Blue Lagoon Triathlon race report from Christelle Hattingh, personal trainer and elite athlete.
As a duathlete I like to challenge myself competing in the occasional triathlon. Preferably an IRONMAN 70.3 with a rolling swim start to calm the nerves.
I started this year on a high when I received my new Liv Envie road bike. It motivated me to want to race more cycle tours and try qualify to race elite at Cape Town Cycle Tour. In that process the Blue Lagoon Triathlon popped up. A return to olympic distance triathlons would be good after racing IRONMAN 70.3 for the last three years.
Most my training leading up to the race was done on my new Liv Envie, however I decided to race on my Giant Trinity time trial bike on this flat course in order to save my legs for the tough run.
Race morning I woke up feeling fresh and ready to take on the pro and elite line up I was seeded in. It was a bit intimidating at first to see the top three ladies I would be racing against.
I had a great start with my swim, managing to stay super calm and timing the swell very well. I swam a personal best. Quick into T1 and out on the bike, I settled in, getting my Tailwind Nutrition in. Slowly I started to build up, not knowing my position until the turn around point.
As expected, the top three ladies were there in front as well as one more athlete… it was game on! I started to close the gap, but another ‘powerhouse’ passed me. Not letting this derail me, I stuck to my race plan as to not ‘overcook’ the bike. I needed to save my legs to catch up on the run.
With cruise control on, feet on my shoes and ready to jump off the bike, it was the perfect soft landing. No cramps and a nice high cadence to let my body adjust to the run.
On my first lap I caught both ladies that were standing between me and the top three. I ran the gravel steady and the downhill hard to open up a little gap. Now in the position I planned to be, I kept my own pace and rhythm and finished with a smile. Placing 4th lady and 1st in my age group.
