Having not competed (for that read entered as opposed to any competitive element) in a triathlon since August 2022, I decided to bite the bullet and enter an event.

That event was a spring triathlon in Northampton - even better they offered a swim/bike (aquabike) option for less money. I went for that as it's the bike that is my biggest demon.

Well, I went along, I (literally) blew the cobwebs off my 'race' bike, I completed and I enjoyed myself so there shouldn't be as long a gap before the next one.

This was enabled by a purchase earlier this year: an E assist bike. This meant that I could actually attempt to keep up with my husband on bike rides and even get up hills far easier than he does. The e-bike gave me the confidence to get out on my bike again and I've loved nipping into town on my lunch break to complete errands on it.

Whilst I couldn't ride it on 'race' day, knowing I'd got some bike miles in my legs gave me the confidence to do it. Without it, I'd still be struggling up out of the hill out of my village, demotivated before I'd even started. Highly recommend one if you've got some saved pennies.