whenthings become tough during
thelater stages of the event.
Before I even start the race,
theswim leg almost turns into a
disaster. After a few hundred metres
ofwarm-up in the water, my
gogglesbreak into two pieces. I’m
surethey won’t survive the waves
andI’veno spare ones. ‘You see, the
tape!You needed the tape!’ I think.
I’msomehow able to fix them and,
incredibly, they stay together for
thewhole swim – before finally
givingup once and for all when
I takethem off on the long, uphill
runtoT1.SINUOUS SHAPE
Afterthe first 2km on the flat
following transition, the bike course
takeson its sinuous shape, snaking
upanddown the hills. The route
ensuresthat athletes ride facing the
greenand rocky Peloponnese
mountains and are surrounded by
olivetrees at every turn. It’s crucial
I staybelow my threshold, but at a
poweroutput that’s not making me
losetoomuch time either.
Atthe top of the first, longer
climb,the route turns around and
takesthe same stretch of road
downhill. I’ve been worried that the
descentcould be fast and furious –
anddangerous – if the road is wet or
if thestreet dogs decide to put on a
show.Luckily, though, they all
behavewell and the organisers placea volunteer where one of the most
aggressive dogs usually hangs out.
On my way down I’m able to see the
dog and a volunteer barking at one
another! I laugh and keep going.
The part that follows the first
descent is a further up-and-down
that stretches for another 16km: the
first 8km mostly up, the second
8km mostly down. It’s not as hard
as the first climb, but both the wind
and the fatigue start to crack into
my muscles. Halfway through the
bike leg, I feel my quads and
hamstring becoming too tensed
and I take a couple of salt tablets to
avoid the worst.
The second 45km (a repetition
of the first) goes by much better.
I feel stronger and my legs feel
fresher again. I’m now looking
forward to seeing how they
perform in the half marathon.TA M I N G TH E B E A ST
T2 goes by pretty fast in 3:30mins
and that includes a toilet stop. The
initial part of the run course is a bit
downhill and the clock is showing a
pace of 3:55min/km. I know it’s too
fast even for a downhill section and
I feel my heart rate increasing.
I won’t be able to hold that for long
and will pay a high toll if I pursue it.
I force myself to slow down to
4:30min/km.
The course continues with a few
ups and downs, but from 5kmGREEK
TRIATHLONS1
The Porosea
Triath lon hosts
super-sprint,
sprint, Olympic,
aquathlon and
children’s races
on Poros Island,
across the Saronic
Gulf from Athens,
from 8-9 June- why-n.gr
2
The stunning
island of Crete
will welcome the
Chania Triathlon
on 9 June 2019,
with sprint and
Olympic options
both on offer.
chaniathlon.com3
Ancient
Epidavros in
the Peloponnese
will witness
Epidavros Action
take place from
14-15 September- A host of
race distances are
on offer. why-n.gr
4
Over in the
culturally
Greek (but
independent)
Republic of
Cyprus, the
next instalment
of the tough
middle-distance
Olympusman
03 is set for
16 November.
activatecyprus.
comhow
was it
for you?
110 / / June 2019“The mid-30s air temperature
makes the challenge complete.
70.3 Greece is now unfolding as a
nasty beast that needs to be tamed”