Team Coven Triathlon

Team Coven - Finished!

 The Snowdonia Slateman triathlon took place on Sunday 22nd May and as I wrote a few months ago Team Coven were lining up. We were given the number of 403 and instructed to pin numbers on the cyclist and runner and swimmer got a hat with the number written on. There was also a sticker to go on my bike "just in case you get separated"!
We arrived at the start to be surrounded by people looking VERY professional, exceptionally fit and mostly in neoprene. All rather intimidating, good job we didn't have big ambitions except finishing!


In a slight change from the original thought, Catrin was the teams fish - a very flipping cold fish too - what a warrior the water was a reported 10.4 degrees - brrrrrrr! Looks savage swimming with all those other people around you.

Racing (well sort of) up the Pass

Catrin emerged looking  a bit chilly but still in a speedy time of 18mins and handed over the timing chip thingy to me and the little bike. Not a perfect day for cycling with strong winds and as is always the case around those parts a head wind for a disappointing amount of the time - the ogwen valley was in no way fun! I did discover that I can ride up hill quite quickly but everybody else seems to be better at riding into a headwind - boo! Anyway I struggled home in under 2 hours which was pretty good going I thought and handed the chip over to Naomi.

Competitor Briefing before the start.

Now Miss Fisher has been doing a fair bit of that running stuff this year and is a bit of a whippet - unfortunately she was a whippet that had been suffering from a nasty chest infection and was a bit worried she wasn't going to be able to take part. Luckily she was in good form on the day and disappeared off a impressive speed - appearing back in even more impressive speed - running leg completed in just over a hour.

Total time for Team Coven 3hours 18 minutes - and that turned out to be the 3rd fastest full girl team time. Although the official results might show us as fourth due to a last minute substitution in one of the other girly teams.

A really brilliant day - loads of people got involved, loads of people out around the course cheering us all on and this despite the less than ideal weather.

So the next question is........are Team Coven going to put in another showing at the Sandman Triathlon on Anglesey in September????? Longer swim and in the sea, slightly longer bike ride and run through sand dunes........hmmm not asked the girls yet.

Oh and in case anyone is wondering - I've been pretty much lying down ever since, a substantial protest is being staged by the back at the moment - I put it down to the 10 days work beforehand.