Sometimes you really do get more than what you paid for. The Norwich Triathlon is easily one of the best value open water events out there, and it always delivers an incredible vibe.
This past weekend, we had five Efficient Endurance athletes out on the course—two tackling the sprint and three taking on the standard distance. From unexpected extra miles to huge lifetime personal bests, it was a brilliant, eventful weekend of racing.
The Sprint Distance: Detours and Aerobars
Dan
Dan decided to create his own hybrid event on the fly. Instead of the usual 20k bike leg, he missed a turn and ended up doing twice the distance—a brand-new format he termed ‘TriRox’. But even with a 750m swim and a bonus 40k ride in his legs, Dan flew through transition and put in his fastest-ever triathlon run split of 20:56. That landed him the 6th fastest run time of the entire day. Talk about an unbelievable recovery!
Laura
Laura had a slightly less eventful race but came away absolutely chuffed. She put together a superb bike leg, averaging almost 30kph on the course. She felt so good out there that she is actually relishing the idea of purchasing some aerobars now to see what she can do in her next event. Watch this space!
The Standard Distance: All-Time PBs and ‘Race Brain’
Abbie
Abbie was over the moon with her race, showing fantastic consistency across all three disciplines. She was incredibly happy with how her swim and bike went, but the real highlight was the run. She absolutely smashed her pace to clock her quickest 10k ever in a triathlon with a brilliant 45:28.
Izzy
Over on the Saturday, Izzy was racing the exact same course for the BUCS Standard Distance Tri. The competition was fierce, and a non-wetsuit swim made things even tougher. But that wasn’t going to stop her. Izzy came out of the water in 24 minutes, hovered at a swift 31kph on the bike, and then ran a solid 46 minutes—all off the back of a very gradual, careful running build-up into this event.
Lewis
Lewis was competing in only his second-ever standard distance triathlon and brought home a big result. He was chasing a sub-2:45 target, and while he just missed it with a 2:49, he still bagged all-time personal bests on the bike. The big lessons to take away? Needing a touch more open water experience, and keeping a conscious thought on nutrition when ‘race brain’ tries to take over!
Chris
Then there was Chris. He set out with no expectations but still finished feeling disappointed. After a solid swim, a strong bike, and a good first couple of kilometers on the run, severe cramping hit him hard at the 3k and 7k marks. The silver lining is that he now knows exactly why it happened. Unfortunately, it can’t be helped for now, but it’s a massive lesson stored away for the next starting line.
Endurance Swimming: 8.5k at Coniston Water
Karina
Further north in the Lake District, Karina was taking on the massive Coniston Water swim. This is a serious 8.5k continuous swim from one end of the lake to the other. It was the perfect warm-up for the huge long-distance events she has lined up over the coming months. Karina took a massive amount of experience from the day, crossing the finish line in a fantastic 3 hours and 30 minutes.
More Than What You Paid For
Whether it’s dealing with unexpected extra miles on the bike, managing race-day cramping, or smashing a lifetime personal best on the run, racing always brings a mix of big celebrations and great learning moments.
Working with me as your coach gives you more than you pay for, too. Head over to our coaching options, and let’s start mapping out your next big challenge together!
