THE SUMMARY

I had a disappointing swim performance but because of it, I was really motivated to push myself on the bike and run. Overall, I am so pleased with the result — I finished third of all the women which is a major milestone for me, my first podium in triathlon!

THE SWIM – 00:17:02

It became clear when I got out of the water at the Thorpe Park Triathlon, that I simply have no clue how to pace a swim. I thought I was swimming fast – I found a group and focused on drafting, not panicking and generally just trying to stay in the mix of things. It turns out, I swam 750m slower than any other race I’ve done!! Woops!

I really struggle with being competitive in the swim portion of a triathlon… I lack a mixture of swim fitness and experience. Only way to get faster is to keep training and keep racing. Eventually I’ll build up a more confidence in my abilities and have a better sense of pace.

THE bike – 00:40:10

The bike was fun. I knew I had to buckle down and try to make up for a slow swim, so I did exactly that. I felt strong and it was a great feeling to move up in the ranks. The course had a two out-and-back points, which made it easy to figure out my place. At around the 13km mark, I learned that I was in 6th place. I pushed the bike as hard as I could and ended up coming into transition in alongside 2nd place.

THE run – 00:21:07

Looks like I have a new 5k PB! My personal best before this was at a Richmond Park Parkrun in September where I finished 5k in 21:30. It’s amazing what you can do when you’re motivated by a little competition.

The girl in 2nd place (Emma of Hampstead Heath Triathlon Club) left transition with me and really pushed the pace. I kept her in sight for the race and tried my best to hold on without taking too much notice of the pace itself. My breathing was horrible – I was actually wheezing trying to stick with her. On average I ended up holding a 4:13 min/km pace.

The finish!

Crossing the finish-line knowing I was in 3rd place was an unforgettable feeling. You can see the smirk on my face in the photo below. I know it was a small race and “only a sprint” but it such a good feeling to get on the podium!

Full race results here >> http://racetimingsolutions.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16269&RId=562

The Event

It was definitely a fun change of scenery doing a triathlon surrounded by all sorts of rides and roller-coasters. It was an early start – 4AM wake up call for a 7AM – start but with that aside, the race was on time and really well organised by Tri Project. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this race to kick off the racing season.

what’s next?

RAAM. The RAAMIN4Charity riders and crew members have started to make their way to the Race Across America (RAAM) race start! Dan and I fly to L.A. on Tuesday and the race starts on Saturday 18 June. Our team of four riders will be racing 3000 miles from West to East coast…. I’ll be in a support vehicle following along.

It has been seriously impressive to witness Dan’s dedication to training over the past 6 months. Countless hours have been spent on the bike and now it’s time to put it to the test. Racing Across America is an amazing feat and I am very proud to be part of such a great team.

Putting things into perspective, RAAM makes my little one hour and twenty minute sprint triathlon look like a walk in the park!

In addition to training and coordinating all the logistics, we have also been fundraising for Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity and Aplastic Anaemia Trust. Preparing for RAAM has felt like having another part time job (and I’m only a driver)! If you would like to support our efforts, you can donate here.

8 Days until race day!

P.S. Any one have recommendations for good Spotify playlists and snacks on a road trip? Please let me know!! Are audio books good??