We SMASHED IT

We’ve done it. Not only did we just do it, we blooming smashed it! 
A week on and we’re both still raving about it. It’s infectious. It’s exciting. It’s awesome. It’s incredible to think where we started, just under a year ago, with me for example not able to run 1km without it feeling like my lungs were going to burst, let alone 10km!

But on Sunday 11th September, we completed our first ever Olympic distance triathlon. And in good time too. 

There were a couple of anomalies with the distances. The sea swim was actually 1800m not 1500 and according to a number of people on social media the bike was 42.5km not 40km. My watch showed the same, so I’m going with it. So my times? 

• Swim – 30.40
• T1 – 3.00
• Bike – 1hr 29mins
• T2 – 2.33
• Run – 1hr 3mins

Total time 3hrs 8 mins

If you take into consideration the extra distance, I’ll spare you the detail but it takes about 5 minutes off the swim and about 5 mins off the bike. So total actual time for my Olympic distance tri? 

Total actual time – 2 hrs 58! 

Rapidly googling “what’s a good time for a first time average triathlete?” I learn that anything around 3 hours is pretty respectable. 

So stoked with my times! Not only because of how it all worked together, but I smashed my personal bests as well – on each leg. Result!

So tri day…

I first woke up at 3.30am. Our race didn’t start until 8.45 and it was pitch black outside, but given the sea was pretty stormy the day before, I was tuning my ears to listen for any wind. There was none! As soon as daylight broke I could see the sea was as flat as a pancake. Ours prayers had been answered, it was going to be a good day.

For the next three hours, I wasn’t wide awake, taking head of my own advice earlier in the year (to not worry about fighting the sleep the night before), but I must have walked through every stage of the tri in quite minute detail. 

Having seen the race site on the Saturday for registration, I was imagining every transition. What the turns would be like. How far the route from swim to transition was. Where my family could watch. What it would be like to run over the finish line. I wasn’t tired when I got up, but I was quietly nervous! 

I checked in with the tripal, she was awake too. Feeling the same; nervous, anxious and full of a little bit of self doubt that the day was finally here and would we make it across the line? Would we survive? 

Saying goodbye to our families, we jumped in a taxi heading to race site. 

The first thing I noticed was really how “normal” everyone looked. I mean, average sort of people. Obviously there were the elites or the super fit who looked like they needed a good meal, but then there were people that looked just like us. And then we realised they were doing the sprint distances…. yea, we were going to be fine. Right?

Some of the bikes though… I can’t tell you what they were, but damn I wanted them! They looked like machines out of this world. It’s when I realised my obsession with triathlon was only really at the beginning. 
Bikes checked. Kit laid out. Wetsuit on. We headed to the beach for our briefing. We had joined the “mates wave” as we had wanted to do the race together and it also took a little pressure off and hopefully we could have some fun doing it.

Taking the last couple of minutes before we started, I was contemplating what was ahead. I had to remind mysel that I was racing my race. Everyone was going to be racing to their own agenda and I needed to race to mine. Our plan was to get across the line,  not win the race.  

Briefing over, we head to the waters edge. The sea could not have been more flat (for Brighton) but there was still a nasty little shore dump that tripped a few people up when  doing their acclimatisation dip! I went to help a couple but I think the rmebarassement or nerves stoppped them for reaching out a hand.

We agreed we’d let the mass of people start, then we’d go. Off they went and 5 seconds later we were in. After the initial mele, I spotted the first buoy ahead and I could also see that near enough the entire group had split left or right. It was as though my friend who I was doing this in memory of, had looked down on me and paved a clear path for me to the first buoy. I did wonder where they were off too, but my tripal was following behind and we were on our way. 

A few weeks ago, I found a switch I could turn on (or off?!) whilst sea swimming to just let me swim. To not worry about the people, the distance or the conditions. I was just swimming, one stroke at a time. And I was doing well…

I was the third person round the first buoy and by the second buoy I was in second. The guy I overtook was having serious directional issues as he was heading the wrong way out to sea and crossed over the back of my legs, I’m pretty sure receiving a bit of a kick in the process. Sorry pal! By the third buoy I was catching up with the previous wave. It felt pretty awesome!

Rounding the final buoy on the way to the beach I was still holding on to second place and made for the beach. I went WAY off course here. I’m not sure why, i thought my spotting was pretty good so I’m going to blame it on the tide. According to one of my friends on the beach, I must have swam another 100m at least. 

Catching the swell to help me in, I hit the beach in second place! I was so stoked! And a little surprised, hence the smile beaming from my face in that pic below. I couldn’t  quite believe I’d not only completed the sea swim, but I smashed it. I swam the same time/distance in the sea as I do in the pool! 

Transition I thought was pretty good. I forgot to pick up my banana but otherwise it was good and pretty quickly I was out in the bike. I remember feeling slightly out of breath post swim, but I was clearly pushing pretty hard.

Out on the bike, I was sitting pretty comfortably, but after about 3 laps I was feeling a bit knackered. I realised I was averaging 30kp/h when on my training rides, keeping a steady pace for me was about 25kp/h. So I had to slow it down a little to save some energy. 1 lap later I was back up at 30, getting inspire from those around me and seeing my TriPal out on her bike doing well! I met some great people on the ride including a group of guys who were doing the bike part of a relay. That gave me a boost, as one of the guys asked how is he not going faster than me and he hadn’t just done the swim! 

Seeing my family at the half way point each lap was pretty good for a mental boost too. I know that every time I passed them my speed boosted again. My bro and sis were there too, who the following day would be moving to Sri Lanka for their new life abroad. It meant the world to me to have hem there cheering us on! 

Coming to the end of the bike, I could feel my quads and hamstrings tightening right up. I put the bike in a high gear to get some spinning going on for the last couple hundred metres or so, but man they hurt running through transition. I say running, I was hobbling. My family later said they were worried looking at me wondering if I’d be able to complete the run!

Bike racked. Run shoes on. I headed out of transition. My family and friends were all lining the exit, so a quick kiss for my baby boys, and I was off. My legs were pretty tired at this point, but with all of my training, I knew I just need to get through the first kilometre and then I’d be fine. 

I was running good times for me. I’m not the quickest out there by any stretch of the imagination and the run is my least favourite activity, but I was smashing through it. I said to myself that if I stopped, my legs would seize up, so there was no stopping. 

At this point you could feel the sun burning pretty hot. It felt like any energy, or water was just being zapped out of me with every step. So hot in fact that my race numbers were burnt onto my arm, a pretty good marker that we’d done it 😉 

The last lap and a half, my knee felt like it was going to explode. I’ve always had problems with my knees, sometimes taking me out for days. The pain was pretty unbearable at some points, but three things got me through it. 

First was my pal Emily, who I was doing this in memory of. Emily had cystic fibrosis and we sadly lost her just over a year and a half ago. I kept thinking of how much she had to fight over the years and  how much she lived her life to the full. The conversations I was having with her at this point, were keeping my going. She was my inspiration when it really got tough. She is well and truly etched into my heart after this  day! 

Second was my mate Paul. He ran the odd 100metres with me, trying to distract my mind from my knee pain and helping encourage me along. It was a pretty awesome thing to do! His pockets were packed full of gels, snickers and water. Basically anything I needed to help get me through it! What a dude.

The third thing was my family. Seeing my wife cheer me on and the expression on my boys faces as I came running past each time was pretty awesome! My eldest boy looked so proud, I didn’t want to let him down and it spurred me on. It helped keep me going. 

Going through the final gate on the way to the finish, I picked up my speed and tried to sprint over the line. In truth, my knee felt like blowing out into a thousand pieces, but I was nearly there! Then… I crossed the line, still running, smashing all of my personal bests on the sea swim, bike and the run! STOKED. I did it!

I didn’t realise it at the time, but the camera caught me looking up in thanks to my pal Emily. It was my thank you to her for helping to get me across the line and I’m so grateful they got the picture. 

My TriPal Rachel wasn’t that far behind either. It was awesome to see her run nacross the line in a seriously respectable time too! 

Medal collected. Recovery drink nailed. We chinked our prosecco glasses and had an awesome afternoon reliving it all with our friends and family. And we are. A lot. 

All of this craziness also helped me raise some incredible money for charity. I aimed to get £1,000 but by the end of my try I was at £1,900. A few days later, £2,100! I couldn’t be more stoked! *update – now close to £2,500!!!*

So a week on… I’m still buzzing. And I want to do it again….!