Sometimes it's best to just walk away....

When I signed up to do my first triathlon at London, the idea of qualifying as a Team GB Age Group-er seemed as distant as possible.  I'd never ridden clipless pedals, I could swim but it wasn't pretty and running was something I did once a fortnight.  Since then, I've worked hard and achieved things which seemed impossible back then.  A sub-40min 10km was laughable, but now I would do that comfortably in training.   I can keep up with guys and girls on the bike who I used to perceive as these untouchable super cyclists, vastly more experienced than me, but I now know as a great group of people, whose company I enjoy.  My swimming has come on leaps and bounds - I'm now a full minute quicker over 400m than when I started and am feel like I understand swimming more and more every day.  I also achieved what I thought was impossible and qualified for a spot on Team GB Age Group at the European Championships in Turkey.

But it's a spot I won't be filling.  I've come to the conclusion that although I am very proud that I qualified for Team GB AG, it's just not right for me this year.  My exams will be just just days before I would due to be racing and its just not possible for me to do the training I need to do, whilst also revising for my iBSc exams. 

This is the first time my triathlon goals and my University goals have been entirely incompatible.  Until now, I've juggled the two and although there this has meant times when going for a run at 2200 was the only way I could fit my training in, it has been possible.  To say I'm disappointed is entirely inadequate, but I need and must move on. I fear that disappointment is all too prolific the more involved in a sport you become, from not placing as you'd hoped in a race, to a lacklustre performance in training and I need to learn to not let these stumbles lead to a greater fall.

If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Wrote this post listening to...