Crossing the finish line!

Crossing the finish line!

It’s 7.30am on a chilly morning in September and I’m standing on a small area of sand by Weerwater, a very large lake just Northeast of Amsterdam.  The sand is so cold I can hardly feel my toes.  The water looks calm but uninviting.  I’m struggling to not allow the nerves inside me to take over as I put on my swim hat and goggles and make small talk with my fellow competitors.

I’m taking my place on the start line at the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships, surrounded by a host of other female athletes, most of whom look far fitter and less terrified than me!

For those who’ve been following my story, Saturday 14 September was ‘race day’, and the opportunity to put into practice the nine months of training that have built up to this moment.

Unfortunately, my nervousness had been somewhat compounded by a rather challenging two days where my preparations were virtually scuppered by logistical and practical issues.

The challenges started when our flights were cancelled on the morning we were due to travel.  We were offered an alternative, however after eventually managing to speak to a real person and not a robot, it transpired that this couldn’t accommodate my bike – it’s quite essential to have the bike for a triathlon!  

After a frantic time sourcing another flight which could take the bike, this long delay meant the hire car was no longer available on arrival at Schiphol airport.  

Finally arriving at the hotel at midnight after a 5am start, on reconstructing my bike the following day I then discovered a mechanical problem that I couldn’t fix.  Following a mini meltdown fortunately the local bike shop was able to deal with the problem, leaving me just a couple of hours spare to rack my bike and leave my kit in the Transition area ready for the next day.

The one thing you don’t need is stress before an important race, however now I can laugh about it, it has given me a tale to tell and did take my mind off the race!

As the Race Director signalled for our competitor wave to enter the water, there was no going back now and I knew that all I had to do was to keep moving forwards throughout the day, fuel and hydrate well, pace all three disciplines sensibly and hope that with the training I’d done, I had the stamina and mental strength to make it around the course. 

The water was cold!  But once the race got underway, I soon acclimatised and began the two-lap 2.4-mile swim.  Some issues with sighting and a little calf cramp made this a challenge, and as someone who really isn’t a natural swimmer, there were moments of doubt and terror accompanied by flailing arms and legs of fellow competitors and one moment where I thought I might be swum over.

However, I survived the swim to exit the water into T1 relieved and ready to set off on the bike leg.  It’s hard to get going after the swim.  You’re in a wet tri suit, which will dry quickly but it’s horrible when it’s still not overly warm to have to commence a very long ride in soggy clothing.  

You know you need to start eating straight away, but you don’t want to use up your food too quickly, so finding the balance can be tricky.  The bike ride itself was two 56-mile loops, on mainly flat tarmac, although there were some cobbles thrown in for good measure, which was a bit of a surprise and not overly easy on the saddle area the second time around!

Holland is obviously very flat but it’s also pretty sparse.  The roads were a joy to cycle on… not a pothole in sight, but the lack of human contact over what is always the longest element of a triathlon was incredibly mentally challenging.  I am pretty certain I went for around an hour without seeing another soul during the second lap, and the urge to quit when there’s nobody there and you’re not even sure where you are is overwhelming.  My legs were hurting, there was a horrendous head wind during the final stretch of the loop, and I started to wonder if I would ever get back to the transition area.  But I made it.  112 miles.  Done.

On arriving at T2 and relieved to re-rack my trusty Liv, I donned my trainers to set off for the final stage; just a marathon to go between me and the finish line!

The run consisted of four 10km loops around the Weerwater lake, where we had the swim leg earlier that day.  As a runner, I would normally detest looped courses, but this actually made it a far more supported route, and especially as the day started to draw out, having the support of the volunteers at the aid stations, the local residents, and the crowd that had come along to cheer was a life saver!  

Laps one and two were hard, and I was suffering with gut issues, probably due to too many carbs and gels.  It was hot by then so I’d been taking on fluids at all of the aid stations, alternating between water and electrolyte drinks, but I think I overdid it and made a decision at 14 miles in to stop all gels and fuelling (other than sips of water and a few Haribos gratefully supplied by my partner!) and hope that my experience as a marathon runner would be enough to get me through to the end.  

Lap three became easier and by the final lap I couldn’t believe how good I felt.  Expecting to be shuffling like most of the people I was passing at that point, instead I was able to run and run at a decent pace too!  With 2km to go I felt a burst of adrenaline, and then knowing that I would definitely be able to finish inside my aspirational target time of 13 hours I kicked on to produce a 5 minute final kilometre to cross the finish line in 12 hours 48 minutes and 37 seconds – which was a new personal best time by 48 minutes and included a four hour 12 minute marathon stage that I’m particularly proud of.

The run to the finish line was simply epic.  You pass through the spectator area for the final time to an amazing level of noise and cheering.  People you don’t know are shouting your name and encouraging you for those final metres, shouts of ‘Go GB’ and ‘Well done Great Britain’ made me realise just what an incredible experience this was.  Turning left to the line rather than heading straight on for another lap to see the finish was a sight I will never forget, and I’m not afraid to say I was more than a little emotional.  Medal and T-shirt in hand, I knew I couldn’t have worked any harder – I had made it, I was a European Championships finisher.

Recovery has been good.  Sunday I was a little sore and my legs were restless, Monday was fairly similar and there seemed to be stairs everywhere I looked in Amsterdam!  I was also starving and needing to replace the 5,000 calories I’d burned off during the race.
By Tuesday I’d managed a 5km recovery run and just a few days later, I felt almost back to ‘normal’.

I was never going to win a medal at this event.  In fact, I was staggered by the standard of the competition. The bar was most definitely raised!  I managed not to come last, so that was a definite bonus, but I think if I want to race at this level again there will most certainly need to be some things I would need to change about my kit, my training regime, my diet, and probably my bike!

I can honestly say though that this was a truly incredible experience, and despite the stress, the nerves and the dark moments of doubt during the day, it was every bit worthwhile and something that will live long in the memory.

I have so many people to thank, but to Howden who have provided sponsorship to me so that I could take part, I am grateful for the support.  And for everyone who has wished me well, listened to me going on about my training and how hungry and tired I am, and those who helped and encouraged me along the way – thank you all so much.

Read part one, part two and part three of my blogs to find out how I've been preparing for my triathlon journey.