Derwent Reservoir Triathlon, 16th July 2023

Sonam Wangdi and Julie Cross are two of our keenest multi-discipline members, and both were at Derwent Reservoir this weekend, attempting their latest triathlon in truly tempestuous conditions. Julie was competing in the Sprint (approx 750m swim, 20km bike ride, 5km run) and Sonam in the Standard (approx. double the sprint distances).

Things got off to a rocky start. Julie aborted her swim before it had barely started, along with many of her fellow competitors, deeming the wind and waves too severe. Julie’s verdict: “Too choppy even for the safety kayaks!” Starting about half an hour later, Sonam’s swim was reduced from 2 laps of the reservoir to 1 due to the conditions. Probably for the best, as he stated he “wouldn’t have had the will to do another lap anyway”.

Things improved for Sonam once back on terra firma, putting in great efforts on the bike and run legs. His summary of the experience: “beautiful and brutal”, finishing 21st overall.

Julie had slightly less luck, her cycle unintentionally elongated to an “extra loop of 2-3 miles, as no marshall & poor memory of the route. Very, very windy…and lumpy.” The final 5km run was at least completed without incident. She was able to find positives in the end, saying “this morning felt like an adventure”.