First Time Team GB (By Katie Locke)

What do you like to do on your Birthday? Spend time with family and friends, maybe eat a bit of cake and drink a glass or two… For my Birthday I seem to like booking triathlons months in advance so that I can regret my life choices as the event comes closer…

This year my Birthday collided with the European Middle-Distance Championships in Coimbra, Portugal. After the initial excitement of qualifying for the AG GB team I discovered how painful the logistics would be (1 taxi, 1 flight, 1 metro, 1 train and an expedition through Coimbra dragging a bike box). Even worse I realised with horror that the annual trip to Lakesman with the SEC crowd would clash. After a couple of weeks of deliberation, I determined racing for Team GB was worth trying at least once.

Fast forward a few months and it was race week! I’d had a solid training block without illness and injury and some successful simulation races. Arriving in Coimbra the whole town was awash with blue GB AG tops. There was more than one joke that the EU Champs were more like the British Champs. Regardless, the standard of athletes was higher than I was used to and watching the other athletes competing in days leading up to my race filled me with equal measures of excitement and anxiety. Of course, the pre-race worries of getting sick crept up at which point a few flurried texts between Paul and I settled my nerves and we adjusted the pre-race training plan accordingly.

I checked the list of athletes competing with me in my AG and realised there was a strong field, and a top 3 result was possible but unlikely. Reflecting on the course I realised it had potential to be fast so rather than focus on a podium I decided to focus on a PB. I texted Paul and said I was going to target a sub 5 hrs, an “unachievable” goal I’ve had since I started 70.3. Go for it, he said. His confident response inspired me.

The night before the race I racked my bike and went back to the apartment for some simple pasta and an early night. Race morning came. I felt good, relaxed and ready to go. My mystery pre-race sickness had passed, and I was looking forward to racing. I arrived at transition at the time it was due to open, 8:15 am, ready to sort my kit for the race and check my bike. The race was due to start at 9:30 am.

A large crowd started to gather around the outside of transition, and it still wasn’t open. 8:25 am came and went. For something to do I started to re-apply my suncream.  8:35 am. Now I was getting worried, I’m one of those people that likes to have my kit sorted early. I check through my bag to make sure nothing is missing, everything is there, don’t worry I told myself. 8:45 am.

I start to get ready and pull my brand-new GB tri-suit on. Go to zip up my tri-suit and, the zip breaks. Panic. Some helpful spectators and athletes try to help me but it’s unfixable. I make a joke that at least I can still race because the zip is on the back (not a cause for disqualification) but inwardly I’m gutted. I start to wonder if I can fix it with a safety pin, but I don’t have one.

Suddenly transition opens and I realise I only have 30 mins to queue, have my kit checked by marshals, lay my kit out at transition, drop my bag at the bag drop and get to the start. I begin to panic. At this point I find my boyfriend (also racing). He’s able to calm me down, help me apply suncream to my back, now completely exposed to the heat of the Portuguese sun, and gives me a pep talk. With seconds to spare and after a sprint across the bridge to the start we’re at the start of the swim wave and we’re in the water.

Typically, I’m a relatively fast AG swimmer so I’d inserted myself towards the front of the swim. In hindsight I was too far in front and set off with some fast men at 1:10 / 100 m pace. Not sustainable for me. I put the brakes on after 400 m feeling shattered and finding myself between two groups with no one to draft. Heading round the halfway point I find a very annoying male swimmer tapping away on my feet. Immaturely I kick my legs hard to splash him and wiggle around to shake him off. Succeeding only in going slower and probably adding on 50 m.  Long story short I finished the swim in 31 mins approximately 3 mins slower than I’m capable of.

Feeling grumpy coming out the water, I remind myself of my goal. Sub 5. Transition goes smoothly and I’m onto the bike. Immediately I’m worrying about my back burning in the sun. After giving myself a stern talking to I accept that my back is likely going to be pink by the end of the day but I have no choice but to race. The first 3/4 laps go well and I’m able to hold 70 - 80% FTP consistently. On the last lap with just over 20 km to go I look down and notice my tri bars are 20 degrees off centre and I start worrying again. Again, I give myself a stern talking to. Sub 5, every minute counts.

I rack my bike after 2 hrs 39 mins and onto the run, I feel awful. The heat has started to get to me, and my mouth feels claggy. My visor is nice and cool from sitting under the wetsuit and this starts to make me feel better. Sub 5 I tell myself. The first aid station is a delight. Chilled water from the volunteers reignites me and I’m in race mode. I realise with my swim and bike time all I must do is hold sub 5 min/ km something Paul has made me practice in hard brick sessions, so I know I’m capable, just don’t blow up.

Remarkably I feel pretty good for most of the run, I can see other athletes struggling due to the heat. I suspect the horrific heat training Paul subjected me to on the bike helped hugely and I didn’t experience the usual heart rate spikes I’m used to when racing above 25 oC. With 5 km left I notice a GB athlete in my AG gaining on me. I use this as the final fuel to drop my pace from 4:59 min/ km to 4:50 min/ km and the gap widens between us. I’m able to smile for the camera as I cross the line in 1 hr 42 mins.

After the race the first message I read is from Paul informing me I’ve made it into the sub 5 hr club!  4 hrs 57 mins and I’m 5th in AG! I was delighted, a real Birthday to remember!