Ever considered what your why is? Why am I in this event? Why am I doing this to myself? A client and triathlete, Christina Cox, has recently completed the inaugural Celtman Solo POINT FIVE race. If you don’t know it, follow this link. The questions she asked herself and returns to are, “Why did I enter it and why did I think it was a good idea?”

Chris and I met for a race review. In her initial reflections she described the event as, “Great, a true adventure,” explaining that while the race organisers may have plotted the route, nature made it. In Christina’s words, the event is, “more than a half”. She explains that the distances may seem close to half iron man, but no single part of this event is comparable to a 70.3 event. This is an extreme solo triathlon event following a point to point journey in Wester Ross in Scotland. This is (was) the kind of stuff that Christina avoids doing; an early morning, cold water swim amongst clouds of stinging jellyfish; a steeply undulating coastal cycle including the punishing Bealach ‘na Ba road pass and riding through a squall of, “great but not so great,” Scottish weather culminating in a hike, scramble and run through mountain valleys and over rocky terrain. Christina described being alone for an hour and a half during her run; loving the experience whilst checking her compass but reflecting that everyone would be waiting for her to finish.

Christina was the last athlete to cross the line. She knew she could achieve the proposed race cut off times for both swim and cycle segments. It would be tight and any unforeseen circumstances might have led to her being drawn form the event by marshals. Chris planned and calculated her swim and bike to perfection, leaving the run open to chance and realising on the day that none of her off-road trail run training fully prepared her for the extreme terrain.

Has completing this race answered Christina’s questions, “Why?” Not completely, she comments,”I do now know that pushing out with my comfort zones in training and in the event itself, instead of being the reason not to do it, are the actual reasons to do it. But, “Why?” I still don’t know.” A much easier question to answer is “Why not?” She has proven to herself that she can. She understands why people keep going back and praised the authenticity of the event, commenting on the genuine and specific support for every individual. Chris moves forward to her next event, Ironman Barcelona, wondering if it might be comparatively monotonous and feeling that she is fitter than she is strong. I’d argue that she’s stronger than ever.