Abi, 24, RAF Officer, third season of triathlon, and part time psychology undergraduate student.
I started running a couple of years ago, like most people it was just to keep the weight off. After a while I began to relish running and really enjoyed my time spent plodding the roads.
After a year of gradually increasing my training to 6 times a week (not all running), and incorporation of some strength and conditioning, I found myself creeping up the finishing table in running races and was noticing a marked improvement in my overall fitness. I increased the volume gradually, introducing a couple of days a week where I would run and do a bit of something else, circuits or maybe spinning (note - never swimming). I saw more improvements but this eventually lead to me getting burn out with regards to running, I simply didn't want to do it, at all, period. I had forgotten why I loved to run. A friend of mine suggested I try triathlon, now here we return to my hatred of swimming. I never swam as a child and was hideously self conscious, therefore the idea of a swimming costume filled me with dread! However, my bloody mindedness lead me to accept the challenge, and my fear of finishing last got me into the pool. Before I knew it I was at the start of my first race, on a borrowed bike, vastly too big, and a miss match of other tri paraphernalia. I came 2nd overall and first in my age group...I was hooked and the rest is history!
I currently work in the Royal Air Force, and find balancing work with training difficult at times, but there is an amazing amount of support from the RAF Athletics Association and the RAF Triathlon Association. When I get annoyed about missing a training session because of work, I remind myself that all the other Age Group athletes are in the same boat, and its triathlon, its not life and death.
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