European Championships, Eilat

European Sprint Triathlon Championships, Eilat, Israel
21st April 2012

Racing in the European Championships in Eilat, Israel was a fantastic event and one I will never forget.  I had qualified for both the standard and sprint event so chose the one I thought I had the best chance of medalling in - in hindsight I think I made the wrong choice but there's nothing like a bit of healthy competition to up your game!  A few weeks before the race Eilat made the local headlines as a rocket had been propelled from Egypt causing a panic-wave.  I had no idea how much conflict Israel had been in and part of the race course was actually so close to the Kingdom of Jordan that our run section had a sign stating‘Danger Mines’.

My race was on Saturday morning and I had opted (after much debate) to wear a wetsuit - a new one that I had only practiced swimming in at the local pool just a few days before!  Standing in a line across the beach we all stared out to the red buoys that marked half way and some loud drum music was played (that really got your heart racing), the hooter was sounded and I sprinted into the sea as if my life depended on it.

I got into a good rhythm pretty early on and was waiting to be hit or kicked or swum over....but I wasn't.  I was drafting off the hip of the girl next to me and was waiting to drop onto her feet and then eventually lose her.....but I didn't.  I couldn't believe it.  I kept breathing to my right and could only really see the girl next to me; then when we reached the buoys and merged with a group that had been to my left I realised I was right up there in the mix.  The way back to shore was hard to sight and I eventually did just lose the girl I was drafting off but I kept telling myself how well I was doing. 

                                                 

When I got out the water and saw my Mum nearly collapse in disbelief I knew I had swum well. I could see a GB girl in my age group just 2 positions ahead, shortly behind the french girl that had beaten me in Pontevedra the year before.  I tried really hard to attack the long run to T1 to make every second count.

I started the bike in 13th overall and couldn't believe how high up I was.  The support on the bike leg was amazing as you left T1 and I put my head down and just did what I do best....pedalled.  It was an out and back course along a dual carriage way.  The way out was into a fierce headwind with a few uphills and long drags....and I loved it.  By the time I got to the half-way turn around point I had caught 7 girls and was closing on the others.  The way back in was much easier with a wind-assisted gradual downhill but for some reason the girls I was closing on were now nowhere in sight.  Unfortunately, the last 10k of the bike leg proved a bit of a leveller and as someone who relishes difficult bike courses this didn't play to my strengths.  I didn't catch anyone on the way back in; if anything I think I lost concentration because I sort of knew if I didn't catch them on the bike, I wouldn't catch them on the run.  That said, I was pleased with a solid ride and started the run in 4th in my age group and 6th place overall.

I ran so hard out of T1 that anyone would have thought it was a 100m dash! I was determined to go all out and not leave anything at the line.  A 2 lap course with a few twists and turns over sand, paths and trails meant you could see the girls who were ahead of you coming back, and those who were behind you who you wanted to make sure didn't catch you.  At this time I didn't realise there was a Cypriot girl ahead of me and thought I was coming third in my age group.  My thoughts altered between "oh my god, I'm going to get a medal, I'm going to get a medal" to "oww, my feet are hot, they need to stop running, they're so hot!" Half way into the first lap another girl in my age group overtook me.  And then another girl in the next age group up.  Losing 2 places in quick succession really made me think I was going backwards.  I knew now for sure that the medal I had wanted so much wasn't meant to be this time, but unlike other races, I found a strength to push on telling myself that every place counted and I wanted to finish as high up as I could.

It wasn't a particularly good run split for me but considering I had really attacked the swim and bike, I guess something had to give (well, for now anyway!).  Crossing the line I knew I had tried my absolute best.....and that is really, all you can do.  I finished 5th in my age group, but (and more impressively) 8th overall out of all the women's age groups.  My category was in fact so strong that I would have come higher up if I was a man!!! It was such an honour to be racing against the very best in Europe and slowly but surely, I'm creeping my way up the international age group rankings with an 11th, 9th, 7th and now a 5th.  Could it be that elusive podium place next???

After the race it was all about celebrations! There was lots of partying, lots of exploring and lots of putting my feet up and doing absolutely nothing at all (which made a nice change!).  I dived with dolphins, floated on the dead sea and met some incredibly lovely people.  Now it's all over it feels really surreal....especially as it's only April and so still the very start of the season.  What am I going to do now? I thought initially.  Simple....train for the next one!

Mum and I (she's my number one fan!)