Back again...another triathlon of larger proportions

Darker evenings and a new long term objective have given me good reason to start writing my blog again. So here goes.

Over the summer

Summer was busy and productive, managing to set two PBs in the 5k (18:57) and 10k (42:02) and some firsts, namely a sprint triathlon and relay and two open water swimming races, and in one of which (1km Great Big Open Water Swim at Dorney lake) I was 3rd fastest male finisher!

Managing to break 19 mins in the 5k was definitely a major milestone for me and something I never would have thought possible just 12 months ago. Finding someone similarly competitive, running at around my pace for a regular 5k lunchtime run was absolutely the reason I was able to achieve this. I just started to get used to running faster than I usually do, recognising the pain and going with it, there's a lot of psychology at play. I never really knew how fast I could actually run, I just used to ease off when I felt a bit uncomfortable. Now I'm targeting 18:30 as my next goal in the 5k.

Triathlons

I really enjoyed the training towards the triathlon, the mix of cycling and swimming complimented the running training I'd done to date. The event atmosphere was great too and it's something I'd thoroughly recommend to anyone considering it.

Our Tri Relay Team -
"We'd Rather Be Crown Green Bowling"

I'd managed to convince a friend to sign up too, so we did some training together and compared notes, which is always helpful, especially when you're venturing into the unknown. We both had a great experience, realised we were both reasonable all-rounders and decided to sign up for another, this time a team relay, where each member would complete every leg. We had to bully a 3rd team member into joining us, but think he's now a convert and will be back for more!

More?

Oh yes. Much more. Two months after completing a first sprint triathlon, I read an article in 220 magazine on the top 20 triathlons in the world and saw the photos of the Lac Vevey (near Alpe d'Huez, France), surrounded by mountains, crystal clear water awash with swimmers steadily making their way towards the start of the bike leg, which climbs up the famous 21 hairpin Alp (that's over 1km of vert), before demounting and running back down to the lake! It's the Alpe d'Huez Triathlon and it's fair to say I'm slightly nervous, but excited at the same time and I've got plenty of time to train, so watch this space for an update.