women add triathlon to their life or keep it in their life in a really fun, healthy and sustainable way.

As for me, this year to keep triathlon sustainable in my life I took a year away from racing and training seriously. I am loving exploring my fitness and region in different ways, maintaining a good fitness base but using it to do new things. So far this year I have tried my

• first long course xc ski series, The Haute-Savoie Challenge
• first marathon, not at the end of an ironman, in Paris last Spring
• first cyclosportif, La Marmotte riding 188k around the Haute Alps finishing on the mythic Alpe D'Huez after first crossing the Glandon and the Telegraph/Galibier/Lauteret.
• first skyrunning race, the kilometer vertical at Manigod (1,000m up in 3.5m horizontal!)
• first trail race, the 42k / 3,000m + Aravis Trail in our valley
• first high alpine mixed (rock and ice) climbing trip, traversing two different ridges on the Mt Blanc Massif
• first SBPnoR race (!!!) skate, bike, SUP paddle and absolutely never, no, not even think about running race. I skipped across the finish. 

I have also got myself back on a mountain bike for the first time since the BC era (Before Children) and loving exploring the many magical trails around the valley both with and without Rob and the kids who are also right into their MTBs now too. Next year I may even have a go at an offroad race or MTB race. La Clusaz now hosts a great annual race weekend, the Roc des Alps each year.

Although I was racing skate skiing over winter, I also spent a large amount of time just wooping my way down the slopes, on and off piste last year thanks to a truly wonderful, long and deep ski season. Not much fitness comes from downhill skiing but loads of ear to ear smiles do, so Rob and I got our fill of them in the powder of La Balme and L'Etale. The boys joined us every opportunity they could too.

What I haven't done! I hardly ever run at the track now doing "serious" sessions, haven't felt like swimming much this year and think I have looked at the black line in earnest less than 5 times and my turbo has only gathered dust for over 12 months as despite being an awesome training tool and mandatory for cycling here in winter as we live above the snow line, I decided that if it is not nice for a ride outside, I don't ride. There is always something else I can do that is more enjoyable.

Enjoying new challenges this year!

If I was looking at performance progression as a key indicator for my year it would not have been a great one. However I am delighted to have taken a year out, as I have had a ball, remembered how much fun just being out there is when you are not spending all your time looking at your heart rate, pace or thinking about technique progression. I have explored many areas especially up high in the mountains in the region I live, and got to do things I have thought about but not had time to try when time was completely devoured by structured swim, bike or run sessions or recovery from them.  Now I am ready to meld some of the mentality of this year of doing things for the pure joy of the experience and feeling fit and healthy with a bit of the grit, determination and pleasure from doing things really well that enabled my progression in triathlon. Hopefully it will blend into a good mix! I have signed up to Roth next year so will be back in the land of competitive tri from the start of the European season. For now that means packing my swimmers in today and reminding myself which direction the pool is!

So as the best in the long course world line themselves up for Kona this week, I am starting my 9 month journey to toe a start line again next year in Germany. I am fit, healthy and happy after a great year off. 12 months ago when I finished my last ironman distance triathlon in Barcelona I was anything but. I had become exhausted, a bit physically and mentally burnt out and sick of the constant discipline and competitive fire that drove me. Now I have slotted back into a very healthy discipline, training a good amount each week, keeping really fit and enjoying it, eating well and even trying to finally learn to sleep a decent amount each night (my weakness!). I have learnt to be far more relaxed and adaptable to fit in extended family holidays without my bike, take days off when I am tired, make myself get out and amongst it when I am just feeling slack and integrate the family more and more into my physical activities. It won't be long before I am chasing them, not the other way around!

I am also looking forward to re-entering triathlon with one eye from "the balcony", observing what I am experiencing, not just experiencing it "from the dancefloor". I have been doing that more and more this year and enjoying writing about my observations on Tribelles or for running and cycling publications in Australia and the USA. So keep one of your eyes on Tribelles and you can join me for the journey. I can promise to be honest, generally can be entertaining even if by accident thanks to my ability for occasional misadventure and will do my best to be insightful and informative to help you progress and enjoy your adventures in sport.

À bientôt
Christine