I tri-ed!

I had initially signed up for a women's only tri, way back in July, and due to numerous reasons never made it down to Dorney Lake that Sunday morning. Then, whilst on a short break to Belfast, I got an email that I had won an entry to the Wonurn Tri two weeks later. I could enter any distance and only had to pay for parking - result! So, I used my sensible brain and picked a Supersprint - 400m swim, 10K cycle and 2.5K run, all distances I could complete with ease individually.

So, with no training under my belt and with my 1990s heavy mountain bike stowed in the boot of my only slightly bigger car, I drove the 90mins to Woburn Abbey on a very cold Spetember morning.

Wedged into my ever so slightly too small wetsuit, I entered the lake. 16.1 degrees felt like ice! The hooter went and we were off.  With reeds trying to grab my ankles and pull me under and the water having a fair amount of sediment circulating, I decided that breast stroke was the way forward. 2 strokes forward and 1 back seemed to be the order of the day. The wind had picked up and the lake became choppy. My predicted 8 minute swim turned into 11..... And then the exit ramp was upon me. I dragged my weary body out of the water, pulled off the top half of my wetsuit and speed walked to transition, conscious of the fact that I needed to prepare my legs for cycling.

Transition - I was not the slowest by far and within 2 minutes I was on my bike and heading out of Woburn. It felt like the longest 10K cycle of my life. All way going well until a hill. A big hill. At 7K I could have done without it and, like the other 4 cyclists just ahead of me, I cheated and walked the steep 200m uphill, mounted my bike at the top and peddled like mad back to transition.

T2 (see, I know the lingo if nothing else) was speedy. Dismount, jog to my racking position, bike up, helmet off, turn number belt round and grab a drink. Out to the run.

2.5K - On it's own should take me 15mins max! This took a little longer with my jelly legs and the 300m hill up the slippery grass at the end.

But I finished! I was not last and despite being 20mins slower than I had hoped I was not too disappointed, given my lack of training, the cold day, my heavy bike and complete unpreparedness!

Woudl I do another? Maybe, but flat, it'd have to be flat!