Karl and I both finished the triathlon at Dorney Lake yesterday and were satisfied with our efforts!
First came the swim. We were going to swim 200m in the algae filled waters of Eton's rowing lake. I got off to a good start and settled myself into the middle section of the swimmers. We had been told to swim towards the buoy bearing the Nokia logo. It went a bit wrong as my goggles misted up and I couldn't really see anything except the person in front of me! Thankfully I sorted it out. I kicked along with my legs whilst cleaning the inside of my goggles. Easier said than done!
Once we had reached the other side of the lake, we were helped out by two race marshals who told us to go into transition. For people who don't know, transition is the part of a triathlon when you have to get out of the water and get on your bike, and then off your bike and set out for the run.
Finding my bike wasn't that easy as I am short sighted fairly badly and had no glasses! Therefore I could only really see outlines of peoples bikes and their colours. I eventually found my bike after one faulty attempt but then had to get my socks on. I'm sure most people know that it is quite hard to get woolly socks on wet feet. I put my socks and shoes on hurriedly and then grabbed my helmet, buckled it up and set off with my bike.
The cycle was a 5km circuit around the rowing like. It was a nice surface to ride on as it was mainly smooth tarmac and I had new slick tyres on my bike. On the way back the wind was blowing against us and there were two humpbacked bridges to cross. My legs felt a bit like lead towards the end of the cycle but I was happy because I wasn't last!
I went back into transition, racked up my bike, and ran out onto the running course. It was a 2km run out and back alongside the lake. It was a nice place to run but it didn't feel like 2km - it felt like 5km! Doing the run, my legs felt almost weightless - it was a very strange feeling. I knew I must have been running fairly quickly, as I was passing people who had passed me on the cycle leg, but I seemed to be going slowly and was tired.
Coming up to the finish I saw my Mum and Dad and Karl's parents. I knew I wasn't far from the end of the race and so I sprinted 20 metres, overtaking the boy in front of me who was slowing down. Going under the arch I felt relieved that I had succeeded in doing such a hard event. A marshal gave me my medal and I ran over to get some water. At the end my Dad was waiting for me to congratulate me and I felt unbelievably happy!
Our school charity for this year is Down's South, a small local charity for children with Down's Syndrome and their families. The school has already raised quite a lot of money this year, and I am hoping to add to this with sponsorship for this triathlon. Thank you so much for sponsoring me!
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Down's South London gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
