WTCS Triathlon, Sunderland, 30th July 2023

We have a few triathletes in Claremont and two of them – Michael Teasdale and Sonam Wangdi – were in Sunderland to take part in the World Triathlon Championship Series events this weekend. They competed in different events over the same course. Whilst they may not have been competing in the Elite Race, it was still a competitive, full distance triathlons. Indeed it was so competitive that Sonam lost his Garmin in the “chaotic swim start”. Michael sent us this report:

“I’ve started this race report whilst leaning against a gate on the Town Moor between the handicap runners passing through. My back and legs are still somewhat sore and the back of my neck is raw from the wetsuit chafing but I achieved my main goal of 2023: complete an Olympic distance triathlon. That I was able to do it in my hometown and to do it at a World Triathlon Championship Series event is just the icing on the cake.

I’ve been working on my swimming over the last 6 months but it still didn’t prepare me for the temperature – which hit from the start – or the choppiness as we got further and further from the shore. All technique went out of the window and on a number of occasions I genuinely thought about rolling into my back, sticking my hand in the air and withdrawing from the race but as I rounded the buoy towards the end of, the pier each stroke was bringing me closer to the end of the swim. At the end of the swim I was hit with some serious dizziness which made getting up the beach to transition interesting to say the least.

The bike leg was 4 laps of a technical course around roads familiar from my youth, though I’m sure they weren’t as hilly back then! It took me a lap to get settled after the swim and I rode out the remaining 3 laps at what felt like a manageable pace whilst munching on flapjack and energy gels.

Transition from bike to run went better than from swim to bike. Again it was 4 lap course which included the same hill from the bike course. I only managed to run the whole hill once, on my final lap. There was some great support along the course which certainly helped me through, and then once I’d completed my second lap I could tell myself that’s it’s just a parkrun to go. As with my last lap on the bike, my last run lap was quite lonely in the sense that there were very few other participants around me, but cheered on by spectators, marshalls and other volunteers I managed a bit of a sprint finish and crossed the finish line with something of a smile on my face and enthusiastically returning a high five with one of the finish line marshalls.

A fitting end to the day was, having returned home, showered and crashed out on the sofa, watching the elite mixed relay even take place where I had been racing (I use that term loosely) that morning. Shout-out to Melissa (my wife) for getting up at half 5 on a Sunday to support me at the event!”