I have missed out on my triathlon race season this summer due to my running-induced injury. However, I was still signed up to this local Olympic distance triathlon and decided to do it for fun, even though I would have to walk parts of the run (as per my physio’s rehab program). I was pleasantly surprised by how well it went.

The swim consisted of two 500 m laps of the lake and was a mass wave start in the water. It was totally manic to begin with. Everyone was swimming on top of each other, thrashing about to make it to the front and swim the most direct route to the first buoy. It was really quite unpleasant, however the huge number of swimmers around me provided an excellent draft. By the end of the first lap, I was near the front pack of swimmers and doing pretty well. I was either first or second lady out of the water and this put me in good stead for the bike.

Since I was recovering from injury over the last 4 months and hadn’t trained up for this event, I had no idea what my legs were capable of and no expectations for the bike. I hadn’t practiced with my TT bars on my bike all year and so I was also crossing my fingers that I didn’t experience any mishaps with those! My plan was to simply go out and have fun. The bike course was two relatively flat 20 km loops. I felt strong around the first lap and only really had a small pack of speedy men on TT bikes pass me. The roads were smooth and my average speed was fast! I felt myself begin to fade on the second lap, however a quick re-fuel with a gel sorted me out and I made it in to T2 in a good position.

Finally, I was on to the run. I completed this as 3 minutes of running followed by 2 minutes of walking, repeated. It was sad to watch other competitors pass me because I had to walk parts of the run, however I was so happy to be participating in the triathlon and proud to be able to finish the event. This was the furthest distance I have run since my injury back in April and it felt great! Even with all the walking, I finished 6th lady. I’m glad I managed to race at least once this summer!

Jennifer Carter

Oxfordshire Tri Series, 20 Aug 2023

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