30 April 2014
Emily Koch is member of BS7 and has recently completed a triathlon. Along with various methods of training, she had been put through her paces by BS7 Gym staff to get her in the best possible shape to complete the triathlon. Emily tells us all about the preparation, the event and what she has planned for the future.
Congratulations from everyone at Bs7 Gym.
Why I decided to do it: I wanted to have a focus for my training – something to aim for. I have run half marathons and shorter races in the past, but have always been a runner – not a swimmer or a cyclist. After some injuries and operations on my knees I needed to find something that was kinder to them! The sprint and super sprint triathlon distances are perfect – only a short run, and I can get away with minimal running training. I knew I could ride a bike, but the swimming was going to take a bit of work.
How was the training: I’ve spent the last four months training for the event. I go swimming once a week at the weekend, watching training videos online to improve my technique. I do one 5km run a week but have been really pushing myself to get my time down. Cycling training has consisted of one or two spin classes a week (thanks Mike and Nathan!) and other bike rides. To complement all of that I do pilates to keep me flexible, circuits (with Gary) once a week and resistance training sessions focussed on my legs (which Gary helped me plan) to build up strength and resilience to injuries. It has kept me busy! But the beauty of this short distance event is that the training volume and time needed is definitely manageable and fits in to the rest of my life. I’m in a good place where my performance in all three disciplines – swim, bike, run – is still improving (because I started at a pretty low level!) so it’s great to see the results.
The event: My first triathlon was the Burnham-on-Sea super sprint triathlon. With a 250m swim, 10km bike ride and 2.5km run it may not seem that challenging to people used to watching the Olympic distance. But it was tough, I assure you! Everyone was really friendly and there were good crowds lining the route. The swim went well – I felt really slow but actually got a PB, then headed out into the wind and rain to cycle up and down the seafront for about 25 minutes. The run was the toughest part – partly because most of it was on the beach and running on sand is hard work, but also because your legs are tired from the bike and a bit confused about what sport they are meant to be doing. There were plenty of people who got much better times than me, but I wasn’t the slowest on the course. It was an event that welcomed anyone. People did the cycle on all sorts of bikes – mountain bikes, road bikes, bikes with baskets! Not everyone did front crawl in the pool, some did breast stroke. There were runners of all abilities and speeds. And not everyone had the kit – I didn’t wear a Tri-suit, just a swim suit with shorts and a t-shirt, and many others did the same. It was great fun and I’m already planning the next one later in the summer.
What’s next? A duathlon at Castle Coombe circuit in May (run, bike, run), a bike race (sportive) in June and then another triathlon in July. Should keep me out of trouble for a while!