How to Qualify for the GB Age Group Team

Unfortunately (or fortunately, it depends how you look at it!) if you are considering qualification for this team, you currently live in one of the strongest triathlon nation in the world. Great Britain is usually the largest travelling team to any championships, and was on outnumbered in recent years by the Australians when the triathlon world championships were on the Gold Coast in 2009.

Team acknowledgements: the journey to Beijing

On the surface, this would seem like a story about a one woman mission to achieve. That is not the case at all. I would like to acknowledge the people along the way that helped in the TEAM EFFORT to get me to the start line and round that world championship race, enabling me to achieve my original top 20 goal. Without them all, I would not have made it to Beijing.

World Triathlon Championships 2011, Beijing

The journey to Beijing

The journey to get me to this start line was way more challenging than any other race I have done. A severe head injury and 6 weeks layoff directly beforehand meant that being at this start line at all was in the balance for a long time.

I only firmly decided if I would travel about a week before hand, and was forced to set myself a whole new set of goals.

Originally, I had decided I would like a top 20 finish, managing 31’st place last year in Budapest, it seemed a reasonable ask. In actual fact, I wanted it closer to the top ten if possible, so I was forced to completely evaluate.  

Top-10 target for Melanie in Beijing

Published Friday 3 June 2011

Wellingborough athlete Melanie Ryding has qualified for the World Triathlon Championships in Beijing.

She finished fourth in her qualifying group at the Eton Sprint event where she managed to hit one of her best results.

Despite the weather causing havoc, she finished fourth and beat two others also trying to qualify – rounding off a result which means she should make the age group squad for the third year in a row.

Ryding said: “The conditions were really challenging, the weather was absolutely horrendous, the crosswinds made life very difficult.”

With the European Championships taking precedence for her before Beijing, Ryding is targeting a strong finish to proceedings.

She added: “I turned 40 early this year which means I’m in a new age category so hopefully I can break into the top 10.

“I’m hoping to finish where my nearest competitior finished in last year’s event, so around eighth.”

After losing four-and-a-half stones in just four months Ryding began triathlon training in 2007 – making the World Championships team for Great Britain two years later where she has been a permanent fixture ever since.

Regularly posting on her website and blog as well as holding down a full-time job, Ryding admits that the routine she keeps is intensive.

She said: “I get up at half past five every morning and train before going to work.
“After that I come home and do some more before sitting down in the evening.
“It’s much easier to do in the summer when there’s a lot of light and it’s a bit warmer.”
Belvoir Castle was the venue for the National Sprint Championships last weekend where Ryding claimed a place in the top 10 in her age group.

She admitted: “I expected not to do so well after last weekend’s success.

“I was more than impressed with an eighth place overall and for the first time I managed to hold my position throughout the run.”

The European Championships take place in Spain later this month with the World Championships in the autumn.

For sponsorship you can get in touch with her on her website http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/ where she regularly blogs and keeps people updated about her regime and competitions.

ITU World Championships – Race Report

A wet wet wet wet day! I saw a woman called Kim the evening before, she went through mental preparation techniques with me. I tried in a short 1 hour session to learn as much as I can about correct mental preparation. I couldn’t even tell you what she did to be honest, but I woke up on race day feeling ok, calm, and ready to race. The plan was to focus on my own race, although I wasn’t sure how well I could do this, because I normally spend most of my time worrying about where everyone else is!