The race started strong with a solid swim. I felt great from the start and quickly joined the lead group. The first kilometer went smoothly, but the bright sun in the second half made it hard to see, and I lost the leaders’ draft. I dropped back a bit but stayed with a small chase group. I exited the water in 10th place with a personal best time of 1:00:30, giving me a boost for the race ahead.

The transition to the bike was flawless, and my new @Canyon bike felt perfect. I hit an average speed of 37.5 km/h on the first lap and felt amazing. However, fatigue set in during the second lap, and the heat, along with struggles to take in nutrition, started to slow me down. Additionally, middle-distance athletes on the course made overtaking difficult. It disrupted my rhythm, and I lost some valuable energy.

When I started the run, I knew a sub-10 finish was unlikely. My stomach issues worsened, and by the third marathon lap, I had to stop and throw up. It was a tough mental blow, but I kept going, though at a slower pace. The marathon became a battle, and I finished with a time of 4:11, which, considering the circumstances, wasn’t too bad.

My final time of 10:16 was as expected. Although I was 22 minutes off the European Championship podium, I’m satisfied with the performance. There’s work to do for next year, but I see this as a strong foundation. The podium is now a clear goal, and I’m more motivated than ever to return stronger!

Earlier this year, I participated in the IRONMAN 70.3 in Duisburg, just back from a month-long vacation with minimal training. This race marked my first half-triathlon, and I considered it a fun preparation for the European and National Championships at the Challenge Almere, which took place two weeks later.

However, the race didn’t go as well as I had hoped. The weather was warm, and I always struggle with high temperatures. After the swim and bike, I was still on track to meet my target time of 4:45. But the scorching sun caused me to overheat as I got off the bike. At that point, I had to take it easy and cool down properly. I made use of every shower I came across, and fortunately, my pace started to pick up again toward the finish.

Running, however, was a challenge, and with a final time of 5:09.23, I can’t say this was my best race. Despite this disappointment, I learned valuable lessons that I can carry into my future races.

3rd place in the Olympic triathlon in Zeewolde! It was almost a perfect race. The water was warm, so wetsuits weren’t allowed. The start from the water went smoothly, and I was able to stay with the lead group. The water was clear, which really helped in following the feet of the swimmers ahead of me. I swam half a lap side by side with someone, staying in the draft of the person in front of us. With a split of 1:26, I’ve never swum so fast!

T1 was a bit of a mess; I grabbed my bike before putting on my helmet. This caused some chaos, and I lost about a minute as I had to fix my visor. After that, the cycling went well. I passed the riders ahead one by one, but I had no idea how much of a lead I had after two laps. The run also went quickly over the four laps. I wasn’t sure of my exact position, but I knew I was in the top 10.

Just as Tjannerie crossed the finish line, the awards ceremony began. 3rd place in my age group! Without the helmet mishap, I might have finished 2nd. This bodes well for next year!

First place and a new course record in the 1-kilometer race at the Mooie Nel Swim! Last year, I participated in the 4 km and finished in 11th place. This year, I decided to return for the 1 kilometer—a fast race and perfect preparation for the sprint triathlon I would do the next day. The times from last year seemed achievable, but I heard there were several fast swimmers targeting this distance this year.

The race went excellently. I had a fast start and was able to keep up with the leaders of the 4 km. I swam in a favorable position, close to the buoy, and managed to get into clear water without any issues. The water was a bit choppy, and it was hard to see the buoy, which was 300 meters away. I couldn’t tell exactly if there were any swimmers ahead of me, but after 15 minutes, I touched the finish line first, with over a minute lead on second place.