Excellent weather, familiar faces. This was my first full biathlon after a couple of experiences with other biathlons. I took an hour and twenty-seven minutes. Such a performance was surprisingly good for me. I had given myself an hour forty-five to complete the race, given the unpredictability of the sea conditions and the considerable strain through the run.

But it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, through the pained smiles. The swim was completed in 27 minutes. There was the usual feet, calf, thigh and butt molestation, and the omni-present need to check direction. So all in, a 27 minutes was a pretty good showing. I took my time during the changeover, chatting with this pretty lady. I took this picture with her. And with that lingering thought, the 10 km run commenced. It was spotted with punctuation, stopping 4-5 times to re-charge and gain respite. A Big Thank-You to the 2 runners who encouraged me along the way, for if not those timely interventions, it would have been so much harder to gather resolve to finish the run. The process of the run was not fantastic, but the finish was satisfying; a sprint to the end. 54 minutes for the run, another positive showing.

A fitter and better-prepared individual can only perform better. If there is a next time, i seek improvement.