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Helen Russell - News 2014 |
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| 2014 |
| November |
 Winter Training in the Sun
Helen is joining forces with Ciclo Costa Blanca and Meta Bike Cafe this winter to get the most out of her off season training. Ciclo Costa Blanca will be providing Helen with a high quality bike to cover the winter miles in the Costa Blanca, Spain.
Based in Albir, just 3km from Benidorm and within easy reach of Alicante and Valencia airports, Ciclo Costa Blanca offers the chance to train on the roads where the pros spend their winters. Based at the foot of the beautiful mountains of the Marina, a stay with Costa Ciclo Blanca offers the opportunity to ride up numerous mountain climbs, along scenic coastal routes and experience the real rural Spain of quiet rustic villages. But the area isn’t just a mecca for cyclists-with local 25m swimming pools, a nearby running track and costal off road runs, it is also a great training base for triathletes. It is for this reason that Helen trained with Ciclo Costa Blanca in winter 2012 and 2013 and will be returning in 2015. Ciclo Costa Blanca offers a range of hotel
and apartment accommodation packages for single riders to large groups packages, including guided or self-guided options. In 2015 Ciclo Costa Blanca will be offering Canondale carbon bike hire.
The newly opened Meta Bike Cafe has fast become the cycling hub of Albir and provides not just pre, during and post ride refreshments but is also a base for cyclists looking to hire bikes, get bikes serviced, repaired and built, exchange route ideas, get a much needed post ride massage, join in free shop rides or just have a drink whilst watching the cycling on the widescreen TV. Helen will be spending many an hour here recovering and sharing ideas with other keen cyclists and triathletes.
Helen will be staying with Ciclo Costa Blanca clients at the Terra Alta Apathotel in Benidorm, which is equipped with a gym and indoor swimming pool-an ideal base for triathletes.
 If you want to join Helen on some rides in the Costa Blanca or want to find out more about the packages offered by Ciclo Costa Blanca check out the websites:
http://www.ciclocostablanca.com/ or
http://www.metabikecafe.com/
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October |
Masters success
After studying for a year in Germany, Helen has successfully completed her Masters degree in ‘Labour Policies and Globalisation‘ and graduated at the end of September. Her Masters research combined her two passions of sport and politics, examining the collective bargaining power of British trade unions during the London 2012 Olympics. Due to the intensive nature of the Masters programme and moving between Kassel, Brussels and Berlin, Helen was not able to compete this season to the extent that she has done in previous years but nevertheless secured a silver medal in the European Aqauthlon Championships and podium places in a number of swim races in Berlin. Helen will now turn her attention to winter training in preparation for her move up to the 40-44 age category next season. Her main 2015 target will be to take the European Aquathlon title. Thanks of course go to
Helen‘s sponsors, who continued to give their support during her studies in Germany. |
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July |
 Schlactenseetraverse
Helen took part in the cross Schlachtensee swim race on the 11th July. The race, organised by the Triathlon Team Berlin covered the 2.3k length of the Schlachtensee race on the outskirts of Berlin. This was the first time that Helen had swum a race of this distance, normally covering just 750m in a sprint or 1,600m in Olympic distance triathlon races. Therefore Helen decided to start at an effort pace but not one where she would immediately get fatigued. She quickly found herself swimming side by side with defending champion Sonja Bettge from team SISU Berlin. As the leading man swam off into the distance Helen pushed on and managed to create a gap on Sonja. She then settled into a sustainable rhythm and held onto the front for the remainder of the race finishing first woman and second overall in a time of 36.20. Sonja pushed Helen all the way and didn‘t finish far behind, taking second in a time of 36.50 and third placed woman was Anette Gersbeck from Team Triathlon Berlin. This was a low key race but nevertheless a great experience of racing over a longer swim distance.
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 PWR+ joins Helen’s support team
A number of recent scientific studies have demonstrated that nitrates - present in high quantities in beetroot - have a positive impact on sports performance.
Therefore Helen is delighted to announce that she will be supported by
PWR+, who produces a range of beetroot based sports performance drinks.
Helen has been drinking beetroot juice since last season but hated the taste. However she no longer has to worry as the
PWR+ products combine a mixture of beetroot, sour cherry juice, coconut water and blueberries to create a delicious tasting drink.
PWR+ has supplied Helen with a season’s worth of products including PWR+Perform, PWR+Recover and PWR+Shot. PERFORM is a combination of beetroot and cherry Juice designed to be drunk as part of a pre-work out ritual. RECOVER is a combination of red grape, pomegranate, red grapefruit, aronia and acai berries, designed to aid the recovery process. SHOT is a combination of beetroot juice concentrate and 100% natural caffeine for that extra energy kick.
All PWR+ products enhance performance, aid recovery and improve results when combined with smart nutrition, training and sleep. Helen uses the three products to enhance her training, recovery and competition results.
Find out more at http://www.pwrsport.co.uk/
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June |
 European Aquathlon Silver
Helen had a great return to racing at the end of May winning a silver medal in the European Aquathlon Championships in Cologne, Germany.
Europe‘s top age group aquathletes travelled to the newly developed Rheinauhafen area of Cologne, all hoping to take the coveted title of European Aquathlon Champion. The race consisted of a 1km swim in the river Rhine followed by a 5k run along the river side promenade
Unfortunately Helen, who is currently studying for a Master's degree in Berlin and is being supported this year by Team Erdinger Alkoholfrei, has had an injury plagued winter and was forced to take a six week break from running due to an Achilles problem. Over the spring most of her training has consisted of pool based aqua-running, so she was unsure as to how she would cope in the race.
On the day Helen had a solid swim, exiting the river in second position in a time of 15.34 but this meant she was already 2mins 14secs behind race leader Franziska Fleck, who was representing Germany. Franziska put in a great run time of 19.49 to extend her lead over Helen and finish in an overall time of 34.12. As Franziska had an unassailable lead, Helen‘s race was effectively for a podium position. In third place and making up time on Helen was fellow Brit Kathy Wellam. Despite running faster than Helen, Kathy was however unable to make up the ground she had lost on the swim leg and Helen held on to take the silver in the 35-39 age category in an overall time of 38.26, thirty-nine seconds ahead of third placed Kathy.
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 Schildhornschwimmen
Helen took part in the Schildhorn Swim race across the Havel as part of the Jaczo festival that commemorates the founding of the Mark of Brandenburg in 1157. The 750 meter race followed the route of Jaczo von K'penick, a Slavic knight, who according to legend escaped Albrecht dem Bren by riding his horse across the water from Gatow to Schildhorn. The race attracted swimmers from across Berlin and Brandenburg and Helen finished in 2nd place behind Ulrike Menzel.
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Spring |
 Tri-City Triathlon
Helen has spent the spring studying and training in Europe. In fact she has spent time in three cities: Brussels, Geneva and Berlin, where she will now spend the next six months studying at the Berlin School of Economics and Law and training with the Triathlon Team Berlin. She returned to the UK over Easter and thanks to Bromsgrove Living Well Health Club was able to continue training in the club‘s newly refurbished gym and swimming pool. Helen is now preparing for her summer race season which will start at the end of May with the European Aquathlon Championships in Cologne.
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February |
 Spirit of Bromsgrove
Helen was delighted to be one of only three people shortlisted for Bromsgrove Senior Sports Personality of the Year in the first ever Spirit of Bromsgrove Awards. Helen was the only female to be shortlisted for the award in recognition of her successful 2013 triathlon season. Unfortunately she missed out on the top spot which went to Simon Burgess, the Bromsgrove District Football League Secretary for his work to develop the local football league.
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January |
 Helen continues to train and study in Kassel, Germany and is training with the Triathlon WVC Kassel team. At the start of the New Year
Jackoatbars™ became the latest company to join her team of supporters- a great start to 2014! Packed with 50% oats, Jackoatbars™ provide an excellent energy source. Helen will be using the bars for fuelling-up before training sessions and for on-the-move fuel, especially on the bike. But is not only because the bars taste great that Helen will be using them, it is also because she supports the brand mission of building a brand that rivals the global corporate power brands whilst being firmly embedded within the grass roots and encouraging people to take up sport and follow their sporting dreams. This is a message that Helen very much identifies with. |
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