Taming The Triathlon!
I have been running for over ten years now. I ran as a measn of keeping fit whilst at University: I found that an hour run in the bracing northern mornings was an ideal way to burn off the hangover from the night before. My fellow students thought that I was mad, but as you know once the running bug hits you it is impossible to shake off!
I joined my first running club after leaving University and began to enter as many races as I could. At first I preferred shorter distances, running everything from 1500m on a track to six mile road and cross country races. As I have grown older, and matured into my body, I find that I prefer longer races and regularly run half marathons and marathons. My best time for the marathon is two hours fifty and I could concentrate on getting that time down substantially, but I am always looking for a new challenge and now I can hear the triathlon calling me!
I have recently moved to a new area and have joined a great athletics club called Team Manvers. They specialise in the triathlon and I am looking forward to competing in my first iron man style event! The triathlon, as you know, consists of swimming, then running and then cycling. It can be over various combinations of distances but the classic event involves a 1500m swim, a 40km cycle and then a 10k run. As the event finishes with a run then I think that it really favours natural runners, rather than swimmers or cyclists, in that we can pick off those who may have taken a lead early on. We runners are just getting into our stride at the end as the swimmers and cyclists begin to tire.
My new running club, Team Manvers, have been very welcoming and they have put together a special 16 week training programme building up to my first triathlon. This incorporates a mixture of sprints and endurance training and I have asked for special training on my swimming section as this for me is my weakest of the three disciplines.
To all runners out there who are looking for a new challenge, or who really want to push their body to the limit then I say join me in embracing the triathlon and feeling the burn as you push on towards multi-event success!
So I have finally been paid for that last freelance job that I did, you all know whats coming, it’s about time to hit the shops and pick up that new set of running clothes that I have been waiting to get. Betty, are you up for a quality time this weekend?
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