I can still remember years ago, when i was a gym bunny, seeing my old neighbour in the gym. I hadn't seen her since i was a kid, but i started to see her at the gym regularly. So, Rose, once asked me whether i had thought of doing triathlon. Not sure what made her ask this question, but needless to say my lack of swimming meant the answer was still "No can do". Funnily enough, Rose is now my coach!
In my mid 20s i started running regularly. This had started by doing a 5k run in hyde park in my early 20s and i remember not being able to run 10 minutes on the treadmill without stopping through boredom and lack of running fitness. After the 5k i started regularly going off for long runs and when i moved to hertfordshire to do my doctorate i would regularly go off exploring the local area on a weekend by running. In 2007 i did the swansea bay 10k and did a time of about 47 minutes. Then in 2008 i did the llanelli half marathon and did a 1:46. Then in 2009, after completing my doctorate, and returning to neath to live, i did the 10k race for life in swansea and to my great surprise i won the race with a time of 44 minutes. Ok, not a super fast time, but i was still chuffed to bits, and the emotional experience of being the lead runner, with a bike being your lead out train, with others clapping me, rather than me clapping the leader, was unforgettable.
However, i didn't do anything from then on other than continue with my gym bunny routine, and doing spin classes 3 times a week with a long run on the weekend. Back in the autumn of 2011 i made a decision to sort my swimming out, which would then open up triathlon for me. So i contacted a local ironman legend, Kevin Pullin, and after just one 2 hour session in October 2011 with him i was now able to swim an entire length breathing with my head in the water without swallowing half the pool. He gave me some swim sets to do and off i went, swimming 3/4 times a week. Now that i was swimming i signed up for my first triathlon races and the anxiety that set in about the swim leg - oh dear!
One of my strengths is that i like to research and i like to understand stuff. So i read as much as i could and bought my bike. I hadn't owned a bike for years and hadn't had a road bike since i was a kid with a pink drop handle barred bike! I approached a local bike guy, Jeremy Rees, and he gave me advice on what was a good deal as a starter for me. I knew nothing about bikes, and felt every inch my blondness! But, i am a quick learner, and i am confident on the roads so i was soon doing a full programme on swims, runs, and bikes, with some strength work thrown in as i have always enjoyed this and didn't want to lose my abs or my guns! The big decision to be made then was to join a club or not...i have always trained alone, and before work at that, but i was socially isolated and joining a club would offer coaching, and comaradarie. However, the fear was that they would be too good for me, and as a naturally shy individual, it seemed a big leap of faith to join...
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