Local and national boost for Melanie

Local Evening Telegraph, Saturday 16 April 2011

Top Northamptonshire triathlete Melanie Ryding has received sponsorship boots both on a local and a national scale ahead of a big year.

Ryding has been selected as a member of the TRI UK sponsored race team in 2011 and will be representing the sponsors throughout a series or national and international races during the season.

And she has also received support from local company CD Leisure who run the Waendel Leisure Centre in Wellingborough.

Ryding first took up triathlon in 2007 after shedding four and a half stone and she earned a spot in the Great Britain team for the World Championships in Australia two years later.

She will be competing in the European championships in Spain later this year and she admitted that none of it would be possible without the support of her new sponsors.

Ryding said: “I would like to sincerely thank all the sponsors involved for helping to make the international competition possible and affordable.

“I was proud to call myself a triathlete after that first race.

“I was even prouder to call myself a GB triathlete when I earned my country’s colours in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

“But now to be able to say that I am sponsored by the biggest race team in the UK and the world’s largest triathlon store is quite an amazing thing to put on my C.V.”

Ali Boon, co-owner of Tri UK and team manager, added: “Melanie was a natural choice when we were selecting our team for 2011.

“We have grown the race team to a 50-plus strong team which is now the envy of the triathlon world.

“Melanie’s dedication and loyalty meant that she was an obvious choice for the team. We are looking forward to a year of success together.”

To find out more about the 2011 race team and their sponsors visit the TRI UK website http://www.triuk.com. For further information on Melanie Ryding, visit her website at http://www.melanieryding.co.uk

Team TRI UK – gaining one of the biggest triathlon sponsors in the UK



Helen Russell and Melanie Ryding



My knees are still quaking even now. I felt shocked and stunned when I got the e-mail from Ali, team manager, saying yes, you’re in, back at Christmas time. It has been one of the hardest secrets to keep for a long time!

At the end of my first triathlon season on team GB, I was broke. I had to sell my motorbike and max out the credit card in order to afford the trip to Australia for the World Championship grand final. As an age group triathlete, even if you compete for your country, all the costs related to international travel and competition are down to the individual athlete. There is no financial support, you have to find your own.

As you can imagine, in this climate, finding sponsors is a very tough game. People are not interested in you unless there is (understandably) something you can give them in return. I decided to look at it like a job interview. I put together my resume, grew a brass neck, and asked absolutely everyone I could think of, local, internet based and otherwise, if they were interested in sponsoring me. I got many many knock backs, but didn’t let this deter me.

I saw the advert for Tri UK – they were looking for team applications. To be honest, I dismissed the whole idea because I had already asked similar race teams (Primera, for example) and been turned down. I didn’t think I was good enough for such a major team. Then I got a little nudge from a fellow athlete friend, Helen Russell, who suggested that I apply. I thought ‘what the heck, there’s nothing to lose is there?’ and sent it in.

Months and months went past, and I assumed that I had not been successful. Oh well, no surprise there then. When suddenly, in December I got the email from the team manager:

Many thanks for your recent e-mail enquiring about TRI UK sponsorship for the 2011 race season.

I have now gone through all the CV’s that were sent to me and have made my final selections and have now come up with my final sponsored race Team for 2011.

I am please say inform you that you have been successful with your application and Chris and I would like to welcome you to the 2011 TRI UK Race Team.
Congratulations once again – and welcome!

No words can describe how I felt when I first read this. I was so, so amazed, and had to read it over again! Not only that but later, I discovered I was even more lucky, and was awarded a team bike, which only certain team members get. Here it is, beautiful yes? I’m flabbergasted!

I look back at my story so far, and think to myself, I have achieved quite a lot, that must be it for me now, there’s nothing more to be done?

No! Here starts another chapter in my amazing roller coaster journey through triathlon. I was proud to call myself a triathlete, after that first race, I was even prouder to call myself a GB triathlete when I earned my country’s colours in 2009, 2010 and 2011, but to now be able to say that I am sponsored by the biggest race team in the UK and the world’s largest triathlon store is quite an amazing thing to put on my C.V.

I would like to sincerely thank Ali and Chris, along with the rest of the staff in the Tri UK store for giving me this amazing opportunity.

I will be sure to do you all proud.

Lumie Lights product review: first impressions

SAD lamp

I was thrilled to say the least, when Lumie contacted me to say they were interested in me testing and reviewing their products. I discovered light therapy as part of a blog I wrote for Orbana about influencing the Circadian rhythm. I was very curious to see how it worked out. They sent me 2 products to test, over the summer and winter, promising me it would make a big difference.

What products am I using?

I have a SAD light and a Lumie Alarm clock. To be honest, I haven’t really used the SAD light yet, and I am aware that it is coming into summer, however I am sure that does not mean there is no need to use them. I still need to figure that out.

The Lumie alarm clock

Lumie Alarm clock

I have, however, been using the alarm clock. It is very odd at first, relying on a light to wake you up. There is a feature on it where you can set a sound – I guess it is a security measure, however I decided to embrace it fully and not use that.

I set the alarm clock for the time I usually set it for. It told me that it brightens over a period of half an hour, I decided to just go with it and see what happened, so I turned all the other alarm clocks off. Brave? I was very surprised!!

Each morning this week I have woken up just a few minutes before the light reached its brightest (which happens at the time the alarm is set for). It seemed very unusual to wake up gently rather than with a jolt as the noise goes off! That took quite a bit of getting used to!

I have also been using it for ‘sunset’ too – it dims over the period of half an hour too, which is quite nice, although it does seem to take forever so I often don’t initiate my ‘sunset’ from full brightness. Each time I have been asleep before the light has gone out.

The effect on training?

It’s a bit early to say, but on Friday, I went swimming before work, which is normal and part of my routine. With the clocks going back, the morning (5.30am) is dark again, so sunrise on the alarm clock occurs before it does outside!

I arrived at the pool feeling not much different to be honest. I had a reasonably tough set to do, which I was not looking forward to. I completed the set within the time I had, swimming further than I usually do by 100m, in the 45 carefully timed minutes that I have in the pool before I have to dash to work.

Was that because of the alarm clock? Who can truly say, and I know it is very early days, but I am pleasantly surprised so far, and really like my new method of waking in the morning!