Post-Wilmslow

Following on from Wilmslow I was really pleased with how the race had gone and decided to enter another Tri asap! After the Oulton Park Duathlon I realised I could have been close to qualifying for a GB Age-Group Team and decided to look into the possibilities for triathlon.

For the European and World Duathlon and Triathlon Champs each year there are an assortment of qualification races and I ended up doing one by accident as Oulton Park was a qualifier for the European Duathlon Champs. 

I'm a far better runner than swimmer or cyclist, but I wasn't sure just how much those events dragged me down - I decided entering the GB Sprint Triathlon Championships at the Speedy Beaver event at the end of May.

With a swim in a lake and taking place in the grounds of Belvoir Castle, this was going to be a pretty big deal...

Preparation:

Swimming in a lake meant some practise/experience of swimming in open water before the event would be a good idea - so I sorted out wetsuit hire and jumped in one Saturday morning at Salford Quays.

Honestly have to say this was not the most fun I've ever had. Cold. Dark. No sign of the bottom. Cold. Dirty. Cold, did I mention cold? I'm not a fan of cold water anyway and will avoid puddles when running! I hadn't anticipated how much my body would tense up on hitting cold water and how off-putting not being able to see the bottom was, but I ploughed out a few laps anyway, realising I'd do better in a better fitting wetsuit and with appropriate Goggles - I had my normal pool racing goggles on and periferal vision is pretty poor in them. Fine when you're going in a straight line guided by lane ropes, not so good for navigating murky water, swan poo and an overly confident swan who set himself on a collision course with me!

Cycling wise I was confident I could improve my cycling hugely just by putting in a bit more practise.

However a couple of things happened that interfered with my plans:

1. My bike was stolen.

2. I was blown off my bike by a gust of wind 6 days before the race.

Luckily the nice people at Dave Mellor Cycles where I bought my first bike, helped me out by setting up a new bike for me to collect the weekend before the race. They did an excellent job of sourcing the exact same bike and having it ready for me!

Unluckily I got blown off my bike by a strong gust of wind the same weekend and landed heavily grazing both hands deeply, jarring my back badly and cutting my knees and thighs - that's what I get for cycling in short shorts and without gloves, lesson learnt!

In the week before the GB Sprint Champs I was hobbling around, unable to run, oozing goo from open wounds...not the best preparation and didn't do a lot for my bike confidence!