Written by Einion Williams 

 

Just over two weeks ago, on Sunday 28th June, Cardiff held its first open water triathlon in Cardiff Bay. A gray wet morning welcomed all the competitors, spectators and organisers. However, this did not matter to anyone who was competing as they would be swimming in the bay soon enough!

 

My name is Einion Williams and I live on Ynys Mon (Anglesey). I’m 50 plus and, let’s just say, not the picture of your ‘average’ triathlete! I’m overweight, in need of a knee replacement and, as a former rugby player, have only just started running and doing triathlons.

 

The Cardiff Triathlon organisers, Always Aim High, run numerous triathlons and runs up in North Wales and I have been lucky to have participated in a few of their events. Also, as a local councillor, I know the advantages and benefits that they have on the tourism and economy of North Wales in particular. 

 

What is fantastic about these events is the camaraderie and friendship amongst all the athletes, with everyone willing to share and help each other, from the experienced to the novice, all sharing a joke and tips encouraging each other. 

 

The most important part of any pre race is the safety briefing, especially as I was inexperienced swimming in a wetsuit. The first time is defiantly a strange feeling! But it’s important to listen as it could save your life knowing that there are people out there to help.

 

I was in the last wave and time was ticking ready for my start time. To be honest, I had set a time of 3 hours for myself tocomplete the course. Nerves, excitement and a touch of fear crept in as I approached the starting point but that all vanished the moment I jumped in and the race started. The conditions were a little bit rough in the bay with waves buffeting, but by concentrating on breathing and my swim stroke I completed the section. Getting out of a wet swimsuit was an experience in itself and luckily there were officials to help me out and set me off for the next section, the bike ride. 

 

The bike ride was fairly straightforward compared with the hills I’ve experienced in North Wales, consisting of two ten kilometres laps on a flat closed road course. Around the course there were plenty of volunteers directing the athletes and cheering everyone on. Other competitors were also encouraging each other and passing on information. 

 

On to the final section - the run. To anyone spectating my run would have been considered a fast walk! But despite being the last runner there was no loneliness of the long distance runner here and I had the privilege of talking to some of the marshals and St John’s volunteers on their bike. The course was flat, running past the Dr Who centre towards the Cardiff Barrage then back. When I came round the back of the Welsh Assembly and Millennium Centre I could see the finish line. I have to say it was amazing being cheered on, even though the race had been won hours earlier there was still a crowd there cheering me on - an experience hard to beat! And I completed the course in two hours and forty-nine minutes, under my target of under three hours. 

 

So what did I take from my experience at Cardiff Triathlon? It doesn’t matter if the athlete next to you is a Team GB competitor with a top of the range bike, or a complete novice with an old bike, the most important thing for me is the camaraderie of the competition, the willingness to push oneself and to enjoy it. The Cardiff Triathlon course offered a good chance to gain a personal best and it’s good to ‘always aim high’ and improve for the next race. I will be back again so see you all next year!

 

Well done to all those who won, competed and a big thanks to all the organisers, marshals and volunteers for without them we could not have taken part.