Results tagged “triathalon” from Birmingham Mail - Road Runner

Birmingham Mail reporter and triathlete extrordinaire, Jane Tyler, reveals how her half marathon training is progressing.
And it isn't without a bit of rough and tumble!

MY half marathon training has come to a sudden and very painful halt when I fell off my bike during a triathlon on Sunday.

Up until that point I was feeling quite smug as my fellow half marathoners were dropping like flies, due to aches and pains brought on by over-training.
Not me, I thought, triathlon is the way to do it. I figured that by cross-training in three disciplines I'd be spreading the risk of injury.

But as I sit here with an extremely painful and bruised knee, arm and shoulder, I am questioning my wisdom.

It doesn't help that my injured colleagues are now recovered and sending me daily emails, bragging about their 10-mile runs, PBs and just generally succeeding and reaching all their training targets.

But I figure that a week or two off at this stage with six weeks to go isn't the end of the world and won't do me any harm.

Despite my tumble, I would recommend triathlon to anyone. Not only do you achieve an extremely high level of fitness, you also never get bored as you're constantly switching between running, swimming and cycling.

I joined BRAT - Birmingham Running and Triathlon Club - a year ago and the coaching I receive there has been superb.

I did the Wombourne Sprint Triathlon on Sunday which involves a 400 metre (16 lengths of a 25m pool), 20k bike and 5k run. With just over a mile to go on the bike I skidded on the rain-sodden slippery road and was catapulted off my bike, landing on a grass verge with the bike on top of me.

Worse still, because one of my feet was still clipped into the pedal I couldn't up end myself without help from a marshall and policeman. Amazingly despite being covered in mud and grass, and with a bleeding aching knee, I got back on my bike and carried on to finish the race - even doing a PB in the run.

So give triathlon a go - it isn't that dangerous, honest!