My first race in Katowice and my first start of 2020 was supposed to open the season on a high. Instead, the opening minutes became the hardest part of my day. This is my Silesiaman Triathlon quarter-distance race report, told from two perspectives: mine on the course and Ola’s from the sidelines.
This race is one chapter in my Road to Ironman 2027 — the complete timeline from my first triathlons to the full-distance goal.
Silesiaman Triathlon 2020: the numbers
- swim: 40 minutes and 162nd place,
- bike: 1:20:44 riding time, averaging 32.6 km/h,
- run including T2: 48:58, averaging 4:34 min/km,
- finish: 94th overall.
Before the start
I had originally entered the half-distance race, but changed to the quarter distance. Looking back at what happened in the water, that was the right decision. Packet pickup and setting up my transition spot went smoothly. There were no gear baskets, but in the disrupted 2020 season the most important thing was that the race could happen at all.
Ola’s view
On race day I temporarily lose my husband, and our children lose their father. I have more things to think about, yet I try not to complain or raise problems. My task is simply to be there.
A crisis in the water
I felt fine while floating at the start. The countdown ended, I started my watch, took the first strokes and tried to settle into my breathing. Then I suddenly could not get enough air. Another swimmer passed close by, my chest tightened, my heart rate climbed and panic took over.
I lifted my head and switched to breaststroke, but my breathing remained shallow and fast. Everyone moved away while I dropped to the back of the field. The shore was perhaps 50 metres away and calling a safety boat would have been easy. For a moment I was ready to stop.
The decision to keep moving
I thought of Ola and our daughters waiting for me. I told myself that I could continue with breaststroke or roll onto my back if necessary. The crisis did not suddenly disappear, but I kept making slow progress towards the exit.
This describes my decision on that particular day. It is not advice to ignore alarming symptoms during a race.
I finished the swim in 40 minutes, 162nd in the field and sixth from the back. I still cannot say exactly what caused the episode. I only know how quickly confidence can vanish when breathing stops feeling automatic.
Ola waits on the shore
From a distance every swimmer looks the same. When somebody shouted for a rescuer, I did not know who needed help. Marek had expected to finish the swim in about 22 minutes, so after half an hour I wondered whether I had missed him. I did not expect him to leave the water third from last.
The Garmin GPS track
The watch reported 1,816 metres at an average pace of 2:04 per 100 metres. I certainly did not swim a straight line, and the course felt longer than planned, but that distance was clearly far beyond the expected roughly 1,200 metres.
Out of the water and into T1
As soon as I saw Ola, she shouted: “Forget the swim. It is over. Now you have the bike and the run — the things you know and enjoy. Show what you can do.” I had about 400 metres to run to T1, enough time to adjust to a different movement and start rebuilding the race.
The Silesiaman bike course
Because of the pandemic and road conditions in Katowice, the course consisted of four laps. Each lap included three U-turns, two of which forced us almost to a stop, plus two solid climbs. Morning rain had left the road slippery, but the course was wide enough to ride hard once I regained control of my breathing.
My target was around 1:25. The first 5 km, covered at an average of 29.5 km/h, were the hardest. Then I found my rhythm. I also avoided the nutrition mistake I had made in Radków: this time the gels and cola went down well.
Ola’s view from the bike course
A triathlon feels much more dynamic than a marathon from a supporter’s point of view. The multi-lap course gave me several chances to cheer, but speed makes photography difficult. By the time you recognise your athlete, the camera often captures only their back.
Beating the bike target
The four laps meant I passed Ola eight times. Her support, my daughters near the finish area and familiar voices around my home city kept me pushing. The course measured 44 km. My total bike split with T1 was 1:23:41; riding time was 1:20:44 at 32.6 km/h. It was the 74th bike time among roughly 160 starters — better than I had expected after the swim.
T2 and the run
T2 went smoothly. I left the bike, changed shoes and started running as Ola cheered me on. The run also used four laps, mostly on asphalt with sections of paving stones and packed trail, several turns and a few gentle climbs.
Ola’s view at T2
Supporting is a test of your own fitness too. Sometimes you have to run to reach the transition exit before your athlete, then sprint along the course to give them one more boost. You do it in jeans or a dress, carrying a bag or backpack. Nobody said supporting would be easy.
My legs were heavy, the heat had risen and my lungs still burned. I took two sips of water after T2, poured the rest over myself and focused on the next athlete ahead. The first 2 km were around 4:25 min/km. I like lap courses because I quickly learn where I can accelerate and where a climb begins.
Ola, our children and my parents supported me on every lap. On the final loop I was already dreaming about the beer Ola was waving near the course. I finished the run at an average pace of 4:34 min/km. The run split including T2 was 48:58, approximately the 30th time of the day.
I made it to the finish
I crossed the line without noticing that my daughter had run the final metres behind me. I sat down and felt the tension finally leave. I had completed about ten marathons, all under 3:30 and the fastest in 2:55, but this was only my second triathlon — and emotionally one of my hardest races.
After leaving the water near the back of the field, I finished 94th overall. I had hoped for a stronger result, yet the bike and run showed what was possible after the worst opening I had experienced in a race. The day was a lesson in humility and made the next training priority very clear.
Ola on the emotions of race day
Of course the emotions affect me. Some people are making their debut, others are chasing personal bests, and some have to stop despite weeks of training. There is fear too: fear of panic in the water or an accident on the bike. Supporting an athlete means sharing all of that uncertainty.
The short YouTube video captures the atmosphere and Ola’s support better than words alone.
Race organisation
The event was well prepared and signposted, although the arrows painted on the road could have been larger. Communication with the organiser was good, packet pickup was efficient and transition worked without problems. Bottled water on every running lap was especially welcome as the day grew hotter.
The next goal
The next target was Triminator Radków and an attempt to improve on the previous year’s result. Read my report from my first triathlon in Radków.