Derby Sprint Triathlon
The prospect of returning to triathlon after a break of almost two years was both exciting and daunting. Last Sunday morning I was asking myself whether I wanted to do this, and if I was prepared for the race ahead of me.
Preparation for the Derby Sprint was far from ideal. Unfortunately for the past two years training was not my number one priority, and putting down my name for the Derby Sprint was brief moment of insanity. My preparation for this race was ad hoc, and comprised mostly of a few unstructured sessions. Cycling was the least of my worries as every day I cycle to work on my little fold-up bike. However, as race day approached I started feeling a little bit apprehensive with my running and swimming. So I asked Dermot for a few training tips, to help with my preparation for the forthcoming race.
The race was a slightly shorter sprint, with an indoor 400m swim instead of the usual 750m swim. I wasn’t expecting anything special from it; finishing it was only target. On race day morning I was feeling pretty nervous and excited, and I was asking myself whether I was doing the right thing. A few words of encouragement from the coach were enough, and a few minutes later I was poolside waiting for my turn to start the swim.
The swim was relatively uneventful, and I was glad when it was over, as I was getting a little out of breath and couldn’t find any rhythm at all! Out of the pool into the windy (very windy) outside, we had to run across a field and get for transition. Transition was good, and I decided to put on my shoes while in transition, rather than the “pro” way.
The bike segment was perhaps the worst bit of the race. The race organisers and friends who know the area quite well said the bike course is relatively flat. Big fat lie! It was everything but flat, and coupled with the wind’s strength the bike promised to be very difficult. After a few minutes cycling I slowly settled down into a rhythm. Half way through the segment I felt a sharp pain down my side. Great, I had a stitch ... and I haven’t even started running!! I eased off a wee bit, drank a little, and hoped that by the end of the bike the stitch will be gone.
Finishing the bike was a very happy moment, yet I wasn’t too keen on the run. I was still worried about the stitch. Off the bike and oh no ... I’ve got jelly legs! Need to focus on bike-run sessions now. Anyway, I started the run really slowly and hoped that by my legs would not blow up mid-way. I wasn’t too impressed with the start. The run started with a short sharp hill followed by a long (less steep) downhill. Halfway through the run I felt really comfortable, and decided to up the pace a little bit, and finished strongly in a time of 1 hour 6 minutes.
Although a far cry from my personal best and the time other (better prepared) athletes were doing I feel with the result. I’m even happier the triathlon “bug” is back! From now on I’m hoping to be a little bit more structured with my training, and go for longer / more competitive races, all with Dermot’s guidance and support!
The prospect of returning to triathlon after a break of almost two years was both exciting and daunting. Last Sunday morning I was asking myself whether I wanted to do this, and if I was prepared for the race ahead of me.
Preparation for the Derby Sprint was far from ideal. Unfortunately for the past two years training was not my number one priority, and putting down my name for the Derby Sprint was brief moment of insanity. My preparation for this race was ad hoc, and comprised mostly of a few unstructured sessions. Cycling was the least of my worries as every day I cycle to work on my little fold-up bike. However, as race day approached I started feeling a little bit apprehensive with my running and swimming. So I asked Dermot for a few training tips, to help with my preparation for the forthcoming race.
The race was a slightly shorter sprint, with an indoor 400m swim instead of the usual 750m swim. I wasn’t expecting anything special from it; finishing it was only target. On race day morning I was feeling pretty nervous and excited, and I was asking myself whether I was doing the right thing. A few words of encouragement from the coach were enough, and a few minutes later I was poolside waiting for my turn to start the swim.
The swim was relatively uneventful, and I was glad when it was over, as I was getting a little out of breath and couldn’t find any rhythm at all! Out of the pool into the windy (very windy) outside, we had to run across a field and get for transition. Transition was good, and I decided to put on my shoes while in transition, rather than the “pro” way.
The bike segment was perhaps the worst bit of the race. The race organisers and friends who know the area quite well said the bike course is relatively flat. Big fat lie! It was everything but flat, and coupled with the wind’s strength the bike promised to be very difficult. After a few minutes cycling I slowly settled down into a rhythm. Half way through the segment I felt a sharp pain down my side. Great, I had a stitch ... and I haven’t even started running!! I eased off a wee bit, drank a little, and hoped that by the end of the bike the stitch will be gone.
Finishing the bike was a very happy moment, yet I wasn’t too keen on the run. I was still worried about the stitch. Off the bike and oh no ... I’ve got jelly legs! Need to focus on bike-run sessions now. Anyway, I started the run really slowly and hoped that by my legs would not blow up mid-way. I wasn’t too impressed with the start. The run started with a short sharp hill followed by a long (less steep) downhill. Halfway through the run I felt really comfortable, and decided to up the pace a little bit, and finished strongly in a time of 1 hour 6 minutes.
Although a far cry from my personal best and the time other (better prepared) athletes were doing I feel with the result. I’m even happier the triathlon “bug” is back! From now on I’m hoping to be a little bit more structured with my training, and go for longer / more competitive races, all with Dermot’s guidance and support!
Luke
