7 triathlons in 2013 - well it seemed like a good idea at the time

After I completed the London Triathlon I contemplated what to do for 2013 now that the triathlon bug seems to have taken hold.

I knew I wanted to make the jump to long distance as I feel I am definitely built for endurance rather than speed, especially given how stubborn I can be.

So I had already decided I would be completing the Outlaw Triathlon on the 7th July. Then I got to thinking about completing a minimum of one triathlon at every distance up to iron in 2013.

This would mean completing the following triathlons in 2013

1. Supersprint (0.4k swim, 10k bike and 2.5k run)
2. Sprint (0.75k swim, 20k bike and 5k run)
3. Olympic (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run)
4. Half iron (1.9k siwm, 90k bike and 21.1k run)
5. Iron (3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42.4k run)

So far I have managed to enter all but one of these distances

1. Not entered
2. Rother Valley Triathlon on 9th June
3. London Triathlon on 28th July
4. Mallorca Ironman70.3 on 11th May
5. Outlaw on 7th July

I have also entered the Clitheroe Triathlon on 14th April as it is quite a hilly course and I think I will need some hill practice before the Mallorca Ironman 70.3 in May.

The course profile for Mallorca is a little extreme and sees you rise 600m over 20km which is an average gradient of approx 3% which admittedly doesn't sound a lot but it is for an unrelenting 20km and given I live in one of the flattest areas of the country, I don't get much practice at climbing.

Course profile for Ironman 70.3 Mallorca

Thankfully I am also going on a training camp to Mallorca in March which will see me complete the bike route before the triathlon in May.

I have also signed up to be part of a relay team for the Leeds Triathlon on 8th September where I will be completing the swim.

Anyway the reason for this blog is I am currently contemplating completing a supersprint triathlon in July.

Now before you all go off thinking I am mad for contemplating a third triathlon in July, which I probably am, there are valid reasons behind all three triathlons.

Outlaw

I realise I am never going to set the triathlon World on fire given the fact I am currently tipping the scales at 15 stone 11 (woohoo I've lost a whole 6 lbs in just under a year since I started this quest) so I purposely picked the Outlaw due to its relatively flat nature and proximity to my home for my first iron distance event. If I am bitten by the iron distance bug, there is a good chance that I will complete other iron distance events with more hills. After all I would like to get an M. tattoo at some stage. Who knows Bolton in 2014 may be on the agenda but I will delay making statements like that until after I have survived the Oultaw.

London

This is the one that started it all, the one that caught my eye some 11 months ago when I was starting this quest. I've been there and done it but given the horrendous weather (http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/and-on-seventh-day-god-created-rain.html) I was unhappy with my time and feel we have unfinished business so I need to go back and redeem myself and I will smash my PB from 2012.

And now for the supersprint I am contemplating..........

On the 21st July 2013, 14 days after the Outlaw and 7 days before London. www.fun2tri.co.uk are holding the City of Birmingham Triathlon which includes a supersprint distance event. Now why has this triathlon in particular caught my eye. Well for two reasons.

1. Firstly it will be good to get the legs working after a break post Outlaw given I have to swimbikerun for 51.5km 7 days later.
2. But most importantly www.fun2tri.co.uk have chosen HelpHarryHelpOthers as their official charity partner for 2013 and given I have chosen to raise money for HHHO in 2013 it seems quite fitting. There is also the fact that Harry Moseley was born in Birmingham, his charity is based in Birmingham and the people of Birmingham cherish Harry (there have been sponsored walks, cycles and a Ball in his honour and now some idiot has decided to run triathlons for HHHO) so it all seems like a good idea at the time of writing. Who knows www.fun2tri.co.uk may even want to stock my custom design trisuit for the event. I am sending the design and a pricelist to Harry's mum this week once I recieve them off my supplier.

My HHHO custom trisuit

So do I go for my third triathlon in July or would this be considered lunacy by some?

Remember you can sponsor me by clicking on the following link www.justgiving.com/triathlon4harry

That's all from me for now.

Michael

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