Juneathon day 14: Windsor triathlon

Written Jun 15, 2015, tagged under post,amersham,cycling,fitbit,juneathon,relay,running,swimming,triathlon,windsor

The big day arrived! After a hideously early start (setting off at 5:15), and heavy triathlon traffic at the other end, we were there and ready to go. Time was a bit short, so it wasn't all that long before Karen was jumping in the Thames to get the ball rolling. Once she had set off, Holger and I wondered around a bit to get the lay of the land, then I went to meet Karen after her 1.5km swim.

Next off was Holger, for a 40km ride. I, meanwhile, tried to find ways to warm my legs up - and indeed the rest of me, as it wasn't yet even 8AM on a rather chilly day! Some brisk walking around the transition area did the trick, along with some checking out of the run route with Karen.

Once Holger was back, it was a quick change-over of the electronic timing chip and then I was off for a quick 10k. I wasn't especially hopeful of how this would go, as my Wednesday run hadn't even been 10k but had taken ages. Although I didn't have a watch or anything, I just hoped that I wouldn't be too far over an hour.

As it turns out, Windsor triathlon is a pretty serious event! Most people were doing the Olympic distance rather than the sprint, and judging by the number of people shooting past me on the run, they were all intent on getting a decent time. Certainly I was overtaken a lot more than I overtook. However, I plugged away and just kept on going, entering that kind of zen-like state you can get when running, concentrating on the cycle of breathing and legs.

The 10k passed by quickly, and soon it was time for the final straight; a quick push for a sprint finish, and job done. I was very happy with the performance of team "Hang On A Minute!" - well done, you two! I was also most surprised to find I'd done the run in 56:42 - much faster than expected, and only 14 seconds off my previous PB from a few years ago when I had done much more training (albeit a very hilly route - the Ridge Off Roader).

All told, a very busy day, but great fun! And hats off to Human Race, who did a fantastic job of organising the event...