BONAQUA mineral water have come on board as major sponsors for 2003, which is great news considering the amount of BONAQUA we go through in our household!  I have always used Bonaqua by choice since moving to Hong Kong so this is a perfect sponsorship relationship.  I have never been a fan of distilled water (in the UK it is only used to fill car batteries and carries a warning not to drink!) as it is important for me to maintain my body's natural balance, especially with the climate in Hong Kong.  You lose so many important minerals when you sweat which need to be replaced and this is especially relevant to anyone in training. 

I was really excited when SPEEDO agreed to provide me with product for the 2003 season having read so much about the superior design of their Fastskin suits.  I was straight down the pool for a test run as soon as I picked up the Kneeskin I will be using for all my races this season.  Normally, a long suit feels sluggish in the water but the Kneeskin felt amazing as I was able to effortlessly fly up and down the pool...roll on Taiwan!  I certainly can't find any flaws in their marketing claims and managed a personal best in Taiwan coming out of the water in 20:00, which is a personal best for me.  I have also been using their Endurance and drag suits for training which help to increase strength and you feel so much faster on race day with the different material of a race suit.

POWERBAR have confirmed they will be providing me with Performance and Harvest Bars for training, racing and pre/post workout snacks.  I must admit when I first started Triathlon nearly five years ago, the performance bar really didn't do anything for my taste buds but the new formula is great and the Cookies & Cream is a big favorite.  I also like to use the Harvest bars especially when I am traveling and it can sometimes be difficult to pick up a healthy breakfast or snack on the run.

I also want to say a big thank you to Cheung Kee Bicycle Shop in Yuen Long who have continued their support and just provided me with a new frame for the 2003 season.  It is my new pride and joy with Cookie having to fight to maintain his place in the bedroom!  It is a Denti time trial frame, which I have found really aerodynamic but it has also performed well on the hills.  Denti is a small Italian manufacturer who tend to specialize in custom built frames but also make some in standard sizes.  I particularly like their geometry as they tend to be shorter in the top tube than many other models, which suits me much better.  I have short arms and long legs so many frames have me really stretched out or I end up with a really short stem which means the bike doesn't handle very well.