TSP2: The Speed And The Sweat
Today I’m going to tell you about the first triathlon I ever did.
More than 32 years ago.
The video above is the first ITU World Short Course Championships from Avignon, France. It was broadcast on the French Television station Canal+. From my home in Slough, I couldn’t tune in to that live race coverage on the 6th August 1989. But since then I’ve definitely made up for it by watching the whole race on YouTube about 20 times.
But I was already a big triathlon fan back then. And as my triathlon hero, Glenn Cook, finished second in Avignon I had to get my hands on a copy of the next issue of Tri-Athlete magazine to read the long-form race report.
In the 1980s. Before the internet and live-streams. And even before Eurosport started broadcasting triathlons. These magazine articles were all we had to find out the results and understand the racing.
The Slough High Street branch of WH Smith only ever stocked one copy of each issue of Triathlete. And on several occasions I’d been beaten to it by another Slough-based triathlete. Who was this person?
After a few weeks of daily after-school loitering in the shop I got my hands on the mag. The front cover had an amazing photo of Cook running toe to toe with third place finisher Rick Wells. Below.
Cook had cut his Ron Hill vest navel high and felt-tipped GBR across his chest. Both athletes had their moustaches pinned back from the speed and the sweat as they tried to keep Mark Allen in their sights.
As Glenn was riding himself into medal contention he was doing it on a Dave Russell bike. Dave was the British team mechanic for the Avignon trip and his bikes were super-popular with triathletes at the time.
Dave’s kids swam at my swimming club and I bumped into him at the pool on his return. He regaled me with tales from Avignon and we discussed the progress he was making with the bike I’d ordered: A fluo-green and white Reynolds 501 Frame with a Shimano 105 group-set and Mavic MA2 rims.
I’d finished my first triathlon just 4 months earlier, having started to run in primary school after watching the 1984 LA Olympics on TV. That winter I joined a small, local athletics club. I mainly ran cross country but also did some track and sometimes even the jumps and throws.
In 1988 when that club closed I moved to a running-only club. They had plenty of good athletes though. So I trained hard and improved steadily year on year. My focus was now cross country with the occasional local road race thrown-in for experience.
I was pretty dedicated to running and really enjoyed it. But in age-group terms, as a 16 year old, I was definitely a middle-of-the-packer. But that dedication to pure running was about to change.
Images: Today’s Runner (UK) July 1987
In the July 1987 issue of Today’s Runner Magazine I read an article (above) titled Trying The Tri. On the front cover there was a small photo of Erin Baker. Probably taken at Nice in 1986. Spoiler Alert. This was the year she was disqualified for accepting a drink from her sister who was spectating.
The article opened with:
“How many of you have ever wondered about tackling a triathlon? All you fit runners are capable of having a go without drowning in the pool, falling off the bike or tripping over in the run. Fionn Lawlor recently had a try, survived to tell the tale, and is now looking forward to the next one.”
The journalist, Fionn Lawlor, then documents how she borrows a bike and, despite being nervous about the swim, uses her running fitness to finish her first short, pool-based triathlon in Peterborough.
The article also had everything I needed to know about triathlon. How to train, what to wear, how to find races and a list of shops to buy tri-kit.
I know I got pretty excited after reading the article but, for some reason, I didn’t take action and enter a race that year.
A similar article was published again in Today’s Runner Magazine in 1988. But this time with a list of beginners triathlons, or Try-A-Tris, that the magazine was helping to promote. There was going to be an event in all 10 BTA regions of England and in Scotland and Wales.
The Southern region event was to be held in Wokingham. It was organised by Thames Valley Triathletes. Britain's first triathlon club. Pretty much all triathlons were organised by clubs back then.
So the same day I bought the magazine, I cut out the entry form, filled it in, put it into an envelope and rushed it to the post office. But I forgot to include a check for the 5 pounds entry fee.
Worried that the race would fill up before I could forward the money or get another magazine, I spent a few hours sitting next to the post box on Cippenham Lane. I had to beg the postman for the envelope before putting the money in and sellotaping it up. Phew.
My preparation for the event started early in 1989 by making my first trip to the specialist triathlon shop Total Fitness in Swindon. I bought the book Dave Scott’s Triathlon Training and some Tinley lace locks.
I also joined a new local triathlon club, Berkshire Tri Squad, and started training for the race. Swimming was mainly done solo at Montem Leisure Centre and I started to do longer bike rides around Berkshire.
The race was held on 7th May 1989 at Martin’s Pool. I just googled it. Unfortunately it closed down in 1992. It was a classic Lido with a wooden entrance structure, sloping lawns, a snack bar and super-cold water.
The bike course was out and back towards Twyford and the run went around the houses of Wokingham. A few weeks before the event I rode from Slough to Twyford. Did the bike course backwards and then cycled home. A round trip of about 80km. My longest ever ride and my first bonk.
My bike was a powder-blue 10-speed Peugeot Elan. I rode it with the seat right down and my running shoes slotted loosely into chrome toe clips. Helmets were fairly new but I had the Vetta Corsa.
It was the same helmet as one of my Triathlete Magazine heroes, Mark Marabini, wore. I bought mine from Stows Cycles in Slough. They were well known for their friendly service. Said nobody ever.
It might not have been lightweight. But it was safe. As it was made from military grade, bullet-proof kevlar.
Despite having to switch to breaststroke for a few lengths during the swim, I picked up plenty of places on the bike and my transition practices on Cippenham Green allowed me to finish with a strong run.
As I crossed the finish-line I knew this was the most exciting sporting thing I’d ever done. I’d also posted a pretty competitive time.
Images: British Triathlon Scene (UK) June 1989
The results and some photos were printed in the June 1989 issue of British Triathlon Scene. Above. Here’s what Steve Trew said in the article.
“Today’s Runner and New Balance combine to give hundreds of first timers a tri (T.R.I.). It doesn’t really matter what the results were, everyone who finished after entering this new challenge was a winner anyway. The length and breadth of the country played host to hesitant newcomers in our sport, perhaps lurking amongst them was a Springman, a Coope, a Shrosbree or a Cook. That doesn’t really matter either; what does matter is that everybody had their first taste and hopefully they will be bitten by the bug that already holds us all in its thrall. The pictorial essay laid out below says far more than I can in mere words; have a look, read the results and just be happy that you’re involved in the best sport that we know.”
I raced another 3 or 4 times in 1989 including a junior event at East Grinstead and The National Junior Championships at Holme Pierrepont. Results below. Which was Spencer Smith’s first triathlon outside of Thames Turbo club events. I had a chat on Twitter with him recently. Apparently the future world champion did the race with his helmet on backwards.
My brother, who was only 11 at the time, also competed a few times in 1989. And in August a swimming club tour slash family holiday took us to Florida. Where we managed to pick up some pretty hard to get tri kit.
But more on that later.
So heading into the winter, and although I was only 16, I’d already made the decision that I wanted to be a professional triathlete.
Links:
1989 ITU World Championships in Avignon
Dave Russell Cycles
1989 National Junior Results and 220 (UK) October 1989
Sources:
220 (UK) June 1989
