The best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves

Hi, I'm a primary school teacher living in West Yorkshire, I've got two lovely lively children and a husband who conspire to keep me pretty busy.  For no reason that was apparent at the time I decided to take part in my first triathlon a few years ago when I was in my late twenties.

I entered the Rother Valley Sprint Triathlon without any training.  I'd never swum in open water, I hadn't ridden a bike in 10 years and I'd only ever run on a treadmill.  Waiting to go into the lake, the only competitor without a wetsuit, I was more nervous than at any time since my wedding.  I was last but one out of the water and dead last by the time I returned to transition on the bike that I'd borrowed just the day before.  I fell even further back during the run walk as I struggled to complete the race.

Why on earth did I do this to myself again?  Well, right from the first race I learnt about how supportive other triathletes and spectators are, encouraging me as I went out on the run and cheering when I finally reached the finish.  But most important was the sense of pride and achievement that I had managed to push myself around the course when I could so easily have given up.  No matter how tough I may find a race now, I can always steel myself with the thought that nothing will be harder than that first one.

Please feel free to leave a comment on one of my articles or contact me here, I'd love to hear from you,

Claire