As I run out of the painfully cold Kielder Water, I'm struck by two things - the absolute beauty of the place and a wave of relief at having got through the 1,900m swim. It's the bit I was most worried about, but the relief is immediately tempered as I realise I still have 111,000m to cover.
New Year's Eve 2021 has a lot to answer for. Spurred on by a few too many glasses of wine, the idea of completing a middle-distance triathlon, specifically a brand-new event around the picturesque Kielder Water and stunning Scottish Borders, seemed a fantastic idea, so with friends as witnesses I signed up to The Northumbrian. With the event still about six months away, I contentedly set about a gentle start to my training plan. But when my birthday arrived in March, and every gift was tri related, the magnitude of what I'd agreed to do started to sink in. What sort of an idiot chooses to do a middle-distance event for their first-ever triathlon?!
AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT
As a serving officer in the Royal Air Force, I'm sure many would assume that I planned and prepared for this first triathlon with military precision. In reality, I completed a training programme that included two open-water swims, a few reasonably long bike rides and a selection of 5-10km runs.
I can make all the excuses I like about work being busy, longdistance commutes being challenging and that I really had to see my friends each weekend, but, ultimately, I was significantly underprepared for the event.
To try and boost my confidence by making sure I know what to expect, I elect to participate in the acclimatisation swim thoughtfully offered on the day before the race in Kielder Water. While it prepares me for what to expect, as an exercise in calming my nerves it proves to be an error in judgement as it only further demonstrates how ill-equipped I am for the 1.9km.
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
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THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION
On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
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PACKING YOUR WORKING CELLS WITH CARBOHYDRATES IN THE BUILD-UP TO YOUR BIG RACE IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO RACE STRONGER AND FASTER...
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POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"
