After a long break from triathlon racing, I am returning to the track. My last big start was last year’s Ironman in Vitoria-Gasteiz. At that time, I swore to myself that it would be a long time before I got carried away by all this madness again – but, as we know, triathlon is not just a sport, it is a lifestyle. And so I found myself at the start of Cotswolds 113 – a middle-distance competition in the beautiful, green scenery of England.
I prepared for the start on my own. Without a coach, without plans written by specialists. After 11 years in this sport, I decided that it was worth trusting myself and the knowledge I had gathered during this time. I admit, the preparations were not ideal. For some time I was struggling with illness, then mental fatigue set in, and motivation was rather capricious. Despite this, I was surprised how well the longer breaks for regeneration worked. My form didn’t drop drastically, quite the opposite – it came back faster than I expected.
A lake like a sheet of glass
The swimming start took place in a lake, the cleanliness of which surprised me from the very first meters. The water was calm, almost still. The plan was simple – to keep an even pace and not deviate too much from the swimming line. I swam great, but I encountered two obstacles. First, I had no one to “hook up” – drafting in the water is a great help, but this time I had to count only on myself. Second, halfway through the distance my goggles fogged up to the point that I had to stop twice and wipe them to even know where I was going. Despite this, I got out of the water with a time of 37 minutes and a dozen or so seconds, which was very close to the plan.
The bike, or you fly or you don’t
T1 went smoothly, and then came what I was waiting for the most – the bike. This time I rode on borrowed equipment from my club colleague Waldek – the same one I rode in the Ironman in Vitoria. The Cervelo P-Series is a really fast machine. At first, due to emotions, I went too fast in the pace, my heart rate was going up. But after 25 minutes I got into a rhythm and everything started to fall into place perfectly. The average speed was over 36 km/h, and the ride was so enjoyable that at one point I caught myself laughing. Pushing through the next groups of competitors gave me incredible satisfaction.
Running – fighting colic
The change to running was also quick, but it was this last part that turned out to be the biggest challenge. After the first kilometer, I started having problems with colic – on both sides of my abdomen, just like in the Ironman in Spain. I still don’t know what caused them. Maybe it was a matter of nutrition, maybe emotional tension. For the first 10 kilometers, every step was painful, and every breath reminded me that my body was fighting. I tried everything – deep breathing, changing the pace, light stretching while running. And finally… it gave way. I managed to get back to a steady pace and feel that I was in control again.
On the second lap, I was joined by Arran – a fellow triathlete, who gave me a huge mental boost with his presence. For a moment, I felt that I was not alone in this fight. In the last three kilometres, I decided to speed up. The pain was already there, the fatigue too, but I knew that I had nothing to lose. I had to play va banque.
The red carpet and the calm after the storm
The finish line is always more than just the physical end of the race. It is the moment when everything that hurt, everything that failed, simply disappears. The red carpet, a few steps that you remember for the rest of your life. I knew that my loved ones were waiting there – and that gave me strength.
I finished the race with a time of 4 hours, 52 minutes and 19 seconds. Only ten minutes slower than my personal best – and with so many obstacles. I felt like I had won.
This start reminded me why I love this sport. Regardless of the result, the pain, the moments of doubt – triathlon always rewards those who don’t give up. And now? Maybe Ironman Weymouth in September?
See you on the course! 🤙🏻
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