My next race was the National
Aquathlon Championships in Arundel on next Sunday after the Lausanne Worlds.
Steve was away working but
thought he was safe enough trusting me to get to and from this event on my own,
since it is not much more than two miles from our home as the crow flies. My
friend Birgit, who runs with us regularly on Sunday’s normally, came to support
me from the sidelines, so I supposed that she did not trust me not to get in
trouble with Steve away! It was kind of her and she took some photos as well as
shouting in support. She was still to be there for the awards and take more
photos which would be useful.
The open water swim section
of the Aquathlon was in our friendly River Arun starting at the Black Rabbit
Pub at the end of Mill Road in Arundel the swim distance was only 750 metres
and the race organiser Mick Dicker of Raw
Energy Pursuits had his fingers crossed that the timing information for the
‘Slack water’ timing of the tide was correct. I say this with the certain
knowledge that the wicked River Arun has a will of his own; he is not a
trustworthy chap. In fact from experience we are all aware that there is always
a little movement going on in that water. The swim would go toward the sea on
the right hand side on entering the water for half the swim and then come back
on the opposite side of the river crossing in to the finish at the Black Rabbit.
I love the feeling of moving water. There were wetsuits.
After the return to
transition in the pub car park we were straight out on the 5km run. No chance
of getting lost on a run route we often use. Straight along Mill Road toward the town and Arundel
castle lower gate. Then turning back along the opposite side of the road, on
the lovely tree lined moat path overlooked by my favourite Castle trying not to
trip over ducks etc. Then there was a section that was off road on the paths that
wiggle around Swanbourne
Lake and finally back
down the road to the pub again and the finish line.
It seemed that most of the
marshalling was done by Littlehampton based Tuff Fitty Triathlon Club of which
Steve and I were the founders 25 or more years ago so I knew just about all of
them which was a great comfort to be among friends.
On my training runs with my
husband we take each day as it comes. Sometimes, if we have been working hard
on the bike or even just plain working hard at work we will do our run training
as a jog between a couple or three lamp posts and then a walk to the next. That
works for us oldies quite well and in the end there is not much difference
because we don’t tire so quickly. I wouldn’t want anybody to think I was some
sort of Super Woman because I am not. What
I am is just somebody who enjoys the life I have fallen into and what I enjoy
about it most is that Steve and I do pretty much all of it together. Sure its
getting harder as we get older but it is still very satisfying to get through
races.
However for this event with a
mostly flat 5km run I set myself to run as much of it as I could so that meant
all the flat sections and I only walked the short uphill path around the lake
so it was my best run for some time.
That made me National
Aquathlon Champion again. There was no
competition in my age group, so some people would not think it has any credit
but I don’t see it that way. I was very happy to stand on the podium. I can’t
remember which years but I think I have gained that title a handful of times
over the years. I only enter it when it is either close to home or convenient
in some other way, maybe fitting in with a work trip or a weekend away. It is
still a good little training day and always enjoyable and satisfying. Next year
it will be in Worthing and I would not miss
that one either.
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