Castle to Coast Triathlon, 24 Jul 2021

On July 24th I participated in my first ever middle-distance triathlon: The Castle to Coast Triathlon. Starting in Windsor, in Eton Dorney Lake, the 1.2 mile swim was followed by a 67 mile ride on open roads to the foot of Ditchling Beacon in Sussex, where a 14 mile hilly run was all that was left to reach the finish line at the sea front in Brighton.

The day started out looking fairly grey and overcast for the swim in Dorney Lake, but fortunately the water was warm and I felt good once swimming. We could really take our time in transition, after all it was going to be a long way to the coast and I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared! Onto the bike and I was confident riding on roads local to my family home. This was great because I also had my family out supporting me on the way. I really enjoyed the bike leg - despite how hilly it was. The route took us through both the stunning scenery and challenging climbs found in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (1200 m of climbing!). As we headed further south the weather just kept getting better and it turned out to be a very hot and sunny day. The run was possibly the toughest run I have ever faced with some very steep climbs, but the countryside views were epic! It was 80% trails with a 30% gradient on the steepest climb. The run went quicker than expected – probably because the bike leg was comparatively so much longer. The hardest stretch was the last couple of miles straight along the seafront in Brighton as the sun was really intense and I was feeling very de-hydrated. Crossing the finish line, I was very proud of what I had achieved and how much I had enjoyed the challenge!  

The triathlon was a sportive event; however, I was using it to get a good feel for the distance and pacing in a middle distance race – preparing for my 70.3 at the end of August. I was so pleased to have finished 11th overall and 2nd fastest female! What an incredible day!

Jenny Carter