London Triathlon, 7 Aug 2022

In the lead up to London Triathlon, I'd been having some back pain which almost meant me pulling out. I got the go-ahead to race, as it hadn't been getting worse with exercise! So mentally, I wasn't really feeling ready to race but didn't want to back out.

With this being a European Qualifier event, I knew there would be some of the top AG triathletes racing, so set my expectations low (sorry Tim!). On the day, I was a bit stressed getting to the Excel (London is scary). Luckily got there in one piece and on time.

The mass start swim was new to me, having minimal triathlon racing pre-covid, so I was a little nervous. It was as chaotic as I thought. I tried to place myself near the front, but still had to swim over a fair few people until I found some clear water to get my pace up. Coming out in just over 22minutes, I was chuffed considering my lack of swimming leading up to it.

After a messy T1, I stuck to a manageable pace on the bike. A lot of the other females came flying past me, but I knew keeping up with them was out of question for me. My bike leg was ok but it's highlighted to me that I must do some more work on my power off the turbo!

Going into the run, I didn't think I was anywhere near qualifying contention, so set off at a comfortable pace. I felt in control the whole run, and could have found an extra gear if needed. It was also a super busy course, which is one of a number of reasons I probably won't be doing this race again!

I finished 4th AG, which was a surprise, but should mean I qualify for Euros! But will I take my place?!

Holly-Mei Jones