Despite the blazing sun and deceptively steep hills, I put my mind over matter and managed 40km in 1 hour 43 minutes (to be precise - organisers Human Race texted me my exact time!). This time was less than I was aiming for, originally 2 hours, and includes a 15 minute break at the Treat Stop (pic below), so I'm very happy.
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| About to set off |
Saying that, my page will be open for another month so any further donations would be warmly welcomed:
http://www.justgiving.com/dominikak
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| Quick stop at the Treat Stop... |
A bit over half way, I decided to stop at one of the 'Treat Stops' as I was curious to what they offered. I was greeted by friendly helpers and a mountain of water bottles and endless plates of 'naughty' treats such as flapjacks, sweets and brownies. Although this was a nice reward, something a little healthier would have been more appreciated (apart from bananas which they also had). I don't know, maybe that's just me.
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| Treats galore... |
To my surprise, I reached the finish line much quicker than expected, which threw me a little. I think my initial training paid off, as well as the adrenaline driving me to reach my goal. Before the event I wouldn't have called myself 'competitive' but I definitely saw a competitive streak in myself that day.
There was also a real sense of community and an upbeat, supportive vibe, with people standing on the roads cheering and encouraging us throughout the journey. Based in a stunning location, cyling through picturesque villages and freewheeling down hills was nothing short of liberating.
At the finish line I was greeted with cheers, clapping and 'well dones' from bystanders, as well as a lovely medal and free drinks.
Participants were also treated to a free spa and goody bag. The spa was provided by Unlisted - unfortunately there was too long a queue for the massages but I had a relaxing facial treatment and took part in a stretching class.
Overall, it was an unforgettable day and I would definitely take part again - perhaps opting for a longer distance next time to push myself even further. I'm happy that I have finally found 'my sport', discovered through continuous trial and error (running and rowing are just not for me).
I think it's great that more people are coming together to take part in events like these (apparently the number of participants doubled since last year) and just goes to show that the Olympics weren't a one off phenomenon but have gone on to inspire a generation.
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| I made it! Basking (literally) in my glory |
