Weekend Warriors tri and tri again at Supertri Blenheim Triathlon

A mixture of sweat and raindrops drip down my bike frame. Every pedal stroke pumps water from my shoes and I battle for traction on the slippery wet road. I start to worry I’m about to have an off – and I still have two more complete triathlons ahead of me!

I am at Supertri Blenheim Triathlon, an iconic event in the calendar now under the guardianship of Supertri. This morning, under the shadow of Blenheim Palace, bikes wheel in, kit is laid out and wetsuits are pulled on.

Stationed on an elevated platform, we Weekend Warriors – attempting as many races as possible within a day or weekend – prepare for battle overlooking the enormous transition area within the palace courtyard. There is an aura surrounding it, undoubtedly caused by the presence of three-time Olympic medalist Jonny Brownlee, who racks his bike close to mine. He is here to break the Blenheim Palace record of nine Sprint Triathlons in one weekend.

Despite being a solo event, there is an undeniable team spirit rumbling around the swim start. The rain and wind do not deter any of the Weekend Warriors as we cram into the start pen. Nervously looking around, I hear the chit-chat of surrounding competitors awaiting the horn. Seconds later, Jonny leads us onto the jetty. I am not sure whether it is my uncertainty of what is ahead or the wind howling down the lake jolting the jetty that makes my legs shake beneath me. A hearty fist bump to my mate I race alongside, and we are off, crashing into an unexpectedly warm lake. The water has a strange calming effect, none of the usual fighting for position and chaos of a triathlon start, just the gentle, smooth swimming I do not expect.

The first race is on

The warm, if slightly choppy, water makes the swim feel almost effortless. Remembering endurance is the focus for the day, I pace it comfortably, making sure I enjoy it – something I often forget to do when racing. A simple, well-marked course makes navigation easy even when passing other competitors, making for a calm and controlled swim! I am soon out of the water, facing a seemingly goliath climb that stands between the water exit point and the transition zone.

Despite the hill, the route is smooth underfoot on purpose-laid matting and a short conversation with my neighbouring competitor soon has us arriving at the palace. This being my first adult race in the UK, I am unsure as to the atmosphere, especially on this truly British day – with driving wind and rain. I need not worry and start to hear cheers as I close in on transition; the gentle jog becomes a steady run as the egotistical thought shoots through my head: ‘there could be a photographer up here!’ Turning the final corner, I am met by barriers holding back cheering spectators and marshals encouraging us all along.

In a desperate attempt to keep on top of my nutrition for the day, I chomp down a soggy peanut butter sandwich and a few mouthfuls of banana as I set off on the bike. This segment is far more challenging than I expect. As I click-clack down the red mats to the mount line, the rain begins to fall again. The soaked, glistening tarmac ahead almost grins at my slick tyres upon which I balance precariously.

Onto the bike

Being an individual who considers himself far too busy to familiarise himself with the course, I have no idea what lies ahead! Am I about to climb a mountain or will I regret not buying a TT bike – I have no idea. As I head down the drive and over the bridge, I try to remember how many laps I need to do when the sight of the first hill hits me. A short kicker with not a whole lot of run-up, unless you are brave enough to carry your speed around the bend! A climbing heart rate and wind howling down the hill make an exciting start to the course.

It is not long until the incline becomes a decline and I then start to worry whether I have connected my brakes properly before starting the race. It is fair to say I am unprepared for the bike leg. The decline becomes steeper and before I know it I am barrelling down to a blind slippery corner at 50kph with no idea whether I can stop or whether my bike and I are to become permanent residents of the neighbouring field.

Luckily, with a screech to confirm, the brakes do their job and slow me just enough to get me around the corner without face-planting in the mud. I think the course might be kind in giving some time to calm the adrenaline, but it is immediately onto another climb which looks akin to the Alps between the trees. My momentum pulls me halfway up then it is nothing but sheer grit to get up the rest. It is bad enough knowing I have to do it twice more on this triathlon but then I realise I could potentially be doing this climb 12 times over the day.

Bikes of all shapes and sizes

The three-lap, traffic-free course means lots of overtaking and being overtaken by fellow competitors makes for an exciting race. When I am not battling my front wheel over a bumpy 18th-century bridge, I enjoy seeing the wide range of competitors. I see people of all ages and abilities on all sorts of equipment, which is great to be part of. I see mountain bikes, fixies, a shopper with a basket, and even think I glimpse a Brompton! Seeing friends and family competing with and against each other makes the day extra special.

A swift transition and we are onto the run! My weakest discipline, and it is far more mentally challenging than I expect. I am not sure what is worse—the soaking shoes, the two-lap course, or the knowledge that this is definitely not the last time putting on my running shoes today! The run, or better described ‘plod’ around the palace grounds, is enjoyable for the first triathlon. Supported by the cheer of the crowd on the home straight and the marshals around the course perimeter, the 5.4km run feels less painful than a weekly parkrun. Obviously, my legs do not enjoy the climb from the lake to the finish, but it is made worth it by the stretch of finish line full of cheering supporters. A congratulation, a medal placed around my neck, and I am filtered into the special Weekend Warrior lane which sends me straight back to the start—here we go again!

Back out again

It is a strange feeling walking back to the swim start straight after finishing. I see others celebrating their finish with friends and family as I take the long walk back to the lake to re-apply my wetsuit and start the race all over again—a soggy wetsuit has never felt less welcoming. I am grateful to my amazing team for moving my wetsuit in and out of transition all day, but their attempts at drying it are unsuccessful. They claim it is because of the non-stop rain, but I like to think it is because I am so fast around the course! Any negative thoughts are soon abated by the cheers from the next wave of competitors waiting to start their event as I jog down the jetty to hop in for round two.

Battling the English weather makes the Weekend Warrior extra tough. Trying to stay warm, eat snacks, and battling into a wet wetsuit is a new challenge. The second triathlon of the day is certainly the toughest; the course is still bustling with supportive competitors and spectators, and our identifiable race numbers ensure extra cheers, but the knowledge of what lies ahead on the multi-lap course is a mental challenge. On the first lap of triathlon two, I think it could be my last but am pushed on by the conveyor belt of finish line cheers, next medal, and a clever little funneling of me back to the start; I soon find myself starting triathlon number three.

Thanks to being a writer for this mag, I have managed to arrange an interview with Jonny Brownlee at the end of his racing on Day 1, and luckily he is going so well that I do not have time to start a fourth triathlon – so I celebrate my third race of the day waiting for him to cross the line of his sixth!

In the end Jonny completes six triathlons on the Saturday and another four on the Sunday to make the 10 in total he needed for the record. It was an honour to race alongside him and grabbing a quick chat as he met the crowds with new baby Freddie was the perfect end to my day of racing. Though I’m glad I didn’t have to race 10 times too!

Q&A with Jonny Brownlee

How did you find day one of the Weekend Warrior? What was special about it? 

It’s a bit more of a challenge than I thought it was going to be. The weather really made it hard, just making it a more brutal day out. I was feeling great until the fifth one. The heavens opened again, there was sideways rain, the wind picked up, and it just became really hard!

This whole event is what triathlon is all about, isn’t it? You’ve got first-timers crossing here with their green numbers – a lot of them are doing a super sprint. You’ve got people on mountain bikes who are just enjoying doing triathlons.

The Weekend Warrior concept is what I really like. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going for two, three, four, five, six – it’s still a challenge for yourself. I think that’s really important. I just love seeing people enjoying being active and challenging themselves. The crowd was great as well. And you know, with the pros racing tomorrow – it’s what Supertri racing is all about. 

What advice would you give to first-timers like myself?

My advice to the first-timers is a bit of a cliché, but just go for it! Do it. One great thing about triathlon is that you can do any kind of distance. You don’t have to do an Ironman; you can do a super sprint, you can do the Weekend Warrior, whatever –just go for it. I always say to people, the only way you can fail is by not giving it a go. 

You are racing as a dad this time. How is that different to your previous races?

It has changed me a lot. I think it’s changed my perspective on life a little bit. II spent a whole career when the most important thing was the next training session or the next race, whereas now I fit my training around Freddie and trying to help my wife out as well. I just wanted to get across the finish line and see Freddie.

What are your plans for the future?

I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’m going to get back to elite racing or get back to some more challenges. I really enjoy this kind of challenge format; I enjoy testing my body in a different way. I spent my life trying to go faster, but now I want to do things a bit differently.

Words: Ed Broadley