Sywell Multisport Festival Triathlon, 27 Sep 2020

This is probably going to be the last triathlon I do this year, in what can only be the shortest and intense season ever! It is hard to put into words, without sounding saccharine and melancholy, what a difference having a few races to aim for has done for my mental health, confidence, and optimism. Although I have approached each race this year with the usual trepidation, anticipation, and self-doubt, I have performed well in all the events I have entered, and I am pleased that what sometimes seemed like mindless and pointless training has paid off!

Anyway, back to Sywell…

Registration was at 7am; it was dark, cold, wet and windy. I was full of regret as I pulled on my wetsuit and we stood freezing on the edge of the lake. Competitors went 2 at a time, I went in the 4th pair and managed to catch up with multiple people in front of me. This gave me a real boost as I fought against the choppy waves and swallowed an ungodly amount of lake water.

My transitions were absolutely appalling and checking the results showed that they lost me the first place. I couldn’t get my wetsuit off, and I couldn’t get my shoes on, because my extremities had all gone numb. 

The cycle was superb – 2 laps of a mostly flat course, with a steep downhill and uphill at the start/lap/finish line. An absolutely howling headwind on the way out transformed into a fantastic tail wind on the return leg. Average speed of 21 mph, and then a top speed of 35 mph meant I was the fastest woman on a bike and 15th overall. Importantly I got the QOM on the course, which is obviously the only thing that really matters!

The run was a beautiful trail around the lake, with a sprint finish over the dam wall. I managed to keep a couple of people in sight just ahead of me the entire way around. 5k in 20 minutes, fastest woman, and another QOM for my Strava trophy cabinet.

13th overall, 2nd woman, and 1st in my age group, was a very successful way to start a Sunday morning. The event was really well put together by Northamptonshire Sport and the wooden medal is a brilliant addition to my collection!

Emily Varley