Triathlon update: Attitude is Everything.

Triathlon update: Attitude is Everything.
 
"Well we did it, all four members of the NRK team completed the sprint distance Tonbridge triathlon" 
What a great team I hear you all cry.
Well I must say that this is testament to what you can achieve with a positive attitude.
I sometimes like to prove people wrong and surprise them by doing the unexpected but I also surprised myself by rising to this challenge.

A few years ago I could barely run for more than a few minutes.  However, with the help and encouragement of some friends I managed a 5k Race for Life. I wasn’t very fast and I didn’t run all the way but I managed it. I set myself a challenge and I made it. Again, another challenge was presented, a 10k run in London. This was when the breakthrough came. “Any tips?” I asked a pro runner, “Yes, enjoy it!” I started smiling, listening to the music and appreciating my surroundings.  It’s not about speed for me but about enjoying the experience. Attitude is everything.

Last year I heard about a local Triathlon in Hildenborough. My interest was piqued when I heard about the different levels that there are. Standard, Sprint (which was about half the distances of the standard) and relay.
When it came to swimming, I only needed to do 400m, 16 lengths of the pool, so I went along to my local pool, hired a swimtag and went off to see how many lengths I could manage.

I surprised myself at how many I was capable of doing.  I then worked on my technique. Swimming with my face in the water and trying to move more efficiently. By rotating my hips in the water rather than simply moving my head and arms I could breathe in a more controlled manner.
When it came to the cycling, well that was OK, I knew I enjoyed a bike ride.  But even here there were small tweaks I was able to make to improve efficiency. Changing the gears in anticipation of a hill, keeping on spinning even when it was hard work, keeping low down on a downhill for example.

Finally when I thought I was there, Jane introduced the fourth discipline, the transition.
Well, we had a morning of fun, on a pebbly drive, standing about in our socks and swimmers timing each other to see how quickly we were able to get changed.  All good practice to see  what was going to be involved on the big day.

Luckily, all the practice was performed on bright sunny Spring days but Bank Holiday Monday weather arrived so I was soaked by the time I arrived. However, the buzz and atmosphere, the adrenaline, the smiles form supporters, well-wishers, family, friends and other competitors made up for the rain.
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I must say that if wasn’t for Jane, I would never have attempted a Triathlon and I would like to thank her and Elissa and Zoe for joining me in this crazy challenge. It’s been great to train with them and I have also learnt that anything is possible, you really just need to have the right mindset, some determination and confidence, some willingness to greet the challenge with a grin and dig deep and find something to enjoy while you are doing it.