The more I race this year the more i'm starting to understand the sport; experience really is everything. Just like with pretty much everything the more of something you do, the better you will do it.

28/07/13
This weekend I did my first elite triathlon, what an experience. Many things could have gone better and I could have got a lot more luck my way, but that comes with experience. A very close friend always told me "you create your own luck, you know that". That is very true.

Despite me analysing and listening closely in race briefings I was left shocked when I turned up to receive my swimming hat with my competitors that they had changed our swim to non-wetsuit. Normally this would excite me as swimming would be one  of my stronger parts of the race. However this news meant that I was left running around the excel building trying to find anyone I knew to give them my wetsuit; luckily my parents had just turned up and I gave them my wetsuit before running back to the start.

Warm up felt great and I was really ready to go. A great week of tapering and hard work previous meant I was feeling more ready than ever.

I got caught out once again on the swim start, having not previously raced at this level. We were placed in a line across the water me being the furthest point away from the buoy due to not knowing and fighting for a closer line.

The swim was tough and despite feeling as though I swallowed all of the thames water when cutting across everyone I came out with a good group and felt as though the race was going to go well. A good T1 meant I was out on the bike with a chase pack of 5. Two crashes a minute into the race and then another competitor being sick left us to two and a hard push from me meant that within the first 5 minutes I was alone chasing the pack with very little hope. The rest of the race was tough as my stomach wasn't agreeing with the thames water very much. However despite this eventful race an 11th place overall left me happy but with a few what if's. However it is what it is.

After a good chat with my coach I realised that what I achieved was good and it's a great platform to work off from starting from nothing at the start of this season. A few days down time now to recover and enjoy myself until i'm back to it!

Onwards and upwards!

Ciaran



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