After busy month of racing, Sophie will now start to wind down her training for the big day on 14 August. Have the nerves kicked it with it being only one month to go?

For the first time since signing up to do a triathlon I have been swimming! Better late than never! I am also now regretting delaying this decision, not because I have forgotten how to swim, but because I actually really enjoyed it!

When I was younger, swimming was a main hobby of mine and getting back in the pool again reminded me how much I like the feeling of gliding through the water. I also have found it surprisingly easy to get back into swimming many lengths of the pool, in one session completing 1200m of front crawl without rest. So thankfully, my endurance capability has easily transferred from running into the pool. The key now is being able to transfer this from the nice clear tranquil water of the pool, to the murky waters of the Liverpool Docks!

This month I have actually felt (dare I say it) like a trainee-triathlete as, in addition to swimming I have been actively training and competing in the remaining two disciplines.

Together with a large team from my running club Dockside Runners, I completed the Tunnel 10k race, with part of the route involving running through the tunnel beneath the River Mersey that connects Liverpool to The Wirral. It was a fun event to take part in with the novel aspect of the tunnel also meaning you were running ‘blind’ for a portion of the race as GPS signal on all watches were lost (I opted for running as fast as I could during this time!). A congested start and prolonged incline out of the tunnel meant I never expected to beat my 10k PB, but I was pleased with my finishing time of 47 minutes and 8 seconds.

My cycling event was not so much a race but the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 50 mile bike ride. It was nice to be able to explore further afield, without fear of getting lost, and to escape out of the city to ride country lanes and roads. Importantly I completed the ride without getting a dreaded puncture as, although I was carrying a repair kit and inner tube. I have no idea how to use these!! Overall it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning with other cyclists and I’ve now got my eyes on the 100 mile challenge next year.

So with around a month to go now until race day, I need to practise swimming not in a pool. Also I need to give some consideration to the transition element of the race, as I am aware it is wise to have some form of plan in place...