Monday 12 September 2011

Locarno triathlon 2011 by Jessica Bass







A few of you have asked me about my super triathlon experience of last week so I thought I would kill several birds with one stone and tell you all at once how it feels to travel over 100km in 6 hours by swimming, cycling and running.
 
6am start and the day begins well, bright skies, a cool breeze and crisp, clear air. The anticipatory silence at the start line is deafening, I can hear birds chirruping, hearts beating and wetsuits squeaking ! The starter raises the starting pistol and waits for an age .... bang ! And we're off. 
 
I sprint into the warm water, clear of the crowd and begin the swim. 100 metres in and I have no energy at all, my arms and legs feel like lead and I can't catch a breath. I stop and I can't breath I am in a panic and hold my hand up for a rescue boat to pull me out of the race, I am swallowing water and feel dizzy and disoriented. The rescue boat is right next to me when I come to my senses and remember why I am doing this .. it's for charity, for the children who have a rough start in life, who live on the street and have no clean water, little food and no clean clothes. Those children can't hold their hands up and say "hey I wanna get off, this ride is no fun". I think what would my Mother say if she knew I had given up after 100 metres ? I can hear her voice loud and clear in my head "pull yourself together for goodness sake" and a moment of clarity hits me like a bullet between the eyes, I wave the boat the away and splash one hand after the other until I get my rhythm back, my breathing is laboured but I know I can do it, I have to do it.
 
I catch up to the other swimmers within a few minutes and finally start to enjoy the experience.
 
I leave the water to a great cheer from the crowd, wave my arms and sprint to the bicycle transition area while flailing around in an attempt to remove my wetsuit while on the move, as if a quick transition is going to make any real difference to my finish time. 
 
On to the bicycle and out onto the winding mountain roads of Locarno. The scenery is truly breathtaking and I have to take a moment to really appreciate it. I am now well away from city streets and the scenes around me are like those found only in flashy car adverts, up and down the undulating course weaving our way around, and sometimes through, the mountains in a rather scarily dark and long tunnel. 
 
After 10km the heavens opened and the field of cyclists dwindled rapidly until I found myself followed only by the back marker motorcycle who was there to tell the marshals along the route when they could pack up. Needless to say I got huge cheers from every marshal station from that point onwards as my passing meant that they could get out of the rain !
 
The rain gets heavier and heavier until it feels like needles on my skin. My legs, arms and face are now completely numb and the back marker motorcyclist helpfully pulls alongside me to tell me "only 20km to go".  I could have lived quite happily without knowing that ! The rain on my face is joined by a few tears as I realise how crazy this idea was, I am riding 80km in the driving rain ... I am mad !
 
Finally, I rejoin the city streets and around the final roundabout and back to the transition area, again huge cheers from all spectators and participants alike as they realise I am the last competitor still in the race. 
 
The charity has a band of supporters cheering us on from the transition area and they ask how I am feeling "well, it's such a lovely day I think I'll go for a little jog !" I reply.
 
My running shoes are filled with little puddles, as I slip them on they squelch and squeak in defiance of my blind madness. Off I go for 4 laps of the 5km route.
 
Lap one, I pass several other runners, back in the race at last ! Lap two and many people have finished already, I spy the prize giving for the winners, wow they are fast. Lap three and my supports are shouting louder than ever ... they think this is my final lap. Now ... decision time, do I stop and let them think it is my final lap or carry on because I KNOW I have another lap to go ? Oh come on, of course I carried on, I couldn't live with myself if I cheated. I do feel sorry for them all though, waiting in the rain.
 
My legs feel like lead, but there is less than 3km to go, I can't give up now, I just can't. I reach the final drinks station and I spy some fruit, I grab two pieces of apple and an orange segment, wow ! It's like a new me, my legs are alive, just that tiny bit of sustenance and I can run again, off I go striding to the finish line to the sound of cheers from some very relieved supporters and I finish in 6 hours 10 minutes at which point my legs completely give way and I shed a little tear !
 
What an amazing feeling, to be so close to complete exhaustion but to beat my demons and finish the race, I just want to go again ! I can highly recommend doing an endurance triathlon as the buzz is just amazing and although we are competing, all the competitors know that just to be in it is a feat in itself and one which deserves a quiet respect.
 
Thank you to everyone who has already donated, I am pleased to let you know that between us we raised more than £9,000.00 for the charity and you can still donate here : 
http://www.mycharitypage.com/Jessica/
 
If you would like to know more about where the money goes please go to 
www.vitalforchildren.org 100% of donations go directly to the kids, the charity takes no money for admin costs.
 
Thank you so much for your support, it is, as always much appreciated.