I’M having a serious case of deja vu as I sit writing this, as the last time I penned my Iron Lady column I had my feet up in a hotel room preparing to race and here I am again… feet up in a hotel room getting ready to race!

Two weeks ago I was in Monterrey, Mexico, for my opening race of the season.

I definitely blew away the cobwebs, finishing fourth for a solid first hit out.

There were things I did well and things I know I can improve this weekend. Nothing prepares you for racing like racing.

Today I’m in action at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside near San Diego and it’s going to be an absolute cracker.

This race always seems to attract a stellar field and this year is no different again. It’s going to be a total smashfest from start to end!

This is the first time I’ve been back down in Southern California (or SoCal, as the natives call it) since leaving Los Angeles to move north to San Francisco last October.

I drove down as far as LA earlier this week, stopped off to see some friends en route and dropped into a Tower 26 swim workout and then cruised on down to San Diego.

On the way I also called in to see my bike sponsors, Felt Bicycles, which is based in Irvine. My bike was given a great pre-race tune-up and check, so there are no excuses now for not ripping it up out there today.

This race is typically known for being a little chilly, especially first thing (the elite women start at 6.43am) but the forecast for this weekend is glorious, so I’m looking forward to being back under the famous SoCal sunshine. Hopefully, I might even get my suntan back!

After this race, I’m planning on spending a few days in LA to catch up with friends and do a little light recovery training before returning to San Francisco later next week.

Racing two events in two weeks can definitely take its toll, so I won’t be afraid to clock up some serious R&R next week. Something tells me I might earn it this weekend… Thank you to my sponsors, including Swindon’s Morris Owen Chartered Accountants and Virtua UK, for their continued help and support.

I’ll be sure to update my Twitter (@eklidbury) with news of how it all goes and will also post a blog on my website at www.eklidbury.co.uk soon after the race.