In corona times it is difficult to stay motivated and prepare for triathlon races. Fortunately I have joined forces with Paul and Michiel at Tri-PT.
My schedules are demanding, are flexible in balancing family and work, and trigger me to step up my game. Also, they organise small group training and challenges. I like to participate in these challenges as they prepare you for racing, and are just fun to do.
Sunday 25th April I teamed up with a buddy to participate in the 35KM beach duathlon. The chilly wind and sandy beach makes for a true challenge but that is what I like. Pushing through the elements…
As I live close to the beach you can find me year round on or close to the beach. I knew what was waiting for me. I started with high cadence running on 5:30 min/km to warm up. The beach was hard enough but the headwind killing. Quickly started running behind my buddy who was riding my custom beach bike.
That helped and after 6km we switched roles. Even though we were overtaken by two other groups we quickly picked up our pace and as of Katwijk stepped up in first position, which we kept until the finish.
I felt great and picked up the pace to a steady 5:00 min/km and sustained that on the way to the turn. And with the wind in our back we started flying. My buddy at 4:10 min/km and myself at 4:30 min/km. This is where all the training pays off.
We finished first in 2 hours 38 and have some cool stories to share. With high end photos made by Frederic we can remember the challenge for years to come. All in all, it is an added bonus that Paul and Michiel are organising these challenges on top of the training schedules.
Looking forward to more in 2021!
