2017 Triathlon Season Finished

The 2017 race season finished last weekend at Hever Castle with the Gauntlet triathlon but less than a week later I am already thinking about 2018 and where this amazing sport can take me next. I am not one to pause for breath often but this brief period seems a suitable time to review what has been another crazy season.

It only seems like 5 minutes ago (it was actually in May) I was lying in the back of an ambulance having just broken my collarbone on an early season spring group training ride. Once given the bad news I spiralled into a bout of self wallowing, writing off any ambitions of racing competitively with a five week period of supposed no training. Days later with the phenomenal support of my family and friends and I wasn't ready to give up so easily. As much as triathlon is a solo sport I cannot thank the support network I have, you all played a part and the many highs of this year are partly down to you.

In 2017, I became a European aquathlon silver medalist (5weeks after my big break), placed 17th at European Triathlon champs (7weeks after), 8th in age group at the Challenge Poznan middle distance (8weeks), twice under two hours for an Olympic distance triathlon, 9th in Chantilly, 39th at World champs and 6th at Hever Castle.

I have considered 2017 as a bit of a transition year, as I move my training from focusing on the Olympic distance to Middle distance. With much of my time spent improving my biking strength to maximise my potential I have seen great improvements, and my season finale at Hever Castle is a prime example.

Hever Castle is the final race in the Castle Series calendar. A picturesque swim in the castle waters, followed by a ride around the glorious Kent area and then an off road run in the grounds to finish. It doesn't sound hard does it but triathletes have short memories. Well I do anyway. I raced Hever in 2015 as my first ever middle distance race and that day it hurt, a lot. Hever is hilly. The swim is always a chilly one, and one I suffer badly with.

This time was no different, I struggled to get my wetsuit off frantically clenching and unclenching my fists in the run to T1 to get the feeling back. Next up is a two lap bike course with 1500metres of climbing to get the blood pumping and the energy sapped from the legs. Then if you think you’re on the home straight there's the small matter of the off road half marathon with a couple of rolling climbs and a nasty steep gravel hill at the end of each of the two laps.

I entered with the aim of seeing the improvement I have made since 2015. I am a completely different athlete now. I paced it far better than before measuring my bike effort despite forgetting my bike computer and not having top gear (my rear cassette decided to come loose – yep still an amateur at heart). Out on the run I chose not to fight the terrain trying to keep my leg cadence high and steps light, using the Olympic distance athletes, racing on the same course, as good pacers. I began to slow as the sun beat down, all the time not panicking just continuing to tap out a rhythm for myself and catching the 6th placed athlete at the beginning of lap two. I continued to tap out an ok pace putting a two minute gap between us. This was just as well as 100m from the end of the race, having just completed the last horrible climb, a child loses their ball from the crowd and it rolls into the path of the runners. Ever the gent I go to grab it whilst running, my legs clip each other and I take a comedic tumble. I frantically scramble to my feet and hastily finish the race.

In the last two years I have managed to find about 40 minutes on one of the hardest middle distance races in the calendar, moving me from 27th in 2015 to 6th in 2017, something I am amazingly happy with. I know I still have some way to go to win this level of race, the top three were in another postcode for most of the race, but when there's cash on offer and such phenomenal organisation you will end up pitching yourself against some of the best in the country. George Goodwin is a fully Sport Scotland supported triathlete who has been doing triathlon since being in the womb and Henry Irvine was giving a few pros a shock at Ironman Edinburgh 70.3 earlier in the year - so stiff competition.

Give me two more years and I'll have them troubled.

As 2017 draws to a close I want to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors – Parcours Velo, Better You, Pro-Formance training, the Greenwich Leisure Limited Foundation and Sport Godalming. You all make this possible and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to represent you.