Today was the Herts and Middx Sprint Triathlon, and I was inspired by some encouraging words from Simon Lee—thank you, Simon! Feeling motivated, I decided to push myself this year.
I finished with a time of 1:47:37, which is a 15-minute improvement from last year! While 5 minutes of that can be attributed to the run being half a mile shorter this year, I believe the rest comes from my commitment to strength and conditioning twice a week (which I had neglected over the summer last year), some challenging rides with fellow cyclists, and hilly training in Scotland and North Wales. Additionally, I've benefited from a few running track coaching sessions.
Here's how the race went:
- **750m Swim:** 19:16 The swim was quite chaotic with a lot of jostling and kicking, but I surprised myself by fully engaging and having a blast.
- **15-mile Bike:** 57:54 The bike course was very hilly, but I had a great time making a friend out of a guy who overtook me on every downhill, only for me to pass him on every uphill.
- **5k Run:** 26:39 I was assured by James Shipley that it was indeed 5k, though I have my doubts!
I also had some pleasing stats in my category and gender. While it may not be extraordinary in the grand scheme of the triathlon world, it felt amazing for me in my own little corner of "Sarah-land."
Overall, it was a fantastic day, and I'm thrilled with my progress!
