Biggleswade AC athlete, Emily Varley put in a heroic effort last weekend at the ATW Odyssey Triathlon - a gruelling 3.8k swim, 180k cycle and full marathon. Supported by family and friends, Emily began her endeavour early Saturday morning from the Riverside Park in St Neots. Despite unseasonable weather conditions and a mechanical issue during the cycle stage impacting on a final placing and time, Emily ploughed on to complete and cross the finishing line later that day. Here, Emily provides an overview of her race experience:
Without a shadow of a doubt this was the best and worst race I've ever done. There was more than one point in the race where I thought "I simply cannot do this" but through sheer stubbornness, pep talks from my dad and the marshals, and a copious amount of red bull, I managed to scrape through.
The swim started well, it was actually lovely! The water wasn't cold, it wasn't a chaotic start, I felt in control. Mum dad and Adrian (and the dogs) had come to the start and it was nice to have their support from the outset.
Onto the bike and the worst weather conditions I've ever cycled in. On no earth would I have ever been out in those conditions if it hadn't been a race. Chucking with rain, strong winds, flooded course, and a tree on the course meant the puncture was almost inevitable. By the time I'd hobbled 10 miles to the nearest checkpoint in nothing but my skin suit I was absolutely frozen solid. The marshals had to bundle me up in coats and pop me in a warm ambulance because I was shaking so much. The Raynaud's in my hands were so bad I couldn't even hold the Mars bar I was given, let alone open it. Whilst 2 marshals valiantly tried to fix my bike and emergency call to dad was made to bring a replacement bike. Getting outside assistance in this meant I was effectively disqualified and wouldn't get an official finish time. Sitting in the ambulance, rain pouring down the windscreen and knowing that even if I carried on I wouldn't get a time made it very difficult to know what to do. Carry on suffering in the worst conditions possible? Or give up and be disappointed?
I decided to try and carry on; off I went into the storm and I repeated the mantra "it's just rain, you will not die, you are the storm" over and over until the 112 miles was completed. I wont sugar coat it because it was bloody awful (and the sugar would have dissolved), but getting back on the bike was one of the grimmest things I've ever done, the ride passed in a blur of rain and discomfort and fear. It was also incredibly lonely; I barely saw any other riders and spent most of the time trying desperately to keep aero into the wind and stay warm. My hands were still so cold I'd resorted to putting the entire gel packets in my mouth and trying to chew my way through the packet in order to keep some sort of energy in my system. I had precut the packets but even with that I was incapable of opening them!
I returned to transition absolutely spent. Luckily Daisy, Rupert and Adrian were waiting for me and offered cheers of support. I had a little sit down and stretch and gathered myself before embarking on the marathon. I tried and failed to change my socks, so had nice marshy feet for the run. In my delirium I also forgot my visor and my sunglasses, meaning that I would have nothing covering my pain face (surely the main reason people wear these items?)
All I had to do now was finish. I could walk, I could crawl, I could cry...But I would not stop. Incredibly the sun also came out at this point, but it wasn't actually too hot. A blessing, even if it would have been nicer if it had happened 5 hours earlier...
An entourage of fantastic supporters had come out for the marathon and every time I ran past them their cheering gave me life. Lots of the marshals at the check points were playing music which energised me, and some of them also had cute dogs (when you're that deep in the pain cave you're really clutching at any sort of distractions). Counting the 7 laps of the run, and trying to say thank you and well done to other people, was the only mental processing I was capable of. Just one foot in front of the other over and over....The pace was good and comfortable, about 8 mins per mile, until about mile 20 when my body just completely fell apart. I felt so sick I couldn't eat any more, and even drinking water was making my stomach make the most disgusting sloshing noises. I was crumbling but I knew I could keep going and that I'd passed the women who'd overtaken me during my bike hiatus so I was back in gold. I also had the same song stuck in my head (good luck, babe) for nearly 2 hours of the run...So finishing and turning off that record was also quite incentivising.
As the finish line came into sight I started tearing up. I'd done it. The hardest thing I've ever done. I collapsed across the line holding the winners ribbon. The finish area had all my friends and family, and importantly sausage rolls....not that I could do anything except collapse into their open arms and into the extremely comfortable grass that was beckoning my name.
It took everything I had and more, but I did it. I can do hard things.