You couldn’t help but fall head-over-heels for Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee as they ran, cycled and swam for their lives at Hyde Park last year. In the tensest of races (those transitions looked deadly!), the down-to-earth Leeds lads secured gold and bronze respectively, and had a whole nation on the edge of their seats, desperately wishing their own family had the Brownlee gene pool.
Whether you were a triathlon enthusiast or couldn’t think of anything worse than getting three sports for the price of one, as the boys sprinted to the finish line it was impossible to not feel completely awe-inspired by what they had achieved. Alistair’s 10km time of 29 minutes and 7 seconds was only a minute and a half down on that run by Mo Farah on Super Saturday – impressive doesn’t quite cut it.
Naturally I was setting my expectations slightly lower for my mini triathlon with the NiceTri Triathlon Club…
Based in St Neots, NiceTri caters for all abilities, from complete novices like me to the international elite - they have several members who have just qualified for the Great Britain team, don’t you know – and they promise fun, relaxed sessions with plenty of opportunities to hone your skills in the different disciplines.
For my taster session the club put on a mini triathlon which to incorporate a 500m swim, 15 mile bike ride and 3k run, there’s nothing like getting thrown in at the deep end!
Heading to St Neots Rowing Club on a beautiful June evening, my nerves went into overdrive. The three disciplines separately I could just about cope with, but I feared together this could turn into a nightmare of epic proportions. I’d always liked the idea of a triathlon, and often daydreamed that after attempting everything from taekwondo to rifle shooting it could well be the sport I was finally a ‘natural’ at, but faced with the reality of a cold, murky river and wobbly road bike, I wondered if I might be out of my depth.
I needn’t have worried though; the club were one of the friendliest I’ve ever met. Super welcoming, and instantly putting my mind at ease with tales of their first triathlon experiences (“I screamed the place down when I first stepped into the river,” one lady told me). It was a far cry from the competitive, lycra-clad fitness junkies I’d been expecting.
After getting kitted out (be warned the trisuit is not flattering at ANY angle), it was time to gracefully dive into the river… or should that be go all shrieky and high-pitched as I very slowly lowered myself in. Once I’d come to terms with the cold and the very slushy river bank, being out in the open water was surprisingly exhilarating. On a warm summer’s evening the river looks stunning, and you feel so much freer when away from the confines and monotonous lane swimming of a pool. While some of the others sped on ahead, I negotiated the current slowly, alternating between front crawl and breaststroke, and trying to not think about what was lurking beneath. Luckily club chairman Paul Ridley was there to encourage me along the way.
500m swim completed (and enjoyed immensely), it was time to take to the bikes, which proved a little more hairy. Obviously being from Cambridge I like to think of myself as a bit of a cyclist, but my own bike is one of those pretty old-school ones with a huge basket and only two gears; a long way from the slightly scary and highly technical road bike which I was faced with. I’ve only been on a road bike once in my life, and it didn’t end well, so as you can imagine my first few metres were shaky to say the least.
The special cycle shoes and pedal clips also proved tricky to master. I really struggled to clip my shoes in and out of the pedals, and five minutes into the ride this surprisingly complicated procedure all went a bit pear-shaped, and ended in an embarrassing tumble (“We’ve all been there,” club secretary Michaela Ridley kindly reassured me).
After the fall, it was decided I should wear my normal trainers instead, and embark on a slightly shorter route. As the others went on ahead, Paul and Michaela Ridley took me on a leisurely ride around St Neots, and with some of the pressure off, it was rather enjoyable. The super-thin wheels do take a while to get used to – you feel every bump in the road – but it was fun to pick up speed, and put my rarely used quads to the test.
Returning to the river, I found myself in much more familiar territory as we set out on a run around the park. With the Cambridge Race for Life just weeks away, it was good to be able to challenge myself with experienced runners, and it was a pleasant change to run in a large group, I found my competitiveness immediately kicked in – I would keep up damnit!
Sprinting/staggering to the finish, I’d completed my first triathlon, and I felt on top of the world. Exhilarating, challenging and hugely addictive, the triathlon is a true test of your speed, strength and endurance, and I could see exactly why it’s the fastest growing sport in the UK. “There’s no doubt that once people give it a go they’ll become hooked,” Paul Ridley enthused.
I may have to agree with that one. Next stop: Rio?
For more information about NiceTri Triathlon Club and to see their training schedule, visit the website at www.nicetri-club.co.uk.