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Forum section in the magazine
J Witts
Posts: 13
in General Chat
Afternoon all
James 220's ed here.
We're launching a new section in the magazine and we'd like your input.
Each issue we'll be asking you a topical tri-related question and reprint a selection of the answers.
So, up this month is...
What is/was your greatest fear prior to your first event?
Mine was having to be pulled out from the Thames due to non-existent OW swim training. That and getting DNFed for forgetting one of the many transition rules.
We'll be printing the repsonses in issue 250, out July 27th.
Yours in sport, James
James 220's ed here.
We're launching a new section in the magazine and we'd like your input.
Each issue we'll be asking you a topical tri-related question and reprint a selection of the answers.
So, up this month is...
What is/was your greatest fear prior to your first event?
Mine was having to be pulled out from the Thames due to non-existent OW swim training. That and getting DNFed for forgetting one of the many transition rules.
We'll be printing the repsonses in issue 250, out July 27th.
Yours in sport, James
0
Comments
How's about wondering which time group to put your name in for the swim.
Do you play it safe and overestimate and get stuck behind people, or underestimate and get left behind and shouted at?
Pat
Got up last years times and looked at how i was performing and saw i would be last. Imeediatley bought an race bike and got my finger out and finished closer to midfield.
My fear seemed to change as i got closer to the event and on the day. It was this forum that I stumbled upon triathlon and decided to take plunge convinced I could do it.
having to estimate my swim time - bloody hell had never even swam 750m before so called it 16mins... think it took me nearer 20mins....but I did have to stop half way through the swim as I realised I had left my run shoes with the wife!!! haha
In my mind I knew I wasn't fit enough so that was my main fear not being able to do it when I had built myself up to family and friends. Then you see all these fit people with the trick bling bikes and you think what am I doing here???
Looking back.... christ soo many mistakes!!! but loads of bloody fun!!
Luckily it turned out the bike route was well sign posted and marshalls, and (slightly less luckily) the only people I managed to overtake were on mountain bikes and going half my speed!
One of my mates even said he'd watched the race the previous year and while he was applauding me for having a go he said "I'd just hate for you to make a fool of yourself". Blimey. Thanks, I guess.
So, I was completely astonished to find the most friendly and helpful bunch of enthusiastic people I'd ever met, all milling about in transition. They weren't all Olympians - there were all shapes, sizes and abilities. I got advice on how to arrange my kit, had people telling me not to panic and just to enjoy it and heard a load of stories about 'my first race' with people telling of even worse kit than I had rocked up with!
Seven years and countless races later and I'm still enjoying it just as much as that first race. And no, I wasn't last!
Got to be the swim mass start. It takes a few goes before you realise that rubbin' is racing.
Thinking back my biggest fears were
a) the swim - never having swum in open water, and reading all the info about sighting, going off in the wrong direction, the washing machine at the start, being unable to do 25m as crawl...
b) the bike - going the wrong way
c) the run - just being able to do it after the swim and bike
It was all good though, although I did the swim breaststroke I still managed to beat my hoped for time by 20mins. The best thing I remember was how friendly & supportive everyone was, marshals and fellow competitors.
Would I be able to do it?!
Still my biggest fear to this day
Cheers
James
PS Hopefully the orange border that appears to have contaminated the forum will be erased today!
Least this change isn't as catastrophic as the last one.....