Pulse Triathlon - The Unexpected Duathlon, 21 Sep 2024

I went into this triathlon with a strong feeling it would turn into a duathlon, and sure enough, at the last minute, the swim was cancelled. Thankfully, I had mentally prepared for this possibility, but that didn’t make the race any easier. From the start, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be one of my better performances.

The race began with the run, which set the tone for the day. I never quite found my rhythm, and despite pushing, my legs felt heavy and sluggish throughout. The bike leg, which is usually a bit more of a strength of mine (in comparison to the the run section that is !) didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped either. My own lack of sharpness on the day made for a long and tough ride. By the time I hit the final run, it was more about getting to the finish line than competing at my best.

I left the race feeling frustrated and disappointed, but there’s a silver lining: it was a good training day. While it wasn’t the result I wanted, it showed me exactly where I need to improve (a lot of places!). But that’s where I’m hoping Tim’s coaching and guidance will come in. I’m ready to put in the work during the off-season and focus on getting stronger, faster, and sharper for next year.

This season hasn’t been what I’d hoped for—disappointing and even embarrassing a lot of the time. I’m determined to come back better. I’ve only been with Tim for just over 3 weeks now but I can already say I’m confident with Tim’s expertise and because of this I’m hopeful I can have a much stronger showing next season.

Chloe Bennett