53 Year Old Me Compared to Triathlon Winner

So over the last couple of months, since I started swimming, I thought it would be fun to put together the components of the triathlon. The mini sprint triathlon is 400m swim, 10km cycle and 2.5km run. I soon was able to do that, but I felt they had moved the goal posts when I learned the sprint triathlon at the Commonwealth games is 750m swim (30 lengths of the 25m gym pool), a 20km cycle and a 5km run. Today I decided to do try it in that order. When I learned the winner of the Commonwealth games was Flora Duffy and that she did it in under an hour, I wondered how many multiples longer than that time I would take.

This morning I was in the pool at 7-55am. The normal triathlon swim takes place in open water, so you don’t have to struggle with the turns at the end of each length. My struggle today is that the right side of my goggles kept filling with water, so I ended up stopping from time to time to empty it. Plus I’m just learning how to swim properly so I’m awfully slow. To my horror, when I got out the pool, I had been in it for 26 minutes. That was very slow for 30 lengths. I got changed and rushed on up to the bike where I cycled 20km. I decided at about the 8km mark that I would probably have to walk the 5km. How do people do this? I was already tired. My bike ride was 49:59 with 363 calories burned. Half way through the ride, I had a piece of dark chocolate. That gave me a little missing energy.

I got off the bike rushed across to the treadmill and put my stuff there and then, in keeping with gym etiquette, went back and cleaned the bike! The run was not as bad as I thought it would be because I took it easy. 37:21 for 5km.

So how does this all weigh up against Flora Duffy?

  • 750m Swim: 9:10
  • 20km Bike: 29:37
  • 5km Run: 16:56

With transitions (going from swim to bike and bike to run), she did it in an incredible 56 minutes and 50 seconds.

I did it in 2 hours.

I will try again in the future!

I spent a couple of hours recovering and in the afternoon visited Riana where she had taken a Tears dog on an outing to her house. She is pondering replacing her beloved Tin Tin. “Violet” is 7, has some arthritis issues but seems to have a very sweet nature.

Mike spoiled me rotten today.

#623 of my 1000 thanks is for a 4-course meal served by my husband! 🙂

1 Peter 4:12-13

Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, bur rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

The ultimate goal that God wants for us is happiness.

These are the days.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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