| All about Bruiser |
Bruiser
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Location: Solihull
Occupation: Sports Masseur and Holistic Therapist
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| Who me? |
Q. How did a nice girl like me come by a name like Bruiser?
A. Taking someone out whilst playing touch rugby - yeah, I know they're only supposed to be light touches... 
I joined TT in summer 2004. I was panicking cos I’d entered the London Sprint Tri on a whim, had done hardly any training and had a week to go. My experience over the previous 13 years was a handful of runs, a short aquathlon in Kent (kindly husband entered me the day before) and a sprint tri in Orkney (which the local club lent me a bike for).
Anyway, I got through the London sprint and, encouraged by the enthusiasm of everyone on this site (and AndyS and Sue in particular), I entered another sprint where my bike tyre blew up, and then, just to see if I could stay the course, I had a go at the Escape to Alcatraz oly in September 2004. And I ended up qualifying for the US Alcatraz tri 2005. So then I had to start training properly!!!
2005 turned out to be an amazing year – Alcatraz was awesome and then I managed to qualify for the Worlds which meant a trip to Hawaii with the GB age-group squad. In between which I had 2 operations and treatment for endometriosis. How could I top that? By doing what I’d told everyone here they were nuts for doing – Ironman Austria in July 2006.
I joined TT to try and become a bit more serious about all this and it's been fantastic. The information available on this site is incredible - and there are some wonderful people who are always there to support you whatever your question or mood!
I've come back in 2009 after two years off. Moved home, changed job, done the whole midlife crisis thing. Now need to get my arse moving again! |
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| Calendar 05 - 2019 |
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Sun May 25, 2014 8:37 pm Bruiser
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...hello again! 
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What the heck am I doing back here?!
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Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:56 pm Bruiser
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I did a circuits class! I did a circuits class! I did a circuits class!!
(oh, btw, did I mention I'm also running 4 Buggyfit classes a week in Solihull parks - usually in the pouring rain - I'm such a mug!!)
Massage anyone??
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What the heck am I doing back here?!
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 6:29 pm Bruiser
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So, the event that I decided to enter to motivate myself to start training again..was today!! Did it motivate me? Erm...not really...I did a total of 2 runs since my last post, both around 20 mins lol. But, I had a really good way of making sure I still turned up on the start line - I did it for charity!
Therefore at 11am this morning I set off on my 10k jog for Guide Dogs for the Blind! As I ran round I thought things like "OMG 10k is actually quite a long way" and "I don't really enjoy running" and "I think I may be sick". All that stuff I'd forgotten in my 2 year taper to this event.
Still, I ran (aka jogged, shuffled, etc) all the way except when I grabbed a bottle of water, took three walking steps and had a bloke run past shouting "come on love, don't give up now!". Ah, the humiliation !
So, first 10k in 2 years, next-to-no training, and I did it in around 54 mins! I'm actually quite proud of that. I have no idea what the actual time was cos I no longer possess a sports watch and my cute Punky Fish watch doesn't allow any level of accuracy  But it was somewhere round 54 - much better than the "I wonder if I can just scrape in under the hour" that I'd kept as my secret target.
You'll be pleased to know that it has spurred me on to buy a sports watch again and contemplate getting out and doing more! My foot (where I had my op) was sore afterwards, but seems ok at the moment, and was nowhere near as bad as it used to be pre-op (and I did Ironman, Tough Guy and a half marathon on it then).
So, anyone want to suggest a next event? Do you think I should brush off my bike and dig out a swim cap or is that just a pushing it a bit?
PS Thanks AndyS for the sponsorship - mum sends her love!!
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What the heck am I doing back here?!
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Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:19 am Bruiser
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Hi all
Thanks for the great welcomes back and thoughts! I have entered a 10k run on 18 July in Coventry. I must be able to get back up to 6 miles in a month...surely...I can manage a couple at the moment so it can't be that bad. Not sure I'll be trying to smash my previous 45min times though! Also looking at a tri in Southam in September.
I've also been in touch with CovTri. Nothing like a bit of club training to motivate I hope. Now just need to dust down that bike and see if I can find my trainers!
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Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:12 pm Bruiser
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...maybe p'raps...just thinking...I've become a complete slob. Stopped running. Stopped cycling. Stopped swimming.  Need to get back into it before I become rooted to sofa and totally addicted to Jeremy Kyle (yes, I know that should be motivation enough!).
Help? Now living in the Midlands. Please someone, suggest something that will get me off my arse and back training.  And don't make it IM as that would just be too much at the moment! I need easing back into it!
Hugs
Bx
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:49 pm Bruiser
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I have to hand it to any of you with kids. HOW THE HELL DO YOU FIT IN ANY TRAINING?? WHY DO YOU NEED ANY TRAINING???? I have just spent a week running round after 3 under-10's - for the last 2 days there were 6 of the little...b...darlings... Ah, I thought, week in N Wales, get in some swimming, running...be great training. HA!!! Hats off to you guys with children, I seriously don't know how you do it.
I'm now crashed out on the sofa enjoying the silence. I did manage to squeeze in a drive round the Blithfield bike course, but that's about it. Refereeing kiddie scraps for 8 hours a day has got to count towards one's fitness levels though, hasn't it?
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Goto page 1, 2, 3 ... 57, 58, 59 Next
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Bruiser - IMA 2006 |
Yes - I was very happy
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..........Bruiser Events 2007.......... |
Bruiser's Events
28 January: Tough Guy 2:00:22 (21st female, 3rd female vet ) PB
17 February: Larkfield Aquathlon: 31:26 (500m swim 8:35; 5k run 22:51) 2nd female
25 February: Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon: 1:42:38 |
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Tri-Talk does Hawaii! |
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..........Bruiser events 2006................. |
Bruiser's Events:
19 Feb – Dover Half Marathon: 1:45:45
1 April - Capita Challenge Team Captain - Johnny and the Scapegoats ! - 4th place
7 May – Steyning Long: 2:06:27. Swim: 15:32; Bike: 1:11:00; Run: 00:39:55 PB
16 July – IMA: 12:42:57. Swim: 1:00:53; Bike: 6:22:33; Run: 5:01:05 (25th in AG, 1st British Female out of the water, 12th British Female overall)
23 July - Deal Regatta 1 mile sea swim: 19:58 (3rd female)
28 August - Deal Tri 1k handicap sea swim: 15:15
8 October - Ashford Quest 10k - 45m19s (13th vet 35+ female, 2nd lady Deal Tri Championship) PB
29 October - Folkestone Half Marathon - 1:40:38 (6th female) PB
5 November - Slaters 5 Mile, Abergele - 36:14 (14th female) PB
12 November - Medway Masters Gala - 50m Backstroke 47:07; 50m Freestyle 35:67; 4x25m Individual Medley 1:33:87 |
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...................Bruiser's Events 2005................... |
27 Mar - Dover Aquathlon: 500m Swim (and trans) 10.25 (4th); 5 mile run 40:55 (6th). Overall 6th female of 9.
17 Apr - Steyning Long Tri: 2:18:09. Swim (800m) 14:07, Bike (35k) 1:16:20, Run (8k) 47:42. 15th female of 21.
18 May - Team Outrageous midweek: 1.24.13. Swim (550m) 8.30, Bike (25k) 48.14, Run (5k) 27.29 (3rd in age group, 6th female).
22 May - National Sprint Champs: 1:18:56. Swim (750m) 11.56, Bike (20k) 42.17, Run (5k) 23.43 (8th in age group).
12 Jun - Escape from Alcatraz: 3:16:43. Swim (1.5m) 00:46:54, Bike (18m) 1:08:22, Run (8m) 1:10:48 (18th of 59 in age group).
2 Jul - Bewl Aqualong (Oly distance): 1:05:19. Swim (1.5k) 19:17, Run (10k) 46:02 (2nd of 18 females (8 in age-group), 31st of 64 overall).
17 Jul - Olympic Distance Age-group Champs: 2:22:39. Swim (400m) 07:24; Bike (42k) 01:23:44, Run (9.7k) 48:34 (22nd of 30 in age group).
27 Jul - Worthing Triathlon: 02:48:28. Swim (1.5k plus T1) 33:30; Bike (43k plus T2) 01:24:56; Run (10k): 50:02 (9th of 30 females, 1st in age group).
22 Aug - Trearddur Bay Sea Sports: Open Women's Half Mile - 1st place; Open Women's 100m - 2nd place (no times available)
28 Aug - Escape to Alcatraz: 02:34:47. Swim (1.5k plus T1) 27:12; Bike (36k plus T2) 1:15:08; Run (10k): 52.27 (7th of 14 females, 3rd in age group).
4 October - World Age-Group Aquathlon Championships, Honolulu:
43:45. Run (2.5k) 11:39 (7:30kph) (10th); T1 1:24; Swim (750m) 15:23 (7th); T2 1:37; Run (2.8k) 13:45 (8th). 7th of 14 in AG, 2nd of 5 in GB AG.
9 October - World Age-Group Triathlon Championships, Honolulu:
2:45:44. Swim (1.5-1.8k sea) 27:12 (39th); Bike (40k plus T1) 81:20 (30.5kph ave); T2 1:55; Run (~10.2k) 55:18 (92nd). 86th of 105 in AG, 15th of 17 in GB AG.
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...................Bruiser's Events before 2005............. |
2004
London Sprint (31 July)
Swim = 12.25
Cycle = 44.10
Run = 25.28
Overall = 1.28.14
(68th of ~600)
Dover Regatta 3k sea swim (15 August)
49.20.04 mins (11th of 14 - mixed)
Leybourne Midweek Sprint (1 September)
Swim = no idea but front half of pack
Bike = disaster - exploded back inner tube before I racked!
Run = fantastic, fresh as a daisy - about 22.5 mins
Technically dropped out of the race as unable to do the bike.
Leybourne Alcatraz Olympic (19 September)
Swim = 00:26:20
Bike = 01:34:48
Run = 00:53:14
Overall = 02:54:25 (3rd female, Alcatraz qualifier!)
Mon Fun Run (10 October)
5k run = ~00:21:15 (tbc)
Nike Nocturnal London 10k run (28 November)
5k split = 00:23:07
10k = 00:47:16 (3,797th of up to 30,000)
Before 2004
Cranbrook Duathlon (1999)
4th female
Orkney Sprint (2002)
4th female (I think) |
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