Author: DANRYAN1984

It isn’t very often you enter an event knowing you are going to set a pb apart from your very first one of course. This was the case though in my second race. It wasn’t because my previous event involved my scaling mountain roads and fells. No it was more a result of my own stupidity and forgetfulness. During my first ever triathlon only a few weeks ago, I managed to leave my cycling shoes in the car and so had to watch my 66 year old dad walk off to go and get them with absolutely no idea where I was parked. I properly messed it up. Things could only be better this time around. With that in mind, I was very excited to be racing in my second event at The Grafham Water Triathlon.

Why Grafham Water?

In short, it is local, has flattish land surrounding it and apparently offers pretty good water quality. Getting ill a couple of days after my last event and reading about others experiencing the same fate meant I needed all the encouragement I could take.

I decided to go and recon the cycling route the day before just because I could. It might help me gain those valuable seconds to catapult me from 20th place into the teens perhaps. Marginal gains and all that! There is also a decent coffee house along the way and so it would be a good excuse to pop in and enjoy their beans.

I’d never visited Grafham Water before and was shocked at its size. A bit of reading online showed how it is the third largest reservoir in England, covering over 6 square kilometres. Plenty of space for sailing and swimming. There would also be plenty of space to swim off course if your sighting is shocking, but I tried not to think about that. I shall say no more about the recon other than I was pleased with the bike route and giggled at some of the signs displayed like Jens Voigt’s famous line ‘ Shut Up Legs!’ Click here if you fancy a legendary blast from the past. The coffee hit the spot when homeward bound too.

Arrival & Setting Up At Grafham Water Triathlon

After a hearty breakfast and traffic-free drive to the event, I was relieved to arrive with plenty of time to set up. I’d found my previous event stressful and managed to lose my car keys and break a pair of sunglasses before even noticing that I was cycling shoes-less!

It was quite a surprise seeing the number of cars at this event, which was being hosted by ATW. I’d thought there were lots of competitors at their St Neots race, but this sea of cars took it to a whole new level. Thankfully, I managed to park right at the end of a long row. My thinking was that it would be easier for my dad to find my car in an emergency situation. Hopefully though this wouldn’t be needed this time around.

The usual faffy things were done. Go to the toilet. Go and sign in. Fill out my emergency details and fix them to my race belt. Go to the toilet again. Find the transition area. Dock the bike and gear. Visit the toilet one more time. Is it just me who seems to toilet for king and country on race morning? I hope not. The queues made it a right annoyance.

Despite this, I still managed to triple check I had everything I needed for later on in the race and squeezed into my wet suit without any real difficulty.

Grafham Water Triathlon- The Swim

I was to be competing in the Olympic distance event and so we all gathered by the water’s edge to watch the sprint distance triathletes start first. Luckily for them they got green hats. We got pink. Make what you like of yours truly below. Dashing I certainly am not!

Being a bit of a wuss, I decided to start near the back of the group, as it was a waved start. There would be lots of feet and hands nearer the front and I didn’t fancy many of these in the face at this time on a Sunday. I think I need to toughen up in this area.

Visibility was shocking in the shallows and I discovered that my choppy water training up in The Lake District would come in handy on this outing. It was tricky to take breaths of air without getting a wall of water at the worst possible moment. I did my best and thankfully didn’t consume too much of it.

A hundred metres or so from the shore the visibility suddenly improved and I could see the bottom shelving away below me. Swimmers ahead of me could also be seen, which was wonderful. My sighting is pretty poor in open water still despite some training, so it was useful to have other swimmers to follow. I just hoped they knew where they were going otherwise we were all screwed!

Half way around I had to exit the water, as it was an Aussie style course, where you run and then enter again for another lap. My dad did say afterwards how many looked rather dejected after the first one and didn’t look like they wanted another round of it. Thankfully, I was rather enjoying it and just cracked on. In the end I did the 1500 metre swim in just over 30 minutes. Certainly not record breaking, but good enough to be around mid pack.

The Grafham Water Triathlon- The Bike Leg

There were no major mishaps this time in T1 other than having to have a jolly good wrestle with my wet suit. I was nearly five minutes quicker than last time, but still took well over four minutes this time around. That was a good two to three minutes slower than the other competitors who would eventually finish ahead of me in the final standings. Work to do there it seems.

Soon enough I was running rather ungraciously out of T1 in my cleats and eventually hopped onto my bike. It felt good to be moving and it didn’t take very long to start drying off and warming up after the swim.

My goal this time was to hold around 250 watts for the entire 25 mile route, which I ended up doing. My position on the bike felt excellent and I made up a lot of ground as I caught and passed many others. Nobody passed me along the entire route. This does show that cycling is my strongest discipline, but it also perhaps suggests that my swimming needs work. That’s the coming winter sorted then!

I ended up crawling into T2 behind a long line of cars waiting to get into the car park. It felt like an eternity in the moment, but I probably only lost 20-30 seconds in reality. A time of a few seconds over one hour and five minutes was achieved, which felt like a good result over a course which certainly wasn’t a drag strip.

The Grafham Water Triathlon- Run Leg

An out and back route was used for the run,which crossed the main dam of the reservoir. It was flat, well surfaced and quick. Some people struggle to transition from the bike to the run, but I never seem to find it hard. I hit the ground running so to speak and went through the first two miles in around thirteen and a half minutes.

It all went downhill after this though. I found the short trail section hard and my pace gradually waned during the rest of the run. Several competitors passed me and there was nothing I could do other than watch them float off into the distance. One chap even managed to pass me, who sounded like he was in serious pain. His breathing and sound effects suggested as much.

Eventually I managed to put in some sort of kick and crossed the finish line with a running time of just over 43 minutes and thirty seconds. Still a pb compared to my first triathlon event. A shock me if I’m honest. It felt much harder this time out.

When I visited the toilet after the race, it soon made sense why I had struggled so much in the end. Urine is meant to be almost clear when you are properly hydrated. This was anything but. Once again I hadn’t taken on enough fluid during the bike leg and had paid the price to some degree on the run. Lesson learned for next time.

To Wrap Things Up….

The ATW Grafham Water Triathlon was an excellent event. Both races I’ve participated have been organised by the ATW company and I’ve been impressed. The atmosphere once again was excellent. There were plenty of competitors, the run and bike route were very well marshalled and the commentator was also superb throughout.

My only gripe is being charged £5.00 to park. When you’ve paid the best part of £100 to enter the race, I just think this is taking the biscuit a little.

As for my performance, I was very pleased with my finishing time of 2 hours 29 minutes and thirty two seconds. My overall goal in my first season to break the two and a half hour barrier. Mission accomplished. Twentieth overall in a field of nearly 300 also felt like a superb achievement. That would have been even better if I sped up a little in transition.

As I write this in August 2024, there are currently 1,282 park run events held each week across the UK. The courses vary from place to place. Some are held exclusively on tarmac and are a mecca for those chasing quick times. Others like my local Panshanger course only follow trails, which can become a proper mud-fest in winter. One thing they mostly have in common is that they are held in easy to reach places, with some flat sections and gentle undulations thrown in for good measure. Then there are a select few that are exceptions to this rule. Proper brutes. Watergrove Park Run is such a course.

Seeing as I was visiting a friend who lived only a couple of miles from the start line, it almost seemed rude not to get up early on the Saturday to give it a bash. I am glad I did. What a course it is! Let’s now look at what makes the Watergrove Park Run so tough, but still worth the visit.

1) It Is A Proper Test

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first. It might only be 5 kilometres in length but Watergrove Park Run manages to squeeze in around 350 feet of elevation gain. Your climbing legs will certainly be tested on this one and you’ll definitely benefit if you possess a good power to weight ratio.

The first 500 metres or so are fairly flat, but you then turn right and hit the first climb of the course. It’s on a cobbled surface too, which just makes things tougher still. I may have been wearing trail shoes, but I struggled for traction on much of this section. You must remember that you are in the hills to the north of Manchester, so there is a high likelihood of the cobbles being wet and slippery too.

Eventually it levels out, but there are still three more climbs to tackle. One of them is so steep that many consider it almost a fell run. I powered up the toughest part and was then longing for the climb to be over. There aren’t climbs like that on any Hertfordshire route that’s for sure!

The nature of the course and the climbs along it make it more of an interval session, especially if you’re chasing a quick time. You’ve got to go hard on the climbs and hope you can recover somewhat on the downhill sections. It is certainly quite tough to pace evenly.

Speaking of downhill, there is also a very steep descent, which is rough an technical underfoot. I am not used to fell running and was dropped by several more experienced runners on this section. Thankfully my strong climbing ability allowed me to catch them up later on. If you are handy downhill, then you’ve got some free speed there.

To watch a great video about this course and the other brutes in the UK, feel free to click here.

2) The Scenery

You may be on the outskirts of Rochdale, but you soon feel like you are in the middle of nowhere when starting the run. It feels fairly civilized at the start, but pass through the tree line on the cobbled section and the landscape then feels very wild indeed. It also isn’t very often you share a park run route with hardy sheep.

As a runner, you often need to enter fell races to experience group events with this sort of scenery. Experiencing it on a park run is a real treat indeed.

3) The Extensive Views South

You could argue that this is linked to the point above, but I thought I’d include it separately just because they can be so good. I say can be because inclement weather could well hide these from you on the day you run.

The weather wasn’t great when I completed the Watergrove Park Run.. Even with this being the case, I enjoyed looking down towards Rochdale and the distant skyscrapers of Manchester. Beyond these the hills of The peak District could be seen and even some of the northern most mountains of Snowdonia.

4) The Ability To Support Others

I have found that most park run courses complete one or more laps of a given circuit. The only time you are likely to see others along the way is if you are passing others or they are passing you.

The layout of Watergrove Park Run means that there are three out and back sections. Two of them on the higher ground are very likely to provide you with the chance to see other runners heading in the other direction to you. This is a great feature of the course.

I was running the event with my mate Jack. Despite our very different paces during the run, it was great to see him out on course. Unfortunately for Jack, I was heading downhill while he was heading up. We still shouted some words of encouragement to each other though, as I saw many others doing too.

I also received some words of encouragement from the couple of runners ahead of me too out on course. The folk around these parts certainly are a friendly bunch.

5) The People & Atmosphere

Park runs are friendly events wherever you go and it is no different at Watergrove Park Run. The friendliness of the marshals and even other competitors was very enjoyable and I particularly enjoyed chatting to other runners at the end when waiting for my mate Jack to finish.

Another nice touch was the tea, coffee and cake available close to the finish line. This isn’t something you see at every event. I guess the extra effort you make to get up the hills means that these treats have been well earned!

A Note About My Run

I really had no idea what to expect of this course and pacing it was tricky. This was mostly down to a fear of pushing too hard too early and then dying a million deaths on the climbs.

I was actually really surprised to come 3rd on the day with a time of 21 minutes and 25 seconds. That is two minutes slower than my quickest time, but I expected the gap to be larger with such an undulating course. This result has shown me where my strengths are. It appears that I run up hills very well, but lack the leg speed to be competitive on flatter terrain. I know where to put my focus now over the coming off season. I reckon a few fell races might be entered.

My mate Jack set a pb too with a time just under 32 minutes. At over two metres in height and the best part of 100kg in weight, he isn’t exactly built for running uphill, so to get around in that time is something he was very proud of. He is certainly a lucky man having Watergrove Park Run on his doorstep.

It is funny sitting here the day after my first Olympic triathlon experience. My legs might be a bit sore, but my mindset is completely different to when I sat and wrote this article on the eve of my first race. It almost seems silly how nervous I was now that I’ve completed the event. All of that came from the pressure I put on myself to perform well and my bowels certainly didn’t thank me for it! Fortunately, everything has returned to normal in that arena. Anyway that’s enough talk about my pre-race toileting habits. Let’s have a look at what my first Olympic triathlon experience was actually like.

Up With The Birds

No I don’t tend to follow the sleeping patterns of young women in Hertfordshire. I am of course referring to the fact that my alarm went off very early. 5:40 am to be precise, which I think is good going for a Sunday. I rose, showered and then made a breakfast that I thought was fit for champions.

I wanted to ensure I ate this hearty breakfast around 2.5 to three hours before my start time. I’m used to swimming pretty much fasted in the mornings and didn’t like the thought of all that food sitting there while I swam. I guess that comes from childhood when my mum always told me not to eat before swimming.

By half past six I had everything loaded in the car ( pre-checked the night before ) and I was heading north up the A1 to the race.

Arriving At HQ

Arriving at the ATW St Neots Triathlon was a very different experience compared to the day before, when I’d wisely decided to go and recon the route. The empty field I had strolled across was now full of cars and the whole place was a hive of activity.

It felt a little intimidating stepping out of the car, watching other competitors coming and going and seemingly having a much better idea of what they were doing compared to me. Most of them looked pro in my eyes with seemingly better kit and even their bodies looked quicker standing still. Yes I know. I really should focus on my own race and remember that a book can’t always be judged by its cover.

What I loved right from the off though was the buzz about the place. It seemed virtually every competitor had family and friends with them and everybody was there to enjoy it. My supporter was to be my dad. He doesn’t do mornings, so it would be some time before I’d see him.

In the meantime it was also good to get chatting to a guy parked next to me. He just so happened to be racing his first Olympic triathlon too. I think chatting away to each other helped ease our nerves somewhat, as we both joked about our hopes to survive the swim. Hopefully, six foot eels don’t live in Cambridgeshire waterways!

Setting Up

Goodness me can I faff! After signing in, collecting my race number and accidentally leaving my car key at registration, it was time to head into the transition area. Well after I went back to collect my keys.

I was expecting to be given a a space, but actually had the option to choose, which I did. I picked a spot right at the end of one of the racks, so I would be able to find my bike easily after the swim. It was also nearest to the exit for the start of the run. Rather handy I thought!

I then started unpacking my bag and arranged everything in a way that I thought would make each transition as quick and easy as possible. It felt like there was so much to think about and I just couldn’t help but think I’d forgotten something, a bit like Kevin’s mum on the plane in Home Alone. Unfortunately, it must have been a premonition. I’ll let you see if you can work out what’s missing in the photo below. Don’t worry if you can’t though. They’ll be more about this major cock up later!

When I started setting up transition, I felt like I had plenty of time to spare. The main commentator though ( a hilarious Australian bloke ) soon announced that we all needed to head down to the water’s edge in fifteen minutes. Panic time.

A quick race back to the car was needed to collect and put on part of my wet suit, I also needed to attach the timing chip to my left ankle and check the goggles for tightness. All was good on that front.

My First Olympic Triathlon Experience- The Swim

I would be completing the 1500 metre swim in The River Ouse on the outskirts of St Neots. Standing by the water’s edge was a nervous affair, with many more competitors than I expected.

The fact I’d never swum with such a large group of people seemed very hard to ignore.

To deal with the nerves I did what I always do and got chatting to another competitor close by. He was struggling to do up his wet suit and so I offered him a hand. I am sure he was thankful for this and kindly returned the favor. Maybe it’s just me but I find it a right faff trying to do up the suit on my own. Seasoned athletes make it look a right doddle of course!

After the briefing from the friendly Australian, we were asked to enter the water and make our way to the middle of the river. The sides were shallow and my feet sunk into the soft ooze on the bottom. Call me a lunatic, but I quite liked the feel of it. No need for a foot massage, Just head to The Ouse.

I spat as unthugishly as I could into my goggles and rinsed them just to ensure they didn’t mist up ( tried and tested ) before positioning myself at the back. I’d ease gently into this one, as I knew the front would just be a sea of frolicking arms and legs. I didn’t fancy much of that on my first outing.

The Swimming Experience

When the horn blew, it was time to splash and dash. I eased into the swim, just finding my rhythm and feel for the water. It felt great. I had space around me and the nerves fell away pretty quickly.

It didn’t take long until I found myself overtaking other swimmers and I tried to get into the slip stream of others. I’d heard how beneficial it can be from reading articles like this. Unfortunately, I got a foot in the face for my trouble, due to not seeing it until the last moment. It certainly wasn’t the other triathlete’s fault.

The 1500 metre swim involved two laps of an out and back course. It was easy to navigate, what with the buoys having to be kept on the left and all the other swimmers. If you are somebody who struggles to swim in a straight line when open water swimming, then rest assured that it’s much easier in a race.

With a couple of bits of weed hooked onto my feet, I soon found myself reaching the end of the swim in 30 minutes and forty three seconds. Slower than I know I can swim usually, but good enough to come out of the water mid pack. I’d survived and actually really enjoyed it. Time to climb out using the ladders and head into transition…..

Transition One- It All Goes Wrong……

And the slowest transition in the whole field went to……….me. Firstly, I struggled to get out of my wet suit. I just couldn’t get the velcro undone, which had been so simple during other open water swims before.

This was nothing though compared to what was to come. I got the suit off, put my helmet on and then went to find my blue cycling shoes. There they were. A lovely pair of blue shoes. My running shoes. The cycling shoes were nowhere to be seen.

Then it hit me. I’d left them in the car. I could even see them in my head sitting in the passenger foot well. What an idiot! It is a good job no children were around the transition area, because a few choice words were used.

Luckily my dad had arrived at that point and offered to go and get them. I handed him my keys and off he walked. I was very grateful he was there, but in that moment, I just longed for him to run. It was like he was out for an after dinner stroll. Hurry up man! I calmed myself down though and reminded myself that I was very fortunate to have him there at all. A marshal also spotted what was happening and ran off to help. What a star he was.

It seemed like an eternity before they returned and in the mean time all I could do was watch all the other swimmers I’d overtaken come and and head out on their bikes within a minute or two. In the end my transition time here was just shy of nine minutes. Thanks again dad for your rescue and of course the marshal too for helping and allowing me to continue. I have since read that help like this can get your disqualified in certain events. As I finally collected my bike and headed out near the back of the field, I could only have those words from the 90s group D:Ream in my head- things can only get better.

My First Olympic Triathlon Experience- The Bike

Time for redemption. This is my forte and the discipline where I know I can make the biggest time gains. Years of time trialling has made me pretty good at cycling against the clock in a solo effort. I’d need every bit of that experience to make up for the time I’d just shed due to the footwear incident.

Right from the off I found myself starting to catch other riders and this is something that continued around the entire 28.5 mile route. Nobody passed me. I was able ride in an aerodynamic position pretty much the entire time and ended up averaging just under twenty three miles per hour over the quiet rolling lanes. My race belt also performed brilliantly too, holding the number in place extremely well.

It was a wonderful course and had a bit of everything. A couple of steep climbs, some sweeping descents and some long fast sections to really get the bike up to speed. The road surface was also distinctly British. Speed humps, rutted sections and silky smooth tarmac were all on offer. Thankfully, bike-sized potholes weren’t evident. You need to head to Hertfordshire for them!

I must also add that I nailed my hydration and nutrition on this leg of the race. Over a litre of electrolyte drink was consumed to replace what had been lost in the swim and 2 gels and a flapjack were taken on too. It ended up being enough to fuel me for the run without the need for anything more.

In the end, I completed the 5th quickest bike split with a time of 1 hour 16 minutes and thirty five seconds out on course. Pleased with that. It was good coming into transition with not that many bikes already in.

Transition Two & The 10 KM Run

You’ll be pleased to hear I was able to complete the second transition in under two minutes and so was soon on my way. The brick training I’d completed had prepared me well for the jelly leg feeling you get when transitioning from the bike to the run. Click here to find out more about the benefits of brick runs if you’d like to know more.

Because of this, I got straight to it and was able to hold my target race pace of just under seven minutes a mile pretty well. I caught several more competitors and the legs felt good. Unfortunately the stomach didn’t. It wasn’t upset though. The issue was excess gas, which must have come from the drinking on the bike. By around mile two it was uncomfortable and I had to keep slowing to allow myself to burp. Not ideal. I of course ensured there were no female competitors around when I did this.

The best thing about the run was the distinct lack of hills and the many marshals and general public shouting words of encouragement along the way. The fact you completed four laps and got to drink water and pour it over yourself each time in the summer heat was a bonus too!

Gradually my pace slowed to just over seven minutes a mile, but this felt sustainable and I knew I would get to the finish strongly doing it.

In the last mile I was really able to lift the pace and practically sprinted the final couple of hundred metres to cross the finish line. My overall running time was 43 minutes and forty seconds, which I was very happy with.

Ice cold water, protein bars, fruit and even an alcohol free beer went down very well at the finish line together with a medal.

My Thoughts After Event

Boy did I learn a lot during my first Olympic triathlon experience. I discovered that I am more than fit enough to complete all the disciplines and be pretty competitive on the bike and running legs.

My overall time was 2 hours 41 minutes and 40 seconds, which placed me 13th overall out of the nearly 70 strong field. That time and placing doesn’t tell the entire story though when you factor in that terrible transition. Combined with my second transition, it added up to around ten and a half minutes. Looking at the results shows that virtually everybody ahead of me spent between one and a half and two a half minutes on them. Factor that in and I may have been in a battle for sixth or seventh place. Certainly very encouraging for my first outing and one that puts real fire in the belly to train hard for the next one.

Finally, I must add how much I enjoyed my first triathlon even with the ups and downs along the way. I’m still on a high now and can’t wait to do my next race. ATW did a wonderful job hosting the event and I’d highly recommend trying one if you can. Give it a ‘tri’. Even if it hurts, just remember what the Aussie commentator said. ” That hurt like heck and you’re probably saying never again, so see ya at the next one.” He reads the field and the faces well that’s for sure!

As I sit here on the eve of my first ever triathlon, I am experiencing a mixture of feelings. Mostly I’m excited and restless, a bit like a kid just before Christmas. I have paid good money to enter this event and trained hard for months after all and it’s nearly time for the off. I’m also pretty nervous and my bowels have taken on a mind of their own! Will my training have been adequate? Are my goggles going to fill with water right at the start and ruin the entire swim? What about getting in and out of transition areas successfully? There are so many unanswered thoughts running through my head. A bit of reading online though suggests that this roller coaster of emotions is pretty normal on the run up and especially the day before you first triathlon. Let’s explore how you should best spend this day.

Time To take It Easy

The day before your first triathlon is no time to cram in a last training session. You’ve left it way too late if you still feel this is needed. Instead you should have had an easier week and a taper leading into the event. After researching taper weeks intensely, I have lowed my training time for seven days, but maintained some of the intensity just to keep me sharp. Other than a thirty minute easy spin on the turbo yesterday, the previous two days have been very easy indeed.

I’ve also tried to stay off my feet whenever possible, which has actually been quite enjoyable. Being on the teacher summer holiday at the moment has helped with that of course!

Recon The Course

If you’ve got the day free, then you might want to visit the location of where the event will take place. This is especially easy if it is fairly local to you like mine is.

I have received the information pack, but still felt cycling the route, seeing the transition area and where I will swim and run would help. It did.

Riding the cycling route was particularly helpful. I now know the terrain of the course, the varying road surface and where to ease off and push hard right on the first lap. I wouldn’t have known any of this without visiting and may have gone too hard on the first lap.

For me personally, the cycling leg is probably my strongest and where I will make up most time on other competitors. Knowing the course beforehand and checking the bike one last time has put me in the best position to perform well.

Complete An Opener Session

This can be done on the recon ride or even on a turbo trainer if you so desire. There are of course very mixed views when it comes to activity the day before a race. Some insist you should do nothing to arrive as fresh as possible, while many others claim that a short session with a few efforts thrown in can prime the muscles for what is to come.

As a keen time triallist for many years, I always tried to complete an opener session before a race. For me at least I always seemed to go better if I’d done this compared to if I’d not. Make of that what you will. It is up to you what you decide to do and I guess you could experiment with both approaches over different events to see what works for you.

Check Your Kit

I decided to write down everything I needed and then laid it out on the floor in front of my race bike. You don’t want to forget anything of course, so it’s worth checking it and then checking it again just to be sure.

In short, here is the equipment I will be bringing with me for my first triathlon tomorrow:

• Race bike with two water bottles attached.
• Giro Aerohead cycling helmet.
• Cycling shoes with socks to change into.
• Calf guards in case I want to use them.
• Track pump to inflate tyres to the correct pressure at the event.
• Tyre levers, CO2 inflator and multi-tool just in case of a mechanical emergency.
• A spare inner tube in case of a puncture.
• Wet suit
• Swim hat
• Goggles
• Tri suit
• Race belt
• 4 gels and electrolyte tablets for fluid.
• Protein bar for recovery straight after the event.
• Garmin Forerunner Watch to track pace on running.
• Garmin Edge on the bike to track speed and power.
• Lubrication stick to apply before putting race suits on.
• Sunglasses to put on for the run.

I hope that is everything I could possibly need. You always worry you’ve forgotten something, but that should do it.

It is worth also just checking the state of your tyres and bolts on your bike today too. Much better to have that all sorted now rather than rushing it in the morning or even worse finding out too late when out on the course.

Nail Your Nutrition & Hydration

This is very important if you want to be competitive or at least go as well as you possibly can during your first event. Even sprint events are likely to use a fair bit of energy and this only increases as the distances do. My first event tomorrow is an Olympic distance and so I expect to be out on course between 2.5 and 3 hours. That’s a greater duration of time than when I used to race fifty mile TT’s. You need to be properly fueled. I’ve done lots of reading about myself and found this article particularly useful. Feel free to check it out.

Get To Bed Early & Try To Relax

Easier said than done if you are feeling anything like I currently do. You are likely to have an early start though, so it’s worth getting to bed a bit earlier if at all possible. It probably won’t be too much of a problem if you can’t though. I found when bike racing that adrenaline alone would keep me going. A big crash if it happened always occurred after the event. You’ll be fine.

Some Final Words…..

Best of luck to you if you reading this the day before your first triathlon. I wish I could travel a day into the future to guarantee you it will all be fine, but honestly it will be. Even if something does go a bit wrong, it’s your first try, so mistakes are inevitable. Just enjoy the experience, soak up the atmosphere and learn lots along the way. Time to smash it up……

Turning forty can feel like a big deal. When you are a youngster, this milestone seems almost an eternity away and pretty old indeed. Then just like that life flies by at a rapid pace and it creeps up on you. While you probably don’t feel old in your head, your body is now preventing you from ignoring the fact that you’re now middle aged and not the energy-filled twenty-something you once were. Metabolism slows, which makes weight gain more of an issue than ever. Energy levels also tend to drop and don’t even talk about recovering from one too many drinks. It can be easy to think it is all downhill from here, but in truth you shouldn’t stop living life to the fullest. For that reason I will now give you five great reasons to start triathlon in your 40s. It might just give you that new lease of life and the challenge you are after.

1) It’s Great For All Round Fitness.

Practicing any sport is better than living a sedentary life, but triathlon must surely be up there as one of the best options for all round fitness. The combination of swimming, cycling and running develops all muscle groups. It also helps maintain a healthy skeleton in the way other sports don’t.

When I was a racing cyclist as a younger man, my legs were my greatest asset. I was proud of them. Not only were they powerful, but they were tanned and well defined. Go above my waist though and it was a different story. Cycling doesn’t tend to recruit muscles of the upper body and so I often considered myself to have somewhat of a T- Rex physique. Legs of steel but arms of somebody who had been shipwrecked!

Each of the three disciplines of triathlon have their own benefits, but also have their drawbacks too. Practice each of these sports on their own and you’ll need to somehow offset these limitations like the twig-armed issue with cycling.

By combining swimming, cycling and running, you are ticking virtually every box when it comes to overall physical health and together they tend to eradicate the limitation of the individual sports. Let’s now take a look at the main advantages and also the limitations of each one.

Swimming

This is a sport which tones all muscles in the body and works wonders for the cardiovascular system. Professional swimmers must surely have some of the best physiques of all sports people. The feeling of moving through the water is also great for mental health. You can properly switch off from normal life, when you’re immersed in the underwater environment. I sometimes emerge from a thirty minute swim having really thought of nothing. A perfect remedy after a whole day teaching a class of eight year olds!

The main limitation of swimming is that is non-weight bearing and doesn’t help maintain a healthy bone density as you advance in years. Thankfully, the running part of triathlon more than deals with this.

Cycling

As already mentioned, cycling is one of the best sports you can do to develop a strong aerobic capacity. The nature of cycling means it is also a sport you can enjoy for several hours at a time if you fancy it. The same can’t be said for many others. You’d be exhausted in a far shorter time span. Finally, cycling works wonders in burning calories and shaping an excellent lower body. If you want to shed weight, then cycling is a great way to do it.

The main draw back is of course that the muscles of the upper body are massively under-used when compared to those in your legs. Being on the bike also means it is a non-impact sport. Great when it comes to offsetting injuries but not so good in maintaining a healthy bone density and overall strength. Seeing as I’ve mentioned this issue twice now, please click here to find out more about its importance.

Running

Contrary to the other two disciplines, running offers plenty of impact and so is great at maintaining a strong and healthy skeleton. In addition, it tones the muscles of the legs and also your core, as you work to hold a good running form. There are also no opportunities to free wheel or glide for a few moments in this sport. The effort can feel relentless. While you may curse this fact at times when out there on the trail, it sure is time efficient. Very handy if you have a busy family and working life.

The negative side of running must surely be the risk of injury. The repeated pounding on the ground can wreak havoc with your knees, ankles and leg muscles in general. I tried exclusively running for several months on the run up to my 40th birthday and kept getting niggles. Interestingly, those have all gone since I added swimming, cycling and the odd gym session too. I like to think my less ‘ one dimensional’ fitness improvement has been a large contributing factor.

2) You Get To Experience Some Wonderful Places

Yes you could do almost all of your training indoors like the professional Iron Man competitor Lionel Sanders has done. It is safe, time efficient and actually necessary if you live in a place with a severe climate like he does.

If you start triathlon in your 40s though and take each discipline outside, you have the chance to explore much of your local area and further afield too in a way you maybe haven’t done before.

Cycling has taken me all over the country and enabled me to get to know virtually every country lane in my local area. The odd country pub or five may have been discovered along the way too. I certainly wouldn’t have known about them had I stuck the bigger roads in my car.

Cycling also really allows you to intimately get to know the landscape of an area. You experience every uphill and speedy descent, which you just can’t appreciate as much in a car. It might burn on the way up a tough climb, but the views and satisfaction when reaching the summit are hard to beat.

Exploring On Foot

Running allows you to get properly off road and explore every park in your local area if you so desire. Park Runs are now a massive thing across the world and provide you with the chance to enter a free 5k event every Saturday morning. As the name might suggest, they are almost exclusively held in parks, with a mix of trail and paths being negotiated.

You can of course travel further afield to explore some more varied areas. In the few short months I’ve been running, I have conquered mountain summits, crossed moorland, found my way in and out of forests and run along rugged coastlines. Even if the terrain is challenging and you find yourself walking up some of the climbs, being immersed in nature like this is just great for the soul. I’d argue that everybody would feel better if they did this regularly.

Open Water Swimming

I’ve only recently discovered this after taking up triathlon, but what a discovery it has been. You get almost all the benefits of being in a pool, but added extras too. There are no lanes to stick to and once again you feel totally at one with nature. Having to give way to a goose on a lake for the first time is a weird experience, but it’s a wonderful one too.

3) You Can Meet So Many New People When You Start Triathlon In Your 40s

A stranger is a friend you haven’t yet. That’s a saying I remember my dad telling me as a kid and it certainly rings true in the world of triathlon. There are many options when it comes to meeting other like-minded triathletes if you so desire. You could of course join separate running, cycling and swimming clubs and there are also many specific triathlon clubs local to you.

I have sampled a couple of these locally and found members to be a very friendly and welcoming bunch. While I currently do most of my training alone due to time constraints, I do hope to properly join one of them during the winter months. I’ve no doubt that the training and relationships I develop with others will help me through the off-season.

4) The Equipment

With three separate disciplines to cater for and an equipment list that can easily seem to spiral out of control, you may well wonder why I’ve included this as a reason to start triathlon in your 40s. It certainly isn’t the cheapest sport to take up that’s for sure.

What is wonderful though is that you can almost spend as much or as little as you like on your equipment. A basic bike, running shoes, triathlon suit and wet suit is more than enough to get started. These can all be done very cheaply too if you turn to the second hand market like I did. It really doesn’t have to break the bank.

If you’re a bit of a geek when it comes to certain equipment and the benefits of each, then you’ll have an absolute blast becoming a triathlete.

Start with the bike and you’ve got so many factors to consider. Do you buy a road bike or triathlon specific bike? Should you opt for clip-in pedals and all the benefits they offer? What about the helmet? Which one will be most comfortable and quickest when trying to cut through the air? There are so many things to consider, but the journey in addressing them can be pretty fun indeed.

Running & Cycling Gear

Move onto your running and you need to find the perfect shoes for you. There are so many models to choose from and you mustn’t forget that a gait analysis is probably needed if you are a complete newbie. I personally headed to Up and Running in Oxford with a keen running friend and I came away with some shoes that perfectly suited me. I’ve been very happy with them and would highly recommend investing in a pair. Click here to find out more about them. The whole process is pretty interesting, as you learn about how your body behaves when you run.

Then there’s the swimming. Various Tri suits are available to suit every budget along with wet suits and goggles. Each brand and model offers its own unique selling point and it’s sometimes a journey of trial and error to work out what works for you. That was certainly the case when I was time trialing. Be prepared to spend lots of time researching different items and asking the opinions of more seasoned triathletes.

5) The Variety Keeps It Fun

When I just focused on cycling, I found myself getting bored of competing and fell out of love with the sport. I know of many other sportspeople who have experienced the same thing.

Although still new to triathlon, the variety in training keeps it interesting. Each discipline feels very different from the other and it is wonderful going for a run in the park one day to swimming in a lake the next.

You could argue that competing feels the same way. I have completed several long distance time trials of a hundred miles or more and each seemed to get pretty boring after the three hour mark.

No matter how long the triathlon event is, you always have another discipline to look forward too, which can be good for motivation and morale.

There is also the challenge of being good at all three disciplines. Every athlete will have strengths and weaknesses across the three sports and it is a great challenge to work on your weaknesses to better compliment your strengths. I’m certainly looking forward to this.

Some Thoughts From Other Middle Aged Triathletes

I decided to join some triathlon specific groups on social media and asked other 40 somethings to share their reasons for starting triathlon along with the journey so far. Have a read about some below and hopefully it’ll inspire you even more to start triathlon in your 40s.

I did my first triathlon at 30 and did a few more but stopped after having kids about at 34. Got back into them again after turning 40 and now doing some of my best ever times and picking up win or podiums at local events. Michael Donnelly

Started at 45 after breaking my neck in a dirt bike accident. Never would have done triathlon if that hadn’t happened. The journey since has been amazing. Life is very different now. First sprint tri a year after fusion surgery with lots of events since. The Valencia Ironman 70.3 is next year. Now in my 50’s. Andy Jones

I started in my 50s. Just completed a half iron man I’m totally hooked now. Sarah Woodiwiss

I started in my mid 40s. Three years of doing Olympic and 70.3 and I entered my first full distance race in Austria. Now at 67 I am still doing it …… not quite as fast but love the training and lifestyle it brings. Peter Overvoorde

First triathlon at 48! Now 55 and still going! Eventually I’ll be the only one in my age group so maybe I’ll get a podium place! Judi Ebbrell

Welcome to the club!

I started because I used to be a long distance cyclist and sort of ran out of challenges.

My mum used to be an incredible athlete and was never able to follow it due to circumstances and family pressures and then was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at around 50 which robbed her of mobility and her mind. I decided that I’d like to do an Iron man because Mum would never be able to.

I started tri and working my way up the distances until I hit full Iron distance last year. Mum died shortly before hand so was never able to see me do it. It also blew my training out of the water for several months. I decided that I was going to do it no matter what! It was an emotional finish line for so many reasons!

On the journey I became a Level 2 British triathlon coach and am looking at Iron number 2 next year. Chris Hamlin