With one thing and another 2014 was a funny old year really! Here’s a kind of review of some of the highs and lows divided up into the good and bad bits.
Bad things: –
- The last-minute introduction of factoring at the first ITU Paratri of the season – This changed the whole dynamic of the sport overnight and seemed to have little scientific basis
- Picking up an adductor muscle tear in May when stupidly falling over my own feet
- Not being able to race to my potential due to injury at the ITU London Paratri and the European Champs in Austria
- Bombing on the bike following a great swim and then a decent run at August’s ITU Magog Paratri in Canada to finish a disappointing 5th
- Not being selected for the World Championships
- The ITU leaving out visually impaired men from the Rio 2016 Paralympic triathlon
- UK Sport funding being cut following the Paralympic decision
Good things: –
- Continued improvement in my run and swim technique aided by some great input from my coach Tim Williams
- Jill completing her first 5k run for Sport Relief and undertaking a triathlon herself
- 2nd place at the ITU Yokohama Paratriathlon in May
- Improving my 5k run time by 90 seconds
- Competing at the Lord Mayor’s 5k in Norwich – the noise of the massive crowd was immense and was reminiscient of the run leg at the 2012 World Paratriathlon Championships in Auckland
- 3rd place (after factoring) at the Paracgcling National TT champs
- Completing my first half marathon (Norwich) even if the weather conditions were truly awful!
Here’s a few of my favourite photo’s of the year: –
March – Sport Relief 5k
March – A massive 5k PB at the British duathlon champs
May – Being immortalised in chocolate was a bit weird
May – Matt and I giving it full beans at the London ITU Paratri around Hyde Park
June – Matt carrying the tandem at the Euro champ
August’s Unusual beach start for Paratri in Canada
October – fun at the Olympic Velodrome with Tri-Anglia
November – Post race at the Norwich Half Marathon
All that remains is to say a massive thanks to all those who have supported Tri Team Dawson this year (you know who you are!) – let’s hope 2015 will be productive!
Iain