GLL Sport Foundation Triathlete success at British Championships
York based GLL Sports Foundation athlete Pauline Foot competed in the Accenture British Sprint Triathlon Championships in Nottingham on Saturday 15th June 2019.
Weather effected the race with changes to the event communicated last minute, Pauline commented “It was not the race I expected but I’m proud to have a finisher’s medal and finish 7th in Age Group F50-54”
Pauline’s race report can be found below:
On Thursday evening, we received the news that the event would be a Duathlon (1.5km run, 18.2km bike, 4.5km run), rather than a triathlon, to make this a safe event. Since my triathlon relies on a strong swim, the news was more than disappointing
Nottingham was an important race for my preparation for the Sprint Triathlon in Kazan later this year. It should have given more experience of river swimming, and draft legal racing on the bike before finishing with a run. The River Trent was clearly not safe for swimming following high rainfall. There was a risk of debris, and the flow would have made the swim more than challenging. It would not be the race I’d expected.
For each race, there are a number of personal ‘wins’ to achieve beginning with arriving at the venue ready to race and completing the course safely. After that come any other goals concerning position (including ‘not last’) or speed.
The first hurdle was to get to the start line, disappointment and fear replacing the normal pre-race excitement. Far from being a mass participation event, with the anonymity of a mass start in the swim, each age group was started separately. There were 11 entries (9 started) in my age category, including the World and European Champions. The bike course was very technical - 5 laps, with dead turns at each end, being in the pack was going to be important for draft legal racing. I was concerned that I would be left behind on the first 1.5km run.
It was a tough race. I am pleased that I managed to draft a little on the bike, which was fun and enjoyed support on the run and camaraderie of the other competitors. Also one small ‘win’: PB for 1.5km on the first run.
The GLL Sports Foundation is supporting 23 York Based athletes this year. The next application window for the athlete support scheme will open in December 2019. For more details on the GLL Sports Foundation please click here