First Triathlon - Race Day!

The time has finally come.

The 10^th Annual Rainbow Cup Triathlon in Tobago. This is what I was training for. This is what my focus has been on for the last 3 months. All the hard work, all of the training was geared towards competing in this event. Saturday 28^th June 2014, I was about to take part in my first Triathlon.

The SPORTT team traveled to Tobago on the Thursday before the event to settle in at the hotel. On Friday night, the team met to discuss departure time the next morning. We all agreed to meet in the lobby for 5:45am and make our way down to the beach by 6am. After this, I got back to my room and started to prep.

Everything laid out

On Saturday morning, when we got to the beach, we went through the final registration process of getting the timing chips and body markings. The task was becoming more apparent, and as such the anxiety and nerves were beginning to set in. I tried my best to stay calm and focused, taking deep breaths every so often if only to appease the humongous butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence in my stomach.

We did our best to encourage each other, reminding everyone to have ‘fun’. Every time someone would say “Kairon..don’t forget to have fun” I would try my best to muster a smile that was mixed with obvious discomfort because I was so nervous. After some positive self-talk, I was finally able to accept the ‘have fun’ mantra and was now mentally ready to start.

Shyv on hand to lend support. Nice T-shirt :)

The start time was officially 8:01. The format was such that the Olympic distance athletes would start ahead of the Sprint athletes. Just to refresh, my course would have been one lap of the course in the water, 4 laps of the course on the road for the cycle and then one lap of the road course for the 5K. The starter sent off the Olympic athletes and then it was action time.

Race course

Thumbs up. Ready to start

Swim

The hardest part of the race, would have been the start, the lovely swim. In terms of a strategy I already resolved in my head to allow the more established and competitive swimmers to dash in the water and jostle for position. 

I was NOT about being the recipient of multiple kicks and punches in the water which is apparently the norm for swimming in Triathlons. I took my cool time to enter and then started.

Cool walk into the water.

After rounding the first buoy, the pack started to even out. Thankfully I didn't have a problem finding a space and was able to get into a fairly decent rhythm. I even surprised myself as every so often I would pass someone in the water. WHAT SORCERY?!?! Me?!? Swimming faster than someone else? Without getting too excited and reminding myself that it is all very relative, I just stayed with the plan. Stroke by stroke, I made my way around the course and before I knew it, I was rounding the last buoy heading for the shore. The swim was complete, now to transition to the cycle.

Heading to the first transition

T1à Cycle

After my ‘blistering’ swim leg, it was now time to bring my heart rate down and move to the bike. As per usual, my faculties seem to go on vacation at that very moment, so I struggled a bit to put on my helmet, sunglasses and shoes. Once done, I ran to the mount line and started.

The ride was okay for the most part. I tried my best to manipulate the gears, working between the inclines and declines. One thing I noticed that I definitely need to work on is my cadence. I still haven’t gotten to the point of consistent turnover and I realized how critical it is with each athlete that zoomed past me on the course.

Start of another lap

There was also a fair bit of excitement. The organizers tried their best to have the course completely closed but was forced to accept a compromise of police officers stationed at multiple junctions to direct traffic. This meant that at times, the cyclist would have had to ‘share’ the road with various types of vehicles who were making their Saturday morning rounds. From normal cars, to buses, to trucks, tractors and even a few backhoes, the cycle portion proved quite difficult and would have affected my time a fair bit. At one point on the course, I was basically sandwiched between two trucks in one lane and was unable to overtake as there was traffic in the opposite lane. Not willing to compromise safety for that extra minute or two, I just accepted it and made the best of the situation. All in all, I completed the cycle and then was ready for the run.

T2àRun

Start of the run.

On completing the bike, my transition to the run was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. After putting on my shoes and heading out, I tried starting my Garmin so that I could properly gauge the speed I was going at so I will know if to speed up or slow down. Obviously I needed more excitement in my life as the watch took forever to ‘locate satellites’. I realized that I was focusing too much on getting the watch started so decided to throw caution to the wind and run on instinct. Thankfully, I got into a fairly good rhythm and stride, with controlled breathing and manageable pace. The run is definitely my strongest leg and as it turns out, doesn't appear to be the most favourite part of the race for many of the athletes. As a result, I was able to pass quite a few persons.

As is customary, I tried to put in a final sprint at the end of the race to finish strong. I ended up in a foot race with another athlete with meters to go, which made good entertainment for the supporters on hand.

Sprint to the finish!

I crossed the finish line. It was over. My first triathlon complete!

Finally!!

Me and my medal

The guys who did the Individual sprint.
From left: Sheldon, Me, Mikey and Jason

Results

So I purposely left this for last. Remember I said that my goals were 20 minutes for the swim, 42 minutes on the ride and 26 minutes on the 5K run. 2 minutes for each transition giving me a total of 1 hour and 32 minutes.

For the swim, I was times in 19 minutes and 25 seconds. This for me was happiest result of the entire thing. The swimming is my struggle, and I have come a VERY LONG way in the last two months. It is surely a source of motivation for me now as I move forward because I have to believe that I can get better.

The ride was times in 46 minutes and 16 seconds. Not too bad all things considered. There were a couple times I had to come to a complete halt because of traffic so I wasn't

too disappointed

And finally the run, was timed in 26 minutes and 46 seconds. I was happy with this as well. I felt if I had my watch I may have tried to increase my speed to get under 26 minutes but all is well that ends well.

The total time was 1 hour and 32 minutes. More or less right on target. I came 40^th overall out of 120 participants and 10^th out of 26 in my Age Group. 

Not too bad for a first try I think J

Results

 The full results can be viewed here:

 http://www.odesseytiming.com/printable_results/4667-14-06-28-raincup-spr.htm

I want to say a special thanks to everyone who called, messaged and sent encouragement to me before, during and after the triathlon. It was greatly appreciated and gave me motivation to complete!

Most of Team SporTT

How was your first Triathlon experience? Did you finish? Did the butterflies set up shop in your stomach as well before the start of the race? Would love to hear the comments.

Test Run and Race Targets

The SPORTT team thought it would be a good idea to go over to Tobago to test the course before the actual race. It was something that I considered before, but a combination of laziness and anxiety forced me to keep the idea to myself. Gershwynn called my extension and basically stated “Tobago….leave on the 13^th June come back on the 14^th. We are going to do the course”.  I was not trying to be ‘that guy’ to chicken out and also knowing there would be some benefit to going over, I agreed and started to put things in place.

We left Trinidad for Tobago on Friday afternoon and made our way to our accommodation at a villa on Tobago Plantations. After getting something to eat, we sat to watch the sheer annihilation that was the Netherlands vs. Spain game. I did feel a bit sorry for Cassillas though. His facial expression more or less said “Finally getting some playing time, and now I am going to put +5 by my name” He probably would have also anticipated the explosion of memes on social media of fans making fun of his unfortunate demise..but that is the cruelty of sport sometimes.

Poor Cassillas

Any who, after the game, we drove to the course to get an appreciation of what we will be facing in terms of terrain. The idea was to do the test at 8am on Saturday morning to simulate the conditions as best as possible. We all jumped into the car and drove down to Turtle Beach to check it out.

For the swim portion, we felt it would be easiest to estimate 375 meters along the shore and use that as a guide. Luckily for us, the other parts of the race were clearly marked out with it being a 5k loop for both the 20k ride and the 5k run.

Rainbow Cup race course

As we drove along the course, and the reality of the undertaking started to become more evident, I instantly came down with a fever and a belly pain. No really…immediately. I began quietly questioning my sanity and wondering…. “Kairon….why are you doing this to yourself???”

On Saturday morning we rode from Tobago Plantations to Turtle Beach. Gina (Mikey’s wife and de facto Team Management) gave us an opportunity to try on our brand spanking new #2XU Tri-suits to get accustomed to the feel and comfort.

Getting ready to leave

When we got down to the beach, we set up our own little transition area and then began.

Swimming.

By now, we all know about my journey with swimming. I will admit that I have gotten much better and took that confidence with me into the swim. Right away, I learned why it was important to do the trial and understood the importance of the concept known as #sighting in the open water. I started off with all the enthusiasm in the world, proud of my much improved stroke and building momentum. I thought to myself with each breath..”Yesssss Kairon, you are swimming ..in a Forrest Gump voice albeit. After about 150 meters I realized that I hadn't really looked forward for the entire time, so I stopped to get my bearings. View exhibit A. With my excitement, I was going off course to say the very least and was more or less swimming in the direction of Grenada. I looked on shore to see some of my colleagues waving frantically and gesturing that I had gone woefully astray. It wasn't a huge tragedy though. I swam back in and continued along the route. I navigated the swim fairly okay. My only other problem was negotiating the waves and the currents that would push me close to the shore every so often causing me to stop and swim back out.

The importance of sighting. The black lines show my initial course while the blue lines show the intended course.

T1 à Cycle

My First transition wasn't bad at all. I got out of the water, ran to the bike and started the process. Helmet first, then shoes. I learned another lesson in this. It is absolutely CRITICAL for you to wash your feet off as best as possible. I had the unfortunate experience of riding and later on running with sand in my shoes. Not the most pleasant feeling by any means. As for the ride, that went pretty okay as well. The course was fairly windy that morning so it was a bit of an exercise.

T2 à Run

After finishing the cycle, I came in to change into my sneakers. I don’t know what it is, but it is the HARDEST thing for me to get my helmet off after I cycle. Much like the Duathlon earlier in the year, I had to resort to pulling the helmet off. The run itself was fine. The Tobago Sun is unforgiving and I surely felt it. Other than experiencing some cramping on the last half a mile or so, the run was decent. I wasn't too perturbed by this as I realized that I simply need to hydrate better.

Thankfully I was able to complete the trial #triathlon without any major incident.

After the trial, and feeling that I can improve a bit on the day, I would like to aim for the following times;

20 minutes for the 750m swim

42 minutes on the 20K bike

26 minutes on the 5K run 

Add in transitions of about 1-2 minutes each to be conservative, giving a total race time of 1 hour and 32 minutes.

T-8 days until the competition J Funny enough, I am now looking forward to it.

30 days to go!

Yip...it's getting serious

Hi Everyone..

So, the Rainbow Cup Triathlon is officially 30 days away. Truth be told I will be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous.

Anxiety aside, I thought it will be a good opportunity to give everyone an update on my progress to date as it relates to the three sports.

Swimming

Of course I will start with swimming. It is, and continues to be the most difficult aspect of this journey for me. I am happy to report though, that I have improved. No longer does my swimming look like I am violently attacking/slapping the water with each stroke. Through many hours of practice and coaching I can say that I am more giving the water a love tap before my hand enters as opposed to a hard slap. Still not ideal, but definitely an improvement. For some strange reason my hand is not entering the water at the right angle but i keep working on it. For the next month I have to continue to work on this in addition to my roll, catch and pull (yes basically the entire stroke). Also, I have been advised that I windmill my arms too much which is not ideal and would lead to exhaustion so I have to sloooowww down the turn over. Concentrate on form and technique. Lots of work to do, but I must admit I have seen some bit of improvement however small it is. My coach Dexter has said as well that I look stronger in the water, so I am taking some comfort in that.

Cycling

I haven’t been cycling as much as I should have. I did one long ride in May and have been doing some shorter distances at least once a week. What I can say is that I am feeling better on the rides and have to focus on getting the strength and cadence. Again, a work in progress but I am feeling a little more comfortable. My friend Mikey tries to coach me on the techniques and the muscle groups to engage while climbing and sprinting but as with everything, it takes some time to assimilate and put into practice.

Running

I have seen some gains in the run as well. With each week, I can feel my body getting stronger and a bit faster. The focus remains on the 25 minute goal so I just need to continue working. Richard has been doing a great job mixing up the workouts, so I am just trying to put in the effort in the hope of seeing the results. I trust that once I do the work, the times will drop so my eyes remain on the target.

Putting it all together

I have done a few ‘brick’ workouts to date.  Some have been ride and run, while others were swim then run. I will admit that I have not tried a full triathlon as yet which is a cause for some concern. I am constantly reminded by my peers that I NEED to do some trial runs. So technically I have no idea of what my time will be doing everything all together, transitions included, which is vital. Am I afraid to try? Maybe a little but I also know that this level of practice will be absolutely critical in preparation for the big race.

How are your preparations? Are you going to Rainbow Cup or any other Triathlon? Did you just complete your first Triathlon recently..how did it go and what was the distance?

Let me know!

Thus begins my countdown! Will keep you posted on how it goes.

Image courtesy http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-only-30-days-more/

Project 25

Just about right. Courtesy @ultimatebodies IG account

Based on the previous posts, I am sure persons might have been asking themselves “What is Kairon really trying to do in this triathlon?” I guess I would have given them some reason to ask this question because the triathlon consists of three sports and I have not indicated any degree of comfort in any. We all know about my relationship with swimming (which I am happy to report, we are seeking counseling. But more of that in another post) and my relative recentness with the sport of cycling and more specifically road cycling, which leaves one other aspect…Running

By the process of elimination, I would have to say that the run is my strongest ‘leg’ of the triathlon. I did do a bit of track and field when I was younger and generally enjoyed running as a means to get fit but injuries would often be my downfall. Luckily for me, I have been educated a great deal through friends and general reading on ways to prevent injury and as such am able to take the load of the training so far.

According to Strava, my fastest 5K on record is 27:12. It won’t quite be considered blistering by any means but it is something to work with. I have set a goal of 25 minutes to complete the 5K at the triathlon which obviously will require a lot of training. If I am to put things in perspective that would mean that I need to get down to a 21 or 22 minute 5K if I am doing that alone. Fortunately, I am friends with T&T champion long distance runner, Richard Jones, who has offered to assist me in getting to the magical 25 minute mark for the triathlon.

Mr. Jones

For the last few weeks, Richard has been giving me different workouts all geared towards me building the necessary strength and then eventually developing the speed and endurance needed to run a 25 minute 5K after swimming and riding. The workouts have been manageable if not entirely ‘kind’ and sometimes painful. I do enjoy running, generally, but having a sprinter mentality (I ran 100m and 200m for a bit) makes the longer workouts a bit more challenging. Above all though, I have clearly stated my goal to Richard and he is going to guide me in the best way possible.

Contemplating whether he can help me get to 25

In terms of race strategy, the run is an opportunity to make up ground. I know my swimming is going to put me at a disadvantage at the start and I will have to do my best with the cycling. I have realized though that many people do not particularly fancy the run which, depending on how you look at it, may be my only chance at gaining some type of advantage albeit very small.

Technically my running form is pretty okay. As with everything though, there is a lot to work on. From stride length and stamina to controlled breathing and pacing I am going to have to piece together a lot of small parts in order to make the time that I want.

 Is it attainable? I think so. Will it be easy? Definitely not!

I have the help and the motivation. Once I stay healthy, who knows how close to 25 I can get.

For those reading, do you like running? If you do triathlons, would you consider the run your strongest leg?

Feel free to leave a comment. 

Swimming – A love hate relationship

Oh swimming….why do you make it so hard?

From ever since I can remember, I have always been enamored with the concept of being able to swim properly. Some things come naturally for some, while others they need to work a bit harder. Unfortunately during my childhood, I was never in a system long enough to get the training needed for that swimmer’s technique. I learned the rudiments of the free style and some variation of both the back and breast strokes. I will be lying if I say I didn't envy my more established swimming friends when they would nonchalantly get into the pool and glide through the water effortlessly.

I have always made attempts to get back into swimming, but would have been hindered by one thing or another. I remember when I was in Form 6 (12^th Grade for the US folks) at my secondary school St Mary’s College I decided that, in the interest of school spirit, I would audition for the non competitive swimming team. If it is one thing, I can never fault myself for ambition. I distinctly remember this one time where a younger student saw me doing my best impression of the backstroke at the trials, and he stood at the side of the pool yelling “Splash, Kairon…SPLASH!!!” I guess it was supposed to be some form of encouragement, but such was my situation.

As fate would have it, I actually did make the team, imperfect stroke and all. The school needed five entrants for the race and yours truly came a combative fifth..out of five. At the actual Secondary School Championships, I placed second in my heat of three persons (so unfortunate the other guy caught a cramp..but whatever) and 58^th out of 60 overall. Hardly Phelps-ian, but I finished, eventually.

Fast forward upteen years later to my current endeavours of becoming a triathlete. Swimming is one of the ‘tri’ sports so it is equally as important as the other two. Getting better will involve me essentially facing my fears and resolving to put in the work to get better. I am not the absolute worst thing in the water, if I am to be fair. I do however believe that my freestyle at times looks like I am having a physical domestic dispute with the water. Lots of commotion and a bit violent.  Improving on the swimming is definitely going to be a serious challenge if I am to make this work. 

At times when I am in the pool and come up for air during a swim, I see curious on lookers attempting to analyse my stroke/breathing technique. Their expressions almost say "oh dear, someone is trying to drown that poor boy..please help him".  I genuinely appreciate the concern, but it is the best I can do at this point.

In the event that time comes around and I don’t quite have the technique, I figured that I should at least have a Plan B. With this in mind I asked the Triathlon Federation if they would allow the doggy paddle as an acceptable stroke for the race. In their very accommodating way, they acknowledged my question by stating that I am free to do so, but if the lifeguard has to leave before I start my cycle portion, they may need to pull me out of the water. A fair enough response in my opinion, but more or less showcased that my Plan B may not be a viable option for the race.

Confirmation of my reality

All is not lost though. I have sought advice and guidance from established swimmers & coaches (former national athletes in the bunch as well) on how to improve. Everyone has been open with their knowledge and I am attempting to apply it as best as I can. Rome wasn't built in a day, but some serious overtime will be needed where I am concerned. So far, I know that I need to work on my ‘catch’, my breathing and rolling to the side, so I have my work cut out. Oh..and I seem to forget to kick, ALL the time.

Are you like me and have problems with swimming? If you are a triathlete is the swimming the weakest or strongest part of your race?

Do you think the doggy paddle gets a bad rap?

Looking forward to the comments. Will let you know how my progress in the water comes along.

My First 'Long Ride'

So after the National Duathlon Championships, Gershwynn suggested that I should get a couple long rides under my belt to improve my strength in the cycling portion of the race. Long rides = Get better? Sign me up!

It was Saturday 12^th April 2014. Gershwynn rides with a team called SR which is made up of a group of uber enthusiastic , very serious leisure riders who seem like a fun bunch pre and post cycling. The team assembles at Starlite pharmacy in Diego Martin and uses that as the start point. It costs just about $60 TT ($10 USD) to do the ride and for that you get 2 police outriders, a guy on a motorcycle following closely and helping stragglers (he will be mentioned again in this post) and someone in a flat bed truck with a sign that read “Cyclists on the Road”. I was comforted by the professionalism and felt a lot better that I will not be endangering my life. After all this was the FIRST TIME I ever cycled on the open road. I had no idea what was in store but jumped right in.

The ride for today was from Starlite to a place in east Trinidad called Wallerfield. I knew it was a long ride, but for some reason my curiosity did not inveigle me to check the distance. To be honest, it didn't matter because I felt that either way, I will be completing it.

.

 Luckily I knew one other person on the ride, Jason Gooding, who is a former national champion in Triathlon and the race organizer for the Rainbow Cup Triathlon that I will be doing in Tobago.

As the ride started, the group or peloton was moving at an okay enough speed. I was advised to hang to the back for obvious reasons and I complied with strict obedience. All this time, so many thoughts and emotions running through my head. I didn't want to mess up, that’s for sure. These guys were ‘professionals’ in their own right so I didn't want to be the newbie that came and messed up their Saturday morning workout.

Gershywnn and Jason were good in advising on how I should stay with the pack. It was important that I get into the ‘draft’ of the cyclist in from of me. Sounds simple enough right…NOPE. And I paid the price for it.

As the ride went on, the speed started to increase…rapidly. I thought to myself..’Well Kairon, you know you are a ‘just come’ cyclist, but these guys are moving pretty fast’ I kept it to myself because I didn’t want to seem like a whiner but then both Jason and Gershwynn confirmed that they were moving pretty fast. I think it was an average of 34 km/h. To make matters worse, I was having difficulty gauging the distance between my front tire and the back tire of the rider in front of me. This indecision was largely influenced by my desire to not cause an accident by clipping the other rider and be banished from the local cycling fraternity after only my first ride. As the gap widened, I lost the benefit of the draft which meant I was fighting the wind coming up the road for the entire time. Baptism by fire me thinks. But in this case, baptism by wind and speed.

The anguish was beginning to show. I think we had ridden about 16 miles by that time and heading further east. A combination of the speed of the pack, the wind in my face and the widening gap started to become a problem. My confidence was dropping very fast because I felt out of my depth. Much thanks to the older gentleman in the all black who rode past with a face adorned with displeasure at my obvious amateur attempts to ride with the ‘big guns’ and felt it fit to yell ‘He should be in the back!!!’ . This in addition to a few audible snickers did wonders for my confidence (sarcasm). Thankfully Jason reminded me not to pay them any mind and to just keep fighting.

With all of these factors combining and the fatigue becoming an issue, I ALMOST reached a point of cracking, pulling to the side of the road and waving the white flag. I needed some help. Earlier on in the ride, Jason would ride up to the side of me and push me closer to the pack. Enter the man on the motorcycle. Unbeknownst to me, that is what he is there for, to assist persons who are struggling. And well, in this case, he was there to assist me because the struggle was REAL!!

 Mr. Chan (I think that is what his name was) rode alongside me on the motorcycle and would push me closer to the pack. I was SO GRATEFUL for this, I don’t even know if he understood how much.

Mr. Chan in his biker's jacket

At the rest stop

Sidenote…The intermittent push gave me a chance to rest a bit but also allowed me to remember that I was supposed to go ‘off saddle’ every so often..because DAMN. If you are new to cycling, regardless of if you have on the right pants, the seat hurts ‘down there’. I think the blood flow stops altogether which makes the whole process of coming off the saddle all the more important and an INDESCRIBABLE relief.

With the help of Mr. Chan, and my general resolve I was able to make it to the rest stop. At the stop, we got hydrated with water and other beverages, and had some fruit as well, banana, watermelon and oranges if I remember correctly. It was a good opportunity to bring the heart rate back down and refuel for this was only the first half. The only comfort was knowing that we would have the wind at our backs on the way down making things easier.

The 'Special One' aka my bike, just chilling on the fence

The return leg was a bit more manageable. I had a much better time of the trip heading back down the road. I even impressed myself at times, staying in the middle of the pack, and not being the subject of mutters and curse words from the more established cyclists. I didn’t feel like I was out of my depth, which did wonders for the self esteem. The speed was quite brisk as well but I was right there with them. After a couple of sprint segments on the highway by the Beetham and then lower down on the fore shore, our ride was complete.

I was very proud of myself. I reached back to the car and said a very quiet ‘Thank you Jesus’ because I made it. The ride was 50 miles in total and took just about 2 and three quarter hours. Before this, the longest I had ever ridden was 11 miles and 42 minutes. So my body was properly shocked. I hope to join SR on more of their rides and intend to improve with each one. Special thanks to Gershwynn, Jason and Mr. Chan on the motorcycle for helping me through. 

Image of the ride

National Duathlon Championships - Athlete #9

National Duathlon Championships – Athlete Number 9

With the first month of training complete, I thought it would be a good idea to compete in the National Duathlon Championships. As a beginner, the Sprint Distance is the race I had to enter because unfortunately they didn’t allow me to enter the shorter distances which were reserved for the kids. Sad..

What is the sprint for a Duathlon you ask? A 5km run followed by a 20km bike ride and then ending with a 2.5km run. Barring the ‘Carnival Keep Fit’ I did about 3 weeks ago on Sunday March 16^th (which was a smaller version to this), this would have been the first time I completed/competed at these distances in this order. I tried not to think about it because then the butterflies would step in and take up residence in my stomach to the point of paralysis. So…full speed ahead.

Ride Portion around the Savannah

The course was simple. Within the savannah, they marked out a 2.5 km loop. The distance around the savannah on the street was just about 4 km. So my task for the day was 2 loops, followed by 5 loops of the savannah and end off with another 2.5km loop

Run loop within the savannah

On the day, Team SPORTT was in full effect. Mikey and Gershwynn also signed up for the race. All of us possessing different goals for the race and looking towards certain outcomes. With Mikey being the resident Team Captain, he was using it to gauge his level of preparation to date. Gershwynn is the established cycling specialist, so this was a test of his running skill. Me…my goal was strictly survival. Try not to pass out on the ride trying to be a hero. Just finish..and not die.

When the race began, I exploded out of the gate like a prize horse in a derby, determined to give a good showing of myself. The start was admirable but caused me to learn a serious lesson and an area of improvement. I have to PACE myself for the race. I started the 5k at a rate that a 400m coach would have been proud. Sadly..it was a 5k and not a 400m so you know that could not have ended well. Slowly but surely, the ‘engine failure’ light came on and I felt like I was running in reverse. With each shortened step, other runners were passing me with a regularity that I wasn’t entirely happy with but could do absolutely nothing about.

By the time I completed the first loop, I had lost more or less any advantage I worked so hard to gain in the first half. Be that as it may, I had to maintain my breathing and just keep working. Nothing does wonders for your confidence in a race like a competitor (in this case a lady with quite impressive dreadlocks) using your forward progress as a monitor (sarcasm). She would slow to a walk..and I would trot on by and then she would decide she had enough of it and run pass me again. Again, I had no say in the matter, so just had to press on.

So on completing the 5km, I got another valuable lesson and learned another critical aspect of the duathlon/triathlon events the ‘Transition’. This is the time where you go from running mode to cycling mode. As a newbie, I haven’t acquired any of the skills of transitioning so I took my royal time. It is a whole mix of confusion trying to catch your breath from the run and then telling your brain to put on your cycling shoes. So that took some doing. Midway between I wish I had a little stool so that I could have a seat. Rules also dictate that you have to put on your helmet BEFORE you touch your bike or else you would have been penalized. Eventually I got it done and was off to ride.

Transition after the 5Km

The bike ride was pretty constant. Just ride hard and try your best. Gershywnn gave me a bit of advice before the start of the race that proved invaluable. He advised me that on one of the sections, there is an uphill portion which also has a fair bit of wind so the tactic is to drop down to the lowest gear, almost as if you were going up a hill. This helped me out a lot. With each lap I will need to yell out my number to the race wardens so that they know I completed the requisite number of laps. I completed the 5 and then was left to tackle the last portion.

The 2.5 km run would have been a test of mental toughness. I just expended myself on the bike ride and then now to complete this last section. Again, my transition was awful. My helmet REFUSED to come off my head. My only relief came when I decided to just pull it off. I am not sure if it was a combination of my extreme tiredness or the fact that I had on a beginner’s helmet, either way, it was very difficult. I slipped back on my sneakers and was off.

Please come off..pleeeaassee

But wait…my body said immediately, where do you think you are going?!?! Now, if you haven’t experienced it there is another instance of extreme muscular confusion going from the ride to the run. Your legs are more or less cursing you out because of the switch. This curse out is manifested in the bambi-esque walk you try to muster. I got over that after the first few steps but then had another problem on my hands. As if to revolt that I was putting it under exertion never before experienced, both calves decided to protest in the only way they know how..CRAMP!!! First in the right and then in the left. It was the same thing that happened at the Keep Fit. Luckily I was able to hobble to a water station and get some water. I poured it over both calves and was moving again making steady progress. Metre by metre I was completing the race.

The end was in near. I started getting in a bit of a rhythm and resolved to finish strongly. About 200 m ahead of me I saw one competitor who seemed to be in a worse state than me. About 50 metres ahead of him, was another competitor. I made up up my mind,  that I needed to catch and pass them both. Slowly but surely, I maintained my stride. I caught the first guy right after the last turn of the loop for the home stretch then passed the other guy soon after. My mini victory gave me renewed energy. Out of nowhere I decided it is time to finish strong. In a burst of speed with sprinting form that Ato Boldon may have found admirable, I galloped home to finish. I was cheered on to the end by my other SPORTT colleagues who came to support which made it all the better.

So there it was, my first Duathlon under my belt. Not too shabby all things considered but it let me know exactly how much work I have to do if I am to complete the Triathlon. I finished in a time of 1:26:34. The journey has just begun and I think I am up for the challenge.

Thanks to Team Manager Gina Richardson for all of the lovely photos.

From Left - Mikey, Gershwynn and I posing with our medals