I am an Outlaw!!!

2 days to go - heading to Nottingham

I’m writing this from our air BnB in Nottingham.

I packed as if doing the swim but on the way up to Nottingham came the news that the blue green algae levels were too high for us to safely swim in the lake. I Googled  blue green algae. You really don’t want to swim in it!

So it’s a 6k run instead then the bike ride and marathon. I’ve got 60mins to do the 6k run and get out of transition and onto bike 

The last time I ran 6k I did it in 50mins 

I guess I’ll be super excited so will run quicker and it’ll certainly get me pumped for the bike. It’ll be fine. My wave starts at 6:58am. I think it’ll be fun but I may well head out onto the bike right at the back xxx

3 days to go - bike now in Sue’s van

Just chilling at the allotment after 40mins of watering 

The bike is now in Sue’s van

And I’m about to cycle to the university for a last swim before Sunday. Or if still too much blue green algae - last swim till next week. It’ll probably be a parkrun then 180k bike / marathon if the swim is cancelled. I’m okay with that. You can only race the race you’re given. If there is no swim I may be tempted to do another IM as opposed to probably being one and done. 

I do still want to do IM Wisconsin 🤔

Anyways

I’m ready

Nothing more I can do

I’ve decided on my kit. Had a little wobble thinking I should have gone with tri shorts for the whole event and then thought but it’s 7 hours of cycling so my nicely padded shorts are going to be so much more comfortable!!

4 days to go - lake water quality

Rest day today and A/L

Have spent a lot of the day getting organised. 

I’ve trimmed down my wetsuit  - however we won’t know until Friday if we’re swimming due to blue / green algae 😕

5 days to go

I’m now on A/L 🥳

Starting to gather my kit into one place

Have made some flapjack

Did a 30mins run - 3.6km 31.47

x3 Graduation ceremonies 

Aiming to be in bed before 11pm 

6 days to go!!!

Exactly one week to go!!!!

Nothing more I can do now 

But I can cock it all up with panic training, not eating / drinking / sleeping well this week and not making sure I’m well prepared for my Nottingham weekend. 

I’m so excited but also very nervous. 

I know I can do each leg within the cutoffs

I’m planning on being no more than 10mins in each transition.

I’m going to eat and drink my way round the course. 

1516

#YouVeGotThis xx

Ashtead Park walk with Nessie this afternoon. 

No blackberries yet but it was utterly gorgeous xx

8 days to go!!

And now I’m thinking this time next week I’ll be in Nottingham, racked and registered. And then I think and this time 3 years ago I was learning how to walk again. 

Last long run - off to The Barn for a cuppa with Becky. We shared a cookie 🍪 

10k 1:25

I’m ready xx

9 days to go - my bike is amazing

Got my bike back from Velo Care. 

OMG - Suzanne’s wheels are the swimming equivalent of fins. I had a 37min cycle around Southampton before heading up to mums. The bike rode like a dream. Let’s see what happens next Sunday but those wheels may well give me 20+ mins on the bike. So happy. 

My brick run was very short but glad I went out.

Pretty sure I’ve decided on my run kit. Will be running in it tomorrow to see how it feels 

Great STC swim session this morning at Oaklands 

I felt so sluggish but did nearly 2k 🥳

10 days to go!!!

Eeeek

It’ll be fine 🤣🤗

11 days to go / 3 year anniversary

Watering at the allotment

1st day of Graduation for UoS

Drinks in the Cowherds after work

55min cycle home

England lost

3 years since being knocked off my bike.

I was in A&E having loads of tests this time 3 years ago and now I’m 11 days away from The Outlaw. 

It’s rather fabulous tbh xx

12 days to go

Watered the allotment 

Signed off by Max at Jonathan Clarke Physiotherapy - I’m in great shape and physically able to do an IM

Bought a wetsuit - mine is too big. Got the medium, it’s okay - will try it out at Ellingham on Monday when I swim with Charlotte 

Waited till after 9pm to go for a run - still so hot. 

5.9k in 50:16 which is 8:32mins per km. Def fast enough for the cutoffs 

Watered gardens 

Chilled 

Bike is being serviced so should get that back this week 

It’s all getting very close and very real xx

13 days to go.

Got my Outlaw participants pack email today.

Orange swim hat

Race number 1516

It’s all getting so real! 

I’ve of course been googling IM cutoff times

3mins per 100m for swimming

22.5km/hr average for the bike

9:30mins per km for the run.

I can do that

Just got to put it all together over 15/16 hours 

I did manage 3150m of swimming in the Jubilee pool but had to get out 500m too soon as was desperate for a pee. Obvs on the 26/7 I can just pee in the lake 😂 #EveryCloud x

Plus perfect start to the day

Watering the pots at #Plot4RR and then picking some cherry toms for lunch. 

2 weeks to go.

This time 3 years ago I was just finishing day one at Southampton General Hospital with a very painful fractured pelvis 

And now I’m 2 weeks away from the 2026 Outlaw full IM. I’m so excited.

I haven’t managed to do as many long rides as planned. Hopefully that won’t detail attempt #2

#LizzieGoesLong 

Three years!!!! 

15 days to go

Ingie and I ran on the common instead of Banstead parkrun

7k 1:05 with a ginormous pain au chocolate break 🤣

Lunch with mum, Katie & Emily 

Ingies for a new to me chair collection

Supper 

Mum had a bath

Went to Tescos when the England match started 

A lovely day but no long bike ride 

Still not sure of shorts or trainers as I did like running in my trail shoes.

Have I done enough cycling? 

I am getting nervous / excited. 

Friday 10th July - Caryl’s in Southampton / 10.5k run

10.5k run 1:33 average pace 8:55/km

I need to decide on my trainers & shorts.

I went out 1st thing so hadn’t really eaten enough - I nibbled on a banana when walking - that really worked as I was able to make the banana more of a gloopy gel. Very happy.

This pace I could chug along at it for hours which is just as well as I will be in just over 2 weeks 🤣

Then collected prescription, tidied flat and then off for a great day

Collected Vik & admired her garden

Collected Caryl from Paul’s M&D’s 

Off to Lemon & Jinja for shopping and lunch 

Off to the Allotment - met Katherine there. Vik watered. 

Drove back to Queensway.

I dropped bag at my flat while Vik & Caryl headed to Padharo to meet Alison

Fabulous meal 5:30-8:30pm

Then I drove up to Ashtead - eta 10:15pm

Kissed mum

Chilled and watched TV 

Great day.

17 days to go - no London marathon

Day started watering the allotment

Found out I didn’t get into the London marathon 2027

Ended the day doing x7 laps at Eastleigh lakeside in my tri suit.

What a day.

The Outlaw swim is such a long way!

I’ll make the cutoff. 

But I need to be quicker than that. Hopefully in my wetsuit I’ll be 1:40 which will give me a good 10-15mins for T1 and still leave me plenty of time for the bike. 

18 days to go

25k cycle to and from Suzanne’s 

12-8pm work 

STC gazebo back in the shed.

It’s all very real 

Will see how the wetsuit is tomorrow but I may have to nip to decathlon for a medium as the large may well just fill up with water and drag me back when swimming. 

19 days to go

Started the day watering the allotment

Ended it smashing the P164 10mile STC TT

I’m feeling great!!!

I’m also feeling confident

However, it is such a long way but I am strong.

I may just do this!!!

20 days to go - rest day

Mum fell in the night so was helping her to get up at 1:30am 

England game didn’t start till 2am

Tired but up at 9am

Chilled morning 

Fish & chips for lunch

Last Lizzie massage. She’s helped me for over 2 years and now we’re done. She’s delighted with how I felt. Very positive about how strong and relaxed my body felt 🎉

Debs then Emi over

Possible new place for mum to move to 

Drove car back to soton 7:15pm, home by 8:30ish

Unpacked, supper, watering.

And now it’s the start of the new work pattern

Mon-Fri finishing at 4pm

This should help with the last couple of weeks of training. 

In 3 weeks I’ll be finished!

Today has been good

90min 6.25k walk with Phil and Honey dog in Norbury Park

Far too stressful watching the cricket so went for a run on the common using the Peacock’s porch as an aid station. 

16.5km 2.5hours. 

Soles of my feet sore

Need my longer short socks 

Sultans are a great running snack 

Loved the run 

9min km’s would be just under 6.5hours 

I’m going to have to have a great cycle leg to make sure I’ve got enough time to run the marathon but still have my time start with a 15 🥰

22 days to go

Banstead parkrun with Ingie - it was so easy, just chatted the entire way round 

Sadly Ingie tripped over a sleeping policeman no one saw just before we got back to the car. 

In the afternoon - Leatherhead leisure centre for a swim 2050m in 49.20

23 days to go

Resting yesterday was perfect 

I was nervous about staying at mums if still feeling rough. I feel loads better. 

6-7am STC swim session at Oaklands community pool.

Jenny and I cycled out to Beaulieu, Bucklers Hard. Got a bit lost. Approx 50km

Met Sue at Eling & waved goodbye to Jenny then off into the Hampshire countryside via Totton finishing at Headlands cafe over in Weat Wellow near Canada Common. Another approx 50km

Total cycle 5ours 

My km/hr needs to be faster but I should be okay in closed roads, no stopping and at my pace. 

Blood test RHS

Drove to mums 

Bedtime 

I felt great today. Very strong. I know I will finish in time // within the cutoffs. I wonder though if I can get a result that starts with a 15 🤔

Off work

My cold / sore throat defeated me 

I knew it was going to be ridiculous at work and I was already struggling 

Alarm went off

I couldn’t do it

Phoned in sick then back to sleep till 1pm

Shower at 6:30pm

Gazebo collected at 8:15pm

Lidls and some pasta 

Bed before 11pm 

I did nothing today except sleep and suck strepsils 

Still not 100% - 25 days to go

Been sucking strepsils all day

Stupid busy at work but that’s mainly because there are so few of us due to illness, holiday and still shift working. It’ll be heaving next week!

So I havnt trained today

Juat cycled to and from work and a bit of walking - barely any steps 5139

I want to protect my weekend of long cycle and long run