National Aquathlon Championships, 19 Sep 2021

Unexpected consequences - Worthing National Aquathlon Championships

The biggest barrier to finishing this race was always going to be getting myself to the start line in the first place.

Inevitably, there were multiple opportunities to fail before we'd even begun. Rail replacement services between London and Worthing. An unglamorous hotel with an 80s disco karaoke night emitting noise pollution until 1 in the morning. Not to mention a glaring absence of either swim training or underlying talent (and I'm not just being modest here). Only the bribe of a quintessentially British seaside retreat with my husband could drag me to the startline.

Yet as I stood on the crunchy shingle, gazing out at the flat horizon, remembering my shivery withdrawal from a similar Weymouth 70.3 startline one tempestuous day a few years back, hearing the whispered comments around me saying 'this is the calmest it's been in years...' - I knew, today I would not be thwarted.

Predictably slow out of the water - probably with an additional unnecessary zig zag thrown in for good measure - I tried to minimise the damage. A happily uneventful wetsuit strip. An economical sock-free shoe turnaround. Little did I know the eventual consequences of my time frugality here...

Now the race could really begin. I bounded out of transition (aided by magic carbon-plated shoes) with the sole mission of running down as many people as possible. One, two, three, ten... brownie points if they were female, or a whole brownie cake if they were young and potentially in my age group!! Slight nausea from swallowing seawater and overzealously scoffing breakfast pancakes aside, I felt fantastic.

Rounding into transition, I glanced down at my watch to confirm what I had hardly dared to believe - a 20min 5k, brushing against hallowed PB territory, off the back of a swim where I promise I did expend some energy even if I didn't have much speed to show for it. Could I even have made the age group podium?

Raw Energy Pursuits, Results Base and the internet kindly produced the results instantaneously - 2nd place. Out of all females in my age group in the race! Albeit only 6, probably missing some of the fastest performers, but we'll take it. And therefore, England National age group Sub Champion of Aquathlon!!!! (I'm aware this word 'sub champion' doesn't exist but my husband suggested we borrow it from Spanish and it's quite nice to say).

The lesson? Definitely skimp on putting on socks to save yourself those few seconds and win silver rather than bronze. Or don't, because I cut my feet and couldn't walk for a few days and was it really worth it?

The alternative lesson. Keep trying until the end because you never know - you might surprise yourself. And, most importantly: surround yourself with people who will drag / persuade / bribe you to the startline.

Kathryn Robertson-Arrebola