Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

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Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby Jack Hughes » 09 Oct 2015 09:42

We've all (just about) been here quite a long time now... so let's get all misty eyed...

My competitive career fizzled out with some a fell race, some orienteering and a mountain marathon in the late 1980s. Can't remember if it was 88, 89 or 90.

At the beginning of the new millennium, I realised I needed to get a bit fitter.. and entered a 10K race in 2003 (a bit of running and MTB happened). Unfortunately, this was cancelled and then I changed jobs.

Then I got a wee bit too fat so started to get a grip in 2006/2007, and entered my first 10k in March 2008 (had done a little charity fun run before hand, but no pressure there).

I was extremely worried about being embarrassingly slow, and wasting everyone's time ("what is he doing?"). I had worked out that a 50 minute time might not be too slow, and was probably achievable, so that was the goal. Except I was struggling to hit 8 min/mile 5min/km pace on the training runs.

So I was very apprehensive.

Of course, it all worked out well in the end, especially the realisation that there are no embarrassing times, and people are generally quite happy to wait around for the slowest to finish :D

Since then, my weight has constantly (just about) been lower than my lightest weight in 30s/early 40s, and I've managed to do a few different things across a variety of endurance sports.

Still not done an Ironman though. I had thought this year (and last) would move me closer to that; but it's actually pushed it back a fair bit, if anything.

But, that first race seems like a long time ago, and I'm quite a different person now :D


What are you memories?
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby IanM » 09 Oct 2015 10:38

Having realised that I was getting too fat and unfit in my early 30s I entered London Triathlon in 2009. Then decided it might be a good idea to do a shorter race in the run up to it so entered a local novice OW tri - similar swim and run distance to super sprint. It was pretty horrible (didn't help that I was still smoking and about 15/16 stone), but I didn't come last, and felt very proud to have finished.

I came 22nd out of 29 according to tri247 - 2nd to last for the swim, bottom 3rd for the run, but in the top half for bike (which was a MTB with road tyres) - the clues were there right from the start!
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby Seasider71 » 09 Oct 2015 12:05

After leaving the army in 95, my weight increased and fitness level decreased - upon seeing a photo of myself in 2008 and tipping the scales at over 19st I decided to try and do something about my weight / fitness, so started at a local gym - a chance meeting with a guy I served with led to him telling me all about triathlon and that I should give it a go - so I managed to drop a bit of weight and entered the 2009 Mansfield Triathlon, It was a great introduction to the sport and everyone was really friendly and helpful and instantly gave me a love of the sport....it really went downhill from there :lol: :lol: a couple of IM races, Oly's and Sprints here and there, and my first foray abroad last year.

This is my first year with a bugger of an injury (knees) and it is getting frustrating seeing the weight go back on slowly - hopefully taking it slow and steady over the winter now though and hoping to hit a Sprint series next year.
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby Jack Hughes » 09 Oct 2015 12:12

First race was March 2008. I knackered my knee the following Christmas. Had started to think about doing a triathlon - had entered the Oulton park duathlon in Spring 2009 (after buying road bike in March). But that was my first DNS of many. The knee did bring forward my first triathlon though, as not being able to run/bike forced me to learn to swim. Knee surgery in July 2009, then First Tri in September 2009. All a bit too soon after surgery, with hindsight, as I went on to break everything else in 2010. Then DNS the whole of 2011.. and 2012... then restarted again in 2013 at the end of the year. Then back to Triathlon in 2014. Before breaking again in 2015.

I've basically had two seasons: 2010 and 2014.
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby Bopomofo » 09 Oct 2015 16:05

I think it was 2000, maybe a year or two later... I had got into swimming, progressing from breast-stroke to a self-taught front crawl and managing to do a mile every morning. I was also going to the gym to do weights and cardio - treadmill and exercise bike stuff.

One of the 'instructors' at the gym was a bit into triathlon and so he organised a super-sprint: 440m swim (pool is an odd 22m length and he said 20 lengths), a 20km bike and a 5km run up a local hill.

Given that the swim was going to be 'easy' for me and I was perfectly capable of averaging 250W for 30 mins on the exercise bikes, the "How hard can it be?" thing happened in my head.

6:24 and 6th out of the water, then getting pointed out by the announcer as I faffed about getting dried, putting a t-shirt on and doing up my laces. Jumped on my borrowed MTB with slick tyres and the little forward-facing grips turned around to make 'drops' and got passed by lots of bastards on flashy bikes. Then jumped off to do the run. This was the first time I had EVER tried to run after cycling hard. It must have taken about three steps before I realised there was going to be a problem.

I finished 84/90, with a friend's 70 year old father just in front of me.

I was absolutely delighted. Never felt an adrenaline rush like it and I knew had become completely addicted. Many more sprints followed as I enjoyed my honeymoon with my new hobby. Then came the Halford's bike, new trainers, London OD. Still fun. Then I started to take myself too seriously and it all got a bit dull. Hoping to go back to basics maybe after the VLM next year and just start enjoying racing again. Local sprints will do the job, I hope.
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby jonathon.e » 09 Oct 2015 16:53

I have spent most of the day deciding when " The Modern Era " started, for me it would be around the Post Triassic Era.

Always being competitive (sic), and always dabbling in various sports, I guess the modern Era started in 87/88 when I switched from my main sport of rugby to endurance running.

The first event being The Ingleborough Marathon. I liked running, I like the Yorkshire Dales, the money raised went to The Cave Rescue Organisation ( and having spent a few years participating in Speleology a, good cause), thought it would be a worth while experience.

Even though I had dabbled in the odd Tri/ running event before, I had never bothered to train for them, so this was the first event I had bothered to train for.

I like simple events, entry was about a tenner, started at Clapham village hall, went along narrow lanes towards Helwith Bridge before joining the main road to Ribblehead, down to Ingleton and back to Clapham. Not exactly the flatest course. I remember two refreshment stations with orange juice, no gels or hi tec energy bars.

I had a cheap analogue watch which stopped after an hour, so didn't know what time it was, eventually finished, got a T shirt, can't remember what time I finished in, and was probably last. Seem to remember the long walk of shame for the last few miles as I may have gone off to fast.

It didn't put me off.

Edit: I have just delved into my race archives
3:54:06
53/60
All finishers were under 4hrs
Winner was 2:54.
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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby Worrying Will » 09 Oct 2015 17:41

For me is was the no frills duathlon in 2011. I was 65/84. I used to run as a kid and ran for the district once. But I choose brassband rather than sport. Had kids started getting stressed at work and took up running and did a bit of cycling saw duathlon in a mag and that was it I was off.

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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby SickBoy » 10 Oct 2015 01:18

I did my first tri, a pool sprint in 2010. How did I get started? I used to do a little bit of XC at university. Mainly because I wanted to be in a club and want good enough for football but was an OK runner, definitely in the slow group. That was back in 2000 though. I did a bit of keeping fit, took up a new martial art with a with colleague in 2002 and that filled the gap for several years, kept running a bit but never did any races.

One time I went surfing with my friends and was disappointed that I found paddling the board hard work. As this was before I had kids I had more time and I decided to take up swimming, must have been around 2006. I don't really remember why other than I was looking for something new to do. I progressed from being able to barely swim length of FC to swimming around a mile every morning.

Fast forward another few years to late 2008 and I moved for work just as my first kid was born. I stopped martial arts as I'd moved away from all the clubs. The triathlon seed (I'm getting to it) had been planted already. I'd seen some of Wimbleball I think on CH4 a d had been fascinated by transitions and linking the 3 sports. Also one of my instructors had started triathlon. It seems obvious, I could run and swim OK, only the bike to add. Started buying 220, learning about the sport. Got a 2nd hand road bike, that I still have, a knackerd old Bianchi. Kitted myself out with SPD shoes, a turbo, tri suit, cold weather cycling gear and started training, in 2009, for my first race in 2010, it took me a while to learn to ride a bike. I remember just riding around the block was a challenge to begin with, especially with the pedals. Yes I did fall off, twice. I remember being really nervous about cycling on the road. I even had some lessons but they weren't really what I was looking for. Went out for a Sunday ride with the Leamington Spa cycling club. I was a shiny new cyclist, at this point I'd ridden a total of 100 miles on my bike (including turbo time) I think my early rides were < 20km a time. So I joined the slow group, fell off going up hill within 15 mins. Think that impressed ml then. Anyway, 60 miles and several hours later I got home, wife was not impressed, though I was pretty pleased with myself. I had kept up with the group, remember I chowed down massively when we stopped at a pub for food, don't think I had any nutrition with me and probably just one water bottle! No more club rides though, not with baby no. 2 just arrived! I couldn't disappear for half the day on a weekend.

Found out somehow that there was a pool based sprint tri in my home town, based at my old secondary school of all places. Thankful the sports centre has been revamped since I was a student. Did all the good prep, colourful towel for transition, elastic laces. Think I checked out the route online and drove it the night before, (stayed at my parents). Walked through transition etc.

I will have to check how the race went, think the swim was pretty good, bike was below average and run was relatively good, although I was wrecked crossing the line, a shuffle more than a sprint finish IIRC. I know I went under 1:30 which was my goal. Felt great after I'd recovered, really hungry, ate loads. Bought my finishers photo, got a post race massage, was very proud of myself!

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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby SickBoy » 10 Oct 2015 01:35

52/273 - 1:23:14, winner was 1:10 that year. In 2013 I finished 8th with 1:19:03, I entered last minute before moving to Canada after my work permit was delayed. Swim and run were both slower than 2010!! I was probably only faster cos I had a better bike.

I had a bumper season in 2011, I think I did 6 races, a few less in 2012 when I did my HIM, then things have tailed off a little with relocating to Canada.

I still enjoy the sport even though I am not racing much, something I want to fix long term. I still want to get faster, better etc. Do some of those exciting races. And haven't ticked the IM box yet... I still have great memories of the Henley half, even though I wasn't well prepared, I remember really enjoying the day. Maybe it's easier to not race and just pretend I could be good!

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Re: Memories of the first race you did (modern era)

Postby CCS » 10 Oct 2015 10:47

Modern era? First race was my first ever competitive solo event - was never really one for competitive events...
At school I was OK-ish but unenthusiastic about team sports - definitely academic rather than sporty - and not good with authority.
Then, at university, I discovered loads of sports better suited to a lanky individual than hockey / lacrosse. Rowed for a bit - but that all got a bit serious, and was handicapped by having the strength of a lightweight trapped inside a heavyweight's body. Moved to rugby, which was much more fun (largely due to the heavy pub based training element)... got my half blue; played in the first ever womens varsity match; played for the new Harlequins Ladies team when it was set up; played for the county a couple of times (though that sounds waaay more impressive than it really was); played on & off until I hit 30, when I decided it was time to get old with more dignity (men can get away with heavy bruising in the workplace without too much questioning; women less so...)

Fast forward to 2009 (via a couple of children etc) - colleague at work had sowed the seed of triathlon, since I was running occasionally in my lunch breaks, and cycling into work sometimes.
Bought the cheapest road bike I could find (thought that racing on a rusty old MTB with a baby seat on the back might not be a good idea) - didn't know any cyclists; didn't even know how to make the new fangled gear shifters work (rode it down the hill; couldn't work out how to change the gears down; had to walk back home up the hill & look it up on the interweb); bought some proper pedals & shoes, but first attempt at sitting on a bike using them saw me suddenly lying in a heap on the garage floor underneath the bike, and still clipped in.... much novice incompetence!
Entered the women only race at Dorney Lake - and decided that a pool sprint might be a good stepping stone, so entered one of the Thames Turbo pool sprints. Just remember being terrified. Almost climbed out of the pool on the first lap - it's a proper old fashioned lido - with a scary deep end, and some weird length (33m I think) - and I was afraid of being out of my depth, and the pool seemed much to long compared to the shallow 20m pool at my gym. Only a fear of being laughed at kept me going. Don't really remember a lot about the race (well, I am very old, you know...) - but the archives tell me:
S (426m) - 11:16 (just into the top 45% of AG)
B (21.7km) - 41.06 (in top 15% of AG)
R (5km) - 30.02 (in bottom 25% of AG)
(no chip timing, so transitions are all wrapped up into those times).
Just remember being elated to have finished without dying - and overjoyed not to come last.
Even then, the cycling bit felt easy; the other bits not.... and this was all before I ever realised that it might be sensible to cycle for more than an hour occasionally in training.

The rest, as they say, is history...
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