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Race Recap: Haventriatlon Zeebrugge (June 1, 2013)

This was my first serious race since I picked up running (full back story in the about section).

This is actually 1/8th of a triathlon organised by The Port of Zeebrugge for marketing reasons.
It was the second edition and this year there was a possibility to take part as a threesome.

I teamed up with Lies and Tom who would take up the swimming and biking part.

As I was training some time by then I was very optimistic to settle a nice PR.
Weather conditions were good, I picked out the right set of gear and was feeling confident.

Adrenaline started kicking in way too early, which had me worrying for some part, but I felt confident it would be gone when my time was there.

You know it or not, but running is the last part of a triathlon. That meant I saw the start of Lies, watch her go, watched her return, transfer the chip to Tom and saw him setting of for a 20k bike ride.

With some time gone, the first bikers began coming back and with each chip transfer from biker to runner all around me, my heartbeat rose.

Luckily, Tom was coming. Pumped up as I was, the chip transfer could have gone waaaay better, but there I went. Fast! Too fast!

The aim was sub 20min, which translates into a 4:00min/km pace.
First kilometer … 3:39
Blink-182 was blasting in my ears, but I knew I had to slow myself or I would collapse before the last km.
Somehow I even managed pacing myself as the second km was 3:56.
Legs still feeling good, breathing could be better, dry mouth very present, heart rate way too high.

Third and fourth kilometer I kept on slowing down and a 4:06 and 4:08 km passed.

So this was it, very quick count gave me a margin of 10 seconds.
I knew there was a very heavy 500m coming (wind up front, no cheers yet to help me) so it all came down to stubbornness!
The crowd begin to grow on the sidelines and I had to start looking for Tom & Lies as we meant to cross the finishing line together.

Once spotted I gave the signal to start running as I felt my last strength started kicking in. A last good sprint. Searching hands. Looking at each other. Me pulling them with me, them already starting to catch me. And like that we crossed the finish line.

Final lap: 4:02

Total 5k time: 19:48

It hadn’t been easy, I would face three days of sore muscles, but I made it: my sub 20min 5k!

So happy 🙂

 

Kilometers with bib

 

Playlist was meant to pump me up:

  • Blink-182 – GO
  • Blink-182 – All The Small Things
  • Eminem – Lose Yourself
  • The Opposites – Licht Uit (Coone Remix)
  • Mark With A K – Music Is My Alibi

 

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