Gearing up for the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships

Gearing up for the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships

After a triathlon club session with a talk from a very inspirational chap by the name of Yiannis Christodoulou, an age-group ambassador for British Triathlon, I realised that I could be good enough to represent the Great Britain Age Group team based on my Outlaw race result. At 51 years of age, representing your home nation is not something you would necessarily think would be open to you. However, after a bit of research I decided to apply for the team. And in January I was offered the chance to race at the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships which take place in Amsterdam in September.  

Whilst this was something I wanted to do, I still had to give it some serious thought. The endless training, the cost (amateur sport receives no funding sadly), the impact on my work-life balance and family, and the logistics of getting myself and all the gear that goes with being a triathlete out to another country to compete.  

After a chat with my coach, my physio and a few other people, and some generous sponsorship from Howden, I accepted my place, entered the race and embarked on the training.  

A typical week of training for me looks like this currently:

•    Monday: Rest day, although it could involve a light gym or recovery swim session 
•    Tuesday: Evening strength and conditioning class for one hour 
•    Wednesday: 1 hour+ run involving a technique session such as intervals or hills 
•    Thursday: Choice of either an evening run with my run club, or a swim session 
•    Friday: Morning swim if I chose the run option on Thursday, or a run if I swam. In the evening, 1 hour turbo trainer bike set with a 30-minute run off the bike 
•    Saturday: Long (2 hour+) run followed by open water swim of at least 2,000 metres
•    Sunday: 4-to-5-hour bike ride (70+ miles)

Whilst this seems like a lot, I am so fortunate to have the work/life balance I do which allows me the time to train early in the morning or when I finish work in the evening.  I do have to switch my training days around, as working in London means no possibility of a morning training session when I’m in the office, but I do get home in time to hit the evening runs or swims. 

Life is busy though and despite the training I do manage to fit in a pretty decent social life, but the housework often takes a back seat, and there are sometimes 5am starts to fit it all in.  As for my family - my sons think I’m mad, but I know they are (quietly) proud of me! 

Some days I am tired, some days I feel defeated and doubt my ability to do it. Yet there will be other times that I nail a session and feel that rush of adrenaline and the knowledge that I have, in fact, “got this”.  

Having the backing from Howden is a huge plus for me.  I am so fortunate to have an employer that wants to encourage its staff to achieve their goals both in and out of work, and I literally could not be doing this without their support. 

I am sure there are people reading this that think I am a tiny bit crazy, and wondering why on earth I would put myself through such a monumental challenge. But from my perspective it’s about achieving things you never would have thought possible.  It’s about pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and doing what doesn’t always come naturally.  The human body is an incredible machine, and you never really know what it’s capable of until you try. 

September is coming around fast. I have just a few more weeks to get ready for this. Those who know me well will know I have had some challenges this year, but sometimes out of adversity comes a renewed strength and belief that you can overcome any setback - and when you do, trust me, the victory is even sweeter.  I can’t wait to put on my Team GB Tri suit and represent not only my nation but my Howden family too. 

I’ll be posting updates between now and then, but if anyone wants to know more about the event or about triathlons in general, then please drop me a line. 

Read part one of my blog and part three to find out what’s next on my triathlon journey.