Georgie Rutherford
Georgie has a strong background in both triathlon and athletics. She was National Age Group Triathlon Champion in 2005 & 2006. She was top 5 finisher at the 2006 & 2007 World Age Group Triathlon Championships and AG overall female 70.3 World Champion in 2009.
She won a silver medal at the 2010 ITU World Champs in Budapest (25-29 AG) where she was 2nd female overall. She enjoys X Country running representing the North at National events, fell races and off road running challenge events.
Georgie worked for the 2012 Olympics to deliver the Triathlon event in Hyde Park whilst achieving personal targets of a sub 1hr 20 half marathon and compete in 70.3 events around the world to end 2012 at the World 70.3 Championships.
She is the Operations Manager for Human Race.
Georgie’s 2012 Update
- . TriStar Cannes: fastest amateur female overall, results turned to a DSQ for unknown reasons!
- . IM 70.3 Mallorca: winner of overall female category & qualified for World 70.3 Championships
- . Successfully delivered the London 2012 Olympic Triathlon Event with LOCOG
I relocated to South West London from the North East, in April 2011 and within a week of being here I was introduced to the wonderful Aurelie and TheTriTouch team of therapists.
After a heart breaking end to my 2010 race season (I crashed and broke 4 ribs), my mind and body needed a rest from Triathlon racing so I decided to have a break whilst keeping myself Triathlon fit, knowing that I would come back to racing after working to deliver the Olympics.
Meeting TheTriTouch team was not only a great help for me as an athlete but Aurelie & Helen have also become great friends. Making the relocation to Surrey a lot easier. It is not all about the training!
Regular Sports Therapy allowed me to fully comprehend the importance of recovery and treatment from the physical training I adore. Without being on the team this year I know my body would have been neglected. When you are working full time, you (I) always prioritise the aerobic swim / bike or run in favour of a massage or rest! Working with the experts at TheTriTouch has taught me how to start looking after and respecting my body better. I have tried to absorb as much of their advice to learn about new dynamic strengthening exercises and appreciate that it is not clever, or right, to always favour aerobic endorphin boosting exercise!
Knowing that I wanted to kick start racing again in 2013 I have dabbled in a few events (work permitting!) in 2012. This included two awesome new challenges at Tri Star Cannes and Ironman 70.3 in Mallorca. I could not have selected two better events to remind myself how fun it is to take part in Triathlon.
Tri Star Cannes – 1km sea swim, 100km hilly bike ride and a 10km run
This was my first time taking part in a Tri Star event and it was also my first time to Cannes. I attended the event with some friends who were also racing and as this was my first triathlon race in 18 months I was in two minds; relaxed and rusty!!
I went out there with my training bike (Specialized Allez) which I am very happy on but my fellow racing mates thought this was hilarious and managed to wind me up during the days leading up to the race, continually commenting on the weight of my bike, apparently it was a tank.
Sadly on the morning of the event the weather had turned from sunshine to stormy, wet conditions. This resulted in the event being turned in to a chaotic duathlon. After a long delay to the start we were informed we would be running approximately 1000m, in our wetsuits, along the coast road and back to transition before starting the hilly 100km bike course. After waiting for an hour for this to be announced we had all lost a bit of our racing excitement and I found it hard to get going. The weather was reflecting our moods with dull, grey skies and on / off rain. My friend and I decided to start off together, seeming as though it was now one MASS mixed start of over 1000 competitors!!
It was probably one of the most bizarre race starts I have ever experienced but once we came through T1 and hit the stunning 100km hilly ride out in to the hills surrounding Cannes we were off and back in race mode. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and found my training around the Surrey hills paid off as I found the challenging course great fun. My highlight had to be passing a peloton of men as we climbed, for one to yell “ Ey, your legs are like Bradley Wiggins!” Hmmm good or bad thing to have my legs compared to a male cyclist, the fact he is the winner of the Tour de France is probably a good thing. By the time I reached T2 back in the centre of Cannes, the weather had improved, the crowds had appeared and the 10km run course along the stunning sea front was a very different atmosphere to the earlier conditions. I felt quite drained from the hilly ride and found the midday heat quite a shock to the system. I certainly was tearing around the course but found a nice rhythm and enjoyed the end of my first race back.
As for my result, this is still being investigated! My time would have been fastest amateur female overall but by mid week my result had turned to a DSQ. This was certainly a surprise and as of yet I have received no explanation from the organisers. It certainly has not put me off from doing the race again in 2013 and hopefully the organisers will be able to stage the full event, rather than the Duathlon.
Ironman 70.3 Mallorca
A (kind of!?!) last minute entry from my nutrition sponsors Powerbar found me jetting off to Mallorca with only a week to mentally prepare myself for this 70.3. Two weeks after Tri Star Cannes and I decided to fit one last race in before my work on the Olympics hotted up.
This was my first time to Mallorca and coming from a cold UK May to a 30 degree Mallorca May heat was certainly a shock to the system. A lovely shock if you are able to sit and sunbathe but for my little white body I was a little worried about over heating. I arrived with enough time to have a swim practice in the bay at Aguillas and had been able to book a nice hotel within walking distance of the Race HQ.
Everything was really well organised and everything with regards pre event set up was easy and drama free. There were plenty of other British triathletes also out racing which assisted the atmosphere and support. As I had not ever been to the area before and was not going to have time to do get out around the bike course. I spent a lot of time talking to people about the profile of the bike course and getting a clear description of what to expect over each section of the 90km.
Come race day I was in the zone and the race nerves returned. As I had gone out to Mallorca on my own it was quite nice to get on with my pre race prep without having to worry about anyone else. The weather conditions on race morning were spot on; blue sky and warm air with a light breeze. I had been kindly lent a race bike by a great friend from the Thames Turbo Tri Club. After hearing about my Tri Star Cannes bike jibes he thought I should use his Ceepo. Good plan but with very little time to get any pre race riding on it, I still had my reservations. He was also adamant I used his Garmin for the race. Again, something which is alien to me as I never ride with any monitors; power, HR or cadence. I like to ride with how I feel.
The females started all together for a mass, beach start. I positioned myself on the front line and as the starting horn went I was really surprised to find myself out into the clear water on my own. After checking a few times I was on the right course I realised it was going to be a lonely 1.9km swim and had to ensure I pushed the pace on myself. I was delighted when I exited the water in first and continued through T1 on to the bike course on my own. Suddenly I realised I didn’t know the bike course and this is where the Garmin came to my rescue. For the first time in my racing life I actually used the Garmin to keep focused and set myself challenges every 10km. The course was undulating and I felt brilliant, even catching some o f the PRO females who had set off 10mins ahead of us. It was hard to bike the entire 90km on my own as a part from the occasional male age group passing me I was amazed that no other females caught me. Entering T2 still in the lead was a first and the midday heat was going to make the 20km run hard. It was a 3 lap course and the support around each lap was wonderful. There were plenty of aid stations to grab much needed water and sponges. I found my pace and settled in to complete the run holding my position. Time was not really important to me as this was all about getting out there and enjoying racing again. Winning the female category overall was a nice added bonus.
This win did allow me to qualify for the World 70.3 Championships in Las Vegas but sadly due to my work commitments on the Olympics I had to turn down the position, knowing that 2013 would be a year to try and do it justice.
2012 has certainly challenged me and my body. As part of my full time role with Human Race events I have delivered 32 events and on top of that I had my role with LOCOG. I had an absolutely amazing journey working for LOCOG for 18months. The summer months finally delivering the 2012 Olympic Triathlon event was certainly a once in a life time role and I am pleased with the decision I made to focus on working on the Olympics. I have pushed my body beyond belief. It has withstood the test but this has only been down thanks to the continued support from TheTriTouch.
Since December I am already in 2013 mindset with plans being put in place to obtain my PRO Ironman 70.3 licence.
This is a big decision for me to take but after putting it off for a few years now, I feel mentally and physically ready to put my racing first and take a step (small step) back from working as well. 2013 is going to bring many more brilliant challenges. I am sure I will make many mistakes and learn a lot but this has to be one of the best things about a challenge. I do not want to live, looking back and asking what if.
