Banana Triathlon 2022 July 2nd
Eton/Windsor Dorney Lake
My husband Stephen and I are entered for the series of triathlon events that Human Race Events so professionally host each year. Each day of events in the series has a race for everybody, whether you are a first timer or have, like Steve and myself, well over thirty years experience in triathlon. Steve first raced in 1989 and my first event was a swim/run early in 1990 that was, as it happens that was also presented by Human Race Events.
This visit we were dragging a younger friend along, kicking and screaming to the event. Don’t feel sorry for her though, she is a fit healthy woman serving in the Navy. She can swim, though that is her weakest but adequate discipline, she bikes everywhere and is a quite experienced runner.
On this day, you had about nine choices of event so that you could choose the one that suited you best. The course is the same for all but with different distances with number of laps. The venue was the rowing facility for the 2012 Olympic Games. There is a totally traffic free outer lane, around what is a lovely parkland surrounding the long straight Dorney Lake, that is used for the bike laps, also there is a wide lakeside path for the run event. The HRE team of marshal’s cannot be faulted; they are an experienced class act. Everything runs like clockwork and is smooth and safe.
On this occasion Stephen and I were in different waves starts entirely; he was in the age group of 40+ men and my wave was simply all women at that sprint distance. We were set off one at a time with a few seconds, enough of a time lapse to enter the water. My wave left 20 minutes later than Steve’s at 12.30pm
I had a most enjoyable race from beginning to end even though it was a bit windy with gusts here and there, yet I found that it was only fully head on for the short section at the far end of the lake before making the turn back to complete each of four laps. What made this event such fun for me was that there were obviously a lot of first timers taking part, which meant that I overtook lots of people on the bike and even a few on the run.
To keep my energy up during the event I ate 4 Jelly Baby’s on the first three of the 4 bike laps. I only took a quick swig of water during both transitions. It may sound a little OCD but I am a very disciplined little thing, both in my home life and even more so racing. On the run section, taking into consideration that I am, firstly few weeks off 83 years old and I have Asthma, that is controlled with inhalers and inherited from my Dad I believe.
I do a lot of counting as I race, and when I train for that matter. I find at my age, that I cannot run continuously any more. Yet if I pace myself, I can hack on for ever it seems working my plan.
My walk pace is fast.
In races, I will start out running but keeping my pace down.
As soon as my lungs tell me to, I break back to brisk walk.
Then I count 60 strikes of my right foot running again.
Then walk thirty strikes of my right foot.
In this 5km two lap run, I held to that until I caught up with my husband who was on his second lap right at the turn point of my first lap. We both stopped, and I bent down and tied his shoe laces as his back was aching a bit.
We ran together back to where he peeled off the finish line, I made the turn for the 2nd lap.
At that point I was feeling comfortable and dropped the walk interval down to twenty strides for the whole of my last lap. I was jubilant at crossing the finish line.
Tea with our friend Kathy at the nearby garden centre then home. A day well spent.
Steve and I train together most of the time and the results are interesting because of that.
Steve
Swim 8.44
T1. 3.45
Bike 47.41
T2. 3.49
Run 40.58
Total 1.44.27
Daphne
Swim 9.27
T1 4.07
Bike 49.43
T2. 2.22
Total 1.43.50
