Why everyone should can do a triathlon!

I am a triathlete. Not a good one. Quite a bad one actually but I have completed six so I must be. Further more I love it. Let me explain why.

A brief personal history will demonstrate that I am no natural athlete. I was always last in any sport at school, in the days before people trained and before I got fat. I simply had no speed or ball skills. I was good at maths and music and had loads of friends – so I wasn’t too bothered. I hated Sports’ Day, but it was only once a year. Sport was just not my thing.

Ten years later I had become fat and lazy, but was still very content with life. I was aware that I should be doing some exercise for my heart but felt completely uninspired. I then saw the London Marathon on TV and tears welled up in my eyes – could I do that? Quite a few fat birds seemed to be doing it!

Ten years on and I’m afraid I still haven’t done a marathon. I have however run regularly for ten years and enjoy it. Me and my faithful hound Bhoona trudge round the village each morning at 6:30 and explore further a field at the weekends. I have run many races and have T-shirts and medals to prove it. I am fitter and slimmer – although loss of another 10 kg wouldn’t go amiss!

Why Triathlons?

So why triathlons? Well it all started with my half marathon dreams. I’ve completed three half marathons - but none have gone well. Training is great until I get to 9 miles and then I start to get injuries, run out of time or get psyched out by the long runs. A few years ago I was training for The Great North Run for the 2^nd time and was determined. My aim? To enjoy it. I was running with a group. I was doing it by the book. But then disaster struck. I landed awkwardly, jarred my hip and 2 weeks later a physio told me I shouldn’t do the race. I was philosophical. There is always next year.

A friend who was also planning to do The Great North confided her concerns; she had never run for more than an hour. I knew she would struggle. But she didn’t! She loved every minute and managed less than 2 hours. I was secretly miffed.

Then another friend in New Zealand did exactly the same thing. Half marathon, no long runs, 2 hours and loved it. Life is sooo unfair.

In their post race enthusiasm they got talking about doing a triathlon. Everyone’s doing them in New Zealand apparently! I, however, could think of nothing worse. I was however intrigued by their running success. They both cycled to work every day, rain or shine. I began to think that this base level of fitness might explain how they had managed the half marathons despite ignoring all those training guides which emphasise the importance of the long run. It may also explain how they had avoided injury.

At first this triathlon talk didn’t interest me a bit – but after a few glasses of wine I agree to lots of stupid things. So I went on the internet looking for a “fun triathlon”. To my surprise I found one! A “sprint distance (short – there will be no sprinting from me!) women’s only (fewer egos) for charity (you appear altruistic rather than  deluded) triathlon”. The Deva Divas Triathlon in Chester (750m swim, 16k cycle, 5k run). I entered. Miss New Zealand was up for it as was UK sub-2-hourer. Over the next few weeks I recruited a few others. This would be a Big Day Out. Pub lunch on the way home. Bring it on!

6 months later and it was just me! Miss New Zealand realised that she lived in New Zealand. Two of the UK contingent had surgery within a month of the race. Another got pregnant! The lengths people go to! I was not to be put off. I had been having swimming lessons and I could now swim a kilometre of front crawl. I wasn’t going to buy a bike – my hybrid would make it obvious I wasn’t serious! I had bought a wetsuit (open water swim!). I was most terrified of the swim. I had never swum in anything but a pool. I had heard stories of trathletes catching stomach bugs or being injured by shopping trolleys. What had I agreed to?

My first Triathlon

On the day my husband came along for support. There was an Olympic Distance mixed event before us so muscled Ironmen and 6 Grande bikes were all over the place. Seriously intimidating! Putting on my wetsuit I felt like a beached whale. I laid out my kit and prayed my bowels would behave themselves for the next 2 hours. 

Once I was in the water it was great! The river was full of women in brightly coloured hats denoting whether they were team or single entrants. A lot were clearly as “out of their depth” as me and nervous hysteria rippled round. We did a Mexican Wave in the river Dee and the river banks were full of people who clearly thought we were mad! A horn blew and we were off.

I swam into a boat (no lines on the bottom of a river to guide you!) but I wasn’t last out of the water. I managed to get my wetsuit off and my trainers on. My chain only came off once. I probably had the worst bike on the course but at least I had taken the basket off the front! I had assumed the 5k run would be easy – but it was the worst bit! After the bike my legs were like jelly. I had nothing left. I kept thinking of Paula “digging deep” but the last 2k were the longest ever. Only mental arithmetic kept me going (being good at maths helped in the end).

I was elated. I wasn’t last. I had done something none of my mates had. Everyone was friendly. It was great.

There’s always a new challenge

That was 2005. In 2006 I did the Deva Divas again and a “proper”, mixed one (Tadcaster – 500m pool swim, 14 k cycle, 7k run). I was last in Tadcaster but it cemented in my mind what is so great about triathlon. Everyone is so friendly and encouraging. When I was struggling up a hill on the run someone offered me a Power Gel. No one has ever done that in any of my many running races. The slowest swimmers (me) start first so that even if you remain the slowest you don’t finish last because the elite athletes set off so much later than you. I got a T-shirt with my name on the back. I was made up!

Why triathlons rather than running?

So I enjoy triathlons but I’m clearly mad. Why should you do one?

1. Cross training (mixing disciplines) is excellent. You avoid injuries, you get more all round fitness and you don’t get bored. I now have much stronger arms because of the swimming – running does tend to leave the arms out! Cycling means that my legs are stronger in a more balanced way as you do use different muscles for running and cycling. After a hard run or cycle you can still swim – because it stretches you, is non–weight bearing and predominantly upper body. I remain slow at all 3 disciplines but my running is no worse, my faithful hound still gets out and about and I enjoy it more because it is no longer my sole focus.
2. No one is good at all 3 disciplines. I believe that this is why people are friendlier. You may want to challenge this about unfriendly runners – but I am always at the back and I know that as you approach the finish and all those who have finished are walking back with their medals many of them think you are slow because you are lazy. They do not understand that despite the fact you run at least 3 times a week, try and do hill training etc you still can’t do 10k in less that 1h 10. In the Wigginton 10k a few years ago a friend and I finished last together. As we approached the finish the local club were clearing away the signs and a woman said to us “I though you 2 were never going to finish”. I really can not see this happening in a triathlon. Everyone has a discipline they are worried about! They all understand that you can work at something and still not be very good. Good runners usually struggle at swimming. Good swimmers fear the run. Good cyclists are only in it for the kit! What kit do you need to run? So if you are a good runner – enter a triathlon. I dare you. Get some swimming coaching and feel what it is like to be putting all your effort into your stroke and have someone swim fast past you apparently making no effort at all. If you are a poor runner like me then you may find you are good at one of the others! If not (and I haven’t) at least you will race with people who understand that it is difficult.
3. I have learnt two much more technical sports and really enjoyed both. I now have a road bike. I have “scary cleats” but haven’t fallen under a bus still attached to my bike. I have a bike computer which allows me to talk about cadence. I remain a fair weather cyclist because I hate cold feet but when spring arrives and I get on my bike I rejoice at seeing more, covering a greater distance and discovering new areas of my locality. Cycling abroad is great (the French love cyclists! They stop the traffic for you!). I continue to find swimming the most tedious but I have improved with instruction. When I entered my first Tri I couldn’t swim 2 lengths of front crawl without stopping. Now I stop because I’m bored not because I’m out of breath or tired. What I have loved about swimming is the open water swims! It is the swimming equivalent of running outside instead of on a treadmill. It is difficult to do a lot of open water swimming in the UK unless you live by the sea. Last year I went on a swimming weekend (Swimtrek – they do holidays too in Greece and Malta!) and we swam across 4 lakes in the Lake District. This was the business. As usual I was the slowest – but it didn’t matter, and swimming along Buttermere with Red Pike under ones arm and looking back at Haystacks was one of my 2006 highlights. Yes – I wore a wetsuit – I’m not David Walliams for goodness sake! So I wasn’t cold and there is a support boat who throw you hot energy drinks. It was great.

The future

2007 should see me do 4 triathlons. I’ve completed my first Olympic Distance in Ripon (1.5k swim, 44 k cycle, 10k run). This was hard and I was last - but that didn’t reduce the cheer when I got home! A puncture on the cycle was a new challenge for me that time! In Tacdaster I knocked 7 minutes of my previous year’s time and I’ve another planned before the end of the season. Next year I look forward to the Ripon Tri – when I plan to be anything but last! See you all there!

Amanda Vipond

NYP Tri

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