PE showing off why it is the best venue for triathlon in only my second 5I50
On the 24th of November 2019, the participants of the annual Standard Bank 5I50 gathered in their numbers to enjoy this amazing event. I had the opportunity to participate in my second 5150, exactly one year after joining MTD as a complete novice to this sport. My personal goal? To improve my time from 2018 (03:23:08) and to gain bragging rights over my husband.
After bike check-in and the usual race briefing, the MTD squad got together to prepare for the day with the final group stretches, coach JD’s orders and the ladies with some final hair adjustments.
Port Elizabeth was showing off with crystal clear sea conditions and a light westerly wind, race day conditions that everyone was hoping for. The swim leg - my least favorite and my worst. The nerves were high, but it was overwhelmed by all the excitement. As I hit the water my focus was just on the task ahead and to enjoy the visibility and ease of sighting the buoys! Surprisingly I had a good swim with a PB on this course and I was still feeling great. Out on the bike, it was tougher than what I expected. I struggled a bit with a strong head wind, but I still got to enjoy the spectacular coastline views. Suddenly, my husband came cruising past me and the friendly rivalry turned into a battlefield. I knew I had to push myself even harder not to disappoint. Thereafter, I took off on the run feeling great and ended up with a PB of 00:58:34.
Overall, I had a great race. An almost perfect race. I ended up with a PB Sub 3hr (30 minute improvement) and bragging rights = SWEET VICTORY! All thanks to my amazing coach, JD, who is always pushing me to my limits and to the BEST triathlon squad for their never-ending support. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each individual member is the team - Phill Jackson”
Onwards and upwards, looking forward to the next!
MTD PE team you rock!
By Lizelle Richardson
