European Championships – Carlsbad, Czech Rep.

Caroline raced in the Junior section – 750m swim/20km bike/5km run

She raced extremely well. (it is her last year as a junior) She was 3rd out of the water, 15th after the bike and 20th overall.

The swim was 2 laps of a lake and involved getting out and running around a Fiat car between the laps. The bike involved a 3 mile cycle into the town and then 3 laps around a 5 km loop. This also included an unbelievable climb (you really would have to see it to believe it as none of the pictures before had did it justice) Firstly, it was 24% uphill on cobbles for 500m rounding a corner and then there was about 100m of tarmac and then a winding cobbled ascent to the top of the hill and then a decent on hair pin bends to the bottom and then some flat on cobbles to the start of the loop. The run was a 2 lap circuit with a hill of 24% for 500m. all in all a tough race.

I raced in the senior elite section (1500m swim/40Km bike/10km run) The course was the every same as Caroline except I was to do 3 laps of the lake followed by seven laps of the bike and 3 laps of the run. My race didn’t work out so well and I found myself having to pull out at the end of the bike section which is something I don’t normally do.

Last Saturday was the ‘Hell of the West’ Triathlon in Kilkee Co. Clare. Again this was a 1500m swim in the sea/45km bike/10km run. The race lived up to its name as it was (as usual) very, very windy which made the sea really rough and was behind you on the way out on the bike course but slap bang in your face on the way back.

Caroline raced really well again finishing 1st lady by 6 mins to the next female. I was in second place after the bike but too busy chasing down a fella on front of me and completely missed the turn and ended up running an extra 1km before realising that I was going the wrong way so the three of us had to go back (another lad followed me the wrong way as well) and lost about 10 mins and 2 places – I ended up finishing 4th. I was told that it served me right for chasing lads instead of concentrating on the race!!!

That’s it for now, Caroline and I are off to the Scottish National C’ships on Thursday 5th July being held in Dundee. The week after is the Carrick-on-Suir sprint race. Also this year we have other European Cup races in August, European U23 champs in Poland in September, the British Sprint Champs for Caroline in Clumber Park, Worksop and the Salford Quays Triathlon which will be the Commonwealth next year.